Archive for January, 2010
Fan Faith & Fortune, $1 will go to Haiti
Thursday, January 28th, 2010
So, a quick word about this for the F&F community;
We’ve been lucky enough to have a generous supporter join us in this challenge,
which you may have seen mentioned either on our Facebook fan page or on Twitter.
For each fan who joins our fan page, this donor has offered to donate $1 to CURE International,
up to 1,000 fans. In case you are not familiar with CURE International, they are working aggressively
to send both medical supplies and physicians to Haiti, two things which are sorely needed. While there are many of
us who would prefer to assist in a more personal way, the reality is the largest need right now is financial.
Our hope through this challenge is to bring additional exposure to those charities which are doing good work, while making
our own meager contribution.
According to a UN assessment team, the CURE site has the best run operating rooms of all the hospitals in Port au Prince
Our request is simple; If you are not already a fan of Faith & Fortune on Facebook, we would ask that you become one. Secondly, share our request in your own status to help spread the word. This will not only assist us as we help get the word out about CURE, but other great organizations with whom we plan to promote in the future. THANK YOU for joining us!
Tags: CURE, donate, faith & fortune, Haiti
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Faith & Fortune Will Host An Ice Cream Night At The Hope Lodge In Boston And We Need Volunteers
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
AstraZeneca Hope Lodge, Boston, Massachusetts
On February 18th the Faith & Fortune community will be hosting an Ice Cream night for the residents of the AstraZeneca Hope Lodge in Boston, Massachusetts. The Hope Lodge provides a tremendous service to cancer patients and their families who come to Boston to receive medical treatment. This Ice Cream night will be our way of supporting the Hope Lodge and hopefully lifting up the spirits of those staying there. If you can scoop ice cream, tell a joke, or have a nice smile, you can help. And we need you! We are able to bring 15 volunteers so please contact Faith & Fortune as soon as possible if you are interested in being a part of this important event. You can reach us at: hello@faithfortune.com
Hope Lodge Kitchen
Five years ago, the American Cancer Society, New England Division, embarked on a capital campaign to build the first ever Hope Lodge in Boston, where cancer patients traveling more than 40 miles to Boston for outpatient treatment could stay for free.
For many, treatment at medical centers in Boston offers the greatest hope of beating their cancer. However, we know that the cost of traveling far from home and then facing the expense of hotels, meals, and transportation, can make that option prohibitive for many. That’s why building a ‘home away from home’ in Boston for cancer patients has been a goal of the New England Division.
Getting emotional and social support from other survivors can be as important as getting the proper medical care. At the Lodge, patients live with other people going through similar experiences, and are supported by caring staff and volunteers. The nurturing, comfortable environment at Hope Lodge allows guests to focus on what is most important – fighting cancer.
For additional information on volunteering, you can reach the Hope Lodge at: azhl.volunteer@cancer.org
Tags: cancer, Hope, ice cream, service, volunteer
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Pastel Is The New Black…At Least This Spring It Is
Saturday, January 23rd, 2010
The Pantone spring color list is out for women’s fashion and with names like Tomato Puree and Pink Champagne, your author finds himself getting hungry. Expect to see a lot of pieces in Turquoise from your favorite designers as this has been deemed color of the year. Not sure if Turquoise is your best shade and you want to get a jump on the rest of the color palette you will have to work with? Then be my guest. What follows is a guideline, not rigid, but helpful to know what will soon be popping up in the mall near you.
Pantone Top 10 Colors for Spring 2010
These pastel colors abound with optimism and while consumers are more choosy than ever with purchases due to the recession, a few key pieces or accessories can enhance any wardrobe. Need a suggestion to get you started? Glad you asked. Faith & Fortune is proud to offer the Classic Beauty. The design hearkens back to the ‘classic’ look of old Hollywood movies, femme’s fatales and the glamour of the 20’s and 30’s. This is for the woman who carries the beauty of the Renaissance on the outside and the beauty of the 21st century on the inside.
