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The Watery Blues of Rundholz Black Label

Scala dei Turchi is a chalky white cliff formation between Realmonte and Porto Empedocle.

The cliffs’ quartz and shell composite calls to mind the gauzy textures of Spring linens while the Mediterranean teal waters invite intrepid visitors for a swim.

In Carsten Rundholz’s Black Label collection the Unesco World Heritage site Scala dei Turchi is present in hues of ice and water blue, mixed with milky whites in medium weight linens perfect for summer in Sicily, Seoul, Scandinavia or Santa Fe.

Like the Rundholz collection, the delights of life in Scala dei Turchi are those of simple integrity. The fabrics are substantive and travel worthy. The colors offer the soft coastal tonalities of Scala dei Turchi on a clothesline. Small design elements elevate each piece to something unexpected yet understated — Carsten’s work at its best.


Fête des Fleurs: Astier de Villatte

We stroll into the French villa, with a basket filled with produce, for this evening’s dinner – a much anticipated gathering to herald the arrival of spring.

Set upon the patio table is an eclectic mix of Astier de Villatte dishware. Each piece is elegant and welcoming. A feminine Nathalie bowl may rest upon the braided edge of an Aurelie plate or next to the mysterious wink of an Alexandre cup – each setting is as unique as those sharing the meal.

The best of company attends this feast – the confidants, the cut-ups, the lifelong friends. They are those who know much about the world and yet are still so curious about what may come next. The first course sets the tone… slices of fresh fruit alongside courgette roulées. A bottle of Moët is popped and the festivities begin.

For le potage, a fresh, herbaceous soup cradled in a fluted Marguerite bowl. On the platter at the center of the table? A good piece of fish followed by artichoke, asparagus, young carrots and haricots splashed in olive oil and pepper.

Once the plates are cleared, an interlude. A break for a moment of cushioned, comfortable silence… Space to enjoy the presence of long-known company or to admire flowers set lovingly at the center of the table. Fresh-cut stems of lily and daffodil – their own breath of fresh air.

After dinner, we light the candles and wrap ourselves in shawls as the sun sets over the hill. Out come the aperitifs – génépi, lillet, picon. These sips accompany a splash of espresso, a sprig of mint. A macaron or two… or three.

Around each final bite threads the delightful, quiet conversation that winds down an evening… Laughter, nostalgia and the company of those we wish would stay just a little bit longer. In the background, crickets chirp and stars glow softly as the last candle wisps dark.


The Color of Boscoreale

Masnada and Gilda Midani have something in common with Ancient Roman civilization.

Like the famous villa frescos of Boscoreale, just north of Pompeii, swaths of color wash over everything. Fiery hues of red and blood orange weather into the terra-cotta walls and, over time, continue to reveal the artistic practices of those ancient people.

Just like Masnada’s lush patterns and Gilda’s depth-defying dyes, color and its application take center stage. In ancient Rome, frescoes covered every wall in country villas. Nature’s colors inspired their palettes and were used to depict scenes from everyday life, dynastic portraiture, and Greek mythology. The use of trompe l’oeil brought the paintings into three dimensions on the walls and were considered the pinnacle of artistic achievement.

Pigments in both painting and fashion reflect the nature around us, like Chrysanthemin. It’s a deep red pigment and a member of the anthocyanins group that is responsible for the colors of flowers, leaves and fruit. Anthocyanins make blueberries blue, blackberries black, and blood oranges that particular red that were central to ancient Roman painting. The evolution of color from ancient pigment practice to its contemporary context shines through in the blood orange hues of Gilda Midani and Masnada.


Avant Toi + Alonpi: Living Lightly

Though cashmere is typically thought of as a cold weather staple, it also has its place in the warm days to come.

A superfine and breathable fabric, the thermoregulatory properties of this natural fibre allow it to keep us warm in the winter and cool in the spring and summer. For Avant Toi and Alonpi, the versatile textile becomes the canvas upon which they present a life lived lightly.

Alonpi has long been heralded as the pinnacle of cashmere innovation – their gauzy scarves in particular are a feat of artistic prowess. Crafted by a small team at the headwaters of the Italian Alps, they have pioneered a dual-printing technique that allows for disparate prints on both faces of the lightweight cashmere for an endless twist of hand-drawn patterns.

Also a marriage of the visual and scientific, Avant Toi is influenced by both the art world and aesthetic research. In addition to hand-painting each and every piece, their team of creatives routinely invents new presentations in cashmere. Liberated knits, felted edges and distressed detailing all make an appearance within this varied line.

