#but western or eastern or fusion is so fun to consider...

[floorpancakes]

I sincerely think watanuki would wear a wedding dress btw. here comes the non binary bride

[animebw]

Samurai Champloo: Series Reflection

Shinichiro Watanabe is one of anime’s most important and influential artistic voices of all time. His works help bridge the gap between Western and Eastern audiences by incorporating an eclectic, global set of influences. His sense of style and attention to detail is so far above almost everyone else working in the medium it’s almost unfair. And if watching Samurai Champloo proved anything, it’s that despite his directorial style not being one that clicks with me as personally as everyone else, his work is always worthy of deep consideration.

Make no mistake, Champloo has its fair share of flaws. It’s very clearly setting out to be a spiritual successor to Cowboy Bebop, from the similar themes to the similar character designs to the same creative genesis of the fusion of classic hero archetype with unique musical style. But it lacks a lot of the cohesion and focus that made Bebop such a landmark. The characters aren’t as memorable or fleshed out, the storytelling isn’t as unique, and the emotional exploration doesn’t do much to innovate or expand on what Bebop already covered better. It shares Bebop’s tendency to dole out information slowly, piecing together an incomplete puzzle that we’re only getting the barest glimpse of, but the storytelling revealing those pieces isn’t always as solid as it could be. It’s all tiny, subtle details, a thousand little pebbles scattered all across the bedsheet that collectively make more an uncomfortable lie down. If nothing else, Champloo gave me a newfound respect for what Bebop was able to accomplish, considering the difficulty of telling this kind of story.

But all those tiny, niggling flaws belie the fact that so much of Champloo is still a blast to watch. As was the case with Zankyou no Terror, even when Watanabe’s stories aren’t at their best, the unique style and energy he brings to the production goes a long way to fill in the cracks and make for a worthwhile experience. This vision of 19th Century Japan as an urban jungle not far removed from the slums of cities today is such a striking, original concept, perfectly embodied by the score’s fusion of traditional shamisan playing with modern hip-hop tracks. The whole series flows to that smooth, bopping groove, making it easy to just let the atmosphere wash over you. And whenever it’s time for the action to kick up, my god, it’s a sight to behold. The creative choreography and impactful timing make each clash a memorable, exciting affair, and the best of these duels are gonna stick with me for a long time.

And yes, it must be said, the emotion-driven character work eventually pulls itself together in time for an affecting finale. It can never measure up to Bebop, but the surrogate family that Mugen, Jin, and Fuu form over the course of their journey eventually becomes one worth investing in. In a world as harsh and unforgiving as this one, it helps to have a reason and people to keep fighting for.

In the end, for all my complaints about it, Samurai Champloo was still well worth watching. It’s unfocused and shaggy, but it’s an utterly unique icon that could only come from an extremely talented creative staff trying their damndest to make something meaningful. It’s not one of my favorites by a long shot, but as is often the case with Watanabe’s works, I respect the hell out of it. And I award it a score of:

6/10

Sayonara, Mugen. May your travels be ever fruitful. Thank you all for joining me on this journey, and I hope you stick around for the show that takes its place? And according to the random number generator, that show will be:

Blue Exorcist

Oh hey, that should be fun! Been a while since I watched a straight-up shonen. See you all next time for the start of a new adventure!

[michaelfallcon]

The 2019 Sprudge Guide To Teamakers and Ceramics

I hesitated in writing this guide. The world of teaware is vast and intimidating, and can be a money pit of fakes and forgeries. It is also where so much of the joy in loving tea can be derived. Ultimately our team felt Tea Week would be incomplete without some sort of feature on teaware. My very best attempt at this here in 2019 is what follows.

For coffee lovers, you might think of teaware as like the espresso machine of the tea world. To casual drinkers or the untrained eye, it just looks like a nice object that makes the thing you drink—and nothing more. But for those who obsess it can become an endless quest of sourcing and seeking, of pride and cost. A life’s pursuit, even. There is no small amount of money to be spent at the top end of teaware buying—may I call your attention to the infamous Chengua-era “chicken cup,” which sold for $35 million at Sotheby’s in 2014. For our purposes this guide caps objects at the $500 range, with prices average considerably less for most of the offerings.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Note that this guide only barely touches on the world of Yixing, the traditional tea pottery of Jiangsu, made using porous clay in a style dating back to the 10th century. This is its own whole world, a vast guide I don’t feel prepared to lead at this time—perhaps in a few more years.

For now, these wholesalers and makers are more than enough to get you started and find new favorites. The guide below is hopelessly biased towards my own personal taste but hey—teaware is supposed to be personal. That’s part of the fun, and it’s something I hope you are inspired to explore further with support from this guide

  A Solid Foundation

Photo courtesy of Rishi Tea.

Rishi Tea

Rishi is a truly solid place to get started with home teawares, offering for example this workhorse starter gaiwan for $12, and this cute little basic tea tray for $25. They’ve also got a lovely collection of flex items, like this stunning blue studio-made celadon “fairness pitcher” from Taiwan, or this rustic clay and mineral cup. Rishi ships free domestic at $25, which is plenty to get started making gong fu cha—pair that $12 gaiwan with, say, a couple of oolong samples (we like Rishi’s Iron Goddess of Mercy and Phoenix Dancong) and you are off to the races.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Breville

Breville is the presenting sponsor of Tea Week on Sprudge—for which we thank them!—but they also produce a range of tea-focused hot water boilers and teamakers we have no lie legit been happily using in Sprudge Studios for the last few years, long before this content package was a twinkle in the editorial eye. The Breville Tea Maker Compact‘s tech allows you to set up brew parameters for whatever kind of tea you’re into; the machine’s automated basket then plunges your brew into water heated to your temp of choice. When the cycle is done, the basket lifts out of the water, ensuring you won’t oversteep. I’d liken this machine to something like a nice home batch brewer, a simplifier that’s perfect for tea making on a busy morning or for large groups (for which the classic Tea Maker is a bigger, better fit).

Another option is the Breville Smart Tea Infuser, which we especially dig these Tea Makers for their handiness with single-steep tisanes, like those from Smith Tea, Song Tea, and Tea Dealers featured in our tisane spotlight. We also really like their IQ Kettle Pure (pictured above) for heating water consistently and at scale—you can transfer from there into a ceramic kettle for service, or pour directly from the Breville IQ.

If you are looking for a fusion of tea, taste and tech, this is the gear for you.

Photo courtesy of Manual.

Manual Tea Maker No1

Chicago tinkerer Creighton Barman puts out new stuff each year, typically pre-funded on Kickstarter, but we’re still in love with this 2016 release, the Tea Maker No1, a modernist reinterpretation of the gaiwan built for ease of brewing. Double-walled glass is the hook here, which keeps the Tea Maker cool to the touch throughout the brewing process, and also gives you peek-a-boo viewing at all that beautiful steeping action. I think these gaiwans offer a rare degree of utility no matter where you are in terms of tea knowledge and experience—they are rad and very forgiving for beginners who are still mastering the whole gaiwan thing, but also fun for experts who want to incorporate western and modern influences into their teaware collection.

  Let’s Geek Out

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Bitterleaf 

With full respect to Bitterleaf’s collection of teas for drinking (featured in our buying guide), the site’s assortment of teawares, tea tools, tea pets, and assorted Chinese tea ephemera is truly deep and excellent.

