The beautiful work of Eri and Nanse of Symbols+Rituals. Via Mono’s FB

There are certain designers whose work compels me to keep checking in at their sites. Vladimir Karaleev is one such designer. He’s now offering footwear, and there’s a S/S 12 collection preview that definitely deserves a look

I’m hugely excited to finally make this little announcement today. The shop now offers a very limited, special edition piece by Erin Considine created only for Pour Porter. Erin and I had been discussing doing something like this for several months and I was bowled over when she sent pictures of the completed necklace. I think my emailed response contained an offensively large number of exclamation points and caps! The necklace’s simplicity coupled with the variety of textures and subtle colours perfectly captures what I feel is the shop’s aesthetic -simple but interesting. (All pictures below by Erin Considine)

Now, no special edition piece would be complete without a backstory, and this necklace has a really wonderful personal angle to it. Erin was able to vacation near the Catskills in the early summer and went mushroom hunting in between rain storms. She uncovered a cluster of what she believes were a species of the genus Boletus, and transported them back to her studio.

Erin is fascinated by the boundless diversity of natural dying, and is always looking for ways to integrate what she discovers into her work. A batch of mushroom “liquor” was in order and after pulverizing and boiling them, she added iron sulphate and silk fiber, letting it steep overnight. The following day, the silk emerged a beautiful silvery grey, green. Dyes made from mushrooms are each wholly unique because the colour they produce is completely dependent on weather, soils, region, and age upon harvest. So now Erin had a lot of subtly tinted silk but its use wasn’t determined until Erin paid a visit to her grandfather’s garage-cum-workshop in Illinois.

In what most people would have seen as a garage stuffed with useless junk, Erin found an abundance of things she could incorporate into her creative process. While her grandfather has Alzheimer’s, he was able to share a story for each tool in the garage and what he had made with them over the years. With this newfound historical knowledge of the things she helped her grandfather sort through, Erin collected a hammer, copper washers, rivets, and other creatively promising objects to take back home.

This special edition piece is Erin’s response to the materials she’d gathered over the summer, and a wonderful reworking of old items from family storage. The necklace is constructed of vintage brass snake chain, her grandfather’s copper and steel washers, and that beautiful silvery mushroom dyed silk. I don’t know about you guys, but I love knowing the story behind an object, and this necklace certainly has one. Only three available. Thanks Erin!

Sound the trumpets ’cause not only do we have new items from Slow and Steady Wins the Race (sunglasses), but we’ve a brand new designer. Kelly Reid’s reid.damnit line is full of the kind of bags you use until they fall apart. We’re lucky enough to have three of her newest clutch styles in juicy summer colours, and a classic leopard print suede. They’re easy and comfortable to carry too – just the right amount of slouch.

We’re also slowly adding back final sale items, so be sure to check out our sale page to stay on top of the latest additions. And most importantly, we now accept final sale item returns for exchange or store credit

Pour Porter featured Erin Considine back in 2009, which on the internet was light ages ago. At the time, Considine wasn’t all that well known and her pieces were only available through her site. When Brannan and I decided we wanted to open an online shop around the same time, Erin was at the top of my list of lines I wanted to carry. I’m proud to say that our Shop was one of the first retail outlets to offer her jewelry. *feels proud* Now Considine’s jewelry can now be found in a bunch of online and brick-and-mortar boutiques. Her label continues to not only grow in distribution, but each season brings a new refinement to her techniques and work.

Of course, all of the above babble leads to the main point of this post: Erin is the next designer up in our designer interviews series! I’ve been sitting on this interview since February, but now feels like the perfect time with her recent features on Of A Kind and The Makers Project.
Oh and in case you didn’t notice, we just added three new Erin Considine pieces to the shop. Enjoy!

1. You’ve been dropped in the middle of a coral reef. Describe a piece of
jewelry you would make from materials you would find there, and sketch it.
Carved, seaweed wrapped ring.

2. Your favourite soup – share the recipe!
Lima Bean Turnip Soup probably sounds gross but it’s so easy and healthy,
good winter veggie use! {PP: I think it sounds great!}

• 5 inches of wakame, soaked
• 1 cup Lima Beans
• 1 Shallot Diced
• 2 Carrots cut into chunks
• 4 small Turnips
• 1 Cup shredded Cabbage (I like purple!)
• 5-6 Cups of Water
• 1 Tblsp Miso
• Place Wakame, Beans and water into a pot.
• Bring to a boil
• Reduce heat and simmer 45-60 minutes
• Add Shallot, Carrots, Turnips, & Cabbage
• Simmer about 20 minute until beans are tender
• Add Miso simmer 5-7 minutes

Photo from here

3. Your ideal shelter?
Yurt next to a hot spring.

Photo from here

4. What do you think should be required reading for everyone?
The Warmth of Other Suns, Omnivores Dilemma

Photo on left from NY Times and photo on right from here

5. Share your favourite picture of your studio or living space, or an area
you occupy most frequently.

Current studio space. Photo by Erin Considine

Former studio space. Photos by Erin Considine

6. Sketch your favourite pair of shoes

7. Write your own perfect interview question and then answer it

What’s your favorite color?

The color in between.

8. Show a picture of your favourite mug, teacup, or cup you drink from
most often

Photo by Erin Considine