Swedish Hasbeens present their spring/summer ’12 collection inspired by olympian Wilma Rudolph.

Even if it wasn’t one of my favorite brands ever, I would have been deeply impressed by Swedish Hasbeens’ presentation of their spring/summer 2012 collection in Stockholm last week. The basement of a shady nightclub establishment located in one of the busiest traffic circles in the city had been transformed into a retro-style gym, complete with a wooden gym floor and old-school wood benches for seats.

The collection was presented by a team of gymnasts, performing routines while wearing the shoes. I found this slightly distracting but incredibly inspiring. If there’s one thing (except gorgeous shoes) that Swedish Hasbeens excel at it’s creating distinctly different retro-vibe campaigns around each of their collections. Luckily, the shoes were all available on display for a closer look after the show. Big news for the upcoming season is that Swedish Hasbeens now make (very good-looking) men’s shoes as well.

Inspiration was drawn from sports heroes of the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, especially Wilma Rudolph, who grew up paralyzed from polio as the 20th of 22 children and was still able to set amazing world records and win three gold medals at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. This showed a new generation that anything is possible, regardless of race, gender or background.

“We must never forget what sport has meant for the equality of women and men and how it still makes us stronger in body and mind,” says Emy Blixt, Designer and Creative Director of Swedish Hasbeens.

The SS ’12 collection was highly inspired by classic sport shoes such as the Saddle Shoe, the Driving Shoe, the Beach Sandal and the Bowling Boot. All these models are included in updated and often unisex form in this new, diverse collection.

“The challenge for the SS ’12 collection has been to be innovative while still staying true to the concept and the result is a collection inspired by Hasbeens like Wilma and the active lifestyle of the 1940-50s, which made fashion sportier and more comfortable,” says Blixt.

Swedish Hasbeens are always made from sustainable materials like vegetable tanned chrome-free leathers, natural rubber soles and real cork. Like the legends of the past, they only grow better with age.

EcoSalon was on the scene for their SS ’12 show. Here’s some highlights.

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All runway photographs © Kristian Löveborg/ASFB

The post EcoSalon at Stockholm Fashion Week: Swedish Hasbeens SS12 appeared first on EcoSalon.

H Fredriksson is created from natural materials and made in New York City.

It’s hard to find a jumper that isn’t overly cute or too roomy to add bulk to what you might consider “Problem areas.” This silk jumper is the perfect solution for your day to night dilemma when on vacation or when you know going home, won’t be an option until late. A change of jewelry and shoe will make this piece have an altogether different vibe.

Helena Fredriksson of H Fredriksson is a master of draping and sexy silhouettes that would never confuse anyone that you are anything but a mature woman ready to spend a day doing whatever it is one does in a sexy jumper. Even if it’s just, jumping.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

The post Lustables: H Fredriksson’s Lou Jumper appeared first on EcoSalon.

If you’re familiar with textiles and design, you’ve probably heard of screen-printing, digital printing, and maybe even sublimation. All three are printing technologies used to create pretty patterns and pictures on fabric. But I would bet the Eames chair and ottoman I’m saving up for, that you don’t know about the Lumi Process.

It’s a cutting edge process that allows photographic images to be printed onto natural materials, from silk to wool to cotton, without any chemical treatment. Jesse Genet, who began her research five years ago when she was in high school, is the brain (and brawn) behind the new technology. Now she’s a student at Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles and has teamed up with fellow student and designer, Stephan Angoulvant, to launch Lumi Co.

They’re young, energetic and with a clever self-promotional video, funded the launch of their business with money raised on Kickstarter. It took them only 60 days to raise more than $13,500. They initially aimed for $12,000,

“…the minimum amount of capital needed to allow us to continue R&D, upgrade our equipment for production, and have enough working capital to develop products and open our doors to collaborators in the first quarter of 2010.”

To everyone who donated, Genet and Angoulvant sent out a leather bag, art print, card wallet or coasters (image below), each printed with images using their technology. It got people talking, about the product and the process, and the talk has been nothing but positive.

Genet and Angoulvant, on the other hand, are not talking about the specifics of their technology, other than to say it is eco-friendly and will provide access to innovative products and designs in the future. The Lumi Process doesn’t require intense heat or the use of harsh chemicals. It doesn’t use filters or half-toning; the final images are vivid, true to the original, durable and won’t fade with washings. All their supplies and materials are natural. And the process prints perfectly on textured materials and over seams. Is there anything it doesn’t do?

Actually, no. And now Lumi Co. is collaborating with Cisco Home, a Los Angeles sustainable furniture company, and launching its first product line in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. The owner of Cisco Home, Cisco Pinedo, who’s been in the furniture business for over 20 years, had this to say about the Lumi Process:

“The conventional printing methods don’t have the properties of natural materials…this is an amazing technique, especially for a company like ours where everything we do is around sustainability.”

It’s quite the entrepreneurial, environmental success story. And it’s not over yet.

The post Lumi: Pure and Natural Textile Printing appeared first on EcoSalon.

What happens when one style meets another? Is it catastrophe waiting to happen or is there hope for harmony?

That’s why we created Style Clash. Some design styles are more flexible; others force us to stretch outside our comfort zone. Each week we will offer tips for mixing competing styles successfully.

What do we mean by “successful”, you ask? If nothing seems strange, jarring or just plain ugly, then I’m all for it regardless of time period, colorway or material. I call it a successful Style Clash.

