Cinematic Glamor and Marigolds

Hello Loves,
    The past three weeks have been excitingly hectic, but that's life I guess. I was so excited about doing my "inspiration cleanse," then I got so busy creating my newest collection and keeping up with the demand for my burlap coffee sack wallets. I have been thinking about my blog in the back of my mind, and definitely feeling guilty. It's like when a friend is calling and you keep missing them, so this will be our super cozy long phone call where I will catch you up on the latest in the world of Well-Loved. I have in the past done some collage work, creating these scenes from different magazine textures and colors. It's like a view into my mind and I like to think of my purses as souvenirs from my own little world. I had a physics teacher in high school named Doc Brown, and he always said, "If you don't like the world make up your own." I dream of a world where the colors are maxed out like on Pushing Daisies and details are sentimental. I am so ecstatic about my latest collection, A Tungsten Day. I have been in love with every detail of each purse since I started creating it about a week and a half ago. There is this gorgeous accent color seen in the lace pockets of the Gatsby and the embroidery on the Wallace, that is what I like to call a deep marigold. The linings for this collection are vintage florals, and a paisley polka dot print that looks as if it were painted in watercolors. The buttons have this amazing 1950 Hollywood starlet feel, the glitter and color palette is glimmering and fresh. 

    In this collection I also proved that brown and black can go together. My color philosophy is that any colors can work together if it is done right. This collection for me, feels so much like it arrived from my dream world and I am so excited to share it with you. The Collection is called, "A Tungsten Day." When I see this collection I am taken somewhere else. It's a 1950's california starlet sitting in a candy apple red classic car pulled over on the side of a highway. She ran away from the city for a day, still in her glamorous and glimmering evening gown. She steps out of the car and sees that the highway in lined with fields of vibrant wildflowers: marigolds, poppies, and roses the color of hard candy. There is a sweet smell in the air like clove cigarettes and gardenias, and the sun is warm upon your skin. I think of the warm and beautifying glow of a summer sunset, tinting everything is touches with a tangerine tungsten hue. Imagine you are in that beautiful summer sunset glow and enjoy a first look at the collection. 

Well-Loved: Wallace: Champagne

                                        Well-Loved:Wallace: Rustic brown

 Well-Loved: Gatsby: Gatsby Duo shown in rustic brown/ champagne & Gatsby in rustic  brown

 Well-Loved: Gatsby: Glamorous sparkly buttons and a floral lining with marigold lace pocket

 Well-Loved: Itty-Bitty: Adorned with vintage buttons and now big enough to fit your iphone

                                          Well-Loved: Itty-Bitty: Hand dyed lace bow

                                                       Well-Loved: Card Holder: 

                                                          Well-Loved: Card Holder

Always Remember, you are Well-Loved.

-Gianina

A Full Bloom of Coffee Grounds and Burlap

Greetings from Savannah!

    I try to post every Wednesday, and I know this post will fall right on the wire of Wednesday to Thursday. Today has been such a busy, but wonderful day. I found out some great news about a collaboration I did back in March with Perc Coffee Roasters. Perc is a wonderful coffee roaster who provides to most coffee shops in Savannah, but specifically my two favorite sister coffee shops, Foxy Loxy and The Coffee Fox. They are both wonderfully homey and eclectic coffee shops with amazing desserts. Perc and I collaborated on a collection using recycled coffee sacks that the beans come in, which I crafted into billfold wallets. The sacks have great typography, designs and vibrant colors. I named the collection "Full Bloom," which actually is a term from the coffee roasting process, but I thought of on a larger scale. "Full Bloom" to me means that the coffee sacks are reaching their full potential. They hold quality coffee beans to be roasted at Perc, and then are crafted into unique wallets.  

    I heard back from The Coffee Fox, where they had been selling my wallets alongside delicious Perc coffee. Apparently my wallets have taken off and they want to order more. I am excited firstly because this is my first reorder, but also because I began as consignment with them and now we have began a wholesale relationship. Ideally a small business would want to do wholesale. Most retailers will start a new business or product at consignment and see how well it sells. I was really excited to have made the leap in my relationship with this business to wholesale, and of course to hear that people are loving the wallets. My weekend will definitely be full of burlap sewing and ironing and staring longingly at the stacks of leather waiting to be made into my bridal collection and classic collection. Here is a look at the  coffee sack wallets I made. 

