designers

Madewell launched a massive road trip yesterday, using a vintage Airstream as a kind of nomadic pop-up shop to bring its awesome (we can personally vouch for this) denim to cities and college campuses from Boston to Seattle. We stopped by the Airstream yesterday morning to share coffee, donuts, and Spring shopping tips with Kin Ying Lee, the ever hospitable and eternally cool creative director of Madewell who, by the way, was wearing a pair of floral-print corduroys from the forthcoming holiday collection. That means printed pants are not going away, yay! To get Kin's rundown on Spring basics, read below, and if you want to see this seriously cool refurbished Airstream (boasting dressing rooms, a denim bar, racks of clothes, and iPad docks so you can order whatever you want from the Madewell site), check out its special map for this road trip paved in denim.

Creative Director for Madewell Kin Ying Lee's Spring shopping essentials:

1. A chambray shirt: "This is key. I wear one ALL the time. It's great because you can layer with it, and wear it open. I wear it as a jacket as well."
2. Skinny ankle: "These look amazing with heels, sandals, short boots. It's a great denim jean for Spring because it's got a shorter inseam so it hits right at your ankle. You can show off those manicured feet. It's really sexy."
3. The boy jean: "I think in Spring and Summer you want something that's not so tight. A boy jean gives you that little slouch, and that casual, more effortless look. This and the skinny ankle are my two go-to jeans."
4. The crisp jacket: "More for layering, I like that it has a little structure, a little more tailored."
5. A burst of color: "Even if it's just a great t-shirt or a silk shirt, it gives you a little splash of color."
6. Shift dress: "It's straighter, that fit is great and friendly, because not everyone can wear a waisted dress."

Ever since I first ran into Ryan Greer's stand, Flux Productions, at the Brooklyn Flea Market this past May, I've been a little obsessed with his line of handcrafted leather and cork bags, bracelets, and bicycle packs. I'm far from his only admirer, either — Ryan has collaborated with Thakoon and Osborn Design — and he's also dressed Justin Bieber's backup dancers. His work has also been featured everywhere from J. Crew's blog to GQ

Flux Production's latest offering are these very cool leather and cork wall art pieces, which remind me of a classic quilt. I talked to Ryan about his inspiration for this new offering from Flux Productions, which are available in numbers of 12, 15, and 20 and will cost $120, $150, or $190, respectively, for the sets. Currently, there's one listing for a set of 15 availble.

CasaSugar: What was your inspiration for this new project?

Ryan Greer: I'm very interested in old textiles and woven rugs and the new project seemed like a good opportunity to create something that referenced traditional quilt and rug patterns while using materials that have a more masculine, industrial feel (leather and cork).

Keep reading for the rest of the interview and a closer look at the new project from Flux productions.

You may not be familiar with the name Sir Terence Conran, but don't let that fool you. This man has left a lasting imprint in the world of interior design.

A pioneer in design work that transformed the look of the British home, Conran kicked off a design studio and later an architecture practice that has had a global impact on the world of interior design. In order to celebrate Sir Conran, a new exhibit, The Way We Live Now, at The Design Museum explores Conran's accomplishments whether it be key themes of his career or looking at where he channeled his inspiration. We wish we could go to London just to check it out!

Since we can no longer hop on the Concorde, we've decide to celebrate in our own way, by sharing some fascinating facts about Sir Terence Conran's legendary career. We could list his astounding accomplishments for days, but here are five things we find oh-so intriguing about Conran's legacy.

1. He's the brains behind the iconic store Habitat.
   There was nothing cooler than London in the 1960s; Conran's spot, Habitat, totally broke down the preconceived notions of furniture stores of the past by blending pop culture, modern design, and an unprecedented retail experience.
2. He's a philanthropist.
   In the '80s, Conran developed the The Conran Foundation, "an educational charity focused on promoting a better understanding of design." Its first big initiative was the Boilerhouse Project, a gallery housed in the basement of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
3. Age doesn't define him.
   Well into the late 2000s, Conran continued to open restaurants like Boundary in East London and Lutyens in Fleet Street.
4. He's a restaurateur.
   Conran's background in architecture and designed propelled him into being a key player in the development of the new restaurant culture driven by a passion for simplicity.
5. He's a real knight!
   Terence Conran became Sir Terence Conran in 1983.

Source

Without hesitation, Vena Cava is on my shortlist of must-wear brands, and the designer duo and BFFs Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock are two of the coolest PopSugar City girls I know. The ladies haven't taken a break since debuting their 2011 Fall collection in February. Currently, Buhai and Mayock are in Vietnam, rounding up inspiration for Spring 2012 (talk about springing forward). They just launched their awesome new ecommerce site, and even a world away, they still managed to give us the inside scoop on what every New York girl should have in her Spring wardrobe, where they find inspiration in the city, the best street "treasures" they've come across, and more.

PopSugar NYC: As a fellow West Coast defector, I'm curious, what was it about NYC in the initial stages that made you stay indefinitely?

Sophie Buhai: We both attended Parsons, so school is what brought us out to NYC. New York is really the place to be if you want to start a small fashion line; the industry is very supportive, and you have access to amazing production and all the editors. We felt very connected to an emerging group of designers who were all starting brands around the same time. The early 2000s were when the word "young designer" was exploding, and the economy was ripe for new talent. We were lucky to be in New York during that time, I don't think that could have happened if we had been in LA. We hope to make it out to LA at some point . . . perhaps when we launch our caftan line!

To find out what else the ladies have to say, head over to PopSugar NYC to read the whole interview.