An Evening with Barnaba Fornasetti: Through the Keyhole at Milk

The Escama Studio Story ....

The Escama Studio Story …. Fashion forward, fair trade accessories stitched together with vision, dedication and hard work.

A collaborative design studio based San Francisco and Brazil, Escama makes beautiful recycled fashion accessories using crochet and recycled aluminum pull-tabs, blending traditional handicrafts with modern design.

At Milk Concept Boutique we are completely memorised by these bags. At first gland its not clear what they are made of …. But upon closer inspection it becomes clear that they are works of real ingenuity and wearable works of art.

Escama Studio is an experiment in sustainability.

Escama Studio team adapted traditional crochet techniques used in Brazil and infused this tradition with a modern design sense and new materials. With designs originating from both San Francisco and Brazil, the bags are hand crocheted in Brazil by women’s collectives who are not just contract manufacturers, but an integral part of Escama Studio.

The video below, shows the various steps to producing the bags: from sourcing recycled aluminium, sorting usable tabs, washing, polishing, trimming and crocheting the tabs into the finished products. It follows the journey of the bags from Brazil to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

“Creating innovative and stylish products from post-consumer and other sustainable materials, through partnerships with producers in economically disadvantaged communities”

About the Artist Who Made Your Bag

The artists work in co-operatives located outside of Brasília, Brazil. The co-operative groups offer women and men in the community a means to earn a living wage through handicrafts and provide a setting where friends are made and self-esteem is regained.

Escama Studio donates a percentage of annual sales towards computer-based educational programs, along with computers, furniture, training, and assistance opening bank accounts.

For press please contact

dorin@milkconceptboutique.com

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL: THROUGH THE KEYHOLE AT MILK FROM 15 -25 SEPTEMBER

MILK invites you to join us on a journey through the unique and timeless work of Fornasetti. Launching the new collection of limited edition vases curated by Barnaba Fornasetti (son of Piero) combining the distinctive imagery of Fornasetti and the creative skills of Bitossi Ceramiche. Expect an unexpected twist on popular Fornasetti designs in an array of styles and textures, uniting traditional techniques with contemporary innovations. The 2011 vase collection continues to enjoy the interplay between illusion and reality, employing the undeniably witty Fornasetti charm.

We will have a soiree with Barnaba Fornasetti at Milk Concept Boutique on Tuesday, 20 September 2011 from 6-9pm. All our customers are welcome to join us for this evening, please RSVP to info@milkconceptboutique.eu.

Milk Concept Boutique is part of the Shoreditch Design Triangle.

For all press enquiries please contact dorin@milkconceptboutique.eu

Fashion according to GarpArt at Milk

When design meets fashion that meets contemporary art …. Meet GarpArt at Milk Concept Boutique

GarpArt is a creative label constantly in progress, fusing international contempory art projects through fashion and design.

It's creator, Nicolas de Contades, is a Swiss/Italian young patron of the arts who believes that creative collaboration in design is the new way to feel fashion, and at the same time to support up and coming international artists.

The original concept of GarpArt to work with contemporary international artists, to promote their projects through fashion and design is going from strength to strength making fashion a real means of expression!

The 2011 Collection for Milk includes:

Limited edition printed t-shirts by Ofri Cnaani (Israel/Usa) & Fausto Gilberti (Italy)

Special Edition wall stickers merging graffiti and street style with home design

Japanese Collective N+N see their art turned into the cutest canvas bags

Utility chic designer summer dresses

For more information and press information please contact

dorin@milkconceptboutique.eu

New at Milk – The Bonnet Collection by Casalis

Luxury Belgian carpet company Casalis present Bonnet their new soft furnishing collection designed by Dutch designer, Liset Van der Scheer.

The Bonnet is a knitted cap that can be stretched over various forms creating shaped pouffes, perfect for casual seating or footstools.

The Bonnet pouffes come in different mix and match shapes and sizes, their removable and interchangeable covers are knitted in 100% merino wool and available in dozens of colourways.

Please browse Milk’s online catalogue or pop in and see us to help you find the right colour palette to suit your mood and lifestyle!

Press contact: dorin@milkconceptboutique.eu

The Baobab Candle Collection

A colourful scented dream, bringing the majestic feel of the African Continent to life for those whom refinement is the art of living

The Baobab candle collection was born in 2002 from Belgian designer Valerie Bietlot's experiences living in South Africa. Inspired by the majestic landscapes of Tanzania with its intense colours and enchanting perfumes, Baobab underlines its African heritage with selective fragrances such as White Rhino, Serengeti Plains, Masaai Spirit, and Miombo Woodlands bringing to life the majestic scent of the African heartland.

