Emily Elsen, who owns the shop with her younger sister Melissa, arrives to meet me–eager to talk about pie and its complexities. To make a really good, fresh pie, one has to consider the seasonal ingredients available, the flavor pairings in the filling, and what type of crust best suits the pie filling–both in ingredients and in form.

At Four & Twenty Blackbirds, pie flavors range from the infamous Salted Caramel Apple to Chamomile Buttermilk Custard, tending towards a more sophisticated flavor palette and straying away from what Emily calls “retro pies.”  She explains, “We shy away from really overly sweet, candied pies…like Peanut Butter Pretzel or using marshmallows.” Instead, they use a lot of herbal and aromatic ingredients like lavender and bitters, finding inspiration in what’s in season and available locally–often as close as the rooftop farm around the corner.

While the pie fillings at Four & Twenty Blackbirds are delightful and unique, our conversation centers around what many pie-makers would agree is the most difficult and particular part of a pie: the crust. In Hecla, South Dakota, where Emily and Melissa grew up, their grandmother made pies for the family restaurant.  She had “a traditional midwestern style of making pies which was cream pies in the winter time, fruit pies in the summer, lard crust; really using local ingredients and stuff that was available, but mostly for economic reasons–whatever was cheapest at the time.”

Their grandmother swore by a lard-based crust. But because Emily and Melissa don’t like the mouth feel of too much lard and aim to make more vegetarian-friendly pies, they tend to make butter-based crusts. When they do use lard, it is sourced from The Meat Hook’s artisanal supply in Williamsburg.

“Crust is very personalized,” Emily explains “…[and] by virtue of what it is, is very experimental and sculptural.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, Emily originally moved to New York to study sculpture at Pratt and was instrumental in founding non-profit a artists’ studio called Gowanus Studio. Although she formerly spent her days woodworking, metalworking, and bookmaking, Emily’s present day craft is in the kitchen. “These days, the only sculpting I do is pie crust.”

“There are so many things you can do,” Emily says of crust styles. “You can braid crust, you can do tiny, fine woven lattice, angular lattice, you can do cut-out tops; I mean, its endless.”  For pies with tops (like fruit pies) the Elsens use a design that is both practical and beautiful. “We cut it down to 6 lattice, with the straight egg wash, which is just egg with a little salt and then we use demerara sugar- raw sugar. We feel like it gives it a little bit of sweet crunch on the crust, it makes it look nice, it gives it a little bit of a textural feeling on the top.”  The lattice top also allows for excess moisture to evaporate, and since their crust is fairly thick, the spacing makes for a better ratio of filling to crust.

For the most part, Emily and Melissa have taken the knowledge they learned from their grandmother and added a bit of a modern twist and an eye for creativity, but some of their recipes have remained almost identical to their original form, like the Sour Cream Raisin and Rhubarb pies. “If we made cream pies, I would use her recipe exactly because I loved her cream pies. She did a Coconut Cream and a Sour Cream Lemon.” When Emily and Melissa expand the business, as they plan to do, they are hoping to have more refrigerator space so they can keep up the tradition and start making more cream pies.

Along with their plans of expansion, Emily and Melissa will be releasing a cookbook in Fall 2013. So if you want to makes pies that are as fresh and delicious as they are beautiful, keep an eye on the bookshelves for instructions from the experts.

Visit Four & Twenty Blackbirds at 439 3rd Avenue in Brooklyn or check out their website to order a pie. 

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.

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.”

If anyone is able to overcome the obstacles of building out a brand, it’s Ann. With a strong set of technical skills coupled with an even stronger point of view, Ann’s label is a testament to the efficacy of thinking big while working small.

“I moved to New York after graduating from the Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science, and I ended up at a private label knitwear company. I got stuck working in sweaters there, and I just loved it. It’s very specific and there aren’t a lot of knitwear designers out there. I really learned a lot.”

After a while at her day job and with the necessary industry experience in hand, Ann felt the increasing pull towards creating an eponymous line. “Because I had been so focused on knits and sweaters, I really wanted to develop some more structured pieces, using more materials. I started sketching in the evenings, taking the time to see where things would go.”

