Travel Tips from Naoko Ogawa

This is Part II of our interview with Naoko who is currently based in Berlin. She has included some hometown travel tips and even for Japan.

What are "must see" things or "must do" for those visiting Berlin and Tokyo?  
Berlin:

1. BLESS Shop Berlin
2. Culture, mixture and energy of young makers/designers in Kreuz-Koeln area

Pearl Rack via Bless

via Bless

I actually haven’t been to Japan in a long time, but you will discover the following things about Japan:
1. Thoughtful, sympathetic and considerate culture
2. Uncompromising and insatiable pursuit

What are off the beaten path local hangouts in Berlin?
Tempelhof Airport Park-The airport closed a few years ago  and after that, the runways and surrounding areas have been opened to the people as a park. On the runway, people enjoy riding their bikes, in-line skating and wind surfing with a skateboard!

Favorite places to shop: boutiques or outdoor markets

Turkish open-air market in Neukoeln. I like to cook and go to the market to find many different kinds of vegetables.

{Images of Turkish open-air market and neighborhood in Neukoeln area, Berlin courtesy of Naoko Ogawa}

Favorite places to eat:
At home. My partner and I are very good at cooking! And we like to invite our friends to dinner and sometimes cook together. We really like to learn the food from other cultures and learn from our friends directly. Even if we can cook well, the falafel at "King of Falafel" in Graefestr, Berlin can’t be replicated at home. It's soooo delicious!

Easy day trips from Berlin or Tokyo-cool places to see right outside these cities:
I like to experience the sea. From Berlin, you can get to the Baltic Sea in 2-3 hours by train. The color of the water is emerald green and the shore is ivory white. And the sand produces sound when stepped on! From Tokyo, you can get to Kamakura city in 1 hour by train where you'll enjoy the beautiful combination of the sea, mountains and  many old temples.

 Groynes taken in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region by the Baltic Sea via

Sellin Pier on the island of Rugen via

Kamakura beach via

Favorite local designers:
I have a great respect for the design label, BLESS.


Where would you like to travel next?
Kassel in Germany to visit the art exhibition, Documenta.

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I've only been to Dusseldorf but definitely can't wait to visit the bustling city of Berlin next time. While we live on the California coast, it's always nice to check out the beaches in other countries and the Baltic Sea coastline is now on my list of places to someday visit. Thank you Naoko for the travel tips!

Special Promo + Ellen Truijen Preview

To say thank you for all the lovely comments in our first giveaway and to welcome our new Facebook fans: 20% OFF ALL ITEMS {including already reduced items} with code: WELCOME
until 10/31/12. Just in time for new arrivals or to treat yourself to your favorite item from our shop.
We're excited to add more beautiful products to our home wares collection with new artisans coming soon. And of course, the bags from Ellen Truijen's fall/winter collection will be available soon.

Printed Pants Revisited: Franzius

all images via

Just wanted to correct that those printed pants I was coveting from Naoko's lookbook were actually from Berlin based label Franzius. {Thanks for clarifying Naoko!} It's great that I discovered two new beautiful modern labels with such fluidity and silhouettes that seem elegant and comfortable to wear at the same time.

Modern Elegance: Franzis Kassama

I love the printed pants worn by the model in Naoko Ogawa's new lookbook featured in her interview. I had to find out from Naoko...those pants were calling my name. Maybe it's the styling, the hair, the soft textiles, modern silhouettes, but these pieces balance avante garde chic with wearability- Autumn/Winter 12/13 collection by Franzis Kassama. Not really sure if I could pull it off with those sky high heels, but especially lovin' that jumper with the printed jacket. Now I just gotta swing my wavy hair around!

New Arrivals from Studiopatro

We're happy to offer the new graphic patterns and tea towel gift sets from Studiopatro. Her popular text print tea towels have also been restocked. Great gifts for birthdays, housewarmings, the upcoming holiday season or just as additions to your own kitchen.

And don't forget to checkout Miss Moss blog for a chance to win the Cook Tea Towel.Giveaway ends today-Monday 10/22/12!

Devour Tea Towel restocked

Designer Interview:Naoko Ogawa

It has always been important to me to get to know the individuals behind the products that we offer. Whether it's a simple tea towel, jewelry or our "go to" bag, these objects were created with countless hours of hard work from design to creation, collaborations, effort and a whole lot of love. And we truly appreciate not just the products, but the people that bring these products to life. It's been a long time coming and I'm excited to start the series of designer interviews with Japanese born Berlin based jewelry designer Naoko Ogawa. I love her innovative approach to jewelry design and minimalist elegant pieces that reflect her experiences in life.

 "Imperfect" Drawing Jewelry Collection

Black Triangle Pendant Necklace

What is your design approach or creative process from inspiration,design to creation for each collection?

I create jewelry with the concept that "jewelry cannot become complete unless people put it on".  In other words, only those who wear it are able to create a look or complete beauty. My creations of both jewelry "works" and "drawing" are based on this idea. I have a great interest in what happens to the body and how it affects the mind. I like to watch people and from these observations, I get many inspirations.

What are your current projects/exhibits?

My current project is "Jewelry Hunting". The concept and frame of the project is based on the idea of "accidental beauty", a form of prosaic jewelry stemming from aspects of daily life. I'm creating a website as a platform for this project where you'll see a Google map with some pins. If you click one pin, you can check some information about a jewelry that has been hunted or found there. You can pin on the map what you’ve discovered, and people can share it. This is my plan for the website, but the process of building the website is a lot more work than I expected. It will take a lot of time to realize.
{I can totally relate and understand what you mean about creating a website!}

How has your collections/designs changed or evolved from the early beginnings?
 At the beginning, I was just interested in the shape of human body. But in thinking about the function of jewelry, my interest and approach have moved towards the human mind, society, communication and the environment.

