The relationship between photography and fashion is very strong today, in particular when it comes to T-shirts. Sometimes the link is purely opportunistic and instrumental, but other times it’s an authentic and deep bond. This is…
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Small-batch chemical-free hair and skincare from the Hudson Valley
Cold Spring Apothecary founder Stacey Dugliss-Wesselman cultivated a special knack for ingenuity during her childhood in the Catskills, where the closest store was 45 minutes away. Later, as a hair stylist in Brooklyn, with a background in both cosmetology and nursing, she began sharing with her clients the blends of oils and remedies she’d concocted and soon garnered a devoted following.
“After much encouragement to sell my products, I decided I was going to do it…so I locked myself in the Cold Spring lab—the kitchen in a second apartment we were renting—to design the line,” says Dugliss-Wesselman. Cold Spring Apothecary was born in 2010, bringing together her deep commitment to safe, chemical-free and nourishing hair and skin products in a small-batch line. In April 2011, CSA opened its first retail location in the Hudson Valley town for which it’s named, below the lab and manufacturing center where all the products are made in a strictly sanitized environment. “We work in small batches of 6-24 bottles at a time,” says Dugliss-Wesselman. “Everything is carefully mixed by hand so we don’t use crazy mixing machines or filling machines, we feel that we have greater quality control by doing so.”
We were particularly fond of the haircare products we got to try—the Citrus, Ginger and Vanilla Dry Shampoo and the Citrus and Ginger Sea Salt Spray, one of Cold Spring’s signature items and Dugliss-Wesselman’s personal favorite. As far as dry shampoos go, this one did the trick with an intoxicating scent, giving our day-after locks the proper boost to last a little longer before the next full-fledged wash. Those with lighter hair will have an easier time with the pale powder, which requires more careful rubbing in on brunette and dark hair. The sea salt spray infuses a nice texture with the added bonus of an ultra moisturizing formula—an unusual benefit for this particular genre of styling product. Cold Spring started with shampoo, which continues to be a top seller in all natural scents that include basil and hibiscus, lavender and honey and geranium.
Cold Spring Apothecary—which, true to its name, incorporates a medicinal component to each of its products—also includes skincare, body care, fragrances and home fragrances and candles, all free from parabens, harmful sulfates and synthetic scents. The entire line is available from the flagship shop and select stockists, as well as Cold Spring Apothecary online, which also includes extensive information on all CSA products and ingredients.
Fair trade meets vintage florals for a fashion resurrection
Led by ’90s revivalism, a particular floral trend has proliferated on runways these past few seasons, many directly inspired by the fabrics of heritage brand Laura Ashley and its English garden-feeling flower prints. Thanks to a collaboration with fellow U.K. clothing label People Tree, the 57-year-old label is undergoing a reawakening of its own this season with a collection of limited-run pieces in prints sourced from the company’s archives.
Available March 2011 as part of People Tree’s spring collection, the nine-piece organic cotton collection offers up fetching floral basics—including a pocketed a-line skirt, a short swingy sundress, pleated shorts and a jumpsuit—in colors reworked from the ’70s to match the lineup’s more youthful, modern silhouettes.
As part of its ongoing designer collaboration series, People Tree is also teaming up with contemporary British print designer Orla Kiely to create two cotton-printed hobo bags, available later in the season.
The Laura Ashley collection spans $80-155 and will sell stateside and in the U.K. from People Tree.
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