Terrific Magazine

Mociun on Wythe

A look at Caitlin's new brick and mortar shop

Terrific designer Caitlin Mociun recently opened her brick and mortar shop on Wythe and North 4th St. in Williamsburg. Alongside her full jewelry line and rolls of original textiles, Caitlin has filled the boutique with an exquisite selection of designers, many of whom are not found in any other New York stores. “A big part of it for me is about how its displayed,” Caitlin explains, “and how that makes people experience the shop and how they relate to the objects in it.”

The elegantly curated space plays host to a selection of jewelry, housewares, and curiosities. Featured designers include SAMMA, David Neale, Andy Lifschutz, Better Late Than Never, Eric Bonnin, Shino Takeda, Arla Bascom, Small Spells, Robert Blue, Lebico, Baggu, Kim Eischler-Messmer, Doug Johnston, Suzanne Sullivan, Futagami, MCMC Fragrances, Saipua, Iacoli & McAllister, Santafe Stoneworks, Alyson Fox, Chen Chen and Kia Williams, and vintage rugs from Morocco.

Read more to check out our gallery from opening day. Read More

By Rachel Kichler on May 2nd, 2012

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Creative Solutions

Discussing designing solo with Ann Yee

“I had a nightmare last night about the number of styles I need to do for Spring ’13,” designer Ann Yee tells me. “Someone in the dream was telling me that I had to create more than 100 styles for the season. And I was screaming back, ‘How is that possible? There’s no way I can do that!’”

There is something really refreshing about Ann’s candor. While it is understood that developing a collection as a singular, emerging designer is no cake-walk, it is also rare to hear an ambitious upstart discuss the challenges.

“Developing a collection is expensive,” Ann continues. “I am always thinking: how many different styles should I construct for the season? I know I need to provide a variety for the buyers to choose from. But I can’t create so many, that if some don’t get picked up, I didn’t waste a whole lot of development money. It’s a delicate balance.” Read More

By Francesca Sonara on April 28th, 2012

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A New Edition

Of a Kind collaborates with Kate Jones of Ursa Major

Recently, Of a Kind co-founders Erica Cerulo and Claire Mazur stopped by Ursa Major designer Kate Jones’s Tribeca studio to discuss the jewelry maker’s contribution to their unique website.

Launched in 2010, Of a Kind entered the online retail sphere just as editorialization had begun to incorporate into e-commerce. Until that point, as Claire puts it, internet shopping was both “an anonymous and impersonal experience.”

Using this experiential failing as a prompt, Claire and Erica conceived of a website that not only sold items but also gave the story behind them. “There are boutiques where you have really knowledgeable salespeople, who can tell you a lot about the pieces their store is carrying. You definitely don’t get that online. This idea of bringing that person outside of the brick-and-mortar space and into the online realm was really exciting to us. It felt like something new–to make e-commerce more than just click-and-buy,” Claire says. Read More

By Francesca Sonara on April 17th, 2012

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Egyptian Burial Jewels

Chatting with jewelry designer Collette Ishiyama

Deep in Manhattan’s Alphabet City near Avenue D lies the perfect jewelry maker’s studio–Collette Ishiyama’s studio, to be precise. Sunlight streams through huge windows overlooking the East River, highlighting an array of jewelry-making tools and machinery amidst old photos of Collette’s grandmother that remind her of her Japanese roots.

The artist debuted her first line, “Emerald City,” in February 2011 [think art deco, Samurai warriors and Egyptian burial jewels] and is now releasing her second line called “Isis.” The sophomore collection elaborates on her original design, paying tribute to Egyptian goddesses, immortality, mythical snakes, lions, and ancient felines.

Collette’s bread and butter is working in brass, but her jewelry’s signature touch is the stingray skin she incorporates into most pieces. “The beads are actually more like bone than leather,” she explains, alluding to the material’s unique surface which she refers to as a “black disco ball”. Read More

By Marissa Grey on March 15th, 2012

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The New Knitting Circle

Wool and the Gang's Jade Harwood & Aurelie Nicod Popper

These days, people don’t often consider the social benefits of a traditional knitting circle. Perhaps it seems too old-fashioned. Or maybe the dexterity required eludes the majority of us who only ever use our hands for texting and typing. Whatever the reason, the timeless tradition of hand-knitting has found itself nearing obsolescence in contemporary society. That is, until a gang of foresighted designers and founders initiated Wool and the Gang.

“Aurelie and I were both very hands on at Central St. Martins. We would just get some yarn and needles and freestyle, while most of our classmates would learn to knit on machines. We were very strong at hand-knitting” Jade says.

Aurelie adds, “We exhibited a very different process from our designer friends. Generally, they would begin by sketching a garment–before even considering the fabric–then they would make the fabric fit their sketch. We are more interested in seeing how the fabric reacts to different techniques and determining what we can make out of it. We go the opposite way.” Read More

By Francesca Sonara on March 7th, 2012

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Ceremony

Eleven Objects present their first RTW collection for FW12

The detachable collar mavens of Eleven Objects presented their first full Ready To Wear collection for Fall Winter ’12, inspired by the film Amadeus and New Order album covers by Peter Saville. Models coiffed in 18th century-inspired style sported the collection against an austere gallery backdrop as a string quartet played a mix of Mozart symphonies and “Bizarre Love Triangle.”

In the Eleven Objects tradition, FW12 combined a wonderful mix of colors and materials, including gold leaf, patent leather, shearling, and brocade. “Both Linh Thi and I love interesting textures,” Christine explains. “We loved the mix between traditionally luxe fabrics and more modern fabrics that aren’t usually paired together.”

While the line’s expansion may seem like a large undertaking, the seasoned designers were in familiar territory. “Before Eleven Objects, our experience had been in Ready To Wear and contemporary womenswear. We always had it in the back of our minds to do clothing but it never felt right until this season.” Read More

By Rachel Kichler on February 17th, 2012