To Tovi Farber, the creative process is one rich in magic.
To melt and shape 18K gold and fuse it with character and beauty – and diamonds, of course – is to engage in a history of alchemical intrigue. Simultaneously spontaneous and carefully planned, her delicate jewelry is the culmination of a lifetime of travel, inspiration and enthusiasm for the craft. She has been designing and making jewelry herself for over 30 years.
Based in Tel Aviv, Tovi’s studio focuses primarily on working with unusual diamonds, such as black, pink and champagne varieties. Each is catalyzed in buttery 18k gold – a presentation she describes as “soft light”.
Tovi’s diamonds are chosen individually for each particular creation – sitting in compositions designed specifically for that stone, and that stone alone. Because of this careful consideration, no two pieces are exactly alike.
“The creative process is a magical process, into the unknown. A process that involves inspirations, thoughts, views, which does not yield to the dictates of the trend.”
It’s no secret that designers Rianna Kounou and Nina Knaudt love a long, lost treasure – their Rianna + Nina one-of-a-kind collection is often assembled from carefully sourced antique and vintage textiles.
However, their ready-to-wear bears the same fascination – each piece of printed silk drips in reinterpreted and abstracted motifs from the duo’s storied aesthetic library.
Rianna + Nina’s latest collection, Kipos, reveals a secret garden native to its namesake. Its a collection defined by exuberant prints with a strong connection to nature. Its descriptors – evocative in both Greek and English – are a wild landscape of Anthos (flowers), Dásos (forests) and Limni (lakes.)
The colorful patterns are wholly inspired by a gift – an heirloom, in fact. Kipos’s origin is found in a traditional Japanese tapestry given to Rianna by her mother. In Rianna + Nina’s ready-to-wear silks, find Rianna’s hand-painted rendition of this textile.
By layering and overlapping the motifs, Rianna deepens the patterns and infuses them with movement – adding to the overall impact of the garment. The flowing nature of silk heightens the garment’s motion, breathing a bit of life and magic into both the piece and its wearer.
With Greig Porter as our house designer, our access into his studio, collection and creative vision is unparalleled by any other artist in our stable.
We are lucky to be so closely entwined with a creative mind such as his – Greig sees little obstacle to creating fine jewelry with any type of gem. Through each ring, necklace or earring, another piece of his artistic puzzle (and unknown hue on his jeweler’s palette) is revealed.
Creativity and curiosity are tenets Greig has in spades. He’s not at all taken with just the glitzy celebrities of the bunch – such as the diamonds, sapphires and rubies of the world – but with the more unknown (but no less beautiful!) jewels off the beaten path.
It’s not unusual to see a honeyed spessartite garnet or a crimson sphalerite twinkling within Greig’s workshop. In this, he allows his stones to “speak” – using carefully considered facets and minimal bezels to best show off each gem’s natural character.
“It’s always the color. It doesn’t matter what [the stone] particularly is, it’s the color. If I find something that has great color and clarity, then that’s likely to be my favorite stone of the moment.”
Daniela Gregis carries us through the dog days of summer with cooling waves of Azzurro, Bianco and Sabbia; a seafoam inspired palette arriving just in time to beat the heat.
In Daniela’s washed linens and weightless cottons, we are transported to a golden hour as the sun sets on Guanacaste’s sparkling beaches. The beauty of her work lies in its endless versatility – her pieces are equally elegant worn straight out of a suitcase or dressed up for an evening soiree.
Daniela’s poetic style plays well with others – pair her cotton pants with an Issey Miyake top for an artful edge, a gauzy SHI pant for layers of linen, or toss in one of her crocheted Bianca bags and a pair of Lapima sunnies for the quintessential beachside look.
Crumpled, pleated and creased, Daniela’s intentional textures invite freedom and ease into a seasonal wardrobe desperate for it – not to mention permission to wear it as crinkled as you would like (who wants to iron in this weather?!) Wrapped in layers of sand, surf and sweet summer air, Daniela Gregis reminds us to move slowly and softly into fall.
The allure of red is hard to put a name to — within its hue, find equal parts passion, adventure and sensitivity.
