The Shiny Squirrel

The Shiny Squirrel Pop Up

New Years Eve 2011

this is how I spent New Years

all photos by Meredith Jenks

2011 Recap - New Year's Resolutions

This has been one of the most significant years of my life and I can't wait to see what will happen in 2012.

2011 Recap

Opened a Showroom

Branched into Editorial work and worked with basically every major publication

Expanded my business through clients/ tradeshows/ stylists/ social media

Traveled to Thailand, Los Angeles, Big Sur, San Francisco, Colorado

Lost 14 Pounds

Purged a lot of my personal belongings

Grew my Hair Out

Opened 3 Pop Up stores around the country

 

New Year's Resolutions

Read More

Consume less Sugar

Eat leafy greens with at least one meal a day

Wear my glasses and my hair curly more often

Spend at least one meal everyday at home

Play more Records

Watch at least one movie a week

Allow myself the time off to regroup and think

Travel to Europe

Learn to Focus on one activity at a time

 

 

The Shiny Squirrel Pop Up x N' East Style in Boston!

It was a huge success thanks in no small part to Stel's and Chrstine from N'East Style

The Shiny Squirrel Pop Up x N' East Style Opens this weekend!

I am heading to Boston today to open this pop Up! 

The Shiny Squirrel Pop Up Party

The party was a huge success and I couldn't be more grateful or excited for the people that participated and came out to celebrate with me. I wanted to especially thank Marisa from The Sig Other who was gracious enough to photograph the event!

An Interview with REID.DAMNIT

A lovely interview with Kelly Reid from reid.damnit

her belts are featured in The Shiny Squirrel Pop Up at Smith & Butler

In three words describe your line?

Slouchy/Moto/Workaday/Beaten Up (yep that's four...)

tell us what inspired your latest collection? 

My current collection Future Classic was inspired - as they all are - by my friends. But I basically built on my favourite bags to become your future classic.  And then do you know the zine "Put a Egg on It"? Well, I had a parallel accessory moment where I wanted to put zippers and zipper pulls on everything, maybe it should have been named "Put a Zipper on It" .

How has living in Brooklyn affected your work? 

Brooklyn is just full of interesting people doing creative things in all fields that it becomes infectious, you can't help but be inspired.

What was the last thing you made and how do you feel about it? 

The last thing I made was a bunch of menu covers for a Thai restaurant in the West Village run by some friends of mine (Betel).  They needed a simple leather cover to protect their menus and cut down on the amount they print off each day.  It was kind of great in two ways 1)to collaborate with a friend on the design and learn some new skills in the making and 2) to see my simple drawing that I photographed with my phone and emailed to the client come to life is extremely satisfying.  If we're talking Disney it's like when Pinocchio finally turns in a boy - like all the trials/samples and re-runs are worth it and you get that ta-daaaa! moment.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see myself owning a store  (I've already picked out the name) most likely in Brooklyn - with a work studio attached.  I guess loosely based on a store I always hit up on a twice annual girls shopping trip to Philly that a bunch of us do - it's called Vagabond. They have a great collection of vintage/well known labels and up-and-comers and I can always find something I want there.

Any cultural recommendations such as movies, museums, artists, books, etc should we should check out?

Anything Bauhaus, it's simple marriage of fine art/craft/function and form is a constant theoretic inspiration and reminder.  The exhibition MOMA had last year was really great, in general I'm a big fan of the MOMA, I love the photography there.  It always inspires me to get my camera out and take photos. 

Actually when I think about it I'm mainly inspired by photography, Scott Schuman's book The Sartorialist always jumpstarts any fashion slumps I'm in.  I love William Eggleston, Bill Cunningham, Hedi Slimane, and Lee Friedlander. Actually while we're talking about Bill, the documentary on him was practically a lesson in living for me, he does something he loves every day not because he's paid to but because he can't help himself. 

Anyone in a creative field that has that need to constantly create is inspiring to me. And I'll confess I'm watching quite a bit of the original Charlies Angels right now and I'm totally digging the way the girls were styled.

 

A Few things that inspire her...

An Interview with COLD PICNIC

A little interview with Brooklyn Based design duo, COLD PICNIC, in light of the opening of the New York edition of my mobile pop up series... The Shiny Squirrel Pop Up 

In three words describe your line? 

narrative mixed media

tell us what inspired your latest collection? 

our most recent collection was inspired by old bronze finger rings from west africa. we're currently working on a collection inspired by the macrame and old rugs from woodstock homes, as well as inuit scuptures. 

How has living in Brooklyn affected your work? 

We moved to Brooklyn from Boston about six months ago. We didn't know any designers in Boston, so it's been wonderful having so many friends around who are also making things - it really helps in terms of finding resources and little trade secrets. It's also a really inspiring community. 

What was the last thing you made and how do you feel about it? 

We just started making lace ties and we're pretty excited about them. We learned macrame for our summer collection and want to explore that more. 

Where do you see yourself in five years? 

We really make whatever we are interested in at the moment - and learn as we go along. We started out making jewelry and have incorporated accessories and aprons into it. Someday we'd like to learn weaving, basketmaking, silversmithing, and it would be great to know how to whittle.

Any cultural recommendations such as movies, museums, artists, books, etc should we should check out? 

Documentary: Werner Herzog's  La Soufrière - Waiting for an Inevitable Disaster. 

Movie: McCabe and Mrs Miller, by Robert Alman. You can't go wrong with 70s Robert Altman, Warren Beatty in a bear skin coat and Julie Christie with a perm.

Book: Lucky Jim, by Kingsley Amis

A Few things that inspire them...

Catch them on Twitter: @coldpicnic

California in nut shell

I have been driving up the coast of California for the last few days and been to a few old and few places... here are a few images of the journey..

Heading to Big Sur

I am off to Big Sur today.. staying at Deetjens!