Beatriz Palacios at her atelier in Madrid  
Photographed over Zoom

 

 An interview with Beatriz Palacios, a Madrid-based jewelry designer whose cerebral collections 

intertwine surrealism with historical references. 

Can you tell us about your background?

I grew up in Madrid with my parents and two sisters. Occasionally, my grandma would live with us. There has always beena strong feminine presence at home. Feminism is a foundation I grew up with. I find that women possess strength and power in any environment.

Between the ages of 6 to 18, I went to a Catholic all-girls school run by nuns. So again, my life continued to be one surrounded by women. I then started my degree in mining engineering. It was a bit of a shock because the field was dominated by men. Only 10% of the students were girls.

What inspired your shift from mining engineering to jewelry design?

I chose engineering because math and physics came natural to me but I've loved fashion ever since I was little. I wanted to stand apart from others by accessorizing with jewelry I made using found objects; disassembling and assembling to create new pieces. Designing jewelry, at that time, was more of a hobby. My parents were very conservative so making a living out of something artistic wasn't considered practical.

After I finished my degree, I moved to Dublin and befriended artists, designers and architects who were making a living from their creative work. The fact that this was even possible was a complete eye-opener. When I returned to Madrid, I worked as an engineer, but in the evenings I studied with a jeweler to learn the technical skills. I continued working as an engineer for the following 8 years until I was able to make a living solely from my jewelry work.

I've always found your work to be imaginative, innovative, and technical. Certain pieces like the ring braces have 'joints' allowing for full extension while other pieces are transformable; necklace parts can be disconnected and rejoined in various ways (and even worn as earrings). One can see the passion for the delicate technical elements that underlie your work.

This technicality comes partly from my background in mining engineering but also from my apprenticeship with Tomás, a master jeweler. He specializes in jewelry from the 17^th, 18^th, and 19^th centuries. At that time, a piece of jewelry could be converted into several other pieces. A tiara, for example, could be disassembled and worn as a bracelet, a necklace, and earrings. Tomas taught me the jewelry styles and technical skills from this time period and it made sense with my vision of what jewelry is.

You've recently added to your body of work a new line, SUSTAINED, which is composed entirely of vintage and recycled materials. Most notable are the sculptural, biomorphic ear cuffs made from vintage lucite and recycled silver. Could you speak to the inspiration behind this line?

Creating sustainably is how I initially began designing; I relied solely on one-of-a-kind vintage objects I collected from second hand markets. SUSTAINED is an extension of this and incorporates vintage materials I've collected over the years as well as recycled silver remnants produced from my workshop. By doing so, I'm able to reinterpret existing materials and create jewelry in a manner that is respectful to the environment.

Can you describe your atelier in Madrid and the history behind it?

My atelier is located within Casa Palazuelo, a historical landmark building built in 1919. It was one of the first commercial buildings in Madrid. I was shown an atelier in the attic and it just felt right. Opening the door and coming to the atelier everyday is a luxury. I could have never dreamed of a better place.

Can you share a favorite poem or an excerpt (writing or lyrics) that inspires you in these times?

Few weeks ago, a dear, dear, dear friend who knew I was having a rough time, shared with me this quote by Goethe and lifted my spirit:

“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

A dream?

I started this project from zero without knowledge about jewelry or running a business. My dream is to continue creating and making a living being a jewelry designer.

How do you define beauty?

A nice lunch, a good drink, conversation, a good book; something that makes you feel good. 

A few glimpses of

 A (small)

(printable)

 kind of (visual)

by Sara Lopez of A--Company

Sara Lopez, artist and designer of A--Company, kindly offers a thoughtful compilation of xeroxed text, ideas, and images; glimpses into concepts and art references that currently move and inspire the Brooklyn-based designer.

Please click here to download and print this small but profound pleasure, which may be folded into a booklet. To keep the pages in place, add saddle stitch binding, a simple bow, or a strand of lace. 