Soon enough, sketches begot samples and the designer went ahead in creating a small capsule collection which she refers to as her “getting my feet wet” collection. “It didn’t really go anywhere, but it was key in helping me accrue my contacts in the garment district and learning the process of sketch to sample to fitting. I got to see my clothing become a reality for the first time.”

Even though her inaugural collection never made its way into stores, it effectively encouraged Ann to continue designing for herself. By Spring 2010, her pieces were in stores and she had gotten so busy planning for following seasons that she was convinced to quit her day job. “It got to be a bit too much,” she divulges. “I was working all day and sketching all night. I loved the company I was working for, but I realized it was time to focus solely on my own business.”

Now showing her sixth collection, Ann has hit her stride and found a distinct voice. Concentrating on the creation of “core wardrobe pieces,” the designer’s work represents a belief that clothing can be timeless while maintaining its whimsy.

“I think my aesthetic is less serious than most downtown New York designers,’” Ann says. Citing her Hong Kong heritage as a plausible influence on her style, she continues, “I may not do it consciously, but there is a nod to contemporary Asian design in my collections. The street style is so unique in Hong Kong–it is so much more colorful and people are much more relaxed about their personal style. They come up with all sorts of combinations…they’re just much more experimental in their dressing.”

The quirky amalgams characterizing Hong Kong’s street style have most obviously affected Ann in her use of materials. The combinations of distinct fabrics in a single garment is a method the designer continues to explore in each collection. “I like to overlay different materials on top of each or maybe the top part of a garment is composed of something different than the bottom. I really want to create that contrast and novelty.”

For Fall 2012, Ann’s perspective translates flawlessly into a collection distinguished by luxe, unexpected textiles and intense pops of citron, amethyst, and blues. “I got my inspiration for the collection from these really beautiful images of stalagmites and stalactites. I was drawn to their angles and movement and coloration. That was really my jumping off point. I collaborated with my friend, artist Kim Piotrowski, who created a custom cave water print for me and the rest took shape from there.”

Beyond plenty of her go-to silks (“It has a beautiful drape, and practically speaking, there are lots of colors–I can always mix and match. Plus, people love silk; it’s considered a luxury fabric, so at my price points, it always a must-use.”), the fall collection favors inventive cloths and textures. “I discovered this soft, gauzy mesh from Japan that I combine with a fine wool bouclé, and then I made my knitwear out of this amazing modal/mohair blend, which I had never seen before.”

When asked where she generally sources her fabrics, Ann returns to some prior points on the difficulty in operating on a smaller scale in today’s industry. “I source from Japan, Italy, or domestically. And a lot of my silks actually come from China. But it’s hard for me to obtain a lot of fabrics because I am constantly dealing with minimum issues–I can’t make such huge orders for a lot of the materials I’d like to work with.  So I try to be creative whenever possible. Sometimes I’ll use a washed silk rather than a silk charmeuse, which is a subtle textural difference that still creates a unique feel to the clothing. Or with the yarns for my sweaters, it’s actually easier to find lower minimums, so I buy extra yarns to add novelty when the other fabrics seem too flat.”

As for the manufacturing, all of Ann’s clothing is produced in New York’s garment district. “I love that my things are made here; I want to support the garment center and be part of returning it to its glory. But, honestly, and perhaps unfortunately, there is no doubt that it would be cheaper to produce overseas if I was producing on a larger scale.”

For now, the scale of the Ann Yee line is purposefully small. Developing only two seasons annually, the designer is growing smart rather than growing fast, choosing to make the most impact in Fall and Spring, rather than spreading herself too thin over the industry standard of four deliveries per year. “Logistically, it’s just me doing this, so I can’t do four seasons, well. And I’d rather foray into more accessories, and then maybe menswear before I do multiple deliveries. Not to mention how the four season model affects people’s impression of their clothing. My garments are not disposable, they are investment pieces. You can wear a lot of it year round, for years to come.”

Now, with Fall 2012 already completed, Ann is focusing on Spring ‘13, which has already found its inspiration (for better or worse).

