Friday Find: Vivetta Marries Heritage Italian Craftsmanship with Contemporary Aesthetic Whimsy

Images courtesy of Vivetta

Hailing from the breathtakingly romantic hill town of Assisi, Italy, Italian designer, Vivetta Ponti’s creations encapsulate the beauty and whimsy of her hometown with a contemporary twist. Prior to her career in the fashion industry, Vivetta studied fine arts in Florence, inspired by the antiquities and classical art that she was surrounded by growing up, and sees fashion design as the ultimate form of artistic expression. In 2009, after years spent honing her craft at luxury brands, Vivetta Ponti set off on her own and Vivetta was born.

Vivetta Ponti, Image courtesy of Vivetta

The luxury womenswear brand offers playful ready-to-wear styles and charming jewelry influenced both by the natural world and various artistic periods and disciplines. It is the thoughtful union of these various, distinct inspirations that is perhaps what makes Vivetta so unique. While the brand’s designs stay true to tradition in the sense that they honor quality Italian craftsmanship, Ponti does not shy away from experimenting with unconventional silhouettes and patterns.

The Vivetta universe is romantic and unabashedly nostalgic, untethered to the constraints of fleeting, “pop” trends. Vivetta feels genuine and offers pieces that embrace the designer’s most authentic artistic vision, and if nothing else it is that authenticity that makes this up-and-coming luxury Italian label worth noticing.

Short Red “Vivetta” Dress ($410) | Tortona Dress ($2,024) | Cropped Floral-Print Jacket ($681) | Spider Bugs Ring ($340) | Handy Hand Earrings ($217)

Alexandra StaglianoLeave a comment

Friday Find: Michael Aram’s Breathtaking Home Decor Celebrates the Beauty of Imperfection

Images courtesy of Michael Aram | Sunflower Frame ($125) | Golden Ginkgo Frame ($175)

Armenian-American designer and artist, Michael Aram, is an award-winning innovator in home décor. Aram’s eponymous atelier and home décor shop offers handmade product that brings a touch of elegance into every home. Heavily influenced by the natural world, global mythology, and classical art, his handcrafted designs are both beautiful and often carry symbolic meaning.

Michael Aram’s refined designs celebrate the beauty of imperfection, featuring natural motifs and shapes. Many of the atelier’s designs are reminiscent of ornate 18th century rococo décor, yet modern touches such as mixed metals add a contemporary twist. Aram’s décor pieces are timeless and enchanting, the type of covetable items that have the potential to become beloved heirlooms passed from one generation to the next.

At the source of Michael Aram’s brand ethos is the union between artistry and craftsmanship: inspired design meets meticulous workmanship. The touch of a skilled hand equipped with decades of refined technique and thoughtfully considered storytelling through the medium of sculpture result in pieces that are truly one-of-a-kind. Whether it is a gilded ring holder that embodies the shape of an allusive flower or an impeccably made accent table that livens up a space, Michael Aram’s unique distinctive designs are works of art.

Winter Leaves Grape Leaf Dish ($75) | Winter Hyacinth Accent Table ($2,950) | Mistletoe Spoon Set ($150) | Dogwood Tic Tac Toe ($195)

Alexandra StaglianoLeave a comment

Friday Find: ‘Pasta Grannies’ Soothes the Soul with Drool Worthy Eats and Endearing Nonna-isms

Images courtesy of Pasta Grannies

Welcome to the Friday Find; each week we highlight a newfound discovery we adore so much that we can’t help but share it with you. This week we’re highlighting ‘Pasta Grannies,’ a heart-warming, hunger-inducing project celebrating traditional Italian cooking and the nonnas (and nonnos) who do it. The passion project of British culinary author, Vicky Bennison, Pasta Grannies’ mission is to preserve the traditional food culture and recipes from the many diverse regions of Italy, and to highlight the stories of the women and men who pass on that knowledge.

From spicy Calabrian macaroni, lovingly cooked with home-grown chilis in the tip of Italy’s boot, to sweet fried pillows of poppy seed goodness in the very northern, German-influenced province of Trentino-Alto Adige, the vast array of home-grown recipes are edible history books. Each bite uncovers an ingredient, cooking technique, and handmade touch that tells the story of the place, people and culture it came from. In every episode, Pasta Grannies features the cooks excitedly sharing their recipes, skillfully carving veggies with “nonna knives,” and reminiscing about their lives in Italy.

In one of the most memorable episodes, 101-year-old Concettina, a tiny Calabrian firecracker, explains that she spent her life working in the fields and that when she was 18 years old, her new husband lost both of his legs in battle just 15 days after her marriage. Despite recounting the hardship and sadness she experienced in her life, in a touching moment at the end of her interview, Concettina embodies resilience, hope and perseverance, when her dark eyes light up as she gleefully cheers to the crew who happily indulge in her pasta, “Viva Italia! Viva Italia!”

What is it about Pasta Grannies that makes it so endearing? Is it the drool-worthy food? The kind smiles of enthusiastic and quirky nonnas and nonnos? The upbeat background music? The peak into the homes and kitchens of ordinary Italians? Or is it the proof that, in spite of adversity, these men and women have lived their lives to the fullest? The secret recipe to the charm of Pasta Grannies is all of these components. If you are feeling down or bored, or simply eager to watch or cook something new, Pasta Grannies is the heartwarming video series that you must give a go.

“Meet 101 year old Concettina, our oldest pasta making Granny yet!”

“Pasta Grannies enjoy poppyseed fritters from Süd Tyrol called krapfen”

“Enjoy Maria’s garlic, chili pepper & olive oil dressed ‘sthridhlja’ pasta”

“Pasta Grandpa Checco shares his ‘dirty moustaches’ pasta with beans”

Alexandra StaglianoLeave a comment

Friday Find: MIMOSA Handcrafted’s Delicate Designs are Subtle Love Letters to the Crescent City

Images courtesy of MIMOSA Handcrafted

Welcome to the Friday Find! Each week we will share a new-found obsession, whether that is an up-and-coming brand you’ll want to fill your closet with or a recipe so heavenly you might just grow a pair of angel wings when you take a bite. This week we are featuring a gem from the South, MIMOSA Handcrafted.

MIMOSA Handcrafted is a small jewelry design studio offering dainty handcrafted styles cast in bronze, sterling silver and 14k gold in-house in Southern Louisiana. I discovered the brand on a trip to visit family in New Orleans. As I was looking around a boutique around Royal Street, delicate crescent moon necklace caught my eye and I just couldn’t resist taking it home with me. The crescent design is reminiscent of New Orleans without being garish or overstated, and I now wear it almost every day.

Founded by Madeline Ellis in 2008, MIMOSA Handcrafted was a passion project that boomed into a business. Madeline lovingly designs pieces that are beautiful, wearable and versatile. From dainty crawfish to bronze-cast magnolias, the jewelry studio’s pieces are sweet, subtle love letters to the brand’s Louisiana roots. Ellis treats her designs as miniature works of art, hoping that the love and care her team put into each piece transfer onto the person who ends up wearing it. An added bonus? Even as a small, family-owned brand, MIMOSA Handcrafted is committed to giving back and donates 1% of every purchase to a non-profit of the customers choice through their #GOODSFORGOOD initiative.

Images courtesy of MIMOSA Handcrafted

Crescent Moon Pendant ($49) | Crawfish Pendant ($49) | Semicircle Turquoise Ring ($90) | Tiny Hoops ($20)

Alexandra StaglianoLeave a comment