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Big Ups
Two of my favorite design blogs, Design*Sponge and DesignWorkLife, pleasantly surprised me this morning with their (unrelated) posts on Pennsylvania designers whose work serves as an ode to Philly (and Lancaster, respectively).
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| theheadsofstate.myshopify.com |
First up is Design*Sponge's feature on Philly-based artist Dustin Summers, who's just released an eight-city series of travel posters called The Heads of State. All the usual suspects — NYC, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle — are there, but Summers would've been remiss not to include his own City of Brotherly Love, here represented by the requisite Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Think fast if you want one — it's a limited-edition run of 100 prints ($30 a pop), so hustle over to theheadsofstate.myshopify.com.
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| ikhoor.com |
Farther afield, Lancaster designer Daniel Kent got a shout-out on DesignWorkLife for his work in general, and his Love Lancaster series in particular. He's created everything from coasters and journals to love notes and rubber stamps, all of which serve to "unite the community of Lancaster." You'll have to go to Fig Central in downtown Lancaster to hook yourself up, but wouldn't this gorgeous weekend be the perfect time to head west?
RELATED >> WANT IT NEED IT: Ork Posters' Philly Screenprint
And when you head west to Lancaster, be sure to check out BUiLDiNG CHARACTER, Downtown Lancaster's Creative Outlet with 30+ vendors selling architectural salvage, recycled name-brand clothing, handmade jewelry, local art and gifts and so much more! http://www.BUiLDiNGCHARACTER.biz
Back in 2007 when Deidre Wengen was a City Paper Web intern (or "Webtern," as we liked to call her, somewhat uncleverly), she spent her afternoons hunched over a slow-moving Mac, compiling listings and checking facts and formatting blog posts.
Which is why we're glad to see she's up to something more enjoyable these days: Putting her HTML skills to fashionable use, Wengen's launched Hinterland Vintage, a great go-to for romantic dresses, delicate jewelry, shoes and even antique kitchenware.
On her blog, Wengen explains what drew her to the "old and pretty" world of vintage:
When I was a little girl my parents used to drag me to antiques shops and scold me not to touch anything. I went kicking and screaming as a kid, but as I got older, I began to develop an appreciation for items with a history and a story. The clothing came next.
In high school, thrift stores were somewhat of a haven for me. I loved to hunt around in racks and racks of clothes, looking for that perfect piece. I began to shop vintage as a teenager and haven't stopped since.
With her collection of sharp suitjackets, pencil skirts and low pumps (all for sale on her accompanying Etsy shop), it all feels very Mad Men over there — especially since Wengen's shopping for women of all sizes, not just extra-extra-small.
But if you happen to fall into that teeny-tiny category, here's an item we're sweating but could never fit into ourselves, as described in her shop:
Beautiful golden yellow party dress ($54) from the 1950s or early 1960s. It has a great cut with a fitted bodice and a full skirt. Lovely bow details on the straps. Pleats and darts give it a nice structred look. No material or maker tags, so it looks like this was handmade. The material is somewhat stiff and has a kind of taffeta-feel to it. Has a nice sheen to the fabric as well. Will best fit a size extra small.
Keep up the good thrifting, Deidre, and let us know when you find a dress like that in a size 8. Thanks.
That's different from Daily Candy, mind you (not that she hasn't had her hand in that jar, too): Visual artist/Philly resident/all-around cool lady Shannon McLaughlin, whose little critter series Say Hello to my Little Friends been enchanting us for at least a year now, has been featured on design blog Share Some Candy. Big ups!
Here's what we said about her back then:
Shannon McLaughlin's got a thing for critters. "I'm not saying this is healthy in any way," says the 24-year-old mixed-media artist, "but I often find myself relating a bit more to animals than people." Letting the wonder of nature speak for itself, McLaughlin's endearing, realistic animal portraits avoid LOLhedgehog cliché; set on cross sections of trees, the caption-free animals pop atop bright colors and floating food. "Each exotic pet is surrounded by its meal du jour — from crickets to kiwi," says McLaughlin, whose furry-thing love runs deep. Ten percent of all animal-related sales on her Etsy site (youwannatalkjive.etsy.com) go toward Etsy for Animals' monthly charities, and she's working toward becoming a partner with the Pennsylvania SPCA. Plus, McLaughlin has six pets herself — a dog, three rabbits and two chinchillas. "I'm always surrounded by critters, which is why they tend to seep into my work naturally."
Here's what we have to say about her now: Keep up the good work. (Watch for her Philadelphia International Airport show in May, buy her stuff, read her blog or follow her on Twitter.)
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