Frida Kahlo said "I paint flowers so they will not die."  Although Kahlo's still lifes were an attempt to deal with a fear of separation and death, the idea of painting flowers so that they remain at once vibrant and permanent is an understandable one.  The moment we attempt to capture their beauty is the very moment it eludes us. Forever.  The stem is cut and it's life is cut short. The beauty will soon fade.   Kahlo's work was filled with symbolism and in one painting she uses an airplane and an alarm clock possibly to convey the thought that time passes so quickly. Life is short and over too soon - which is a well-known common thread in her work.  But it's human to marvel at what nature creates, as is the need to understand it.    Kahlo's love of color was obvious not only in her art but her wardrobe and accessories.  It's true that much of Mexican culture includes big, brilliant flowers on everything from wraps and shawls and scarves, to skirts and bags. But perhaps having a floral accessory is possibly one way Kahlo could maintain a connection to the color and vibrancy without cutting the stem.  To go another step further, when we think about the fabric itself  - whether from a cotton plant or a silkworm, one could say that the flower's beauty lives on in another live substance. Then, with the combination of the floral pattern and the texture, shine and softness of silk, it becomes a whole other level of beauty.  Echo has been creating classic floral patterns for 87 years.  The flower and the scarf are both inherently feminine and timeless.  Flowers have been a major subject of art, decor, fabrics, paintings and accessories for thousands of years. Yet the subject's lifespan was merely a blip in the timeline. Perhaps that's what makes them so beautiful: the fleeting permanence.

This past week, bloggers from all over the U.S. and Canada traveled to a rainy New York city for 3 days of presentations, events and tours at Blogfest 2011.  Echo's partner in fabrics, trims, rugs and wallpaper, Kravet, put together a whirlwind schedule for a select number of top home and lifestyle bloggers to view home and interior design collections, visit design studios and the offices of great publications like Architectural Digest and Elle Decor.  We attended the Sweet Endings party last night at the New York Design Center and had a wonderful time catching up with friends and meeting new ones.  We didn't get pictures of everyone unfortunately but would love if you have any you want to share to please post links here in the comments! All the best, Jen (@echodesigngroup) and Meg. 

As you may notice, we have quite a few batik pieces in our spring and summer collections this year. The pattern is quite popular in fashion (scarves, swim suits, beach dresses and coverups, umbrellas, etc.) as well as in all kinds of wrapping papers, wallpapers, bedding, fabrics etc.  Since print, pattern and color is our mantra, the process of creating a batik pattern as well as the pattern's rich cultural significance presents an especially wonderful and powerful story.  In October of 2009 the batik pattern was officially recognized by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization as an 'intangible world heritage'.  Indonesia also erected the first and only Batik museum in 2006 to preserve and chronicle the method of creating a batik pattern as well as to honor the people responsible for continuing such amazing handcrafted art.

  

Batik can be defined by many different patterns but the look is quite immediately identifiable much like a hawaiian shirt. However, Batik holds more of a global cultural significance because it appears in the traditional and ceremonial dress of many countries, foremost in Indonesia but also in China, Japan, Africa and India.  The batik method can be seen in textiles and art as far back as Egyptian times but a batik pattern always utilizes imagery meaningful in that culture. For example, Chinese batik uses the phoenix, Japanese uses cherry blossoms, Indian uses peacocks and lotus flowers, African uses seed pods, etc. The word batik is from the (Indonesian) Javanese words amba ('to write') and titik ('dot' or 'point') which both refer to the signature lines and dots as well as the method of creating a batik pattern. Batik is basically a resist-dye process using hot wax in which one can either draw or write with the wax onto areas of a handdrawn pattern so that when the fabric is submerged in dye, these areas remain color free.   African batik uses flour and water mixture instead of the wax used by other cultures. Once the fabric is dried in the sun, the wax can be scratched or carved away to create a pattern. The process is repeated several times to create a more intricate design of layers of color and pattern. Modern production of batik designs does not use wax resist-dye method since it is such a time consuming process but also because the results are rarely colorfast. The batik patterns that Echo creates are designed in reverance of the traditional process but updated to endure multiple washing and wearabilty.

