Moroccan Wedding Blankets

Moroccan Wedding Blankets have often been blogged about, and for good reasons they are simply gorgeous.  The blankets or handira are hand-loomed from sheep’s wool and cotton in small villages throughout Morocco.  Prospective brides and relatives sew by hand each sequin. The blankets are said to protect the user from the evil eye.

A Suite at the Parker Palm Springs by Jonathan Adler

Kate Hudson’s bedroom designed by Roman Williams

Source Unknown

Source Unknown

A beautiful example from L’Aviva Home

Maryam from My Marakesh also sells beautiful wedding blankets through her blog.

Spotlight on: Suno

Over the weekend, I popped into Barneys just to browse and, of course, came home with a new purchase-from Suno -a small New York based clothing line full of tribal prints and flowing textures. Suno, founded in 2008 by Max Osterweis, not only delivers fresh prints but his company employs fairtrade Kenyan artisans to carefully recreate the patterns and samples made in New York. His mission is to  raise awareness for growth and stability in a region plagued by violence. His Fall 2010 collection is inspired by late 1960s American interiors, traditional East African textiles, Klimt, and travel. Here are some examples of his brilliance at patterns and more so, mixing patterns.

Looks from Fall 2010

Looks from Spring/Summer 2010

The blouse in the bottom picture is my newest purchase.

Suno was just featured in the April Issue of Vogue.

Spotlight on: Espadrilles

Espadrilles, once the tradtional shoe of peasants,seem to be popping up everywhere.  These days, Espadrilles have come a long way from the shoe worn by peasants. They remind me of  wealthy and tanned South Americans. They remind me of being on vacation and hanging out by the beach. Really, they are the unofficial shoe of Summer and the quintessential boho-luxe shoe.  Here are some great versions that I’ve seen lately.

Myomu Espadrilles come in a variety of colors and patterns

Tory Burch has a few cute pairs for Spring

My All Time Favorite-TOMS Shoes.They are more espadrille-esque, than the traditional. I am a huge TOMS fan-I love the idea and simplicity behind the company and the impact it has made on raising awareness for those in this world that are in need of shoes. Blake’s mission is simple-One for One.

Grace Kelly looking chic (as always) in Rear Window.

One of The Sartorialist‘s subjects looking laid back and edgy in his.

A Chic Editorial Image from Elle.

Are you following the Plastiki Expedition?

The Plastiki Expedition is 11 days in and 904 Nautical Miles closer to its destination. It is the brainchild of David de Rothschild-banking heir and ecologist extraordinaire! His goal is to sail 12,000 Nautical Miles from San Francisco to Sydney in a boat made entirely from  plastic bottles and other recycled materials. His crew is comprised of scientists from the Scripps Institute and the purpose of the voyage is to raise awareness about marine debris and how society views waste. They will be sailing through the Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch, a floating man-made disaster twice the size of Texas, located between California and Hawaii. Social Media and Networking has made it so easy to follow the voyage day by day.  I’ve downloaded the Plastiki widget-have you? The interactive website is definitely worth a visit.

Captain de Rothschild-perhaps the chicest Captain out there.

Read his Style Profile here.

Ideas for the Foot of the Bed

The other day, a friend had asked my opinion of my top 3 Suzanis to use at the foot of her bed. I love suzanis. I love the global appeal, the vibrant colors, and the interesting patterns. However, I feel like they have become slightly overused. It got me thinking-what else would add color, interest, and a sense of worldliness to an otherwise simple, white bed.  I guess I’m more drawn to the graphic patterns rather than the swirls and florals that dominate suzanis. Here are my choices…

African Print Sarong Towel available through Steven Alan

I use one of these at the foot of my bed.

Bolivian Aguayos-available at Laviva Home (one of the coolest stores out there)

These are the same blankets that I posted here.

Navajo Chief Blanket-available at Navajo Textiles (this store is an amazing resource for these types of blankets)

Turkish Hammam Towels

Here is a shot of Abdulla at the Grand Bazaar from my recent trip to Istanbul

But here is my pick for one of my favorites-available from Uzbek-Craft

And here is a shot of me choosing a  Suzani from the Grand Bazaar.