From beautiful little studio tea cups (starting around $8) to Chaozhou teapots in a range of classic styles (more like $80) to really cute hand-painted animal vessels ($35) to all manner of entry-level trays and supports (prices vary) and much more, there are hundreds of pieces of tea kit to shop from and swoon over at Bitterleaf. I especially like their selection of “tea pets,” little clay figurines typically depicting children or animals, incorporated into tea service as a symbol of good luck. You “feed” the tea pet with excess water or tea throughout the teamaking process, with the clay left to develop a lovely luster over repeat feedings. (It’s fun. Don’t @ me.)

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Song Tea

Song Tea are also featured in our tea buying guide for their literally life-changing (as in it changed my life) compendium of meticulously curated tea offerings. But the ceramics offered by Song are on another level. Founder Peter Luong has an eye for relatively young and emerging artists, making commissions across his travels to Taiwan. Works by artists like Zhang Yun Chen (Nantou), Qiu Qing Yun (Meinong), and Hu Tie Ha (Jiefen) evoke what’s possible at the blurred edge of collectible art and practical working pottery. I cannot realistically see myself being someone who collects art to hang on the wall, but the idea of owning this Husk #2 tea bowl by Zhang Yun Chen gives me heart palpitations. If you are, say, truly enjoying tea week and would like to, you know, say thank you as a grateful reader or whatever, please buy this for me. DMs are open.

Photo courtesy of Pu.Erh.Sk

Pu-Erh.Sk

Based in Slovakia, Pu-Erh.sk is an online webshop shipping worldwide, focused on sheng and shou Pu’er teas from Yunnan. Their tea sourcing is concise and well-considered—the gushu heads love ‘em—but for me the site’s focus on Eastern European ceramicists and teaware artisans has been a revelation. Czech artists like Jiří Duchek and Jura Lang are building truly compelling, one-of-a-kind teawares that fuse traditional regional clays with far-flung design influences from the east and west. Pieces like this gorgeous Jura Lang shiboridashi (a kind of Japanese easy gaiwan) are handmade, wood-fired, visually stunning, and sure to grow in beauty over repeated use. For beginning collectors and enthusiasts to be able to get in the door with an artist-specific work like this at just €65 is really special. Elsewhere on the site, Swedish artist Stefan Andersson makes a range of gorgeous wares, while Norwegian brand Ad.Infinitum offers bespoke and vintage tea ceremony linens. All of these makers are brands with followings in their own right, collected by Pu-Erh.sk for easy ordering and global shipping.

Everybody’s taste is different, and a lot of tea ceramics collections start and end in Asia, with no deviation. But I really grok the vibe of this stuff coming out of Eastern Europe. To get in at the cutting edge of small maker European ceramics artistry, go here.

Ceramicists To Watch—And Collect 

*A note: While I am personally passionate about ceramics and hopelessly biased towards its validity and urgency as an art form, I also think you—whomever you are reading this—might really dig works from the artists below. The idea of placing a commission with an individual artist might seem intimidating or overly expensive, but we’re not talking George Ohr here; works from these artists don’t typically cost more than $100 for a single piece of teaware, and more like $30-$50 for a handmade cup or set of cups. For less cost than a single dinner at a fancy restaurant you can own and put into daily use your own personal work from a talented artist. It will make your tea taste better, your kitchen look cuter, and who knows—in 50 years you might get a segment on the Antiques Roadshow.

Here are a few talented and emerging ceramicists to follow.

Photo via Song Tea.

Lilith Rockett

Portland ceramicist Lilith Rockett works across a range of expressions for home pottery, including plates, lighting, vases, and abstract decorative objects. Her style—lustrous soft milky white porcelain, entirely handmade—translates well into tea, especially the stunning wheel-thrown porcelain gaiwan. A significant amount of tea consumed for the purposes of Tea Week on Sprudge was steeped in just such a piece. Rockett has a webshop, and also accepts limited commissions. You can find her work at some of the best restaurants in the United States, including The French Laundry (Napa), Smyth (Chicago), Saison (San Francisco), and Nodoguro (Portland).

Follow Lilith Rockett on Instagram.

Photo via Carole Neilson.

Carole Neilson

Buzzy San Francisco-based artist Carole Neilson fuses the rural pottery traditions of her native Alsace with an irresistible contemporary immediacy. Her eye-catching signature glazes evoke smoke fumes and clouds of dust, making for pottery with an earth-dappled glow. Neilson’s range of works include original sculpture pieces and stunning bowl and plate sets, but for tea (and coffee!) drinkers her small cups and pitchers make a lively addition to any collection. Neilson’s work is blowing up, with a growing list of stockists, gallery exhibitions at spaces like Hugomento, pop-up dinners around the country (including a recent dinner at Omaha’s Archetype Coffee), and a successful recent series of artist grants. She is truly an artist to watch. Neilson has a webshop and accepts limited commissions.

Follow Carole Neilson Ceramics on Instagram.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Qi Pottery

Kim Whyee Kee of Qi Pottery first learned his art behind bars. After serving time in the Singaporean corrections system for gang-related crimes, Kee graduated from an arts college, helped co-found a variety of initiatives working with at-risk youth, and launched Qi Pottery in 2016. His style echoes ancient tea traditions, but does so through a burst of heart-stopping colors that demand attention. Vivid pinks, deep blues, mesmerizing blacks, coral reds—Easter egg pastels that fuse the practical nature of teaware with the elegance of a home statement piece. But this is no gimmick maker—Qi Pottery’s mastery extends to more simple forms, like these beautiful rusted large format cups.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

It’s simply some of the most beautiful ceramics work I’ve ever seen, and for an artist with just a few public showings so far, you can certainly expect these pieces to become more and more sought after and valuable over the years. Qi Pottery has a website, but no webstore. If you’re interested in purchasing an existing piece or making a commission, please contact the artist directly via email or Instagram.

Follow Kim Whye Kee of Qi Pottery on Instagram. 

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Arturo Alvarez

A full-time artist dedicated to original teawares, Arturo Alvarez is based in Olympia, Washington, and crafts art in a range of styles and expressions. We commissioned Alvarez for our office tea set at Sprudge Studios (we’ll be serving tea there this week as part of the Tea Week fun), and follow his regular updates on Instagram, where his account @your_pencil is part of a thriving Instagram ceramics community. Perhaps his most distinctive pieces involve incorporating found materials, including driftwood handles made from wood found across Puget Sound beaches, but this is an artist growing and advancing his craft before our very eyes, letting it all play out online. Follow him and watch along—it feels like he’s debuting new pieces almost every day.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Arturo Alvarez sells a limited number of teawares online via Etsy. Contact the artist directly via Instagram for commissions or to purchase pieces featured on his account.

Follow Arturo Alvarez on Instagram.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Andrzej Bero

A teaware potter out of Warsaw, Andrzej Bero specializes in the shiboridashi—a gaiwan variant that’s easy to use and, in the right hands, a piece of working art. Bero’s shibos are made from clay that feels coarse and tactile to the touch, in a range of dark reds, greens, and blues. This style translates especially well to larger pieces, like his 300ml teapots, which are hotly in demand for tea services around the world. Andrzej Bero has a website but no webstore; a limited number of his works are available for purchase via the aforementioned Pu-Erh.sk. Contact the artist directly for commissions and availability.

Follow Andrzej Bero on Instagram.

Jordan Michelman is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read more Jordan Michelman on Sprudge.

Editor: Scott Norton.

Top photo by Anthony Jordan III (@ace_lace). 

Sprudge Tea Week is presented by Breville USA.

The post The 2019 Sprudge Guide To Teamakers and Ceramics appeared first on Sprudge.

