Will We Soon Be Able to Design & Print Our Own Clothes From Home?

2 Fab & Easy DIY Clutches

Hello everyone, I've been gone for a little while to focus on other projects but I am VLOGGING now on Youtube. Catch my first tutorial here. There is a little sound issue in the intro but it passes in 1 minute. Let me know what you think! And please be sure to subscribe to the channel, loves.

Water Company Converts Couches into Running Shoes

To get folks off of the couch and moving more, which of course leads to more water drinking, water brand Vittel--based in the UK, has come up with an innovative idea. Customers upload a photo of their sofa to Vittel’s website and send in a cut of the fabric of their couch. A team of designers and shoemakers then use the fabric to create a pair of unique sneakers, based on a custom design created for the project. Shoes are sent out within a few weeks.
Many previous creations can be browsed on Vittel’s site.

 

I think it's clever...just not clever enough to ruin my furniture for. Luckily, I am already very active. What do you think?

DIY: Make Your Own Heart Gloves

I'll be rocking Jypsea Leathergoods "LOVE" fingerless leather mini gloves this Sat 

but for you, here is an awesomely easy fashion DIY.

How to Incorporate Pantone's Color of The Year "Marsala" Into Your Life

Pantone has named "Marsala" the Color of the Year for 2015. It's a shade of red that we haven't really seen much of so it's FRESH! Marsala is a warm, mood-shifting color for me. Before I knew it was gonna be the Pantone Color of the Year, I had already bought a "Marsala-esque" lip color by Maybelline called "Plum Paradise" that I absolutely love. It isn't a "look at ME" red...it's more of a "LONG for me" red!  Instant sophistication!

 Here are some easy ways to bring this sultry, head-turning color into your life.

A great pair of leather pants by Rebecca Minkoff.

A solid dress ala Beyonce in a Marsala dress at the Billboard Women in Music Luncheon

Marsala home accents: rug and throw pillows

Marsala Love Seat

Marsala Nail Color

Mac and Nars both have a Marsala Lip Stick

How will you incorporate the color Marsala into your life?

Got an Old Fur Coat that You Don't Know What to Do With?

Fashion ReDesign Birthday Parties and Deck Design Workshops

Are you in NYC or North Jersey and have a 'tween or teenager have a birthday coming up? Show him/her that you're the COOLEST parent ever and book a Fashion ReDesign Birthday Party at The Crop Shop! (Hosted by me) Your child and his/her 9 besties will explore how to transform everyday items into fashionable accessories and garments.

Activities may include:
• Upcycle Market Bag
• Gemmed Wooden Clutch
• Fabric-Covered Bangles
• Leather Earrings
• Studded/Chain Zipper Bracelets
• Recycled Denim Bib Necklaces
• Floral Sandals/Chain-Trimmed Boots
• Upcycled Sweater Totes
Book your emerging fashion designer's party at www.crop-shop.com today!

And for skaters (adults, 'tweens and teens), they will LOVE you for enrolling them in THIS class:

Students will learn techniques to create personalized artwork on skateboards.  They will learn how to mix paints, create stencils using the tape masking method, and learn how to protect their artwork with protective coatings. The completed skateboard is intended to be used as a work of art, however, they will be functional decks and their safety lies at the sole discretion of the handler. All materials and tools are included in class fee. While an artistic inclination is helpful, it is not necessary and no artistic experience is required to succeed in this class. Class in taught by industrial designer Keith Kirkland.

Register now at www.crop-shop.com. Spaces are limited.

Fashion Trucks

Joey Wolffer is photographed in the back of her fashion truck, the Styleliner.

Approximately 2 years ago, when a friend was researching starting a gourmet food truck, I proclaimed rather enthusiastically, "Wouldn't be AMAZING to have a Jypsea BOUTIQUE on a food truck?" I truly thought I was on to something new...like uncharted territory. My own little INVENTION...the mobile boutique! So imagine my shock while hanging with a friend in the Meatpacking district last year when I saw the Styliner gracing the streets of NYC. Come to find out, the mobile boutique concept is a booming trend. Who knew? Clearly, there is nothing new under the sun. It's an amazing way to reach new markets, literally moving to where the customers are while cutting down on the overhead costs of renting a store. Brilliant!
Major new outlets have covered this business trend as well, such as CNN and CNBC.
So enjoy the best days of the year (Spring and Summer) while shopping the fashion trucks in your 'hoods.

Emily Benson’s The Fashion Truck

Here are a few haute picks: The Styliner: https://thestyleliner.com/
The Fashion Truck:
http://www.fashiontruck.com
Sneakerbox: http://www.sneakerboxtruck.com/
The YAPA Fashion Truck:
https://www.facebook.com/YAPAFashionTruck
Celebrities Mobile Boutique:
http://www.celebritiesboutiques.com/

Boston-based Sneakerbox

The YAPA Fashion Truck

Harlem-based designer, Nneka Green-Ingram started a accessory fashion line out of a former snack truck.

The Style Social in Philadephia

Annually in Philadelphia, the Style Social brings international fashion to buyers, press and consumers in a local market to present collections that might not otherwise be seen.   

