Gabriela's atelier

“Each piece has a feeling, a deed, a sensation…a smile” says Gabriela Horvat.

This latin based designer gives us proof that art and design can live in harmony and absolutely in love with each other. Her pieces are like tales of your childhood immersed in cocoons and silver. Gabriela lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina…and opened her first store in August this year. Her work comes from a very primitive, almost raw form, giving space to creativity and sensitivity of an artist. She expresses passion and as a storyteller she makes them objects of desire!

Gabriela Hovart’s designs can be purchased at B’aires.

photo’s credit: gabrielahorvat.com

Jo de Mer by Amalia Spinardi.

In the backyard we’re gonna have some party…or in the beach…and a bathing suit from Jo de mer that suits you well can transform that pool yard in a runway.

After years as the editor of Elle magazine in Brazil and Capricho magazine for teens Amalia decided to start her own beachwear line…and says : “I’ve always been a bikini addict”.

Her work is based in lycra and bright color fibers, that brings your bathing suit to shine. But not so extravagant. It’s just enough. She’s inspired by woman who enjoy life by water…and also are sophisticated. Think about Brigitte Bardot walking like the Girl from Ipanema. The cut is also more generous than usual brazilian bikinis around the world. But it’s still very sexy and suits all kinds of woman. They carry precious details, like metals, buttons, laces and cute bags that match. The line also offers a variety of caftans and tunics made with crochet and vintage. It’s love at first sight. They sell in the USA at Barneys and boutiques all over NY. Also Europe and Caribean. Brazilian bikini is the must of the season!….

Diego Cattani – Jewelry Designer 

The designer is from Sergipe (BR), sells in Sao Paulo (at OUI, and at Twin Ellus stores) and also exports to New York and Tokyo. He participated in the second edition of Fashion House, in Rio de Janeiro, launching his new collection. The frisson around Diego’s accessories gained strength during his shows at Amni HotSpot in Minas Gerais, during winter 2005, but his history has its roots more in Sao Paulo Fashion Week. Graduated from Santa Marcelina (Sao Paulo), the designer worked with Eduardo Inagaki, experience that qualifies as very important, “for having come into contact with the force aesthetics of Inagaki, Dudu Bertholini, Rita Comparato, Lau Neves, Rick Castro ” diego explains.

He says about the grounds of his new collection: “The news is the exclusive colors, I am experiencing the variety in the process of dyeing, the tye dyes, skins of exotic animals – raccoon, fox, harm …” In addition to wood, which already is a trademark, Diego now works with cordonê, leather, chains and metal. “There are several lines: the most commercial, we call rock or folk, and more conceptual lines, with wooden designs and exotic combinations such as metal shell and bones.”

Diego designs for hit brands in South America, as well as his own atelie at Higienopolis (noble neighborhood in Sao Paulo). He’s already hit between fashionistas and designers for playing with the androgyny of jewelry. Someone finally proved that the boys can have just as much fun as the girls!

We all have our defining moments when one can no longer ignore the world’s larger problems.

Here we focus on fashion designers and artists who are trying other options in textiles and production.

Honestly, I’ve been trying myself to meld my artistic expression with the environmental , but as Philip Lim said “It’s not going to change overnight…but , at least I can try to reduce what I’ve done”.

So here are our picks on going green…designers from this Latin World choosing organics and recycled products.

Nº01

Tee from Mocuin, crafted from Hemp

Hemp – from the cannabis family, hemp can be used instead of cotton to make clothes. Hemp grows easily without heavy use of chemicals and is not as harsh on the soil as cotton. It needs less water than cotton to grow but it does take more energy to process and can involve chemicals. As it’s anti-bacterial, you don’t need to wash hemp clothes as often as cotton ones – better for the environment.

Nº02

Santaconstancia on eco-friendly textiles

This brazilian textile company launches the Take Urucum Care – fabric in bamboo fiber and dyed with “Urucum” .The urucum has long been used by natives to make body paint, especially for the lips, which is the origin of the plant’s nickname, lipstick tree. The inedible fruit is harvested for its seeds. Fashion Designers like Simone Nunes and Erika Ikezili presented their collections based on santaconstancia’s textiles.

Nº03

Argentinian designer Martin Corujo…el Verde

These lamps are made by designer Martín Corujo with recycled material. They are old lamps , re touched and new again … giving old thrown away products a new re incarnated life. Found in Buenos Aires at Puro Diseño fair. The fair is a Must-see in the argentine design world and brings emerging talents in design, arts and culture. It happens from March-April every year. So, if you’re around…run mi amigo! They have more than 200 exhibitions and around 37.000 visitors.

These are our picks for this month! Enjoy~