Charleston artist CaleighBird’s sock monsters have been appearing in some fashionable places lately like JLinSnider, Barsa and Jail Break 2. The irresistibly soft and cuddly handmade monsters are as funky, unique and lovable as something out of Pixar’s “Monsters, Inc.”

And guess what happens when you twist socks together just so? They take on personalities.

“Dennis is actually a very gifted chef. He spent a few months in Toulouse, France last year and has been showing off his talent ever since!” Samuel, a blue guy with tired eyes and sporting only a tie, “is a bit of a busy body, preferring to stay late at the office to number crunch, and he is completely addicted to coffee. He does however, know how to have fun, especially during out of town office team-building exercises.” These are the fanciful and hilarious descriptions given to the monsters for sale on Bird’s etsy site.

Looking through a big monster pile, Caleigh grabs one, Ingle, a smallish white guy with a ring on his head, and says offhandedly, “He’s super phallic, accidentally.”

The naming process is particularly fun for Caleigh, who finishes sewing the monster before deciding on a name to match its personality. Often people are attracted to her monsters because of their names. She was helping a customer pick two out and suggested Pepper and Tipper saying, “they are totally androgenous.” Two of her favorites, Posey and Camille, who almost look like twins, were sold to a mother with twins. Like owner, like monster.

Caleigh only lets herself keep one monster, Judith, admitting, “I get really attached. I’d probably have a room full of them otherwise.”

Making monsters is the latest focus of Caleigh’s artistic pursuits, which stem from her passion for oil painting, often of hands and feet. Human parts.

These unique hand-crafted objects won’t break the bank but might melt your heart. With accessories like scarves, bikinis, bow ties and aprons, their signature plump lips, and some sporting a long tongue, buck teeth or fangs, you are sure to find one that speaks to you. Or to someone else. ‘Tis the season, after all. The season for monsters.

Browse and buy Sock Monsters here
Connect on Facebook here
Sock Puppets ($15-$30) available locally at Wonder Works in Mt. Pleasant and Poe Studio in W. Ashley

Story by: Dee Dee Arthur
Photos by: Jolie Connor Photography

CHARLIE catches up with the fashion designer and entrepreneur just days after the grand opening of her store, JLINSNIDER, on Upper King, and in between fittings for New York Fashion Week-bound Charlestonians.

We chat via a series of email conversations on her newly acquired iPad (“I’m not that savvy with technology,” she confesses. “It’s highly convenient now that I’ve learned though – I can send you a receipt by email, how neat! Save the trees!”)

How she does it all remains a bit of a mystery. But as the sole purveyor of avant-garde styling in the Holy City, we’re sure glad she’s doing it.

Snider grew up in Anderson, SC, an upstate town more known for manufacturing than fashion.

“I was addicted to Marshalls and TJ Maxx – the best shopping in a small town!” says Snider of her high school style, “I was up for best dressed my senior year of high school, but took the crown for class flirt.”

While inspired by some more macabre elements of beauty (currently natural bone, and in her Fall 2011 collection, cemeteries and old cathedrals), Snider’s character is bubbly with healthy dash of Southern charm. There’s that flirtation, still echoing in her adult life.

“I look forward most to dressing Charleston,” notes Snider. “I was a wardrobe stylist for several years. I love piecing looks together and making someone feel great about themselves.”

The freshly opened JLINSNIDER on Upper King reflects her novel approach to fashion.

It’s a library of vintage goods and impeccable design – tooled leather purses line one wall, while another is occupied by a very striking black feather-like coat retailing for under $100. Across the room, items from the Fall 2011 collection hang perfectly above chain and gemstone harnesses.

We’ll go ahead and note now: Don’t be afraid of the phrase “chain and gemstone harness.” It goes quite well over a classic black shift. Or, over nothing…if you’re that kind of daring.

When asked if she thinks her style is too brassy for what was once a quaint southern town, Snider’s quick to retort, “ I definitely do not think it’s too edgy. I’ve always thought Charleston is a very open-minded and fashion-forward city. I am constantly inspired by it’s residents and hope I can do the same.”

