Circle Hat, Square Hat

Straight to the Top

It's not quite hat weather here yet, though there have been a few chilled bicycle rides so far. I've always wanted to be a hat person, but have never been the type to work this type of accessory into my everyday wardrobe. I admire the friends I know who can do it. So, I've been working on a new hat design to release in the shop soon. I hope to come up with a whole range of options, with a few scarf designs to accompany. The pom in this prototype was made by friend and maker, Crystal Quinn, and has been one of my favorite accessories recently. We have already discussed joining forces for these winter accoutrements.

In other news, I received my Baggu backpack in the mail over the weekend. Of all the things I shopped around for last week, this is the one purchase I made. I am delighted with it. I did not buy the red like I said I would, I went for the more fall-friendly nutmeg version. I highly recommend this backpack, enough said. Ok, onward and upward, work is calling...

Yes!

Has anyone else been having a difficult time trying to pick out an Osborn shoe to buy? I have been thinking about it for months, I just don't know what to do. I found these today, I think they're perfect.



UPDATE: It's one day later and I'm still shopping. I have been collecting Swatch watches my entire life, I have many of them. I have only had one other solid color, also red, I bought it in San Francisco and it's been broken for a long time. The Swatch collection for fall is pretty incredible. The solid colors are perfect, what everybody wants, but the artist collaborations are extra special this time around. I've also had my eye on a Baggu bag for awhile, the backpacks are impeccable and only $28.00. I want red, but I really want all of the colors. My birthday is coming up soon.



UPDATE: Still shopping...feeling that gluttonous urge of "collect them all!" And believe me, there's more, a lot more to choose from, and they're unisex. Happy Socks, yum!

Happy Packet

So, in the process of preparing for my trip to Paris, I went crazy with buying personalized promotional items off the Internet. This is coming from the girl who has never had a business card. I purchased 500 pencils, 400 stickers, and 750 postcards with three different designs. The total number of "things" I ordered with my web address pasted all over them exceeds the population of the small town I grew up in. Before I left, I spent two full days assembling these packets. I cut down each sticker individually, laser printed 12 different colors of vellum for the toppers, and carefully placed all the items in cellophane bags with a whole rainbow of different origami papers for the backing. I was so short on time that I brought a cutting mat to the coffee shop to work on cutting things down, while doing my laundry at the laundromat across the street, while eating breakfast which I don't do enough. And in the end, I made 150 packets to bring with me on my trip, which ended up taking up half of my luggage. After the first day, I had only given away a handful and was distraught with the idea of bringing them all back with me, but even more annoyed with the notion that I had potentially wasted 48 hours of work crafting these packets. Luckily, things picked up after the first day and I was able to give away every single one, save for the reserve stash I left at home, mainly to remind myself to send some to my mother. So next year, I think I might look into a nice, normal, letterpress business card...you know, change things up a little bit.

Do you want one? Send me an email, $6.00 includes shipping within the United States. Limited supplies! (Don't worry Mama, yours are already set aside, and free, of course). Each packet includes 1 pencil, 3 different postcards, 1 sticker, and 1 sheet of origami paper.



Package Design by ETC + ALL!

Australia

It's Friday and it's chilly here in Minneapolis. Aggressive layering has already begun. It's sweater weather, finally! Australia has been good to me recently. Issue No. 37 of Frankie Magazine just came out and there's a small blurb about ALL Knitwear inside. I was unfamiliar with this publication, but pleasantly surprised to find that it is a beautifully printed book with interesting coverage on art, design, and culture. In other Australia news, I have been receiving an uncanny number of orders from this continent since I first opened the shop, more than any other international location, and am in the process of finalizing my first wholesale order with a boutique there. Maybe all of this activity with Australia will lead me there someday, I'm already looking forward to it.

ALL FALL!

ALL FALL Part 1 is now available in the ALL Shop! STRIPE x STRIPE x STRIPE is for you! Get inside some new cozy duds for fall. Get inside the shop! Please read the shop policies, some updates have been made. Also, don't forget that you can click through a series of 4-6 images for each product with the small arrows at the top right of the image. Pass along to your friends! Have fun today!

STRIPE x STRIPE x STRIPE

Ok! Back to work!
This Wednesday, September 15th, I will release the first of two fall updates in the ALL Shop. STRIPE x STRIPE x STRIPE is a collection of ten pieces with stripes done three ways, 1x1 vertical, variegated rainbow, and classic navy stripes. (Pictured Below: Rainbow Stripe Legging, Vari Vari Stripe Box Top, and Vari Vari Stripe Mini. Modeled by Lindsay Noble and ALL, Photographed by Eric Carlson)



The ETC + ALL collaboration will be available online in November, just in time for a little holiday craze. ETC + ALL is a collection of pieces featuring original textile art by ETC, adapted, colored, and constructed into sweater bodies by me, ALL. (Pictured Below: The Cheeto Matrix Box Top, Modeled by Alberta Mirais, Photographed by Eric Carlson)



The shop should be ready to go first thing in the morning on the 15th (CST), and I will send out an email reminder for those on my mailing list. Select seasonably appropriate items from summer will carry over until the ETC + ALL group sets in November. Signing off, a momentary new me, yesterday.

Bonsoir Monsieur!

So Paris has come and gone. The title of this post indicates that my French has not improved at all after spending a week there, I am still only able to say "Goodnight Mister" with confidence, not an entirely useful phrase. WHAT A TRIP! I mean that in so many ways. I tried my best to document the show, capturing the hype and peculiarity of the four days we spent at Porte de Versailles convention hall, resulting in the longest string of photos you will probably ever see on here. Each day of the show started at 9:00 a.m. and lasted until 7:00 p.m. I showed up early on the first day and found there was no reason at all to do that. The convention hall was massive, filled to the brim with products, designers, buyers, people...the camels were outside. Some labels built entire rooms inside of the hall, yes, with full bars, work tables, snacks, and so on.

I was in the FRESH section which was distinguished by fragmented bright orange stalls and matching tables. We were the young kids, the up-and-comers...the weirdos. Thankfully, everyone knew where to go to find the strange, just look for that blaring orange section in the sea of white booths. The day-to-day was okay. To be honest, I wanted to run away screaming after the first day, but things were getting better all the time and I learned to feel moderately comfortable with my surroundings. As for the results, let's say that not a whole late has changed besides the fact that I have more potential opportunities now than I did before I left.

The best thing that came from this trip was the opportunity to meet new friends, which I did. One of my long-time inspirations, Brokenfab, was there showing her stunning disco beads, and we connected immediately. Such a relief to find a fun-loving, normal person in the middle of such bizarre surroundings. We danced every night after the show, drinking free Malibu and watching show sponsored events like amateur boxing. Fabienne was the hidden gem, and I found her!

But here I am at home again, and so glad to be here. It's fall now, and time to re-set the shop with some new goodies. Expect this to happen next week! Until then...Bonsoir!