ELEVATED EDIT by The Collective

More perfectly imperfect hearts please.

Bright, colorful, happy, love, playful – these are the words that come to mind when your meet Kerri Rosenthal and when you see her designs. We met Kerri in LA in March of 2020 and placed our first order just before the world shut down for the pandemic. As we all struggled to regain our footing, Kerri’s message of love and happiness was just the thing that everyone needed, and when we opened again full time, her designs flew off the shelves.

Kerri was raised in Brooklyn New York and attended NYU. She spent some time in Europe and worked at Oilily, the boldly colored and patterned Dutch children’s clothing line, for ten years – which has influenced her designs. She started painting about 15 years ago when she picked up a paint set and began experimenting in her basement. At work, during conference calls, her notes were always filled with doodles and hearts, so her paintings became a natural extension of those drawings. When she brought her art up into the light of the kitchen and showed them to her friends, they were delighted and immediately wanted to buy them. Kerri was officially inspired. A couple of years later she had a one-night show and sold every piece. Her background as a designer led her to think of incorporating her art into her design work - wallpaper, fabric, pillows, etc. Finally in 2016 she decided it was time to open a store of her own. She opened a small space and dabbled in her “blocks of love” among other art pieces. They only lasted a year in the space before moving to a bigger location, where they continued to experiment with transferring Kerri’s artwork to a small collection of sweaters, t-shirts, and other wearables.

Kerri is a fan of Picasso and Pollack, but mostly she is inspired by fashion. Yet her designs are timeless - they do not follow a trend - the print and color make it uniquely Kerri. You could almost say she has started her own genre. The process begins with one of Kerri’s mixed-media paintings, the team chooses a few of their favorites and then they send them out to be scanned on a variety of wearables and homeware items and see where it works best and if it needs to be tweaked for the ideal result. They then choose what they love and what makes them happy, because that tends to be what their customers choose as well.  

Kerri’s happy place is creating her art, but she is a driven entrepreneur as well. She has a spirited work ethic and touches every piece of the business from the design to the merchandising, and even responding to customer service reviews personally. She believes art should be accessible, so her designs come in almost every price point and appeal to a wide variety of people. This has allowed her business to grow organically, and marketing has been mostly through word of mouth. A teenager comes in and buys a $38 block of love for her mom for Mother’s Day, and then the mom visits the store and buys a sweater, her friend buys a blanket, and the ball keeps rolling. There is an amazing community of women in Westport, CT, where Kerri started her business, and with their support and communications (social media/blogs) the wholesale business doubled in volume last year and they expect it to double again in 2022. In the past year their staff has grown from 8 to 22 people, and, like most companies, they are currently looking for more employees. The popularity of Kerri’s style and message continues to expand. Her clothing line is extremely versatile – from work to kids’ soccer game and restyled for dinner out. In the future she is doing some exciting collaborations and potentially opening another store location.

One of the things that motivates Kerry and her daughter Ali, who is an integral part of the business, is the people who reach out and tell them heartwarming stories about how they were having a hard time and that Kerri’s designs helped them to get through it, or they were able to give some of Kerri’s art as gifts to brighten someone’s day. Drop into The Collective this month and get your own piece of Kerri’s Happy Movement, we have sweaters, pillows, blocks of love and more!

“One of our missions with The Collective is to create a platform for selected, local artists and craftsmen to showcase and sell their wares. We want a part of The Collective to reflect the talents of our local community.” - Katherine and Kathy

As we talked with the artists featured in this edition of The Collective Thread, we were delighted to learn more about their inspirations, methods, goals, and attention to sustainability. In many cases, they have found beauty in the imperfections of their work, and for some, COVID was the instigation to take a step back and be able to finally listen to those creative urges. We find it encouraging to read about people in our community who have achieved fulfillment and success in both their art and in starting a business, and we hope you do too. Please stop in and check out the artwork from these talented individuals from now through the holidays.   

Trip Hunter of Blue Fig Charcuterie Boards

Hunter is a bit of a renaissance man – by day he is a Senior Vice President at a tech marketing firm, but he was a boat craftsman in college which gave him his first exposure to epoxy and fiberglass. He went on to make custom furniture and cabinets for 7 years in New York City, before heading into the tech world. He inherited his creative instincts from his mother, who designed cufflinks for Tiffany’s; her work is nothing short of stunning. 

