THE NEW AND IMPROVED SCHE REPORT
After a few months of non-stop work, my new website and brand identity is officially launched today!
If you wondered why I’ve been absent this past month, it’s because I’ve been working hard with my amazing friends at MORE & Co. to finally get this new look all figured out. This has been a goal of mine for the past year, but something always seemed to get in line ahead of making this happen. I’m happy to say that it is finally done!
So from now on, you can access The Sche Report here and find out more about my work and see my portfolio here.
I will no longer be posting on wordpress, so if you are just finding me, please access me at www.theschereport.com and SUBSCRIBE so that you won’t miss anything I have to share.
STUDIO VISIT: AUSTIN’S FOLK FIBERS
The Americana movement has been establishing itself for sometime now and with the support of strong brands like Levi’s and Pendleton, this growing trend of American made goods is spreading like wildfire. This movement isn’t just thought about in regard to iconic denim and apparel, but an over-arching theme of “getting back to our roots.” Heritage is a word that we hear alot these days in describing collections or brand names, but for those that are truly accessing their roots, it means so much more.
The movement..
The idea of “getting back to our roots” is something that I really relate to these days and find myself getting closer and closer to with each of the changes I make in my path. Being in Austin part-time I have been meeting many people that live the life described in the graphic above and I find all of it extremely inspiring and romantic. This is what real life is about folks.
Maura Ambrose and her husband Chapman are living this life out at a ranch in Bastrop, Texas just 25 miles outside of Austin. I found the above graphic on the Folk Fibers instagram feed when I first discovered Maura’s fantastic quilts and everything about it resonated with me. After spending some time browsing through her inspiring photos, I knew I needed to get to know her in person and find out about her passion for her art: QUILTING.
Maura outside her farm on one of her handmade quilts
Maura and her husband Chapman started Folk Fibers about two and a half years ago after they moved to Austin from Philadelphia. Maura started quilting 8 years ago while studying fibers during her college years in Savannah, Georgia. She has always had a passion for quilting and after a few years working for other creative companies, her husband encouraged her to follow her dream and start creating quilts full-time.
One of her masterpieces hangs on the wall
On display in her bedroom
A close up
Each of Folk Fibers quilts are hand-dyed and hand-made taking around 4 weeks to complete each work of art. Maura creates the top and the pattern to each quilt and pins everything together before she passes off to the local artisans that help her stitch them together.
A piece of the pattern to a quilt
Scraps are used to create some of the quilts
Representin’
Stitching techniques on display
More stitching techniques
Examples of stitches she teaches to the local women that help her
Using raw silk, cotton muslin and linen (as well as vintage scraps she finds), she hand dyes them with natural dyes that she wild harvests such as osage orange and pomegranates. Maura’s love of textiles and hand dying is shown in each of the beautiful Americana inspired palettes that she creates.
Her backyard dying station
Showing me the process
This number is for me 🙂
Maura and Chapman just moved into their new home this month yet already have the essence of their style all around their home studio.
Studio moments
Inspiration books
One of her favorite inspiration books
In the studio
Chapman handles the other side of the business sitting outside with a view of the surrounding pastures
Folk Fiber’s dream turned into reality when a member of Levi’s creative team(Jay Carroll of One Trip Pass), answered a tweet that Maura sent out for him to look at her quilts. In just a short time, the Levi’s team commissioned Folk Fibers to make dozens of quilts to sell at their “neighborhood stores” as a part of their MADE HERE collection featuring handmade American goods. All include recycled Levi’s jeans or Dockers pants; as well as other new, vintage and hand-dyed natural fabrics.
Folk Fibers for Levi’s
Her collaboration with Levi’s didn’t stop there, they soon commissioned her to create a quilting pattern in the back of a collection of vintage denim shirts that sold exclusively on their site in high demand. I originally found Folk Fibers when I spotted one of these numbers on Instagram and became obsessed. Those of you that know me personally should know that Levi’s is one of my all time favorite brands in the world and patchworking is an art that I have a serious passion for. I mean, I can’t believe I don’t own one of these!!
Folk Fibers for Levi’s
Folk Fibers and Levi’s will continue their collaboration this fall with their Station to Station Railroad tour that launches this September. Organized by artist Doug Aitken, Station to Station will connect leading figures and underground creators from the worlds of art, music, food, literature, and film for a series of cultural interventions and site-specific happenings. The train, designed as a moving, kinetic light sculpture, will broadcast unique content and experiences to a global audience from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Folk Fibers will be on this tour and you will be able to meet her yourself at the 9 stops they make across the country.