The 2019 Sprudge Guide To Teamakers and Ceramics published first on https://medium.com/@LinLinCoffee

[epchapman89]

The 2019 Sprudge Guide To Teamakers and Ceramics

I hesitated in writing this guide. The world of teaware is vast and intimidating, and can be a money pit of fakes and forgeries. It is also where so much of the joy in loving tea can be derived. Ultimately our team felt Tea Week would be incomplete without some sort of feature on teaware. My very best attempt at this here in 2019 is what follows.

For coffee lovers, you might think of teaware as like the espresso machine of the tea world. To casual drinkers or the untrained eye, it just looks like a nice object that makes the thing you drink—and nothing more. But for those who obsess it can become an endless quest of sourcing and seeking, of pride and cost. A life’s pursuit, even. There is no small amount of money to be spent at the top end of teaware buying—may I call your attention to the infamous Chengua-era “chicken cup,” which sold for $35 million at Sotheby’s in 2014. For our purposes this guide caps objects at the $500 range, with prices average considerably less for most of the offerings.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Note that this guide only barely touches on the world of Yixing, the traditional tea pottery of Jiangsu, made using porous clay in a style dating back to the 10th century. This is its own whole world, a vast guide I don’t feel prepared to lead at this time—perhaps in a few more years.

For now, these wholesalers and makers are more than enough to get you started and find new favorites. The guide below is hopelessly biased towards my own personal taste but hey—teaware is supposed to be personal. That’s part of the fun, and it’s something I hope you are inspired to explore further with support from this guide

 A Solid Foundation

Photo courtesy of Rishi Tea.

Rishi Tea

Rishi is a truly solid place to get started with home teawares, offering for example this workhorse starter gaiwan for $12, and this cute little basic tea tray for $25. They’ve also got a lovely collection of flex items, like this stunning blue studio-made celadon “fairness pitcher” from Taiwan, or this rustic clay and mineral cup. Rishi ships free domestic at $25, which is plenty to get started making gong fu cha—pair that $12 gaiwan with, say, a couple of oolong samples (we like Rishi’s Iron Goddess of Mercy and Phoenix Dancong) and you are off to the races.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Breville

Breville is the presenting sponsor of Tea Week on Sprudge—for which we thank them!—but they also produce a range of tea-focused hot water boilers and teamakers we have no lie legit been happily using in Sprudge Studios for the last few years, long before this content package was a twinkle in the editorial eye. The Breville Tea Maker Compact‘s tech allows you to set up brew parameters for whatever kind of tea you’re into; the machine’s automated basket then plunges your brew into water heated to your temp of choice. When the cycle is done, the basket lifts out of the water, ensuring you won’t oversteep. I’d liken this machine to something like a nice home batch brewer, a simplifier that’s perfect for tea making on a busy morning or for large groups (for which the classic Tea Maker is a bigger, better fit).

Another option is the Breville Smart Tea Infuser, which we especially dig these Tea Makers for their handiness with single-steep tisanes, like those from Smith Tea, Song Tea, and Tea Dealers featured in our tisane spotlight. We also really like their IQ Kettle Pure (pictured above) for heating water consistently and at scale—you can transfer from there into a ceramic kettle for service, or pour directly from the Breville IQ.

If you are looking for a fusion of tea, taste and tech, this is the gear for you.

Photo courtesy of Manual.

Manual Tea Maker No1

Chicago tinkerer Creighton Barman puts out new stuff each year, typically pre-funded on Kickstarter, but we’re still in love with this 2016 release, the Tea Maker No1, a modernist reinterpretation of the gaiwan built for ease of brewing. Double-walled glass is the hook here, which keeps the Tea Maker cool to the touch throughout the brewing process, and also gives you peek-a-boo viewing at all that beautiful steeping action. I think these gaiwans offer a rare degree of utility no matter where you are in terms of tea knowledge and experience—they are rad and very forgiving for beginners who are still mastering the whole gaiwan thing, but also fun for experts who want to incorporate western and modern influences into their teaware collection.

 Let’s Geek Out

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Bitterleaf 

With full respect to Bitterleaf’s collection of teas for drinking (featured in our buying guide), the site’s assortment of teawares, tea tools, tea pets, and assorted Chinese tea ephemera is truly deep and excellent.

From beautiful little studio tea cups (starting around $8) to Chaozhou teapots in a range of classic styles (more like $80) to really cute hand-painted animal vessels ($35) to all manner of entry-level trays and supports (prices vary) and much more, there are hundreds of pieces of tea kit to shop from and swoon over at Bitterleaf. I especially like their selection of “tea pets,” little clay figurines typically depicting children or animals, incorporated into tea service as a symbol of good luck. You “feed” the tea pet with excess water or tea throughout the teamaking process, with the clay left to develop a lovely luster over repeat feedings. (It’s fun. Don’t @ me.)

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Song Tea

Song Tea are also featured in our tea buying guide for their literally life-changing (as in it changed my life) compendium of meticulously curated tea offerings. But the ceramics offered by Song are on another level. Founder Peter Luong has an eye for relatively young and emerging artists, making commissions across his travels to Taiwan. Works by artists like Zhang Yun Chen (Nantou), Qiu Qing Yun (Meinong), and Hu Tie Ha (Jiefen) evoke what’s possible at the blurred edge of collectible art and practical working pottery. I cannot realistically see myself being someone who collects art to hang on the wall, but the idea of owning this Husk #2 tea bowl by Zhang Yun Chen gives me heart palpitations. If you are, say, truly enjoying tea week and would like to, you know, say thank you as a grateful reader or whatever, please buy this for me. DMs are open.

Photo courtesy of Pu.Erh.Sk

Pu-Erh.Sk

Based in Slovakia, Pu-Erh.sk is an online webshop shipping worldwide, focused on sheng and shou Pu’er teas from Yunnan. Their tea sourcing is concise and well-considered—the gushu heads love ‘em—but for me the site’s focus on Eastern European ceramicists and teaware artisans has been a revelation. Czech artists like Jiří Duchek and Jura Lang are building truly compelling, one-of-a-kind teawares that fuse traditional regional clays with far-flung design influences from the east and west. Pieces like this gorgeous Jura Lang shiboridashi (a kind of Japanese easy gaiwan) are handmade, wood-fired, visually stunning, and sure to grow in beauty over repeated use. For beginning collectors and enthusiasts to be able to get in the door with an artist-specific work like this at just €65 is really special. Elsewhere on the site, Swedish artist Stefan Andersson makes a range of gorgeous wares, while Norwegian brand Ad.Infinitum offers bespoke and vintage tea ceremony linens. All of these makers are brands with followings in their own right, collected by Pu-Erh.sk for easy ordering and global shipping.

Everybody’s taste is different, and a lot of tea ceramics collections start and end in Asia, with no deviation. But I really grok the vibe of this stuff coming out of Eastern Europe. To get in at the cutting edge of small maker European ceramics artistry, go here.

Ceramicists To Watch—And Collect 

*A note: While I am personally passionate about ceramics and hopelessly biased towards its validity and urgency as an art form, I also think you—whomever you are reading this—might really dig works from the artists below. The idea of placing a commission with an individual artist might seem intimidating or overly expensive, but we’re not talking George Ohr here; works from these artists don’t typically cost more than $100 for a single piece of teaware, and more like $30-$50 for a handmade cup or set of cups. For less cost than a single dinner at a fancy restaurant you can own and put into daily use your own personal work from a talented artist. It will make your tea taste better, your kitchen look cuter, and who knows—in 50 years you might get a segment on the Antiques Roadshow.

Here are a few talented and emerging ceramicists to follow.

Photo via Song Tea.