Like most good stories, it all started with a bar. Trip Hunter was looking for a project during COVID, while  he quarantined with his family in Park City, and decided he wanted to build a bar. To learn more about the process, he began producing smaller serving boards to experiment with different woods, epoxy, colors etc. Over the course of 12 months, he gave his “experiments” to friends, and when people’s reactions were overwhelmingly positive, the idea for Blue Fig emerged. He did eventually finish the bar, but now has a healthy following at The Collective where his boards offer the ideal integration of natural and modern elements.

Hunter finds inspiration in each beautiful slab of wood that he selects for the base of his custom charcuterie boards. He uses only repurposed wood ranging from Walnut to Teak, and most recently he is exploring exotic woods such as Black Limba and Guanacaste. He analyzes the grain and patterns inherent in the wood and contemplates what colors will best complement those elements. Producing the boards is an intense process that involves lots of sanding, pouring, blow torches, molds, temperature adjustments, and patience. As he sands and applies each layer, he unlocks new textures, patterns, and colors which keeps the creative progress exciting and interesting, and of course contributes to the distinct look of each piece. The final product arrives in a beautiful Blue Fig bag hand sewn by Trip! For this outdoor enthusiast, working with his hands is a creative release. Trip continues to come up with innovative designs, experimenting with new woods, and looks forward to working on more commissions in the future.

Sarah Ashley Peterson Fine Art

Sarah Peterson has successfully fused her skill in graphic design, her fine arts degree from the University of Utah, and her love of the mountains to come up with a trail-blazing personal style that is unlike anything we’ve seen before in the western art world. Peterson loves to mix organic shapes like mountains and clouds, with more geometric shapes that give her work a more modern aesthetic. Growing up in a small town in Idaho,  she spent time camping and hiking with her family, so landscape has always been her primary source of inspiration. 

Building and refining the panels that Sarah paints is an essential part of her technique; they must be completely smooth so the paint glides easily over the surface. Acrylic paint dries quickly making it the ideal medium for her to layer and add different colors to achieve her unique look. She usually begins with a reference photo from a place she visited, establishes a color palette, pencils in a quick composition sketch, and then lets the artistic flow take over. Sarah credits many of the classes she took at the U with helping her to become the artist she is today. She was often pushed outside of her comfort zone to experiment with different mediums, portraits, abstract, etc. She fell in love with the feel and grain of wood along with the texture it offered for her painting. As she has evolved as an artist, her work has become more detailed and abstract. Another interesting aspect of Sarah’s work is that her pieces are not always square or rectangular; they are available in a variety of shapes. Sarah took an installation class while getting her degree and found it scary but also freeing that art didn’t have to be confined to a canvas. She created floating installations, anamorphic images, and art that circulated a stairwell. Peterson believes that everyone should be able to enjoy art in their home, so her paintings come in a range of sizes, which makes it accessible to people of all economic levels. 

The clever juxtaposition of modern shapes with a classic landscape on her custom made wood panels makes Peterson’s art a perfect fit for The Collective and we are excited to represent this talented young artist and new mother!

Ron Butkovich of RSB Design

The shelves in Ron Butkovich’s jewelry studio are filled with eclectic and quirky treasures – horns, buddhas, small and large gems, mixed metals, soft leather, pearls, old coins, rare beads, charms, watch cases, and branches. It’s like your grandma’s attic, but with a cool bohemian flair and a sprinkle of nature. It is a story of a life well-lived and an imagination that never stops. Butkovich finds inspiration for his jewelry designs everywhere – from the sticks, stones, and flowers in his own backyard to the markets he frequents in Los Angeles, New York, and Europe. Nature always plays a feature role, and Ron particularly loves to contrast natural details like pearls or horns with gold or diamonds, secured on a rough length of leather. Butkovich  has been creating jewelry for over 30 years and during that time his style has become freer with a focus on highlighting the stone versus the jewelry that surrounds it. Combining old with new to create a one-of-a-kind design is at the core Butkovich’s creative method and he encourages his clients to bring in a brooch from their grandmother and or a sentimental stone and he will incorporate it into your custom piece. Butkovich has been with The Collective from the very beginning, as his style thoroughly melds with the vision of the mountain modern lifestyle that Kathy and Katherine were looking to create.  

Lindsay Arnold of Quincy Candle Co

Lindsay Arnold’s love of candles started as a kid back in New England where power outages are frequent, so candles were used all over the house. Artistry was in Arnold’s DNA; her grandmother was an artist, her mother taught her how to create candles, and she was a studio art major at the University of Virginia. However, it wasn't until she had some free time away from her full time job as the event director at The US Ski and Snowboard Team during COVID, that she was able to turn her artistic talent and passion into a thriving business. 