The exposure that Folk Fibers has gotten from Levi’s and social media (she has almost 50,000 followers on Instagram) has helped launched the brand and she currently has a year long waiting list to own one of these beauties that range in price between $600 and $4000 for a King size quilt. Each quilt is packaged in a handmade cedar box by local artist Kelly DeWitt to express the heirloom quality of each of her one of a kind designs.
Cedar box by Kelly DeWitt
You can see more of her designs on the website, and you most definitely should follow their life on Instagram to witness firsthand how she and Chapman are living an inspired life of quality and simplicity. Their images are beyond beautiful and saying they are inspiring doesn’t even begin to express it.
Maura and Chapman Ambrose of Folk Fibers
ROCK N ROLL FANTASY: LOVECRAFT LEATHER
Most of my life I have been fascinated with artists and creatives and I’ve always dreamed about being a part of their magical world. I know that’s why I originally got into the business of fashion and now through this website I am able to showcase some of the interesting and unique artists I have found along my path.
Chris Francis of Lovecraft Leather is one of those magical people that I have been lucky enough to encounter. We met in Laurel Canyon a few years ago at my friend Emily Factor’s house the same night I met the ladies of Heyoka Leather. Chris was with his glamorous and beautiful lady, Vanessa Gonzalez (who was a contestant in Bravo’s Launch My Line), and they were both decked out in the sickest leather duds and platform shoes I had ever seen. When Chris told me that he had made everything they were wearing, I was fascinated. It took a little bit of time before I was able to get a closer look into his studio, but it was well worth the wait.
Chris Francis in his downtown LA studio
Chris is a self taught artisan and first started 4 years ago by creating leather jackets on a picnic table in the Silverlake dog park after his arrival in Los Angeles. He started by studying books from FIDM and bought a $40 sewing machine from Target to experiment with. To his surprise, his very first jacket ended up on stage that year for the Journey world tour and he officially started creating his fantastic leather creations for musicians from that point on. Chris is completely inspired by music and his creations have since ended up on the likes of Lita Ford and Mitch Perry to name a few. His leather apparel is a rock n roll fantasy and takes inspiration from the 1970’s and 80’s channeling the musicians that have inspired him along the way. His studio displays his passion with vintage rock posters and decor hanging in every open space.
The studio
Rock n roll fantasy
Chris wearing one of my favorite jackets
He’s the perfect model for his creations
Everything Chris makes is with his hands and all are custom made to measure. He is very inspired by vintage clothing and textiles and his mission is to “create a world that speaks to him and put art into the world rather than just products.” Mass production is his nemesis; Chris wants his world to be small and underground and he has gotten all of his clients by word of mouth rather than traditional marketing and sales tactics. This man has serious passion for what he does and he stays in his shop for hours each day barely coming up for air. Not because he is trying to make a dollar, but because he loves creating his magic.
Chris modeling one of his first creations.
The details are amazing in each of his creations
Hand tooling
Another favorite from the archive
He made this one special for Vanessa
Handmade by Lovecraft Leather
His leather apparel was a start for his launch into creating hand made shoes which is something that he had dreamed about since childhood. Just as he did with his first jacket, Chris tackled this dream on his own and is a self-taught cobbler. I’m completely fascinated by the fact that someone can actually teach themselves how to make shoes, but with Chris he makes it all seem very easy. During our interview, I was educated by Chris on his biggest inspiration, Salvadore Ferragamo, and the fact that he was also a self taught cobbler. Ferragamo opened his first boutique in Hollywood and didn’t have any training. His first creations were made using leather scraps that he found and Chris’s vision for shoes was inspired by this idea.
A collection of vintage shoe lasts hang in his studio
Shoes and rock n roll
Chris’ favorite pair of shoe lasts
To teach himself, Chris started visiting all of the old school cobblers in town asking if he could intern for them. Most turned him down, so he tried a different approach and instead asked to buy some of their vintage tools. Through the process of inquiring about the tools, each cobbler showed him a new technique and after he acquired a complete set of tools, he also acquired a wealth of knowledge to get started. From there he sourced vintage equipment and lasts (shoe molds) and he started to design his own creations all by hand, the old fashioned way.
Every inch of his studio is filled with equipment, tools and lasts…all vintage
This is the only piece of equipment that Chris uses that requires electricity, everything else is made by hand without any need for electricity.
