New on THE KINDCRAFT
Welcome to THE KINDCRAFT BRIEF!
If you're like us, useful newsletters—the ones which deliver interesting articles and events that you might've otherwise missed—are the ones you actually open and read. To that end, we're very happy to unveil the premier issue of THE KINDCRAFT BRIEF — our twice-monthly digest of design, craft, and global creative culture. We hope you enjoy it!
P.S. If you have any items which you think should be included in the next issue, please drop us a line at [email protected]!
Maker Profile: Kilomet109
In case you missed it: Our recent profile of designer Thảo Vũ, whose Hanoi-based label Kilomet109 blends fashion with artisan craft.
Sponsored Events
Lanna Life+Style Pavilion at Bangkok's STYLE Show
Come see products by 30 of Northern Thailand's most skilled makers and artisans at Bangkok's STYLE show. (From 17 - 21 October 2017)
Events — North America
We Are What We Wear: Exhibition Examines Clothing That Changed The World
NPR has a great write-up of MOMA's new "Items: Is Fashion Modern?" Exhibition. (Runs Through January 28, 2018)
Fashion Is Kale
In conjunction with 'Items: Is Fashion Modern?', this event features presenters from a diverse range of perspectives whose often-hidden roles are critical in shaping the contemporary fashion industry. Inspired by 'Fashion Is Spinach', a well-known book by Elizabeth Hawes published in 1938 and an insider’s critique of the fashion scene, this program provides insight into the ways in which fashion items are designed, manufactured, marketed, distributed, worn, and discarded today, by listening to and engaging with stories from fashion’s silent partners.
👉🏻THE KINDCRAFT Tip—Don't miss the mighty Sarah Labowitz at the final debate (5:30p). (October 19, 10:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m.)
Events — Europe + MENA
‘Indigo and Independence in India’, Bloomsbury Literary Festival
Explorer + indigo expert Jenny Balfour-Paul will speak at this year's Bloomsbury Festival in London. (October 21, 2017, 5:00 p.m.)
Product Spotlight
WOMEN'S CALENDERING BIKER JACKET
We love that these moto jackets for men and women by Kilomet109 aren't made with leather but crafted from handwoven, indigo-dyed hemp and then stone-polished for a metallic finish (a technique called calendering).
Recommended Book
Urban Potters: Makers in the City
Katie Treggiden, design journalist extraordinaire (and author of the super-cool 'Makers of East London') is back with this look at 25 ceramicists in New York, London, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Sydney, and Sao Paulo—including Romy Northover. (Bonus Tip: Check out this audio clip of a Monocle24 interview about the book with editor Josh Fehnert, who we can almost forgive for naming the episode 'License to Kiln'.)
Culture
Where Women Reign: An Intimate Look Inside a Rare Kingdom
"In the shadow of the Himalayan mountains, at the edge of the lush, expansive Luga Lake, live the Mosuo people. Their complex social structure is said to be one of the last semi-matriarchal societies in the world."
The Last Days of Wicker
"While all use the same over-under weaving technique practiced by basket-makers for millennia, the styles of each house are reflections of their individual countries — making wicker a small but lovely prism through which to view the world."
Design
Video—Thai artisans making new designs
This charming video, made by Thailand's SACICT and 56thStudio, gives a glimpse at some of the country's skilled artisans and how they're making new, thoughtful designs using traditional techniques.
Camille Walala Inflates Bouncy, Pink And Patterned Villa Walala in London
A look at Villa Walala by artist Camille Walala from the recent London Design Festival.
Sustainability + Labor
What Is Slow Fashion?
New York Times trend-piece, featuring designs by Elizabeth Suzann, Dear Frances, AYR, and The Library, a project of Brooklyn's Slow Factory.
Video—The Making of Todd Bracher's Amorim Cork Jacket
We love to see designers finding new ways to work with sustainable materials. What do you think of this jacket that was crafted from cork?
Instagram Spotlight
Sophena Kwon (@ship_at_sea)
Vancouver, Canada's Sophena Kwon is a dyer, designer, and the founder of @indigosocial. We recently interviewed Sophena as part of our profile on Maiwa Handprints and love her style (scroll back through her timeline and see what we mean...).