INSPIRATION MONDAY: VIVA LA FRANCE!

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend, and that you are all ready for week of inspiration and creativity. Here’s a few things to help get those creative juices flowing.
I have always had a bit of a soft spot for all things French and today’s inspirations share some of my favourites.

100drine
I first encountered these gorgeous products at a beautiful homewares store in South Melbourne called Manon (in Park St for all of you Melbournites.) I have since built up my own little collection of items from this designer (as shown below), and just completed the framing of the notebooks on the weekend.



Sandrine Fabre is the talent behind these great designs and she is perhaps most well known for her beautiful tin collections. Her background in illustration and textile design has seen her artwork applied to a huge range of products, including cards, stationery, bags, homewares and more.

The 100drine website is well worth a visit, (the English version is still under construction, but it’s worth testing out your basic French skills to explore this site.) Sandrine’s history of collaboration with Atomic Soda and Sentou also make these sites a great place to explore collections of 100drine products, and you may just discover some more fabulous French designers on your visit.

Atelier LZC
I was introduced to this French collaboration at the Life In style show in Melbourne last year.
(On in Sydney next: on the 21st-24th of February 2008. I highly recommend a visit if you can get along to it. There is a special children’s section called Kids in Style where I found some of the great businesses that I featured on this segmant last year.)

The Australian distributor for these products is Nomades (contact: Eglatine here) and their stall at the tradeshow included this fabulous book.


I want this book so badly!

Atalier LZC is a design studio established in 2001 by 3 incredibly talented artists: Vanessa Lambert, Babara Zorn and Michael Cailloux. This studio creates beautiful designs for textiles, illustration, and hand–made screen prints, as well as exclusive collections for homewares, apparel and more.


Their art appeals to all age groups, but it is the children's area that I find particularly stunning.




The Atelier LZC website is so beautifully designed that I just want to print out some poster sized screen grabs to hang on my walls! (This site can be accessed in an English version.)

It is worth exploring some of the beautiful on-line stores that sell Atelier ALC, where you will also find some more great french designers. This is definitely one to add to your links and favourites.

Mini Labo
Another French discovery on Australian soil! I spotted a gorgeous card from this collection on a store research visit several years ago now.




This is another beautifully designed website that almost makes me cry with envy at the talent displayed. Never mind framing this stuff – I want them as murals ON my wall! Check out the website to get a full understanding of what I mean! You can also purchase some of their items on-line here.


Poppies for Grace
Now for the local stuff! Poppies For Grace (Arghh, I even love the name of this business!) caught my eye at the Melbourne Ready Made Design Market at Federation square a year or two ago. My sister and I bought a writing set, along with a few other items that are now “display only”- as they are too nice to actually use of course!

Poppies for Grace are a Melbourne based duo of designers – (Alana and Sara) who lovingly hand make beautiful stationery ranges that include invitations, lolly bags, tags and much more. Alana and Sara combine beautiful graphics and colours, with layers of fabrics, and sewn detail. The presentation is gorgeous and the attention to detail irresistible.


The popularity of Poppies for Grace seems to have gained momentum, as I have noticed more and more of their products popping up in stores and magazines. I am delighted that they have still managed to keep their handmade approach to their product and design.

The Poppies For Grace website is another beautifully designed site that creates the perfect environment to showcase the charm of their products.

Check out this fabulous site called Indie Art and Design for a great interview with Alana and Sara, and I bet you wont be able to resist exploring the rest of this clever site!
NEXT WEEK:
Well that’s more than enough for today! Tune in next week for some more great inspiration to get your week off to a creative start!

Comments

whoh! AHHH! So many great links, I will be web surfing for hours! That Zaza book looks beautiful, would love to get that.

I definitely have a fondness for french designers and illustrators.

Thanks for sharing!
Alicia Padrón said…
Hi Dan!!! Wow so many great stuff and so beautiful. where do you find all these things? :o)

Thanks for sharing all this. It looks like a lot of work but I am always looking forward on Mondays to visit your blog and see what's new. I want that book too by the way..... ;o)
Ha! The website reveals some of the internal pages of this book, and it just looks beautiful. It comes with a CD and I think there is music and words to some of the songs in the book.

More great stuff to come. I am planning a toys and puppets special and room decor too....so heaps more on the way!
Nina Seven N7 said…
Thanks so much for the Inspiration you are providing on Mondays! I lover everything you have posted and am truly awed and inspired by the talent you have collected. Great effort, can't wait to visit next Monday!
Shannon said…
Theres a shop in yarraville which has their window full of that first one - the scribbly frenchie one. Very cool indeedy.
Thank you all for your great feedback!
Bonjour!,
If you are looking for 100drine creations, check out www.saveurdujour.com (in the French Designers category).
Saveur du Jour offers great gift ideas from France!
A bientot!

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