His collection of hand made vintage tools that he uses to create his collection
People use the term “old school” very loosely these days, but I have never seen Old School quite like this. This is the real deal and Chris is very passionate about passing the tradition of this craft down from his mentors that he learned it from. At the heart of his craft is soul, and he is proud to work with tools that have history, longevity and a story to share. He wouldn’t do it any other way and this is what makes Chris such a special man and a unique artisan.
Chris sites Carmen Miranda as one of his biggest inspirations for design as well as his muse and girlfriend, Vanessa. His designs nod to the Victorian era and his platforms channel the rock stars he has been so influenced by during his life.
A picture of Carmen Miranda in his studio
Shoe samples
Oxford platforms
These are made from reclaimed wood
Another creation made from reclaimed wood
Love this snakeskin detail
A nod to the Victorian era
His version of the “Butcher shoe”, the first men’s platform shoe created from using the leg of a chair in the heel to keep the shoe out of the blood on the floor.
I mean…really….
All of Lovecraft Leather’s shoes are custom fit for each client and are created by taking over 32 measurements of the foot. Once he creates the mold for each size foot, he can adjust them and add layers of wood and wax to create another shape. His custom shoes start at $350 and go up from there depending on the materials and the process which can take weeks to complete. Chris has been approached about creating production runs of his shoes but he has no interest in that type of business model. He is 100% devoted to his hand made craft and he has no plans on straying from his old school ways. He is dedicated to the preservation of this dying craft and his mission is to continue the tradition in his generation. For all of this and more, I highly respect Chris and am so inspired by his love and dedication to creating magic with his hands.
To find out more about Lovecraft Leather and see more of his magical creations, follow Chris on Instagram @lovecraftleather and on Facebook. For custom orders, contact him here.
Before I moved to Los Angeles I used to sit in my apartment in San Francisco and read Women’s Wear Daily religiously. I took pride in knowing everything that was going on in the fashion industry at large and I would dream of some day working and socializing alongside all of these fabulous and successful people that I read about. At that time, the fashion scene in LA was just starting to get taken seriously and the publication’s West Coast coverage began to grow each week.
It was during this time that I used to read about Henry Duarte and his impact on the birth of the denim revolution that LA is now so well known for. I remember seeing his hip hugger flared leather jeans that were made so meticulously and wonder if I would ever be cool enough to put some of these on my body. I would see pictures of Henry and wonder, “Who is this character”? I was fascinated with the burgeouning LA fashion scene and intrigued by Henry and all of his cohorts.
Cut to about a year and a half ago when I walked into a new space in downtown LA that was right underneath one of my client’s office. I was surprised to find a retail venture on Los Angeles and 7th, much less one that had such an interesting aesthetic. I was taken aback when Henry introduced himself and proceeded to tell me all about this showroom/studio that I happened to walk into. It was fascinating, and there I was chit chatting with someone that I had been so intrigued by for all of those years.
A past inspiration board
This long table in the center of the space was in storage for years before he put it in the showroom
An assortment of jewelry he created thru the years
A perspective of his downtown space
Anybody that knows Henry has an understanding of his dark and moody aesthetic. You will never see the man in anything but black and his signature look reminds you of something like a 70’s pirate mixed with an Amish man. His aesthetic is gothic, rock n roll with a 1970’s handcrafted feel. His showroom magnificently displays this aesthetic with dark old wood, pirate ships, pieces from the 1800’s and an assortment of high end designer furniture that he has been collecting for 20 plus years.
Pirate ships, victorian robes and sculptures abound
The elements that make up Henry’s world
Love this whole moment in the showroom
An amazing textile art piece from the 1970’s
A case of curiosities
Henry has collected an assortment of brass and metal sculptures that serve as inspiration for his castings
Studio moments
An assortment of handmade leather bags that he has made throughout the years.
Henry is a leather maker by heart but he has created a lifestyle around him through his designs that also include silver and brass amazing jewelry and castings. He has a collection of one of a kind leather handbags that he has made through the years that blow my mind. All over the studio are things from his past and his future. Whether it be furniture he has recycled and re-designed to leather jackets and pants from his past collections to a line of tshirts that he recently produced for a huge Japanese retailer. He never stops and he is always creating more to tell the unique perspective that he has to share.
Cases of curiosities
His display of Alex & Lee jewelry
Henry and I bonded over our love for Alex & Lee and it was a no brainer to showcase some of their collection in his space.
