Designers
IRIS THE COLORING BOOK
Did you know that style icon and geriatric starlet Iris Apfel is also a Professor? At The University of Texas at Austin, no less? Since 2010, Professor Apfel has been the guiding force behind an immersive learning experience for students of UT’s Textiles and Apparel Program who aspire to work in fashion. IRIS The Coloring Book was conceived as a fundraiser for UT in NYC, with all proceeds offsetting student expenses for their week in Manhattan. Its creation was fully-funded by a UT grassroots campaign and it was brought to life by a small team in Austin who love Iris and want to sustain her one-of-a-kind program. Special thank you to Nancy Prideaux (shown left), one of my amazing college professors, for making this partnership possible! I am thrilled to support my alma mater! Hook 'em!
DIPPED BY LISA
Lisa Zaslavsky was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. A music lover at heart and social worker by training, Lisa found herself a stay-at-home mom after her two children were born. Intrigued by art and design, she started working at home and gift shop Harper & Ash in Highland Park, IL after her kids became school aged. This is where she became an assistant buyer and really cultivated her love and knowledge of home goods and aesthetics. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lisa started experimenting with Shibori dying in the utility room of her basement, and that is where DIPPED was born. Lisa creates each piece of her collection by hand and with love. She believes that DIPPED showcases her love of tie-dye and personal style in a sophisticated approach to home accessories.
STEEL FEATHERS
Steel Feathers is a passion project launched by designer Jamie Gauthreaux. Jamie is a designer of all things unique, including one-of-a-kind pillows made from designer silk scarfs, hand-beaded purse straps, hat bands, dog collars, and more. Jamie has been designing interiors for clients for many years, and has an innate passion for color, texture and pattern. When Jamie found herself frustrated when searching for the perfect pillow to unify a room, she began making her own, hence Steel Feathers was born. In another ambitious effort to help support those in need, she created an outreach program called Hope for Harmony. Hope for Harmony celebrates and supports specific artisans who have overcome adversity. Ten percent of the proceeds from the sale of the product they made by hand will be donated directly back to them to help encourage their courageous and artistic efforts.
BE LOVED JEWELRY
As the founder of BE LOVED jewelry, Jeri Zaslavsky brings decades of love and experience to her work. A successful career in retail and fine jewelry inspired her passion for designing, sourcing and creating jewelry and accessories. She began designing her own uniquely personal jewelry while undergoing treatment for breast cancer as a means to focus her attention on creating designs that would make her family and friends feel her appreciation for the love and support given to her during a difficult time in her life. This is how BE LOVED began. The collection focuses on sophisticated, timeless and modern classic pieces that are meant to be worn from day to night and from work to play. In keeping with her mantra, Jeri's designs use a combination of sterling silver, 14k yellow, rose, and white gold, leather, pave diamonds and stones. Each piece can be worn alone, stacked or layered to create a look that’s unique to you!
ANKOLE LIVING
Until the last decade, Ankole horns were being discarded in East Africa by the beef industry only to go to waste. In 2014, Bobby and Downie Mickler discovered a unique and elegant way of repurposing these horns and created a sustainable small business. They began purchasing Ankole horns from the stockyards in South Sudan and hired and trained locals to repurpose the horns into beautiful home decor pieces to sell in the United States. Since then, the Micklers established a collaborative procurement and manufacturing process with local artisans in Uganda benefiting multiple communities. The Ankole Living artisans have their own personal stories of struggle and success which have shaped Ankole Living as a business. Today the majority of their lifestyle product line is handmade in Uganda, and every pair of horns has its own unique shape, size, and color.
Click here to see our Ankole Living products.
SPLENDOR COLLECTIONS
Magda Strash sources beautiful, limited runs of artisanal Fortuny fabric from Venice, Italy. In her San Antonio studio, she meticulously handcrafts the textiles into exquisite accents, accessories, gifts and decor. Each piece of her collection is made using the finest imported silks and trims, lambskin and brass to create home and lifestyle accents that are truly one-of-a-kind treasured pieces with timeless style. We hope you enjoy her collection.
CASSANDRA COLLECTIONS
Cassandra King Polidori is the Founder and Designer behind CassandraCollections jewelry. Originally an editor in the magazine industry, Cassandra's idea for her jewelry collection started out of necessity: she couldn't type her story assignments in the cocktail rings she owned. She designed her first ring with a friend in Dallas using wire, since it was malleable, which suited her needs at work and in her daily life. After being stopped enough around town by people asking who designed her ring, the custom orders started coming in and CassandraCollections was born.
Cassandra's inspiration is taken from her everyday life. Her most recent work involves intricate pearl and gold Mask Chain Necklaces, which she designed with her mother, an essential worker during the pandemic. Her Floral Designs came to her when she was pregnant - the concept of her budding baby evoked her desire to create whimsical pieces using silk flowers interwoven with natural stones.
Jill Orr, Author
Jill Orr is the author of HOW NOT TO BE OLD (EVEN IF YOU ARE), which hit #1 on the Amazon Bestseller list in the categories of Internet & Social Media humor, Aging Parents, and Cultural, Ethnic & Regional humor in its first week after publication. She also writes the Riley Ellison mystery series, which has been called “delightfully comic” and “highly amusing” by Publishers Weekly. Orr’s work has garnered praise from industry professionals and readers alike and books have earned a Silver Falchion nomination, a starred review and “Best Book of the Week” from Library Journal, and a Midwest Connections pick. A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Jill lives in Columbia, Missouri with her husband and two teenage children.
PWKing Art
Influenced by Henri Matisse, Alexander Calder, Helen Frankenthaler, Jackson Pollack and Hans Hofmann, artist Patricia King captures the essence of her fear, sorrow and joy through abstract expressionism. King paints these emotions in dark, roaring forms then resurrects them into uplifting works of gratitude. King has no formal art education, has never submitted her work to a juried show and, therefore, has no list of awards to share with you. For King, painting is a portal to a world of patience, calm and balance which she expresses on her canvases through her unique use of form, light and color. King has faith that her artistic endeavors serve as inspiration to her family, friends and any other witness who doubts their artistic capabilities.