Like a dram of aged wine — that shares its color — red tickles the senses and winks to possibilities hidden in its depths. In this palette, we find not only the inspiration of Avant Toi, (and designer Mirko Ghignone’s penchant for rich color) but also that of Alasdair Cameron, a British landscape designer known for his exuberant, naturalistic gardens.
Alisdair’s gardens feel alive, thrumming with energy and what he refers to as “a fresh perspective” on outdoor living. His designs alight with color and shape, working in harmony with the existing surroundings.
Red, a favorite and passionate hue, provides contrast and verve within Alisdair’s work. We discover it elsewhere — in a touch of organic dye across cashmere and silk and the smooth leather of a Corîu handbag — and are immediately drawn to it’s verve.
Even in its more subdued and royal cousin, violet, the passion of red rings true. Wearing it makes us feel simultaneously powerful and feminine, eye-catching and elegant, thoughtful and totally spontaneous. When layered together, in a panache of florals and summer knits, it’s as if we’ve donned the wild garden itself.
Gilda Midani’s playfulness has always found a balance with her love of moody color.
In hand-dyed linen and cotton, her breezy silhouettes are lightweight, carefree and totally beachy keen. However when steeped in indigo, a favorite hue in the Midani palette, we feel an echo of saltwater — dark and cool.
Gilda’s core optimism is buoyed by the contrasts found throughout the delivery — blue and red, ocean and earth, day and night. The sun, caught right at dusk, peeks through a crimson she calls Barn. Meanwhile, Rothko-esque cyan squares float across the cloud-like background of an undyed top in Zone. Splashes of that precious saltwater indigo reappear in dots that crawl up a pattern cheekily titled “Dust.”
Joining the tees and longer tunics of this delivery is a selection of Gilda’s famed egg pants. The denim variety is an elevated take on the classic jean that is still appropriate to throw on in hot weather.
When seeking respite, both vacation and staycation, we wish to lose ourselves. To feel freedom, joy and optimism without severing our tether to reality. Perhaps that’s why Gilda’s pieces are among our favorites for summer — whether draped over a one-piece on a coastal getaway or worn loose and layered for a city adventure, each imbues us with a sense of our head in the clouds and toes in the water.
When searching for inspiration, Ellis Mhairi Cameron does what many of us do — she looks to the earth.
However, the earth Ellis looks to is atypical. It’s dewy, green and cool, marked by rocky coastlines and expansive meadows. Bog myrtle, harebell and Scotch thistle carpet the landscape, hiding centuries of buried artifacts and jewels. Scottish-born, now based in London, Ellis absorbs her surroundings, history and social heritage and reinterprets them in precious gold.
Her one-of-a-kind diamonds are chosen particularly for their unusual color — often an autumnal amber or red that elicits the sunrise and sunset over Scotland. Rather than aim for the precise look of modern jewels, Ellis’s “old cut” diamonds are antique, hand-cut stones from the 1800s & 1900s, reset in her signature molten gold.
Excavation and discovery are core tenets for Ellis’s collection. She incorporates medieval influences — ancient coins, fragmented architecture, and prehistoric tools — directly into the shapes of her hand-hewn pieces. Gold is carved and piled around her diamonds, giving the sense that the wearer has “uncovered” the gem.
“I find beauty in the irregular, the imperfect and the eroded.”
Bokja is a Beirut-based design studio, crafting meaningful narratives through embroidery and textile to create personable objects, from furniture to fashion.
Huda Baroudi and Maria Hibri lead a team of talented artisans and designers from over 10 countries, representing a diverse cluster of textile practices of the Arabian region.
Brought together under a unique mission, they seek to preserve a local craft tradition by redefining it in a contemporary voice.
At the TAP studio, moments of silent contemplation punctuate the intensity of their forge.
Each piece, carefully considered, demands this of Todd Pownell and his team – their focus, their care and their attention on each and every tap of the hammer into the slight give of 18K gold.
As if plucking stars from the sky, designers Todd and Debra Pownell finish each piece with a sprinkling of delicate, faceted diamonds. Through this painstaking process, the personal constellation is born.
