sunday spotlight : kenzo takada

what i love about kenzo takada {besides the obvious, his gorgeous clothing designs!} is that he and his brand were self made, created from his sheer desire to make what he considered beautiful, and by his admirable drive and willpower. kenzo was born in japan, enrolled in a well known fashion school against his parent's wishes, and took the plunge at age 26, sailing for 6 weeks by boat to paris, without speaking a lick of french. kenzo worked and saved money for 5 years so he could open his own boutique, a fabulously beautiful shop decorated like the jungle and inspired by henri rousseau. the boutique was called 'jungle jap' {how rad is that?!}, it opened in 1970, and quickly became a favorite among the young french fashionistas. at that time people were on spiritual journeys, and looking for clothing that supported that ideology. ie, hippies. kenzo was the first designer to create the 'ethnic look', and his collections were drawn from colors, patterns, and cuts from all over the world. in the 70's kenzo was pretty much the most copied designer in paris, and in a way he is still being copied today. {free people?} kenzo retired in 1999, but his fashion house continues to be run by antonio marras, and remains true to kenzo takada and his worldly cultural ethos.

the new old me.

i got my hairs cut! i feel really different, in a good way. i used to wear my hair like this about 7 years ago, so it's not that shocking {though still a little shocking.} i kinda go back and forth if i even like it. lol. but whatevs, it's just hair, right?! life is short and it's good to mix things up a bit! and it sure feels nice to have your hair dry after a shower in about 30 minutes. but i know i'll miss ponytails. haha. ok enough thinking about stinkin' hair right?! hope you have a lovely day! xo.

reset.

some mornings you just have to click the reset button. i started the day wrong and felt my energy and inspiration draining from me. i noticed my precious time being wasted. sometimes i think it will waste more time if i get on my yoga mat, but i'm always wrong about that. click. the breath, a few simple movements, some positive thinking, and i'm back with a clean slate. what a sacred tool, coming back to you just by focusing on breath to reunite the body and mind. it's kinda awesome to know there is always the chance and enough time to hit the reset button. namaste.

SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT : ida sjostedt.

aren't these clothes just gorgeous?! i discovered ida sjostedt recently... well i'm not even sure how. i found her from a trail of internet links i'm afraid i've lost the origin. but that doesn't matter, what matters is i found her! i felt like i discovered a secret treasure! ida is super well known in sweden, and i'm really not quite sure how well known she is here in the united states. but she should be, and most likely will be! ms. sjostedt wins awards each year in sweden, and i'll be damned, i can see why! her stuff is fresh and interesting, but also super wearable and classic. i couldn't see myself ever tiring of ida's pieces. they are just the perfect amount of on trend and, well i don't think this is a phrase, but on timelessness. those leggings up there, c'mon!!! they are so rad!!!! i'm thinking about buying them! AH! oh ida, i am blown away by your beautiful talent. here she is below in a little video : 

what do you think? xo! hope your weekend was lovely :).

time to change.

yesterday i had a super super rad meeting with a beautiful and smart woman that knows a hell of lot more about running a business than i do. let me tell you, it was absolutely just what i needed. on the horizon there are some much overdue changes coming to purusha that i am so excited about! one of the big changes is... tada! less styles and more inventory. no more waiting 4 weeks for clothing. you will get your order within days. finally! over the next few months this change will be integrated into the shop. {i'm also pondering doing a free shipping both ways thing. zappos style... we will see!} i've been running purusha the same way for about 3-4 years, so i've been a little afraid of changing the model up. sometimes all you need is someone who has a bit more experience than you to give you that nudge in the right direction. we are preparing a 6 month growth plan as well as a new business plan. so so sweet.

and i want to tell you, that i'm changing for you. i'm revising my brand, my vision, and my inventory so that i can serve you better. i know personally i like to order clothing online and get it fast, so i want to meet that need for you :). so let's do this! YAY! if you have any suggestions or ideas i am happy to hear them as well! xoxo.

happy in los angeles.

dress raggedy threads, boots thrifted from etsy, bag wendy foster, sunglasses salvation army, earrings gather, gemstone cuff similar lux divine.

i had such a fun weekend, thanks to our new friends katie and steve. {katie is my amazing photographer for most of my purusha shoots! see her site --> here!} of course for some reason when i am having the most fun and adventures and just overall new experiences, often i completely forget to take photos. ah well, it's all up in my head stored away safely :). 