Well Jamie Lin, you already are.

jlinsnider.net
jlinsnider on Facebook

Story by: Caroline Millard
Photos by: Cyle Suesz and Ed Kavishe/fashionwirepress.com

We’re sure it’s a long story, fraught with storm-tossed seas, too much gin, and a swift departure from a southbound yacht, but we completely understand. The point is that here you are, a castaway wandering the streets of Charleston, in urgent need of a new summer wardrobe.

“Urgent” defined as “before your 7 p.m. dining reservation,” obviously.

As luck would have it, a quick jaunt to Indigo & Cotton is all that’s required to get you out of your predicament.

You’ll happily trade tatters for tattersall once Brett Carron shows you his selection of Gitman Brothers Vintage button-down dress shirts. The cool summer weaves (yes, seersucker is among them) will keep the sun from beating you down while you’re out on the town.

We recommend Raleigh Denim to go with your new Gitman: these lend just the right touch of style and sophistication. In fact, you may well end up referring to them as “the best pair of jeans ever.”

Handcrafted in small runs (each pair is signed on the inside pocket and has its number hand stamped on the leather patch), these jeans begin with denim from Cone Mill’s White Oak plant, grounding them firmly in the rich tradition of American denim from North Carolina. It would take a young Indiana Jones a good while to rub these meticulously crafted beauties out, so pack them alongside the bullwhip and fedora next time you’re off to high adventure in some faraway land.

Once your body is no longer bare, you’ll want to think about shoes.

Those Mark McNairy dirty bucks look like they will do the job just fine, but if you’re more inclined toward those Quoddy chukkas or a snappy pair of Keds, hey, why not?

(Side note: you’ll want to snag a pair of Birdwell board shorts for some fun in the water later on.)

Once your transformation from Waif to Boy Wonder is complete, you can even hang out awhile and chat with Brett about all things style. Prior to opening the doors at Indigo & Cotton, he did his time in the world of the arts, both here in Charleston and far away in a fabled land known as New York City.

There’s a love of American craftsmanship and an unwavering sense of what he loves in the fashions he selects for his showroom. He goes for the timeless: dress shirts, shoes, and jeans that will neither slip out of style nor go needlessly threadbare before their time.

You could spend even more time perusing accessories such as bowties and handkerchiefs, but better keep an eye on the time. There’s a table with your name on it at your favorite eatery and a special someone who is about to be bowled over by how well you clean up.

Don’t keep them waiting, ye fine young scalawag.

IndigoAndCotton.com

Story and photos by: Jason A. Zwiker

Alesya Opelt, Daniel Island resident and the former Vice President of Marketing at ePrize, was all too familiar with the predicament. “I’d looked for my own laptop bag for years and years and never found anything that I liked. That’s when I decided what to do.”

She knew exactly what she wanted, “I said I want the exact opposite of a rectangular, black nylon bag, because to me that’s a man’s bag. It might be light, it might be functional, it might look good with a suit and tie, but it doesn’t look good with the cute outfits most women are putting together these days,” she says, “I wanted it to look like just another bag you’d enjoy carrying no matter if you had your laptop in it or not.”

Having been bit by the entrepreneurial bug after serving alongside ePrize CEO Josh Linkner, Alesya was ready to take on her own attempt at creating a business.

“He really taught me how to be an entrepreneur and what it meant. I started to see, it’s not cool to work your way up in a big company. What’s cool is to have your own company,” she says.

Once the idea was hatched there was no going back. Alesya, who admittedly has no background in design, did not let that stop her. “I found a company that actually makes robot clothes,” she says. Yes, you read that correctly, robot clothes. Alesya, who was still living in Detroit at the time found a designer who built clothing for the mechanical robots that paint cars in the Motor city.

“They need clothes because otherwise the paint will drip off and onto the car, which obviously would not make a good look.” Long story short she found a person with a fashion degree at the robot clothes company, to make her first prototype and with that the first Alesya Bag was born.

It’s stories like this that Alesya, somewhat stunningly, shares for readers on her blog. Documenting each step in her entrepreneurial journey, from placing her first order to expressing her own anxieties about the marketing, printing and packing, since the company’s inception, Alesya has candidly detailed every aspect of her foray into owning a business.