Lilith Rockett

Portland ceramicist Lilith Rockett works across a range of expressions for home pottery, including plates, lighting, vases, and abstract decorative objects. Her style—lustrous soft milky white porcelain, entirely handmade—translates well into tea, especially the stunning wheel-thrown porcelain gaiwan. A significant amount of tea consumed for the purposes of Tea Week on Sprudge was steeped in just such a piece. Rockett has a webshop, and also accepts limited commissions. You can find her work at some of the best restaurants in the United States, including The French Laundry (Napa), Smyth (Chicago), Saison (San Francisco), and Nodoguro (Portland).

Follow Lilith Rockett on Instagram.

Photo via Carole Neilson.

Carole Neilson

Buzzy San Francisco-based artist Carole Neilson fuses the rural pottery traditions of her native Alsace with an irresistible contemporary immediacy. Her eye-catching signature glazes evoke smoke fumes and clouds of dust, making for pottery with an earth-dappled glow. Neilson’s range of works include original sculpture pieces and stunning bowl and plate sets, but for tea (and coffee!) drinkers her small cups and pitchers make a lively addition to any collection. Neilson’s work is blowing up, with a growing list of stockists, gallery exhibitions at spaces like Hugomento, pop-up dinners around the country (including a recent dinner at Omaha’s Archetype Coffee), and a successful recent series of artist grants. She is truly an artist to watch. Neilson has a webshop and accepts limited commissions.

Follow Carole Neilson Ceramics on Instagram.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Qi Pottery

Kim Whyee Kee of Qi Pottery first learned his art behind bars. After serving time in the Singaporean corrections system for gang-related crimes, Kee graduated from an arts college, helped co-found a variety of initiatives working with at-risk youth, and launched Qi Pottery in 2016. His style echoes ancient tea traditions, but does so through a burst of heart-stopping colors that demand attention. Vivid pinks, deep blues, mesmerizing blacks, coral reds—Easter egg pastels that fuse the practical nature of teaware with the elegance of a home statement piece. But this is no gimmick maker—Qi Pottery’s mastery extends to more simple forms, like these beautiful rusted large format cups.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

It’s simply some of the most beautiful ceramics work I’ve ever seen, and for an artist with just a few public showings so far, you can certainly expect these pieces to become more and more sought after and valuable over the years. Qi Pottery has a website, but no webstore. If you’re interested in purchasing an existing piece or making a commission, please contact the artist directly via email or Instagram.

Follow Kim Whye Kee of Qi Pottery on Instagram. 

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Arturo Alvarez

A full-time artist dedicated to original teawares, Arturo Alvarez is based in Olympia, Washington, and crafts art in a range of styles and expressions. We commissioned Alvarez for our office tea set at Sprudge Studios (we’ll be serving tea there this week as part of the Tea Week fun), and follow his regular updates on Instagram, where his account @your_pencil is part of a thriving Instagram ceramics community. Perhaps his most distinctive pieces involve incorporating found materials, including driftwood handles made from wood found across Puget Sound beaches, but this is an artist growing and advancing his craft before our very eyes, letting it all play out online. Follow him and watch along—it feels like he’s debuting new pieces almost every day.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Arturo Alvarez sells a limited number of teawares online via Etsy. Contact the artist directly via Instagram for commissions or to purchase pieces featured on his account.

Follow Arturo Alvarez on Instagram.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Andrzej Bero

A teaware potter out of Warsaw, Andrzej Bero specializes in the shiboridashi—a gaiwan variant that’s easy to use and, in the right hands, a piece of working art. Bero’s shibos are made from clay that feels coarse and tactile to the touch, in a range of dark reds, greens, and blues. This style translates especially well to larger pieces, like his 300ml teapots, which are hotly in demand for tea services around the world. Andrzej Bero has a website but no webstore; a limited number of his works are available for purchase via the aforementioned Pu-Erh.sk. Contact the artist directly for commissions and availability.

Follow Andrzej Bero on Instagram.

Jordan Michelman is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read more Jordan Michelman on Sprudge.

Editor: Scott Norton.

Top photo by Anthony Jordan III (@ace_lace). 

Sprudge Tea Week is presented by Breville USA.

The post The 2019 Sprudge Guide To Teamakers and Ceramics appeared first on Sprudge.

seen 1st on http://sprudge.com

[mrwilliamcharley]

The 2019 Sprudge Guide To Teamakers and Ceramics

I hesitated in writing this guide. The world of teaware is vast and intimidating, and can be a money pit of fakes and forgeries. It is also where so much of the joy in loving tea can be derived. Ultimately our team felt Tea Week would be incomplete without some sort of feature on teaware. My very best attempt at this here in 2019 is what follows.

For coffee lovers, you might think of teaware as like the espresso machine of the tea world. To casual drinkers or the untrained eye, it just looks like a nice object that makes the thing you drink—and nothing more. But for those who obsess it can become an endless quest of sourcing and seeking, of pride and cost. A life’s pursuit, even. There is no small amount of money to be spent at the top end of teaware buying—may I call your attention to the infamous Chengua-era “chicken cup,” which sold for $35 million at Sotheby’s in 2014. For our purposes this guide caps objects at the $500 range, with prices average considerably less for most of the offerings.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Note that this guide only barely touches on the world of Yixing, the traditional tea pottery of Jiangsu, made using porous clay in a style dating back to the 10th century. This is its own whole world, a vast guide I don’t feel prepared to lead at this time—perhaps in a few more years.

For now, these wholesalers and makers are more than enough to get you started and find new favorites. The guide below is hopelessly biased towards my own personal taste but hey—teaware is supposed to be personal. That’s part of the fun, and it’s something I hope you are inspired to explore further with support from this guide

  A Solid Foundation

Photo courtesy of Rishi Tea.

Rishi Tea

Rishi is a truly solid place to get started with home teawares, offering for example this workhorse starter gaiwan for $12, and this cute little basic tea tray for $25. They’ve also got a lovely collection of flex items, like this stunning blue studio-made celadon “fairness pitcher” from Taiwan, or this rustic clay and mineral cup. Rishi ships free domestic at $25, which is plenty to get started making gong fu cha—pair that $12 gaiwan with, say, a couple of oolong samples (we like Rishi’s Iron Goddess of Mercy and Phoenix Dancong) and you are off to the races.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Breville

Breville is the presenting sponsor of Tea Week on Sprudge—for which we thank them!—but they also produce a range of tea-focused hot water boilers and teamakers we have no lie legit been happily using in Sprudge Studios for the last few years, long before this content package was a twinkle in the editorial eye. The Breville Tea Maker Compact‘s tech allows you to set up brew parameters for whatever kind of tea you’re into; the machine’s automated basket then plunges your brew into water heated to your temp of choice. When the cycle is done, the basket lifts out of the water, ensuring you won’t oversteep. I’d liken this machine to something like a nice home batch brewer, a simplifier that’s perfect for tea making on a busy morning or for large groups (for which the classic Tea Maker is a bigger, better fit).

Another option is the Breville Smart Tea Infuser, which we especially dig these Tea Makers for their handiness with single-steep tisanes, like those from Smith Tea, Song Tea, and Tea Dealers featured in our tisane spotlight. We also really like their IQ Kettle Pure (pictured above) for heating water consistently and at scale—you can transfer from there into a ceramic kettle for service, or pour directly from the Breville IQ.

If you are looking for a fusion of tea, taste and tech, this is the gear for you.

Photo courtesy of Manual.

