The title of an amazing book that I discovered in the stacks of the Ohio State Fine Arts Library today:
Soieries marocaines, les ceintures de Fès; cinquante planches en couleurs, introduction par Lucien Vogel
Published by : Paris, A. Lévy [1921]
Archive for the ‘Design’ Category
Moroccan Design Inspiration
22
May
Check out these photos of a villa in Greece with interior design by John Stefanidis, out of Chelsea, London. I may be crazy, but are you sensing anything familiar?
Note: My new theme is doing a few wonky things with photos, so just click the John Stefanidis link above to view the rest of them…
The quote that he has with the curtains/mountains photo, “The combination of simplicity and luxury – maximum luxury in simple surroundings, not grand surroundings with little luxury,” is exactly what I think Maryam’s guest house will be like.
* Thanks to MadeByGirl for drawing my attention to such a beautifully designed home…
Moroccan “Ethical” Clothing?
25
Jan
I’d like someone to explain to me how they can possibly be charging £130 for a cotton trenchcoat. I’d also like to know what they’re paying the Moroccan women workers, though I suspect it’s a pittance.
“Word reaches Newconsumer.com of another reason to wait for the spring ethical clothing collections – Amana, a fresh new label promising ‘fabulous ethical fashion’.The debutant and its 11-strong ladies’ range is due to go on sale 1st March, smack in the middle of Fairtrade Fortnight. Ethical credentials include the use of hemp mixes, organic cotton and the employment of women artisans in Morocco’s Middle Atlas Mountains, though the brand doesn’t boast the official Fairtrade Foundation stamp.
From the two garments I’ve seen photos of, the design ethos looks to be bold and clean with a few touches of flair – a £130 organic cotton trench-coat, for example, swirls round in a full circle skirt at the bottom. Other pieces in the collection include hemp-silk mix trousers and an organic cotton voile blouse, with prices ranging from £15 to £130.
Helen Wood and Erin Tabrar, the St Martins’ fashion grads behind Amana, say ‘our goal is to create fashionable, beautiful garments, which are ethical at every point of supply.’ Sounds like a good mission statement to me.
Amana’s site goes live March 1st.
- by Adam Vaughan at the New Consumer
Decorate Your Pad
21
Jan
There were at least a couple of occasions, both in the States and in Morocco, where I had apartments with sort of dull paint on the walls. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to make the commitment to new paint, stencils seemed too “yesterday,” and more than five wall hangings/photographs was plenty. As for my in-laws, and indeed, many of the inhabitants of homes I’ve visited in the South, they have a unique idea of how things should be hung on the wall. Yes, I’m a horrible snob, but photos in some kind of tic-tac-toe pattern plus plastic flowers in a fake brass wall sconce give me the heebies.
I now have the solution:
That lovely white tree is a wall sticker from Sofia Antonovich – it’s designed for Christmas, but wouldn’t it be lovely in a solarium or kid’s bedroom?
I also like “Iron Vines” from Blik.
What’s great about these is if you had a packet, you could show them to a local Moroccan artist, and he could duplicate them if you wanted to “go permanent.”
Thibaut’s “Morocco” Wallpaper Collection
17
Nov
Sometimes I find something, and I think – hmm, I sort of like it, but where? And could I look at it on a daily basis?
Inspired by seaports and bazaars of Northwest Africa, Thibaut created Morocco. The colors of sand, sea and land combine to form the exotic tapestry “Dubar.” Find retreat from the desert sun under “Potted Palm.” Chickadees delight in a bamboo hideaway “Bird Sanctuary.”
It’s a bit horrifying when you mix a very busy wallpaper pattern with matching fabric on the chairs, however, Dubar is interesting.
