Cathryn Collins is the designer behind I Pezzi Dipinti, a brand dedicated to creating clothing with help from artisans around the world. Her line of cashmere knitwear and textiles are testaments to the handiwork of individuals from Italy to India.

Collins created I Pezzi Dipinti in 1988. The name itself means “painted pieces” in Italian, and the first iteration of her business surrounded painted pieces of furniture. She had previously worked for Knoll furniture on marketing and product development. During that time she became obsessed with artisanal furniture production and eventually met a family that had been restoring painted 15th – 17th-century furniture. She later worked with artisans in Nepal to create textiles, and eventually creators in Umbria, Italy, to produce cashmere knitwear.

The reason her designs are crafted in so many locations is due to the fact she built her business around her love of traveling and love for the locations the artisans she works with.  Many of her textiles are made in India, from Kashmir to Bangladesh, through dozens of individuals who are spinning, weaving, embroidering and tie-dying these authentic pieces. Working with the most talented artisans, I Pezzi Dipinti also produces cashmere knitwear in Italy, and most recently, bespoke furs in New York. A mix of elevated craftsmanship and forward-thinking is what has created such strong designs.

Despite the success of Cathryn’s work, I Pezzi Dipinti is only available through trunk shows in New York, London, Jackson Hole and Aspen, and now, Santa Fe. The brand is a favorite of those who prefer under-the-radar finds. Please join us in welcoming Cathryn Collins for a trunk show on July 26th and 27th, 2019.

Founded in 2012 by Jasmine Etoile Aarons, VOZ bridges the gap between centuries-old crafting traditions and modern fashion design platforms. VOZ is a B corporation certified ethical fashion company, that strives to protect the livelihoods, well-being, and cultural values of rural indigenous women globally. Dedicated to honoring and empowering Mapuche artisans in many aspects of their lives, Jasmine has established a platform that allows the artisans to flourish by providing them with education and sustainable fair-trade employment. Today, VOZ provides over 100 jobs to women in South America.

Using premium quality natural and ecological fibers, they create collections that are hand dyed and woven by indigenous women at their primary education center in Temuco, Chile. Each of the artisans also receives credit and royalties for their contributions to every design. VOZ simultaneously provides design leadership, training, and opportunity for indigenous women in rural regions. They are continually revitalizing ancient weaving techniques that are indigenous to the Southern Chilean region. Each of their Mapuche Master Weavers infuses their collaborative designs with symbols from their family traditions. These Mapuche artisans are the largest indigenous group in South America, and the only indigenous group that was never conquered by the Spanish.

Their textiles feature the finest noble materials from the Andean region: baby alpaca, wool, and Pima cotton. Carefully woven and skillfully rendered, each piece created by VOZ is unique and filled with detail, carrying traces of the hands that made it.

Join VOZ in their mission to create opportunities for indigenous artisan communities around the world.

Lapis lazuli has a rich and extensive past. Treasured by many civilizations for the last 6,000 years, lapis is valued for its vivid color. The most beautiful lapis is sourced from Badakhshan, a province in present-day Afghanistan. Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations, as well as the Greeks and Romans, also sourced their lapis from this area.

In Egypt, it was said, that people would feel a force radiating from these stones, one that could change their lives. Because of this feeling and the stone’s associations with the sky, many believed lapis was a stone of the gods. In fact, priests would dye their robes with lapis to strengthen their connection to the divine.

In China, some believe Buddha Amitabha’s paradise was paved with gold, silver and lapis. Historically, the Emperor and the royal court were the only others who could wear lapis due to its connotation, rarity and price. For centuries, lapis was valued at nearly the same price as gold.

During the Renaissance in Europe, lapis became the source for a blue pigment, used in paint, known as ultramarine. Because the stone was so expensive, this pigment was typically reserved for paintings of icons such as the Virgin Mary.

Also known as the rock of truth, lapis is believed to encourage honesty of the spirit and grant the wearer improved judgment. The stone’s blue color comes from lazurite and is flecked with brass-colored specks of pyrite. These gold and white-silver flakes resemble the glow of stars in the crisp night sky.

