Brightest Young Things Interviews Enderby

You can read Brightest Young Things Enderby interview as Stylistics 2 approaches.

In which we showcase the designers who will make you feel special on April 21st at STYLEistics.
BY ASKING THEM THE EXACT SAME QUESTIONS. allowing for ease of compare and contrastness and all.
(And ALSO allowing us to be excited about them without having to think of individual questions for the whole dozen of them)


We continue with Meg Allan of Enderby Designs and NEST (enderbynest.com).


How did it all begin?
My sister, Lauren, and I moved up to New York City and had the daunting task of affording holiday gifts for our remarkably huge family, while being on a very tight budget. We both have always loved making things and of course, like all sisters, crafted as kids. We went and just bought a bunch of materials and started working. Lauren is also one of my best friends so we could literally just sit and sew and talk for ever. Talking about how we would start a sisters-owned company and work and hang out for the rest of our lives. A few years later, a good move for Lauren, but a sad one for me, she left New
York. I still had this ideal picture in my head of starting my own, earth-friendly, green business, but had no idea how. I wasn’t until Fall 2005, when our rescue beagle was getting older and needed more care that I started realistically breaking down the beginning steps. I thought, why not just start it now? What am I waiting for? So, with my birthday money, bought my first supplies and started working. Now, a year and a half later, Enderby has grown into a full-time company that
sells my designs through shops, boutiques, my website, ETSY, Renegade Craft Fair, and more.
Tell us about the name,and why of all the other names available in the world, why, why did you choose it?
Enderby is the street that I grew up on. And I just love the word,
End-er-bee.
Who/what is your style inspiration?
My nana, Coco Chanel, French cinema, Jackie O, Edie Beale, Soho, vintage Vogue, science, Woody Allen films, Gloria Steinem, Martha Stewart.
Define “stylish”?
Being comfortable in your own skin. Accepting and embracing ourselves and our bodies for the lovely, weird, interesting, unique look and style that is our own. I don’t listen to any fashion ‘rules’. I’ll wear white whenever the fuck I want, I’ll combine navy & black, black and brown and rock the shit out of it. Style is about knowing yourself enough to know what is you, and wear it comfortably. Then, it doesn’t matter how anyone perceives you or what you are wearing, if it’s real,
authentic, and you, no one can touch that. That, to me, is style.
If I was to compare my collection to a song/movie/book it would be?
if Enderby were a song: I just can’t stop listening to Gracer and Andrew Bird’s Armchair Apocrypha album. Especially ‘Spare-Ohs’ Or a movie: ‘Grey Gardens’
In an ideal universe I would get to dress….(insert name.s.)
My Nana, as a young woman. (This is an ideal and time-travel universe apparently.)
If I could make over one person in this whole wide world it would be? (insert name and describe what
exactly you would do to them)
BRITNEY. Mostly for some major damage control. First and foremost I’d put a pair of granny panties on that homegirl. Then I’d give her a chance to find out who the hell she is, because a woman’s relationship with herself is the most important one. Everything comes from there. Down to your sense of beauty, style, art, and your ability to decide when it’s okay to go commando.
I say DC fashion you say….
Pandahead
Why are you stoked to do STYLEistics (presuming you are stoked, of course)?
Enderby usually kicks it in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and downtown, Manhattan, which is my perfect demographic. I’m from AV/DC and am stoked to see the other remarkably talented designer’s lines, and I’m anxious to see how the district takes in Enderby. Mostly, I’m super-cised to hang with my buddies Clap, Muss & El Harto.
Why should people come to your booth/location/hub and spend all their hard earned money there?
Enderby is a perfect combination of celebrating the old and embracing the new. Enderby pieces are special, one-of-a-kind pieces made from rare, recycled and re-purposed vintage finds. Always stemming from the idea of using and consuming less, and always weaving the images of people, places, flora and fauna into each design. Join the revolt and
rebellion against the Walmartization of middle America by supporting earth-friendly, indie, DIY companies and designers like Enderby Designs.
*NEST- There will be full documentation of killer style, looks and
fashion that NEST will feature in a series of Post-Stylistics Spotlight on D.C. Come to the PRESIDENTIAL SUITE to visit ENDERBY, CLAP & EL HARTO and get FREE gifts, pins, post cards and the chance toshow DC, NY and all the NEST readers that you got style.
The morning after April 21st I plan to…..
Drive back to Brooklyn.



BRIGHTEST YOUNG THINGS hosts STYLISTICS 2, on APRIL 21st, 2007, at the Rock and Roll Hotel in Washington, D.C. Be there or miss out on a rad night of fashion, music, booze and fun.


As I gear up for this fantastic style event, I thank my lucky stars for lovelies like Svetlana who started this great site. Svetlana clearly makes a point of searching, finding and highlighting the very best of D.C. local designers, bands and artists. I am thrilled to come to my hometown to be a part of such an event. keep checking BYT for more interviews by the designers who will thrill and impress in a couple of weeks.

Brightest Young Things, in Miss Svetlana's (the genius behind the machine that is, BYT) own words, is....

Brightest young things is a website
for
the entertainment of your own
DC making.
it came to be one night during a discussion over a perfect cheesecake
and
happened fast and furiously.
it contains things you need to know to survive the nation’s capital:
the parties you want to go to
the dance moves you want to have
the desserts you want to eat
the pools you wish to crash
and
the people you want to brunch with every saturday, sunday and monday
(if only you did not have to work).
welcome to our playground

Cherish Parish

Parish just gets better and better every time I check.