Savannah,GA: Burlap Coffee Sack Wallets Available at The Coffee Fox

                         Savannah,GA: Burlap Coffee Sack Wallets Available at The Coffee Fox

Savannah,GA: Burlap Coffee Sack Wallets Available at The Coffee Fox

Savannah,GA: Burlap Coffee Sack Wallets Available at The Coffee Fox

I have also started working on my Classic Collection, which is 4 different sizes of purses made with two colors of leather. It creates quite a diverse collection that has some two-tone purses and ones that are all one color leather. The two colors I am working with for this classic collection are champagne and rustic brown. This collection will also be introducing a new sized purse, the cardholder. Originally the Itty Bitty was a wristlet that had a chain that you could wear at your elbow crook. It was big enough for cash, cards and some sentimental trinkets. I thought of it as the minimalist purse, that would be ideal for a cocktail party or an event where you don't want your purse to hold you back. I have been reevaluating my designs and perfecting them lately. I realized that if I was to own this purse it would ideally fit my phone too. The Itty Bitty has gotten bigger now and will fit the iphone5. The purse that used to be the Itty Bitty has lost it's chain and become the Card Holder. I hope you enjoy a sneak peak below of the new Card Holder design, and the fabrics and leathers for the upcoming Classic Collection. 

Savannah,GA: Well-Loved's upcoming Classic Collection: New Cardholder size in Rustic Brown

                        

Savannah,GA: Well-Loved's upcoming Classic Collection: New Cardholder size in Rustic Brown

Savannah,GA: Well-Loved's upcoming Classic Collection in Process

Savannah,GA: Well-Loved's upcoming Classic Collection: Leather Duo, Champagne and Rustic Brown

Savannah,GA: Well-Loved's upcoming Classic Collection: Beautiful buttons

I can't wait to show you guys the next project for "The Cleanse."Next Wednesday's post should have our newest interview and design. In the previous post, I shared my first entry of the cleanse and latest inspiration project. 

-Have a wonderful week, and always remember "You are Well-Loved."

Love,

Gianina

White Beetles & Splatter Paint Fringe

Hello!
    I have been excitedly waiting all week to let you guys in on my latest project. I have been working on my bridal collection and classic collection, which I mentioned in last week's post. I have been doing some custom designs outside of my normal collections, and I really enjoy it. I like to think something that separates my purses from other purses, is that mine are made with love. Every fabric is hand picked and the leather feels so genuine and luxurious. I spend a great deal of time, perfecting every detail so that the future owner feels the love and care put into each bag. I think when you are making a purse for someone you know that's an easier thing. It's like baking a cake for your sibling, versus a total stranger. I won't make you wait any longer, in my attempts to try and connect better with my customer I am embarking on what I like to call, "The Cleanse." Each week I am going to create a purse that one of my friends will love and also interview them. I made shirts and purses for my friend's birthdays as I was growing up, and there really is a special kind of love and labor that goes into those gifts. This all came to me over the weekend, along with all of the details for a perfect purse for my friend, Rebecca. I was driving and suddenly imagined a turquoise button, black fringe with gold splatter paint, a hard stamped "you are well-loved" filled in with gold, and of course mustard yellow lining with a mustard yellow lace pocket. I was so excited at this idea of making something beautiful for the people I love that I almost began it when I arrived home at 3am. Here we go!

The Cleanse: week 1
    Rebecca and I have been friends about a year. We met a couple months after I moved here, when we both worked at Savannah Bee Company. I was so excited to hear she loved Death Cab for Cutie as much as I did, maybe a little more. I thought her earrings, which were huge turquoise spheres with fetahers, were something that belonged in my own closet. We really became good friends this past winter and we have been roommates since February. She has been such a blessing to meet, when I moved down I never expected that I would make friends with someone so funny, sweet, and fun. We have way too much fun, whether it be grocery shopping or going to the beach. In the past few months I have definitely paid attention to her style and was confident I could make a bag she would love.

                            
                                              Savannah,GA: Rebecca Haney

                  Savannah,GA: Black quality leather with insets and gold splatter painted fringe

                        Savannah,GA: Antique brass chain and leather crafter shoulder strap

Savannah,GA: I used letter block stamps and a hammer to punch these into the leather and then filled in          the letters with Jaquard leather paint and the tip of a needle.