Classic Beauty
This is a statement piece but also thin enough for layering. Look for additional offerings this spring from Faith & Fortune that splash pastels on some of the softest shirts you will ever wear.
And while there is no doubt that pastels will be all the rage this spring, the real question you must ask yourself is, am I a Eucalyptus or a Fusion Coral type of girl?
Spring Trends
Tags: beauty, pantone, pastel, turquoise
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Meet the F&F lead designer Grant Hanna
Friday, January 15th, 2010
Every business is composed of many cooperative, moving parts. It’s a balance of weighing one’s strengths and weaknesses, creating ways to fill deficits without compromising one’s objectives. Doing something you are passionate about, with people you believe in. Those relationships are NOT often easily found. It is in that spirit that we would like to introduce you to our lead designer, head of creative, branding expert extraordinaire….Grant Hanna.
Approx 3 years ago when we (Jason and Jim) began hashing out the idea for Faith & Fortune, we were presented with one MAJOR issue; we have zero graphic design background. This was a slight problem which needed addressing. Enter Grant.
A world class guy and a supreme talent, we knew immediately that we had the potential for a special relationship. One look at Grant’s range of work will attest to the fact that this is one, incredibly well rounded artist who takes great pride in his projects.
We feel blessed to have come to know Grant not only as an artist, but as a person.
1) For the record, your name and where you are currently at school and what your area of concentration is there?
I’m Grant Hanna, Faith+Fortune’s featured shirt design artist. I got my undergrad degree in sculpture and graphic design at Gordon College in Wenham, MA, and then spent three years working as a web editor before I moved on to grad school. Currently I’m an Illustration MFA candidate at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, Georgia.
2) Why are you an artist, and how did you first decide that art was your path in life?
I think there are a lot of different answers I could give to this one, but the most basic is that I love to draw. The feel of moving my pencil across the page, and controlling and finessing the line until it creates something new and perfectly formed, is very powerful. I have a big imagination and getting stuff out of my head and onto the page is really exciting for me.
3) How would you describe your style?
A lot of people have described my style as very Asian influenced, which makes sense as I grew up overseas in Thailand, a country with a very rich visual tradition and a pervasive cultural sense of design that flavors every aspect of life there. Other influences are Art Nouveau and anime. I guess the broadest thing you could say about my style is that I find delight in the details.
4) What artists have influenced you, and why?
Probably the first artist who influenced me was Beatrix Potter. My mother used to read us Beatrix Potter books all the time, and if you smell my personal work, the scent of small furry animals living in the British countryside is one of the basenotes. Probably the first artist that I looked at consciously as an art-maker to emulate was Alphonse Mucha, the father of the Art Nouveau movement in the late 1800s. Nowadays the two artists that I think about most are probably the Japanese painters Hokusai (the greatest designer who ever lived? maybe?) and Takashi Murakami, whose contemporary works deal with Japanese pop culture and global greed.
5)How does fashion related design differ from more “traditional” artwork? What challenges are presented here?
One of the biggest differences is that my fashion designs are for a wide audience and are 100% commercial in purpose. Yes, I do things that I think are beautiful, and try to weave meaning into the designs, but ultimately these images have to have a broad enough appeal to sell to a varied audience. Of course I hope that my personal work will sell too, but I make it for me and then hope that someone will like what I did enough to buy it. With apparel design you have to be aware of trends in color and imagery, and of how the design will interact with the body that wears the final apparel. Unlike a painting that hangs on a flat wall, these designs are draping and moving with human bodies, and you have to take that into account when you design, especially here at F+F where we’re rebelling a bit against the ‘design in the center of the chest’ norm of the t shirt.
Grackle from the series "Ex Nihilo"
6)What other interests do you have (besides art)?
Cooking! I love cooking and eating with friends. Cooking and then eating a meal with people you love is one of the greatest things there is in life. I also dabble in songwriting, but most people don’t hear those.
7) How have you handled the business side of being an artist?
