aaryn west

I’m very excited to share the bespoke print I created for the Fall 2013 collection of Los Angeles designer Katharine Kidd. This was a unique project which involved multiple processes to create the desired look, including spray painting roses black and photographing them in a darkened studio.

aarynwest-katharinekidd-F2013-4
aarynwest-katharinekidd-F2013-5

Katharine’s creative direction was clear and inspiring from the start, and the many ways in which she was able to utilize a single textile design throughout her entire Fall collection was astounding.

aarynwest-katharinekidd-F2013-2
aarynwest-katharinekidd-F2013-3

And of course it’s been cool to see the print in action, making it’s way onto a Refinery29 article from October ’13, The 7 L.A. Brands You Need In Your Closet Now. The print was also worn by interior designer Tami Ramsay in her December feature for The Atlantan, and was also spotted on Katharine Kidd herself for a charity gala back in November.

aarynwest-katharinekidd-F2013-6
aarynwest-katharinekidd-F2013-7

Head over to her website to find out more about Katharine, and be sure to check out the super cool Fall 2013 video lookbook while you’re there!

*lookbook and website images courtesy Katharine Kidd.
*last image courtesy The Atlantan.

We may be well past Black Friday, but I have for you a hefty serving of last-minute gift ideas all those Patty Procrastinators out there. (I decided that should be a thing.) And this is not just any list of gift items, ladies and gentlemen. Within the pages of My Fair Gift Guide are over 175 green gift ideas collected by Rachel of My Fair Vanity, along with a small group of guest curators – including myself! It’s a vast offering of eco-friendly, made in America, and fair trade gift ideas that will empower and inspire you to make thoughtful gift choices. Now you don’t have to feel so bad about being so last minute.

It was an honor to be included among such fashionable ladies who are also known for being so kind to the earth. Each one of these ladies picked out things I would seriously love to call my own. This bright yellow journal that Rachel picked out would be perfect for on-the-go sketching. Dominique of Let’s Be Fair picked out these uber-cool letter openers that would make opening credit card statements a little less painful. The city-centric selection from Alden of EcoCult has the cutest tassel necklace from Krysos + Chandi that I would love to sport. This cardigan from David Peck chosen by spades + siLK can shut up and get in my closet right this minute. And wouldn’t these yoga socks, picked by yogi Carissa Ciuca, be the perfect solution to cold toes on the one day a year I make it to a yoga class? Maybe if I had them I would be better about that? Sounds like a legitimate reason to buy them, right?

And then there are my gift picks. For the pattern lover if your life, duh. I was sure to include some of my favorite designers currently contributing to the world of surface design, including the likes of Nikki Strange, Kindah Khalidy and Wind & Willow to name a few. So pick up something last-minute for someone you care about. Or buy something for yourself. I’m pretty sure it’s never too late to do that.

My Fair Gift Guide

 

 

 

We’re skipping ahead two weeks from our last installment, now clocking in at 31 weeks into this pregnancy. This week I’m rocking another killer vintage dress from one of my favorite shops in LA, Shareen’s Vintage. We decided to shoot against this colorful mural just down the street from us, at one of the small local parks in the Santa Monica area.

Come back next week for an update in our ongoing series: Patterns, Preggos & Painted Places.

31 Weeks: Patterns, Preggos & Painted Places

 

dress: Shareen’s Vintage
shoes: Steve Madden
neighborhood: Santa Monica

I was recently approached by fair-fashion maven Rachel of the blog My Fair Vanity to collaborate on a little project of hers. She teamed up with Teeki, a graphic yoga wear company that is not only made in the USA, but whose luscious fabrics are also constructed from recycled plastic water bottles (genius, right?). In an effort to promote Teeki’s campaign of launching their other-worldly designs into space [yes, you read that correctly], Rachel has coordinated a talented team to create a set of accompanying promotional images.

The spaced-out result features a handful of gorgeous dancers from Washington D.C.’s Capitol Movement, modeling their favorite Teeki gear, shot by Jason Hornick Photography, all set against some Aaryn West dreamscapes.

The deadline for Teeki’s space mission may have passed, but be sure to check out their website to find out more about their earth-friendly process and shop their awesome collection of super soft leggings and tops. And if you’re not already following Rachel at My Fair Vanity do yourself a huge favor and hop to it. She’ll make you feel a lot better about your never-ending quest for retail therapy with all sorts of locally made and sustainable insights.

teeki-collaboration-2
teeki-collaboration-3
teeki-collaboration-4
teeki-collaboration-5
teeki-collaboration-6

(more…)