All of the items tell a story of Henry’s aesthetic
sdfdfds
Henry has had many lives in the fashion business and is juggling numerous creative projects every time we visit. His latest venture is a line of unisex “basics” that he will be launching this market for Spring 2013. Everything is black and everything is unisex. A combination of utility driven items including waxed denim, vests, jackets and perfectly over-dyed black tshirts that are all worn layered to mimic the look that he is so well known for. He is also collaborating with Westbrook Makers on a few hats for the collection as his distressed version has become synonymous to his look.
A small capsule collection created for his Japanese market
Brass castings add detail to his hangers
A tshirt he made for Japan
His new all black collection hangs in the showroom awaiting the next sample to arrive
Victorian lace, leather, horsehair and linen are all layered to create his textural vision in black
The upstairs portion of the showroom is where Henry works and designs his collection. It shows a different portion of his aesthetic highlighting his love of music and the 1970’s. Upon every visit he’s playing records and telling some story he has had with whatever band he’s listening to. I love it. And then the next thing you know, I’ve been in his place for hours talking and talking. It’s what he loves to do and I happen to be a good listener and I take in every word.
The upstairs studio lounge
A small portion of his record collection
Henry IS rock and roll
His workroom
Henry in his studio working on his newest collection venture
Henry and I are now friends. We share a love of the 1970’s and the spirit of bohemia, rebellion and rock n roll. More importantly, we are both on the same wavelength in regard to knowing and appreciating “the good shit” and not giving a darn about the bullshit in the industry. Some of my favorite moments these past few years are my visits to Henry’s studio talking about the business and hearing him tell stories of his colorful life dressing every rock star in town and continually re-inventing himself. Henry is a legend in LA fashion history, and to be able to witness his genius firsthand is quite a full circle moment in the course of my blessed life.
Go and see for yourself at 715 South Los Angeles Street, Downtown Los Angeles.
DREAM WEAVER: LA’S ALL ROADS DESIGN
I have mixed feelings when it comes to social media, but when Instagram came around I became immediately hooked. I originally became a fan because of the simplicity of sharing one image to tell a story. As I have gotten more into the depths of Instagram, I now love it because of all of the discoveries I’ve made while adventuring through the feeds. Somehow by looking at someones’s day to day life and photos we are able to find our “Tribe” out there in the internet via Instagram. I find it truly amazing and I have completely been benefitting from it on all levels. Not only have I found inspiring minds and artists, but I have connected others to them by simply tagging their name on a photo. Easy as that. No blog post needed, no phone call, no email, just a tag. And the connection is made.
The funnest part about instagram is checking out people that your friends tag, this is where the tribe part comes in. Talk about 7 degrees of separation, Kevin Bacon has got nothing on Instagram. Whenever I find someone’s feed that I am inspired by, I soon find out that they are connected to people that I know. Literally every time. It’s fascinating and it’s changing people’s lives and people’s businesses.
This is how I cam upon @Janelle_Pietrzak and her amazing one of a kind weavings. I found her through my friend and textile goddess @jleighwms who met Janelle while she was working for Anthropologie in Philadelphia. When I first saw Janelle’s instagram feed I literally lost my mind. I have been so completely obsessed with textile weavings from the 1970’s for quite sometime and my love and connection with @alexandleeandgreg definitely sealed the deal in regard to my love of textile art. It took about two seconds of looking at her feed for me to tag Janelle and ask if I could meet her the next time I was back in Los Angeles. I was officially obsessed with her weavings and I had to know more and see them in person.
Two All Roads weavings hanging in the studio
Their logo
Janelle and her partner in life and creativity, Robert Dougherty, met in Philly when Janelle apprenticed for him at his motorcycle shop. Yea, Janelle is a bad ass…she rides bikes, she works on them, she builds stuff, she makes things and she taught herself how to weave. Her love of textiles runs deep and prior to launching All Roads with Robert, she worked in fashion for 10 years sourcing textiles & fabrics, designing and developing product. To no surprise, she spent a majority of her career at Anthropologie where she developed her knowledge of textile design.
Janelle and Robert in the studio
About a year ago, Janelle and Robert decided to make a bold move to Los Angeles to expand their horizons to form All Roads Design and landed their new business in a studio in Echo Park. Robert is a welder and a builder of everything(check out some of his work here) and has his welding studio connected to Janelle’s weaving studio. The two collaborate on all of their designs and in fact, Robert is the catalyst for helping Janelle’s new weaving passion come to life when he built her first loom.