“No one wants to read that everything is happy. That’s not very interesting,” she says. Instead she decided to be honest and lay it all out there, including even the tougher choices like explaining how the project is being financed. “The real reason is I want women to have big dreams. I want them to start businesses. I want them to think, ‘oh, I can do my own thing. This person did it, so why can’t I?’”

Now, just weeks away from the launch of her first collection, which debuted at the Center for Women It’s in the Bag Purse Auction, Alesya is ready to move her story offline and share it with not just her growing Twitter followers and blog fans, but with Charleston and ultimately the world.

“That’s really my ultimate goal – to make this successful and then be able to invest in other women,” she says. Now that’s a goal we can get behind.

Click here to read Alesya’s blog

Story by: Kinsey Gidick
Photos by: Jolie Connor

They may not be the lyrics to a Beyonce song, but they sure sound like music to the ears.

These were the words uttered by her mother-in-law when she gave Maggie Schwartz her mother’s wedding ring over 30 years ago. The words rang in the newlywed’s ears for years, and then a decade ago she started creating some halos of her own.

Halo Finger Art was born.

Maggie draws her inspiration for Halo Finger Art from nature, crafting14K gold wire, fine silver, and gemstones into wearable works of art. She often uses seeds to adorn the rings, using natural dyes and heating techniques to form a rainbow of colors. These are no sunflower seeds, mind you, but unique and exotic seeds such as tatua, a vegetable ivory used for chess shapes, figurines, and filling the buttonholes of pricey Italian button-down shirts. Acai isn’t just a trendy super food, but a seed embellishing many of the carefully crafted halos.

The designer explains that women (both young and old) have an immediate attraction to rings, and are drawn to them over necklaces, earrings, or bracelets. Especially when said ring is shiny, unique, and one of a kind, like the rings of Halo Finger Art. That’s no typo – each ring is truly one of a kind. Maggie’s created over 1,000 designs and never repeated a single ring design.

But how?

While she has never taken a jewelry class, Maggie’s nimble fingers form and fill space, realizing its design as she goes along. As her hubby proudly describes, “It is a magical process to watch, seeing a ring emerge from her creativity.” The ring design is called wire wrapping, and is virtually unheard of in the commercial jewelry, as it’s time consuming. Her masterpieces are woven with stones she has gathered from her travels to far-flung and often remote locales. When asked her favorite stone to use, she appears pained, like a parent asked to pick their favorite child. “I have no favorite stone, I just work with so many elements, and use what catches my eye.” She enjoys enhancing her designs with quartz, and recently has been using azurite, a soft, deep blue copper mineral produced by weathering of copper ore deposits. She has noticed a comeback in the demand for gold, as well as the request for a marriage of gold and silver.

Her halos have sparkled for many, and most recently caught the eye (and wallet) of an image consultant from Atlanta in town for Charleston Fashion Week. Recognizing the uniqueness of Halo Finger Art, the client purchased 30 rings, both single and double ring designs.

Before you get jewelry jealously, relax; your fingers can also have their own little halos. Maggie displays her Halo Finger Art on Saturdays at the downtown Farmer’s Market.

So go ahead, put a ring on it.

Halo Finger Art on Facebook

Story by: Katie Strumpf

Fiber Artist Rose Wirtz has a pretty sweet day job. For 16 years she has worked as an illustrator for a “very, very high-end” Manhattan textile designer, Elizabeth Eakins. Top architects and decorators hire them to create custom rugs, made by hand for their clients. Their rugs range from traditional to modern with impeccable color sense and quality.

Since moving to Charleston four years ago, Wirtz has worked from her home on J.I. Scanners are crucial for her illustrations’ virtual commute to NYC. Life in the digital age sure has its perks – like a home office with warm, clean air and a view.

But her real passion is hooking. Rugs, that is.

Some of the fiber art that she makes combines the hooking technique with her own interest in natural dyes and organic patterns. After studying in Maine at the Humboldt Field Research Institute years ago, her interest in botany and natural dyes really ramped up. Wirtz says, “I wanted to direct myself to be outside more.”

