last week went by without an installment of etsy love. my apologies!but, good things come to those who wait. and i'll prove it! see below.
this week, the star is the amazing, tremendously talented UNIFORM studio.
the brainchild behind UNIFORM studio is martha, of minneapolis, minnesota. in the text on the about page of her website, she describes her work as "simple and modern clothing and accessories for infants, children and adults". her work is both simple and modern, yes, but, really so much more.
martha plays with volume, folds, pleats, darts and sinuous bits of texture on each piece she creates, making for a body of work meant to be worn on the body that takes on a overwhelmingly monumental, undeniably sculptural feel. in this way, the simple gives way to complex, modern gives way to timeless. the perfect, clean antidote to the overdone, a superbly conceived urban uniform for both the small people and the big people of the world.
her choice of fabrics are those utilized much in workwear, and of course reflect the name of her company: sturdy denims, linens, cottons, wools. sometimes, unexpected pairings of knits and wovens surface in a carefully considered way that seems to make complete and total sense in the context of the rest of her work...it's all on purpose. her use solid colors, particularly gray, evoke the solidity and monumentality of stone, of granite. when she uses color, for instance, bright greens, it feels like punctuation, it's in the perfect proportion, and serves as a standout detail, it's undeniably completely intentional. not at all superfluous. and i guess that's what keeps everything martha makes "simple" and "modern". it is beautifully minimal, not at all overdone, letting a little bit and less truly be more.
on top of all that, her work is absolutely impeccable: every stitch in it's place, nothing sloppy or slapped together. she's head and shoulders above so many, in so many ways. to say i hold her and her work in high esteem is an understatement. she's truly an inspiration to me...and to countless others.
sadly, the UNIFORM studio shop is empty at the moment, so you can only peruse the sold items section for now. but, happily, a new collection is allegedly due in a few short weeks. in the meantime, you can get a view into martha's UNIFORM studio creative process and keep abreast of her etsy shop updates by checking in with the inspiring UNIFORM studio blog.
want more? visit UNIFORM studio viva la etsy!