Nails: What does the fox say?
That he loves my nails. And I definitely do as well.
Tea Forté for J.Crew
I have a little bit of a girl crush on Jenna Lyons, the creative genius behind the American brand J.Crew. I first was captivated by her personal story of growing up as an awkward kid with a severe skin condition and then climbing the ladders at J.Crew, where now she basically oversees everything. And how can you NOT love her signature mix-and-match style?
“I’m not one of the cool kids, and that is totally fine.”
Luckily my bank account is not completely depleted because it is a bit harder to get my hands on a cashmere cardigan or a pair of 3" chino shorts here in Hong Kong. So I always make it a point to ship a mountain of goodies (of course using my 40% off promo code) to my parents' house in San Francisco where I usually go back to twice a year.
"Are you really here to visit us or to pick up your clothes?" my mom will ask when I visit.
Anyways, ENOUGH drooling. The catalyst for this design project was what Jenna once said when asked why J.Crew carries non-J.Crew brands in its stores:
"It goes back to editing, and also appreciation of quality. The Red Wing boot—they do it well, they do it in America. Why try and re-create it? Some things are amazing the way they are. Alden shoes, Sperry Top-Siders. We love that you’re buying our Ludlow suit, but we want you to have the option of the best possible shoe out there. They come with tons of history and brand integrity that we might not be able to offer in shoes."
It's so true. As the old saying goes, don't reinvent the wheel. I think it's absolutely wonderful that J.Crew as well as other retailers including H&M, Target, and Gap are collaborating with brands and designers giving costumers the unique opportunity to discover new products and/or own one-of-a-kind pieces that merge the personalities of J.Crew and whatever brand it is partnering with.
The Cambridge Satchel Co.
Lulu Frost
Corgi
The Laundress New York
"Shiny Ponies"
Then I saw this this video that J.Crew put out in early 2013 showcasing its Italian-made shoe collection. I was left with two conclusions:
1. I should not feel guilty for having far too many pairs shoes, a few that I also still have not worn.
2. I have the perfect but an unexpected collaboration idea that would showcase these colorful heels in a 'drinkable' way.
The Idea:
What about a Tea Forté x J.Crew crossover?!
In case you do not know, Tea Forté is an American tea company that was founded by American product designer Peter Hewitt. The company's mission, with its beautifully designed tall, square pyramid infusers, is to "elevate a cup of tea into an extraordinary experience for all of your senses." So when I was having myself a cup of this tea, it dawned on me that a Tea Forté drinker could definitely own a pair of J.Crew heels. This woman would appreciate the finer things in life and would take the time to have a cup of tea in her prettiest tea cup, accompanied by maybe a warm scone slathered with strawberry jam and clotted cream and would not mind spending a bit extra for a finely crafted pump from Italy. Have a beverage brand crossover may seem like a bit of a stretch but the idea was begging to be designed.
So I painfully narrowed down to five of my favorite pairs of shoes from the collection and worked away to what you see below. I will have to say the final outcome is quite charming and perhaps too adorable to drink.
Too adorable to drink!
Nails: Big dots, small dots
Hard to beat a classic black and white combination like this.
Japanese Afternoon Tea
I brought back several beautifully made snacks from my last visit to Tokyo. Feeling guilty for eating them so unceremoniously while watching an episode of 'The Walking Dead' I thought why not do a Japanese style afternoon tea that would showcase the fine artistry of these treats. I never formally had Japanese afternoon tea but drew from inspirations online as well as from the time I had tea and sweets at New York's charming Cha-An Tea House.
This project also gave me the opportunity to put to good use several colorful dishes I bought in Tokyo in an area called Kappabashi. Also known as Kitchen Town, Kappabashi is lined with shop after shop selling everything from plates, cups, knives, and decorations to plastic display food and ramen lanterns. My biggest regret is that I did not buy more to cook and eat with but also to store jewelry. Next time.
Back in Hong Kong I happened to be at FrancFranc, a Japanese contemporary home furnishing shop, and discovered these lovely plates that would be an perfect addition to my afternoon tea. They are by Mio Matsumoto, an talented illustrator whose work is simple and delicate but infectiously fun and free-spirited.
Preliminary sketch mapping out where all the treats would be
Instead of real flowers, I thought that a couple of nature-inspired origami decorations would be a nice touch. Not having any traditional origami paper on hand, I took old paper samples and folded this carambola flower and butterfly following the expert instructions of two origami masters on Youtube.
Kirei desu ne? (Pretty, isn't it?)
After picking up a few additional snacks and ingredients for some mini tea sandwiches all that was left to do was assembling everything together.
Yatta! (Hooray, I did it!)
Knapsack of Hope
I came across this charming photo while browsing online and decided that I would do my interpretation of it in the form of a shadow box frame for an upcoming Secret Santa gift.
Amidst our busy and hectic lives, it is always nice and sometimes necessary to be reminded of the simple things in life.