Most batik patterns signify status, lineage or honor religious iconography. In Indonesia, kebaya is the word for every day clothing and traditionally, batik was worn as a keybaya sarong but it is also on shirts and hats.  The Batik pattern on keybaya often carried a message. The symbols on an infant's batik sling are designed to bring the child luck. Certain batik designs are reserved for brides and bridegrooms, as well as their families. The dead are shrouded in funerary batik. A sultan would wear a batik different than his attendants: wider stripes or wavy lines indicated higher rank. Colors are also a very important part of the message.  Javanese traditional batik is made in the colors of indigo, dark brown, and white, which represent the three major Hindu Gods (Brahma, Visnu, and Siva). For special occasions, batik was decorated with gold leaf or dust. This cloth is known as prada (a Javanese word for gold) cloth. Gold decorated cloth is still made today; however, gold paint has replaced gold dust and leaf.

In Indonesia today a batik is worn by men on more formal occasions, even in place of a suit & tie. Batik is also considered formal attire for women as well.   In recognition of the UNESCO acknowledgement, wearing batik every friday is encouraged in all government offices and private companies.

We love the batik pattern for its complexity and for its history and we've designed our pieces with a fun, trendy and modern woman in mind. The exotic blend of the rich colors of the batik patterns are the perfect look for our well-traveled fashionistas - for vacation and for every day kebaya. Batik is more than your average pattern. We hope it inspires you too!

Echo is very excited to be participating in the 14th annual Dining by Design event being held March 17th - 21st at Pier 94 in New York city.  The event is a fundraiser for DIFFA - Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids - which brings together fashion and interior designers, architects, floral and landscape artists and design schools to create stylish dining installations.  Echo's table installation includes our Seychelles fabrics collection we designed & produced at Kravet, used as the frame and on seat cushions; silk scarfs as napkins and a new spring scarf hung as a piece of art on the wall.  This year, DIFFA will be honoring Margaret Russell, editor in chief of Architectural Digest, for her work in shaping the Dining By Design event into what it is today.

We are proud to be a part of this event and to help support such a worthy cause.  As of today March 18th, the event is open to the public so we encourage you to explore all the different installations and see the amazing design trends. You can also shop the silent auction.  A $25 ticket includes admission to the Architectural Digest Home Design Show as well.   Enjoy!

 

Could you help me with a wall color to complement the Delano bedding line? I also want to paint my bedroom furniture-can you suggest a complementary color? Thanks, Molly.

Hi Molly, We are very happy that you are decorating your bedroom around our Delano bedding!  It would be helpful to have a little more information about the style and which pieces of furniture (chair, dresser, nightstands, etc.) you are planning on painting, because that will greatly affect your color choices, but I will give you some general thoughts.  There are two different directions you can go – rich and sophisticated, or more playful.  The colors from the pattern that I personally would work with (in various combinations) are the green, charcoal, lavender, orange and ivory.  I think a good guideline, even if you are going playful, is to choose a combination of safer colors and accent colors.  For instance, matching the soft moss green or ivory for the walls, and then having fun with the lavender or orange for an accent piece of furniture.  Or trying just one accent wall in the lavender, and going with the charcoal or green, which ends up being almost a neutral in this case, for the furniture.  If you don’t mind a deep color on your walls, and you have plenty of light, the charcoal would make a very rich, sophisticated and gender neutral color for the walls, and then I might paint the furniture the green. 

I would also suggest, though you didn’t ask specifically, that you can decorate with colorful accent pieces such as pillows, lamps, vases, etc. in orange and lavender, while sticking to the ivory, green and charcoal for the walls and furniture.  Lastly, you may have noticed that I haven’t suggesting using the stone/beige color for the walls.  That is because this kind of neutral is very difficult to match in paint as it changes drastically depending on the light in the room, and the other colors it is near and can in fact look different from one wall to the next.  If it goes off cast, it may end up looking like a mistake. 

Have fun and I’m sure your room will look great!  Please send us a photo when it is complete.