Many thanks to Sara for her generous gift of beauty and spirit. 

slow and steady wins the race
will be showing THE KHAKI COLLECTION
at anaïse on saturday, january 27th 3 - 5 pm

malick sidibé
happy new year!

p.s. to listen: la ritournelle

a floral and garment installation
by the hanged man co. and mme. vu

on view at anaïse through december 15th

maharani gayatri devi 

giappone 1970
by carlo mollino

tola in the mayle guapa dress

a collection of photo collages

by william burroughs 

An interview with Danielle Colen,
designer of Waltz

 + Background 
 I was born and raised in New York City and moved out to San Francisco in 2006 to study photography at CCA. My photography work was mostly formal and was driven largely by mood and feeling. I was never very good at putting what I was doing into words, and at the time it seemed like that was an essential part of being an artist, particular at that point in time when photography was becoming so ubiquitous. When I graduated from CCA, at the height of the recession in 2008, I couldn't find a job in the arts, and I realized that I didn't have the drive or desire to build a career as a fine artist. I had always been in love with clothing and I wanted to learn something that combined both art and craft, so I decided to return to school for fashion design. I went to Academy of Art for their MFA program, which gave me great technical training. I studied with several Japanese pattern-makers who were in their 60s and 70s and had decades of knowledge in the field. After finishing school I worked for Matt Dick at Small Trade Company. Matt is a great connector of people and Small Trade opened up a huge network for me within the design community.

 + What inspires your work? 
 I get a lot of inspiration from menswear, both vintage and contemporary. I am drawn to straightforward garments that don't rely on unnecessary details – silhouette is first and foremost for me. I tend to believe that less is more when it comes to design, but I do leave a little wiggle room for myself to keep things fun and interesting.

 + Favorite colors?
 I like colors that are hard to pin down and hover right on the edge where you can't quite identify them. I tend not to like pure colors – they need to have a bit of dirtiness. I keep returning to purplish blues like periwinkle and cornflower and earth tones like terra cotta and rust.

 + Describe a typical day
 My day always starts with coffee. I usually grab a cup on the way to work. My studio is walking distance from my house and the morning walk there is a great way to start the day. Most of the day is devoted to working on patterns and sewing test garments. The rest of the time I'm looking at fabric swatches, visiting factories, and figuring out logistics. I switch back and forth between listening to music, podcasts, and audiobooks while I'm working.

 + Favorite spots in San Francisco 
I love to eat! Delfina for pizza, Hong Kong Lounge for Dim Sum, Mandalay for Burmese, Ichi for sushi. I live and work in the mission so I spend most of my time there. Dog Eared Books is great for browsing, and of course, Green Apple Books in the Inner Richmond. I also love walking around Jackson Square/North Beach – stopping in at William Stout Bookstore, getting Italian cookies from Stella Pastry, and eating delicious pasta at Tosca. Nearby, San Francisco Art Institute has a beautiful rooftop with amazing views and concrete benches perfect for a quick nap in the sunshine.

 + Favorite books and magazines 
 I have trouble choosing favorites. I don't look at many print magazines, but Apartamento is beautiful. I love still life photography and Nacho Alegre, who shoots a lot for that publication, does really amazing work. I always read a couple of books at once. Right now I'm reading The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima and The Story of the Lost Child, the last book in the Neapolitan quartet by Elena Ferrante. I like reading novels that transport you to another place or moment in history.

 + What are your winter essentials? 
 I'm always cold so I wear a lot of wool. Wool socks, wool tights, wool turtlenecks. I am eagerly awaiting my Black Friday splurge – an oversized wool scarf from Acne that you can wrap up in like a blanket.

 + Favorite music 
I like so many different types of music I don't know how to possibly narrow it down. Recently I've been listening to Dorothy Ashby, Caetano Veloso, and Solange.

 + Dreaming of... 
 Visiting Mexico City and Casa Barragan. And returning to Tokyo.

