A Note From Our Guest Editor*, Estée: Herbivore is a super simple yet effective brand. Beyond their gorgeous packaging, the products certainly pack a punch! I hadn’t read too much about the brand at the time I posted this on my site, so I wanted to give the brand a spotlight to show my audience how incredible I found the products.
With spring just around the corner, everyone’s looking for those perfect airy pieces that will sway in the light breeze. With a collection that is just that, Laili Lau‘s latest work has been influenced by the contrast of nature and modernity that she’s experienced in her home city of Caracas, Venezuela.
The young designer continues to incorporate her love for adventure into her feminine designs to create collections that embody her personality and lifestyle. We were fortunate enough to get the chance to interview Laili and discuss what’s inspired her to pursue fashion design and are excited to share her story with you, below.
The inner voice. The one that narrates and ponders and analyzes and dreams. It’s always there, guiding us through life and moving us along. And – like we’ve all heard before – it has tremendous power to shape our lives, depending on what we feed it.
While we’re aware how negative thoughts breed negative self-image, what about the thoughts that aren’t so easy to categorize as either negative or positive? What happens when our inner voices are littered with questions?
Is this dress flattering? Can I pull off this color? Would I look foolish if I tried something new?
A Note From Our Guest Editor*, Estée: At the end of every year, it has become a tradition of mine to film a yearly beauty favourites video where I talk about all of my favourite beauty products from the previous year and why I have loved them so much. This year many of the products had been featured in my monthly favourites videos but there was some I hadn’t spoke about before. This is definitely a good post to get you started in the world of great beauty products!
International Women’s Day is meant to celebrate and encourage women to achieve their ambitions, call for gender-balanced leadership, to value differences, and to develop more inclusion and flexibility across the globe. In short, it’s meant to create room for more women to create their own kind of beauty in the world. That’s why we thought it would be inspiring to have Chelsea Neman, of LA’s Tappan Collective (which recently opened in Platform in Culver City), share her thoughts on a few women who are doing just that.
Aiming to change the way emerging artists connect with their collectors, Chelsea co-founded Tappan to support emerging artists by sharing their work through e-commerce, crafting digital contexts, and a recently-opened physical space in Los Angeles. Chelsea believes that, “artists can show people something they otherwise may never see. They have the ability to change the way we think about our lives and the world we live in. Being an artist is a brave venture, and it gives me great joy to be able to support their careers.”
Who are a few of these female artists you should know? Read on to find out.
“How are you?”
The question we all ask most often, that sits stale on our tongues and is received with numb ears and returns to us with an equally unoriginal response. We find it suitable for passing, as it’s been reduced to a courtesy rather than a conversation. It’s the most inquisitive we are usually willing to be.
Einstein once said, “I have no special talent, I am only passionately curious.” And it is this kind of passionate curiosity that allows us to learn; it’s the same practice seen in scientific research, in job interviews, in seeking a faith, on a first date. We cannot know answers until we ask questions.
But our society somewhat lost the art of asking questions when answers are google-able and social media reveals much of what we want to know. There seems to be little left to discover, and this attitude becomes especially problematic as we interact with the world and people around us; we become overly self-involved and lacking in curiosity.
I pledge allegiance to the products of the United Stated of America. And to the fashion for which it stands, one website, under shared accountability, with variety and style for all.
If you are anything like I was when I started working in the retail industry, you don’t spend much time thinking about where your clothes come from. Take a look at that label the next time you’re out shopping. Would it surprise you to learn that 98% of clothing purchased in the U.S. is imported?
Retailers are required to disclose whether a product is Made in the USA, imported or both, and yet this information is often not readily available online or is very hard to find. I created USINMADE, a curated assortment of the best items Made in the USA, because of my frustration at how difficult it was to shop by this very important criteria.
Erin Boyle is the author of the newly released book, “Simple Matters,” and writes about living minimally yet purposefully over on her blog, “Reading My Tea Leaves.” If you’re in LA, meet her today March 5th at The Springs for an afternoon of kombucha, self-care and book signing from 3-5pm!