The most important thing for me is to never be afraid to ask questions. I would say that most of the clients I’ve had have never worked with an artist before, and are happy to have as many questions and details hammered out as possible before they seal the deal. You might feel awkward talking about money, legal rights to your work and other “business” matters at first, but it’s way less awkward than having to do it afterwards if you or your client feels that something has been unfair. Also, get yourself a copy of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines, put out by the Graphic Artists Guild. It covers everything.
8)What advice would you give to artists just starting out?
Buy art books – they can be expensive but they are totally worth it – and study the art of people who inspire you. Hang out with other artists. Talk about your work and their work. Draw or paint or whatever you do EVERY DAY. Art is a discipline and it cannot grow without community and hard work. Sometimes art will not be fun. Do it anyway. Gummy bears will help. Your art does not exist in a vacuum; it is part of a conversation going on with your peers and with those who have gone before you. The richest art comes from internalizing this conversation and using it to feed and build your own skills and ideas.
You can see more of Grant’s work by visiting his website
Tags: artist, faith and fortune, grant hanna, interview
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Haiti Earthquake Leaves Many In Need. Here’s How You Can Help.
Thursday, January 14th, 2010
Rubble
Late in the afternoon on Tuesday January 12, a horrific earthquake struck the country of Haiti just west of the city of Port-Au-Prince. This earthquake leveled large areas of the city of nearly 2 million people, killing many and leaving homeless many more. Unfortunately a great number of important buildings such as hospitals and food and water facilities were also destroyed leaving even those who survived the earthquake without the necessities they need to live. While estimates of those who died in the quake are uncertain, what is known is that the physical impact and personal needs of the citizens of Haiti will be far reaching.
Often when tragedy such as this strikes in our own country or abroad we immediately feel a desire to help. However, the opportunities to do something meaningful do not always immediately present themselves and we find ourselves missing a chance to do something very simple but very important for those who suffer. For the survivors of this earthquake there will be many needs and one need that we can all address is the ability to supply relief agencies with clothing for those who lost theirs in the destruction.
Children wait for help
So how can you help? We’re glad you asked. Over the next few months, Faith & Fortune will have clothing drop boxes at various locations on the North Shore. All clothing donations made at these locations will go directly to relief and aid organizations working with the people of Haiti. We will have more information regarding the exact locations of these boxes in the coming days. Please only donate clothing that is in good condition as this may be all some people have for a while. As you evaluate what to give away, just remember this, if there is something in your closet that you haven’t worn in a year, there may be somebody in Haiti who is ready to wear it tomorrow.
If you don’t live near the North Shore or the drop box locations there are still a number of things you can do.
1. Send an email to help@faithfortune.com We will try to arrange a clothing pick up with you or direct you to the nearest organization in your area who can assist you and would be glad for the clothing.
2. Consider a financial donation. Many relief organizations simply need additional funding to meet the needs they are finding in Haiti. $10 can go further than you ever imagined in circumstances like these.
3. Get comfortable with this link: http://tinyurl.com/y9y63ms It provides a list of major relief organizations and the contact info for each.
What matters now is that you do something. We have a distinct opportunity before us to act in a manner that connects us all as humans, to reach out to one anothers very base needs.
Thank you in advance from the bottom of our hearts. Start going through your clothes and stay tuned for more details.
Tags: donate, Haiti
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Original art, limited production
Saturday, January 9th, 2010
We all hate that feeling; you walk down the street or into a room…and bam, there it is; The exact same
article of clothing you are wearing, but on someone else. You thought you were original, one-of-a-kind, making
a statement, your own person, all that jazz. But as it turns out, if you bought this item at a large chain store there
are thousands of it out there. Not feeling so original, are you?
Our current release of designs is featured as a limited production run; 500 pieces. After they are out, no more. Gone for good.
With so few produced, you are almost guaranteed you will never see anyone in the same design (I say almost, b/c that’s not a guarantee we can make with 100% certainty for obvious reasons…I mean, people have had planes land on their home…what are the odds of that?!?)
Included with each piece is a special tag designating what number piece you are the owner of. Now that is info you can use.