“A few weeks back I got a phone call at 4am from the building where I store my work. Apparently a fire started in the hall and hit my closet first! It got to a lot of my past collections and my vintage pieces. I took it back home and washed for days and days. Luckily, a lot of it’s okay, and I can use them as reference points.”

Not one to be discouraged, Ann’s spring line will use this mishap as its storyline. “It’s going to be a story of resurrection and renewal. I want to take certain pieces that I was really in love with and that did well and do spins on them. Maybe I’ll render them in different fabrics or shapes–like, if it was a top I really love, maybe I’ll make it a dress. It’s a great narrative and really economical!”

When asked how she feels about the future of her work as a single entity company, Ann’s candid nature resurfaces. “I am doing what I love everyday and I am really lucky. But there are challenges everyday, and I make mistakes. It is frustrating when there are so many things to think about, especially because I am working alone. But I keep going, I want people to understand my perspective. I want them to see it and think it is beautiful and cool and comfortable. I want people to love wearing my clothes.”

For more information and where to buy, visit Ann Yee’s website here.

But, if their unique perspective isn’t enough for the individualists among us, the brand places an emphasis on multifunctional and versatile designs. Encouraging women to interpret and wear their garments however they see fit, this is the place to find core wardrobe pieces, all your own.

75 Greene St; NY, NY 10012
Phone: 212. 219. 2529. Website
Open Mon.-Sat. 11:00am-7:00pm; Sun. 12:00pm – 6:00pm

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.

Every week, Of a Kind introduces new pieces by different designers. Each item offered is a limited edition, created by the designer specifically for the website. As each edition is introduced, it is accompanied by a series of blog posts exploring and describing the inspirations, processes, and craftsmanship behind the object. “We want to position designers not just as producers but as artists. And we want to make the buyer to not feel like a consumer but a collector. We try to relate to people who are interested in art and the way things are made and we treat the designers we work with as makers. Hopefully that helps us to relate to a broader audience,” Erica says.

Expansion of an audience and consumer base for their roster of emerging young designers is of primary importance to the Of a Kind mission. As they educate and initiate new collectors on their site, they are ultimately introducing the work of a new set of creators and tastemakers. Having worked in the fields of contemporary art and fashion editorial before founding the website, Claire and Erica were both well aware of the limited opportunities for exposure available to up-and-coming designers.

“I was really encouraged by Jen Bekman’s 20×200 project because it was this marketing opportunity that was not just getting picked up by a gallery, which is one of few opportunities a young artist has. I found that it was the same thing for designers. You either get picked up by a buyer with an influential retail space or you get picked up by an effective press outlet. But if you can’t get one of those, what do you do? Erica and I felt that this was an entirely new platform for designers.”

It is not only through the creation and sale of editions that the Of a Kind model creates this platform for designers. Aside from their editorials and collaborations, the team spends a great deal of time and energy on maintaining their “stuff we love” blogroll. “Through research for the blog, we end up finding a lot of designers and items that we keep hearing about over and over again. Kate’s line, Ursa Major, was a name that kept bubbling to the surface. We posted something about her friendship ring and then she contacted us,” Erica relays.

“I saw their post, checked out the site and immediately emailed them to discuss a possible collaboration,” Kate says.

“Typically, we ask designers to send us their lookbook and let us know if there are any pieces that they want to riff off to create the edition. Or there is an item we really love and ask them if we can do it in a different shape or different material. In the case of Ursa Major, Kate came to us with this ring she created that she really wanted to turn into a bracelet. It was perfect for us, as we don’t have a lot of bracelets lined up right now. Part of the challenge is making sure we are mixing up a lot of different pieces and thinking about what is going to sell easily online. Will it photograph well, will it be a struggle with fit…these are our constant considerations.”

When asked what was so galvanizing about participating in Of a Kind, Kate had a somewhat unexpected answer. “Creating a piece at a price point that is intended to be really accessible is a really exciting prospect. Even though I prefer to work in gold and silver, I can justify working with a new material when it is a collaboration like this.” For her edition, Kate is producing a small number of cuffs, adapted from the Omega ring. Complete with sterling silver details, the cuffs are made of brass–a material Kate does not often have the chance to work with. “I think brass is way more relevant in the market now, but there are still a lot of people hesitant to invest in a brass piece,” she says.

