Tag: shop

Mociun

Posted on by TheAmericanEdit

High on my list for New York was a visit to Mociun – owner and jewelry designer Caitlin Mociun’s work and online shop are my go-tos for inspiration and gift shopping, so I was super excited to finally visit in person. Lucky for me, I hit a quiet moment in the day, and the team allowed me to spend (way too long!) some time taking pictures to share. Incredible vignettes fill every table, line the windows, and sometimes overflow onto the floor… everywhere I turned, I discovered new favorites, and even better, new ideas.

mociun-storeThe Mission

Mociun was founded in 2006 with a small collection of hand print womens garments. Over the past five years the company has expanded adding digitally printed fabrics and fine jewelry. As Mociun continues to grow sustainable production and business practices are always considered, as they are as important as good design. Mociun strives to use recycled, organic and alternative materials. Whenever possible all Mociun products are made using local production in hopes to give back to the economy and community that has helped Mociun thrive.

mociun-apothecaryThe apothecary wall of my dreams… featuring a TAE favorite, One Love Organics! Also, those Saipua soaps were gorgeous and I wanted to fill my bathroom with them.
mociun-indian-bangleDecidedly not American-made, Caitlin brought this Indian bangle back from her trip to India… I grew up wearing these (and still often do!) – it’s always fun to see something traditional where you least expect it.
mociun-baggu-More Doug Johnston baskets and Baggu colors than I’ve seen anywhere. Made me realize that a Doug Johnston basket vignette is 100% what is missing in my office. And I was oddly drawn to the floral Baggu despite the fact that I don’t wear florals or pastels.
mociun-jewelryCaitlin’s gorgeous jewelry. I wanted ALL of it. The middle ring in particular will be mine, one day! mociun-business-cardWithout question, this is my new favorite business card.

Friend and Follow Mociun:

The Edit : Zady

Posted on by TheAmericanEdit

I can’t believe we haven’t talked about Zady yet! The socially conscious e-commerce site has become one of my favorite online shopping experiences, and I had the opportunity to meet with co-founder Maxine Bedat while in New York to learn a little more about the vision for the brand.

Maxine founded Zady with Soraya Dorabi – the two met in high school (in Minneapolis!) and reconnected in New York over a shared appreciation for well-crafted products. While building The Bootstrap Project, they saw an opportunity to impact the apparel industry by building a community brand based on items made with style and integrity.

And they have delivered. Zady is not only a curated marketplace of amazing, ethically-made brands (Imogene + Willie, Small Trades, Clare Vivier, Pendleton, and more…) but they do a phenomenal job of telling the story – from the background of the Garment Factory, to building a closet based on cost-per-wear, to the history of denim. Even more, when you shop with Zady, a percentage of all proceeds are donated to the Bootstrap Project, which provides microloans to artisans around the world.

What I love most about Zady is how accessible the brand is – from the impeccable but still realistic styling of the products on the site, to the team’s presence on social media, to the thank you notes sent with each order. Maxine spoke passionately about building – and supporting – a community, and that belief is apparent in every single aspect of Zady.

Zady currently has a holiday pop up that looks amazing – be sure to check it out if you are flying through LGA!

Thanks for meeting with me, Maxine… I can’t wait to see what you and Soraya come up with next!

Shinola

Posted on by TheAmericanEdit

Shinola (SHINE-ola, in case you were wondering! I was saying it incorrectly!) is a Detroit-based company that manufactures watches, bikes, and leather goods. Created by the founder and former leaders of Fossil Brands, Shinola’s goal is to reinvigorate quality manufacturing in America, and particularly in Detroit.

shinola-tribeca

I’ve been a fan Shinola for some time now –  hearing Heath Carr speak at the American Made Workshop and visiting the Tribeca flagship only solidified my support of the brand. Heath spoke about the power of communities, and how the founders of Shinola were attracted to Detroit because of the supportive entrepreneurial community that was forming within the city – people were taking ownership to make Detroit better, and they wanted Shinola to be a part of that. To build the company, the founders could have easily worked with top talent from anywhere in the world, but instead they chose to work within their community – finding the best talent for digital, video, etc. right there in Detroit.