When paired together, the cashmere layers of Avant Toi and Alonpi become the most coveted form of dressing – a subtle presentation of artful style. They are not loud, but they can hardly be called quiet. Each piece has its own powerful presence that, somehow, still plays nicely with others. Wrapped in this combination of artistry, levity and color, we take our own step into living lightly.


Limited Edition: Péro

The quince flower: a traditional sign of love and unity.

Hundreds of crocheted quince flowers blossom in red, pink, purple, orange, blue, green and lay across this Péro limited edition jacket. Finely beaded stamen in blues and yellows sprout from the flowers’ centers. Each one feels alive and shines with the heart of those artisans who contributed to their craft.

Feminine and playful, this piece conjures whimsey at a garden party and treasures hidden in our own backyards. The combination of subtle and pronounced details creates the same kind of mystery as a blossoming flower. Like a work of art or beautiful vista, its mastery is clear.

This jacket presents a pinnacle of imagination and craft. Péro’s work weaves these values into every stitch, button, and bead. And just as the quince flower bears fruit, Péro delivers the highest expression of their artists’ work.


New Dries Van Noten: Sumptuous Spring

Dries Van Noten Spring/ Summer ‘23 collection is in full bloom.

Among his signature prints and patterns, Dries evokes the light of the sun and the flowers that bloom beneath it. In this delivery find dappled light, violet flowers and classic trench silhouettes rendered in soft sage. Dries again delivers his trademark: a play of form and material that creates the extraordinary.

The latest collection captures the natural world and reflects it back in a form both nuanced and surprising. There’s a certain depth of vision we experience as his semi-sheer Doudy Dress allows the body’s silhouette to show through. The collection is a full spectrum of pastels, neons and celebratory florals.

Light comes by way of the dark, a necessary balance. Next to the vibrant, find crushed silks in black and green that suggest brimming life and the earth from which it comes. Just as the dark gives us day, opposites create contradictions. A ready-wear collection that breaks its own rules, all is welcomed in the world of Dries Van Noten.


Dries Van Noten is currently only available for browsing in-store.

To explore our current selection of offerings, please reach out to our web team at (505) 982-6192.

The Spring Collection from Toogood

British design-duo and sisters Faye and Erica Toogood bring classic shapes to life in soft and luxurious fabrics.

Influenced by nature, architecture and art, their Spring/Summer ’23 collection traverses territories: from the seaside to the cityscape and everywhere in between. Their muse for the season? Eileen Agar, a British surrealist painter joining life’s interior and exterior realities through sculpture, painting and photography.

Featuring wear-anywhere fabrics in soft silhouettes and elegant construction, pieces from this collection move through life fluidly. With an eye on ease, both the wide-legged cotton canvas pant and the slim-fitting Twill pant flatter a wide range of bodies. In focusing on what feels good in addition to what looks good, Faye and Erica have built a relaxed and sophisticated summer wardrobe.

Toogood’s elegance matches its durability. Paper cotton, linen, velvet and denim mark this collection and create a sense of timeless style, fit for the curious artist in all of us. Just as Eileen harnessed the fantastical from the minute and unseen , so do Faye and Erica present small details and flourishes of color as a foundation for the adventure of dressing.


Soft & Subtle Minimalism: SHI Linens

Since 1980, Shayesteh Nazemi, also known as SHI, has consistently delivered some of the world’s finest fabrics.

Her Spring/Summer ‘23 offers no exception as it dreams us into warmer weather with soft silhouettes, gentle color palette, and fabrics that fall just right on the form.

SHI’s linen and raw silk pieces come from her mill in Scotland. A team of local artisans hand loom each fabric, laying the threads one by one across traditional looms. Well-placed slits and soft collars elevate blouses in this collection above our expectations. Their lines and folds suggest a quiet elegance and her designs reveal the quality of the fabric as each piece moves along the lines of the body.

As breezy and light as the weather it accompanies, SHI’s collection invites us outside into the sun. Her work blends with the seasons — captures the first blush of spring, and hints at the summer days ahead.


Stamperia Bertozzi: The First Blooms of Spring

Stamperia Bertozzi, a rich offering of hand-painted linens and ceramics, distills a century of Italian craft.

Three generations of the Bertozzi family have drawn influence from the land and sea surrounding their studio in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Sunflowers, wild greens, breaking waves, and moss act as the foundation for their humble, yet exquisite collection.

Combining regional history with contemporary sensibilities, Bertozzi’s natural proclivities shine through their work. Solar-powered facilities and naturally-derived, colorfast dyes allow their traditions to thrive in a modernized world. Hand-carved pearwood stamps create lush patterns on linens, while native indigo plants lend their vibrant blue tones. A trademark rust glaze sits atop hand formed Limoges porcelain. The hues of the earth shine through.

