I’ve fallen a little in love with Objects Without Meaning over on Need Supply. The black, white and grey collection is simple yet considered – these are pieces that you could wear again and again. My personal favorites are above but OWM has also created some exclusive travel pieces for Need Supply’s Go Explore Collection – and the black & white palm print is pretty rad.
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that there are few things I love more than travel… Along with this exclusive collection, Need Supply also has some awesome summer city guides available on the site (including TAE favorites Clare Vivier & Diana Moss!) and is hosting an Instagram contest – through the end of the month, tag your travel adventures #goexplorenow for a chance to win an Artifact Uprising book (another TAE favorite!) and a $1500 Need Supply gift card. I don’t typically share brand contests on here, but I happen to be headed to the beach this weekend and I know I’ll be tagging my ‘grams, so I figured I should let you in on the fun – I hope you join me!
[lifestyle images by Stella Berkofsky, all images via Need Supply]
The walls of the house I grew up in were covered in textiles and wall hangings – each with a story. Some were carefully packed up and brought to America from my parent’s homes in India, the others were made by my mom for our home. I remember laying on our couch, staring at one particular macrame piece in awe as a kid, not understanding how it all worked and hung together. (I appreciated my mom’s skill even more as a teenager when I became obsessed with friendship bracelets and hemp necklaces and realized she could teach me new knots!) Although my tastes are quite different than my parents, I’ve always loved textiles and wall hangings and have been happy to see them come back into fashion over the last few years.
I knew I wanted to incorporate some textile pieces into our bedroom but was struggling to find an option that Matt also liked and that made sense in the space … I came across Trilby Nelson‘s wall hangings and fell in love – her use of natural materials and pops of color make her work feel more modern and casual than the pieces I grew up with and I knew they would brighten up our dark bedroom. Luckily, Trilby was open to a custom project, awesome to work with, and created amazing pieces that I could never have even imagined – but that make me happy every time I enter our room. Unfortunately, Trilby and I have yet to meet in person – I’d love the chance to meet her and see her studio! Thankfully, she took the time to answer some questions about her work… read on for an interview with Trilby, and check back next week for more wall hanging (and weaving) goodness!
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND:
I studied Fine Art at Scripps College and Environment Design at Art Center College of Design. After school, I worked in exhibit design and branded environment design. For the past several years I’ve worked for Free People and Anthropologie designing and crafting window and interior displays.
WHY DO YOU MAKE YOUR COLLECTION?
I’ve started to make custom wall hangings as a way to work with some of my favorite materials. I love making compositions of color and texture with very tactile materials like fabric and rope. My boyfriend, Jon, and I make log planters because we enjoy the process – finding and collecting the prefect logs, boring into the wood, and planting a pretty succulent in each one. We feel good about making something simple that doesn’t create any waste in the process.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
The outdoors and nature. The landscape of the Southwest. Colors and textures of different cultures. Movies and fashion of past eras. Hardware stores and all the materials that can be repurposed. Visiting new places and revisiting familiar places.
WHERE ARE YOU MOST INSPIRED?
In the morning. The beach, the mountains, the desert, on the road. Where the sky and landscape are big and vast. Always in California.
WHAT MAKES YOUR DAY?
80 degrees and sunny.
WHERE DO YOU ESCAPE?
On the weekends we like to drive out to the hill country surrounding Austin and find a small town to explore. We find a local diner for an early breakfast and spend the day wandering the town. We call it “small town saturdays.”
WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT?
Growing my work and collaborating with others in Austin. I’m also excited about summer and everything that comes with it – swimming, road trips, vacation.
WHAT IS NEXT?
More projects using fibers. Possibly an online shop. An exciting collaboration with my sister.
I stumbled across this incredible wedding a few months ago on insta and was in awe with the bride’s phenomenal style. Turns out, the bride, Christen Ashley Mitchell, designed most of her wedding jewelry and has since launched a capsule collection!
The collection has a minimal, eclectic desert-y vibe and features hand stamped and hammered metals… per the site, current styles are limited edition and new styles will be launched each season, so be sure to stock up…
I came across Kieley Kimmel’s incredible knits last fall (and still regret not buying a sweater!) – and her spring collection is even more incredible. The pieces are deceivingly simple – but the collection is built on incredible fabrics, prints and structural (yet still soft) details that make all the difference.
Read on to learn more about the inspirations behind the collection and what we can look forward to… this is a line I’m so excited to watch. (ps – my favorite online shop Mille has some Spring 14 pieces on sale! I’ll be forever envious if you buy that sweater!)
WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND?
My background is in Painting and Textile Design with a concentration on History, Philosophy + Social Sciences. I studied at Rhode Island School of Design.
WHAT INSPIRES YOUR COLLECTION?
I gather inspiration from my immediate surroundings and various theoretical texts. I’m mostly drawn to complex textures, materials and surfaces.
WHERE DO YOU DESIGN?
I design all of my collections at Kieley Kimmel Studio, Downtown Los Angeles. But the design/inspiration process is constant, no matter where I am.
WHERE DO YOU ESCAPE?
I love to take day-hikes + adventures on the outskirts of Los Angeles. There a ton of hidden rivers, pools and waterfalls in the Angeles National Forest. Also, Marfa TX is my dream space escape, but I haven’t been back to visit for over a year!
WHY DO YOU MANUFACTURE IN AMERICA?
I’ve sourced some great LA manufacturers who are able to maintain a hand-made quality to their work, especially with garments that are focused on the fabric + textile. It’s a matter of quality control. I also prefer a more personal relationship to my production team.
WHY IS YOUR COLLECTION DIFFERENT?
I think the line appeals to a broad audience, and I always try to include a mixture of different styles/personalities in each collection. A little something for everyone. The textiles are custom designs, using very fine materials. I’ve noticed that the quality of fabrics are what people are initially drawn to.
WHAT’S NEXT?
I’d love to focus on my knitwear + possibly a Kieley Kimmel Unisex/Menswear line. Art direction for small-scale film projects has also interested me lately.