Savannah,GA: Mustard yellow lining, with a mustard yellow pocket that will hold her iphone. 

         Overall I would say this was a successful first week, Rebecca loved the purse. She was amazed by how "her" the purse was and how every detail was her favorite colors, and shapes. One thing that became very apparent when I was working on this is people tend to have their own chosen forms. The purse I create called the "Gatsby" is my ideal style lines and silhouette. Whether I am drawing or designing a dress, I am always drawn to very curvy, loopy, and organic shapes. I thought about Rebecca's jewelry and clothing and I realized she prefers hexagonal shapes. You can see these details on the shape of the purse, with the bottom having angular shaping. The flap for the purse was an echo of 1960's fashion, which is definitely an element of Rebecca's style. The turquoise button almost exactly matches a signature ring that Rebecca always wears. 

The Interview:

1. What is your favorite accessory?

-Probably a necklace or rings. A plethora of rings.

2. Where would be your dream vacation?

-Oregon, but generally I would like to conquer america before I leave the country.

3. What is your favorite color?

-Pea soup green/ teal

4. What is your favorite quote?

-This quote is probably my fave because every time I re-read it, it inspires me to re-evaluate or simplify things going on in my life. I know this quote is used frequently, but no one beats ole' Jack. 

"Be in love with your life. Every minute of it."

-Jack Kerouac 

-It's so simple, but it boils down to the core of what truly matters: making a life your proud of. 

5. Who is your hero?

-I don't even care what people think about this, but Andy Samberg is totally at the top somewhere. Nestled alongside him in my heart would be Ben Gibbard. His creative lyricism continues to inspire and amaze me. 

6. What is your favorite activity?

-Sleeping, I'm too lazy. I don't know how I haven't been picked out by natural selection by now. 

Have a lovely week, and always remember, you are well-loved.

-Gianina

Spanish Moss & Gilded Leather

Hello all! 

    There has been so much rain here in Savannah lately, but it has it's benefits. Outside of everything looking gloriously green, it forces me to put some of my late night epiphanies into production. I am a firm believer in the shower mindset, that whenever you are doing something that distracts you or seems mindless, you come up with the best ideas. Since my last post I have finally been taking some steps into the bridal world. I mentioned in my last post that I had been thinking about, and talking out this idea back in January with my aunts in Chicago. I have been wavering between creating the bags in the bridal collection to be a one time and memorable accessory, or making them so you could use them after your special day. I want to start out with a 4 piece collection and then go into custom purses from there. The custom side seems to be growing everyday. Here's a look at the first 2 pieces of the collection. 

Savannah,GA: Tester scraps for Bridal Collection: Gold leafed & Stamped with "I DO" and filled in with gold enamel. 

Savannah,GA: Bridal Itty-Bitty with "I DO" Stamp: I love the bow!

Savannah,GA: Bridal Itty-Bitty: "I DO" stamp and pretty floral lining. 

                           
                         Savannah,GA: Bridal Itty-Bitty: Pale blue with hand stitched lace lining.
    From my 4 design collection, there are so many options for really making this purse a vessel for "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." I thought today about how the button on the Bridal Itty-Bitty could so easily be a cufflink from your father's wedding day, or a beautiful pear button off your mother's wedding dress. There are so many ways to make this little purse the perfect vessel for the love you have felt from your parents, to the hope for a beautiful future. I think it would be so great to screenprint a love note from the groom to the bride on the special day. I am so excited to put this design out there, and for brides to have this heartfelt wristlet on their special day.

    I have been crafting this delicate bridal collection and also doing my primary collection that I mentioned with swatches in my last post. I have also been working on something totally different that I have never done anything like before. I have been thinking about this idea for an event for a while, and feeling a need in my own business to help out a cause. Desoto Row is a tiny street that monthly has the Art March Indie Craft Fair, it is also lined with some great small businesses like a print shop and a coffee roasting company. I imagine Desoto Row lined with stands with umbrellas, almost like a grownup lemonade stand. Each table sells their special craft whether it be jewelry or handmade cards, and they also would decorate their umbrella to suit their business. It will be a craft market during the day at the beginning of September, and a percentage of each vender's total sales will be donated to a charity for child abuse. There is so much research to be done, and I am still in shock that this event might be a reality. I am trying to come up with some ways to start fundraising, but I really have a lot of hope that this will be a great event. There is a lot going on in the world of Well-Loved, but I love it and am amazed to have an opportunity to share love and my designs with the world.