 + Favorite pieces in your wardrobe? 
 I lean toward very practical items. I mostly love shoes and coats because they can make any outfit look pulled together. I have been wearing the same pair of APC boots for at least 5 years. They have a chunky wool sole in the perfect height and will never go out of style. I also love the black linen trench that I made for my first collection. It has just the right amount of structure to feel relaxed but still polished. I always intend to introduce riskier, more statement pieces into my wardrobe but in the end I just return to the basics. Too much choice overwhelms me.

Thank you, Danielle!
View our collection of Waltz here.

semi-translucent, floral printed lace, pointelle knits, and softly sculptural silhouettes

at a détacher's poetic spring 2017 presentation

 photographed by valeda beach stull for anaïse

L: Pedro Canicoba, M: Joana Preiss, R: Antonio Macarro

An interview with Antonio Macarro and Pedro Canicoba,
editors of Many of Them;
a journal packed with dreamy images, compelling discussions, and interviews.
_________________________________________

+ Background
Antonio: I grew up in San Sebastian, Spain, and now I'm living here with Pedro in this city in Basque Country. I travel a lot but our studio has been based here since 2008. I love being here because the city is like a quiet background where I can focus on my work, my books, and me. I studied Fine Arts, and my work is always on this path between cinema and editorial fields.

Pedro: I grew up in Andalusia in Southern Spain and as Antonio said, we live in the Spanish Basque Country, which is beautiful. I have a degree in Publicity and studied Pattern Cutting and Dressmaking.

+ How did Many of Them come about?
P: Originally, Many of them was a book that Antonio created. At the beginning, we used to work for some Spanish magazines and newspapers,  but we wanted to go further and talk about what we considered important. That is why we thought it would be nice to proceed with Many of Them. There was a kind of statement we made at the beginning of this journey together. We defined Many of Them as a limited edition publication of 1000 printed and distributed copies. Its aim is to offer a space for discussion in which creators can share their perspectives about their field, their language, and the problems they face in their everyday practice. This magazine encompasses many of the things Antonio and I love, and we try to create a place for them.

A: Yes, it originally started as a diary in 2008 and it keeps evolving into different formats. All the images and text are produced in-house, but we continue to learn from new external collaborations. We try to stand away from trends, as its purpose is to offer a haven where fascinating people can gather and timeless themes be addresses, to document the present whilst becoming an archive for the future.

 + Could you describe a typical day?
A: First coffee, then emails, calls, meetings, and after that, I don't know what to say...everyday is a new story. Work in this field is like an expedition, you never know what is going to happen tomorrow. You have to try to reach a certain point but everyday is a new challenge.

P: During wintertime, San Sebastian is very quiet and the days are the same, this I love. It reminds me of the old times when the good bourgeoisie had everything organized around breakfast, lunch, and dinner...so I suppose this is one of my typical days because I love being a little bourgeois.

+ Favorite spots in San Sebastian?
P: The sea
A: Living close to the sea and my family

+ Favorite books and magazines
A: A diary in the strictest sense of the term. Bronislaw Malinowski. Stanford University Press, 1989
Un film falado. Manoel de Oliveira, 2003.
Eroberung des Nutzlosen. Werner Herzog. Blackie Books, 2010. 

P: The encyclopedia

+ What are your spring essentials?
A: Gin + tonic
P: A short and "mantecado" ice cream

+ Favorite spring-time meal?
A: Seafood, gazpacho, and salmorejo
P: Cucumber sandwiches

+ Favorite music/albums?
A: R&B
P: Frank Ocean

+ What are you dreaming of?
A: More free time, traveling, the new big issue of Many of Them Magazine (coming January 2017) and to be able to follow and develop my path.
P: Traveling around the world long term.

+ Favorite pieces in your wardrobe?
A: I'm linked more to objects than clothing. My beloved treasures are some polaroids I kept from my last shoot with the lovely Paz de la Huerta, and Araki picture I have in my office, and a big painting I have from Christian Astuguevielle he did for my last movie. I love to collect objects connected to my experiences and memories.

P: I love pajamas...to sleep and to wear outside of the bed. :)

Thank you, Antonio and Pedro!