If you’re feeling like you want in on a life that feels a little less cluttered, a little less chaotic, and a little more peaceful, here are three ways to kickstart a simpler way of doing things:
If you don’t know Estée Lalonde from her feature in our winter issue, chances are you’ve already caught her on YouTube, Instagram, or on her blog, EstéeLalonde.com. Reaching over one million subscribers with her beauty and lifestyle content, Estée’s relatable, inviting spirit permeates all that she touches.
As we begin diversifying our blog and digital endeavors here at Darling, we’re excited to welcome in key “Guest Editors” to curate persona-specific articles and advice. Without a doubt, Estée was our first choice for The Beautician. As you’ll see below and in her articles to come later this month, this Canadian-turned-Londoner is more than a makeup expert. She’s insightful, lovely, and someone you’ll simply want to have over for tea and heart-to-hearts.
Meet Sue Jacobs, music supervisor for notable films such as Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, Little Miss Sunshine and more. Over two decades Sue has put sound to picture, powerfully impacting the films we watch and transporting us through her song selection expertise. She is a dreamer of vision and sound.
As a fellow female music curator, Sue Jacob’s impressive repertoire of work and unique career inspired me to unearth more of this Dreamer’s story and creative process.
We’re continually impressed at the changes happening within the fashion industry to promote the making, wearing and buying of clothes that help more than they hurt. That’s why we’re so excited to introduce you today to two women doing their part to make our closets better.
Meet Cara Bartlett and Vanessa van Zyl of VETTA, a versatile capsule collection made up of only five pieces that creates 30 different outfits. If you’re curious or overwhelmed by a capsule closet, this is the place to start. We’re sharing more about these designers and how you can preorder one (or all!) of their creations below.
Recently, my travels have taken me to Thailand and Myanmar. I’ve witnessed some pretty cringe-worthy travel behavior along the way. It got me thinking, how can one be a good traveler? How can one absorb the culture like a traveler and not a tourist, respect others’ differences and go with the flow, even when things get challenging?
The realm of carefully curated wardrobes is expanding. We’re peeling off from fast fashion indulgences and moving toward an industry that meticulously assembles timeless collections. Where luxury has previously been an exclusive and unattainable ideal, it’s now coming into light as the new standard.
And pioneering this movement is Maria Gangemi, co-founder of M.Gemi footwear. Not only is she continuously on the cutting edge of style, she simultaneously challenges norms of the trade with her commitment to handcrafted excellence. So, today is an introduction to this brand, their process, and what’s being done to #makesomeroom in our closets.
There are times in life when things seem to align just right and something beautiful happens. This is how we feel about our latest issue — it’s one of our absolute favorites and we can’t wait to get it in your hands!
We’ve been fired up at Darling lately about the amount of women rising up in the world to create real change, which reflects the theme of this issue: Fierceness. Spring is the exact time of year to truly wake up, to realize our power, to be assertive, to let the sails go full force. In these pages you’ll find inspiring interviews, bright and bold photography (our cover and cover story was shot in Milan, Italy!) and deep essays that will really challenge your status quo.
Excerpt from Editor-in-Chief, Sarah Dubbeldam’s, Letter from the Editor:
There are too many things in the world that need the touch of women — those that only our psyche can solve, that only her touch can heal, that only her intuition can decipher … may we open our eyes wider, not letting ourselves nod off to sleep, because honestly, we all must keep one another awake to the full if we are going to really leave impressions in the ground where we’ve walked.
Also, you’ll notice a new change in this issue—advertisements! Don’t freak out, we aren’t becoming a glossy mag [smile]. This was a congruent choice with the message of being fierce. Darling has a lot of work to do in this world, and in order to grow, to spread our message more, to do more good, we’ve realized we need to partner with other brands. We promise, they will always be pretty and things you’ll like, because we like them!
Want to see more of what’s inside Issue No. 15?