Handmade: Every material used in creating the Baobab collection is hand crafted and every gesture of the finishing is hand made. The vases are precisely blown pieces by craftsmen glass blowers and manual polishing gives straight edge glass finishes, aand a black statin ribbon gives an exclusive finish to the candle. Presented in an identifiable black box covered with buckram paper to complete the sobriety and elegance of this product,

White Rhino, Serengeti Plains, Masaai Spirit, and Miombo Woodlands in Max 10. 1ocm high, 50og, 60 burning hours.

Eco Friendly Coffee in your BYO CUP from Milk

BYO (Bring Your Own) Cup for Life

Finally, a cool looking eco friendly coffee cup with a secure lid you can use again and again and again ... and what’s even better is that you can enjoy a 10% discount from Starbucks each time you fill your 'BYO cup' there!
The BYO Cup keeps your coffee warm yet it’s cool to the touch. Use it. Wash it. Re-use it.

Made from food grade silicone, it’s firm but flexible, lightweight but tough, and will withstand 200ºC heat (making it totally dishwasher safe too). It’s pretty much indestructible. Which means it won’t contribute to the mountain of discarded disposable coffee cups shoved into landfills that will never decompose because of their polymer lining.

At the end of its life as your BYO Cup, please return it to us and we will forward it to a silicone recycler in India who will turn it into charity bracelets or key rings.
It’s a way of enjoying the coffee of your choice – without adding more rubbish to the world. Did you know the average Briton throws away on average 250 paper coffee cups a year?!! Don’t be one of them ….

Make the change and help save the planet, one coffee at a time!

Small: 8oz (230ml) cup - £8.95
Large: 12oz (355ml) cup - £11.95

Both sizes available in Red and Black with Red or Black lids.

For more information contact: dorin@milkconceptboutique.com

Valentine's Gift Ideas for Him

Romance the man in your life with our luxurious gift selection for every budget.

1. For the hyper-minimalist who prefers to go cash-free, how about this subtle and understated card wallet (£28) by Japanese label CORGA

2. Help keep his desk seamlessly smart with this next-generation pencil case (£42) by Japanese label CORGA

3. Smarten him up with a humorous silk tie (£105) by iconic Milanese artist Piero FORNASETTI

4. Need him to be fashionably on time? Then the TOYWATCH Chrono Gun (£118.00) is the ideal timekeeper!

5. Keep him on trend in a pair of HUDSON’s stylish Swathmore tan boots (£125)

6. or a Milk Gift Voucher so he can pick the perfect present for him ….

Valentine's Gift Ideas for Her

Treat your sweetheart to a luxury gift from Milk’s exclusive collection

1. Keep her smelling sweet with these dreamy MATHLIDE M Bath Sugars (6 boxes tablets £13.00)

2. Is she forever forgetting where she left mobile phone? Help her keep it safe in a stylish place with this CHARGE ‘N’ FRUIT Red Apple Docking Station (£50.00)

3. Give her a lip-smacking big smooch COWPARADE sytlee that she can keep forever! Smootches Medium Cow (£75)

4. Take her to senses somewhere sensual with a Bacio (kiss) Scented Candle (£95) in a FORNASETTI decorated porcelain pot

5. Keep her in her place!!! In this fabulous FABIO NOVEMBRE Her Chair (£360) perfectly sculpted and crafted around the female form

6. or a Milk Gift Voucher so she can pick the perfect present for her ….

COR SINE LABE DOLI's Papillon

Milk is proud to present one its most exciting fashion accessory concepts: the Papillon (bow tie) from the thrilling new Italian brand Cor Sine Labe Doli.

Cor Sine Labe Doli have taken the traditional bow tie and created a new concept, giving this elegant men’s fashion accessory a new life, a new direction and a new purpose. The Ceramic Papillon has a glamorous and stylish feel to it, losing none of the eccentricity of the bow tie just adding to a fashionable edge to it!

Bow ties are traditionally associated with formal dress but the Papillon inspires a stylish touch in the fashion conscious wearer adding a touch of razzle-dazzle to a tux, a collared shirt, a classic T-shirt ….. or even a little black dress! Making it not just an innovative accessory for men, but also a glamorous addition to any woman’s dressing up box!!

Expertly manufactured in Marostica, the Italian land of the ceramic, the Papillon are hand moulded by local artisans then expertly fired to achieve the fabulous gloss or matt finish. The ribbons are then expertly sown on by tailors to complete this charming directional fashion accessory.

Available in two shapes and fashion colours: white, black, navy blue, gold, cherry, gold, platinum, shiny rust and the sensational model in shiny black with a gold spot.