Moda 360 Artist in the Spotlight: Molly Conn

Molly’s eclectic background is reflected in her art.  Her art style was raised along side her in Santa Monica, California by her two parents: her mother is a fashion designer and her father is a construction supervisor.  The family traveled the world looking for inspiration for all their projects, and absorbing the world around them to be translated into their work.  They attended Burning Man all throughout Molly’s teenage years, drawing from the free spirit of the event. It was Molly’s father’s personal practice that inspired her in her art (“He’d have me call it “tinkering,” though”).  His rejection of fine art elitism inspired her to create art as if it was a human right, a fearlessness that guides her work.  Molly’s media is wide-ranging: wood, metal, fibers, written/ spoken word, performance, and found objects, materials inspired by her education at San Francisco Art Institute, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Santa Monica College.  The goal of her art is to bring a playfulness into the art community by employing aesthetics of toys, kitsch/camp, or “low-art.”  “Art belongs to all of us :).” She is influenced by many artists, among her favorites are Yayoi Kusama, Jeff Koons, and Mike Kelley.  Molly is bringing her sculptural works to Moda 360.

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Project HOME Brings Talented Artists to Moda 360

Since 1989, when Sister Mary Scullion and Joan Dawson McConnon founded Project HOME, 8000 people have been rescued from the cycle of homelessness and poverty, and provided a continuum of care including street outreach, supportive housing and comprehensive services focused on health care, education and employment.  Project HOME also works to prevent poverty through neighborhood revitalization in North Philadelphia and works with a variety of coalitions on the city, state and national levels to impact public policies, educate elected officials and maximize resources or housing and services.

Project HOME has accomplished much in its history, providing 621 units of housing, including 572 units of affordable and supportive housing for formerly homeless men, women and families.  Through their Social Enterprise department, Project HOME creates and works with social enterprises that provide employment opportunities and workplace skill development for formerly homeless individuals. In partnership with Thomas University Department, the organization provides community-based, high-quality health care and health education services, and with its recently completed, 30,000 sq. ft. wellness center, provides community-based, uniquely integrated health and wellness services targeted to the needs of the North Central Philadelphia Community.  Their Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs in North Central Philadelphia offers critical educational and workforce development programs for neighborhood children and families.

Project HOME, most of all, is a pathway to a dignified, fulfilling life for people who are so easily marginalized.  Not content to address the quantitative issues that cause poverty and homelessness, Project HOME builds the spirit and self-esteem of the people they serve.  Project HOME creates a line of home products – candles, soap, and the best cranberry sauce! – manufactured and produced by their clients, providing not just meaningful employment, but also accomplishment and contribution to their own economy.  Art classes allow clients an outlet for expression, and have led to successful art shows for a number of artists.

Moda 360 is very proud to support this organization as a participant in the exhibition. Moda 360 will mark the West Coast debut of a number of talented artists who overcame life’s obstacles and create beautiful and compelling works of art.  These artists exhibit their work alongside the many established artists participating in the event, adding their voice to the Moda 360 community of artists.  The trunk shows will feature the high quality lifestyle products manufactured by the talented and dedicated creators transformed by the organization, which, we are certain, will sell out quickly.

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Moda 360 Designer in the Spotlight: Vegan Shoes by Bourgeois Boheme

Bourgeois Boheme was founded in 2005 by ex-Podiatrist and long-term vegan Alicia. With a love for shoes, and unable to find high quality and high style animal-friendly footwear, Alicia developed her own brand. She moved to London and merged her foot care expertise with her vegan values to create luxury animal-free footwear.  Not interested in creating just another shoe brand, she has remained true to her founding principles to create perfect vegan shoes without ever compromising on quality, finish or design.  All BB shoes are Vegan Society trademarked and PETA approved.

Today, Bourgeois Boheme is one of the most established vegan footwear brands out there, still small and independent – as they like it – still making beautiful and versatile shoes completely free from animal-derived materials. The timeless, brand-exclusive styles they produce are all artisan-made under ethical conditions in Portugal from the finest eco-friendly Italian vegan leathers.  They believe that a good vegan shoe should be about more than just excluding animal materials – a design that stands the test of time is essential – and therefore they work tirelessly to champion slow fashion through updated British shoe classics that challenge the perception of leather-free footwear.  The brand’s increasing fan base includes vegan celebs such as Natalie Portman, Bryan Adams and Torrey DeVitto.

