Category: Fashion

  • Insecta Shoes

    Insecta Shoes

    Pamela Magpali and Barbara Mattivy are the founders of Insecta Shoes, a Brazilian shoe label transforming fabrics and prints from vintage clothing into vegan footwear.

    Insecta Shoes‘ Oxford shoes and Chelsea boots are made in Brazil, handcrafted in limited numbers and every single model is unique.

    To find out more about this innovative enterprise, we asked its founders about their background, the manufacturing process and the future of Insecta Shoes.

    Photos by Miguel Soll

    What made you start your own shoe label? What was your background before Insecta?

    I worked in fashion and digital marketing for years, and also ran an online vintage store. Pamela is a shoe designer and she had her own shoe label for one year. One day we met and we both loved each other products, so we talked about creating a collaboration between both brands. I had some really over sized vintage shorts and blazers that had amazing prints but I never had the time to adjust the sizes, so she suggested we could make shoes out of these clothes. I absolutely loved the idea, and that is how our 1st collaboration was born. Everything sold very well, and we did a second one, that was even a bigger hit.

    I was moving to Canada and needed someone to help me manage my business in Brazil, so we partnered and created Insecta Shoes. We launched in January 2014 and everything is going super well. We’re growing organically but pretty fast, which is great but scary at the same time.

    We’re interested in knowing a little more about the process you follow to design and manufacture your shoes. could you tell us about it?

    Sure! The video below illustrates how everything is done. First, we design the shoe and create a real sample from it. We test it, tweak and adjust, and them approve it. This is what Pamela does while I’m sourcing and hand picking all the clothes from vintage suppliers. Then we deconstruct the clothes by hand and back them with a thicker fabric. All the raw materials go to our little atelier and they produce the shoes according to our combination of design, prints and colors of soles and lining.

    Insecta Shoes by Volt Project from Insecta Shoes on Vimeo.

    How do you source the clothes you use to manufacture your shoes? 

    They’re all handpicked at vintage suppliers or vintage/thrift stores in North America. It’s cool because sometimes we find really great prints in clothes that have a terrible fitting and probably no one else would wear them – we give a new use for that piece of clothing. We love this part of the production process because we have so much fun hunting for prints, it’s also very nostalgic. Once we found a cook/chef pair of trousers with an amazing vegetables print, we went nuts! Eggplants, cabbage, tomatoes, all over!

    All your shoes are unique. Have you worked with a print/fabric that you wish you could have used for more shoes?

    Yes, definitely! It’s a pro and a con to have such exclusive shoes. There are fabrics that we were able to produce 3 pairs with and that’s it. We wish we had the best ones for each of us and for our customers, but it’s impossible. But the great part of it it’s that no one else in the world will have the same shoes as you, not even the slightest chance for this to happen!

    Have you thought about expanding Insecta shoes to other type of products?

    Yes, absolutely. We have tons of ideas coming up in the next months, for the shoes and for other products. We can’t tell much right now, but there are amazing things on the way 😉

  • Start-up: Zerezes

    Start-up: Zerezes

    Zerezes is a Brazilian design collective formed by four young designers, developing products with low environmental impact and bringing new meaning to what is no longer useful.

    For their first project, Zerezes have launched an eyewear collection, made completely of recycled wood.

    There’s been quiet a few different companies and studios trying to tap into the sustainable design market, but we feel Zerezes stand out with their original concept and simple aesthetics.

    www.zerezes.com.br

  • Men: Here’s How You Stand Out From The Crowd

    It’s easy to be in the background, making up the numbers. All you need to do is turn up! But there are, of course, limitations to this. It’s the easiest option to take, but not the most fulfilling, nor the most exciting. It’s always worth living your life with the understanding that, well, you only get one life on this planet. And that means that you should make the most of it. You should stand out from the crowd. But how can you ensure that this is the case? We’ll take a look at some tried and tested methods below.


    Pexels – CC0 Licence

    Have Your Own Personality

    It’s easy to fall into the habit of just doing what everyone around you is doing. But if you do that, then you can’t have too many complaints if your life isn’t as rewarding as you’d like it to be. And you can’t complain if people aren’t giving you the levels of attention that you’re looking for. The better option? Develop your own personality. You can be an individual and be part of the crowd. It’s when you’re only finding your worth in the groups that you belong to when the trouble begins. 