“From a creative perspective, our model poses an interesting challenge because it is a good opportunity to work with a material you might not otherwise be able to. For a designer who is wholesaling to a bunch of retailers who require a highly saleable product, it isn’t worth the time conceive of and  manufacture an item they can only sell ten to twenty of. But with us, if you have a material you really want to work with but the numbers don’t make sense, here is your chance. We see a lot of designers get excited to do something different from what they usually do.”

Something Claire often tells designers is to think of the site as a marketing opportunity rather than a retail opportunity because the focus really is on introducing the designer to a new audience.

“A lot of our audience has never heard of the designers we work with and to get people to spend their money on a line they haven’t  heard of can be challenging. We call what we do ‘gateway drug pricing.’ We get a consumer in at a lower price point because ultimately, we are asking them to take a risk on a new designer and to do it without even touching the piece. Here again, the storytelling component is so important. It’s where we go behind the scenes of the designer’s work and for instance, show Kate soldering her jewelry piece by piece. We show people how much work it is and that they are getting a handcrafted piece at a great price point.”

“We want to show people where the product is coming from, what Kate’s story is and how her work has evolved over the years. We want to show our customer things they wouldn’t see when they walk into a store,” adds Erica.

“When I discovered the site, I was so impressed by the narrative component and how much it’s about the process and the designers. It is smart marketing; it’s what attracts customers to your brand,” continues Kate. As a designer, I want to educate customers on why it is important to invest in their jewelry. I’m not about creating trend-driven pieces. Yes, they are current and contemporary but they also exhibit this timeless idea. Jewelry has such a strong  tradition of being passed down, so my thinking is, why not create pieces that have a lifespan for hundreds of years.”

“Which is why this is such a successful collaboration. Kate’s work and our site are both really about acquiring something special–that you know is an investment, rather than something you just picked up on a Saturday stroll on an impulse,” Erica includes.

Beyond the fact that Of a Kind is a brilliantly innovative marketing strategy, it is also a community-building platform for independent designers. A welcome and gratifying side effect caused by the site is that many of the participating designers are friends or meet and go on to collaborate and build friendships. “Designers will approach us asking to participate because they see the other people on the site as their peers and it is important for them to be included in the group. It is an enormous compliment and a sort of validation of our taste,” Claire says.

Holding this community effect dear to their hearts, more recently the Of a Kind ladies created “Alumni Sundays” wherein they bring back designers to create another edition for the site.

“The best part about it has been the opportunity to see how far the designers have come since we worked with them,” Claire continues. “It’s great to watch them evolve and to see how our business has provided a tangible value for them. We were recently putting together a press kit and gathering testimonials. It made us cry to hear how working with us has benefited their own business.”

Ursa Major’s Omega Cuff is slated to sell as of May 13, 2012. Sign up for Of a Kind’s newsletter here to be the first to know when it’s available!

The collaboration between designers Erica (of Species by the Thousands) and Phoebe and Peter (of Cold Picnic) has come together very organically. In their own words, “A Thousand Picnics is built on the love of arts and crafts, handmade experiments and animals.” Just that leaves us wanting more.

Mikael always knew that he wanted to be a photographer. In high school, his mother gave him her old Nikkormat and he subsequently spent most of his time in the woods taking pictures. “One of my biggest regrets was not dropping out and going to vo-tech. They had a full darkroom program, plus I would have learned how to take apart my Chevy,” Mikael recalls. He approached college with a similar perspective, spending the bulk of his tenure outdoors shooting film. Halfway through, he decided to take a small hiatus and travel around the county, documenting his adventures with his camera. He returned to school with more than enough material for a solo exhibit and was granted his degree.

When Mikael left college, he promised himself that he would work as a photographer–no matter how bad it got or how poor he became as a result. He spent most of his college and early post-college time wandering around the country, taking odd jobs to finance his passion, and it wasn’t until he moved to New York that he felt there was a solid chance of making a living off of his art. “When I showed up in NYC, I already had a very large body of work behind me [so] I decided to push that work rather than trying to find commercial jobs, I figured the commercial work would follow eventually,” Mikael explains. And it did.