The twinkling of Todd and Debra’s diamonds is amplified by the dozens of tiny facets cut into their surface – light is captured within each stone and reflected through a hundred different points. Strung together, or inverted in a hammered gold bezel, these stones take on a contemporary edge.
Eschewing classical gold settings in their necklaces, Todd and Debra drill tiny holes into each diamond and attach their chains and hoops directly to it. An incredibly hardy gem, diamonds are one of the few stones where this is possible. Though the presentation is delicate, the assembly is strong, and the pieces intended for daily wear.
For Gilda Midani, the cosmopolitan adventurer’s style is rooted in her intrepid imagination.
As if set free on Morocco’s Legzira Beach, model Bella Tyland — seen here in Gilda’s newest designs — evokes the freedom found in this stunning locale. Streaks of shibori red run down the cotton and linen fabric, echoing the sandstone cliffs that border Legzira’s shores.
Gilda’s easygoing approach culminates in the perfect summer dress. Her joyful color-ways and fluid silhouettes offer not only a freedom of movement, but of spirit. Each piece, hand-dyed by her studio in Brazil, is as poetic as it is undemanding. The garments can be easily styled with espadrilles, bare feet or a Moroccan babouche picked up from the Bazaar in Fez.
Lapima was founded in 2016 by Gisela and Gustavo Assis. Inspired by artistic movements and the organic lines of brazil’s landscapes, the brand’s essence connects luxury and attitude with frames sculpted by hand in Italian materials.
The beauty and romance of Legzira is intensified by its magnitude. Where vast desert meets vast ocean, a sense of possibility echoes from every grain of sand. Surfers, travellers, locals and fishermen commingle here seeking nature’s aesthetic and essential bounty.
What do Indonesian ikat, Egyptian tribal scarves and Turkmen camel trappings have in common?
Other than their exquisite handicraft and ceremonial use, they capture thousands of years of textile history in between each thread of yarn.
The oldest ikat textile found was discovered in an Egyptian Pharaoh’s tomb – a delicate weave that dates back 5000 years and originated in India. In the centuries afterwards, silk Odishan ikat blossomed along the Silk Road as commerce boomed from Bhubaneswar in Odisha to Tashkent, Damascus and on to Cairo and Istanbul.
Traditional ikats are thought to have developed independently in various locales – India, Central Asia, Central and South America and Indonesia. In the work of Biyan, a couture designer from Jakarta, a juxtaposition of ikat prints formed the basis of his collection.
Within each piece, Biyan explores Indonesia’s vast visual history — often his motifs echo the symbolic meanings of its traditional patterns. Abstract florals and animals peek out from his beading and embroidery work — harnessing not just exuberant, earthy drama but core femininity.
The International Folk Art Market inspires love for the textiles of the world. All manner of handmade fabrics are celebrated at this annual fête, from kantha to batik to shisha to suzani.
Among them is one of our favorites: the deep cobalt of indigo-dyed cotton and silk. Coveted for its medicinal qualities and its rich colorations, indigo exemplifies both ancient tradition and cool, global style.
Indigo traditions span the world, although the deepest histories of this technique are found in West Africa, India, and Japan. Boro, a tradition that dates back to 10th century Japan, is a type of fabric made from sewing worn indigo-dyed scraps together to make something new.
The term Boro is derived from boroboro, Japanese for something tattered and repaired – a reflection of the textile’s birth rather than its final use, which can be either utilitarian or decorative.
Sashiko, another Japanese textile custom, refers to the style of embroidery that floats atop these boro pieces. This technique was born during the Edo period, 1615-1868 CE, and is most often found as white-on-indigo thread work that repairs and repurposes a fabric.
A twinned blue, turquoise has an undeniable synergy with the indigo fabrics of Japan. In fact, Japan ranks as one of the top markets for turquoise, with a collector base specifically interested in unique stones. Tibetan, Royston, Sleeping Beauty and Persian turquoise fetch the highest prices from Japanese collectors.