The gift of light has been around for thousands of years, and she was drawn to the opposition between the glittering natural light source and the industrial calm of concrete. She also knew she wanted to make art that people could reuse. At first, her intention was to have the candle holders look machine made. Time and again during the pouring, cooling, and molding process the forms would have holes, textures, and they were maddeningly not completely smooth. Even though she was striving for consistency, none of them came out the same. As she continued through trial and error, sometimes the holes would look like a face, or exactly four dots would create a cool pattern. She discovered that beauty was in the imperfection. Each concrete form was its own little work of art, and what’s even better is that they are reusable as a planter or a pen holder. Customers can order a refill of wax from Arnold’s website, or at The Collective.

    Arnold had to master the science of blending the soy wax at the right temperature to maximize aroma and burning time. She uses only all natural scents which she mixes and matches to create specific blends that appeal to her customers.  For The Collective, Arnold worked with Kristin, the store’s manager, to formulate a fragrance that represents the mountain modern milieu that is characteristic of the Park City boutique.  

Kris Hanaman Fine Encaustic Art

Don’t be surprised if you see Kris Hanaman on the side of the street, bent over a dumpster retrieving some textured packing cardboard. The encaustic artist sees opportunity all around and collects everything from guitar strings and discarded screens to antique stamps to incorporate into her work. She is motivated by the colors in nature, like the vibrant red of a Hibiscus flower, or the orange of a La Jolla sunset. Feeling an empty space in her life after her children left home, Hanaman embarked on a variety of workshops to find an outlet for her creative “whisperings,” as she calls them. She finally took an encaustic class with Jeff Juhlin at the Kimball Art Center, and felt an immediate connection to the medium. Drawn to the playful, experimental element of using beeswax and resin, and in particular - the layering and scraping that would continually reveal new patterns and textures. Hanaman likens it to an artistic treasure hunt, where the unplanned turns into something magical. Another aspect of encaustic that Hanaman feels good about is the ability to melt down and reuse all her wax scraps, so there is no waste.

The encaustic medium is an ancient art form dating back to 500 BC, when Greek shipbuilders used it to repair and weatherproof their ships. Eventually they started adding color, which allowed it to be used for decorative purposes. With the help of modern technology and the ability to easily provide constant heat, encaustic has become a mainstream art form in the 21st century. Finding the necessary heating element required Hanaman to find a well-ventilated space to work, so she rented a studio in Salt Lake City, where she was fortunate to meet and be mentored by another artist across the hall. After months of working and learning, her friend encouraged her to submit her art to the Springville Museum’s annual spring salon and much to her surprise, she was accepted – for three years in a row! This early validation gave Hanaman  the needed encouragement to show and sell her work. Kris is grateful to The Collective for supporting local artists like herself and helping increase the breadth of her customer following. 

Stefani Kimche, Saam Beads

With a lifelong passion for the visual arts, Stefani embraced an opportunity to combine her wanderlust with creativity. Her collegiate studies of archeology and fine art fueled a fascination with the historical importance of beads. Acquired throughout diverse cultures; beads have retained constant significance as a form of trade, worship, and beauty. She is especially drawn to vintage rosaries, mala chains and prayer beads. Stefani’s interest solidified when she began collecting the ancient Hebron trade beads which are featured in her strands. Hundreds of years old and made from the sands and salts of the Dead Sea, these beads were prized throughout Africa and Europe. The beads have traveled through many countries and cultures, gathering a shared history along their journey. Each unique strand contains a mix of rare and collectible beads, organic material, and fair-trade sourced components. Whenever possible, female artisan products are used.  The curated selections, which are only available in Park City through The Collective, are thoughtfully strung together, allowing their combined history to continue in someone else’s story.

Sustainability at The Collective

Sustainability is important to The Collective Park City’s mission of being a good environmental steward. About 80% of the lines and designers they offer meet their commitment to sustainability, which includes companies offering fair wages, humane and safe work environments, no child labor, and working to reduce their carbon footprint through renewable energies, recycling and repurposing where possible.  The following companies highlight The Collective’s commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.

DL1961 

Denim used to be one of the worst climate offenders wasting thousands of gallons of water to produce a pair of jeans and the harsh dyes were washed down drains that emptied into our waterways, streams and rivers. However, several denim brands are now utilizing a variety of techniques to reduce and reuse waste water. Whether it is sourcing fabric that doesn't use toxic chemicals and dyes, optimizing manufacturing processes to create less waste, and using recycled green packaging, denim designers are working hard to make a high-quality product while minimizing their carbon footprint. 