Because of his impressive portfolio and his passion as an artist, Mikael quickly attracted the attention of fashion and commercial projects. To ensure that he continued to actively shape his body of work, Mikael decided to only accept commercial gigs that truly caught his attention or involved friends. The first of such projects was working with Rogues Gallery. Jay Carroll (who is now at Levis) discovered Mikael’s “Passport to Trespass” Polaroids and contacted him about shooting for the brand. That was the match that set the fire; in Mikael’s own words, “when I got to NYC I just started meeting these people, Emil and Sandy from The Hill-Side…they asked me and my girlfriend to be in the first few lookbooks, then from there we just started talking about some ideas for what we would do if we worked together.” Since those first discussions, Mikael has shot two The Hill-Side lookbooks, along with features and lookbooks for a number of other brands and publications.

Mikael has enjoyed doing the fashion projects on the side. “The first two photo books I ever had were an Ansel Adams book and a Herb Ritts book so the cross over make sense to me somehow.” It’s an interesting challenge to build a small story or body of work in one or two days that has to stand on it’s own and represent a brand’s story and identity. “I find myself saying ‘it’s not my house,’” Mikael says, “meaning I can build it for them and do the best job I can, but in the end they have to live in it, so they need to be happy with what we are doing.”

Despite the constraints of some brands, others will let Mikael go wild and allow his vision to really define the direction of the lookbook. One such brand was The Hill-Side. The preparation for the two lookbooks they worked together on was quite minimal on both occasions. Mikael describes their conceptual process as, “lots of nights sitting at Gordon Bennett (a bar under their office) just shooting the shit..or running into them at parties in the city and ending up in a corner going over ideas.” For the first lookbook, the Corsillo brothers gave Mikael a bag full of their pieces and then he hit the road to photograph the product on models in different locations, sending back sample shots intermittently during his travels.

For the Spring/Summer 2012 The Hill-Side lookbook, Mikael and the Corsillo brothers relied on friends and fellow New York residents to act as models (including a pup or two). The whole lookbook was shot in the Corsillos’ office, where models posed in front of backdrops identical to their accessories. As always, The Hill-Side produced a stunning collection (entirely made in the USA) of fabrics sourced from all over the world. Cornerstone selvedge chambrays, brilliant abstract florals, polka dots, vibrant Ikats from Guatamala, and indigo dyed discharge printed Shweshwe from Africa–to name just a few. The resulting lookbook is a colorful curation of portraits that give the collection a quirky narrative.

Thus far, 2012 has proven to be a banner year for Mikael and his work. In March he was in Texas shooting a piece for Garden & Gun magazine that will be published sometime in the summer. After that, he went on to New Mexico to shoot artwork for his girlfriend Melaena Cadiz’s second album. A Polaroid editorial is being published in Remember Paper magazine–a collection he anticipates to be one of the best he has ever shot for someone else. In April, Mikael and Sean Sullivan (of Impossible Cool and a good friend) will be driving around the South West in an RV to photograph a project for Wolverine. And in June a solo show of Mikael’s Polaroids will be exhibiting at Clic Gallery in Soho.

Mikael feels lucky that he’s doing what he loves for a living. “I’ve had this Springsteen lyric taped to my wall recently as I transition into doing more and more commercial and fashion work, ‘What if what you do to survive kills the thing you love.’” Luckily, we don’t think that this quote applies here.

Mor information and other photos by Mikael Kennedy can be found on his website. Guest writer Christine Mitchell is the creator of N’East Style, a blog celebrating Northeast fashion past and present.

It’s easy to imagine Morris Kitchen as a brand that has an entire factory behind it–you can find the purveyor of fine syrups in your neighborhood grocery, Dean & Deluca, and even the Ace Hotel in New York. However, Kari’s 9-to-5 is spent in one room with high ceilings, whitewashed walls, and tools of the trade. A kettle the size of several stacked, round hat boxes takes up a corner.