we visited our friends in the arts district in LA and they were kind enough to give us a tour of the area. you know how there are some people that just blow you away with their boundless creativity and uniqueness? yet they are humble and kind?? rare people indeed! as are katie and steve. when i walked into their loft- just WOW. wow. every corner held a treasure that i was fascinated with and had about a million questions about. beautiful gemstones, succulents, gorgeous artwork, old maps, incredible thrift store finds i know i would have trembled with excitement upon finding!, rustic chic furniture, a large collection of inspiring books i could get lost in for years, the prettiest white tibetan bowl, and of course loads of beautiful photography fill their living space. we had a beer on the roof and looked out on los angeles. {living in topanga, i feel like patrick and i have so much exploring to do in the city, and lately i've just been craving and enjoying the endless exploration of our city of angels.}

i truly cherished our "LA" experience this weekend. and i fully dig the undiscoveredness of the arts-warehouse district of LA. i could definitely live there. our journey began with amazing sausages {mine vegetarian} at wurstkuche, then lots of exploring of some pretty awesomely unique little shops and boutiques on our way to little tokyo. after walking off the sausages we got THE BEST mochi balls i've ever had. yum!!! i got vanilla, so underrated and amazing. the highlight of my day was finding the above dress at raggedy threads, a vintage boutique that is not insanely overpriced, which is always awesome. when i saw it, i just knew it had been waiting for me and would fit me perfectly. don't you just love when that happens? gah! it reminds me of cindy brady! haha! {p.s. i AM wearing shorts under this little thing! yikes!} i also got another effin sweet little top there from hungary in the 1940's! i will surely be posting myself in it soon! what else did i buy? i got douglas fir needle tip tee by juniper ridge (heaven! we all drank some back at katie and steve's after our "urban foraging" as steve called it!), woodsy incense in cedar, balsam, hickory and the like, a super cute tee for patrick from poketo, and i had to stop there. hehe! {trust me, despite my somewhat rigid standards of what i can buy (ethical mostly), this girl can still shop!} i really love walking around cities. ah, new places ya know? a feast for the senses! later on we got some pretty delicious pizza right near katie and steve's place and ate it at a sweet little homey bar with a beer. perfect. the whole day through.

so yeah! i am renewed and inspired! and i have a whole list of things i NEED to have in my life that katie and steve have {hello tibetan bowl and lazer star projector?! i die!} it's funny what a new surrounding will do to your mind, right? i'm inspired to thrift store shop more thanks to katie and steve {hence my thrifted outfit today!}, and inspired to explore LA every single weekend. YES! why not?! yippee! i love my life. :)

namaste.

clean thinking {and dirty feet}.

 

some days feel like i am unlocking a secret door into the mystery of my existence. how to live seems clear, and i see it is only me and my habitual thought patterns and actions that get in my own way.

i think we all want to know the answer to the same question- how can i live the best possible life? our answers of course will be very different, but the goal is the same- the be at peace (most of the time), feel healthy, and experience as much happiness as possible.

what leaves me feeling unpeaceful? worrying about the future (this is the biggest habitual thought pattern i have), fearing people i love dying, and dreading doing what is new and different. 

what makes me feel peaceful? creating clothing/art that reflects who i am, being silly, hugging liam, letting go of the need to control and trusting i will survive whatever happens to me, and breathing deep.

so why so often do i reflect on those unpeaceful thoughts? my mind has formed habits that my daily activities mirror back to it. it's truly the simplest sounding thing, to change the way you think, but the absolute hardest thing to do. probably the hardest thing i'll ever attempt to do. to lasso those thoughts, heck even notice them in the first place, is such an enormous challenge! 

but i have to try. i have to try harder. my entire life's success depends on it. i know i can be a better friend, a better mate, a better clothing designer if i am able to live with a cleaner mind. there's such a thing now as 'clean eating', and i'm realizing there's also such a thing as 'clean thinking'. i wouldn't pollute my body with cakes and french fries all day, why am i allowing myself to pollute my body with negative fearful thoughts? 

i have little glimpses throughout the day of real surrender to being open, to allowing my life to unfold on its own, without my thoughts over analyzing and trying to choke out the thoughts of possibility of things just working out for the best. in these moments i feel limitless, clairvoyant, and boundlessly creative. i feel like i can love without wanting to possess and own what i love, and create purusha as the most pure reflection of who i am. i think that one of the neatest side effects of positive thinking is the ability to create without competing, and just allow all that flows out of you to be the simplest extension of what you imagine and love. and then after creating, just let it go, and not worry about how people respond, and not get hung up on yourself because you created something beautiful. uh huh! i want more moments like these.

so it seems that the only way for an abundance of pure love and creativity to exist is to think clean. today i am doing my very best to keep a clean mind. namaste.

