Alternative Apparel Blog

Happiness is in the Bag

Actress and philanthropist Olivia Wilde has a reputation for helping people in need and giving back to less fortunate communities, particularly in Haiti. This year, the A-lister wanted to further her contributions to Haiti by co-designing a limited-edition bag for charity with her partner-in-good Barbara Burchfield and our very own Accessories Director, Mollie Culligan.

Francesco Siqueiros, Master Printer

 

El Nopal Press founder Francesco Siqueiros is an artist and master printer intimately familiar with the art worlds of both Los Angeles and Mexico City. Since 1990, he has worked to bring these worlds together as he and the artists of El Nopal have come to vivify and expand the complex intercultural exchange between these two countries. We recently traveled to El Nopal Press in downtown Los Angeles to document Francesco's creative process as he and his apprentice display their craftsmanship and printing expertise. Get the complete history of El Nopal Press here.

 

Kyle Yoder's Three Rs: Rustic, Raw & Refined

Based in Los Angeles, War Horse Furniture is the masterpiece of talented craftsman Kyle Yoder who created War Horse with the intention of preserving wood in its raw form while still transforming it into a work of art. Recently, he took some time from his hectic work schedule to answer the following questions about how War Horse was created and what exactly inspires his creativity when working with preserved woods - sometimes dating back to the early 20th century.

Transforming Nature into Art: Arte 17

Many of you might remember playing dress up with your mom’s jewelry and accessories as a child. Local Atlanta jewelry designer, Alexandra Cardona, definitely liked her mother’s modern jewelry growing up and played with it all the time. From her love and passion for contemporary design and art, she developed her own jewelry line, Arte 17. During the day, she’s a talented interior designer with extensive years of study and experience in architecture from Bogota, Colombia; but when she’s off the clock you can find her sketching her next creation on a notepad or even a napkin at her dining room table.

Behind the Scenes of Summer 2012

 
On April 16th, Alternative launched its Tribes of Summer collection, introducing a cultural fusion of tropical prints, native patterns and island hues. As our Design and Creative teams went to work, we thought, what better way to immerse ourselves in the season than with an underwater photo shoot? To capture summer’s carefree vibe and highlight our rich mixture of hot colors, flowing fabrics and body-baring silhouettes, we turned to photographer Ari Abramczyk. Here’s what Ari had to say about her work, her inspiration and summer 2012.

What inspired you to become photographer?
I have been a photographer since 9.11.2001. I lived in New York, six blocks away from the World Trade Center, and witnessed the Twin Towers falling. I took images of the event, including the two buildings falling, and the aftermath. I walked the length and width of Manhattan to document the protests, the candlelight vigils, the businesses that opened their doors to strangers, the standing ovations for the firefighters and policemen. I was a photographer in that moment, and I knew that there was little else I wanted.

Atlanta Artist: Hannah Joiner

Artist Hannah Joiner is a young-talent living in Atlanta and mastering the art of…well, art. She specializes in canvas oil painting and creates beautifully textured pieces that have different layers and dimensions to them. When she creates a piece, she likes for people to be able to touch the work and to actually feel the painting.