NATURAL VISION

- Cushions, Von ERIKA 

- Graphics, Loved & Found

The recent editorial of Loved & Found magazine which was inside my delicious goodie bag from last Friday's Press Speed Dating event at LNFA, quoted the theory of positive uncertainty by American philosopher H.B. Gelatt and explored its incredible relevance in rapidly moving times like ours where changing our minds will be the most important change in the future, and the hardest.

I'm the worst when it comes to making decisions so the approach to think uncertainty is necessary to come to a balanced conclusion about your future is very comforting! It takes off all the pressure and provides the flexibility to adapt to changes about your decisions as the results develop.  So instead of worrying about the outcome it gives you room to focus on your future plans and to follow your vision!

Doing exactly that is newcomer homewear label von ERIKA, the joint venture of artist Tanja Deschner & photographer Christina Eckert who share a fondness for nature and the affinity to capture the beauty and calmness of local forests & wildlife in either pencil or through the lens.
The fusion of their styles is like a breath of green air for your home with cushions and other home fashion items featuring stunning oversized live drawings of wild animals & digital prints of their natural habitats.  When I met Tanja at the LNFA event she was excited to tell me that she studied animals since she was a teenager and can draw them from memory! The label's attention to detail carries through everything they do including the use of GOTS certified materials and organic print colours.
Von ERIKA's pieces are created to comfort and to last and are pieces of art in themselves. I am most certain that is a future plan worth embracing!

UPCYCLING FASHION BERLIN

speckled drapes by INHEELS at UpcyclingFashionStore Berlin

spokes lamp that I so want!

Ethical Fashion Week kicked off with a bang when Upcycling Fashion Store Berlin presented the first ever Upcycling Fashion Roadmap together with visitberlin.de and Heimtextil covering a selection of exclusive Berlin shops, studios & events that offer upcycled products & designs.  For the launch event the store organised a guided tour with the very talented upcycling designer Mariángeles Aguirre showing fashion minded guests a few hi-lites from the map including:

Upcycling Fashion Store 
The cool space at Anklamer Straße in Berlin's up & coming Wedding disctrict is already the second venue since the store first opened its doors only four years ago. Since then their lines and labels have more than doubled and include special treats like From Somewhere & Antiform from the UK as well as the gorgeous draped tops from ecofriendly Tencel or cotton by newcomer Japanese brand INHEELS.
Anklamer Straße 17, 10115. Berlin, 
Mon - Frid 11am - 7pm, Sat 12 - 7pm

El Reinventor
Upcycled furniture at its best - Designer Daniel Carrion Rivas gives old musical instruments, bins and all sorts of other cool junk a second life.  Personal favourite: the spokes lamp, it actually radiates, casting shadows all over the ceiling when you hang it up.
Brunnenstr 26, 10119. Berlin

Bis es mir vom Leibe fällt
is the ideal address for revamping or even rescuing favourite wardrobe pieces. Alternatively you can mix & match any of your preloved clothes and design something completely new with the professional assistance of the superfriendly staff.
Hackeschen Höfe · Hof 4, Rosenthaler Straße 40/41, 10178. Berlin
Mon - Frid 11am - 7pm, Sat 11 - 6pm

Frankenstraße 1, 10781. Berlin
Mon - Frid 10am - 7pm, Sat 11 - 4pm

Water to Wine
The unique Berlin upcycling boutique is located in Berlin - Mitte. Labels include Wilfried Pletzinger, Há de Haver, Margarete Häusler, ROHstoff, Beliya 
Auguststr. 82, 10117. Berlin
Mon - Frid 11am - 7pm, Sat 12 - 7pm

Schmidttakahashi
The creations of design duo Schmidttakahashi are extremely beautiful - their story is equally powerful so I decided to cover it in a seperate post :)
available at OUKAN
Kronenstrasse 71, 10117. Berlin
Mon - Sat 12 - 7pm

ITSY BITSY PEEK AT BIKINI BERLIN

Avant Garde has returned to Berlin - well you wouldn't guess by its name that Bikini Berlin is the latest best of the new west.  Apparently the two tiered architecture of the building with a gap in the middle reminded Berliners in the 1950s of the daring new swimwear at the time - the bikini.
I absolutely love the name, the industrial & sleek interior and the concept of combining classy fashion brands of sustainable origin like vegan label UMASAN with pop up store cool.   Most of all I love the new SUPERMARKET Cafe & Shop on the roof top though.  It's deffo my new favourite hang out for Saturday brunches (Sundays they have a limited menu) & weekdays coffee'n'macbook work sessions.  The cool tray tables, ice cream shaded chairs and extremely comfortable cushioned benches overlooking the Berlin Zoo are all available for sale - so you can thoroughly test your new lounge ideas before you commit to anything ;)  The combined shop part resembles an urban art gallery space filled with visually inspiring & carefully picked living accessories as well as fashion.  There are even a few pieces of upcycled furniture like wooden cable spool tables scattered on the outside sun deck next to some wild blow up chesterfield sofas.  Among one of the most stunning pieces is an upcycled vintage street lamp from central Berlin promenade Friedrichstraße - though judging by its price tag its likely to remain in store for a little while longer...

• BIKINI BERLIN Budapester Str. 38-52, 10787 Berlin, Germany

FLOWER. VASE. BOTTLE.

June calls for some decorating. It might be a bit late for a spring rearrangement but since I have been completely tied up with Fashion Revolution Germany I feel now is a good time to share this little idea with you to freshen up your work or living space :)  I wanted to re-use some gorgeous glass bottles I've been collecting by turning them into flower vases for my front room. Since I can't throw anything away without trying to give it a second life I've decided to keep my birthday flowers from last September.  Dried up I've found them even more beautiful glowing in shades of vintage green & coral oranges. Tucked into a simple shaped clear bottle & against a white/ black backdrop they add a cool botanical touch to any table or sideboard plus I like the idea of not having to water them ;)