John Derian’s passion as a designer was borne out of his love for vintage prints. His obsession began when he was in his 20’s when he stumbled on boxes of prints at a flea market in Salem, Massachusettes. Struck by the vibrancy and charm in each illustration, he began collecting them. A few years later he found himself working at a design shop co-owned by Apple Parish Bartlet. It was there that John sold items he assembled, and in 1989 he started thinking about what he more he could create. Somewhere between pondering the answer to that question and frequenting flea markets, it struck him: decoupaged plates.

Decoupage itself is a craft where paper decor is affixed to hard surfaces with glue and varnish. Simple cut-outs can enhance any home goods, and they have been plastered on everything from furniture to dinnerware since the art form started sometime in the 18th century. Decoupage was popular among artisans in Florence, Italy, and used in combination with other techniques such as gold leaf and carved wood.

Once Derian discovered how he could expand on his passion for prints, he began making decoupaged clear glass plates, trays and bowls. Within days he had thousands of dollars worth of orders. His business has been growing since, and he has been deemed a “decoupage maestro” by everyone from the likes of Elle Décor and Vanity Fair to The New York Times.

It only seems fitting that John Derian and Astier de Villatte would team up in 2011 to add John’s iconic collected imagery to Astier de Villatte’s classic tableware. The 19th-century illustrations and patterns complement Astier’s handmade ceramics which are also reminiscent of that era.

There is a notion surrounding ceramics that creators should prioritize the never-ending search for perfection. For hundreds of years, alchemists, craftsmen and chemists devoted themselves to creating silkier textures, greater translucency and durability. Although each of these can be important facets of well-made ceramics, the focus on perfection hinders the individuality that is inherent in handmade items.

This is why in spite of their 18th and 19th-century inspirations, Astier de Villatte works with a laissez faire approach to design. They aren’t interested in the modern idea of perfection we have grown accustomed to. Rather, Astier de Villatte creates tableware that is delightfully off-kilter, and commemorates the hands that made it. Although the illustrations that John Derian uses are not wholly unique, as the prints are copied and duplicated for multiple uses, there is something that feels singular about them. In many ways, it feels as though the pieces created by their collaboration tell a story and carry a history that spans across centuries and brings it directly into your home.

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Trippen was born during the sustainability movement in the early ’90s, and they have been making strides since, to create transparency in their process. For instance, recently they have been working on the creation of symbols that explain the details of every shoe. Although Trippen has been upfront about their process for years, consumers do not always read or research products before they purchase. They want to make this process more intuitive.

When they founded Trippen, Michael Oehler and Angela Spieth created prototypes with the idea that they could avoid the use of any glue. When everything was joined together mechanically, they found that it wasn’t practical because the shoes ended up requiring additional maintenance. It was still an important development because it led them to use water-based adhesive. Designer Claudia Hoess recalls the day Michael brought up the use of water-based glue, and how those involved in production feared it would hinder their process because water-based glue takes longer to dry – around 10-15 minutes. Michael convinced one woman to try it for a few months, and eventually, the material stuck. Now Trippen uses water-based glue exclusively, which is much less harmful to the environment.

In addition to using water-based adhesive, Trippen have been working with vegetable-tanned leather, rather than chromium-tanned. Although the process takes longer when vegetable-tanned leather is involved, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Not only is vegetable-tanned leather safer for sensitive skin, but it is also better from a sustainable and environmentally safe standpoint.

Although Trippen have been experimenting with vegan alternatives for leather and rubber, Michael has not found one that he thinks compares. They have been following the development of vegan and biodegradable materials for years, testing them with each of their shoes. Although they have yet to find a perfect fit, Michael says they are making progress and will present some ideas soon.

“The vegan shoe has a completely different approach. It feels strange to me because I have to change my thinking from not using leather and rubber. So far I have been designing in a way that pays a lot of attention to durability considerations. This is more like creating a holy shoe, where I focus only on using vegan materials.”

Above all at Trippen, the four pillars of their brand are design, ecology, social responsibility and the customer. By taking each of these things into consideration, they are able to continually produce better shoes. Claudia joined not long after the company started and began by learning how to make shoes with Michael, gradually becoming more involved. Now the two work in tandem, in a process that complements one another’s creative strengths. Typically, Michael comes up with sustainable, environmentally conscious and functional improvements, while Claudia creates the design that follows suit. In other words as their mantra states: design follows function.