Bins for “juicer gloves” and label stickers crowd shelves and a gigantic parachute full of packing peanuts hangs from the ceiling. Squat, brown 8-ounce bottles sit in boxes and cover metal tables in the laboratory-like setting that Kari has constructed for Morris Kitchen. A signature of the brand, each bottle contains one of three handmade syrups–Ginger, Boiled Apple Cider, or Preserved Lemon.

Kari, one part of the original sibling duo behind Morris Kitchen, hovers over her computer and chooses Lou Reed to accompany her explanation of the kitchen’s background.

Kari and her brother Tyler grew up in Sonoma, California, where Kari notes Tyler started working in a restaurant at 16. “He kind of went from one great restaurant to the next and before he knew it, he was moving to New York,” Kari says. After working alongside Tyler in a restaurant in California, Kari ended up in New York involved in another industry–the arts. A week after she graduated with a BFA from the California College of the Arts, Kari began working for the prestigious art fair The Armory Show, founded by her other brother, Paul Morris.

Living with Tyler, who was at the time working at Craft and later at The Breslin, Kari found that she also wanted a foot in the culinary world, and the two soon started their own supper club. “It was a way for us to cook together,” Kari notes. Asking ten attendees to spare 20 dollars and to bring a friend, Kari and Tyler planned each dinner’s menu based “on something new they wanted to try or whatever was at the farmer’s market.” From there, they started thinking about projects they could work on together without quitting their day jobs; they settled on making products.

Kari remembered that during her time in the south of France while archiving an artist’s drawings there was always a bottle of ginger syrup on the table, whether it was at home or in restaurants and bars. “I thought, it can be used in so many different ways–let’s make this!”

With this idea as the impetus, Kari and Tyler began experimenting with ginger–boiling it, adding different sugars, and using different ratios. They ended up juicing the ginger straight and adding only pure cane sugar to the recipe. “We juice, strain, and weigh the ginger and put it right on the kettle to boil, taking only as much as we need for that day. The color is much more vibrant.”

Kari incorporated her artistic background when they designed the identity for Morris Kitchen. “The fun part for me was sourcing bottles and coming up with a label. The first labels were embossed and hand applied–it was my way of keeping printmaking involved.”

Armed with forty bottles, the Morrises set up shop at a small flea market in Greenpoint–and sold them all. In 2009, after a year of research and assessment of their options, Morris Kitchen became official.

While Tyler has since moved on to become the head chef of RYE on Market in Louisville, Kentucky, Kari has continued to expand the brand. Shortly after the Ginger Syrup came to life, the Boiled Apple Cider Syrup was developed, using apples exclusively from Red Jacket Orchard in upstate New York. “The thing about the Boiled Apple Cider Syrup is that it’s the complete opposite [from the Ginger Syrup]. It’s locally sourced and there’s no sugar added.” Kari is now experimenting with a Preserved Lemon Syrup, flavored with cardamom and pink peppercorns.

When asked about the future of Morris Kitchen, Kari is quick to note that she feels there’s much more to do in the niche of handmade, artisanal syrups. “The next thing we are doing is a book of cocktail recipes with the three syrups. We also batch out 32-ounce bottles of cocktails for events.” Outside of syrups, Kari mentions that she would like to do research bottling non-alcoholic or alcoholic beverages. “I’ve created the base, why not expand on it? That would be a way to expand into a different market.”

For now, though, she’d just like one thing to make the by-hand assembly line a little easier: a bottle filler.

Sailor’s Ale Recipe by Kari Morris

Ingredients
2 oz spiced rum
1/2 oz Morris Kitchen Ginger Syrup
1 oz lime
1 oz dark beer

Instructions
Juice limes
Add all ingredients to shaker except the beer
Shake well and pour in rocks glass over a large ice cube
Top off with beer and serve

To find out where you can get Ginger Syrup in your neighborhood, visit Morris Kitchen’s website.

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”.

Given her impressive skill, it’s surprising to discover Collette was not always making jewelry. After high school she had dreams of joining the Peace Corps, but since she was too young to apply, she instead ventured off to volunteer for the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) which is part of AmeriCorps.

As an NCCC team member, Collette moved all over the country–Washington D.C, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. After a year bouncing around, she settled in Jacksonville, Florida for another twelve months working for Habitat For Humanity.