These days, she spends loads of time outdoors. She grows or forages for all the botanicals she uses: goldenrod, marigolds, Queen Anne’s lace, dandelions, black walnuts, lichen and rose petals all make gorgeous dyes. A simpatico friend of hers, who works at Whole Foods, even collects onion skins for her dying pleasure.

Strips of hand-dyed fabric are used to create her arty small rugs, meant for the wall, not your dirty shoes.

Who wants rusty nails? Rose does. She wraps fabric around them and dyes it to create a fun orangey effect. She even delights in the stains her work leaves on her fingertips, examining the looped shapes and colored highlights in her fingerprint.

The palette of her natural dyes ranges from yellow and browns, to purple and black. Wirtz uses them to paint with as well, creating watercolor pieces that are organic and “usually end up looking like landscapes.” Her work has been featured in group shows in Charleston at the Sophia Institute and as far away as Japan.

But home is where the heart (and creative talent) is. She and her hubby, drummer and music producer Jim Donnelly, have side-by-side backyard studios. Local favorites Sarah Cole and The Hawkes, Dangermuffin and James Justin and Co. have all recorded albums in Jim’s studio.

It’s a hand-made and finely tuned life for this hooker.

Contact Rose at naturaldyes@gmail.com

Story by: Dee Dee Arthur
Photos by: Ben Walters

And pardon us for being frank, but we’re ready for something completely different.

It’s about time for toes wiggled in the sand, sunset cocktails sipped dockside, semi-bare midriffs and sun-kissed shoulders.

Thankfully, we have your new favorite outfitter for such occasions.

Meet Suite 33.

Designer Emily Papuga has been a sort of undercover agent in the Charleston design community for the past four years. Playing the part of seamstress extraordinaire for several designers, including local Sarah Acker’s Sarah Maxwell line.

Now she steps from behind the scenes with her own line, Suite 33, to make her debut this coming Thursday with a runway showing at the Sale Soiree.

Papuga is no amateur. A student of textiles, apparel and merchandising at West Virginia University, after graduation she spent time studying in Milan furthering her design education.

That expert attention to detail is seen throughout her samples. Perfectly flowing fabrics seem to flatter all the right curves, while the lightest touch of femininity is prevalent throughout her designs. Soft fabrics, soft layers, elegant details.

“I was inspired by fabric in general,” says the designer. “I like combining different textures and colors to create an original vision. Working styles, lines and layering pieces, for me, helps to provide unlimited options in design.”

Papuga takes much of her influence from her design studio, tucked into the buzz-worthy Cannonborough neighborhood.

It’s a well appointed location, clean cream colored walls accented with inspiration boards, perfectly organized spools of bright colored thread, and a myriad of dress forms. The sort of glamorous organized chaos that makes you a little jealous.

Papuga remains pretty low key about her space and it’s influence on her collection. “The name Suite 33 is a reflection of my workspace, a reminder of how far I have come and what I can accomplish.”

She looks forward to her premier year as a recognized designer in Charleston, one already set to be filled with several fashion shows and shopping events.

But for now, Emily Papuga simply has her sights set on her collections premier Thursday night. And so should you.

Welcome to the limelight.

The Sale Soiree to Benefit PAR
Thursday, January 27
7:00pm, $10/advance, $15/door
Memminger Auditorium

Suite 33 on Twitter

Story by: Caroline Millard

The kind where clothes are neatly pressed and hang smartly on hangers.

Where you sip bourbon, poured neat in your tumbler.

That rare find of a store, where the clothes are designer and the prices are so unbelievable you’re speechless. Although, maybe that’s just the bourbon.

Don’t call it a thrift store. We hesitate to even call it a consignment store. Just think of it as a mecca for lightly worn and still immaculate apparel.

Oh, and it’s a boys only club.

For owner Brannen Daugherty, the consignment gene is in his blood. As a child, Daugherty spent summers working in his mother’s consignment store but he never thought he’d one day own one himself. Now, after noticing how few options there were for men’s consignment in Charleston, he steps up to the plate, opening the doors of Worn this Saturday.