For our second installment in the Series we will meet Mid-Century Modern with Gothic and see where we land.

If you watch the TV series ‘Mad Men’ then you recognize Don Draper reading the newspaper in his handsome and functional Mid-Century Modern style office (top image). The decor is simple, straight-forward and 1950s to a tee.

Very few accessories and lots of glass and natural materials are key to this design style. Notice the stone flooring and wall, as well as the wood mantle and ceiling beam (image above). The furniture is lean and compact, made of wood or metal with sturdy, svelte legs; upholstery is anything but ornate (image below).

Some surmise that Mid-Century leans toward minimal, but shag rugs and pops of red-orange, bright yellow and olive green hardly say serene or plain.

In comparison, Gothic Style (image above and below) falls from a far more plush and passionate planet. It is dark and dramatic. Ornate decoration, deep, rich colors, dark woods and opulent fabrics create a mood unfit for the shy or timid. A glamorous chandelier falling from the center of a Gothic room is practically a requirement.

Combining these opposing styles may be impossible to imagine, but that’s why we are here. Style Clash turns the unimagined into a design marriage made in heaven.

The clever mixing of Mid-Century and Gothic (image above, images below) results in refined, edgy and come-in-and-stay-a-while rooms. The dark walls and richly textured velvet upholstery say Gothic to the core, while svelte wood furniture and metal legged modern chairs are born straight from Mid-Century.

The fireplace becomes sleek in a marble finish; the chandelier remains a major focus in each room, but less ornate and glam. If I had to define the style, I’d call it dark and dramatic with refined finesse.

Meet me here next week as we continue to cruise the spectrum of interior design styles, two at a time. Ciao for now!

Images: The Mid-Century Modernist, Daily Mail UK, Gramercy Park Hotel, Graham Atkins-Hughes

The post Style Clash: Functional Finesse Meets Dark and Dramatic appeared first on EcoSalon.

I have to admit, I love cork – and not just because the source (the Cork Oak tree) bears an uncanny resemblance to my last name. I love the texture, color, and possibilities this humble material offers. I love that a porous material with contrasting rich earthy substance and negative space molds into sheets of two-dimensional strength. Here are just a few reasons for you to love cork, too.

Benjamin Hubert designs a heap of gorgeous products to suspend from your ceiling. The Float pendant (a hand turned Portuguese agglomerate cork lamp) is just one of Mr. Hubert’s creations to covet.

The Phillip Jeffries Java Cork Collection is an inspired wallpaper gathering; Ebony Cork with Gold is a dream of natural cork with a gold metallic underlay. This unexpected partnership of earthy and gleam is absolutely stunning. These Balloon Shakers designed by Japanese architect Masayuki Kurokawa (available at Merchant 4) are a translucent and enlightening way to display salt, pepper, and vivid spices.

The Puf Fup by Corque (designed by Ana Mestre) is envisioned to “challenge the creativity of its user” through a cohesive, continuous string of perfect cork spheres that invites sculpting your perfect (wildly comfortable) seat.

The post Cork Oak Wonders appeared first on EcoSalon.

The alluring appeal of tropical nature is enthralling. Straight from the pages of one of my favorite glossy muses, the May/June issue of Australia Vogue Living offers this piece of paradise in a ten page spread. Here’s an edited taste of the original article written by Susan Westwood.

All the elements of a glamorous resort are laced together with the skills of local artisans at the Sovena Kiri Resort. Conceived by Six Senses, this hotel offers charm and responsibility perched beautifully on an island in the southeast corner of the gulf of Thailand. Earthy, local materials have been designed to gracefully depict nature through driftwood poles and rafters, teak leaf ceilings, and bamboo supports.

Pavilions are sprinkled throughout the property, nestled into rainforests, balanced high on cliff tops, and standing just steps from the beach. Central amenities include breezy dining salas (open air pavilions), an observatory pod for star gazing, and restaurants serving fresh, organic food (most vegetables are grown on site). The natural materials are adorned with vibrant splashes of color – hot fuschia, orange, and yellow – like “tropical blooms bursting through the surrounding jungle.”

Eva Shivdasani, director of interiors at Six Senses, shares her thoughts on the project, “My initial concept for this resort, as always, is to fit the designs with the natural environment and for them to represent the local culture.”

(This gorgeous photography by the talented Mikkel Vang.)

The post Natural Beauty appeared first on EcoSalon.

The walls of this mid-century modern muse contain handfuls of obsessive compulsive delights. Perpendicular angles. Gleaming surfaces. Right-angled wonders. Unspoiled purity. This space makes all my compulsions ease with modern allure. The natural materials and palette of this home blend seamlessly with the mountains they are nestled in. The scenic background of Salt Lake City, Utah serves as a silver platter for this heap of deliciousness.

A combination of natural light and natural materials makes this space a natural beauty. I have a sudden and intense crush on the mixture of deep, rich wood tones embodied in this property.

This photography was captured through the talented lens of Tyler Gourley. Satisfy your yearnings for mid-century swoons with seventy-six images of this dreamy abode. If you have ever doubted the ugly duckling ideology, get inspired with a glimpse of this home’s past. I cannot stop obsessing about this space and its stunning transformation.

(This lovely dose of perfection was spotted on Black Eiffel.)

The post Modern Obsessions appeared first on EcoSalon.