Clearly, it’s a great story. A lot of product sells because of a great story. But Shinola is more than that.

shinola-tribeca-2

It’s an amazing experience. I was shocked by the size of the Tribeca store – you enter into an amazing, magazine-filled coffee shop where everyone is friendly (I’m from the Midwest – this stuff is important to me!), and then walk back into this gorgeous, two-story atrium of bikes and watches and leather goods galore. (Again, filled with really nice people… If I lived there, I’d want to be pals with the staff!)
shinola-watches

The products are all classic but thoughtfully designed. A lot of American-made products really play off of the “heritage” concept, and while I can appreciate that look, it’s not usually my taste. Shinola uses heritage materials, but balances them in a simple, modern way. These are legitimately “have forever” pieces.

shinola-piggy-bank

This leather piggy bank made me so happy. It didn’t come home with me, but I may have to do something about that soon. Although bicycles, watches, and leather goods are the brand focus, the shop also carries some jewelry, Detroit Denim, and other American made products.

shinola-office-supplies

Even more impressive? Shinola’s commitment to transparency. Transparency is a buzz word lately, which is fantastic and something I support wholeheartedly, but I’d also argue that gorgeously shot, well-lit (and pre-announced) photo stories detailing factory life are far from true transparency (although a great first step towards educating consumers!). Shinola is legitimately transparent – check out their factory livestream!

[photos by TAE]

To learn more about Shinola:

Odette New York

Posted on by TheAmericanEdit

I’ve said before… jewelry should be personal. I’m partial to supporting smaller designers with my accessories, and it’s also important to me that each piece has meaning – a memory, a goal, an idea. I’ve always loved Odette New York because the pieces are so dynamic – delicate and feminine while simultaneously geometric and bold. When you wear an Odette piece, it’s obvious that a lot of attention has gone into the design… the way the rings fit, the way the necklaces lay just so…

About a month ago, Jennifer Sarkilahti emailed me to say she’d be visiting Minneapolis for a trunk show at Mille. Being the absolute dork that I am, I had a total fan-girl moment, jumped up and down, and emailed Matt to say, oh my God can you believe this?! It was a pretty big moment for me. Even better, last week I was able to visit Jennifer in her studio in Brooklyn and see how her beautiful pieces come to life.

I was a huge fan of Odette before, but meeting Jennifer made me fall even more in love. She personifies the vision I had of Odette… she’s incredibly kind and thoughtful, gorgeous in this totally unassuming way, and just so talented. It’s incredibly inspiring to see someone turn art into a business without losing the art – and Jennifer has done just that.

Thank you, Jennifer, for reaching out! and Michelle for connecting us! Read on to learn more about Jennifer and Odette, and if you are in Minneapolis check out the trunk show at Mille this weekend!

odette-cage-ring

HOW DO YOU DESIGN YOUR COLLECTION?

I want to explore everything… I want to do all that I can. I don’t impose trend limitations on myself. I keep a running sketchbook and sticky notes next to my bed. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and sketch. When it’s time to design a new collection, I pull everything together and see what works.

WHAT ARE YOUR STYLE ESSENTIALS?

Lots of black. So cliché New York! Lots of jewelry. I love stacking – I love that we are having a stacking moment! [note – I wish I had taken a picture of Jennifer’s amazing stacks… I keep thinking of them!]

I’m a minimal dresser with maximal jewelry. I also have a shoe weakness!

odette-ny-cuffFinished pieces and wax models displayed in the studio. 

WHAT GETS YOU THROUGH THE DAY? THE WEEK?

I enjoy coming to my studio. I love it when all of the studiomates are here – it makes it a fun environment. Just the fact that we can make a living doing this every day makes it all worthwhile.

WHAT MAKES YOUR LINE UNIQUE?

Everything has been made by my hand initially, each mark is intentionally placed. The pieces are literally unique.

odette-new-york-studio each piece is handmade in wax (like a sculpture!) and then cast in various metals. the texture you see in these pieces is hand-carved by Jennifer. 

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

Everything! I love to travel – it helps me clear my head because when I’m traveling, I’m not thinking about other stuff all the time. Museums, movies, books.

odette-new-york-inspiration-boardsuch a good inspiration board!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO TRAVEL? WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO NEXT

My favorite place is Bali… I’d love to explore India and South America next.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER DESIGNERS?

Just start making things. Don’t spin your wheels and be afraid to put something out there. Be really thoughtful, but don’t be afraid.

THANK YOU, JENNIFER! I loved meeting you and learning more about your line… and am so excited to add these or this to my collection on Saturday!

Odette NY Mille Pop Up

 

[top image via Odette, bottom via Mille, all others are TAE]