{photos taken at the greatest park ever in calabasas! it's an oasis in the desert of green grass, running water, a doggie bowl, the cleanest public bathroom i've ever seen, a chuck it and dog tennis balls that no one steals?! it's the best!}

casual chic.

earrings gather, necklace lux divine, sunglasses desiar, shorts atelier delphine, shoes bali elf, bamboo top coming soon to purusha! 

good morning my sweet friends! how are you?

i've been having a lot of fun putting together these outfits for my blog, it gives me more of a sense of what i like and the clothing i plan on designing. patrick and i went to echo park on sunday and wandered around in the very fun hipsterness. we got pizza at two boots, popped into echo park independent artist's co-op, visited the vintage chic boutique myrtle (where i got these super fun and cute bloomers by delpine! obsessed! patrick calls them my diapers. whatever!), and got the best vegan ice creme at kind creme. heavenly heavenly. but above all i gained some much needed inspiration. plain and simple, i just need to design what i love that i can't find out there when i got shopping. my tastes, my lifestyle, my passion is evolving beyond simply 'yoga clothing' (not that there's anything wrong with great yoga clothing!), so i plan on just creating what i think is cool. when i started purusha 4 years ago, there weren't a whole lot of yoga brands, at least that i knew of. now everyone and their sister is a yoga teacher and/or has their own yoga line. i'm still going to make comfy cute clothes, but i'm leaning more towards chic casual/lounge wear that you can use for yoga if you want, but you sure don't have to be a yogi. you just have to be YOU. YAY! hope your day is lovely! xo.

sunday spotlight : RALPH LAUREN.

ralph. we all know him and i think most of us understand the brand's style, preppy english chic meets the american west.

to me, ralph lauren is pure genius. ralph grew up in the bronx in a working class family but always loved style. his first job was at brook's brothers where he quickly became the best salesman and most stylish employee. ralph started out his career in fashion with designing a small collection of ties, and not just any ties, wide ties that were colorful and collegiate that flew off the shelves in the 70's. after this success ralph was able to find an investor and launch his first menswear collection, shortly followed by a womenswear collection (clothing that allowed women to dress like men, but with a perfectly feminine twist.) it has been said that ralph basically created clothing to create his own perfectly stylish world, or to suit and express his lifestyle. he ignored the hippie fashion of the 70's and stuck to his own vision and dream. today, ralph still does not seek to create or follow trends, and his styles have barely changed. ralph does not even consider himself a clothing designer, but rather a merchandiser and a marketing strategist where he seeks to create the most authentic american lifestyle brand.

what i love about ralph is his timelessness. when i think 'ralph lauren' i think of simple collared shirts, a touch of leather, plaid, new england, tweed, elegant dresses, and an overall glamour without the heaviness and wackiness of following silly trends. i sense such an identity about ralph lauren that i resonate with. did you know that tommy hilfiger in the 90's tried to copy ralph lauren's business plan pretty much to a tee? tommy hired former ralph employees, used the american flag and american lifestyle as slogans/logos, designed almost the exact same clothing, and used the same photographer and models as ralph. but through it all ralph lauren has proved to have that authenticity, that staying power that only results from a designer that truly loves and lives his brand.

ralph lauren encourages me to simplify and be true to my vision. here at purusha i am having sort of a mid-life crisis. my style is changing and i want to make some big changes to my brand, but part of me is really afraid. i'm afraid of losing customers that like what i'm doing now, but part of me feels like a fake for selling some pieces that i don't LOVE. i want to offer less styles so i don't have to continue with this made to order nonsense, and so that i can overall simplify my work and my dream. i've been writing the world 'simplify' in huge letters so often in my notebooks and journal. i just know my business needs to and could be run in a more manageable way. when i look at my 50+ screens for screen printing right here above my desk, i don't like the overwhelming feeling it gives me. just. too. much. stuff. i want less, i want only the very best items in my collections.