“Men in Charleston love to dress, so they should have a consignment store that caters to them,” says Daugherty.

And cater he does.

The store is small – tiny even – at only 400 square feet and nestled into the quaintly hip South Windermere neighborhood in West Ashley. It’s a well appointed, comfortable shop that doesn’t just carry consignment clothing. Here, well dressed men can find the best of the best including accessories, a hair and skin care line, as well as a new clothing line coming in 2011.

And don’t even think about finding last season’s big-box-discount-chain-elastic-in-the-waist-band khaki pants here. Worn will only feature the highest caliber of designer men’s apparel.

Simply put, Worn is an updated haberdashery experience for the modern man.

“Men like their shopping experiences to be easy,” adds Daugherty. “They typically shop knowing exactly what they need and Worn will make it easy for them to do so.”

So bid farewell to the days that consignment meant musty sweaters in funny colors with less than savory lighting. And say hello to Worn.

Worn is officially open to the public (and consignors).
WornInCharleston.com

Story by: Caroline Millard
Photos by: Matt Morse

Gray is the owner of both Melissa Gray Design and Daisy’s Place Retriever Rescue, and this is her story.

“I started Melissa Gray Designs about three years ago when the housing market crashed,” says Gray, who worked as a faux finish interior painter. With the housing bust, she needed a creative outlet and turned to jewelry. “It was a transition I wasn’t expecting.”

The real unexpected surprise, however, came when Gray’s lab chow mix died of cancer. “I went to volunteer at a shelter and there was Ms. Daisy. She just melted my heart. I wasn’t ready for another dog but I adopted her.” Daisy became Gray’s closest companion. The duo went for walks together, parties together and Daisy even got a cozy spot between Gray and her husband on the bed each night. But just a few months later, Daisy got ill.

“I took her to the vet and they found she had a mass. She didn’t make it through the surgery,” Gray says.

Heartbroken, Gray decided to honor Daisy’s memory.

“I had no clear plan but five days later I heard about an older lab mix at the shelter that they were going to put to sleep. It was Daisy’s way of telling me to do something.”  Without hesitation, Gray rescued the dog and when she was asked the name of her shelter, “Daisy’s Place” just popped out of her mouth.

Today, Daisy’s Place helps older abandoned retrievers and mixes find loving homes to live out the last years of their lives. “We rescue labs, goldens and retriever mixes. ‘Mix’ is a loose term. Some dogs are a friend of a friend of a lab. Or sometimes I say, their mother knew a retriever once.”

Through Daisy’s Place Gray helps facilitate the move of rescue dogs to foster homes where they can be rehabilitated and eventually adopted. She usually handles 10 to 15 dogs at a time, shuttling them to homes as far away as Virginia. “We transport them all over. We work with Pilots and Paws who fly rescue dogs all over the country.”

For the volunteers, all this goodwill comes at a price and that’s where Gray’s jewelry comes into play. “My Daisy collection is one of my biggest sellers and a portion of all of the proceeds goes to help fund Daisy’s Place,” she says.

And that’s important because the shelters are still full, and for dogs older than seven that means death row. “More and more people are dumping their dogs. Tell everybody if you’re an animal lover to check into helping with rescues.”

Like the name suggests, Gray’s Daisy Collection features gemstones in floral motifs as lovely as the pup they were named after. So buy away, knowing that your accessorizing will help give a neglected dog a second home and a second chance.

MelissaGrayDesign.com

DaisysPlace.org

Story by: Kinsey Gidick

And power to them. They get big, gold stars in the economic and environmental categories.

Meanwhile, you’re still a bit confused as to how anyone can find anything in one of those stores.

