Thorn Tree

I was walking down Thompson Street in NY a while back and I came across The Hat Shop.  I went in to inquire about these beautiful African bracelets for some Christmas presents and that's how I found out about the Thorn Tree Project. 

   The ladies at the Hat Shop sell the colorful beaded bracelets which are hand made by Kenyan women, and a part of the proceeds benefit education programs for children of nomadic Kenyan families.  Apparently, in 2001 when the Thorn Tree Project began, less than 3% of the children of Sereolipi, the northern area of Kenya, were attending school.  Thanks to the organization and others' involvement and donations, schools have been built, funding is provided and the number of children receiving education is steadily growing!  We purchased a few bracelets and were able to snag some postcards of stunning photography by Lyle Owerko.  Definitely check out the site, the bracelets are gorgeous and it's for such a good cause...

xo, Cynthia

Midnight Gardening in the Ancient Forest

The design process for Fall is well underway, and our head designer PJ has been spending some at home, immersing himself in fabrics, sketches, inspirations and trims.  Sometimes it's nice to get away from work and isolate yourself.  Luckily, PJ has an amazing house with lots of space and sunlight...

We can't give too much away because we're still finalizing a lot of decisions, but let's just say we're really excited to present the collection.  If you like Florence and the Machine, Stevie Nicks and gypsy prints, then you're going to love it too!

Behind the Scenes

How fitting, we've got 80 degree weather in Los Angeles and the Resort 2011 collection is on it's way in!  We have a new video for you to check out, it's a behind the scenes look from our Resort lookbook shoot.

It's tough choosing which photos end up in the final lookbook, and usually we're the only ones who see the ones that didn't
make the cut.  Here are a few of those outtakes!

xo, Cynthia

NEW MUSIC

I thought I'd share some new music from The Duke Spirit. I absolutely love this band!

Download their new song, "Villian", via Spin magazine here.

I also love the video for "The Step and the Walk", watch it below:

Lead singer Liela Moss would look amazing in our drape caftan, don't you think?

Enjoy your week!

Love,

Cynthia