Wednesday, April 23, 2014

FASHION & BEAUTY: JASON WU FOR FALL 2014


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Understated Glamour. Austere Elegance. These were the words surrounding Jason Wu's fall collection. "This season is about a softer glamour, there’s still a lot of emphasis on tailoring, but the shapes have become more voluminous and a little more relaxed." - Jason Wu
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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

JEFF ANDREWS - DESIGNERS WE LOVE



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Jeff Andrews is an internationally celebrated interior designer, coveted amongst the Hollywood elite. He has worked on interior spaces for the likes of Bruce & Kris Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, and Ryan Seacrest, and is known for his ability to transform clients’ creative vision into a work of art. He has a natural talent for taking bold design concepts and infusing them with warmth & sophistication, setting himself apart from the rest of the design world. With an exceptional attention to detail Jeff and his team’s demand for excellence is reflected in his first-class group of master craftspeople and artisans. The LuxPad talks to Jeff, once described by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the ‘Most Influential Interior Designers in LA’, about his inspirations and why having a signature style isn’t important to him… 
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What attracted you to the world of design and architecture? 
 Style, creativity, and design have been a part of my consciousness for as long as I can remember. I have always been focused on the big picture and the creative process behind it. 
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You use a lot of colour in your designs, would you say that is your signature style? Having a “signature” style is not as important to me as creating spaces that are original and sophisticated, yet highly livable. Colour is the key to creating spaces that are inviting and harmonious; interiors that are beautiful enough to make you want to stay in them, not just look at them. Finding the right balance between comfort and style is a constant challenge and keeps me creatively motivated. 
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Do you have a favourite (residential) project and why? 
 My favourite residential project to date is a West Hollywood penthouse I designed for a young bachelor. He gave me the creative freedom to do pretty much whatever I wanted, and the architecture of the space dictated a design that was more contemporary than my usual aesthetic. 

The size of the penthouse also provided me with many interesting design challenges; but overcoming the obstacles and really broadening my horizons creatively made it a purely satisfying journey to finally complete. What inspires you today? My clients are my inspiration – their style, colour preferences and lifestyle all determine the direction of a project. Also, sometimes something as simple as a great piece of artwork, photograph, or vintage pottery can serve as my inspiration for whatever project I’m working on at the moment. 
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What does the word luxury mean to you? 
 Luxury is a state of mind and can be achieved in many ways. The key is to surround yourself with things that give you pleasure and make you feel pampered in your own home, like high-quality bedding or fabulous wine glasses for your favourite wine. A home should be one’s own private refuge. 
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Can you recommend a hotel in LA where the interior design really impressed and inspired you? 
 I’m impressed by the re-design of the Hotel Bel Air. It celebrates modern California living by seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor spaces, and the interiors are comfortable and relaxed, yet chic. The furniture and colour choices reflect the glamour of the 1930’s and 40’s, and complement the hotel’s original Spanish Colonial architecture.
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Have you designed interiors for any notable people? 
 Some of the celebrities I’ve designed for include Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian, Kris and Bruce Jenner, Ryan Seacrest and Michael C. Hall. To view more of Jeff’s p.
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To view more of Jeff’s projects and to find out more about his work head to his website jeffandrews-design.com.
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All images courtesy of Jeff Andrews - Interview source Amaka UK.
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Thursday, October 24, 2013

CHRISTENING OF PRINCE GEORGE (A ROYAL AFFAIR)

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Prince George has been christened at St James's Palace on Wednesday October 23rd, as the world was given only its second public glimpse of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's young son. (See the lil baby prince pose, with arms wide open on his first family photoshoot - gotta love that)
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Outside St James's Palace enthusiastic crowds gathered to see the heir the throne, who was carried by his beaming mother and father on what was clearly a joyful occasion. The three-month-old prince, wearing a long christening robe, joined the handful of relatives attending his baptism, which was described as an 'intimate family affair'.
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Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip (great grand parents to the prince) and Prince Charles in tow (grandfather to the Prince)
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STANDING FROM L-R IS PRINCE PHILIP, PRINCE CHARLES "and" HARRY !!!!!!
SITTING FROM L-R IS QUEEN ELIZABETH, KATE, WILLIAM AND BABY PRINCE GEORGE.
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IMMEDIATE FAMILY TO PRINCE GEORGE
(MATERNAL TO THE RIGHT, PARTERNAL TO THE LEFT)
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THE QUEEN AND THE 3 HEIRS TO THE THRONE
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Tuesday, October 22, 2013