As the fashion melting pot mixes across the world, we consistently find ourselves attracted to the intersections of ancient and modern. Japanese Boro and Sashiko, cleanly-made contemporary denim and the serene turquoise of the American Southwest are poised at these crossroads, and with this combination they form a unique and breathtaking global style.
Even in the most urban of settings, our eyes crave the richness of soil.
A garden replete with tomatoes, marigolds and floating butterflies – count us in. Earth tones symbolize fertility, growth and the promise of a future harvest. It’s of little surprise that we are drawn to the depth, warmth, and comfort of this palette in the home.
Maison de Vacances offers a selection of luxe textiles that crosses between tightly woven linens, intricate jacquards and smooth, shiny velvet. Experts in the tonal realm, designer Michèle Fouks and her team of French textile artisans have created versatile homegoods that can be layered to taste.
The dynamic nature of an earth tone palette leaves room for interpretation – add white to achieve a lighthearted country feel, while a touch of red or blue will ignite a bohemian atmosphere. When layered together with a selection of vintage Suzani pillows – strikingly patterned with brown and coral embroidery – this same color provides the background for an inspired, traveled presence.
Achievable only during a few short months of the year, the ancient art of mud silk is an intricate seasonal process.
Not only do the weather conditions have to be just right, but the organic make-up of the surrounding landscape has to be in perfect harmony to create the components crucial to mud silk’s signature color. Also known as tea silk, this unique textile harnesses plant matter, river mud, sunshine and time to create one of the world’s most unique and coveted fabrics.
Originating in the Guangdong Province of China, mud silks date back to the fifth century, during the Ming Dynasty. The tradition lives on today along the Pearl River, wherein a subtropical river delta carries the iron-rich mud that artisans bind to raw silk. Traditionally, the fabric has contrasting surfaces on each side – one side a glossy black, while the other a matte orange- brown, green, or blue depending on the additional natural dyes used – most often yam or indigo.
The bolts of silk are simmered in large clay basins filled with water and dried yams – a soaking process repeated up to forty times until the desired depth of color is achieved. After being laid in the sun – often in long stretches across an open field – a thin layer of anthracite coal is applied to its surface, followed by a layer of iron-rich river mud. The silk is left to dry and develop – a lengthy final process to cure the tannins in the dyes. The finished silk is crisp and shiny in the hand – a characteristic that softens with time and wear.
Linen, a strong textile derived from flax plants, is the perfect complement for hot weather.
In addition to having a luxurious hand, it is lightweight and dries more quickly than cotton. When left in its most natural state, undyed and with few embellishments, linen invites a life lived lightly. It speaks of warm days relaxing in the grass beneath the umbrella pines – a spritz in one hand and a good book in the other. For this ebullient venture, Antonelli’s discreetly Italian style is uniquely suited.
Designers and sisters Enrica and Roberta Antonelli’s primary focus is to craft stylish, modern pieces without sacrificing ease of wear. By harnessing their heritage of fine tailoring, the duo combines smart cuts, airy silhouettes and classic shirting elements to create their selection of timeless, lightweight garments. Their latest summer collection focuses on the symphonic inspiration of nature. Through texture and color they capture frothy waves, sweeping sand beaches, smooth ocean stones poking through saltwater and a cascade of mountain peaks just along the horizon — each a reminder of the peace found beneath the sun.
Much of what makes a beautiful piece of jewelry is the way its stones react to light.
Reflection – how light bounces around the interior of the stone – plays in tension against refraction – the specific way the stone “bends” light – to create the luminesce inherent to precious gems. Pippa Small’s collection is a meditation on this interplay of shimmer and shine, exposing the organic beauty found within her hand-picked jewels.
In every way that Pippa presents her gems, each seems to “glow” even in the softest light. Rather than lean on conventional cuts, Pippa carves oblique facets that best show the natural shape of each gem alongside its internal glimmer.
Occasionally, Pippa will opt for cabochon – a smooth polishing of the gem surface that allows brilliant color to take the lead. With an aquamarine, it is as if Pippa has cast a water droplet in gold.
