Iconic Fashion meets Brave Moonman and Friends

I have been a huge fan of Bay Area graphic artist Lindsey Porter of Brave Moonman and friends for the longest time, so when I decided I wanted to create alongside local artists there was no doubt she was someone I wanted to work with. Lindsey creates the most lovable characters that come to life! When I see her creations I feel transported to the Brave Moon Man and Friends world and I don’t want to leave. I love that she not only has a shop with stickers and pins but also has a patreon where she offers monthly phone wallpapers.

It’s no surprise that fashion is something that inspires me and the reason I started The Urban Doll. In fashion there are iconic moments that seem to saturate pop culture for decades from Marilyn Monroe standing on top of a Subway grate while an upward breeze blows her dress up in The Seven Year Itch to Lady Gaga’s meat dress and I am here for it. Fashion can be polarizing, passionate, whimsical and comical and completely personal.

When I approached Lindsey I already knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to recreate Iconic fashion moments that have been a part of pop culture for quite some time placed on one her adorable animals. I had in mind the iconic green Versace dress worn by JLo at the 42nd Grammy Awards and The swan dress worn by Icelandic artist Bjork at the 73rd Academy Awards. When I got her artwork back I could not stop smiling! I smiled so big and thought yessss!!! because I knew she was the only person who could capture exactly how I envisioned them being.

I hope you all get a kick and so much joy from these designs of Iconic fashion moments meets the world of the Brave Moonman and Friends and go check out her website www.bravemoonman.com and follow her on instagram @bravemoonmanandfriends You will fall in love! Don’t say I didn’t warn you:)

Iconic Fashion Moment- Bjorkitty Ringer Tee

Iconic Fashion Moment- CatLo Ringer Tee

The Find Your Beautiful Collection

The Urban Doll’s most recent collaboration is with Hair stylist (among other things) Cara founder of The Beauty Compass located in Silicon Valley.

Cara and I go way back. We attended the same Beauty School back in the day! She was leaving as I was entering but I have always loved her vibrant energy and ability to be so down to earth! When she mentioned a collaboration I was chomping at the bit to get started. I have admired her work and beautiful words she shares on social media @thebeautycompass (on Instagram).

As you all know I love graphic tees and have always been conflicted when it comes to tees with words or sayings on them. I feel like there is a thin line between insightful, funny or too cheesy so I was extremely picky when it came to buying shirts with sayings on them and/or would avoid even looking. Working at Urban Outfitters I would be surrounded and I would actually get a laugh or two over some.

so why words now? Cara’s message and her words really empower me when I see a post from her online and so I knew it was a perfect opportunity to try and make a word shirt I not only would want to wear, but that we could be proud of and empower others.

The response has been so moving and we are beyond grateful.

A little about the shirts:

The “Beauty found” pocket tee was something Cara had envisioned. It was important for her that there be the saying over the heart and loved the idea of having a pocket. Her message is that you don’t have to look further than your heart to find what makes you beautiful.

The “Find your beautiful” Morse Code tee: I love the idea of secret messages that put a smile on your face. I once had a pair of jeans that had you are beautiful scribed inside and I didn’t even realize until one day I was putting them on and saw. I felt special and it was a message I needed to be reminded of. Find your Beautiful is The Beauty Compass slogan and I loved the idea of hiding a beautiful message in code that not many people know.

Lastly, a shirt concept that is near and dear to my heart is the Braille tee. Printed with a puff pale pink so you can feel it. A few years back I attended a Blind cafe pop up in San Francisco and it really moved me. I got to hear experiences from Blind adults about what the world they live in is like and I will never forget hearing about how they navigate in a world that does not cater to them, so this shirt is a word shirt for those who can not see with a message that “you are beautiful”!

All tees are available now at this link and also at The Beauty Compass Salon.

“You are beautiful” Braille Tee.

Cara in the “find your beautiful” Morse Code Tee.