With her humanitarian goals satisfied, Collette ventured out of the South and landed in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn to study painting. In 2009, she decided to take a break from school and assist jewelry designer, Janet Cadsawan, with whom she discovered her love of metal-working. “Janet was so supportive,” Collette recalls with a smile. From there, the designer managed production for silversmith Jill Platner before starting her eponymous line in 2011.

“There is something so interesting about the concept of an afterlife,” says Collette, whose first collection “Emerald City” channels Egyptian influences and strikingly resembles New York’s own Chrysler building. “How can you not be inspired by it?” she asks of the iconic landmark. “It’s like an art deco hypodermic needle in the sky.”

Collette’s newest line “Isis” expands on her fascination with Egyptian mythology. The collection is inspired by many sources, most uncanny amongst them being the ‘90s film Death Becomes Her, which tells the story of two women seeking eternal life. In fact, the collection’s “Snakes On A Vase” earrings are directly inspired by the film’s integral glass vessel of  anti-aging potion.

In ancient Egypt, cats were revered animals and received mummification after death just as humans. As such, Collette decided to feature the feline in “Isis”–her Persian cat Ponyo actually serves as the model behind the appropriately named, chunky brass “Ponyo Ring.” The new collection also plays home snakes and lions. “It’s sort of a faceless lion sparked by a painting by Salvador Dali,” she elaborates in reference to the “Plain Mane Collar.” And the snakes, well, there’s nothing more Egyptian than the mythical serpent.

Although references to the Egyptian afterlife may seem dark, Collette believes there is something romantic about the mythology.“I guess I see the want for immortality as an obsession with life and a desire to continue–not as a macabre fixation with death. With that being said, it does interest me that my jewelry will actually outlive me.”

Beyond “Isis,” Collette is also doing a collaboration with the site Of a Kind, which supports and promotes “on-the-rise” fashion designers. “I’m flattered and excited to be working with Of a Kind–they’ve got a really impressive roster of young designers and articles that are smart and insightful.  They commission limited edition pieces; the concept of rarity is so, well, rare, and I love what they are doing.”

When it comes to other jewelry designers, Collette named a few artists that inspire her [Polly Wales, Philip Crangi, Eddie Borgo], but in general, she doesn’t really follow trends. “I sort of live under a rock, but I like it.”

Collette Ishiyama’s collection can be purchased on her site and in several New York boutiques including Love, Adorned, End of Century, Sucre, and Catbird.

“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.”

While it is Aurelie and Jade who bring Wool and the Gang to life, via their DIY kits and ready-to-wear knits, it was founder Lisa Sabrier who brought the concept to them. “Lisa is from Switzerland, as am I, and when she discovered I would be graduating from St. Martins with a specialization in knitwear, she introduced me to her idea for an updated knitwear brand. And because I was already working so closely with Jade in school and it is such a challenge to build an entire collection, we decided this would be a great opportunity for us to collaborate,” says Aurelie.

It was no coincidence that Lisa would look to designers coming from St. Martins to help launch her brand. “At the time, there was a lot of momentum behind a craft movement, and English design schools are known to hold a high standard to the practice of knitting. I think that was a big motivation for Lisa to seek out Aurelie–knowing she had that background and education. And our dynamic has always been so great, working as a team was a very exciting progression for us.”

With a nurturing founder and their valuable partnership, the two designers have worked energetically towards taking Wool and the Gang from a fresh perspective on clothing and accessories to a unique and popular brand with avid followers around the world.

“We have a huge following in France and a strong presence in Germany, England, Switzerland, Spain–and of course, in New York.” The growing coterie of Wool and the Gang followers is thanks to the company’s dedication to not only building a collection of wares but also a community.

“People buy our kits to knit their own scarves or hats or sweaters and then they want to share it. They want to be listened to. That’s why we created this online platform–where people can post images, and share tips and stories with each other. We always want to maintain a strong presence in the interactive realm. So we maintain our Tumblr, posting fashion reports and “wool school,” which we are just beginning to develop. It will provide a breadth of information on materials and techniques; it is the educational arm of our site.”