so i will admit right here that i feel very lost. it sounds and looks so simple on paper... stay true to you. design what you love and people will notice that love. all you have to do is be yourself and trust what you create. so right now why does it seem so hard? all i know is things gotta change. luckily i am naive (or opportunistic?) and believe purusha will be reborn even better than before. that's why i feel this giant urge to change... time to go into that cocoon.

i wish i could talk to ralph lauren. haha. yeah right. but patrick did schedule me a meeting with the SBA in santa monica next week. i'm going to talk to an expert in merchandising and manufacturing clothing in LA. i often times feel like i need a mentor,someone to help me get my head on straight and steer the course that's leading to what i imagine purusha to be. so i'm excited for that meeting!!

now patrick and i are going to go looks at about 20 boutiques in LA, scout out where i'd like to sell and see what's selling, ya know? so that will be fun!

in close, ralph lauren, you've encouraged me to take some risks in just being myself and trusting the lifestyle i envision. xo!

LIVE BECAUSE YOU LOVE TO.

today i am 30 years old. 

last night i reflected deeply on my last night in my 20's. i think numbers are funny, but in our mathematic world they sure feel like they mean something when you enter into a new decade. above all i just feel really grateful to be healthy and happy and loved. in the shower last night a song popped in my head and i sang it with all my heart! 'hard believer' by first aid kit. it's a great song in my opinion because it beautifully explains some of my ideas and lack of beliefs. when i tell people i'm an atheist, or agnostic (really the same thing to me), sometimes people are shocked. the word atheist scares people, it sure scared me when patrick first told me he didn't believe there was a god. but it's only because i grew up with a negative connotation of it. all it means is there is not enough evidence for me to believe there is a god controlling things from up there. when i was home in connecticut my dad mentioned his disapproval of atheism. we got to talking though, and what do you know, what we hold dear is about the same. i don't believe there is an afterlife, i don't want to live on forever as hayley. it's exhausting, i don't want to live forever. my dad agreed he didn't want to be steve forever either. i told my dad, i don't not believe in anything. i believe in love, i believe in you, i believe in this life. because of all this, right here and right now is absolutely everything to me. the earth and all the relationships i am beyond blessed to have are what i consider holy. you might disagree with me and that's ok. i'm sure we agree on more than we disagree on. to be able to love and accept someone with a different opinion, to me, is the most beautiful thing in the world.

so at 30 i am just swimming in complete gratitude for the holiness that surrounds me.

"i just live because i love to and that's enough for me". 

"it's one life and it's this life. and it's beautiful." - first aid kit.

{p.s. purusha's new slogan from now on is this : LIVE BECAUSE YOU LOVE TO.}

millions of paths to peace.

yoga bra III 

yoga bra IV

yoga bra V (my favorite!)

pink and black + floral and lace top

just lil 'ol me again with a few new pieces in the shop. i hope you like! i've been living in these bright funky bras in my workouts recently. they are super comfy and supportive. 

and what are my workouts recently anyways? i've changed up my routine quite a bit in the past 6 months. i used to run and do yoga, that's it. now i go to the gym and take weight classes, do restorative yoga, hike, and run a little on the side. my body and mind are really enjoying the change. it's funny, i didn't even notice how stagnant my entire being had become as i turned into a slave for my worn out regimen. i just thought, i have to do hardcore yoga all the time. patrick and i laugh at the old yogi sergeant i was, like i was in some sort of cult. i thought yoga was the only way to happiness and a healthy body. i was obsessed with "difficult" yoga poses and i shunned the gym like a fundamental religious person does an atheist. i thought if i backed off my yoga routine i would be lost to the world, or something like that. haha so silly, why so serious? i think i finally found a part of myself i had been missing in my high pressure yoga lifestyle. the part of me that's open to different activities as a route to peace and awareness. yoga is a path, but there are millions of paths. i've said this in my blog before, but i now cherish my yoga practice more than ever. it's simple, it's whatever i need it to be that day. it might be just meditation, cat and cow, down dog. it might be a vinyasa. i don't even attempt flying pigeon or one legged crow or grasshopper anymore because it doesn't feel right. my ego no longer needs that satisfaction. i love and embrace triangle pose. one legged down dog, a simple seated twist more than i ever have. advanced asana works for many, and i am in no way saying it's bad for others, it just wasn't good for me. it's not what i need right now. and who knows, maybe someday i'll come back to it.

so big cheers to finding what we need right now, and being open to the endless possibilities on the millions of roads to happiness and peace! namaste.