“Beauty found” pocket Tee

Beauty found pocket tee

Busy Busy

Home decor can be an extension of your personal style and to be honest, I never thought of my living spaces that way, I normally viewed them as a place to sleep and hold my stuff. I was more preoccupied with my “routine” of going-going that I didn’t realize I was not enjoying my surroundings.

I recently moved and though moving/unpacking is my least favorite thing to do, I love that there is an opportunity to start over and think of my intentions for this space. This year my focus has been to be more present, which I feel goes hand in hand with being intentional. This new space will be open and one of learning, healing, and growth.

I have noticed that since my first apartment at 19 I have not personally decorated any place I have lived in. I have amazingly talented sisters and friends who have transformed each space of mine into a cozy home, so this space feels very personal because I have loved envisioning how I want this healing space to look like and seeing it come to life!

Here’s a glimpse of one wall that went from concept to reality. I love this peel and stick wallpaper I found at Target, it’s perfect for apartment living since it’s not supposed to leave any residue. You can find the links below! Welcome to my home virtually. ✨

The futon game has changed considerably since I was a teen. They now look like really cool couches. I love this retro looking couch I found online here.

The beginning stages of The new Urban Doll work space with a funky vase filled with my favorite fresh flowers. Peel and stick wallpaper by Opal house.

The Music Tree Tee (aka-Designer Self-portrait Tee)

In 2012 I created the Urban Doll Vintage shop and though I love vintage for many reasons, I knew my true passion was to design clothes. In beauty school, I would “sketch” designs that were in my head and spend my breaks at the fabric store down the street, Even though I wouldn’t buying anything, it was enough to simply be in the presence of fabrics wrapped so perfectly waiting to be made into something special.

Design school seemed so unattainable at the time because I was thinking very one-dimensional. Decades later, I realized that was a limiting belief and have changed what was in my way. (Spoiler alert! It was me) back in 2012; I had the idea for an off-shoot of The Urban Doll where I would make simple goods including Graphic Tees. Aside from stick figures, I am not the drawer, but knew what designs I wanted to make so I asked my partner at the time if he could draw me a giraffe eating from a tree with music note leaves, and he did along with a couple of other designs I had in my head. I ended up curbing that off-shoot idea and focusing on the vintage and styling of my business.

When I finally got around to designing again, I was nudged by a couple of people who knew about the design to print it and so I finally set out to complete and get produced my first graphic tee design, and here you have what I call The Music Tree Tee (inspired by one of my favorite books the Giving Tree) aka- the designer self-portrait Tee because I love music and I feel like giraffes have my soul! the text says “j’aime la musique” which translates I love music. This design has a special place in my heart, being that it is my first one ever and I am excited to share it with all of you.

Top: The Music Tree Tee (aka-Designer Self-portrait tee) Skirt: Madewell

Shoes: Intentionally blank

Earrings: line by Ari J Rose

The Original draft circa 2012.

Therapy

Top: Therapy tee in the shop

Shorts: BDG High-Rise Two-Tone Denim Mom Shorts: Urban Outfitters (sold out: similar pair here)

Shoes: Nike Airmax 90 (similar pair here)

EXTRA-terrestrial earrings from Copper and Stone

If you have been following me on Insta you know that mental health is a topic I tend to touch on. Though I am not a mental health professional, I am a self-proclaimed Psychology geek; basically that is the topic I gravitate towards when I listen to audiobooks or podcasts.

In the last couple of years, the realization of healing smacked me in the face and was undeniably something I had to look at in order to move forward with my personal and professional life. i am grateful for the different forms of therapy I have discovered and that others have shared with me. I know that sometimes too many options can lead to a form of metaphoric paralysis so I encourage you to take what works for you. The beauty of therapy is it’s not one size fits all.

A little coincidence: I have always had this idea of a therapy shirt that paid tribute to Star Wars, but I am not sure why. I learned that May is Mental Health Awareness month and also happens to be the month of Star Wars day! Subconsciously I must have known, but it only clicked when I was ready to launch. I am so happy to share this special and personal design with all of you.