Meet fashion’s latest print maven, Juanita Cárdenas. Born in Colombia, raised in Miami and now a resident of Buenos Aires, Cárdenas is making a name for herself with her graphic ensembles. Her eclectic background has served as the inspiration for Polychromatico!, her new fashion label. Growing up in Miami “filled my imagination with colors,”says Cárdenas, a given after browsing through her electric collection. Check out our Q&A for a glimpse into the world of this cultural hybrid and get inspired by Cárdenas’ can-do attitude.

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PP:  How did you start your own line?

JC: I had wanted to start a line or to embark on a project for some time, but I always thought that I had to have more experience, money, etc. I realized one day that the perfect conditions would never exist. The ability to map [...]

Risa (laughter), beso (kiss), and cuerpo (body) are just a sampling of the delightful Spanish words that Andrea Cavagnaro, Buenos Aires based artist, depicts in her eye-catching felt sculptures. We can’t help but be reminded of Jen Stark’s paper sculptures profiled here, when we see Cavagnaro’s brightly colored and lush layered felt. In addition to these colorful wall hangings, Cavagnaro creates large-scale environmental art displayed throughout Argentina. Pattern Pulp recently had the pleasure of meeting Cavagnaro in her charming studio where she allows her free spirit to guide her to new artistic discoveries. Check out our inspiring Q&A with Cavagnaro and discover how taking new paths led this artist to unexpected places.

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PP: What is your design process?

AC: I enjoy working with fabrics. I love to spend hours and hours cutting, gluing, [...]

Street art, album covers, clothing, logo treatments, paintings, sneakers– what doesn’t Nasa* do? Nasa*, aka Hernan Mariano Lombardo, lives and works as a designer, store owner and creative collaborator in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Like so many of our favorites, Nasa*’s vast breadth of work is heavily influenced by street, skate and architecture. Pattern Pulp recently had the pleasure of catching up with this talented artist in his Palermo Hollywood boutique, Love You. The store, which doubles as an art gallery, was founded by both Nasa* and his partner Soma, and features work by several local artists. Check out our Q&A and get inspired by his endless energy!

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PP:  Please describe your current work.

NASA: I just finished a solo exhibition called “Te Veo” in the Rojo Art Space in Rosario. It featured a [...]

Saving money is certainly in style this season, and now so are piggy banks. Since everyone is pinching pennies, Argentine designers have transformed the kiddie version of a 401k into a design object for the style and money conscious. The colorful swine are dominating Buenos Aires’ boutiques, including Tienda Palacio, Puntos en el Espacio and Materia Urbana. Local kitsch brand Casicursi created two of our favorite piggys – one covered in leopard print, another in red and blue paisley. These two patterns have been dominating international trends, but look fresh when used in this unexpected way. Malba (Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires), the premier modern art museum in Argentina, features colorful leather piggys in the must-see museum shop. The leather material of these banks celebrates the culture’s most popular [...]

A brand that makes you smile. In 2001, Argentine designer, Valeria Pesqueira, founded her fashion label, PESQUEIRA, with that simple philosophy. She has certainly succeeded. Her innovative use of high-quality materials, bright, fresh colors and exclusive kawaii prints would make anyone happy. Pesqueira sells her classically modern clothing from her flagship store in Palermo Soho, Buenos Aires, in addition to distributing to worldwide retailers such as Bird in New York, Le Bon Marche in Paris, the MoMA Stores worldwide, as well as Nano Universe in Tokyo. Check out our Q&A for a bit of insight into Valeria’s world of pattern and inspiration.

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PP:  How did you begin your clothing label?

VP: I studied fashion design at the University of Buenos Aires, then started working for huge fashion brands [...]

Tape measures can be used for more than just sizing up material — in some cases they are the material. Fusing pop art vibrancy with everyday functionality, the tool responsible for measuring our daily lives is stepping out from behind the scenes to claim a bit of creative recognition. We first noticed ruler art on the streets of Palermo Soho, where brightly colored suspenders popped up at a local craft fair. Inside the walls of Tienda Palacio, a trendy Buenos Aires boutique, folded flower pendants and resin keychain accessories reclaim the traditional notion of a tchotchke.

The fine art world hasn’t been exempt from the trend. In 2008, Debbie Smyth of Ireland, combined black and white tape measures to form magnificent geometric woven prisms. Using less malleable materials, a unique wall hanging featured at this [...]

Apparently, diamonds don’t have to sparkle in order to shine. Diamond contours are surfacing everywhere. We first noticed interesting uses of the infamous pyramid on the streets of Paris back in November and have continued to spot creative variations across the Atlantic.  From Mike Perry’s vector repeat to this Parisian jewelery display to this remarkable 3D installation by Kirsten Hassenfeld, all of these interpretations glorify the geometric intricacies of the world’s most famous carbon.

While shopping in the trendy Palermo Hollywood district of Buenos Aires (yes, it’s named after Hollywood, California), we sensed this trend emerging on the tails of ArteBA. The graffiti-culture shop, Sixfeet, is covered in diamonds, most notably on the back wall, which is strategically complimented by several colorful diamond hoodies for sale on the floor.  Back in [...]