Best,
Meg
Design Director, Home
http://www.echodesign.com

The beauty of a monochromatic palette versus one that uses a range of colors is in what the lowlights and highlights reveal. We can appreciate the subtleties of the different shapes and lines that are revealed when only one color is used, in this case, a neutral.  Photography is a great way to showcase this as seen in this photo by Jan Masny below.  The fabric appears fluid and even though the image is static, the movement is implied by the depth and dimension that could still be seen if each dress were a different color, but since this is all in greys, the results are much more evident and striking.  Color is a great tool but experimenting with an all-neutral palette in your wardrobe or in decorating your home can be a wonderfully interesting.

 

In your fall and winter wardrobe, choose different tones of the same neutral color family and play with layers.  This puts the focus on the fabrics and difference in textures and patterns.  For example, wear a tweed pencil skirt with a cable knit poncho or cape and tall leather boots. The effect is sophisticated and clean.  In home decorating, it's a standard rule when staging a home to present a neutral canvas for potential buyers to imagine themselves in that environment - to visualize it as their home.  The family's personality can then show with the bold, bright accessories against the neutral shades.  Using this method of decorating also contributes to the longevity of your interior design allowing you to simply change the accessories and accent colors without making a huge investment.  Aside from that, using neutrals in the home is very calming to the eye.  It is one of nature's best palettes after all - evident in the sand and the sea grass. 
   

I was at the Kravet showrooms in Portland and Seattle last week to give presentations to Kravet’s top interior designer customers. Echo designs rugs, fabric, trim and wallpaper for Kravet and I was invited to talk about our design process and show everyone our newest home decor book Color at Home.  It was my first time in either of those great cities and I had a wonderful time.  The weather was actually spectacular in Portland, and pretty nice in Seattle, and I loved taking runs both mornings to see the streets, and get a sense of the architecture, waterfront and northwest culture.  Even saw the first Starbucks at the old Pike Place market in Seattle – very exciting for this Starbucks coffee lover.  

What terrific groups of attendees both days!  At the end of the presentations we raffled off a few Echo accessories and Kristi Knott from Sunset Builders was one of the winners.  She was very enthusiastic and sent us these two photos - one of her wearing Echo's leopard print throw first as a shawl and another photo displaying it on her couch as a cozy throw!  We loved Kristi’s enthusiasm and her creativity!  

I also wanted to show one photo of the Portland Kravet showroom with some of the fabrics from our new Seychelles collection (look for this in 2011!)  All in all, the trip was great though too short, and I hope to return someday and see a bit more.  Next time I will have to plan a time when President Obama isn’t following me around, shutting down the freeways!  Thanks to Ed and all of the staff at the Kravet showrooms who made my trip so enjoyable!  -Meg


 

When I say Fedora, you instantly picture a classic scene: It's dark, most likely raining, a siren wails in the distance and a soft plume of smoke rises from a cigarette as a man steps out of the shadows, wearing a trenchcoat and a slick, stylish fedora on his head with the brim pulled down low over his eyes.  He says "Here's looking at you, kid."  (clutch heart, faint.)

The Fedora almost has it's own identity - one it has maintained through various incarnations of pop culture trends but always staying true to it's basic message: Class. Contrary to popular belief, the Fedora was a popular women's style before it became the classic film noir calling card for men's fashion.  The hat that we now call the Fedora existed before we called it the Fedora - known as the Homburg, but the name Fedora stuck because of the popularity of one woman.    In 1882 the tragic, dramatic stage and later silent screen actress Sarah Bernhardt starred as the heroine in a French play called Fedora, by Victorien Sardou, in which she played Princess Fedora. Bernhardt, a.k.a The Divine Sarah, was considered the most important actress of her time so even 100 years before Madonna, throngs of women were dressing like their idols. Women had been wearing widebrimmed, elaborate hats at the end of the 1800s and with the introduction of open-air cars and public transit - often quite crowded - you can imagine the potential problems. Also, men of society never stepped out without a hat so the practicality of the short brimmed, flexible fabric Fedora worked for everyone.   The theme of the play Fedora was Nihilism and carnality (Madonna again anyone?) and she took her roles seriously. It was during this time that she acquired her famous coffin, in which she often slept in lieu of a bed, claiming it helped her understand her many tragic roles. In a performance of Fedora in Seattle in 1923, she arrived in true diva (pre-Madonna) fashion, entourage and all, in a special 12-car train comprising three Pullman cars, two private cars, a day coach, five baggage cars, and the engine. One of the Pullman cars was Mme. Bernhardt’s personal car, a traveling home “fitted up in the most elaborate style” as “a palace on wheels.”