Savannah,GA: I cannot wait to send this wrapped up Itty-Bitty to the Hercampus.com giveaway winner: She's from Chicago!

                         Savannah,GA: All Well-Loved purchases come with a handwritten card!

                         Savannah,GA: Foxy Loxy Coffee Shop: Gotta love the Savannah view.

Always remember you are well-loved♥
                      -Gianina

Planning and White Petals

Hello! & Thank you for stopping by,

     I have been so busy and so inspired lately, it has been a struggle for my hands to keep up with my mind. I am by no means complaining. I have definitely had weeks and months where I feel like I tried every trick in the book to be inspired and it just did not fly. Let me catch you up to what has been going on in the life of Well-Loved. I decided to make my purses available for wholesale, and it has been such a success for me. I was nervous even though I have spent many sleepless nights perfecting the bags and making sure they were durable and quality. Handcrafting something and then attempting to sell it really can bring up your own idea of yourself. I was worried that my products would be too expensive if I began doing wholesale to retail. When you sell wholesale, your prices on your website and the price that the store sells for our double what you pay yourself and what your materials are. It definitely puts you in a different price bracket, but it has been such a great leap for me. 

    After I counted every single inch of thread and went through every seed bead used on the handle of the Wallace, I had my exact material costs. I had my prices in hand and decided it was time to pitch my purses to some boutiques in downtown Savannah. Talk about a test of confidence! Firstly realizing that your product does not need to be desperately discounted, and then on top of it having a truly wonderful classy boutique, 24e,  decides to pick up two of your collections. Definitely check out the stunning display that their employees have put together, if you're in the Savannah area. 

* http://www.24estyle.com/products/itty-bitty-wristlet

I am now working on a bridal collection and my a new all-piece collection. This new collection will feature a bigger Itty Bitty, (now with space for your iphone) and cardholders. I am swooning over the colors right now, they are gorgeous. They remind me of 1940's handkerchiefs, and fields of wildflowers. I am in love for sure. 

 Desoto Row: Savannah,GA:  My favorite flowering trees that grew on my street in Chicago

 Savannah, GA: Playing with jewelry on a rainy Sunday: Made a necklace and earrings

Savannah, GA: Late night studio time!: Next collection in the work: Color Palette love

   

     The bridal collection is going to act as a vessel for the "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." I got some great pale blue leather 2 weeks ago at Measure: a Fabric Parlor, and thought about the pure amazingness this leather could contribute to a bridal collection. I dreamt about beautiful linings for the bridal collection back in Winter. I thought how gorgeous it would be to have a ivory or pale blue lining with lace stitched delicately on top  I thought it would be great to have the purses customizable. You could have a pearl button from your mother's wedding dress be the closure, or a appliqué of lace from her dress on the lining. I am working on the basic collection and a look book right now to better present these ideas. I also thought how wonderful it would be to be able to screen-print a message from the groom to the bride on the inside of the purse. I have been loving working with lace and pearls the past few days. I have attached some photos below of the swatches for the bridal collection. Enjoy! 

Savannah,GA: Well-Loved's Bridal Collection: White leather, blue cotton and dotted lace

Savannah, GA: Well-Loved's Bridal Collection: Pale blue leather, ivory lining, and thick lace

I Hope you guys enjoyed the photos and an update of everything going on with the business. I am going to make my best attempt to update every Wednesday. I hope you a lovely week for you all full of sun and wonderful things. Always remember you are well-loved. ♥