Currently, it is just the designers posting to the Tumblr as they receive images and stories from their followers. In the future, however, the plan is to allow users to post independently–expanding the social networking component of the brand. But for now, the team is committed to being democratic and welcoming to input and commentary from their gang of knitters. Aurelie mentions, “We look at our bestselling items, and we constantly read our customers’ emails and Facebook messages in order to get a sense of what knitwear they would like a pattern or kit for. We want our customers to really feel that they have an impact on what we produce. We reply to every question. We want them to know we care, and give them what they ask for!”

“Our brand energy is so friendly,” Jade chimes in. “We love to get feedback of our shop on Thompson Street and hear that it is such a warm and inviting space.”

Adding to the hospitality and enjoyment innate to the practice of knitting and Wool and the Gang are the knitting parties. Anybody with an interest in knitting is welcome to join for a brunch or cocktail hour knitting session. “We live in this world where we are all constantly connected and “social;” these parties and the knitting itself provide people with another outlet or activity. We love nothing more than inspiring people through the lifestyle centered around the tradition.”

It is more than a sense of community and another creative outlet being promoted by Wool and the Gang. Embedded in the line is a mission to promote conscious manufacturing and a respect for the human labor that goes into producing goods.

“We were at Capsule recently, and I was taking notice of how many cool, young brands are out at the moment–people are doing such amazing things. But with Wool and the Gang, it really is the DIY aspect that makes it so unique. It’s about the culture surrounding it. Craft and fashion conscientiousness find a convergence in our company.” Jade says.

When the Gang reintroduced the art of hand-knitting to a youthful, cosmopolitan population with their knitting kits, they demonstrated that it is not only possible but also extremely fulfilling to knit one’s very own hat or scarf. Now, having informed and engaged so many new disciples in the specialty, the designers feel that their customer has a renewed appreciation for their garments. “People realize that all of our products are hand-knitted and finished. And we have worked very hard to make people more sensitive about the process. Now when they buy knitwear, they are more discerning; they really understand the design and work that goes into it and its real value. That sensibility is really something we want to encourage with our retail line,” says Aurelie.

“It is our responsibility as independent designers to make products on a small scale, well, to provide these well-made products for an affordable price,” adds Jade. “Plus, our collection is really season-less. We make hats that we’ve sold for three seasons in a row. We realize that along with providing the kits, we are encouraging people to invest time and energy into making these items for themselves. We want to remind them that they can wear it forever–regardless of trends or seasons.”

It is a hard line to walk–between making items to be kept forever and broadening the brand’s collection. With that in mind, the design duo adds new items each season based on specific themes. “Next season, we are making knitwear under the theme of ‘skiing in the Alps,’ but the items we make are not crazy trendy. Our main concern is always the silhouette–and that it be something easy to make, especially since we want to be able to offer the ready-to-wear pieces as kits. We will never do anything so trendy that, in a season, nobody would want to wear it.”

As for what is next for Wool and the Gang, Jade and Aurelie are excited to offer free patterns for purchase, without the accompanying kits. “The free patterns will increase the accessibility of our brand. When we design, there are certain elements that increase the cost of a finished piece, or the kits. But with the free patterns, people can be more creative, choose their own yarn and needles, use their own techniques.”

Beyond the free patterns, the company is also eager to branch out further into education, hoping to host a series of workshops at design school in New York City. In an effort to bridge the gap between the concept and reality of launching a line of clothing, the designers aim to work with students as they conceive of a product with the potential to be produced by Wool and the Gang. “We want to offer students the chance to see and understand all the logistics behind actually making a mass-produced item. Its great to always be designing, but the move into making is quite challenging. It would be so beneficial for them to see how something gets made and what the costs are.”

With tremendously generous spirits and a truly infectious love for the art of knitting, Jade and Aurelie are a perfect team to lead knitting neophytes and enthusiasts alike. “It is just so rewarding to see a customer learn from scratch and then have them come back and keep learning and growing with the Gang. It’s the entire point of what we are doing here!”

For more information on Wool and the Gang, visit the company’s website. And be sure to check out their brick and mortar location at 98 Thompson Street in Soho.