Sarah Bernhardt, emoting the Drama

Today the Fedora has become a stylish accessory for men and women. The official definition of a Fedora is any hat creased down the center, pinched on both sides of the front and worn with the brim bent down low over the eyes. A similar style is the Panama hat - usually made of a lighter fabric or woven straw, with a fabric sash.  These hats were originally made in Ecuador and the term 'Panama Hats' stuck as a result of President Theodore Roosevelt wearing the one on a visit to the construction of the Panama Canal. The first Fedoras were made of a heavier felt leaving the Panama hat, made of straw, to become associated with the tropics, and any seaside locales due to it's lighter fabric. Both styles were and still are popular due to the ability to protect the wearer's head from the wind and weather, and the fact that they are great for traveling.   Most versions of both styles can be rolled up for storage and easily pop back into shape.  How many trends can you say that about?

 

 

What is a Polka Dot? And what's it got to do with dancing?

Polka. Dot. 
We know that Polka is a kind of music and also a dance. And dot, well that's just a simple small round mark.  So what's one got to do with the other and why, when put together, do they refer to that pattern made so popular by I Love Lucy?

Polka comes from the Polish word “pulka,” meaning half-step, as in the dance.  The dance was first introduced into the ballrooms of Prague in 1835.  It was a Czech peasant dance in 2/4 time, developed in Eastern Bohemia (now part of Czechoslovakia). Depending on the region is is performed, polka music can have different influences giving it a more Latin or German (Oktoberfest) feel,  but most definitely all include the telltale accordion.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines “polka dot” as “Any of a number of round dots of uniform size repeated so as to form a regular pattern, usually on fabric.” The term itself first appeared in the mid-1800s (”Scarf of muslin, for light summer wear … surrounded by a scalloped edge, embroidered in rows of round polka dots,” 1857).  So, what does the polka dance have to do with polka dots? Nothing - just timing - and marketing. The polka craze, which lasted for several decades in the 1800s, was a pretty big fad so every industry tried to capitalize on it.  Fashion just started adding the word 'polka' to everything.  They had polka jackets, polka hats, polka socks, men's ties, you name it. Sound e-familiar? iDon't know. Then In the '50s and '60s the polka dot had a resurgence and appeared on swimwear (and pop music: 'The Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini'), Lucille Ball's dresses, dinnerware, handbags, ties, you name it. That pattern today can be considered kitschy but contemporary depending on the placement and color combinations.  Polka dots have graced high-end wedding dresses, invitations, pillows and bedding, handbags, umbrellas, scarves and dresses.  So you can wear the pattern even if you can't polka. 

Above photo (courtesy Country Living ) features Echo's Pin Dot Shirt Dress.

One of the great trends right now for summer is a military or utilitarian look.  Echo's Imperial Safari collection takes that look and updates it with inspiration from African and Colonial India. Elements of this style can be integrated into any outfit without looking overly military or as if you were actually on safari.  Think: casual world traveler meets crafty elements of the exotic bazaars and caravans of decorative pillows, spices and jewels.  

This look contrasts touches of military influence and soft femininity while pulling inspiration from the luscious patterns and textures of these distinct cultures. Contrasting khakis and earth tones are punctuated with pretty intricate beads, and animal and black prints on delicate fabrics.  Metallic effects on fabrics, delicately powdered with gold and silver give accessories fluidity and femininity. Colors range from earthen neutrals in browns and sand to sun bleached corals, chartreuse greens and watery blues. Animal prints like cheetah and snakeskin are great patterns on lightweight scarves perfect for summer. Organic fabrics like raffia, linen, hemp and ramie become utterly chic in this summer trend because of their versatile, breathable and sustainable qualities.

So you can update your summer wardrobe easily - and quickly - by adding a few key accessories from this trend.   A simple white tee, khaki capris and a passport are your starting point. Add gladiator sandals, bold chunky rings and a beautiful ikat pattern wrap.  Life is an adventure and you are a world traveler - unique and exotic. Take a little bit of the luxury of each country with you as you experience all this world offers.