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Moda 360 Designer in the Spotlight: Juan Pablo Martinez Ethical Womenswear

Jacket: Juan Pablo Martinez

Juan Pablo Martinez began a traditional career in fashion, studying Fashion Design in Bogotá in the early nineties and then moving to Milan to study pattern making and sewing. His talent for design and construction landed him positions in prestigious Paris ateliers, Atelier Chardon Savard, and Christian Lacroix at his Prêt-à-Porter studio

In 1999, Juan Pablo returned to Bogotá and opened his own atelier, designing and creating men’s suits. After 12 successful years in tailoring, Juan Pablo felt the need to pursue fashion differently, with a focus on sustainable fabrics and fair labor. His collections combine the exquisite tailoring found in the finest menswear with sustainable fabrics sourced in Colombia, recycled cotton PET from recycled plastic bottles, and baby alpaca hand woven by local artisans. The inspiration for his collection marries his passions: hard rock music and draping over the body; the Trucker Jacket meets Madame Vionnet.  His beautiful juxtaposition of hard and soft, machismo and feminine, coupled with the precision execution of each piece, makes his collection a worthy rival to the finest couture ateliers, and brings the style and quality of high fashion to the boutique market.  Juan Pablo is a force to be reckoned with in the industry, achieving both commercial and artistic style, and a commitment to sustainable and ethical production.

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Moda 360 Designer in the Spotlight: Vanessa Wishart

Vanessa Wishart always has an answer to the question “What can you do with this?”  She can take the most bizarre and seemingly unredeemable materials (used coffee filters, used pantyhose) and make stunning fashion designs.  Vanessa Lee Wishart has been in the Fashion/Costume industry for over 10 years. A graduate of the International Academy of Design and Technology, she introduced her fashion line, Vicerra in 2003, after winning first place in the Art of Fashion competition. Vanessa’s clothing is for men and women who are confident and ultra sexy. Her inspiration for her line is the urban and fetish scenes as well as the world around her. This is seen through her use in color and fabrics used in the garments.

Vanessa Wishart has worked extensively in film, television and theater, bringing her endless creativity and innovation to every entertainment medium:  dance, music, theater productions, the Super Bowl, feature and short films, and she has created breathtaking fashion art installations that have been exhibited around the world.  Her never-say-can’t has propelled her career forward to opportunities that continuously challenge her talent, and she has met and exceeded every one.

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Silver Birches Brings the Dazzling Art of Nature to Moda 360

Silver Birches is bringing the art of nature to Moda 360. Under the direction of floral expert Peter Otero, Moda 360 will feature gorgeous splashes of natural beauty. The arrangements will add the setting for Linger Magazine’s Jazz Garden on the runway, and add drama to displays of art an fashion.

Silver Birches is well known for its spectacular event planning, including in its roster of events high profile parties for both the Grammy and Academy Awards. Silver Birches will bring their high class touch to The New Mart and Moda 360 welcomes the partnership this year and into the future to create stunning displays of art and fashion.

Silver Birches is focused on the integration of business and creative thought. Their unique approach to design and production services for corporate events emanates from 35 years of experience in the industry. They incorporate integrity and innovative design concepts to help clients develop a vision that delivers their marketing goals to their target audience.

Creating a fun, compelling and immersive guest experience is the key to any experiential marketing event and their team promotes a smooth creative process. Silver Birches is minority owned with facilities in Pasadena of over thirty thousand square feet of office, production and warehouse space. With a creative and versatile staff of graphic designers, architects, space planners, project managers and production personnel, Silver Birches turns artistic visions into reality.

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Moda 360 Artist in the Spotlight: Andrea Bogden Fine Art

Andrea Bogdan is a downtown L.A. artist. She generously uses color and motion in her paintings to express the unique life spark of the people she meets and the weird, wonderful and conflicted nature of the human condition. She’s worked in Detroit, the Bronx, Manhattan, Dallas, Prague, Vienna and Los Angeles and extracts personalities for her peculiar artwork mainly from these places. Her art is bold, and is succintly described in her statement: “I choose art because it punches apathy and boredom in the nose and kicks open doors to new worlds like a space ninja.”