    Of course, there’s no fast track towards a personality. It’s something that you nurture through finding your own interests, developing your beliefs, and so on. Not everyone will like you, but you’ll be bold and won’t be just another person in the long line of people who follow the crowd.

    Well-Groomed

    If there’s one criticism that is thrown at men, it’s not that they’re not as well-groomed as they could or should be. You could argue that grooming (and, more broadly, self-care) is what separates the men from the boys. And the funny thing about self-grooming is that it takes next to no time; ten minutes a day will do it. That involves brushing your teeth, showering yourself, tidying up your hair, cleaning your ears, and plucking any stray hairs. It’s a simple enough activity that can make a big difference — not just to how other people see you, but how you see yourself.

    Bold Style

    Walk into a pub, and you’ll invariably see a group of men who are more or less wearing the same outfits. The colours may differ slightly, but the clothes will be the same. Jeans, a t-shirt, jumper, sneakers, and that’s about it. It’ll help you to fit in, but the whole objective is not to be content with fitting in. You want to make a splash. You can do this by developing a bolder than average style. It begins with your wardrobe. Rather than picking up the same old clothing from the high street stores, look at investing in something bolder, such as Off White for men clothing. From there, you can add things like jewellery, tattoos, and modern and stylish haircuts. You’ll find that you turn heads for all the right reasons. 

    Care For Others

    The old version of masculinity promoted individualism. You were supposed to just take whatever you could get. Empathy for other people was seen as a weakness. However, times have — thankfully — moved on. Today, it’s not only acceptable for males to care about others, it’s encouraged and accepted. Of course, not everyone has got that memo — the war is still being fought. But the people that society is increasingly admiring are the ones who show concern for others. How you do this will depend on your interests/environment. It could mean getting political, or it could be something like calling out toxic masculinity traits in social settings. Again, you might lose some popularity with this approach, but it will be recognised — and admired.

    Standing Tall

    People with confidence always stand out from the crowd — it doesn’t matter what gender you are. Indeed, if you’re looking to step up and make more of a mark on the world, then getting confidence would be a brilliant way to do it. Confidence isn’t something that you can fill up with a tap, however. It’s something that you have to slowly acquire through a million different actions. But if you’re looking for a quick fix, then look at standing tall. Simply correcting your posture can change how people perceive you. So simple!


    Pexels – CC0 Licence

    Diverse Interests

    The staples of male interest are pretty well-known: football, gaming, movies. While you should enjoy those things, there’s a lot of value in looking beyond those things and having a greater range of interests. People are always drawn to people that can discuss a wide range of interests, or who are interested in doing more than the usual things that everyone else is doing. Spread your wings a little, and you never know where it might lead.

    Mental, Physical, Spiritual

    Through no fault of their own, men born in previous generations could end up being pretty one-dimensional. The culture of the time told them to be strong, or to work hard…and that was about it. Modern culture is different. There’s more of an emphasis on self-care. We understand that you can’t just be physically strong. You should endeavour to tick all the key boxes — the mental, physical, and spiritual sides of yourself. If all those things are in order, then you’ll have a level of peace and contentment that many people dream of having

    A Happy Nature

    People are always drawn to happy people. And that’s especially true these days, when it feels like there are many people looking for answers. As with confidence, happiness isn’t something that you can just decide to have. It’s something that you need to acquire. The good news is that the riddle of how to be happy is close to being solved. If you’re exercising, spending time in nature, and showing gratitude for all that you have, then you’ll be on the right track. And as with most things on this list, this won’t just change how people see you: it can be a game-changing shift that has a dramatically positive impact on your life. 

     

  • Curvy Capsule Wardrobes: The Basics

    The thing about capsule wardrobes is that they seem like a really good idea. You buy fewer clothes and have more outfits, and you actually use the things in your wardrobe more. But for us curvy girls, getting the right style and fit of items for a capsule wardrobe can be difficult. Especially if we don’t want to spend a fortune on underwear and designer goods! Happily, Things are a changin’, and there is a little more choice out there for us these days. Which finally does make it possible to get a decent capsule wardrobe together! So with that in mind, keep reading for the ultimate guide to creating a curvy capsule for your clothes.

    Identify your style

    The first step for a curvy girl that wants to rock a capsule wardrobe is to identify your style. Are you a rockabilly girl? Or do you favor more of a smart casual look? Is comfort important to you, or do you feel naked; unless you have on a business suit and blouse?

