Beauty in the details
A first look at Proud Mary's upcoming Madagascar collection
One of the first things I did after arriving back in the U.S. last week after almost a year in Bali was to unpack the box from Tanana Madagascar that was waiting for me in my room. I spent almost an hour exploring each piece, discovering a new (wonderful) shape or color combination with every look. If you read about how this collection came together you know that this collection has been a decade coming, and finally seeing the pieces in person felt like Christmas morning.
Wild silk in person does something an image can’t quite capture. The surface is luminous and matte at the same time… crackled, almost alive. It’s like those paintings where the closer you get, the more there is. A whole world that keeps revealing itself the longer you stand in front of it.
We’re releasing the collection of 5 original wild silk tapestries by the artists of Tanana Madagascar at Allegory Art Collective in Charleston on July 24th as part of a show called ‘The Art of Craft’. Over the next few weeks we’ll be revealing more about the artists and their process.
But first — a close up peek of these incredible pieces.
So much to discover in every little section…
x Harper
What’s Inspiring Us
It’s so important to stay inspired these days. In closing, here’s a bit of where we’ve been finding hope, beauty and inspiration.
Aesthetic Inspiration
Harper: I love Lucia Zolea’s jewelry. Summer perfection in silver and seashells.
Benita: After wandering the Met earlier this week, my daughters and I wandered into the relatively new Susan Alexandra store on Madison Avenue. What a delight! Susan Alexandra is a jewelry designer whose exuberant, vibrant, playful accessories and beaded handbags embody much of the same colorful spirit we want to impart upon your walls with Proud Mary prints. And almost all her pieces are made in NYC by a team of skilled embroiderers, beaders, painters and more.
Cultural Inspiration
Harper: I’ve been consumed (in a good way) by the World Cup. I absolutely love it. These handcrafted nets, ‘Big Goals’, by artists Jessica Trosman and Emiliano Miliyo for REEFLINE are the perfect combination of craft and sport. On view through June 28th in Miami Beach.
Intellectual Inspiration
Benita: A few weeks ago, we wrote about the fate of Everlane - and asked whether craft and sustainable fashion share anything more than an adjacent lexicon. Another darling of the Internet had an interesting outcome let’s say this week as Allbirds - the once ubiquitous comfy sneaker brand - completed a complete pivot from shoe company to AI infrastructure company. What does it say about the state of our world that within a matter of a few short years, a company that once manufactured a physical product worn by millions is now actually creating nothing - and instead investing millions into infrastructure that at its best empowers us to dream, ideate, create?
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If you made it this far, we’re grateful for you. And if you didn’t, hopefully that means you’re on ProudMary.co buying some fine folk art for your home and all your inspired spaces.
Till next time. Proud Mary