Running a business requires a lot of time and passion for what you do. On your down time, what are your other interests or activities that you enjoy?
 Not only as an artist, but also as a woman or a person who lives in this world, I deeply want to know the human mind. That's why I like to watch movies, read books and see people. When I'm tired of thinking about it, I cook. Cooking makes my mind calm down and fresh. 

Since you love to cook, what's your favorite meal or type of food to cook?
I like to improvise Japanese food with ingredients that are available in Berlin. For example, Turkish rice and miso-soup with Chinese hard tofu, pickled vegetables Japanese style-but they are pickled with some German bread and beer! I always get inspirations from my good friend Tomoko's catering "OKAWARI". She's a great cook! 

 
Any irks and quirks, you'd like to share?
Ha ha ha!! There are thousands of quirks, but I don't have enough space to mention each thing.
I don't know if it's a quirky thing or not, but I use "olive oil" for facial skin care. My skin is so sensitive and most skincare cosmetics don’t match my skin. I've finally noticed that just rubbing olive oil after washing my face is the best method for me. 

How does your hometown Berlin or Tokyo influence your design?
By creating and showcasing my works in both cities, I strongly believe that the existence of a common aesthetic can be shared beyond nationalities, cultures, languages and religions. It made me realize that the research of human behavior is important in the creation of my jewelry. 

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It was such a pleasure to get to know Naoko... not just for her design philosophy, but also as a person who loves to cook and read while sharing her skin regimen. I also admire her exploration of the interplay between objects, people and the environment. And as she emphasizes, one doesn't exist separate from each other but is in constant interaction. So I hope you discover some lovely pieces that you will love, wear or use in your daily lives. 

I'm truly thankful to showcase the works of such talented and kind designers.  Stay tune for part II of her interview for Travel Tips for Berlin and even Japan! Thank you Naoko for graciously answering all my questions and being so patient. Arigato and Danke!

Vuela Boutique Giveaway

We're excited to announce our very first GIVEAWAY or more like giveaways (3 items!) in collaboration with Diana at Miss Moss: Trois Petits Points Large Enameled Locket Necklace, Studiopatro Cook Tea Towel and Manufacture des Rigoles Linen Pochette. It highlights the range of lovely finds at our shop that are essentials for everyday whether you wear, use or carry them. So head on over to the lovely Miss Moss blog and good luck! Thanks for participating!{Giveaway closes on Monday, 10/22/12}

Happy Friday!

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via

Since my last name means "wings" in Spanish, I love images with flying creatures such as these beautiful birds in flight photos by Andreas Lind. One of my favorite things to do at home is to take walks on the beach and I just love watching pelicans fly over us. If you've ever had the chance to be right under them, they actually have pretty wide wing spans. Well, like these birds in flight, I'm a curious explorer and wanderer. Wherever life's journey takes you, simply vuela or "fly", dream, be inspired, discover and enjoy the world around you.  Happy Friday! Look around and enjoy those birds flying over you this weekend!Just watch out for the you know what from them...but I've heard in some places it's suppose to be good luck. ;)

New Collection from Erin Templeton

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We're so grateful that our shop was introduced in Justina Blakeney's blog as a place to find your next favorite accessory.What a creative and playful way to showcase the beautiful accessories! I love how she showcased her favorite finds including the Nancybird scarf and Erin Templeton's Half Moon clutch. On that note, we're  happy to present the new collection of clutches and cases from Erin Templeton for this fall-including the Half Moon Clutch in black. Whether you're in the mood for brights or neutrals, they're well-crafted timeless pieces that embody raw elegance. And of course they can help carry and organize your essentials.

Sale Items now up to 50% OFF

Ellen Truijen Little Double Dutch Bag

Manufacture des rigoles Linen Tote

Erin Templeton Small Tote Bag

Nancybird Painting Long Scarf

Laura Lombardi Mida Necklace

We're making room for lovely new products! SALE items recently reduced up to 50% off. That means a fine selection of items such as Ellen Truijen Bags, Nancybird scarves, Manufacture des Rigoles Totes, Erin Templeton bag, cases and jewelry are reduced even more. They're great additions to your collection of essential finds.

Design Function: To Hang Plants

Whether they're succulents, a mini herb garden by the window or easy to manage ficus tree, greenery softens up any space and provides a calming refuge at home. Plus certain plants can actually clean out toxins in the air and provide some much needed fresh air. I have by no means the green thumb, but my resilient money tree has been with me for over 5 years even with some heavy pruning. Let's just say down to only the mini trunk... I thought it was done for good. But the leaves slowly sprouted and are now even greener. So whether that's symbolic of money matters, maybe it's reminding me of patience and resilience in the journey of finance and business or anything else we do in life-pilgrimage to Santiago De Compostela perhaps someday. So that brings me to the endless options out there right now to showcase my love for greenery. From terrariums to planters held by leather or macrame, hang them up!

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Happy Friday!

 One of the most beautiful everyday occurrence in nature when location and weather status can all come together...is an amazing sunset. I'm no meteorologist, but if you're lucky enough depending on the atmospheric pressure and timing, you may even witness the so called "green flash" phenomenon. I've witnessed it maybe three times, but it's more of a sliver of green light as the sun hits the horizon right at the last few seconds before its sets. I remember a friend telling me this phenomenon. It's still pretty exciting whenever I witness it and I'm grateful that she shared it with me.

Well, there's nothing like a sunset on the beach, but we are pretty lucky to get this view from our place. I love this image of the silhouettes of palm trees scattered through a canvas of beautiful yellow-orange and clouds from across the canyon in our neighborhood. Wherever you maybe, enjoy an amazing sunset this weekend!