In The Trenches

Monday, August 15, 2011

Interview with esty shop liloshop

A while ago, I came across an etsy shop that captured my heart--liloshop. Owned and operated by Anna, this online vintage shop has a number of quaint pieces that would fit right in to my wardrobe. Focused on accessories, this shop carries lovely items that are simple and handmade. I got the pleasure of interviewing the shop owner, Anna, and found the not only is the shop lovely but the owner is as well.

Tell me a bit about yourself:
My name is Anna and I live, study and work in Vienna, Austria.

Apart from creating what else do you do?
I´m studying theatre, film & media sciences and I'm writing these days my master thesis about fashion videos “the shift from still to moving image. I’m also part of the organizing team of the Vienna fashioncamp (fashioncampvienna.blogspot.com/) which will take place on the 10th of September and is a one-day conference about the future of fashion, the change of communication, market and trend spreading.

What are your most cherished handmade items?
That´s a tough question! self-made or shopped? There are so many, but i think my vamoose sailor knot bracelett (hpunktanna.com/2010/05/26/sailor-knot/) and my grey knitted hat (hpunktanna.com/2009/10/14/shop-update/).

Where do you get your inspirations?
I love film noir movies and vintage photographies, through blogging i met so many talented people, they are also very inspiring to me!

What is your favorite summer look?
There is no special summer look I prefer, I love stripes, but not only in the summertime, but actually I got really addicted to the colour mint. Since the last 4-5 years mint is my must-have. I am also posting a mint thing of the day (hpunktanna.com/tag/mint-thing-of-the-day/) feature since June.

Where are your 3 of your favorite places to shop?
etsy, Austrian pop up stores and flea markets, I don´t like these big online shops.

What can you be found doing on a Saturday afternoon?
Thrifting or blogging ;)

How did you find out about etsy and what made you decide selling there?
The first time I heard about etsy, was probably on one of the diy blogs I read two years ago (saidos da concha saidosdaconcha.blogspot.com/). etsy is very user friendly and I really like the design of the surface and the network behind the shop.

How have your products changed since you started creating?
At the beginning I sold only handmade products, but in the last months I also started selling vintage clothes. I love thrift stores!

What are your future plans with liloshop?
I think I will concentrate on accessories and I hope I will have more time for my handmade projects.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Interview with David Aviv of Mango Tree Fitted Bangles

Mango Tree Fitted Bangle by ladyadelaide

Sometime in December, I was introduced to a bangle line Mango Tree Fitted Bangles seen in the Enjoy Weekends set. Being an accessory enthusiast, I had to check them out further. Mango Tree Fitted Bangles is a line of ECO bangles with 50 colors in three different styles: bold, slim and samba. This is an affordable line with prices ranging from 18-22 dollars. It’s not often you see ECO wear in such an affordable price range. Another reason why I like this bangle line, as opposed to other ECO lines, is the way the bangles are made. If you’re like me, you have the issue of lose, slipping, baggy bangles. The ones that do fit are plastic and childish. They aren’t something you can compliment a serious outfit with. So when I learned that Mango Tree Fitted Bangles makes bangles that fit small wrists, I was elated. I had the pleasure of interviewing the owners of the company to learn more about them and the bangle line.

Tell me a bit about yourself: name, location, affiliations.
My name is David Aviv and my lifelong partner is Helen Dukat, we currently reside in Tel Aviv, Israel. We are the designers of Mango Tree Bangles and together we create and design unique styles and colors which make our collection different from others in the market.

What made you sway towards accessories?
Through our travels around the world, I was always fascinated with the beautiful natural resources that were readily available. The idea and the necessity came up to design and manufacture beautiful jewelry at a great price for all to enjoy. In Thailand is where we discovered the beauty of the Mango Tree, and the ability to create a beautiful product using this natural resource.

What are the defining features of your work?
As I am sure you can see by our products, each bangle created is handmade and hand painted creating a one of a kind piece of art.

Where do you get your inspirations?
Our inspirations are definitely derived from our world travels.

Is there anything you’d like to try your hands at doing?
In the future we hope to branch out and start designing bags, shoes, furniture etc. using natural resources.

How have your products changed since you started creating?
We are always testing out ways to create different and unique colors that the world has not yet seen.

What can you be found doing on a Saturday afternoon
Enjoying the beautiful waves of Tel Aviv beach with our amazing daughter Liya.

How did you come up with the idea to use organic timber for bangles
We are very conscience of the earth and how we are losing natural resources at a very rapid pace, we wanted to create a product that would not hurt but essentially help this world. Therefore, we only use the Mango Tree's when they do not yield fruit.

What are your future plans with Mango Tree Fitted Bangles?
Our plans with Mango Tree Fitted Bangles is to have a worldwide impact, where " Mango Tree Fitted Bangles" is synonymous with bangles/bracelets. Anytime a female is thinking about purchasing or wearing a bangle, they will immediately think Mango Tree.