Manual Tea Maker No1

Chicago tinkerer Creighton Barman puts out new stuff each year, typically pre-funded on Kickstarter, but we’re still in love with this 2016 release, the Tea Maker No1, a modernist reinterpretation of the gaiwan built for ease of brewing. Double-walled glass is the hook here, which keeps the Tea Maker cool to the touch throughout the brewing process, and also gives you peek-a-boo viewing at all that beautiful steeping action. I think these gaiwans offer a rare degree of utility no matter where you are in terms of tea knowledge and experience—they are rad and very forgiving for beginners who are still mastering the whole gaiwan thing, but also fun for experts who want to incorporate western and modern influences into their teaware collection.

  Let’s Geek Out

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Bitterleaf 

With full respect to Bitterleaf’s collection of teas for drinking (featured in our buying guide), the site’s assortment of teawares, tea tools, tea pets, and assorted Chinese tea ephemera is truly deep and excellent.

From beautiful little studio tea cups (starting around $8) to Chaozhou teapots in a range of classic styles (more like $80) to really cute hand-painted animal vessels ($35) to all manner of entry-level trays and supports (prices vary) and much more, there are hundreds of pieces of tea kit to shop from and swoon over at Bitterleaf. I especially like their selection of “tea pets,” little clay figurines typically depicting children or animals, incorporated into tea service as a symbol of good luck. You “feed” the tea pet with excess water or tea throughout the teamaking process, with the clay left to develop a lovely luster over repeat feedings. (It’s fun. Don’t @ me.)

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Song Tea

Song Tea are also featured in our tea buying guide for their literally life-changing (as in it changed my life) compendium of meticulously curated tea offerings. But the ceramics offered by Song are on another level. Founder Peter Luong has an eye for relatively young and emerging artists, making commissions across his travels to Taiwan. Works by artists like Zhang Yun Chen (Nantou), Qiu Qing Yun (Meinong), and Hu Tie Ha (Jiefen) evoke what’s possible at the blurred edge of collectible art and practical working pottery. I cannot realistically see myself being someone who collects art to hang on the wall, but the idea of owning this Husk #2 tea bowl by Zhang Yun Chen gives me heart palpitations. If you are, say, truly enjoying tea week and would like to, you know, say thank you as a grateful reader or whatever, please buy this for me. DMs are open.

Photo courtesy of Pu.Erh.Sk

Pu-Erh.Sk

Based in Slovakia, Pu-Erh.sk is an online webshop shipping worldwide, focused on sheng and shou Pu’er teas from Yunnan. Their tea sourcing is concise and well-considered—the gushu heads love ‘em—but for me the site’s focus on Eastern European ceramicists and teaware artisans has been a revelation. Czech artists like Jiří Duchek and Jura Lang are building truly compelling, one-of-a-kind teawares that fuse traditional regional clays with far-flung design influences from the east and west. Pieces like this gorgeous Jura Lang shiboridashi (a kind of Japanese easy gaiwan) are handmade, wood-fired, visually stunning, and sure to grow in beauty over repeated use. For beginning collectors and enthusiasts to be able to get in the door with an artist-specific work like this at just €65 is really special. Elsewhere on the site, Swedish artist Stefan Andersson makes a range of gorgeous wares, while Norwegian brand Ad.Infinitum offers bespoke and vintage tea ceremony linens. All of these makers are brands with followings in their own right, collected by Pu-Erh.sk for easy ordering and global shipping.

Everybody’s taste is different, and a lot of tea ceramics collections start and end in Asia, with no deviation. But I really grok the vibe of this stuff coming out of Eastern Europe. To get in at the cutting edge of small maker European ceramics artistry, go here.

Ceramicists To Watch—And Collect 

*A note: While I am personally passionate about ceramics and hopelessly biased towards its validity and urgency as an art form, I also think you—whomever you are reading this—might really dig works from the artists below. The idea of placing a commission with an individual artist might seem intimidating or overly expensive, but we’re not talking George Ohr here; works from these artists don’t typically cost more than $100 for a single piece of teaware, and more like $30-$50 for a handmade cup or set of cups. For less cost than a single dinner at a fancy restaurant you can own and put into daily use your own personal work from a talented artist. It will make your tea taste better, your kitchen look cuter, and who knows—in 50 years you might get a segment on the Antiques Roadshow.

Here are a few talented and emerging ceramicists to follow.

Photo via Song Tea.

Lilith Rockett

Portland ceramicist Lilith Rockett works across a range of expressions for home pottery, including plates, lighting, vases, and abstract decorative objects. Her style—lustrous soft milky white porcelain, entirely handmade—translates well into tea, especially the stunning wheel-thrown porcelain gaiwan. A significant amount of tea consumed for the purposes of Tea Week on Sprudge was steeped in just such a piece. Rockett has a webshop, and also accepts limited commissions. You can find her work at some of the best restaurants in the United States, including The French Laundry (Napa), Smyth (Chicago), Saison (San Francisco), and Nodoguro (Portland).

Follow Lilith Rockett on Instagram.

Photo via Carole Neilson.

Carole Neilson

Buzzy San Francisco-based artist Carole Neilson fuses the rural pottery traditions of her native Alsace with an irresistible contemporary immediacy. Her eye-catching signature glazes evoke smoke fumes and clouds of dust, making for pottery with an earth-dappled glow. Neilson’s range of works include original sculpture pieces and stunning bowl and plate sets, but for tea (and coffee!) drinkers her small cups and pitchers make a lively addition to any collection. Neilson’s work is blowing up, with a growing list of stockists, gallery exhibitions at spaces like Hugomento, pop-up dinners around the country (including a recent dinner at Omaha’s Archetype Coffee), and a successful recent series of artist grants. She is truly an artist to watch. Neilson has a webshop and accepts limited commissions.

Follow Carole Neilson Ceramics on Instagram.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Qi Pottery

Kim Whyee Kee of Qi Pottery first learned his art behind bars. After serving time in the Singaporean corrections system for gang-related crimes, Kee graduated from an arts college, helped co-found a variety of initiatives working with at-risk youth, and launched Qi Pottery in 2016. His style echoes ancient tea traditions, but does so through a burst of heart-stopping colors that demand attention. Vivid pinks, deep blues, mesmerizing blacks, coral reds—Easter egg pastels that fuse the practical nature of teaware with the elegance of a home statement piece. But this is no gimmick maker—Qi Pottery’s mastery extends to more simple forms, like these beautiful rusted large format cups.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

It’s simply some of the most beautiful ceramics work I’ve ever seen, and for an artist with just a few public showings so far, you can certainly expect these pieces to become more and more sought after and valuable over the years. Qi Pottery has a website, but no webstore. If you’re interested in purchasing an existing piece or making a commission, please contact the artist directly via email or Instagram.

Follow Kim Whye Kee of Qi Pottery on Instagram. 

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Arturo Alvarez

A full-time artist dedicated to original teawares, Arturo Alvarez is based in Olympia, Washington, and crafts art in a range of styles and expressions. We commissioned Alvarez for our office tea set at Sprudge Studios (we’ll be serving tea there this week as part of the Tea Week fun), and follow his regular updates on Instagram, where his account @your_pencil is part of a thriving Instagram ceramics community. Perhaps his most distinctive pieces involve incorporating found materials, including driftwood handles made from wood found across Puget Sound beaches, but this is an artist growing and advancing his craft before our very eyes, letting it all play out online. Follow him and watch along—it feels like he’s debuting new pieces almost every day.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Arturo Alvarez sells a limited number of teawares online via Etsy. Contact the artist directly via Instagram for commissions or to purchase pieces featured on his account.

Follow Arturo Alvarez on Instagram.

Photo by Anthony Jordan III.

