We’re committed to the reading experience. The surprise of one page turning to the other. The little luxury of sitting in a great reading chair, inhaling the scent of a beautifully made book. The luscious heft of three or four good reads in a sturdy bookbag as you head out into the world. The hundred discoveries waiting at a used bookstore; the refuge of a library.
i haven’t bought a design book in a long, long time. the reason being that i find all the awesome i need on the internet… for free. BUT that is a bad attitude to have, and i have decided to keep my collection going and growing. hence the purchase of this book called Graphic Design for Fashion by Jay Hess and Simone Pasztorek
This visually led book contains a global selection of the best graphic design studios’ work within the fashion industry – from packaging and lookbooks to swing tags and invitations – with exclusive insights from both clients and designers. The book features not simply the visual identities of big budgets and luxury brands, but showcases the creative processes of the world’s leading design studios.
all images via September Industry (an awesome design blog, by the way – follow it)
persephone books reprints neglected classics 20th century women writers. the titles are chosen to appeal to busy women who rarely have time to spend in ever-larger bookshops and who would like to have access to a list of books designed to be neither too literary nor too commercial.
i would buy these books by the covers alone, which i love love love (the classics range).
i wasn’ t planning on posting today because i’ve been sick in bed for a day and a half. however, there’s only so much sleeping and tv watching a girl can do before feverish boredom sets in. so i decided to play around with my camera which hasn’t got much love from me lately, and took some shots of things i own & treasure.
i found this cup & saucer in a second hand shop in kleinmond. it was made by a finnish company called arabia (i assume it’s from the 50′s/60′s) and is, by far, my favourite thing to drink tea / coffee out of. if it ever had to break, my heart would break. best of all – it has no chips!
i’m thinking about christmas already. sigh. my family has instituted a one gift per person R100 limit (to combat the “meltdown“). i told them R100 is almost impossible, so i’m shooting for under 200 bucks. anything handmade is great to me, and anything i can order online is even better. if i can walk to a shop – wonderful, but that kind of limits you geographically & since i’m out in “the sticks” (as some might say) i welcome e-commerce with open arms (i’m also lazy). PLUS i’d also like to inject some christmas cheer into the south african postal service (i have faith!) – herewith my south african friendly online shopping gift guide
local shops:
marisa girardi- take it from me, you’ll be hard pressed in finding a lovelier and more accommodating person to buy from! marisa made my couchie especially and popped him in the post the same day he was ordered. she also has a range of jewellery, brooches & art.
skinny la minx – well known local designer whose textiles have been featured many times on blogs like design sponge, decor8 and many more. her shop is on etsy, but if you’re south african you can get in touch with her directly about local orders
the wren – handmade bags & purses (also on etsy & flexible with south african customers)
beatnik bazaar – hells yes, a wide range of beautiful goodies from this stanford based shop (order by email) – if you’re in that area i reckon actually paying her shop a visit is a good plan, too (note: she also stocks skinny laminx & the wren goods)
jezze prints – another uber talented local designer (looooooove that cushion)
kim gray- i absolutely covet the springbok bags, but budget wise there are some nice necklaces & other treats for under R200 (she also stocks smith’s rosebud salve! nice!)
shine shine – i’m not 100% sure if you can order online but the fabrics are rad
franzart – my sister in law sells her wee oil paintings on bid or buy – they are cute & well-priced. (not much in the shop right now, but do contact her if you see something you like in her sold items or if you want something specific)
buycool – there is nothing handmade about this shop, but it stocks earphones under R200. i always lose or break mine, and my iPod deserves to be heard (can’t do without it on a treadmill, hence the sporty clip type). wait… am i buying gifts for myself? ok you can buy it for me.
threadless – they deliver to SA and their prices are so reasonable considering the quality of the t-shirts you get (american apparel – they are very soft, trust me) and also the choice of designs are immense. (a wee bit over R200 if you incl shipping, i’ll give you that. buy in bulk?) etsy- you’re probably thinking “obvious”, but you can’t beat it for one of a kind affordable products & great interaction between sellers and customers. i think just about everyone on etsy ships internationally – so go forth & have fun buying. i have my eye on the following:
engrave your book- double my budget, but still awesome. these are custom engraved leather covers for moleskines, perfect for writers, artists, scribblers and anyone else who loves a good journal.
victoria’s secret – i’m really only including this because they have some amazing swimwear (something i feel is difficult to find here – nice swimwear anyway) and it’s around $20 (R150) for each piece (they sell them seperately, so let’s say R300-400 for a swimsuit) and they ship here so… why not? maybe go in on one parcel w/a friend – the more items in one order the less the shipping works out (also eco footprint etc!) and lest you forget, it’s summer in the southern hemisphere (for all of you who might think i’m crazy to consider swimwear in the holiday season)
wow i might have to do a second installment of this gift guide as i haven’t even touched on some of the stuff available online (i don’t mean everything – only the places that ship to SA). i also realised that it’s all things i love – for chicks. so, if you’re a dude, buy nice things for your girlfriend and/or mom – okay? i might have to focus on something for guys, next time. playstation games and leather-bound books? wait, that’s also stuff i love.
