SUMIKO SHOP _ Independent Italian Creativity

Evelyn Palazzin is the mind behind Sumikoshop: she is the designer/producer & owner, who lives in Cervia, Italy, a small town on the seaside, with her boyfriend and her 4 years old son.

I'm so happy to discover also the independent italian creativity.

A nice conversation, about Evelyn and Sumiko.

"I am crazy about traveling and would gladly travel around the world. 

I love adventure and unspoiled places…. white beaches …the sun ... I wish to live somewhere warm all year round.

I've always had a passion: to create, since i was young, creating clothes or anything I could think of.

only a few years ago, I thought I'd start my own accessories collection.

I opened Sumikoshop on Etsy, in June 2008, and since then my life changed, my days are completely dedicated to creating, photographing, and thinking about new collections.

My collections are very different between them: each item reflects my personality, I love many different styles and I can mix them all together.

My accessories are mostly female and whimsical, for a bon ton look, but sometimes I like mixing vintage with modern materials, and try to create simple everyday pieces.

I am especially inspired by the materials that I find.

I love using rare vintage pieces, in brass, satin ribbons and cabochons, but I love experimenting with new materials each time

Many of my items are one of a kind and others are made in limited quantities, and are made with love and attention to detail.

With the collaboration of Simon Filip, and the singer Becky, of The Honey Trees, I could give more light and more touch to the style that I want to represent and communicate with my jewelry".

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Sumikoshop Lovely Finds:http://sumikoshop.blogspot.com/
My Etsy shop: http://sumikoshop.etsy.com

Tumblr: http://sumikoshop.tumblr.com/

SCHICKI MICKIS_ "Get lost in the woods"

Anat, indie designer for SchickiMickis, a collection of unique handmade jewelry & accessories. She was born and raised in Israel, but she studied jewelry & accessories design in Milan. She is a globe trotter, as she lived and worked also in Berlin, recenty she moved to Tel Aviv.

A nice conversation with her.

« My name is Anat, and I am a jewelry and accessories designer.

I was Born and raised in Israel, but I studied jewelry and accessories design in Milan.

I have been living and working in Berlin, and recently moved to Tel Aviv.

I’m running my own label – SchickiMickis!

SchickiMickis is a German expression for the term trendy and is widely used as the german evil twin of “fancy-schmancy”.

For me, SchickiMickis is like “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is. Those paths in the woods that diverged and you never know where they will take you.

I graduated at Tel Aviv University with a master degree in Sociology and worked for a while in human resources. 

I had a whole path already laid out for me, until one day I decided to leave it all behind. 

I moved to Milan, where I studied Jewelry and Accessory design. It was one of the best experiences of my life. That was just the beginning of my international roller coaster. 

I lived and started designing in Prague and Berlin,  only one year ago I just moved back to Tel Aviv, eager to focus on my designs.

I am thankful for every step of the way. You can say it threw me out of the box. 

The best thing I learned during those years was not to be afraid to “get lost in the woods”. 

I love making things handmade, because the creative process becomes an adventure. I start with an idea that gets a shape in a sketch and continues to develop through the work with the materials themselves. 

It is like a game, playing with the materials revealing all their secret characteristics and different persona they can put on while handled differently. 

My current creations focus on the theme of identity, and are very much influenced from the cities I have been living in. 

My designs refer to that elusive tension between warm and cold materials, geometric sharp and curvy soft shapes, the whole and its parts, the notion of cheap and luxurious, elegant and funky, eastern and western… 

All as a reflection of the opposing and crossing identities we are all composed of.

This is why my designs have a touch of a Milanese glam, with a strong Berliner vintage flair.

Fashion or design for me are a language, a way to communicate. 

Not just passing my own message, but also as a discussion with other designers, as my comments to the world around me ».

LUNA SOLIS CLOTHING_ Bohemian/gypsy/vintage style limited edition & one-off handmade clothing and accessories

Australia. Zyanya Walker, founder and designer for Luna Solis Clothing, lives  about one hour drive north of Sydney in a place called the Central Coast.

She has her own house which she bought recently with her boyfriend. They love it here. There is a nature reserve behind them, so there is always a lot of beautiful birds singing all day. Also they are very close to the beach.

Her biggest source of inspiration is anything vintage. 

Zyanya loves the 1920s, 30s and 40s so much. She said "I wish I could have lived in those decades."

Everything seemed so much more refined back then, the houses, the cars, the jewelery, the clothing were so beautiful.

People put a lot of thought into what they created. 

She is also very inspired by the gypsy life, living as a nomadic free spirit. 

She tries to incorporate these things into what she creates. 

But also the sacred geometry, trees, water, nature in general, 1930s freak shows, old fashioned circus life, fortune tellers, the subconsciousness, eloping, memory, time travel, magic, things that are sacred and treasured, sleeping and dreaming, the unknown.

All garments and accessories are handmade. 

Where possible, she uses recycled fabrics, buttons, lace, zippers etc. 

This keeps the garments affordable and is kind to our beautiful earth. 

If their fabrics are not recycled or vintage, they come from places that are selling liquidated stock. Everything she creates is extremely unique and limited. She thinks it is nice for people to own special accessories and clothing that no one else owns.

Her creative process is still being discovered. She's still so new at creating a range of clothing and accessories that she is learning what best works for her. 

Generally she keeps her eyes open all the time for inspiration through blogs, magazines and people on the street. 

She sketches her ideas and go from there. There is always a lot of change happening with her ideas, always an ongoing ever moving process.

"Creativity to me is my life force". 

Without it she thinks she would shrivell up and dry out! 

Everyone needs it, and everyone has it, just not everyone realizes it which is a shame. 

Zyanya loves to be able to teach people that creativity is inside all of us, it just comes in many different forms. 

Life is about creating our own perfect existence. 

Being creative makes happy, whenever she is feeling down. 

Creativity isn't just about art or craft or cooking. 

It's about inventing new ways of doing things, constantly improving ourselves.

Zyanya Walker is also a photographer: when she likes how light falls on something, she photographs it, right away. Thoughts, Creations and inspiration. Follow her blog!