I had planned to dedicate today’s post to some fashion tips for Spring/Summer, but my surroundings are inspiring me to go a different direction. I’m working with from the Mercantile Library in downtown Cincinnati with a couple of colleagues who have committed to a “get ‘er done” day. Established in 1835, you’ll feel as though you are stepping back in time when you enter the library on Walnut Street. Original fixtures, winding stairways and fabulously ornate coat racks dot the minimalist environment. How the space can house so many books, magazines and texts yet feel so clean, open and efficient is a testament to previous approaches to style and architecture. You can find more info at the link above or just wander in one day and see where your senses take you.
This setting perfectly marries with some fashion research I was doing over the weekend. I have been thinking lot about a phrase I’m going to credit to Jenifer Sult of Daughters of Style and Cut and Sewn, “slow fashion”. Jenifer used this term during an open table conversation regarding local made anything versus mass production and the impact of same on local and global economies, cultures and environments. A fellow entrepreneur at the table, Johnathan Ehrenkrantz of Bird Listener threw out the term “dress local” as a spin off from “shop local’. I love the connotation of both terms as they relate to clothing (or other goods) handmade and sold in your area. Even our local Cincinnati Macy’s now has a small “local made” section run by a local artist co-op. It feels good to shop local, but more importantly you are truly changing the world. If you’d like more information on this topic I highly recommend a documentary called “The True Cost”. On their site you can also find some great interviews with designers with a mission toward fair trade and conscious consumers.
So, I sit here content and feeling so connected to my consumer. I’m inspired to head home shortly, pull beautiful textiles from my collection and start hand cutting Skube panels for upcoming shows. My next show is the Home and Garden Show in Cincinnati beginning the end of February. If you’d like tickets please message me and I’ll place them at Will Call. In the meantime, slow down and enjoy your surroundings if your day permits and think about how you consume. Our spending patterns dictate our mood and shape our world.
Here’s a sneak peak at some beautiful Skubes I’ll be creating with you in mind…
Enjoy this beautiful day,
Monica.
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