Janelle in her studio weaving on a loom built by Robert
All Roads for life
Weaving is something that Janelle taught herself after moving to California. She was so inspired by the landscape and the colors of the desert, she used her knowledge of fabric construction and started to weave. Robert and Janelle collaborate on all of the designs, Robert always providing a perspective that helps Janelle finish each hanging to perfection.
Inspiration in the studio
Inspiration
Textures
Love this shot of the desert cacti
As Janelle is a member of my tribe, it is no surprise that she has a love for Joshua Tree and the landscape of the desert. I can see it in all of her boards as well as in her weavings. If you follow her on instagram you will see more!
In the studio
Robert welds the arrows that the weavings hang from
Desert inspiration
Janelle likes to use rustic yarns for her work and sources fibers from vintage markets, etsy and pretty much anywhere she can find. She likes to experiment with unusual fibers such as denim, metallics and rope to create textures that are a bit more modern that the textile weavings of the past. Her color palettes and her unique perspective of symmetry and fabrication make each weaving all their own.
Misc yarns
Dyeing experiments
Textile samples for inspiration
Soon after I discovered All Roads on Instagram, I saw that One Kings Lane curated a sale of artisanal weavings from All Roads and a few other artists including Nativeline and Heather Taylor. The sale was a huge success for All Roads and has since brought her a whole new fan base.
All Roads is a perfect example of how powerful Instagram can be. Janelle started to create her weavings and Instagram was her outlet for showcasing their designs. It only took a short time before she gained a large amount of followers and people found her and starting commissioning her for weavings. This is the power of Instagram. Businesses are being started and connections are being made. I find it truly inspiring and I encourage every artist out there to utilize this powerful internet sensation to show your work and your aesthetic.
Philosophy and truth
All Roads is available for special projects and commissions as their work is one of a kind. Currently you can find the weavings hanging in Topanga Canyon’s Heyoka Hideout and for sale on their Etsy site. Follow Janelle on instagram and see all the magic!
MARFA & FEMINISM BY LOS ANGELES DESIGNER KIELEY KIMMEL
There are so many different ways that I have discovered artists along my path, each one speaking to me in a unique vision that I immediately feel compelled to share with the rest of the world. I’ve come to think of myself as a conduit for artistic expression, someone that shares the treasures of creativity that I find along my path. It is always exciting to discover something new, most especially in a place where it is unexpected.
I spotted Kieley Kimmel’s collection along my Southwest Pilgrimage in the wonderful and inspiring tiny town of Marfa, Texas. On our way into town, we stopped at the adorable Shop Freda and Kieley’s collection was featured along with many other of my favorite artists from LA to Brooklyn. Owner, Susannah Lipsey told us all about Kieley and that she was a designer living in Los Angeles that had created a collection based on her experience in Marfa. I was immediately mesmerized by her prints and intrigued by her inspiration. I knew I had to meet Kieley and find out more.
Last week during my visit in LA I was able to visit Kieley in her downtown studio and find out about her experience in Marfa and discuss her plans for the future of her brand.
The adorable Kieley in her modern loft studio in downtown Los Angeles
Kieley studied fashion painting and textiles at the Rhode Island School of Design and for her thesis project, she decided to move to Marfa on a whim with her older sister, who now works at Ballroom Marfa as a curator. During her 4 month stay, she took a series of photographs that inspired her first project, Marfakind. Inspired by the landscape and architecture of this small West Texas town, her photos were the starting point to the textiles she would soon create. From the chain link fences to the minimalist landscape, deserted buildings, cacti, Donald Judd’s influence, and the open skyline, Marfakind’s prints are a beautiful representation of her photographic story.
Kieley showing me her Markakind project
Marfakind
From photograph to a garment you can see how her inspiration is interpreted
I came home with this sweater!!
Kieley starts her process with a photograph, then hand paints over it and scans it into a computer. From there she uses photoshop to manipulate the print to her final artistic result. She finishes some fabric by hand-painting over the prints and she does all of her own screen printing. This girl is beyond talented. Like most textile designers, she approaches the design process by first creating the prints and the textiles allowing the silhouettes to reveal themselves based on the mood.
I am so drawn to Kieley’s sense of color and am so inspired by the palette of her Marfakind collection. When I look at it, I immediately enter a dreamlike state and find myself walking through the town of Marfa taking in all of it’s unique surroundings.
A pile of swatches from her Marfakind project
Kieley also hand knits all of her first samples. Seriously dying over all of these!
