naik fur, i adore thee

In this world where everyone is eager to define themselves, everyone else and everything else, there is a tendency to look at everything as discrete, disparate concepts. Man, Woman, Art, Science, Religion, Nature, Ethnicity, Politics, Imagination, Reality, the Five Senses, the Physical Body, the Soul, the Mind, You, Me, Them - these things are usually seen as separate and very different entities. For the sake of communication, it is of course convenient and even necessary for these concepts to exist. At the same time, a lot of these "differences" are really just mental, societal constructs. For instance, we are taught to believe that women are supposed to be this way and men are supposed to be that way. Instead of charting our own courses and defining our identities on our own terms, we just fulfill these ready-made roles and expect others to live up to these roles as well. This way of thinking and acting is incredibly limiting, preventing us from growing into all that we could be: uniquely creative and intelligent individuals, drawing power, motivation and inspiration from all sorts of sources.

So when I read the quote,"I'm in love with the idea of rediscovering the connections in what we have made separate for ourselves," I couldn't help but perk my ears up and open my eyes wider. This quote came from Sacramento, California designer Amy Hemmens, in her interview with the ever-so-inspirational Jennine of The Coveted. Hemmens' Naik Fur is a line of one-offs, using hand-stitching and other manual, old-fashioned techniques. Conscious of her place in the world, Hemmens endeavors to use second-hand and vintage fabrics and seeks further self-discovery through the creative process.

If you even remotely appreciate the thought that goes into the design process, as well as the basic quest for beauty and truth in this world, you have to read Hemmens' interview with The Coveted. I am thoroughly captivated by Amy Hemmens and Naik Fur; I've scoured the Naik Fur website for more on her philosophy and its physical manifestations (i.e., her work), visiting her old blog, her new blog, her drawings, and her paintings.

After all this, I could hardly resist the intricacy and thoughtfulness of Naik Fur. Also, quite frankly, I needed to build up my headwear collection (an area in which Hemmens has done some very progressive work). So off I mouse-clicked my way over to the Smashing Darling website to examine Hemmens' work. I was immediately attracted to her asymmetrical, silver-striped, vintage crushed velvet jacket (featured at top). My favorite pieces of all, however, are her signature, sculptural crochet hats - so good for the upcoming Boston chill. I debated between black and red, with ties or without. Being a lover of the cardinal color, the red won out, and I decided to go for the cloche style (no chin ties). Now my drab winter days will be getting a passionate punch from a hat that hints of a red rose and the unique vision of Amy Hemmens.