Andrzej Bero

A teaware potter out of Warsaw, Andrzej Bero specializes in the shiboridashi—a gaiwan variant that’s easy to use and, in the right hands, a piece of working art. Bero’s shibos are made from clay that feels coarse and tactile to the touch, in a range of dark reds, greens, and blues. This style translates especially well to larger pieces, like his 300ml teapots, which are hotly in demand for tea services around the world. Andrzej Bero has a website but no webstore; a limited number of his works are available for purchase via the aforementioned Pu-Erh.sk. Contact the artist directly for commissions and availability.

Follow Andrzej Bero on Instagram.

Jordan Michelman is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read more Jordan Michelman on Sprudge.

Editor: Scott Norton.

Top photo by Anthony Jordan III (@ace_lace). 

Sprudge Tea Week is presented by Breville USA.

The post The 2019 Sprudge Guide To Teamakers and Ceramics appeared first on Sprudge.

from Sprudge https://ift.tt/2TkAiuQ

[outfittrends]

Dupatta Reuse Ideas-20+ DIY Ways To Upcycle Your Old Dupattas Outfit Trends - Ideas How to Wear & What to Wear

New Post has been published on https://www.outfittrends.com/dupatta-reuse-ideas/

Dupatta Reuse Ideas-20+ DIY Ways To Upcycle Your Old Dupattas

Over 20 Ways To Reuse a Dupatta: Dupatta is an essential part of the Eastern fashion and is typically worn with Kurtas and Shalwar Kameez. It is a wardrobe staple in countries like India and Pakistan who are all about modest fashion.

These come in a number of designs and fabrics which make them all super unique and attractive. Most commonly they are found in chiffon and silk fabrics with digital prints on them. However, they are also done in the lawn fabric with elements like laces and tassels. With dupattas being an important part of our everyday fashion, we are often left with large collections of them. Instead of letting them lie around in your closet, reuse them in fun ways to create new looks. Wear the same dupatta by contrasting it on a different coloured outfit or stitch it into a fun shirt. Additionally, they can also be styled to meet all the latest fashion trends. Not only are they cost effective but also save you with ample amounts of space within your wardrobes.

How To Reuse Your Old Dupatta?

Here are some tips and tricks to style it:

Pick and choose the right fabric for the right kind of design.

Create fun and youthful looks that match the current trends.

Use accessories like belts to style them.

You can also create accessories out of them like the knot hairband or even a belt.

Experiment with looks creating an Indo-western style.

You can also upcycle a fancy, embroidered dupatta to create different looks.

↓ 22. Quirky Summer Top

This cool and funky black and white top with tie-up sleeves are worth adding to your summer closet. Not only can they make for great casual wear but can also be worn as a fine travel outfit. If you have a lawn dupatta lying around somewhere that is not of your use, consider cutting it out to create a cool top like this one. The leftover cutting can be stitched onto the top for a fun element like the bow-tied sleeves. The top can then be styled with skirts or jeans for a comfortable yet chic style.

Via

↓ 21. Dupatta Cape

Got a wedding event coming up and cannot decide on what to wear? We have you covered. Pull out an embroidered heavy dupatta and convert into a beautiful cape dress like this one. You will never be able to tell it has been made from an existing dupatta. The capes have been in fashion since 2017 now and are frequently incorporated with Eastern outfits as well. This idea can also be used to upcycle bridal outfits that are often pushed to the back of the closets. This style can definitely save you the time and money that would otherwise be spent finding the right kind of embroidery and fabric for an outfit like this.

Via

↓ 20. Saree Blouse

We absolutely adore this colour combination of blue and yellow with hints of rust. If you are bored of wearing the same old blouse with your saree, give it a different look by pairing it with a new blouse. You can use your lawn or silk dupatta with different prints and colours to contrast with a beautiful saree like this one. The blouse can then be reused with a different saree and you will always have a different outfit each time. Another great idea to pull out your mom’s saree and wear it with a fun blouse like this one instead of wearing them with old-fashioned blouses that do not seem to work with the current trends and styles. If you’re into wearing sarees then I highly recommend that you go through these 30 New Saree Blouse Designs 2019 That You Must Try.

Via

↓ 19. Recycle Old Dupatta Into Shrug

Via

↓ 18. Saree Drape

While this may resemble the Saree Pants, it is actually more of a drape that has been made with a Dupatta. The look can easily be sported at formal occasions for a unique and different style. Tucked in at the right side, it goes around the back and worn as a Saree on the front. She has used a tie-dye dupatta in yellow and white to complement her white pants and yellow blouse.

Via

↓ 17. How to Wear Your Mom’s Dupatta

Sridevi’s sudden demise came as a shock for many. We were all disheartened by the news and the focus suddenly shifted to whether Janhvi Kapoor would be able to live up to the same standards or not. While that is debatable, what is not is how gorgeous Janhvi looks in her mom’s dupatta that she was spotted wearing. What is fun to note is how she chose to pair it with a similar white Kurta instead of a different coloured one. If you have similar sentiments attached to your mom’s dupatta and cannot seem to part with it, here is how to use it.

Via

↓ 16. One Dupatta in Two Ways

Take a look at another one of Veronica’s creations that she made out of a blue net dupatta. This piece of creativity does not require any stitching which happens to be the best part about it. We love how the border of the wrap gives the perfect back detailing, something that most tops these days lack.

Via

She wore the same wrap to create a dress out of it, again without any stitching. That helps you use the same wrap in a number of ways without destroying the purpose of it.

Via

↓ 15. Swimwear Cover Up

If you want a bikini cover-up that is affordable yet pretty-looking, this could be your go-to. Any existing stole or wrap could do the purpose by tying one end around the neck, giving the effect of a turtleneck. The other can be tied around the back, to keep it in place and voila, the look is complete.

Via

↓ 14. DIY Dupatta Dress

How beautiful is this blue chiffon dress that has been worn over a shirt with gorgeous neck embroidery? At first glance, we thought of it to be a silver necklace and loved how it looks with the dress. The crepe fabric is something that is occasionally done as traditional wraps and dupattas. If you have one that is not of your use anymore, you could totally put it to use in this creative and fun way. The dress makes for a great party outfit. It can be worn with a blazer or a shrug to experiment with it. If you do not wish to wear it over a similar looking shirt, you could always pair actual silver jewelry to accessorize the look. Additionally, you may try the look by putting it together with the help of some pins and a belt instead of getting it stitched.

Via

Watch this video to learn how to master this technique:

↓ 13. How To Make Palazzo Pants From Old Dupatta

Here’s a step by step video tutorial to help you:

↓ 12. Old Dupatta Reuse

Isha Ambani, daughter of India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani recently wore her mother’s Chunari at her own Wedding. We love the concept of holding on to memories and it has been done worldwide. In the Western world, a lot of brides have chosen to wear their ancestral wedding gowns on their own. Kareena Kapoor Khan wore her mother-in-law, Sharmila Tagore’s, wedding outfit on her own wedding. However, if you do not wish to wear the same outfit yet want to have an element of it, here is how to do it. We love how Isha added the color red to her otherwise white ensemble with her mother’s wedding dupatta.

Via

↓ 11. Kimono

Here are two ideas on how to style a wrap or a stole as either a kimono or a cool wide neck top. The first way is to stitch buttons down the length to give it a look which is a cross between a cape and a kimono. The other is to stitch buttons down the sleeves for a cool look. We love the slit at the arms that gives it a look of a poncho. Both the looks are perfect for the Summer weather and could even be worn to your next Summer travel destination. And to help you rock this style, here are 20 Ways To Dress Up With Kimono Outfits.