Her sense of color is reflected throughout her studio
Her Marfakind lookbook on display
It took Kieley 3 years to develop her Marfakind project from start to finish and when it was ready, she knew she wanted to go back to Marfa to shoot the lookbook. Marfakind was destined for greatness and this lookbook secured the magic. On a lark, she asked esteemed photographer Alexis Dahan if he might be interested in going to Marfa with her and he took her up on her offer. Their model for the shoot, Drake Burnette, got scouted during their stay in Marfa and has now gone on to be featured in many major advertising campaigns including Marni, Stella McCartney, Missoni and Jen Kao to name a few. The lookbook is a beautiful reflection of Kieley’s work and the unique landscape that Marfa has become famous for.
Her loft is open and airy with views of downtown Los Angeles
Studio moments
Beautiful color
Color and Texture lay everywhere as a reminder
Everywhere I looked in her studio I was inspired by color and texture. Although complex in design, there is a quiet nature to her prints with her use of color.
Textile samples created for interior fabrications
So beautiful!
Kieley’s Marfakind collection was produced in a very small run with only 5 pieces made per style. She got the word out about what she was doing by sending out lookbooks to some of her favorite stores nationwide and by word of mouth only. She garnered attention when she featured the collection for a trunk show at Weltenbuerger in Los Feliz and soon after she started on her next project for Fall 2013: Revolt, She Said.
The start of her process for Fall 2013
Samples of textures she wanted to mimic in her Fall 2013 collection
Kieley is a very intellectual artist, which I love, and her inspiration for her Fall collection came from Donna Haraway’s essay The Cyborg Manifesto which criticizes traditional notions of feminism in the late 21st century. She was inspired by science and technology and got to thinking about who the “future woman” might be. She borrowed the name for the collection from Julia Kristeva’s book, Revolt, She Said, and began to create a collection that asked questions about what it means to be an ideal woman. The collection was designed for a modern cyborg: part animal, machine and human. The result is minimalist prints in a neutral palette and fabrications that mimic plastics, transparency and embody utility.
Fall 2013, Revolt She Said
This print was created from an aerial photograph of flamingos. Love!
Wearing one of my favorite dresses from the collection, Kieley talks to me about her inspiration
So in love with one of her best sellers of the season, this hand knit sweater
Close up
Another favorite print
It didn’t take long for top stores to take notice of Kieley and for the fall season you can find her in some of the top boutiques in the country including: Tenoversix, Shop Freda, Leap, Assembly, Una, Beklina, Pour Porter, Verdalina and Spiritual America. She will be showing her next collection at the Capsule tradeshow in NYC and I feel sure she will soon be making her way overseas and into many more boutiques across the country. Price points of the collection range between $200-$800.
This is only the beginning for Kieley and I feel without a shadow of a doubt that this little lady is going places. Make sure to keep on eye on what she is up to by visiting her website, following her on instagram and you for sure want to check out her Tumblr page-this girl has a seriously inspiring eye for imagery and color.
INTRODUCING THE HEYOKA HIDEOUT
Just as I finished sharing my Southwest Pilgrimage with you, I headed back to Los Angeles to work with a few clients and spend some time getting to know some new artisans that I have recently connected with. What started as a one week trip ended up as three, and there was no time for me to check in with the blog while I was away. But I have so much good stuff from my trip to share with you!!!! I had some amazing studio visits with Lovecraft Leather, Henry Duarte, Kieley Kimmel and All Roads and they were all so inspiring.
One of my favorite parts of this LA trip was working and hanging out with the Heyoka Leather ladies of the canyon. I’ve written about these bad ass ladies before and their amazing handcrafted leather, but this time I get to share their latest venture with you: The Heyoka Hideout. For the past few weeks, I helped these ladies create what will now be their studio/showroom and store in Topanga Canyon. They acquired a great space right in the heart of Topanga and transformed the space into their ideal workshop and lifestyle store. I felt so honored and blessed to be able to help them pull this together and am so proud of how everything turned out for their opening this past Saturday. The Heyoka Hideout is a true reflection of their combined style and showcases their work alongside other artisans that they have come to know along their path including Daughter of the Sun, Folklorica, Naked Eye Beauty, All Roads, Wild at Heart Vintage, Levi’s Vintage Clothing, Bandit Brand, Leslie Crow Jewelry and so many more to come. This is only the beginning for The Heyoka Hideout, stay tuned for more as they take over my favorite part of LA, Topanga Canyon.
