Coquette

Hello! Lucky"s New Holiday Collection - Get 10% Off!

It's November now and the holidays are coming around the corner. Hello! Lucky, one of my favorite card designers have just launched their new web site and their wide-array of beautiful holiday cards, including custom photo holiday cards. Yes, now you can add your favorite photo to have a custom card with Hello! Lucky's hip designs. Pictured above is Greetings for All Seasons ($5.20/card) and Christmastime ($2.60/card).

I also love Hello! Lucky's great deal on holiday box sets of letterpress cards that feature 6 cards in a box for $15. Their monkey ones are my favorite!

Special 10% Off

As special to Coquette readers, get 10% off on your holiday card purchases at hellolucky.com. Enter the code Coquette at checkout. Expires December 31, 2011.

Coquette Giveaway: Mr. Chiizu iPhone App

Do you like to take pictures with your iPhone? Do you like cute, cuddly characters? Think bunnies with teeth, dreamy rainbows, and smiling fruit. Mr. Chiizu ($2.99 on iTunes) is one of the cutest iPhone apps that lets you decorate your photos with cute themes, photo filters, stickers, pens and text bubbles. It's an app you can truly have fun with! Pictured above are my two little loves Chloe and Lulu. Seriously, I can't stop giggling over Lulu dressed as a mouse with balloons!

Mr. Chiizu was created by Stella Lai (pictured below) and Krister Olsson of Tree-Axis as well as designer/illustrator Jessica Lopez who made the Goth Loilita & Mr. Chiizu themes. Stella, Krister and I are old time web design peeps going back to the late 90's. I have always loved the design work from the duo. They know just the right way to utilize the best of technology while creating designs that are always super duper cute! The interface is really easy to use. New themes and designs will be added periodically starting this fall from some hip designers.

Find out more and download the Mr. Chiizu iPhone App.

Coquette Giveaway!
One lucky Coquette reader will win a Mr. Chiizu iPhone app! Just leave a comment below. All entries must be in by Monday, October 3, 2011 by Noon PST.




Chanel: Secrets of the Handbag Exhibit in SF

Today I got a special preview of this weekend's upcoming special exhibition at the Chanel Boutique in San Francisco. In the course of a mere half hour, I was transported into the design world of Mademoiselle Coco Chanel. As a crafter, I was in awe to be able to have someone dissect a Chanel bag and talk about the design and production process. About twenty of us sat and watched the exhibit wall which showcase the main seven steps it took to create a classic Chanel 2.55 bag. (There are actually 180 steps in all to make one handbag.) The 2.55 bag was created in Feburary 1955 by Coco Chanel who was inspired the messenger style bags worn by French soldiers. Chanel believed a woman needed her hands free to do more things. Thus her new design of a shoulder strap forever changed the design of handbags everywhere. This bag is a classic and just as trendy on the streets today. I love my black lambskin 2.55 with silver hardware which I've worn dressed up to many special events as well casually with jeans and a t-shirt.

A very chic French woman from Chanel in France came and talked us through the exhibit which was on display previously in Paris. If you are lucky enough to be in the Bay Area, don't miss the chance this weekend to check out this free exhibit and learn the secrets of Coco Chanel's iconic handbag.

To make a Chanel 2.55 bag, it's a mix of innovative technology and more importantly handmade craftsmanship. The main wall of the exhibit showcased each of the main seven sections. The mannequins held video screens that mimicked Chanel leather quilted bags. To me they were a sort of luxe "screen cozy". This is where all of us watched the clips of the production process. During the upcoming weekend exhibit, the video screens will play with a voice over describing the process and story.

Here's a short video I took with my iPhone panning the exhibit wall. Not the best video but you get the idea. See more detailed photos after the jump!

Project Runway's HP Challenge - Fabric Pattern Design

I'm still not over last week's fabulous Project Runway episode where the contestants were challenged to design their own fabric pattern using HP TouchSmart PCs. The winner of the challenge was the talented Mondo (who is one of my favorites). He created a bold plus pattern to signify how he has been living HIV positive for the last ten years.

I was lucky enough to play with one at a press preview last month. As a crafter and a designer, I am loving how easy the HP TouchSmart PC is to use to create art. You can draw with your finger, pen tool, or even paintbrush and instantly choose the way the pattern will tile. Finally no more drawing on a Wacom tablet, you can just draw directly on the screen. Pretty cool!