Via

↓ 10. Dupatta Turned Into Shirt

Veronica Andrad is a fashion student who has a keen interest in turning old fabrics into some dainty pieces. We love how she picked out an old tie-dye dupatta and stitched it into a chic top that she chose to wear with black pants. The beige and orange combination is a stunning one and the overall look is super affordable yet attractive. A shirt like this would also go well with shawars so have a look at these 18 Best Ways to Wear Patiala Shalwar.

Via

↓ 9. Embellished Skirt

When we first saw this Shivan and Narresh skirt, our first thought was how appropriate the design was to upcycle an existing embellished dupatta. If you have a heavily embroidered dupatta in your trousseau that you would want to re-style, here is how you could do it. You could also wear it to your honeymoon for a boho look. It can be paired with a crop top or a full sleeves gold blouse.

Via

↓ 8. Cropped Skirt

Banarasi fabrics are known to be a huge part of South Asian fashion. They come as Sarees, as well, dupattas for people going the traditional way. A great way to reuse such fabrics is by turning them into stylish skirts, short or long. Since dupattas often come in a length of a little over 2 meters, they can be used to create cropped skirts to wear with trendy tops.

Via

↓ 7. Phulkari Pants

Phulkari is a type of thread embroidery famous in both India and Pakistan. The last couple of years brought back the old trend of Phulkari and we saw a couple of beautifully embroidered dupattas that were sported by celebrities and fashionistas alike. Well, here is a modern take on those dupattas. If you have an old Phulkari dupatta or just wish to turn it into a different piece, here is how to do it. Phulkari trousers/shalwars are the new ‘it’ trend. Pair an Indian Chikankari kurta with these pants for a quick makeover. The outfit can then make for a great casual or even a formal look depending on how it is styled.

Via

↓ 6. Indo-Western Fusion

Did you know you could totally pass by wearing a dupatta over shorts with a belt around? We did not either. We absolutely love this Indo-Western fusion and how effortless this blue and white wrap looks with her overall look.

Via

↓ 5. Gorgeous Pink Wrap-Dress

Here is one of our favorite outfits that could be pulled off with an old dupatta. We love the cross that it is between a dress and a jumpsuit and how glamorous it looks. Wrap around a silk dupatta over a pair of tights and hold it in place with a statement belt like the one in the picture. Style it effortlessly with a pair of tribal earrings and matching stilettos. Similar outfits have been worn by celebrities and fashionistas alike and we are super impressed by the look of it.

Via

↓ 4. Summer Look

Take a look at this super cute and boho style top and skirt. They make for the ultimate Summer beach outfit to pair with some sandals. You can create your own such look by recycling a pair of old dupattas to create a pair of matching top and skirt.

Via

↓ 3. Crop Top

This boho style chic crop top is the kind of Summer look we have all been dreaming of. It can be made of silk, cotton or even chiffon fabrics. They can be worn with skirts, high-waisted jeans and even shorts to create the perfect youthful looks. If you know the basics of tailoring, it should not be a problem creating this super cute top from an old dupatta. However, if you do not know how to do it, you could always ask a tailor to stitch it for you. We are already thinking of a million ways to style this adorable top especially with summer sandals and chunky accessories. For a modest or desi look, you can easily wear the crop top with a skirt or lehnga and even high waisted pants. Be sure to pair the crop top with one of these 25 Cute Ways to Wear Crop Tops This Season.

Via

↓ 2. Romper Style

We love this short romper that is perfect for the warm summer weather. We love the use of vibrant colours and the wide sleeves and how perfectly it has been paired with a couple of cool accessories. Since it has a short length, it can easily be made out of a printed wrap in lawn or cotton fabric with just a few skills at hand. It can also be your next vacation outfit or something to wear to the beach. However, if you are looking for a longer length and something that would resemble a jumpsuit, you could mix and match two separate wraps to get the look.

Via

↓ 1. Saree Pants

We were blown away the minute we saw Mahira Khan walk the New York streets in this exquisite outfit by Sana Safinaz. The outfit, called, Saree Pants, has become a famous choice for many celebrities. Instead of wearing a Saree, the outfit calls for a similar drape that is worn over pants. The colours, prints and the ethereal fabric are all that are making this look so tasteful. If you want to replicate the look, the best way is to do it with a colourful and vibrant silk dupatta and get your own Mahira moment just like that.

Via

[outfittrends]

Dupatta Reuse Ideas-20+ DIY Ways To Upcycle Your Old Dupattas Outfit Trends - Ideas How to Wear & What to Wear

New Post has been published on https://www.outfittrends.com/dupatta-reuse-ideas/

Dupatta Reuse Ideas-20+ DIY Ways To Upcycle Your Old Dupattas

Over 20 Ways To Reuse a Dupatta: Dupatta is an essential part of the Eastern fashion and is typically worn with Kurtas and Shalwar Kameez. It is a wardrobe staple in countries like India and Pakistan who are all about modest fashion.

These come in a number of designs and fabrics which make them all super unique and attractive. Most commonly they are found in chiffon and silk fabrics with digital prints on them. However, they are also done in the lawn fabric with elements like laces and tassels. With dupattas being an important part of our everyday fashion, we are often left with large collections of them. Instead of letting them lie around in your closet, reuse them in fun ways to create new looks. Wear the same dupatta by contrasting it on a different coloured outfit or stitch it into a fun shirt. Additionally, they can also be styled to meet all the latest fashion trends. Not only are they cost effective but also save you with ample amounts of space within your wardrobes.

How To Reuse Your Old Dupatta?

Here are some tips and tricks to style it:

Pick and choose the right fabric for the right kind of design.

Create fun and youthful looks that match the current trends.

Use accessories like belts to style them.

You can also create accessories out of them like the knot hairband or even a belt.

Experiment with looks creating an Indo-western style.

You can also upcycle a fancy, embroidered dupatta to create different looks.

↓ 22. Quirky Summer Top

This cool and funky black and white top with tie-up sleeves are worth adding to your summer closet. Not only can they make for great casual wear but can also be worn as a fine travel outfit. If you have a lawn dupatta lying around somewhere that is not of your use, consider cutting it out to create a cool top like this one. The leftover cutting can be stitched onto the top for a fun element like the bow-tied sleeves. The top can then be styled with skirts or jeans for a comfortable yet chic style.

Via

↓ 21. Dupatta Cape

Got a wedding event coming up and cannot decide on what to wear? We have you covered. Pull out an embroidered heavy dupatta and convert into a beautiful cape dress like this one. You will never be able to tell it has been made from an existing dupatta. The capes have been in fashion since 2017 now and are frequently incorporated with Eastern outfits as well. This idea can also be used to upcycle bridal outfits that are often pushed to the back of the closets. This style can definitely save you the time and money that would otherwise be spent finding the right kind of embroidery and fabric for an outfit like this.

Via

↓ 20. Saree Blouse

We absolutely adore this colour combination of blue and yellow with hints of rust. If you are bored of wearing the same old blouse with your saree, give it a different look by pairing it with a new blouse. You can use your lawn or silk dupatta with different prints and colours to contrast with a beautiful saree like this one. The blouse can then be reused with a different saree and you will always have a different outfit each time. Another great idea to pull out your mom’s saree and wear it with a fun blouse like this one instead of wearing them with old-fashioned blouses that do not seem to work with the current trends and styles. If you’re into wearing sarees then I highly recommend that you go through these 30 New Saree Blouse Designs 2019 That You Must Try.