Each Style Social also draws fashion, art and design talent from the community to offer local artist and designers an opportunity to present their work alongside international fashion designers.  This year's Style Social and Launch Party, happened on Wed, Faeb 12, 2014 and featured Macy's Fashion Incubator as wwell as fashion designers from Italy, Hungary, Colombia and Franc. It occurred to celebrate the success of the Incubator designers as they launch their collections in the international fashion market.

In a unique setting combining art, fashion, design, with an emphasis on sustainability, the event was hosted by The Transfer Station, an ambitious entrepreneurial project imagined to revitalize the Manayunk neighborhood, with local businesses and restaurants supporting the event with their signature offerings.

The Style Social and Launch Party was a collaboration between Macy’s Fashion Incubator, which is a one-year intensive designers-in-residence business training and ongoing mentorship for selected Philadelphian fashion designers to provide all of the resources they need to launch or grow their companies in the city of Philadelphia; and international showrooms Bel Espirit and Showroom International.  These two Philadelphia-based showrooms carry international ethical fashion designers and well as highlight and support each brand’s ethical principles and global ethical initiatives such as Andes Made, a line of premium alpaca scarves, socks and accessories for me and women .

Andes Made

The event was a combination of a runway fashion show with a complementary display of fine art, accessories, home décor and furniture; much of which was available for sale through the Transfer Station. As an innovation resource center for entrepreneurs located on Main Street in Manayunk, the Transfer Station provides a retail market space, co-working spaces, artist studios, creative labs and tailor-fit solutions to work, create, sell and collaborate with like-minded individuals.

Some of the works of the fashion designers were proudly displayed on the handcrafted furniture from one of the area's finest emerging makers: Don Yacovell. 

"...(my) designs are simple. They are meant to highlight the natural look of the wood, not fancy moldings. I mostly work with local domestic hardwoods such as cherry ,black walnut or maple.I look for wood with "character" cracks ,knots ,holes, and color variation. I like to highlight any marks left behind by the original craftsman when I work with salvaged lumber. Seeing the history in an old piece of lumber just enhances this style of furniture."

Don Yacovella has work for sale at The Transfer Station in Manayunk.

Learn more about Don Yacavella here.

Stay in the loop of what's happening on Philly's style scene by following Bel Esprit showroom in Twitter @bel_esprit.

BLACK DRESS Exhibition Dedicated to Contemporary Black Fashion Designers at PRATT

Tracy Reese

The groundbreaking work of 10 contemporary New York-based black fashion designers, both established and up-and-coming, will be celebrated in Black Dress: Ten Contemporary Fashion Designers, an unprecedented exhibition that recognizes creativity and entrepreneurship in the field. Organized by Pratt Institute Fashion Professor Adrienne Jones, and timed to coincide with Black History Month and New York Fashion Week, the exhibition will include designs by international fashion superstars Tracy Reese, Byron Lars, Omar Salam and Pratt Institute alumnus Jeffrey Banks as well as a fashion-forward video created specifically for the exhibition by renowned artist and 2013 MacArthur Fellow Carrie Mae Weems.

Presented by Pratt Manhattan Gallery, located at 144 West 14^th Street, 2^nd Floor, the free exhibition runs February 7 to April 26, 2014. It will be celebrated with a public opening reception on February 6 from 6–8 PM.

Black Dress opens at a time when black designers, despite their growing influence and success, remain largely underrepresented in the fashion world. In response, the exhibition was envisioned by curator Jones to create broader awareness of the triumphs and accomplishments that contemporary black designers have achieved in the industry. To illustrate this new emergence, the exhibition space at Pratt Manhattan Gallery will be transformed into a series of Madison-Avenue-style store windows that give each designer a distinct spotlight for their work.

LaQuan Smith

Each store window features bold visions from designers who have influenced contemporary fashion around the world – those who have worked and thrived in the industry for decades, and young designers who are coming to the attention of runway audiences, fashion editors, and consumers. Exhibitor Reese is a board member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and her distinctive designs can be found in both her Tracy Reese and Plenty by Tracy Reese lines. Lars, a pioneering designer and founder of Byron Lars Beauty Mark, was named “Rookie of the Year” by Women’s Wear Daily for his edgy takes on classic American design. Salam is a designer and entrepreneur who founded the Sukeina Fashion House, known for its vivid colors and elegant fabrics. Banks was a protégée of Ralph Lauren and now runs a brand that encompasses menswear, accessories, and home décor.

Stephen Burrows

Byron Lars

Other featured designers are Pratt graduate and former “Project Runway” contestant Samantha Black (Sammy B); celebrated fashion innovator Stephen Burrows; Harlem-based visual artist, designer, and entrepreneur Donna Dove; self-taught Brooklyn designer and former “Project Runway” contestant Epperson; environmentally-conscious designer Michael Jerome Francis; and Queens-based celebrity go-to designer LaQuan Smith.