One of our best-selling lines, DL 1961, utilizes Jeanologia’s Environment Impact Measurement (EIM) software to keep track of each garment’s water, energy, and resource usage. This approach makes sense because the first step in addressing any problem is knowing how to measure it, and subsequently assessing the consequences of each change and how it affects the environment. All the Lenzing fibers used by DL1961 are made from cellulose which comes from a renewable and biodegradable wood source to replace the the use of petroleum fabrics that emit micro plastics into our environment 

The family-owned and run company is also using recycled denim and plastic bottles to create eco-friendly, high- performance denim. DL 1961 uses a state-of-the-art water recycling system that reintroduces 98% of the water they use back into municipal drains. The Jeanologia Ozone Eco G2 machine allows the company to use air to create wash variation without using water. In fact, the average pair of jeans uses approximately 1500 gallons of water, whereas the average pair of DL1961 jeans uses less than 10 gallons! The New York based manufacturing facility has self-power generation that uses a heat recovery system for their production needs, and the plant is partially powered by solar energy to further offset their carbon footprint. 

DL1961 is committed to treating their employees with respect and working with factories that offer fair wages, reasonable hours, supportive and healthy working conditions. 

Zahra Ahmed, vice president of marketing, DL1961, told Women’s Wear Daily“DL was founded on a mission to do things differently. From Day One, we focused on how denim was made, and what improvements we could make on every step of the process. We use premium materials and innovative fibers alongside the most efficient production methods available to ensure a product that looks good, feels great but also does better for the environment.”

Faherty Clothing

Another family owned and operated New York based company, Faherty is committed to being a good steward of the environment for future generations, as well as a thoughtful and supportive community partner. 77% of the materials used in their clothing lines are made of sustainable fibers like organic cotton, ethically sourced cashmere, recycled polyester, linen, and hemp. They also strive to use non-toxic dyes and water-efficient processes wherever possible. They have replaced their recycled poly packaging with an eco-friendly paper bag and their goal is to be 90% plastic free by the end of this year. Faherty has partnered with several organizations committed to making the world a better place including 1% for the planet, Surfrider Foundation, and Blue Sign (link to these sites). Additionally, Faherty is proud to partner with Native American artists, Doug Good Feather (Lakota Tribe) and Bethany Yellowtail (Crow/Cheyenne Tribes) whose work and wisdom are an integral reminder of our universal connection to the land and to each other. 

Graf Lantz
 

The Graf Lantz sustainability and business policies are classic and simple: use quality materials and waste as little as possible. “True Sustainability begins with the choices we make every day.” The team works hard to ensure every scrap and off-cut is utilized somewhere in their product line. Graf Lantz has been sustainable from the beginning - even before it was fashionable. Their home accessories are built to last, produced domestically, and are renewable, biodegradable and made from natural materials using low waste practices. For the Los Angeles based company, quality and sustainability go hand in hand. They are concerned with where their material is sourced, how the product is made, and how they treat the people whose art and passion transform the raw materials into Graf Lantz products. The primary material used by Graf Lantz is Merino Wool Felt, which is 100% natural and grown year-round from the Merino wool sheep. It is also 100% biodegradable - wool fibers naturally and quickly decompose in soil and, in effect, release valuable nutrients (like nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon) back into the earth and fertilize the soil. Merino Wool is also 100% Renewable - every year Australian sheep produce new fleece, making wool a completely renewable fiber. Merino wool is made up of 50% organic atmospheric carbon coming from their pasture diet and supports a renewable lifecycle and system. Graf Lantz products are epically durable – the designers consistently strive to create timeless products that are built to last. Choosing quality materials and sustainable practices over trends and convenience sets them apart from other vendors and their customers and partners recognize and appreciate the effort.

ANDI Bags

When it comes to sustainability, ANDI’s motto is all about doing more with less. They use every single piece of material in their manufacturing so that no waste goes to landfill. Fabric offcuts are used as stitching reinforcement to make ANDIs more durable. They test and build their products to last, back them up with a robust warranty and recycle, and repurpose and/or donate any damaged products. 99% of their manufacturing and sourcing takes place in one locale, Taiwan, to cut down on unnecessary manufacturing and travel pollution. ANDI only works with partners who share their values to protect our environment and provide excellent working conditions for employees. They are constantly looking to improve their processes and actively seek out suppliers with Oeko-Tex® 100 and bluesign® certifications. ANDI products are 100% vegan and 95% of their products incorporate materials made from post-consumer recycled plastics, and they are upping their sustainability game with every production cycle. They use eco-friendly dyes and processes to reduce water usage for all fabrics. Hangtags are made with post-consumer recycled paper and their packaging is recyclable. ANDI is a member of 1% for the Planet as part of their commitment to be a force of good. 

