I was very inspired by all the great lettering and signage I saw all over (what little I saw of) Baltimore. Painted, carved, drawn, rendered in neon, on wood, on concrete and on stone. Sometimes deliberate, sometimes unintentional. Always present.

You will find it where you least expect it—as a coffee stain on your shirt or inside the onion that made you cry, all you need to do is look… Happy Valentine’s Day.

Second image via Native Kee.

The lovely Heather Heron has designed a second collection of bags in collaboration with Environment Furniture.

All five bags are made from recycled army fabric.

They are rugged and delicious and make me feel like running off to live on a remote beach somewhere in California.

Maybe someday, until then, read more about Environment by Heather Heron here and here.

Will you join me at the trunkshow tonight?

Today is Diwali, also known as The Festival of Lights.

For Hindus, Diwali is the most important festival of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes.

On Wednesday, a friend hosted a Diwali gathering/showcase of goods from the site Exclusively In (today’s Friday Find — sign up!), which is kind of like a Gilt Groupe, with only Indian designers. There was lots of pretty jewelry.

I fell in love with this ring…

…and am head over heels in love with this harness/vest thing.

There were samosas too — all veggie and not too spicy. I had two.

The Indian cookies were crazy sweet. I think I ate two of those too, which was definitely one too much.

But hey, it’s Diwali, let’s celebrate!

I totally believe that all really good design is inherently sustainable.

These hot bags are the first pieces from recently launched brand The Sway.

They’re made from recycled leather scraps, factory leftovers from the production of other bags.

Founder Belinda Pasqua is on a mission to make recycling fashionable: “if I can make clothing and accessories that rival non-recycled products in design and quality, buyers will continue to purchase my brand, and we will have more consumers buying green and not even even realizing it. Its about integration, not segregation.”

I caught up with her to see where she gets her inspiration, how she went about starting her company, and what motivated her to do so.

Read the entire Goodlifer interview here.

This Friday’s Find — the awesomest shoes I’ve seen this week — comes from London-based designer Chau Har Lee.

Via JC Report: After winning ITS8 Competition and the Manolo Blahnik Competition RCA in 2009, British designer Chau Har Lee received praise for her eccentric approach to shoe design. A graduate of Cordwainers and the Royal College of Art, Lee’s thorough knowledge has allowed her to explore and push the boundaries of conventional design, resulting in highly conceptual and architectural pieces of art that hinge on commercial practicality.

Hot!

I’m going to keep dreaming, but should you want to acquire a pair they are available at Selfridges London on a made-to-order basis.

Var på Cooper-Hewitt igår kväll och såg äntligen deras Why Design Now? triennial. Superinspirerande utställning (se om du är i New York). Efteråt så stannade vi på cocktailparty i trädgården. Om jag skulle vara tvungen att bo på ett museum skulle jag absolut välja Cooper-Hewitt…

/// silkes-Tshirt vintage, kjol från O’Neill, halsband H&M/vintage, armband Marc Jacobs/vintage/Ge Hopp UF, väska från Alexis Hudson, klackar second hand Kathryn Amberleigh ///

TRANSLATION:
Went to the Cooper-Hewitt last night to finally see their Why Design Now? Triennial. Super-inspiring exhibit (must-see if you’re in New York). Afterward we stayed for a cocktail party in the garden. If I had to live at a museum I would absolutely choose the Cooper-Hewitt…

/// silk T-shirt vintage, skirt from O’Neill, necklaces H&M/vintage, bracelets Marc Jacobs/vintage/Ge Hopp UF, bag from Alexis Hudson, heels second hand Kathryn Amberleigh ///

TRANSLATION:
I’d like to have one of these crystal balls and a bucket (always full) of bubbly on my balcony…

DEM Collectives nya huvuddesigner heter Josefin Lassbo och har mångårig branscherfarenhet av modedesign med hållbart perspektiv. Hennes första kollektion för DEM (bild 1 & 2) kommer till hösten och består av både lättburna trikåplagg i flera färger och vävda klassiker som kavaj, kjol, byxa och klänning; allt i 100% ekologisk bomull (det indigoblå tyget färgas för hand av naturlig indigo).

TRANSLATION
DEM Collective (which stands for Don’t Eat Macaroni) was started in 2004, by Annika Axelsson and Karin Stenmar. Their mission was to show that it is possible to combine ecology, ethics, quality and considered design, and that a clothing company can be profitable without putting a strain on people or environment. A lot of their focus is on human rights, making sure that those who make the clothes do not have to work 80 hours a week and get paid slave wages, but can actually live a decent life. They do not use genetically modified cotton (which contains chemicals that are hazardous to us as well as the planet). DEM Collective do not feel that ethical fashion should be expensive, saying “You can dress well at a reasonable cost, and with a good conscience.”

DEM Collective’s new head designer is Josefin Lassbo, who brings many years of experience designing for sustainability. Her first collection for DEM (pic 1 & 2) will be out this fall and includes both easy cotton garments in several colors as well as woven classics like blazers, skirts, pants and dresses; all in 100% organic cotton (the indigo blue fabric is dyed by hand using natural indigo).

Karl Lagerfeld’s Paris studio is filled to the brim with books. Perhaps many fantastic Chanel collections were dreamed up in this space. Photos from The Selby‘s new book.