Read on for an interview with the genius behind the beauty of Parish...


Interview with Katherine Kepler of Parish.


NEST: How did Parish begin?
Katherine Kepler: Parish began in the summer of 2006. My friend Jeni Schmitz had just moved back to Wichita, KS from Lawrence, KS where she worked and graduated from KU. She is an insanely creative and talented person and she was just itching to put her talents to work. So, one night at our favorite place to have iced tea, the Vagabond, we started talking about various projects and ways to put her background in textiles and my background in advertising to good use. The result was Parish.
N: What inspires you to create?
KK: Basically, what inspires us to create is everything that surrounds us. Jeni is deeply involved in and knowledgeable about music and so that inspires her to look for very unique and edgy clothes, accessories,
etc. that would appeal to the type of people that she sees a little of herself in. I (Katherine) am inspired by good, fresh and clean design (that applies to clothes, housewares, our brand, etc.) I have been involved in advertising for several years, and
constantly being surrounded/bombarded with amazing and mediocre design has inspired me to reach above and
beyond when creating the parish brand.
N: What are some of your influences in film, art and music?
KK: Truthfully, you probably couldn't find two more different and alike people to start a company
together. As I mentioned earlier, Jeni is very knowledgeable about music, particularly metal and punk (Bad Brains, Municipal Waste, and most recently AC/DC :) while I (Katherine) enjoy indie music (The Microphones, The Robot Ate Me, The blow, The Mountain Goats, etc.) The same goes for film too! Jeni is a connoisseur of horror films while I stick to the
independent films. Still, despite our different tastes, our passion for the things that we love is the same deep down.

N: How, if at all, do you incorporate earth-friendly habits into your business routine?
KK: Essentially, our business is recycling, which is quite earth friendly. Giving clothes, accessories and housewares a second chance means more than just making a cool outfit and enhancing your individual style, it means reducing waste and that's something we can all get down with! Also, as a small business with virtually no budget we have learned to be resourceful when shipping and storing our items. I, for instance go to grocery stores and ask for old cardboard boxes
and use my old plastic grocery and shopping bags as packing material for fragile items.

The 'Other' Chloe

ALEX AND CHLOE's rad jewelry line is sheer perfection.

I love this modern collection of 'silhouette pendants', if you will.

This looks like it's some of One-Eyed Willie's "rich stuff"! I'm starting a band called The Rich Stuff. Who wants in?

Saint Elsewares

ELSEWARES
With impeccable taste, Elsewares hunts and gathers the very hippest of home decor and swankest of boutique-style from cool, innovative designers. I love these faux wood plates by POP INC.






These Grenade oil lamps are made from actual US Army surplus grenades and available in their natural color, or gilded in either gold or silver. 'm a little torn in how I feel about desensitizing people to such a violent weapon, but I love the designer Piet Houtenbos. He is a New York born, Dutch Designer who reinterprets old objects and materials in innovative new ways. This piece in particular is taking an otherwise destructive object, reusing and recycling it into a positive, new use. I love everything about that.




This exquisite mobile adds natural movement, flow and positive energy to any bedroom, living room or reading nook. carefully laser cut from walnut veneer wood with a natural oil finish, this is a lovely celebration of nature and earth for your nest.
by



ELSEWARES is a Saint! They have this adorable gift in their shop. This Easter, give an EGGLING.







Ha! These are great. By UNFED


I covet these Thomas Paul's Silhouette Plates....

Lovely french Floral Lamp by Taïr Mercier, the husband-wife design team making classic french style affordable from their Paris studio.



Tree Hooked Coat Hooks are so cool. Sleek and modern, yet natural. A unique take on branch hooks by AlissiaMT and WATDesign.




Tupac or B.I.G.? Show where your hip hop loyalty lies with these East/West Coasters.


Beechwood Clock by

With clean, Swiss colors, and sleek, simple lines, this Vin-Eau Carafe is the perfect addition to your table. Made to be practical and functional with the two cups built into the pitcher, this works for water, wine or whatever wets your whistle. by the Uber-fresh New York design company MINT.

I love this Runaway Clock for sleepy-snoozers.
This weirdo actually hides from you if you sleep in too long! Perfect for my littel brother who could sleep til forever. Yeah, this is so rad, right? So neato. By Nanda.



Cha Pillow and other Scooter-the-dog-inspired pillows by Brooklyn designer Aaron Stewart. I applaud and feel any designer inspired by, working with and focused on their loyal canine friend.
RUBY Pillow. Shout-out to my niece-dog Ruby!

Indoor or outdoor Rooster silhouette. by BLANC and REED.



Coasters made from photographs taken at the Deluxe Town Diner in Watertown, MA by Bob's Your Uncle. And like most people, I have an Uncle Bob.

Woah, and they have lots of cute wallets in their 'carry' section. Way cute.

Home

I awoke to this lovely image on my doorstep, left by my home girl, BFF and downstairs neighbor, Jenna. Thank you, Jenna, for starting my day off with this lovely image that can be fund in the Anthropologie Home catalog. My day will consist of leafing through this amazingly atheistically pleasing and stimulating periodical. We must have those NEST paperweights! They will be a perfect addition to our glossy black vintage coffee table that has gold accents. A gold picture frame with an antique black and white photograph of Venice, Italy and our little Seattle plate with a gold Space Needle on it fromParish.