-Gianina

That Well-Loved Feel

    Right now I am home in Chicago, which is a blustery and snowy escape from sunny Savannah. I went to my aunts' house the other day, and she has this beautiful victorian house. Their house is like a giant warm hug, the rooms are all full of character and family. I love their creaky and twisting staircase that is completely lined with family photos from a variety of eras. There is a black and white photo of a handmade grade school play most likely from the mid fifties. My aunt Joann hovers in the back almost hidden amongst the children in handmade and eclectic costumes. There is so much character in the photo, the lead actress looks like she is drinking in her first taste of 9 year old fame.  Her pose has the finesse of a black and white film starlet. There is character in these photos, there is colorful fashion of children and adults of different decades. The amount of photos is amazing, but even more amazing in the thin thread that connects me to all of them. I think family history is so beautiful, I think of each ancestors traits as a gift to the future generations. Maybe my great grandmother who was a daughter of the american resolution was stubborn like me. Maybe my brother, Matt,  has my paternal grandfather's intellect and curiosity. If you don't get stuck in the wonder and beauty of these photos, you might notice at the top of the stairs a little framed quote that reads, "The guardian angels of life sometimes fly so high as to be beyond our sight, but they are always looking down upon us."

    I think family history can be a good way to stay present, I think of all of these ancestors as guardian angels and how they had such wonderful hopes for me. It specifies you and takes you out of the crowd,  you are part of this lineage and part of this push for the future adventures. Women on my dad's side have always been creative. I remember feeling so special when I was 10 years old and teaching myself to make ornaments that looked like beaded fruit like my grandmother had made. Whenever I have received anything from previous generations in my family I have felt their love for me when I used the heirloom. Not in some weird psychic way but in this is a quality archive of that time, and someone who thought of me with love used it. It's like a grandfather's pocket watch passed down, you feel the quality when you hold it, you remember the time period, and you imagine your young grandfather rushing for a train or sitting in an elegant library. It's a piece of someone's life, and now all of their dreams and love are passed to you. When you are in a difficult situation you can look down at that watch and be reminded that someone has been in your situation, and someone that shares your genetics has gotten through it. Heirlooms to me, have as much character, adventure and love as a classic novel.

    When I was home for Christmas, I planned a day to explore my dad's childhood home's attic. My family lives on the southside of Chicago, in the historic Beverly/ Morgan Park neighborhood. The home my dad grew up in is still in our family, and has this wonderful attic that feels like a combination of alice and wonderland and Narnia. I have found amazing things there, I got this bright yellow suitcase from 1920s France that belonged to my Grandfather's cousin's wife. Her name was Elizabeth Samson and she went to Oxford. There was a photo of her when we opened the case and antique french books. She lived in 1920s France, and had amazing style. I found this beautiful wallet, that is black leather with a art nouveau gold print and a red satin lining. It is so classy and beautiful, even the hardware is stylized and quality. This is maybe where is all began.

    I used the suitcase for my thesis show, and am still amazed at the 1920s era travel tags from France to Midway airport. The wallet was amazingly like new, and I use it probably more than I should. There is just so much character to it, and I wonder what Elizabeth was like. I wonder if she knew that one day a relative would hold something she used daily so dearly? There was earrings too, they have these rings of  rhinestones and jade and turquoise beads topped with gold crowns. They are glamorous and unique, and so perfectly my style. I couldn't believe them when I found them, they looked like something that is so my style I couldn't of even imagined them. They are classic with something special, an extra little pazazz that shows your different than the rest. I am amazed at the quality and style of these items and the love and uniqueness I feel when I use these items. I wanted other people to be able to have that feeling, like an item is made just for them and of quality material and love. I love to think of the business men of the 1940s who wore leather dress shoes to work everyday, hopefully with intricate punch work. The shoes formed the shape of their feet and after a while, acted as a journal of their motion and day. You didn't just throw your shoes out, you took care of them and got them polished and resoled. I think alot about how amazing it would be to have more tradesman and higher standards. Wouldn't it be green and made in America, if things were made of quality materials and people kept up with them?

    I realize now that there was quite an intro to this entry, but don't worry the photos will be the payback. Let me get back to the point, I went to Chicago near Christmas this year and as part of my research for my brand, Well-Loved, I explored my family's attic. I went there on a freezing day and found a dresser full of clothing: lingerie, bright and quirky printed baby clothes, and dress with beautiful prints and embroidery. There is a small room with a variety of classics and books from 1930s onward. There was jewlery and compacts from my great grandmother. There was a metal box covered in prints of crowns that had metals and cufflinks from World War I. There was portraits of ancestors, and little pieces of their lives everywhere. There is so many things in the attic,  but it's a beautiful adventure to go through it all. You find something new every time  and each item there has a connection to my family history. I will let you enjoy the images now of some of the things I discovered.