Here's the final pattern Mondo created. The left part of the screen is the work area and shows the detail of the plus pattern Mondo made. On the right, you can see the detail of the pattern tile.

Watch this video clip showing how each of the designers made their own patterned fabric using the HP TouchSmart PC.

Poketo for Target

The Poketo for Target collection came out in August while I was in France so I didn't get a chance to see it in the stores. Poketo is an innovator in artist-designed lifestyle wares and it's so cool to see their new collaboration, Poketo for Target featuring a line of some amazing totes, bags, wallets, umbrellas, and more! I first met Angie Myung and Ted Vadakan from Poketo many years ago while we were all traveling around in the craft fair circuit. The LA based duo started by creating limited-edition artist wallets which were like little pieces of art you could carry around with you. (I am happy to have one of them.) The first run of wallets were very successful, so Angie and Ted continued to make more with new artists each time.

The Poketo for Target collection was really successful and sold out. The good news is that Target is restocking them as we speak so you can still shop for some of your favorites in store or online. Here are a few available Poketo goods: Poketo Birds flight bag ($29.99) shown at top left, and the Poketo Zig Zag Crossbody Hobo ($19.99).

You can check out the lookbook and browse the entire collection which also features the designers. Target also shows the list of available products first. Also, check out Tami's post on Fete a Fete.

Thanks to Angie, who gave me this Poketo Monsters Tote designed by Katharina Leuzinger as a gift! I love how this bag folds up into the small zip bag so I can easily leave it in Chloe's stroller to use when we go to the store. Of course, as you can see, she loves the bag too!

Here are some items available online that I love:

Poketo Birds Adjustable Laptop Sleeve ($19.99)

Poketo Gems 3-in-1 Pouches Multicolor ($14.99)

Poketo Bears Tote in a Tote Bag - Green ($12.99)

Poketo Polar Bear Checkbook Wallet ($12.99)

Poketo City Abstract Tech Pouch ($9.99)

Here are more photos of the Poketo for Target collection:

Book Marc by Marc Jacobs

Tin Case ($8), Mini Pencil Set ($8), Small Zip Pouch ($10), Pencil Case ($13), Colored Pencils ($9), Sharpie ($1.25)

When I bought a Book Marc tin ($8) at the Marc Jacobs boutique a few months ago, I had no idea that the designer bought his favorite bookstore in NY's West Village. (Find out this winter what he turns it into!) Nylon magazine gives us the scoop about Book Marc, Marc Jacobs' new line of very affordable designer pencils, bags, tins and more. I say it's a perfect "Back to School" treat for yourself! I use my red tin right now to hold some of my embroidery supplies and it looks great on my white desk.

See more photos of his Book Marc goodies on the Marc Jacobs site (scroll through all of his special items and you'll find the supplies). You can buy the items shown above at any Marc by Marc Jacobs store and if you are in San Francisco, they have 'em also at the Marc Jacobs boutique on Maiden Lane.

Prismera Design: New Series II Fashion Illustration Prints

I love these new Series II fashion illustration prints by designer Laura Su of Prismera Design. This new collection of five prints feature: Scarlet (pictured above), Cadmium Yellow, Emerald (pictured below), Cobalt and Coral. Each is printed on slightly textured 100% cotton rag paper using professional archival inks. It's a great way to decorate your space with fashion art.

The prints are available as:
5x7 print: $20 (with frame, add $30)
11x14 print: $46 (with frame, add $45)
Set of 3 (5x7): $55
Set of 3 (11x14): $133

Series I Postcard Set ($18)
A set of fashion-inspired illustration postcards from the now retired first series. Each glossy 4x6 postcard is blank and has sweetly rounded corners. Comes in a pack of 12 (3 of each design).

Custom Fashion Illustrations ($275)
Just send in a photo of yourself or friends and you'll receive your own special 11x14 piece of art!

CasaSugar's 8 Go-To Holiday Gift Ideas from the Design Tastemakers

CasaSugar rounds up their 8 Go-To Holiday Gift Ideas from the Design Tastemakers and I felt so honored to be included in this creative group of folks such as Danny Seo and Victoria Smith of SF Girl by Bay.

Letterpress Calling Cards

Veer posted about these extremely affordable personalized calling cards by The Mandate Press that I'm seriously considering trying out. For just $95 you can choose from 7 designs or supply your own, and you'll get yourself a set of 250 letterpress cards. Pictured above is the design titled The Runway.