Notes from the Floor
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Linen, derived from the fibers of the flax plant, has been worn as a summer textile for thousands of years because of it’s coolness in hot weather, and we mean that in both senses of “cool.” Think of the egyptians wrapped in their sheer white linen in the heat of an African summer, or the fresh cream linen suits for men and women travelers in the 1930s. Linen always reminds me of rumpled men in “exotic” locals drinking cold cocktails and writing novels (think Gide, Hemingway, Bowles…)
A wardrobe staple for my summer is always a Linen jacket, so I can look polished, weather appropriate, and rumpled all at the same time… but let’s look beyond the traditional shapes to some more things in our collection: for men, we have Isabel Benenato shorts and trousers is the most juicy (it is possible for linen to feel “juicy”, yes) texture, CP shades lightweight linen shirts for that fresh, breezy feel. We also have this cool Baseball tee from Italian line, Novemb3r with linen panels on the body.
For women, I love the Hazel brown hemp & linen drawstring trousers, as well as the awesome rubberized linen raincoat from Girbaud’s Actlive line. Most Manuelle Guibal pieces for summer are linen and perfectly washed to the softest texture, they really feel like they’ve been bleached by the sun and worn in perfectly. Faliero Sarti linens make excellent lightweight coverup scarves in the sun, and Frank & Eileen shirts and shirt dresses in various colors and patterns are great cool coverups surfside over your swimmers.
Care for linen is actually quite simple… Put away your iron. Wash your pieces in cold or body temperature water on the gentle cycle snap out the garment while still wet to minimize wrinkles, and hang to dry outside in the sun. They’ll smell fresh as butterflies that way.
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Where would we be without our inspiring mothers, or our fascinating children? Baby & Co. gives love today to all the amazing women who have touched our lives, influenced us, taught us about life, loving, and living. Thank you, Mamas for all the support, encouragement, careful advice, sharp wits, hostessing tips, reality checks, and lip-sticky kisses. Thank you, children for reminding us that life is full of wonder and new things each day, for giving us purpose, for showing us ourselves, and for just being so delicious.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL MOTHERS, GRANDMOTHERS, GREAT-GRANDMOTHERS, MOMS, MOMMIES, MUMS & MAMAS!
(I just made myself cry writing this….)
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GUYS! It’s unseasonably warm out! We are absolutely loving this special PNW sneak peak on summer… and we are so excited to finally get to wear some of our summer gear!
From left to right, here are some picks for today’s 83 degrees: Hache wrap dress, A.B. striped top, Hazel Brown breeches, Aspesi smock dress, Flamigos espadrilles, Hache straw cap, Hache slide sandal, Manuelle Guibal linen shift.
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URBAN ZEN trunk show artist profile: SHEILA JOHNSON
Baby & Company and Urban Zen present Sheila Johnson at our trunk show this evening.
Best known as an entrepreneur and philanthropist, Sheila Johnson has rooted her passions in culture and the arts, a lifelong long love that she expresses to this day with the launch of her luxury scarf collection.
Her background in humanitarian work has fueled all of her designs. Johnson currently works as a prominent documentary film producer, such as her project The Other City, a critically acclaimed documentary about the HIV/AIDS crisis in Washington DC.
For five years, Johnson has served as a global embassador for CARE, a leading aid organization that fights global poverty through the empowerment of women around the world. She serves as chair of the Board of Governors for Parsons School of Design in New York City along with friend Donna Karen, where Johnson funded a scholarship for talented yet underserved design students.
Come and experience Johnson’s pieces as she showcases the beauty within global political awareness and the positive impact of communities afar. All of the proceeds from tonight’s collection will go to both Stolen Youth Organization and to the artisans of Haiti.
Tonight and tomorrow and Saturday, April 18th, 19th and 20th !
*Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A self-portrait of a young man, a member of a community of local Haitian artisans.
*Port-au-Prince, Haiti. As I walked through the devastation of a seven magnitude earthquake, I was moved by the strength and resilience of the blue door standing in the rubble. I imagined that in time the Haitian people would open the door and find that life, peace and beauty had triumphed once again.
Jacmel, Haiti. Vines now cover many of the homes throughout the region but the endurance of the people and the natural beauty of Haiti have emerged from behind the devastation. Antoure, from the Haitian Creole word ‘Shrouded,’ surrounded.
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“From The Road was born out of a love for off-the-grid travel and a desire to create unique objects with soul. Each Collaboration starts with a conversation and ends with a conversation piece.”
As Susan Easton travels the globe in search of adventure and beauty she discovers traditional artists hard at work blending their culture with color and function. With her keen eye, honed with a design and photography background, she learns from each culture she visits and designs pieces which are then hand crafted by the artisans themselves.
Our Urban Zen Caravan trunk show this Friday and Saturday, is a unique experience to shop these products.
And those clutches? They’re made with fish skin, Nile Perch to be exact….
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Part of the Urban Zen Caravan trunk show we will be hosting this Friday and Saturday, Matonyok utilizes the beading skills of the Maasai women of Kenya to create tribal, modern, covetable leather goods.
We are inspired by the words of Matonyok’s founder, Mary Argimon, “In a typical day, a Maasai woman performs a number of chores: preparing food, building domiciles, rearing children, and fetching water. Due to these familial responsibilities, women are unable to travel outside their villages to find work. No work equals no income, and without a way to make a fiscal contribution to the household, Maasai women are left with a limited voice within their community. By brining employment directly to the villages, Matonyok has answered the call of the women to ‘help them help themselves’, providing an opportunity for women to earn wages at home while having the flexibility to complete their daily tasks. This income also allows a woman to control a greater amount of a household’s resources, thereby making her a more active participant within the community.”
We hope you come support this incredible organization, meet the founder April 19th and 20th, and go home with a one of a kind treasure knowing you have made a difference in a woman’s life.
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We are so proud to be showcasing Elizabeth Martin at our URBAN ZEN trunk show this Friday and Saturday. 10% of the net proceeds go to benefit Stolen Youth of Seattle!
Elizabeth combines exquisite collections of jewels, beads, and trinkets from all over the world to create pieces infused with history, magic and wonder. Diamond, bone, Burmese coins, lava, tourmaline, and Buddhist amulets come together in her one of a kind, stackable bracelets.
“Created for the woman with a Global Sensibility and a style all her own, Elizabeth Martin’s premier jewelry collection is a modern play of color, texture and form - merging natural elements and man-made finds from every corner of the globe.”
Come meet this fabulous designer, and others this Friday and Saturday, April 19th and 20th!
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Novemb3r premium denim from Italy, aside from being soft, perfectly worn in, and in all the shapes and styles we desire, is full of satisfying quotables:
”Every handmade creation is unique, no two are alike. We perceive the value of craftsmanship through a slight variation in the color shade, a little detail that makes all the difference. Within this color spectrum, infinite denim possibilities to be explored. Grays as percents of luminosity and transparency. Blue as the cold and collected color. You can never grow tired of it.”
“When mankind entered the industrial age, some of this value went lost. No wonder it’s something we aim for.”
“Every day we gear up for a new challenge: you win some, you lose some. Survive through it all. Sometimes your favorite sweatshirt brings back memories so vivid, it’s almost like a classic tune.Wear it like a medal: you’ve earned it.”
Novemb3r Italian denim for men and women, now available at Baby & Company!
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