It’s always a treat when one of your favorite designers does the high/low dance and takes a quick stab at mass market.  Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai, the designers behind Vena Cava, a Pattern Pulp favorite, are doing a meet and greet along with Alexander Wang at the Gap at 54th and 5th avenue today.  We had the pleasure of saying a quick hello as we tried on multiple pieces from both collections.  Swing by to meet the talent as well as try on the latest and greatest from the king of khaki.

When times are tough, retail environments pull out all the stops, forcing their design teams to get crafty in lieu of spending big bucks.  Sometimes these ad hock compilations are miserable collages and other times, wondrously creative ideas emerge.  Anthropologie’s artistic displays typically fall into the later of the two categories.  Inspired by Parisian wallpaper styles, the back wall of the retailer’s Fifth Avenue location pairs kitchen wares with floral chalk panels.  Using a $10 can of blackboard paint and a steady hand, Anthro’s budget illustrations are incredibly chic and can easily be translated to any wall in your home.

Inspiration: Floral Striping

When designing floral striping, all inspirational elements must be considered.  Here is a mood board that combines paralleling themes through the use of nature, Parisian craftsmanship and modern techinique.