The Heyoka Hideout, 137 N Topanga Canyon
A view of the space
All fixtures were sourced at flea markets and thrift stores and came together so great
A display of crystals for their talisman bag necklaces
An assortment of Bandit Brand tees hang with Vintage levis and hand picked vintage surplus jackets.
Naked Eye Beauty and Folklorica
A window moment of wildflowers picked in the backyard
A hanging display of some of Heyoka’s spring collection
Images from their Spring Collection featuring model Kelly Ash hang on the wall.
The store will showcase different vintage dealers monthly. This month features Wild at Heart’s vintage collection directly from her closet.
Vintage Levi’s Clothing and army surplus bags
A beautiful weaving from Janelle Pietrzak of All Roads is featured on the wall.
Love these vintage pulleys hanging from the rafters.
My favorite corner of the store featuring Bandit Brand, Daughter of the Sun, Levis and Heyoka’s leather pouches.
An amazing art piece made by D.C Custom Designs hangs on the wall above re-purposed surplus bags by KOKO Eco
Love these re-purposed bags by KOKO Eco
The corner of the store features Heyoka’s full line of handmade leather goods.
Beautiful breastplates by Heyoka.
An example of the beautiful work of Heyoka Leather
Heyoka’s first customers were local Topanga resident’s actress Rhona Mitra and her boyfriend.
Heyok’as Leslie Crow and customers on opening day.
Topanga Canyon’s own Jessica Seaton, jewelry designer.
Hand crafted tags.
Me and my creative partner Dominic of D.C. Custom Designs on opening day.
The Heyoka ladies posing with model Kelly Ash outside the store.
Next time you are in the area, make sure you stop in and check this spot out. They have big plans to help bring together the retail community in Topanga and will be showcasing and partnering with many more artisans from California to Texas.
Keep up with these ladies on Instagram @heyokaleather or follow them on Facebook!
SOUTHWEST PILGRIMAGE: BOQUILLAS, MEXICO
While visiting Big Bend, we were told about the newly re-opened Mexican border crossing into Boquillas del Carmen. This tiny Mexican village on the edge of the Rio Grande had been shut off from border crossing over the past several years since 911. With the US tourism no longer feeding their economy, the town was almost to ghost town status until it recently re-opened a few weeks before our arrival.
The town survives on Big Bend tourism with Americans crossing over and supporting their economy thru buying food from the two locals who make it out of their kitchen, stopping by the one bar and having a few drinks, and shopping at the one store that has Mexican goods. When I say this is a tiny town, I mean its real tiny.
The first part of this fun day trip was walking across the Rio Grande into Mexico. How often do you get to say that you did that? From there, we rented donkeys/horses to take us into town for the day. Here is a peek into this special little place and our adventure.
Photo by @lohdy
The scene on the other side of the Rio Grande
Donkeys for rent
Our transportation for the day
The views from Mexico
The scene in the town was minimal and so beautiful set against the backdrop of mountains and clouds.
The town has a small number of inhabitants and they all sell their handmade goods out front of their homes
Best denim ad photo ever
Photo by @lohdy
A stop for a delicious lunch made by this sweet lady in her family kitchen.
The kitchen shot by @lohdy
An extension of the kitchen with random things for sale..
Amazing horse whips made by their family members that were for sale
A stop at the one local bar is a necessity and such a classic experience. They offer beer and tequila only, what else does one need anyhow?
Our cowboy friend, Jimmy in front of the one bar in town
Photo by @lohdy
The selection
Pouring it up
These pool tables have seen some good times
Pictures of their local prophet hero hang on the wall
Love this guy
A sampling of the clothing we bought from the market store..
@lohdy and Jessica Lutz
This was such an adventure for the day and topped off our experience in Big Bend. If you go down to this part of the county, visiting Boquillas is a must. It felt really great to support this super small community and help them get back on their feet after almost becoming a ghost town these past several years. I’ll be back in September and plan on buying a few more of these embroidered dresses as well as a few of those horse whips! Go ahead and put your order in now….
TERLINGUA’S FRONTIER ARTISAN: PAUL WIGGINS, SILVERSMITH
As I mentioned in last week’s post, Terlingua Ghost town was one of my favorite stops on my Southwest Pilgrimage. There are so many things that make this place special, and the people who live there on the fringe are a big part of the mystery of the town. Big Bend is a place where you can go and completely check out of life and live in the present. This is why people go there and never leave. Terlingua Ghost town is filled with artists and hippies and people who wanted to get away and “do their own thing”. I’m fascinated by these types of wanderers and pioneers and I couldn’t get enough of their stories sitting down at the coffee shop below La Posada Milagro.