GOLD FLATWARE TRENDS

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As thanksgiving is around the corner, our obsession with gold flatware has increased and trending. Entertaining will soon be on everyone’s mind and if there’s one thing that we love to see on a dining room table it is gold flatware. Gold flatware is so elegant yet simple.
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1. Due Ice Oro by Mepra, $130 //  2. H Art Gold by Sambonet, $140 //  3. Gold Flatware by West Elm, $23 //  4. Domino Gold Cutlery by Canvas, $74 // 5. Marchesa Imperal Caviar by Lenox, $90 // 6. Night by Diane Von Furstenberg, $105
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Monday, September 23, 2013

MY LIFE: NEVER GIVE UP



As a small and new business owner, like myself, sometimes if your business is moving slower than you anticipated, it can be disheartening and very discouraging to say the least, and I must admit I have felt like that many at times lately.
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This morning I woke up, and after my morning prayer devotion and quiet time, I said to myself, I don't care if I fall a thousand times, I will continuously get up, brush myself and try again until, I succeed and testify to someone else someday. On this Day I have made my promise to God never to feel discouraged again, because he gave me this business idea and he will see it through.  Soronko will win by his Grace.!! 
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If you are a small business owner like myself and have had this similar feeling in your freshman year, as you try to get your business off the ground, please dont feel discouraged, and don't look at who is doing what around you, concentrate and focus on your own and God will do the rest.  Don't be afraid to fail sometimes. It is okay - you will be fine. Just choose to remain optimistic at all times and speak positive onto your business.
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(quote)
Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.  
(By Robert Kennedy)
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LOOKING FOR A TEXTILE OR GRAPHIC DESIGNER INTERN

Soronko is currently a one woman show right now and currently looking for an Textile & Graphic Design intern as we grow the company. Preferably I need someone who lives locally here in Atlanta GA metro area.

  • Assistant Owner and Creative Director.
  • Must be a student  or new graduate in one of the top designs schools in Metro Atlanta (SCAD, AIA, Gwinnett College etc)
  • Must have Good organisation and communications skills.
  • 12 Hours per week commitment working from your own home, and meet once a week for 4hrs for a one on one update/brainstorming of ideas.
  • Must have Textile Design and Graphic Design experience/background
  • Must be highly proficient with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
  • Marketing, Research & PR skills will be a plus.
  • Must Assist with Blogging and sending Newsletters.
  • Creating original content on a weekly basis, supported by photography, layout assistance, and social networking (twitter) to promote the feature.
  • This internship will start off on a 3 month probation, with potential of being long term paid internship.
  • This is not a paid internship

I am looking for someone whom I can establish a long term working relationship with as we grow Soronko together as a team both in USA and in UK (London). There is also a great opportunity to attend two planned "international" trade shows in 2014.

For consideration, please send resumes and cover letter to 
[soronkodesigns] [at] [gmail] [dot] [com]

ONLY APPLICANTS SHOULD CONTACT. RECRUITERS PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

SNEAK PEEK - SORONKO TEXTILES-AUTUMN 2013 COLLECTION

Hello Ladies & Gents, my sincere apologies for my long silence in over a month. I have been very busy working my usual 9-5, whilst prepping for my fall collection (2013).
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Below is a sneak peek of what is to come for my fall (autumn) 2013 collection. This time I will be adding Tabletop Items such as Napkins, Place-mats etc,  as well as a few other Accessories (surprise :)  ). 

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These are Soronko Autumn (Fall) 2013 Textile Collection
(all in production now for Tabletop napkins, placemats etc)
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I had to post photo of Mykonos Blue separately since it did not make the group pix above.

Do you see what I see? :)  - As you will see from my collection above, all the chosen colours for Soronko's Fall collection mirrors that of the Pantone Fall 2013 colours. Customers will have options of the textile designs not just in these colours but in different colours as well eg simple black & white. If you look carefully at the Soronko Image (above) and check out the last design (last on your right) - this comes in a honey gold colour which is not part of 2013 pantone colour release, however I decided to just add it because i felt that colour will be very appropriate to include in a Fall Collection - it will look beautiful for a napkin or placemat.
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All the textiles come in "Cotton/Linen" however I am still sourcing to get 100% heavy linen weight into my collection. I will post all the colour options in the shop area on my website when all is complete. Right now we are working on production and photoshoot and I anticipate everything to be complete by next month. I have a few surprises too :)
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Below are a few close ups images for some of the designs for Fall 2013.
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Do you like what you have seen so far ?  Please let me know?
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