Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Vote for this year's most innovative, inspiring, and promising designer or boutique.
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Linda Smyth and Rebecca Pulver Rabid Fox
Partners since they were Arts U students, designers Linda Smyth and Rebecca Pulver added their signature whimsy to a new collection of belt buckles and hardware for bags and shoes. Read More
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Originally published on September 10, 2007
She’s Foxy
Rabid Fox Rings
Remember how the little prince tamed the fox? He really had that critter wrapped around his finger.
Now you can follow his lead with Rabid Fox rings. The line, designed by Linda Smyth and Rebecca Pulver, features cutesy animals cast in precious metals.
The solid sterling or gold-plated bronze rings are made in molds created from toys, which are transformed into cast-metal jewelry through a process called lost-wax casting. Designs include a pair of horses, a cute bunny, or a hippo.
Of course, the Fox in question here is a rabid one, so naturally the designs have a bit of edge to temper their sweetness.
Unlike the little prince.
Available at Topstitch, 311 Market Street, second floor (267-322-4057 or topstitchboutique.com); Bambi, 1817 Frankford Avenue (215-423-2668 or bambiproject.com). -
Bryan Poerner Track + Field
Designer Bryan Poerner hit pay dirt with his super-tough, weather-resistant Track + Field bags and is working toward his dream of opening a shop in Philly. Read More
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Originally published on April 4, 2007
Fun Bags
Track+Field Bags
If you’ve ever run track and field, you know it doesn’t take a whole lot of smarts to limp around in circles with shin splints while a crusty old coach blows a whistle at you.
So Track+Field, a new line of casual bags from Bryan Poerner (half of The Yah Mos Def), may surprise you with its brain power.
The bags are constructed from Sunbrella, the super-tough, weather-resistant fabric used for awnings. They’ll survive even the harshest treatment, while their bright colors and pretty designs make them a match for sunny days.
Take your pick: Bob in dupione paradise (grass green with yellow heathered accents), the round Mi bag in picadilly seaspray (blue with gray diagonal stripes), or Roxas in coral and macaw (hot pink and acidy pea green). They’ll all ensure you look sporty and smart.
Talk about a winning combination.
Available at Deep Sleep, 54 North Third Street (215-351-9124); online at trkfld.com. -
Kyla Luedtke Painter
RISD grad Kyla Luedtke's unconventional custom portraits combine her interests in anthropology and psychology. She'll paint you as a fairy-tale heroine or a Dick Tracy moll. Read More
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Originally published on June 18, 2007
Worth a Thousand Words
Kyla Luedtke Portraits
A portrait of yourself in your own home? That’s just a touch narcissistic.
Unless it’s a Warhol. Then, of course, it’s art.
Since that’s no longer an option, it might behoove you to arrange a sitting with artist Kyla Luedtke. Instead of painting you against some cheesy velvet background with a rat terrier, she will transform you into a fairy-tale heroine with your bloomers and petticoats askew (similar to that time you spent hours at McGlinchey’s), a Dick Tracey-esque gangster’s mol with a cigarette dangling from your lips, or whatever else you and she can think up.
She works primarily with oils and canvas, but she can also paint whatever your heart desires on a screen-printed background.
It may not be a Warhol. But it’ll definitely leave an impression that lasts more than fifteen minutes.
Available by e-mail order (kyla.zoe@gmail.com).