Via

↓ 19. Recycle Old Dupatta Into Shrug

Via

↓ 18. Saree Drape

While this may resemble the Saree Pants, it is actually more of a drape that has been made with a Dupatta. The look can easily be sported at formal occasions for a unique and different style. Tucked in at the right side, it goes around the back and worn as a Saree on the front. She has used a tie-dye dupatta in yellow and white to complement her white pants and yellow blouse.

Via

↓ 17. How to Wear Your Mom’s Dupatta

Sridevi’s sudden demise came as a shock for many. We were all disheartened by the news and the focus suddenly shifted to whether Janhvi Kapoor would be able to live up to the same standards or not. While that is debatable, what is not is how gorgeous Janhvi looks in her mom’s dupatta that she was spotted wearing. What is fun to note is how she chose to pair it with a similar white Kurta instead of a different coloured one. If you have similar sentiments attached to your mom’s dupatta and cannot seem to part with it, here is how to use it.

Via

↓ 16. One Dupatta in Two Ways

Take a look at another one of Veronica’s creations that she made out of a blue net dupatta. This piece of creativity does not require any stitching which happens to be the best part about it. We love how the border of the wrap gives the perfect back detailing, something that most tops these days lack.

Via

She wore the same wrap to create a dress out of it, again without any stitching. That helps you use the same wrap in a number of ways without destroying the purpose of it.

Via

↓ 15. Swimwear Cover Up

If you want a bikini cover-up that is affordable yet pretty-looking, this could be your go-to. Any existing stole or wrap could do the purpose by tying one end around the neck, giving the effect of a turtleneck. The other can be tied around the back, to keep it in place and voila, the look is complete.

Via

↓ 14. DIY Dupatta Dress

How beautiful is this blue chiffon dress that has been worn over a shirt with gorgeous neck embroidery? At first glance, we thought of it to be a silver necklace and loved how it looks with the dress. The crepe fabric is something that is occasionally done as traditional wraps and dupattas. If you have one that is not of your use anymore, you could totally put it to use in this creative and fun way. The dress makes for a great party outfit. It can be worn with a blazer or a shrug to experiment with it. If you do not wish to wear it over a similar looking shirt, you could always pair actual silver jewelry to accessorize the look. Additionally, you may try the look by putting it together with the help of some pins and a belt instead of getting it stitched.

Via

Watch this video to learn how to master this technique:

↓ 13. How To Make Palazzo Pants From Old Dupatta

Here’s a step by step video tutorial to help you:

↓ 12. Old Dupatta Reuse

Isha Ambani, daughter of India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani recently wore her mother’s Chunari at her own Wedding. We love the concept of holding on to memories and it has been done worldwide. In the Western world, a lot of brides have chosen to wear their ancestral wedding gowns on their own. Kareena Kapoor Khan wore her mother-in-law, Sharmila Tagore’s, wedding outfit on her own wedding. However, if you do not wish to wear the same outfit yet want to have an element of it, here is how to do it. We love how Isha added the color red to her otherwise white ensemble with her mother’s wedding dupatta.

Via

↓ 11. Kimono

Here are two ideas on how to style a wrap or a stole as either a kimono or a cool wide neck top. The first way is to stitch buttons down the length to give it a look which is a cross between a cape and a kimono. The other is to stitch buttons down the sleeves for a cool look. We love the slit at the arms that gives it a look of a poncho. Both the looks are perfect for the Summer weather and could even be worn to your next Summer travel destination. And to help you rock this style, here are 20 Ways To Dress Up With Kimono Outfits.

Via

↓ 10. Dupatta Turned Into Shirt

Veronica Andrad is a fashion student who has a keen interest in turning old fabrics into some dainty pieces. We love how she picked out an old tie-dye dupatta and stitched it into a chic top that she chose to wear with black pants. The beige and orange combination is a stunning one and the overall look is super affordable yet attractive. A shirt like this would also go well with shawars so have a look at these 18 Best Ways to Wear Patiala Shalwar.

Via

↓ 9. Embellished Skirt

When we first saw this Shivan and Narresh skirt, our first thought was how appropriate the design was to upcycle an existing embellished dupatta. If you have a heavily embroidered dupatta in your trousseau that you would want to re-style, here is how you could do it. You could also wear it to your honeymoon for a boho look. It can be paired with a crop top or a full sleeves gold blouse.

Via

↓ 8. Cropped Skirt

Banarasi fabrics are known to be a huge part of South Asian fashion. They come as Sarees, as well, dupattas for people going the traditional way. A great way to reuse such fabrics is by turning them into stylish skirts, short or long. Since dupattas often come in a length of a little over 2 meters, they can be used to create cropped skirts to wear with trendy tops.

Via

↓ 7. Phulkari Pants

Phulkari is a type of thread embroidery famous in both India and Pakistan. The last couple of years brought back the old trend of Phulkari and we saw a couple of beautifully embroidered dupattas that were sported by celebrities and fashionistas alike. Well, here is a modern take on those dupattas. If you have an old Phulkari dupatta or just wish to turn it into a different piece, here is how to do it. Phulkari trousers/shalwars are the new ‘it’ trend. Pair an Indian Chikankari kurta with these pants for a quick makeover. The outfit can then make for a great casual or even a formal look depending on how it is styled.

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↓ 6. Indo-Western Fusion

Did you know you could totally pass by wearing a dupatta over shorts with a belt around? We did not either. We absolutely love this Indo-Western fusion and how effortless this blue and white wrap looks with her overall look.

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↓ 5. Gorgeous Pink Wrap-Dress

Here is one of our favorite outfits that could be pulled off with an old dupatta. We love the cross that it is between a dress and a jumpsuit and how glamorous it looks. Wrap around a silk dupatta over a pair of tights and hold it in place with a statement belt like the one in the picture. Style it effortlessly with a pair of tribal earrings and matching stilettos. Similar outfits have been worn by celebrities and fashionistas alike and we are super impressed by the look of it.

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↓ 4. Summer Look

Take a look at this super cute and boho style top and skirt. They make for the ultimate Summer beach outfit to pair with some sandals. You can create your own such look by recycling a pair of old dupattas to create a pair of matching top and skirt.

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↓ 3. Crop Top

This boho style chic crop top is the kind of Summer look we have all been dreaming of. It can be made of silk, cotton or even chiffon fabrics. They can be worn with skirts, high-waisted jeans and even shorts to create the perfect youthful looks. If you know the basics of tailoring, it should not be a problem creating this super cute top from an old dupatta. However, if you do not know how to do it, you could always ask a tailor to stitch it for you. We are already thinking of a million ways to style this adorable top especially with summer sandals and chunky accessories. For a modest or desi look, you can easily wear the crop top with a skirt or lehnga and even high waisted pants. Be sure to pair the crop top with one of these 25 Cute Ways to Wear Crop Tops This Season.

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↓ 2. Romper Style

We love this short romper that is perfect for the warm summer weather. We love the use of vibrant colours and the wide sleeves and how perfectly it has been paired with a couple of cool accessories. Since it has a short length, it can easily be made out of a printed wrap in lawn or cotton fabric with just a few skills at hand. It can also be your next vacation outfit or something to wear to the beach. However, if you are looking for a longer length and something that would resemble a jumpsuit, you could mix and match two separate wraps to get the look.

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↓ 1. Saree Pants

We were blown away the minute we saw Mahira Khan walk the New York streets in this exquisite outfit by Sana Safinaz. The outfit, called, Saree Pants, has become a famous choice for many celebrities. Instead of wearing a Saree, the outfit calls for a similar drape that is worn over pants. The colours, prints and the ethereal fabric are all that are making this look so tasteful. If you want to replicate the look, the best way is to do it with a colourful and vibrant silk dupatta and get your own Mahira moment just like that.

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