Anna Sui Designs a 2012 Spring Capsule Collection for Tumi.

Fashion designer Anna Sui has designed four new pieces for luggage brand Tumi's Spring Collection. The wheeled luggage, tote bag, laptop case and shoe bags scream Anna Sui with her signature butterflies and black and purple color combination.


above image courtesy of Styleamor

Bending and blurring the lines between art and fashion, past and future, iconic designer Anna Sui expresses her vision of freedom and beauty in this special collection.




In collaboration with Tumi, Anna Sui brings these themes to life in fanciful accessories for travel, work and play.


above left: designer, and butterfly-lover, Anna Sui and right; Anna Sui Book

The butterfly, a signature Anna Sui motif, is the perfect reflection of her award-winning style. When paired with Tumi's renowned quality, functionality and features, Anna Sui's expressions become art that travels.

International Carry-On #28020 $595




Tumi Just in Case™ Tote (#14829) $145





Tumi T-Pass™ Soft Laptop Attaché (#26125) $245




Shoe Bags (#14828) $95



The Anna Sui for Tumi wheeled carry-on, the tote bag, laptop case and shoe bags can be purchased at Tumi's online store.

Or from Anna Sui's online store.

Like Moths To A Flame. Butterfly Lamps by Ingo Maurer with Insects by Graham Owen.

At the 2011 Euroluce show, Ingo Maurer, known for his wild lighting designs, unveiled two fabulous hanging lamps. One for mass-production, the other in a limited production. The Johnny B. Butterfly and the J.B. Schmetterling (Schmetterling is German for butterfly) lamps feature realistic butterflies, moths, and dragonflies that created by California artist Graham Owen.


above: Ingo Maurer in his Los Angeles studio working on the lamps

The Johnny B. Butterfly
The Johnny B. Butterfly version is made with a bulb that has a Teflon band on which two handmade butterflies and one dragonfly are perched. The lamp is fitted with a 105 watt bulb is made especially for Ingo Maurer GmbH and belongs to energy efficiency class C, which conforms to EU guidelines.



The Johnny B. Butterfly lamp will be mass-produced and was expected to be available for purchase by Autumn 2011 but is still not on the market. No known price as of yet.


above: the butterfly lamps featured with artwork by Graham Owen

The J.B. Schmetterling Lamp
The J.B. Schmetterling is a limited production and features more insects:


Ingo Maurers' butterfly lamps were shown in a Milan exhibition at Spazio Krizia in April, 2011:

images courtesy of Ingo Maurer and Graham Owen Gallery

Winged Goddesses. Psyche II - Nudes & Butterflies By Carsten Witte.

Pysche II is a series of photographs by Hamburg-based photographer Carsten Witte, whose work often combines elements of nature and flora with the female form.

Laura Zindel's Ceramics Will Bug You In The Best Possible Way.

I especially love her platters, just a few of which are shown below:

prices can be seen here.
Laura Zindel Ceramics are designed by Laura Zindel-Lauterbach and her husband Thorsten Zindel Lauterbach. The two live in Southern Vermont in a very old farmhouse. Laura has a BFA in Ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA in Ceramics from the University of Massachusetts.

The Technique:
Hand built and slip cast with low fire white earthenware and glazed with non-toxic low fire glazes. The images are original pencil drawings drawn by the artist. The images are then printed with enamel and become a ceramic transfer. The images are then individually collaged to each piece and fired permanently to the surface. This technique is a modern version of what was once called transferware, first introduced in the 1700s.
*Each piece is individually made and variations may occur during the kiln firing.
Glaze colors tend to vary slightly and size is approximate due to shrinkage.

Care information:
All work is food sage. Please advise careful non-abrasive washing with warm soapy water, for brilliant, long-lasting life of the glazed surfaces. It is not advised to place pieces in the oven, and should be used as serving dishes only. Dinnerware can be lightly microwaved and put in the dishwasher. All other pieces should be hand washed.
See all her work here.

studio location:
339 Coolidge Highway
Guilford, Vermont 05301
802-254-8930
You can purchase her items at The Artful Home as well.