I spent as much time as I could at the coffee shop getting to know the locals, and in the process I was introduced to Paul Wiggins who has lived in Big Bend for over 35 years. He went to Big Bend after attending Rice University, and like many others that visit, he never left. He has been creating his one of a kind silver creations for over 20 years and I was seriously impressed when he first showed me a bracelet he was wearing. His designs are extremely unique and I have never seen silver jewelry like this ever before. There is a simplicity to his work that speaks volumes about him as a person and how he has lived his life. He sand casts all of his creations and fabricates them all on his own, sometimes taking months to perfect his designs. The integrity of each piece is remarkable and within each one, you understand what living on the fringe provides an artist: truth, solidarity and a unique perspective. Paul doesn’t create art for the purpose of popularity, money or success; he creates as an extension of himself and his truth.
Silversmith Paul Wiggins
An assortment of cuffs
The silver concho belt is beyond amazing!
I covet this belt!!
Copper and silver pieces reflect his Texas roots
This is a mini replication of a Native American canteen
The shapes he creates are very unique
Paul’s father’s life in the military has a major influence on his designs. This cuff is a favorite.
The crosses are influenced by the local cemetary’s graves.
Growing up during the Vietnam war has influenced his design
Such a unique piece, this one belongs to me!
Paul inscribes his logo, the year and “Terlingua” on every piece he creates giving each piece it’s own mark in history.
Artisan Paul Wiggins
I feel so honored to own one of Paul’s designs and I’m excited to share his special work with the rest of the world in this post. You currently can only buy Paul’s work directly from him in Big Bend. He doesn’t have a website, he doesn’t have a cell phone, and no he actually doesn’t have email either. That’s what living on the fringe is folks! If you would like to commission a piece from him, you can call him on his home phone (432) 371-2361. In the meantime, I’m working on a plan to help him get into some stores so more people will be able to own one of his special pieces.
Thanks to my road dawg, Lindsay Lohden, for the beautiful photographs of Paul’s work. You can follow her eye on instagram @lohdy.
SOUTHWEST PILGRIMAGE: RIVER ROAD TO BIG BEND
After the inspiring trip to Marfa, the next part of our journey was by far the most epic part of the whole trip. I had heard about Big Bend National Park and the area surrounding it and was told that we had to take the River Road down alongside the border and experience the magic that is this area of the country. Referred to as “The Last Frontier”, I completely lost my mind when we began to enter the state park portion of Big Bend.
I’ve been to a lot of places across the country and have seen some really beautiful landscapes, but nothing can quite compare to the mixed textures and levels of awesomeness that this part of West Texas has. So majestic, so regal, so strong these mountains are. And to see the Rio Grande river running right alongside them…well, its just beyond beautiful. You can feel the history of our country down there. Mexico is but a few feet away and you are looking across at it the entire time. Very surreal and very special. This place captured my heart and I’m already planning my trip back in September.
Here is the drive down the River road…
The heaven’s were singing to me down here
Our first dip in the Rio Grande
Such a sweet spot!
The first town we hit in Big Bend was Lajitas which was a beautiful community that actually has a small resort type hotel there. I need to check it out. This cemetary caught our eye and we were so taken with it’s beauty. Set on the mountainside made of rocks, the graves with the wrought iron crosses were so breathtaking and unique. What an amazing place to spend your resting days..
Lajitas, TX
We stayed in Terlingua Ghost Town in Big Bend at a very special and magical place, La Posada Milagro. I stumbled upon this spot online and was so amazed when we got there at how wonderful it was. A group of 5 casitas all set up on a hill with views of all of the Big Bend and Mexico mountains. This is a place where you literally just sit and watch and look and be present; no cell phone service, no internet, just a complete disconnect and reconnect to mother earth. The night we arrived we witnessed the most amazing lightning storm and transition into rainbows and sunshine. This place is truly spectacular!
I loved the simplicity of the decor and surroundings and how everything was set up to be outside. There was an outdoor kitchen and bar and a ton of little seating areas. Just down from the casitas is the town’s coffee shop where are the locals hung out and caught up. I met some amazing artists and people at that coffee shop and it was so inspiring. Next week I will be sharing an artisan that I met at the coffee shop who has been living in Terlingua for nearly 30 years. This place attracts some really interesting artists, hippies and intellectuals and I can’t wait to go back and reconnect with them.
The Sche Report 