Minimalistic. Rustic Utilitarian. Handmade. The New Antiquarian Movement, What each of these sensibilities have in common is at the core of it's values: authenticity. Whether it's a vintage sofa, still encased in it's nubby olive green fabric, or a beautiful belt buckle, carved from locally sourced, ethically harvested ash and sanded by hand, or just a beautiful piece of linen, woven in small batches, and sewn into oversized napkins. A direct response to the mass manufactured items that are available at the click of a button, this stripping back of the extraneous uncovers what is true and at it's core. It's personal. Intimate. You have to be okay with getting to the heart of the matter, whether it's stripping back all paint from the trim in your home to uncover the rich vintage oak, or taking your entire weekend to harvest, can, and catalogue your garden's yield of tomatoes. Making a quilt from the your children's baby clothes you've saved for 20 years. There may be challenges and setbacks that you have to overcome; time you won't get back. I mean, maybe your homemade salad dressing doesn't taste that great at first. But in the end, the reward of sourcing and creating, restoring and rebuilding, leaves a satisfaction that just can't be had by any other way. This photograph, taken by Elizabeth Messina at our monogram collection photo shoot a couple years ago, captures this sensibility perfectly: a woven Belgian linen napkin, embroidered with a monogram that was developed purposefully with the couple who commissioned it. A fork, from my mother-in-laws vintage silver collection, handed down by her mother. The natural light, captured on this overcast September day. It's something you can touch. It's a story you can tell. It was created with thought and care. It's real.
call it what you will...
September 02, 2013 | 0 comments
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