Thinking Ahead to Summer

A Bertozzi table combines nature, family, and life well lived. From oceanside to mountainside and everywhere in between, their work speaks of the subtle shapes and colors that form a world worth cherishing.


Christopher Duncan: The Elephant Whisperer

Christopher Duncan’s deep wisdom speaks through the weft and warp of his yarns.

Sometimes the message whispers from the antique silk kimono threads. Other times, it appears as textured, abstract shapes. It is a meditation on the importance of detail, the gravity of its focus and the delight that follows it. This collection is a tribute to his grandmothers – each gifted him an elephant figurine at the end of their lives. He worked to capture the sentiment of his matriarchs, through ritualistic weavings that nod to this noble creature.

This latest presentation of merlot reds and royal blues features a new technique that Christopher is pursuing – shot weaving. A “shot” is a single throw of the bobbin that carries the weft thread through the warp. The result is a fabric which is made up of silk woven from warp and weft yarns of two or more colours that produce an iridescent appearance.

Christopher’s sensitivity is part of what makes his work so enduring. Within the pieces, you feel the soul and presence of the maker. While he typically creates works for gallery and exhibitive settings, his scarves are well suited to everyday life. The elephant mementos, woven in thread, become mementos of their own – a small piece of sensitivity to be carried, shared and reinterpreted by each and every wearer.


Rianna + Nina: It’s All Greek to Me…

Rianna + Nina’s Spring ‘23 presents a menagerie of vibrant textiles and prints.

Exuberantly titled It’s All Greek to Me II, the delivery ushers in iconic silk prints with hints of peacock feathers, sunbursts and coral reefs — a celebration of the joy found in Greek aesthetics. Each piece comes alive with a spirited color palette and flourish of silk.

Inspired by designer Rianna Kounou’s childhood in Athens, the garments beckon us to sun and sand. Designed alongside her co-creator Nina Knaudt, Rianna’s heritage lends authenticity to this collection. Alongside the flowing dresses, tunics and tops is a selection of hand-beaded accessories made from vintage, couture textiles.

An array of hidden details gives the label a distinct and exciting air. Reverse a short kimono jacket and reveal a dramatically different pattern. Peek beneath a sleeve and find a row of delicately hand-embroidered antique linen. By layering disparate prints, a rich tapestry of color and craft are achieved. In every sense of the term, Rianna + Nina present a collection dripping in χαρά (joy)!


Rundholz Mainline: First Spring Delivery

Newly-minted national monuments Castern Range in West Texas and Avi Kwa Ame in southern Nevada stand as unique expressions of Southwestern landscape.

In the same way that strata layers plait together mountains, so does fashion build to create the layers of our self-expression. The favorites in our closets are pieces that make it easy to portray who we are. Designer-duo Lenka and Carsten Rundholz design clothing to do just that.

Each Rundholz creation moves between form and function, such as this woven tee with varied cap sleeves and visible seams in a nuanced formation. Their Spring/Summer 2023 collection presents exaggerated silhouettes, oversized pockets, translucent plaids and abstract checkered fabrics that tread between durable and delicate.

This latest delivery offers yet another suite of nonconformity and whimsy. The experimental construction and creative shaping suggest an ease of self-expression. Lenka and Carsten reimagine the plaid shirt, knit dress and denim jacket without judgment on the traditions of those garments. Like the mountains of the Castern Range and Avi Kwa Ame, Rundholz’s singular nature rings out for all to see.


Table Magazine: Spring 2023

It’s A Wild Life

For TABLE Magazine’s most recent issue, we set our table with fresh flowers, Bertozzi porcelain, and hand-blown glasses from La Soufflerie. This acted as the backdrop for dinner, delight, and the opportunity to share Wild Life’s mission: to celebrate true handicraft and the value it holds in a ready-made world.

Stamperia Bertozzi, one of Wild Life’s core offerings, dressed the table in hues of saffron and sunflower. A multi-generational family business, their artisans maintain a lineage of integrity that spans over a century. Crafted in limoges porcelain, serving platters and bowls make the ideal canvas for a meal rich in vegetables and fresh fruit. Our owner and buyer, Shobhan Porter, shared that “the products are the maker,” a fact evident in the gentle divots and marks in the finish of each piece. 