A good jeweler maximizes both the reflection and refraction, aiming for a veritable fireworks show. However, a great jeweler knows when to step back and allow the natural push and pull of these elements to elevate them beyond the ordinary. Pippa Small is among the latter, her collection ripe with dynamic, fascinating pieces that balance subtlety and sparkle.
When creating their newest collection, Lucie and Luke Meier, the creative directors behind minimalist powerhouse Jil Sander, asked themselves: What feels modern?
Is it the inclusion of a forward-thinking, eco-friendly textile? Avant-garde silhouettes that break the boundary of shape? While the brand is no stranger to either of these ventures – and has indeed incorporated them into their latest collection – the duo seems to have answered their question with another. Can you feel modern by dressing timelessly?
Despite reading subtle at first blush, the collection is brimming with charisma – oversized cuffs, nipped-in sweaters and sleeves rounded on the bias to give the silhouette a hint of glamour. With a palette ranging from buttercream to black, Luke and Lucie introduce the poised polychrome – shades that can ebb and flow across pastels and brights with ease.
Elegant pearl baubles are presented alongside an artful woven leather tote for a meeting of classic and contemporary. The look is ultimately polished – a hint of high etiquette echoes from the clean, angular silhouettes of their exquisite shirting and tunics – however at no point does the brand sacrifice ease of wear.
The timeless aesthetic is elusive. It stays far away from flash and trend to instead opt for simplicity and elegance. In dressing, we seek this style that feels modern and stays modern – something that Jil Sander does effortlessly. Its core, composed of pieces that blend seamlessly from season to season, won’t be out of place in 5, 10, 25 years… and that is what we call modernity.
Tucked within the dense woodlands of Sweden, find heaven by a different name.
The Forest Retreat, designed by Stockholm-based Norm Architects, is a study in simplicity. A converted timber cabin, its interior has been completely reenvisioned for a life lived slowly. Soft linens, minimalist wooden furniture and smooth, dolomite plaster walls encourage the rest and relaxation sought within a holiday home.
Positioned atop an ancient ridge, the Forest Retreat overlooks the vast Swedish wilderness. A maze of knotty pines and towering spruces unfurl from beyond the home’s floor to ceiling windows. A direct connection to nature is key to finding stillness within the self — a tenet deeply understood within this space.
All photos by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen and Norm Architects
In dressing, we seek a similar peace. The naturalist’s wardrobe does not stray too far from its roots — organic linens and cottons in creamy ecru and taupe are a direct reflection of their flaxen origins. This way of dressing is uncomplicated and straightforward. It is ease and comfort without sacrifice, and a reminder that sophistication is simply essence in design.
Beginning in prehistoric times, Inuit tribes constructed goggles by cutting slits in flattened pieces of ivory or bone to peer through and observe the otherwise blinding arctic landscape. Sunglasses were pioneered again in 12th century China, where slabs of smoky quartz were attached to frames designed to fit the wearer’s face. They were often used to hide judicial expressions in court rather than a way to improve vision.
Italy is where the groundwork for the beginnings of modern sunglass technology began. In the 18th century, the more traditional form of glasses was created, with two clear lenses attached to a wire frame. The invention spread throughout Italy and glasses with tinted green lenses soon became popularized in Venice to protect the eyes of gondoliers from the glare of the canals. After being introduced across Europe, the 20th century saw American firms improve and expand upon the Italian design to create many of the silhouettes and styles we know today.
Herbert Matter, Pontresina Engadin 1935. Image courtesy of MoMA.
Lapima draws on the Italian sunglass heritage with the sourcing of their glasses, which incorporate Italian latex as a key component. The latex allows for the construction of frames that are both durable and light, providing the wearer with a feeling of comfort regardless of style.
As a Brazilian designer, Lapima understandably draws on national culture to inspire their unique shapes and designs. The expressive and vibrant nature of Brazilian fashion and their iconic beach lifestyle have had a notable impact on Lapima’s styling. Their glasses sport bold frames and colors that communicate energy and light, perfect for a visit to Copacabana Beach or just a summer stroll.
In each Corîu bag, find the soul of their hometown, Acquaviva delle Fonti.