Tags: faith & fortune, hang tags, limited edition, t shirt
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…a lifestyle and measurable action steps…
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
life·style A way of life or style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group
ac·tion Something done or accomplished; a deed
You my have noticed at the footer of each page on faithfortune.com the statement “More than just an apparel line, Faith & Fortune is a brand that requests a lifestyle and measurable action steps of its community members”.
Think for a moment about those two words, “lifestyle” and “action”. What do they say to you? Do they move you? Do you feel motivated towards responsibility? Do they make you think? Meant to be more than a “tag line” or a trendy statement, those words have been chosen very intentionally in an effort to communicate to you the beyond passive existence we are responsible for. Beyond providing cool and wearable art to those we come in contact with, a primary motivator for us here at Faith & Fortune is to move you in creative ways and provide opportunities for “stepping outside yourself”.
Toms Shoes, providing footwear for kids all over the globe, has been a tremendous inspiration for social change
Personally, I can say that there have been a couple of primary road blocks in the past that have kept me from “doing for others”. More often than not it has been “analysis paralysis” (so many organizations needing so much help, where do I start and how could I possibly make a differenece with so much need out there), or fear (what do I do? Where do I help? What if I say something wrong? What if I don’t have anything to offer? etc). But, once you have made that first leap to get involved in some way you then realize how unfounded and ridiculous those barriers truly are. Do you need any more evidence than the look on the child’s face in the picture above? Does it look like she cares about the background or talent level of the volunteer? I can tell you without at doubt that no, she doesn’t. Simply by putting forth a small gesture of sacrifice and goodwill we can positively influence others in profound ways. That, my friend, is the challenge we call you to.
In the coming weeks and months we will begin to share with you the opportunities that we hope you will join us in (whether you are physically with us or taking part in your own community). It is the effort of “walking the talk” and providing the opportunity. Removing the excuse in an effort to grow ourselves and our community. Don’t be overwhelmed by this challenge, as we will be starting small and in ways that you can EASILY duplicate and join us. In fact, we hope that you too will challenge us and offer your stories and experiences as we take these steps together. Little by little. Remember…Rome wasn’t built in a night!
Tags: apparel, fashion, graphic art, social action, Toms shoes
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Faith & Fortune welcomes the New Year by announcing it’s upcoming collection “Legendary”
Friday, January 1st, 2010
Faith & Fortune is pleased to announce that throughout this winter we will be releasing a series of apparel from a collection named “Legendary“. This collection will explore a variety of themes that are inspired by the zodiac, underground rock legends as well as mythological lore just to name a few. What’s great for you though, is that each piece promises to be Legendary.
How can we say this? Because this collection will push the boundaries of what you have come to expect from t-shirt designers. The Legendary collection began after an intense study of this years runway fashions. It also takes design cues from high fashion houses such as Tom Ford and translates these cues in very unique ways onto t-shirts and limited run jackets and hoodies from F&F.
While the overarching theme Legendary provides an overview for the next collection, it is you (who has a keen eye and a sharp sense for true fashion) who will help shape the design process and tell the F&F story. We are relying on you to help us decide what designs go to print. F&F has always desired to have an ongoing conversation with those who seek to be fashion forward and play an integral role in the design process.
And now that conversation begins.
We will slowly begin posting design sketches that we are considering producing. The designs often undergo numerous rounds of changes before the final OK is given and the shirt goes to print. This process is very fluid and so your ideas, suggestions and thoughts are very important because they will ultimately be reflected in the final product.
The two designs below come from hand painted watercolors done by Grant Hanna. You will notice that this year in women’s fashion there will be earthy, natural, nude tones, organic patterns and overall prints that accentuate the curves of the female body. Below are two designs that capture these characteristics and are waiting for your feedback.
Organic V Neck
Tree of Life
Take your time to look at these, give us your thoughts, be critical if you must (not too critical, we’re sensitive!) and your suggestions will be taken seriously! Even if you like the designs right now just as they are…let us know that. If you have other ideas that could fall under the category of Legendary, then by all means throw them at us. We’re all ears!
So now it’s in your hands, and soon it will be on your back!
Tags: Legendary, zodiac
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