Sara Kate Studios

This is a brand new CLOTH & KIND column called Limelight. I'm kind of geekily (is that even a word?) excited about it because at its core this column just feels really good to me - and I hope you agree. It's all about shining a well-deserved spotlight on creative, hard-working, and just plain old good people who are busy doing what they love in life, and in the process making their corners of the world better and prettier places to be.

Limelight is about giving props and spreading the love.

And perhaps the best part about this new column is that at the end of each post, the interviewee will tell us who they would like to share the Limelight with. Welcome to the Limelight, and please meet Sara Kate. I'm the… Owner, Scout & Stylist.

This is what I do…. Travel the country trying to find unique vintage and modern day finds for clients, as well as helping style a plethora of projects...interiors, parties, photoshoots - you name it, and I'll style it.

Something you really need to know about me is…. I am a sucker for the details. I am a fiend for the unusual. I adore things that tell a story, and have character.

This is how Sara Kate Studios came to be… After years preparing to work at a commercial architecture firm I had a bit of a panic attack. The idea of working in a cubicle and not being able to focus on details just wrecked me. After a serious conversation with loved ones I decided to venture out on my own. People had always loved the vintage finds that I had collected, even going so far as to try and buy them out of my house... It seemed only natural to move in the direction of my passion. It happened organically and slowly, but looking back what I had been working towards had been there for quite some time... I just needed to put the pieces together and have the gumption to take the risk.

My absolute favorite thing that I sell right now is… I have had a serious hankering for botanical charts lately. My mother loved to garden growing up, so I have a certain fondness and nostalgia for flowers. I recently happened upon some Swedish botanical charts from the 1920's, and also some German botanical charts from the late 1800's. They are so lovely, and not something that you see every day.

I'm most proud of …. My amazing customers and the culture that we are creating together.

I really detest…. Nothing. My job is an adventure every day with new challenges and rewards popping up around every corner.

I could never have done it without… My mother. She definitely has an entreprenurial spirit, and has been so incredibly encouraging along the way. She encourages me to take risks, make wise choices, and that these things take time. She would often tell me that "people fail not because they have bad ideas, but because they give up too soon", and that's something I've embraced.

I consistently read these for inspiration…. I adore Matchbook magazine. Those girls have such a great aesthetic, and I can certainly relate to their idea of "classic with a twist". Also, I must admit that I still have all of my Domino magazines and will peruse them from time to time. That magazine really did wonders for me, and when I was 19 I put Domino magazine on my bucket list. The idea of being featured by them was something that I would daydream about.

I would like to share the limelight with… I definitely adore what I've lately begun to refer to a my kindred spirits. I am clinging to this idea that there are other women out there, my age, venturing off doing their own thing. One of these women in certainly Shannon Darrough. She's recently begun her own interiors business, Poplin & Queen, and I love that not only is she smart and talented, but she's also eager and willing to do whatever she needs to do. She's focused on her clients, and she's also focused on improving the way that she operates her business.

Souk

John Robshaw's Souk is a virtual treasure trove of goodies from across the globe. These vintage pillows from a Thai Hilltribe struck my fancy big time.

Provenance: Vintage Ikat Scarves

Understanding the provenance of an object always makes it that much more special. And so when I learned how these gorgeous vintage ikat scarves from L'Aviva Home came to be, I felt compelled to share the story of their journey with you.

As told by Laura Aviva of L'Aviva Home... I discovered that this vintage fabric existed when I was in Uzbekistan last year. I found pieces of it stashed under a worktable in a workshop in Samarkand, and fell completely in love. There's an incredible story to these pieces, as they encapsulate part of Uzbek/Central Asian history.

During Soviet times, home based crafts were banned in favor of factory production, but with an emphasis placed on top quality materials. And so the age-old Uzbek tradition of ikat was translated to the factory model. Instead of following the extensive, 37+ stage process involved in handmade ikat production, ikat designs were printed on swaths of meticulously produced silk crepe de chine. There were very stringent criteria imposed upon the production of this fabric, starting from the way that the cocoons were raised, and continuing through to the quality of the weave on the machines. And the result was this incredibly luxe, vibrant fabric. The factories were located in the Fergana Valley (the center of silk production for all of the Soviet Union/Soviet block countries). This region continues to be a major silk producing region, and is where present-day ikat is woven.

This fabric was highly coveted (and expensive, even in Soviet times). Brides purchased small swaths, all they could afford, enough to stash away in their dowry chests and then make a caftan or pants with (or both, if they were particularly flush) come their wedding day.

As the soviet-block countries began to gradually open during the late 80s, other fabrics made their way in, and new obsessions formed for viscose and other synthetic fabrics - something that the people had never before seen. As trends changed, the swaths of crepe de chine ikat often languished, forgotten, in dowry chests across the country.

We now have a virtual army of scouts throughout the Uzbekistan, gathering all of the fabric they can find for us. And, from it, we're fashioning these luxuriously large scarves (large enough to make super pareos/sarongs). And we're finishing them with contrasting-color zigzag stitching that emulates the stitch that was done during soviet times.

Each uniquely designed scarf is either one-of-a-kind or very limited edition and captures part of the story of Central Asia – of history, of memory, and of unyielding creativity. We are captivated by these forgotten treasures, and thrilled to add them to our collections at L'Aviva Home.