Our intern, Carmen, came in the other day with gold nail polish and a solo sparkly nail.
Ethical Fashion Blog
Ikat is a print known and loved around the world. Mata uses ikat prints in many of their pieces, and, as we all know, Mata’s pieces are handmade by Indian women artisans. I thought I’d delve into this world of ikat and really see what is behind the scenes. I was in for a surprise. Hopes of a DIY ikat project were shattered when I found out how intricate this process is. I didn’t even know how to pronounce ikat correctly until I heard Maureen say it; it is pronounced ‘ee-kaht.’ It is a style of weaving where the yarn is dyed in zigzag or geometric patterns. The weaver chooses the exact pattern by wrapping the yarns with wax and clay before dipping it in different dyes. It is like a puzzle that gets more complicated with each color that is in the ikat design. Since the threads are dyed before they are woven it gives an “inaccurate” color distribution resulting in the enchanting blurred edges of the finished product.
I was visiting a friend in Santa Cruz recently and thought it would be fun to pop into Wallflower Boutique, a shop that carries us. So, I googled the shop to see where I was going, clicked on street view, and what did I see?
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Do we get the most photogenic interns or what? That’s Mallika and Laura in New Buffalo, Michigan and our own talented Taylor behind the lens.
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Our Charity of the Month for April is Inspiration Corporation, the coolest place to volunteer. IC is a community organization that helps people who are homeless and at risk of homelessness, offering meals, case management, job training, and housing. What started out 23 years ago as one woman pulling a little red Radio Flyer wagon filled with sandwiches and coffee is now a powerhouse of homeless services.
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What is fair trade? That question comes up a lot. I have 2 knee-jerk responses that I tend to blurt out in equal share:
A family friend asked for an advanced order on our best-selling Spring dress, the Forget Me Not. She needed it in time for her granddaughter’s 16th birthday. We literally just got it in, so I shipped it out right away. It hasn’t even gone live on the website (next week, after we send out our wholesale orders). My mom sent me this pic of Ally in the dress, and she’s looking sweet in Mata spring. What a cutie! The dress is perfect on her.
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Emily and I recently got back from the Pool trade show at Mandalay Bay in Vegas. Happy to say we made our sales targets (woot!). We also saw some seriously fresh fashion. My brain was a buzzin’ with all the trends – totally ahead of the curve and everyone’s bringing out their true style sense.
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In our Fall 2011 collection we debuted Mata Home, a line of home decor featuring our trademark block prints with hand-stitched embroidery and applique.
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Our very cool friend, Claire, hosted her 4th Annual Cool Woman Valentine’s Day Brunch to raise money for the Rape Victim Advocates, and wouldn’t you know it, Michelle and I both showed up in the red Rendezvous skirt. We loved this skirt so much in our Fall ’10 collection (Michelle’s version) that we brought it back for Fall ’11 (mine).
Marc Newson: I can’t help thinking jewelry design when I see this guy’s work. So many cool ideas, lines, and shapes…..I want to rework these into baubles! 2013 Spring is where we are heading now.
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I couldn’t resist taking this pic at the office today. Kristin, our designer, on the left, was wearing these adorable floral shorts paired with a striped sweater, and Carmen, our new design intern, had a sheer minty green long skirt folded over and tucked into her waist with leggings. Sheer draping is everywhere these days, even in the Mata office. I love that these girls are ON it and having their design input shows in our collections.
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Our fair trade friends over at Global Goods Partners have some really awesome products – check out these earrings made out of recycled bottle caps from Swaziland that Michelle got at the NYIGF show. She came in to the office rocking them today and I want my own pair NOW…we’ll have to wear them different days.
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Hettal married Suraj in the traditional manner of an Indian bride – bedazzled in an embroidered pink wedding sari, forearm to fingertip decorated with intricate henna designs. But their love story is anything but traditional. In a society where arranged marriage is the norm, Hettal and Suraj chose each other. And, like the plot of a Bollywood movie, Hettal’s parents didn’t approve. You see, Hettal is Hindu and Suraj is Buddhist.
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