Diane Von Furstenberg’s latest window display showcases mismatched patterns and fabric textures throughout her dress and bag collections.  Referencing bright and iconic summer shapes, reminiscent of j.crew flip flops and Tory Burch tunics, DVF’s approach to the upcoming season is blaringly optimistic.  That being said, I’d be curious to see how the recession translates into next year’s spring/summer collection, as today’s economical dip was hardly a factor when these ensembles were designed over a year ago.

L.A. Styles

While in Silverlake last month, I stumbled across Sally Bartz’s collection of handbags under her newly founded company, Halsea.  Inspired by west coast colors and summer icons, Bartz’s crab monograms and bamboo squares decorate luggage, tote and weekend bags, providing a breath of fresh air from LA’s hipster styles.

London Styles

UK designer, Peter Jensen has a playful [...]

For those who enjoy inspecting their food as much as eating it, desserts and notably chocolate, now offer an array of contemporary patterns and design.  There’s a crop of pastry chefs working in today’s global marketplace that are all unified by the goal of innovation.  Christopher Elbow, originally from Nebraska, combines a menagerie of ingredients in an effort to create intricate transfers.  While this technique is quite common in the dessert world, the results from Elbow’s kitchen are refreshingly modern.  Taking an equally creative route, the chocolatiers from Lagrange34 in Torino, Italy have reinvented the traditional chocolate bar, using geometric shapes to mold edible sculptures.  A masterful example that combines both the surface and shape is evident in many of PattyCake Baking Co’s latest creations.