Years of shame are over. The official CHARLIE guide to secondhand love is here:

Community Thrift

Best for: Everything under the sun.
With over 2,500 new items delivered daily, this place is an oasis for everything secondhand. Need a bike? Check. Delightful bedroom set? Yep. Wedding dress? You get the picture. From sports equipment, electronics and housewares to all the random trinkets you could desire, this mega store is a one stop shop for all things thrift. Aside from its diversity, the majority of the store is filled with racks upon racks of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, always filled with good finds. Some digging will be required.
Check them out:
5300 Rivers Ave.
N. Charleston, SC 29406
(843) 554-3733

Love Me Again

Best For: Name brand denim, unique accessories and the beginner thrifter.
Splashed with jolts of hot pink and tin foil covered walls, Love Me Again isn’t your typical, musty, secondhand store. Owned by former Chicago vintage store proprietor Jenny Nelson, the clothing exchange is immaculately merchandised with gorgeous accessories, handbags, men’s, women’s and children’s apparel. Find beautiful cocktail dresses and blouses interspersed with sharp tweed jackets and kid’s rompers. Don’t miss the stacks of perfectly worn name brand denim or the “Harder to Love” room, featuring sale items priced at $2.
Check them out:
183 Coming St.
Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: (843) 475-5123

The Trunk Show

Best For: Designer wear. That’s all you need to know.
By far CHARLIE’s top pick for where to go when your style craves the designer touch but your budget thinks better. Still a little pricey – think Chanel suits still retailing for over $2K – but if designer is what you desire, there’s no better stop than this fine consignment shop. There is also a nice selection of men’s designer wear tucked into the back room, conveniently located next to the $10 rack of women’s clothes. Best of all, the store offers additional discounts on clothing Fridays and Saturdays.
Check them out:
281 Meeting Street
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 722-0442

Albert’s Attic

Best for: Furniture and those who don’t want to shop.
At first glance, Albert’s Attic was less than something to write home about, full of hobby hazards (i.e. stacks of Avon cosmetics). Upon chatting with the staff however, we discovered their trick. Albert’s specializes in custom buying discount furniture for you based on the your personal wants, and get this – doesn’t require you to take home the finds. Simply take a look, then take it or leave it. If this isn’t good enough, they also host a 30% off warehouse sale every Saturday in Walterboro where you can get these custom finds at an even deeper discount.
Check them out:
1797 Main Road
Johns Island, SC 29455
(843) 559-5008
823 St. Andrews Blvd.
Charleston, SC 29407
(843) 225-0001
Walterboro Sales: (843) 549-9221

Recycled Cowboy

Best For: Costume party garb and petticoats aplenty
Worth the drive past N. Charleston to Ladson…kind of like Charleston’s version of Queens. Head straight back for racks of vintage Western apparel and the piece de la resistance – an entire room devoted to square dance duds for all cowgirls and boys. Those fluffy trashbags on the floor? Peek inside for a rainbow of petticoats. Go ahead, let your inner Loretta Lyrnn shine while saving your Hocus Pocus dollars.
Check them out:
181 College Park Rd.
Ladson, SC 29456
(843) 569-7573

Final Tips

For the advanced thrifter: Check out garbage pick up schedules towards the end of the month, especially in swankier ‘hoods. No, we’re not kidding. Often those moving and looking to get rid of great furniture grow tired and simply throw it on the curb. Turn a drive on a boring Sunday into a great loot expedition.

For the beginner thrifter: A seasoned guide to no-no’s and where to start:

1) Never ever buy anything that can’t be washed, bleached, hosed, disinfected or cleaned in some similar fashion.

2) Anything that you wouldn’t borrow from a friend needn’t be bought from a stranger. See underwear, swim articles, linens, etc.

3) Toe the line with shoes: If a pair seems relatively unworn, go for it. Beware of well worn soles no matter how delightful.

4) Ease your way into the thrifting world by taking a look at Consignment shops, well merchandised Clothing Exchanges and off priced resources like T.J. Maxx. It will give you a feel for rummaging and a thrill from saving loads of cash.

5) Even thrift stores have sales. At the end of the season these guys practically pay you to take unsold items.

6) Remember that everything is negotiable. Check furniture for nicks and tears. If it’s noticeable, ask for a discounted price slightly below what you want to pay, then reach an agreement from there.

Thrift it up. Enjoy your big, gold stars.

Story by: Caroline Millard and Karen Briggs
Photos by: Wendy Mogul