Ann Lowe

The designers featured in the show draw on a long history of black fashion design in America, which dates back at least as far as the 1860s when Elizabeth Keckley became sole dressmaker for Mary Todd Lincoln. According to Jones, today’s designs are steeped in the cultural legacies passed down by Keckley and Ann Lowe—who designed Jacqueline Bouvier’s 1953 wedding dress for her marriage to John F. Kennedy—as well as by the tailors and dressmakers who designed and sewed for other politicians, slaveholders, and members of high society in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Jones says the industry’s narrative in America has not included many black names, despite significant contributions on the runways and behind-the-scenes.
“Black designers are emerging on the scene with greater visibility than ever,” said Jones. “Black Dress will highlight the correlation between entrepreneurship, creativity, and locality. These factors work together to create opportunities for designers and their communities to become new destinations where fashion excellence and achievement are measured,” she added.


In conjunction with the exhibition, a panel discussion on the contributions of black designers will be held on March 5 from 6–8 PM in Room 213 at Pratt’s Manhattan campus at 144 West 14^th Street. Panelists include Michaela Angela Davis, a former executive fashion, beauty and culture editor at Essence, founding fashion director at Vibe, and advocate for women's and human rights causes; Constance White, who penned the book Style Noir and has been editor in chief at Essence, fashion editor at Elle, and style director at eBay; Harriette Cole, author and former editor of Ebony, Essence, and Uptown magazines; Elaine Welteroth, beauty and health director at Teen Vogue; and Pratt Institute Fashion professor Adrienne Jones. Fashion guru Walter Greene, fashion editorial director of Profiles98 and consultant to Black Dress, will moderate.
(Excerpt from http://www.pratt.edu/calendar/view/black_dress_exhibition_dedicated_to_contemporary_black_fashion_designers_op/)

Have a FABULOUS 4th! xoxo

Have a FABULOUS 4th! xoxo by jypseadotcom featuring river island

Summer Lunch Break

Summer Lunch Break by jypseadotcom featuring rock boots

Leave the office during your precious lunch break! The streets are your runway; show off your cute outfit and stylishly packed lunch in the Jypsea LG "Boot Lover" Sketchbook Series canvas lunch tote bag.

What's NEW in the Jypsea Design Studio

Jypsea Leathergoods is no longer just about handcrafted, one-of-a-kind handbags. Leather & exotic skin home decor and small furnishings are now on the menu. Check out some of my latest projects:

Leather "Goddess" Belt upcycled from leather jeans.

Reupholstered leather and balsam wood chair

Reversible leather tote upcycled from a jacket

Reversible leather tote upcycled from a couch

Pin-striped and leather floor pillow

Re-upholstered cherry wood chair with storage

Lambskin and kidskin tasseled floor polliw

Double-sided leather coaster gift set

Animal leather throw pillow

Double-sided leather coaster gift sets

Leather covered wooden jewelry boxes

View my portfolio here: http://www.custommade.com/by/jypsealeathergoods/

Fashion Design Books For Sale

I am moving (Yay!) Which, for me, means downsizing from a house to an apartment to attend grad school. So I am purging all things that I no longer have a need for. I will miss these awesome books and manuals but my loss is your gain. Get great deals of these priceless gems.

Get all 5 handbag design books for only $60 or $15 each.

Sewing with knits and sewing lingerie are great skills to have. $22.50 for set.

The history of shoes/bags plus learn to embellish them. $25 for all.

Go from concept to consumer and become a fashion entrepreneur. $15 for the set.

Email me at jypsealeathergoods@gmail.com to purchase.

The Young Designers Collective: Designs for Giving

As an indie designer, I am always seeking opportunities that allow me to use my God-giving gifts to be a gift to others. I don't make things strictly for consumption but the hope is to improve the end user's living experience, even if by just a tad. A luxurious leather clutch in your hand that gets compliments all evening will make a girl want to SING. Same for a supple suede pillow or a fun pair of fingerless gloves. And on the back-end, using a generous portion of the proceeds I earn to donate to causes and help individuals is another way I am blessed to use my gifts to give.


So finding out about this group of artists and designers based in New York City who design for non-profit organizations to promote good will as well as gain exposure for the causes they believe in totally made my day. Their mission is "...to bring appreciation back to the artist behind the designer, to quality or handmade products, and to a more sustainable future. From design to production we believe in fair trade and source our materials with this in mind. By “doing well by doing good” we connect our designers to non-profit organizations in order to create a favorable outcome for both parties."

Love that!

The Collective consists of 3 designers, including the founder and CEO Shilpa Iyengar; Harmony Pilobello; and Hanh Lam. All are graduates of Parson School of Design.

Recently, YDC presented their designs at Christie's Auction House and auctioned online. All proceeds went to the Navigators USA, a national youth scouting group formed in response to the discriminatory practices of the Boy Scouts of America.  
Check out their publication to see the full collection.: http://www.blurb.com/books/4055520-designs-for-giving

 

All pieces are custom made and still available for purchase. Feel free to contact YDC if you are interested.  
It is great sustainable fashion for great causes.

Find out more about The Young Designers Collective here:  http://www.youngdesignerscollective.com/







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