    It’s important to know exactly what your style is before you start to shop for your capsule wardrobe because it reduces the time you will take to find each individual item.

    Remember, there is no point trying on things that are not the style that you are going for or that you will be uncomfortable in. As then you will just end up leaving them hanging in the wardrobe while wearing whatever else you have to hand. Which exactly what you are trying to not do, with this exercise.

    Identify your colors

    The next thing that you need to do when putting together a curvy casual wardrobe is working out which color you will use as a base, and which ones you will use as an accent. For example, neutral colors such as black, navy, cream or gray are used for base items. These can include leggings and trousers, as well as coats and jackets.

    Then you need to work out which accent colors to go for. Try to stay away from fashion choices here, that will be all the rage this season and gone the next.

    Instead, spend some time doing a little research into which colors suit your skin and hair and go with those instead. It’s surprising, but the shade that you wear can actually make a huge difference to how you look and make you look even better that you usually do.


    Image source

    Identify your stores

    The next task in this activity is to identify the stores that you will want to shop from. You can choose department stores which have a wider range of clothes all under one roof. Or shop at individual places, or online.

    Of course, the most important thing here is that the stores you are choosing, both stock clothes in curvy sizes, and are in line with your style. While this used to be something of a nightmare for us curvy girls, there are now some great stores like Forever 21 and Torrid, that cater for the fuller figure and are still up to date.

    Advantages of picking your store beforehand

    Also, identify the store that you are going to shop from, before time, makes things a lot easier. This is because you all only have a limited amount of stock to choose from. So you are more likely pick the best fitting items, as well as it being easier to coordinate things too.

    Another advantage of knowing the store you are shopping in beforehand is that you can search online for sales, and offers like these Joules discount codes. Which means you can get your capsule wardrobe for less. Leaving your more money to spend on your seasonal accessories.

    Don’t miss your undergarments

    Choosing the perfect undergarments can greatly impact your comfort and style. Similar to how you carefully consider each element in your daily outfit to stay fashionable, it’s also a must to care about what you wear underneath.

    While you’re probably used to wearing cotton underwear, you may want to try a more absorbent fabric like bamboo. Bamboo fabric is soft like cotton but also wicks away moisture when you’re during intense physical activities. Men and women can try bamboo undergarments that come in various styles, colors, and shapes.

    Ladies can add bamboo underwear and bralettes to their collection, completing their cool undergarment collection. Whatever the season is, girls can wear bamboo underwear for any special occasion or event. For instance, seamless underwear made of bamboo is great for a date or night-out outfit, like a pencil cut or mini dress.

    Whether you want cheeky underwear or cool underwear, bamboo fabric can help you attain the level of comfort and style you want. You can be unique, bold, sexy, and alluring by choosing the perfect fit of bamboo underwear online. There are many places where you can get high-quality bamboo undergarments online, like Bamboo Underwear and other reputable underwear stores.

    Accessories and trend

    Every curvy girl knows the power of accessories, and when creating a capsule wardrobe, they have a vital role.

    With this in mind, some advice that we fuller figured ladies should follow is that when planning a capsule wardrobe, leave the trending colors and influence to the accessories. That means if green is in this season, buy a scarf, bag or a pair of shoes in the exact color that is bang on trend.

    Or if tribal is featured big in the magazines at the moment, find a necklace that echoes this. Or some sandals with tribal details on that will set off the items in your capsule wardrobe well.

    Through this, it’s possible to keep your wardrobe updated and fun while not falling prey to being a fashion victim. Meaning you look great all of the time.

  • Anglepoise + Paul Smith

    Anglepoise + Paul Smith

    Last Tuesday we attended the launch of the collaboration between iconic British design companies Anglepoise and Paul Smith. Taking place during Clerkenwell Design Week, this exciting new product was presented along two new lamp ranges, the Type 75 Maxi Collection and the Original 1227 Brass Collection.

    The Anglepoise + Paul Smith is a stunning new interpretation of the iconic Type 75 table lamp, where all the pieces of this original model designed by Sir Kenneth Grange are reinterpreted in a complimentary combination of colours.

    The Anglepoise + Paul Smith will be available to pre-order on both the Anglepoise and Paul Smith websites mid-August and in Paul Smith shops and selected retailers from 13th September 2014.

    Thanks to our newest contributor Jess Maddock for attending and documenting the event.

    www.anglepoise.com | www.paulsmith.co.uk