At Wild Life, tableware, linens, soft goods and antique textiles exhibit the intangible spirit of craftsmanship. Each piece exudes a sense of excellence – items from antique dowry blankets to handmade contemporary ceramics, and exemplify the cultures, traditions and aesthetic values of their makers. Our table serves more than just dinner; it is a place to appreciate the act of gathering and the instruments that help us do so.

Special thanks to Keith Recker for his continuous inspiration and the entire TABLE Magazine team for their collaboration and joy. We had much fun sharing our world with you!

Story by Julia Platt Leonard for Table Magazine New Mexico; Photography by Tira Howard; Styling by Kitty Solon, Foraged Floral Designs; Food by Chef Joseph Wrede, Joseph’s Culinary Pub; Shot on location at Wild Life Santa Fe.

In the Studio: Astier de Villatte

2023 – ADV Video
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Mountain Living: December 2022

A selection of home goods from Wild Life was recently featured in Mountain Living magazine’s January/February 2023 issue. The “Ohio Creek Fishing Lodge” article featured pillows by Maison de Vacances and The Good Shepherd, Alonpi throws, table linens by Peter Speliopoulos and an assortment of ceramics by Casey Zablocki, Peter Speliopoulos & Akiko Hirai.

Gunnison Bed Copy
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield for Mountain Living Magazine

Credits

LIVING ROOM SOFA by Melrose House from John Brooks SOFA TABLE by Window Fine Living SIDE TABLE by Fauld England COFFEE TABLE by Four Hands SWIVEL CHAIR by Hancock & Moore from Hoff Miller LOW CHAIRS by Lee Industries from Columbine Showroom CHANDELIER by Paul Ferrante from John Brooks DRAPERY by Kravet DRAPERY ROD by BlackStar Ironworks PRIMARY BATHROOM RUG by Artisan Rug Gallery VANITY by Arteriors Home from Ivystone Group LLC FIXTURES by Cal Faucet from Ultra Design Center TILE by Ann Sacks DINING ROOM TABLE by Fauld England TILE by Ann Sacks DRAPERY ROD by BlackStar Ironworks CHANDELIER by Dennis & Leen from John Brooks RUG by Artisan Rug Gallery DRAPERY by Kravet FOYER CONSOLE by Formations from John Brooks CHANDELIER by Visual Comfort from Mountain Colors Design Shop RUG by Artisan Rug Gallery ACCENT WALL by B.K. Holland Enterprise LEATHER BENCH by Page Home Design PRIMARY BEDROOM BED by Century from Hoff Miller BEDSIDE TABLE by Century from Hoff Miller DRAPERY by Hartmann & Forbes DRAPERY ROD by BlackStar Ironworks SWIVEL CHAIR by Kravet ART Winter’s Eve by Joseph Alleman PRIMARY BATHROOMDRAPERY by Sandra Jordan from John Brooks DRAPERY ROD by BlackStar Ironworks RUG by Artisan Rug Gallery TILE by Ann Sacks FIXTURES by Cal Faucet from Ultra Design Center SCONCE by Visual Comfort from Mountain Colors Design Shop GUEST BEDROOM 1 CHANDELIER by Currey & Co from Mountain Colors Design Shop BED by Bernhardt SWIVEL CHAIRS by Four Hands DRAPERY by Lee Industries from Columbine Showroom CARPET by Atlas from Columbine Showroom SCONCE by Palmer Hargrave from Town Studio GUEST BEDROOM 2 CHANDELIER by Formations from John Brooks BED by Bernhardt PILLOWS by Santa Fe Dry Goods Home DRAPERY ROD by BlackStar Ironworks CARPET by Atlas from Columbine Showroom SCONCE by Palmer Hargrave from Town Studio KITCHEN RUG by Artisan Rug Gallery CABINETRY HARDWARE by Sun Valley Bronze from Mountain Colors Design Shop PENDANTS by Tec Lighting WALL FINISH by American Clay BACKSPLASH by Decorative Materials FIXTURES by Cal Faucet from Ultra Design Center BREAKFAST ROOM TABLE by Fauld England DRAPERY by John’s Upholstery CHANDELIER by Visual Comfort FABRIC by Kravet RUG by Artisan Rug Gallery LIBRARY DRPERY by Kravet SOFA by John Brooks Travis Swing Arm Sconce by Hargrave from Town Studio RUG by Artisan Rug Gallery BUNK ROOM UPHOLSTERY by John’s Upholstery HEADBOARD by Schumacher LIGHT by Visual Comfort NIGHTSTAND by Made Goods RUG by Artisan Rug Gallery PILLOWS by Santa Fe Dry Goods Home WALLPAPER by Elitis from Chuck Wells CHANDELIER by Visual Comfort PENDANT by Hinkley