View the latest issue of Many of Them here.

An interview with Simone Shubuck,
an artist based in New York whose work is infused with dreamy abstraction and vibrant bursts of color.
____________________________________ 

+ Background
I'm an artist living in NYC. For many years, I supported myself by working as a floral designer but now I just focus on my artwork and keeping up with my energetic son which are two really big jobs. I live in Chelsea and have a studio in Dumbo.

+ What inspires your work?
My experience working with flowers was never intended to be anything other than a fun and creative way to make money but the stuff I learned from the flowers (and business side) profoundly affected me. While I don't have my hands on the flowers in a daily way, their information, colors, and forms are an infinite source of inspiration I quite literally draw from daily. Botanical images as ideas, and also, music. Without music, I can't do a thing.

+ Favorite colors?
Kelly green has been on me for a while. I can't shake it. I try and it doesn't work. Salmon. Kelly green and salmon together are pretty great. 

+ Could you describe a typical day?
Wake up at 6:45 am. Make coffee and pack my son's lunch, and help him get off if my husband takes him, or take him if it's my turn. Either way, I head to the studio afterwards and stay all day unless I leave in the afternoon to exercise 2-3 days a week. Home around 6 pm. We like to cook and stay home or go out about equally. If I'm out I will come home to check in and see my son for a few hours. 

+ Favorite spots in New York

I love the many community gardens in New York. Liz Christy is the original on Houston and Bowery. It has really hung on through so many changes.

I love Dashwood Books.

I always want to linger and hang with the crew at A Détacher. Everyone and everything is so infused with Mona's true, beautiful, and clear creative vision. I love that there is one of those stores and not a global chain or that it's one of many. It feels like a very unique and special experience to be there where they work and sell things, both ultra contemporary and very old school at the same time. 

+ Favorite books and magazines

Bon Apétit (of course!) 

World of Interiors 

Porter

The Signature of all Things by Liz Gilbert.

Also, her self help-y book, Big Magic.

It helped me tremendously thinking about and navigating my own creative process. I know people make a big giant eye roll because of Eat, Pray, Love but she is really so damn good and really has a generous spirit to her readers which was the genesis of Big Magic. 

+ What are your spring essentials?

Apparently, a very warm coat and hat (lately, it's been like 30 degrees here!) but hopefully soon a trench and some new Gucci loafers I am dying to rock that were a gift from my husband.

+ Idea of a perfect, spring meal

Spaghetti with ramps and breadcrumbs made by my husband.

Sitting in our garden with some extremely cold rosé.

+ Favorite music

I'm a hip hop, jazz, and R & B fan, but I love everything. Right now, the Life Of Pablo is on repeat. I can't help it, I love Kanye. I've also been pulling out random CD's I still have around, and found a gem, Purple Night by Sun Ra. There is such an insanely good astral but still swingy and straight version of The Stars Fell on Alabama that makes me crazy with joy.

+  Dreaming of... 
Summer! Sipping a Bellini in Italy this summer with my family and friends. 

+ Favorite pieces in your wardrobe?

I am really too lazy to make an outfit so I live for a one piece. I have great ones by A Détacher. 

I'm either in Birkenstocks or 5" Alaia platforms.

I have loads of Jane Mayle's older pieces and newer bags. So excited she has recently relaunched. 

I bought myself a 1972 rose gold day date Rolex a couple of years ago with some art income I had been saving. My husband made fun of me and says a gold watch is for retirement but I doubt I will ever retire so I took it as an advance and a reminder to keep at it.

 (Top L) A current scene from Simone's studio in Dumbo, (Top R) A drawing by Simone    
(Bottom) Simone's spring floral arrangement 

  
Thank you, Simone!

View Simone's work at http://simoneshubuck.com/

new arrivals from a détacher
images by june rustigan

cascading ruffles, playful, billowy silhouettes, dreamy floral prints, and chunky alpaca knits
at a détacher's enchanting fall 2016 presentation

 photographed by valeda beach stull for anaïse