Her paintings have been sold around the world and adorn the walls of collectors in living in England, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Malaysia, and across the United States. Andrea has also sold paintings from the La Luz de Jesus Gallery and in the Los Angeles Art Association Bonhams Auction.

Her work is influenced by these artists: Marc Chagall, Ralph Steadman, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Theodor Seuss Geisel, Alexander Calder and (most of all) Jesse Reno. People who like her work have also referenced John Altoon and Carl-Henning Pederson.

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Moda 360 Designer in the Spotlight: Kitty Ferreira

Kitty Ferreira is an award winning label that aims to dispel the ‘hippy’ connotations of ethical and sustainable fashion, by juxtaposing city chic with the natural world.  The sustainably sophisticated silhouettes are made in London.  The multi- product collection has been described by The Guardian as suitable for “boardroom activists” and made in sizes 6-26 to meet the needs of women of every size.  Kitty Ferreira is part of the Best of Britain exhibit at Moda 360.

The label was created by London College of Fashion graduate, Creative MD & Founder,  Valerie Goode, who chose to pursue a career in ethical fashion after being headhunted to work in China as a Senior Womenswear Designer.   The horrendous pollution she witnessed in the Chinese fashion industry, that served as the catalyst to choose her own fashion path.  The Kitty Ferreira brand is an homage to her late grandmother and is inspired by Kitty’s Caribbean lifestyle.  Kitty Ferreira is dedicated to the values of yore:  “The value in upcycling has been practiced by our grandmothers long before it became a fashionable term”

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Moda 360 Designer in the Spotlight: Natasha Andreicheva Handbags and Cecilia Hammarborg Outerwear

Natasha Andreicheva is a London-based Ukrainian-born designer with a passion for ethical design that is both functional and beautiful. Specialising in handbags and purses, Natasha fuses an interest in animal rights and care for the environment with creating elegant one-off pieces. Made from upcycled and vintage materials, her handbags suit a number of occasions, from a casual stroll through the city to a glamorous night out or a wedding.

Since launching in 2009, Swedish designer Cecilia Hammarborg’s collections have become a go-to label for tailored outerwear and statement coats. In true Scandinavian style, clean lines and a minimal aesthetic are the signature of this collection of tailored coats in luxe Italian wools, alpaca and cashmere.Creative design, quality and sustainability are all connected.The designer strives to create garments that sustain:highest quality fashion, and becoming items that will be appreciated in seasons to come, becoming a wardrobe staple.

High quality wool is sourced from Italy, from a mill that produces quality fabric made from at least 65% recycled material.  Cecilia Hammarborg embodies local sourcing and manufacturing processes, reducing transport emissions, sourcing in Italy and made in London.

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Moda 360 Designer in the Spotlight: Deborah Campbell Atelier

Deborah Campbell Atelier is a British made ethical womenswear label, turning waste into fashion using sustainable materials including fabrics from 100% recycled plastic bottles to create style with a seasonless edge.  The foundation of each collection is print, designed exclusively by DCA and inspired by art and nature. The abstract prints are unique through cut and style, no two styles are the same.

Deborah sustainable sensibility comes from a family of garment makers, her mother was a seamstress in factories for M&S and her grandfather made waterproof clothing.  Following in the family tradition, Deborah worked in manufacturing and design for major British retailers.  Becoming increasingly troubled by cheap fashion made offshore and over-consumption.  She began her journey to challenge the status quo and help reinvigorate British manufacturing and launched her brand.  At DCA, the people who make the clothing are as important as the people purchasing the clothing.  The commitment to transparency in the supply chain is key; suppliers reside in Wales, Sheffield, London, Leicester, and West Yorkshire and a Gots certified factory in Bangladesh for tee-shirts.

The atelier uses Newlife, a fabric produced from recycled plastic bottles, sourced from a variety of partners. DCA up-cycles wool blends from the UK and Italy.  The goal is to source fabrications that have low environmental impact,  limited water use and local sourcing and production to keep the carbon footprint low. T-shirts are one color screen printed in the UK on GOTS certified organic cotton.  Prints are digital and exclusively designed; digital printing uses less water and is kinder to the environment.  Their mission is simple – to design seasonless fashion with transparent ethical practices.

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