Bella Dahl

The Bella Dahl team is dedicated to mindful and quality practices while creating timeless clothing that is beautiful, comfortable, and easy to live in. Their clothing is garment dyed versus fabric dyed which allows them to control the number and quality of resources that go into each of their styles. Most of their collections are made with natural and sustainable fabrics that are designed to be soft on their customers and softer on our earth. TENCEL™ Lyocell is a staple in the Bella Dahl collections, but the designers continue to explore and introduce new environmentally friendly fabrics. They are able to reduce their carbon footprint by producing the majority of Bella Dahl in Downtown LA, where their factories and wash houses pay a fair wage and uphold strict standards. 

So I got fitted for a bathing suit today, after 18 months of pandemic hermeticism and comfort food consumption. I think it is safe to say, I was not necessarily looking forward to the occasion. Standing in a dressing room while I surrender most of my body to be judged by another? No thanks. In the past, my bathing suit shopping consisted of 1. randomly ordering suits online and returning 80% of what I bought after making sour faces at myself in the mirror 2. grabbing a few things off the rack in a department store and standing in the dressing room trying to picture what I might look like without my underwear bunching out underneath the bottoms, while a rail thin teenage employee asks if I need a different size.

But today, finally, at the ripe age of almost 54, I had a grown up bathing suit experience thanks to Malia Mills, a fashion designer from NYC who flew in to do a trunk show at The Collective this weekend. Is there anything more intimidating than trying on a bathing suit? Not when you are with Malia. She has a calm, confident, approachable air about her that immediately makes you feel comfortable and relaxed. She is here to help you find THE suit that is comfortable and wearable, that highlights your best parts and makes your less than best parts look better. First, Malia gathers information about your normal sizing and any peculiarities that you might want to highlight or remedy, in my case sagging boobs that like to wrangle free from the confines of a bikini top. Malia is right there with me, in the dressing room, listening to my wants/needs/likes/dislikes/irrational fears. It is this kind of interaction that has allowed her to remain current in an industry that spits out designers like bad sushi. Her 30 years in the fashion world allow her to quickly discern what styles might work with my specific figure and issues, and she returns with 3 tops and 3 bottoms, and we move on from there. The bathing suits she delivers to my fitting room are not normally styles I would choose for myself, but they are surprisingly flattering! She adjusts straps and moves things around a bit. I relinquish control and allow myself to be guided by Malia’s expertise and unassuming manner. There is about 10 minutes of going back and forth – well Malia is going back and forth - I’m standing in the fitting room occasionally poking my head out into the store to see what else is going on out there. I hear 2 friends in the fitting room next to me oohing and aahing about their discoveries.

“What are you trying on?” I call out.

“This super comfy jumpsuit that I can wear a bunch of different ways, roll it up in a ball and throw in my suitcase and not worry about it!” my friend answers.

More women are drinking wine and exclaiming about the variety of treasures they have found. Two teenage girls are giggling as they try on their suits. Am I really at a bathing suit fitting? Everyone seems so happy and upbeat!  In the end, I choose the Damita style of top that I never could have imagined for myself, but the fit is perfect, and everything stays where it is supposed to, because I have worked with a professional, who knows women’s bodies and how her swimsuits fit them. Malia eliminates the guessing and opens you up to things you might not have considered before. The fabric feels thick and strong, but not so thick it won’t dry after a swim. The straps are adjustable and go over my shoulders, so I don’t have that tugging on my neck all afternoon that I experience with other suits. The bikini bottom is a low rider that my husband should approve of. Malia also points out that because the fabric is beautiful and supportive, I can wear the top as a piece of clothing, perhaps under a sheer linen blouse, or paired with a pair of high rise jeans and a light jacket.  I feel sophisticated, happy, confident and… efficient! I just accomplished what it takes most people several hours and gallons of tears to do. I can’t imagine shopping for a bathing suit any other way. Stop by The Collective this weekend to have your own customized experience with Malia and her team!

(Learn more about Malia’s journey in the fashion world  in our next blog!)