The Rita I consider when shopping for my day-to-day wardrobe is a bit of a split personality – half rocker cool, half surfer ease. When the time comes to get dressed each morning, my need for comfort tends to win out, and I’ve spent the better part of the last year wearing plain grey tee shirts and throwing on my leather jacket in a last ditch attempt to feel cool.
Luckily for me, Raquel Allegra’s current collection seems to perfectly straddle the line of cool and comfortable – therefore meeting all of my style needs. I picked up striped version of this top before leaving for Europe and found myself reaching for it almost every day of the trip – and even got a few compliments from incredibly chic Parisians. Now my only rocker vs. surfer issue is shoes : birks or boots?!
Some of my favorites from Forward– many of which are on sale! Click the + by each outfit to shop!
Stephanie Duncan is one of my very favorite follows on Pinterest and has an incredible blog… and I was sure she’d have some great American made picks… I was right! Be sure to follow Stephanie and to be on the look out for her new blog, launching soon!
Imogene + Willie is an amazing Nashville brand that I love. I think that their commitment to authenticity is admirable. It’s a no frills brand that specializes in a thoughtful product and cares deeply for their local community.
Young & Able is an awesome resource for American made emerging designers. Their mission is to not only support and sell the product, but to promote the designer and their process by sharing their story.
Abbey Glass is a local Atlanta designer who makes well cut lady like clothes, and has a great eye for print placement. There is an exciting new incubator program just launched in Atlanta by the Factory Girls, and currently both Abbey Glass and Megan Huntz are being represented. So thrilling to have such talent so close to home!
Kordal is a Brooklyn based knitwear line that produces gorgeous knits and is invested in educating others about textiles through workshops and events. The SS 2014 Lookbook is truly dreamy!
Tiro Tiro is a Portland based jewelry designer that I have loved for some time. I favor simple architectural jewelry (especially made of brass) so this line is made for me. I waited until I was visiting to get my first piece from a local shop.
I began to think more about what I bought and brought into my home when I became pregnant with my first daughter. Suddenly all of it mattered more, and I was forever aware of what type of example I was setting for my girls.
I want to teach my children that there is real value in supporting local talent and investing in your community. Convenience and instant gratification come at a price.
I enjoy supporting people that are thoughtful in their design and production. I don’t mind paying more for a higher quality and peace of mind.
According to Insta, I am currently in Europe right now… we spent a few days in London, celebrated my best friend’s wedding in the South of France, and are headed to Paris tomorrow.
I found myself in the fortunate/unfortunate situation where I needed a lot of new things this spring – and for this trip. From fabulous earrings for the black tie wedding to a new wear everyday tee to a zippered carryon bag… A few of my favorite new purchases… basically what I’m living in while overseas!
My friend Nadia is an incredibly talented designer – she designed everyone’s favorite Minneapolis boutique, Mille, and worked with Commune in LA on projects including the Ace in Palm Springs and Heath Ceramics in LA. When I eventually own a house, there’s no question that Nadia will be who I turn to for all of my design needs. But – interior design can be expensive and time consuming, and, unfortunately, there is only so much of Nadia to go around – she can’t help everyone who comes her way. Brilliant business woman that she is (seriously, I’m so lucky to have met so many incredible entrepreneurs over the last few years!), Nadia has come up with a solution that will help everyone benefit from her design skills – the ID-book, launching today!
Described as a “A personalized guide book to your perfect space, a stylish alternative to E-design,” the ID-book is a simple, affordable, stylish, utilitarian guidebook, tailored to your space.
ID-book was created to give YOU the ability to achieve a designer space without retaining a full-service interior designer. With a fixed price, Nadia will work out the design details while you do the legwork.
I’ve played around with the ID-Book over the last few weeks- it’s awesome. It would have made all of my most recent moves so much easier. And all of my previous homes so much better. If you are in need of some design assistance, I cannot recommend Nadia highly enough!
Nadia is also an avid proponent of American made throughout her work… so I asked her to share some favorites with us. Read on for more from Nadia – and the most amazing ping pong table I’ve ever seen!
I believe America is the great innovator. Americans are inherently risk takers, we have all (either due to our ancestors or ourselves) landed here, and it is, and has always been a pretty wild place… I have a deep respect for risk takers (not only because I come from a long line of them) but because they’re always searching for something greater.
I’m always excited to discover people and companies that manufacture and design in the U.S. When I can create a direct relationship with the innovators: the craftspeople and designers; I get to know their process, the time and work that goes into making a piece of furniture, a light fixture, wallpaper, textiles, etc., it makes me a better designer.
Ultimately, I want to work with people and companies that are risk takers who are always searching for something greater, that are innovative, and who are proud of their goods.