The label’s distinctly classic designs are informed by centuries of Italian leather craft, and the inherent beauty of goods made slowly. Their latest collection, Mare Nostrvm — a stylization of the Italian for “our sea” — explores the sensory experience of Puglia and Southern Italy — a panache of red earth, fragrant olive groves and the sun-warmed waters of the Mediterranean.
Rich color plays a key role for Corîu. From dark brown to dusky taupe and balmy sienna, the palette sets a tone of stylish, but easy Italian living. Their authentic Tuscan leathers are vegetable tanned — an ancient, sustainable technique that can take up to two months to complete.
The subtle brass details nod to Corîu’s penchant for the sea. The clasp of their Bitta bag is an elegant interpretation of a bollard — a metal cleat used for mooring boats to a dock. The contrast stitching could be a cheeky wink to the bold seams seen in sailmaking.
Corîu’s accessories are pensive, refined and effortlessly classical. Rendered in both smooth and pebbled leather, and a velvet soft suede, their collection is an easy pick for those dreaming of the Italian countryside.
Ever since its introduction to Japan between the second and third centuries BC from China, silk has become a unique and coveted material in Japanese culture.
From then on, Japanese silk weaving and farming techniques, or sericulture, began to develop independently from their Chinese predecessors, aided by the temperate Japanese climate which allowed the art to spread across the island.
With this spread and subsequent diaspora of sericulture, unique methods began to appear across different regions of the country. Several of these most prominent silks include the Nishijin Ori, Chirimen and Tsumugi methods which can be manipulated to create numerous variations of the material.
Christian Peau elects to construct his pieces using the Kinsha variation of the Chirimen silk, allowing for the fabric to be light and breathable, optimal for warm weather garments. Kinsha is typically dyed after weaving, resulting in a smooth material that is perfect for painting or dying detailed scenes.
Embellished upon these rare and delicate pieces are numerous motifs of cranes, clouds and flowers. Particularly notable are the depictions of cranes, which in Japan, are said to symbolize long life and peace thanks to their graceful silhouette and association with famous monks and Taoist immortals. Alongside these sacred birds appear numerous species of flowers including Dahlias, Chrysanthemums and Lotuses, all pointed upwards to signify hope and optimism.
Peau’s pieces are a reminder of the delicate and beautiful nature of silk and sericulture in Japan, which today is threatened by modernity. Rapid industrialization and urbanization has resulted in a significant decline in Japanese silk production and has forced manufacturers to downsize and close their operations. Left behind is a long and storied history spanning more than two and half thousand years and an art that lives on in weaving for years to come.
In-Store Only / Items 50-75% Off / Until June 24th
In summer, as clothing becomes less of a statement, jewelry takes center stage. In light of this, we have pulled a kaleidoscope of colored gems for our short Summer Jewelry Sale that will run for the next 2 weeks until June 24th. You will find turquoise, lapis, blue topaz, pearls, opals, tourmalines, sapphires and many other beautiful stones in our collection.
We all take our own journey with jeans. Did you ever put a pair on and sit in a hot bath, hoping they would shrink fit?
Or chop them up with a blunt pair of scissors to wear to a festival. Jeans take on the DNA and personality of the wearer. The commitment to get them to that perfect place of fit, comfort and patina – it takes work but it’s a guaranteed investment.
The Engineer Jean
The Engineer, has a gentle ‘knee’d’ shaping at the front, with a tapered leg and a flexible back waistband for comfort.
The Ironmonger Jean
The Ironmonger has a classic straight line, with an allowance for large turn-ups at the hem.
The SKipper Jean
The Skipper has deep knife pleats with a shaped front leg that gives a worn-in, bold look.
Our denim at Toogood is built to last from a solid 12oz organic denim. Always unwashed. We have sculpted it into 4 definitive styles. When you put our jeans on for the first time you’ll feel how robust they are. If you’re new to raw denim don’t be alarmed. The more you wear them, they will get to know your shape and movement. And then you are rewarded with an unbeatable, malleable softness. A treasured part of your personal uniform, there to stick it out wherever life takes you both.
