Trend Watch: Contrast

Posted on Apr 02, 2013

Eva Franco Press

Posted on Mar 27, 2013

My Summer Vacation

Posted on Jul 18, 2012

Happy Sewing Machine Day!

Posted on Jun 13, 2012

Today should be celebrated among all fashion lovers everywhere as it is sewing machine day!  Here at our studio, we definitely have our fair share of sewing machines.  I grew up with the image of my nanny’s, foot peddling away on her Singer sewing machine in Romania.  Both of my parents would design their clothes and we would have a constant stream of tailors at our house.  It has been about a century ago since the first sewing machine was patented in America, by Elias Howe in 1846.  In 1850 inventor Isaac Singer took Howe’s idea, made adjustments to it, improved its function, invested in marketing and WALLAH everybody wants a Singer sewing machine!  This invention made it possible for sections of a garment to be sewn by different people, and thus making it faster and more accurate.  Today we use as many as 15 sewing machines to complete our garments which I am happy to say is all made in Los Angeles. 

Stop & Smell the Roses

Posted on Apr 12, 2012

One of my favorite places to visit for inspiration is the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. The former home of industrialist Henry Huntington and his wife Arabella, the site includes their beautiful Beaux Art mansion, art galleries, and a world-renowned research library. But what I love more than anything are the Huntington’s amazing gardens.

The botanical gardens cover more than 120 acres and include a Desert Garden, Japanese Garden, Rose Garden, Chinese Garden—and much more. Formal gardens offer a juxtaposition of the natural and the structured that I love. With plants labeled and landscaped in cohesive environments, there is an order to things that I find soothing. It’s like nature is being defined for your brain and your heart.

My favorite spot is the Japanese Garden. I love the delicate miniature leaves of the Japanese maples. When the scale and proportion of a leaf is changed it creates a kind of wonder; I think the Japanese really understand this. It’s the same with Bonsai trees.

Nature is such a wonderful designer. I look for patterns and color combinations—like stripes in a cactus or the wandering path through the Chinese Garden. In all gets tucked away for later use.

My mom and sister used to spend Sundays walking around the botanical gardens in Romania, and now I’m doing the same in California. It’s a perfect way to unclutter the mind—just breathe in and smell a few roses once in a while.