FINERIE CoLab

LOCAL DESIGNERS

- Michael Duryea

Michael Duryea was born in Onalaska, WA, a small farming town an hour south of Seattle.  In 2103, he graduated from the San Francisco Academy of Art University with a BFA in Photography.  After graduation, Michael moved to Seattle to begin his career as an Editorial Photographer and he has been in high demand ever since.  His work has been featured in Moda & Estilo, Elegant Magazine, Viva Fashionistas, Vogue Online, and he has also photographed numerous musicians.

 

Michael’s photographic aesthetic has been described as elegant, stylized, romantic, and graphic.  He is currently the principal editorial and product photographer for both the Finerie & the Finerie CoLAB.

 

Michael excels at making his subject feel at ease in front of the camera.  This allows him to highlight the true essence of the people that he is photographing in his images.  He is able to showcase a precious moment that evokes the endless possibilities of reality.

 

[Michael Duryea]  WWW.Michaelduryeaphotography.com

 

"Every picture has a story. Every photographer is a visual storyteller. It is through these stories that people are inspired. Inspiration sparks imagination. Imagination sparks creation. Creation leaves a legacy that inspires the same creative cycle to repeat itself. Without this cycle, we are not living, we are merely surviving."  -  Christian Paul, Photographer

 

- Anya Zaytseva

Ukrainian born Anya Zaytseva is a professional stylist, fashion model, and makeup artist in Seattle. She moved to the United States at the age of 8 and has been walking the runway for over five years.

 

Anya’s passion for fashion and style transcends through her fashion themed, original paintings which have shown at numerous art openings throughout the Pacific Northwest.

 

Along with Michael Duryea, an editorial photographer, Anya does much work for the Finerie as a stylist and model.  This collaborative team have been inseparable business partners ever since they meet through an industry event about a year ago.  They take each project to a new level through their creative united vision.

 

[Anya Zaytseva]

 

- shio

Shio studio is headed Daniel MacDonald aided by Chief Crystallizer, Cleo Wolfus.  Daniel has spent time doing everything from developing noninvasive biomedical imaging systems to building simulation software to help eradicate diseases of the developing world.

 

Shio is a new form of the lighted mineral sculpture directly inspired by the stunning natural mineral formations created by the springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park.  Each shio

is made of pure salt and is grown in a special chamber that flows hot salt water over a basic skeleton, this changing how and where new crystal forms.  In time, this interlocking matrix of microcrystals fills out to become the intricate organice flesh of each piece.  They are quite literally crystal beings that are frozen in time and filled with light.

 

shio are hand assembled and grown in our there Seattle studio and no two shio are excatly alike.  The crystal flesh can be either very strong or very fragile depending on how it is handled.  We recommend refraining from handling shio in a way that creates shearing stress on small features.  Some shedding is to be expected, but will greatly decrease over time and with proper handling.  The unique texture of shio means that it is usually unperceptible if a piece happens to break off.

 

shio: 1. The Japanese word for salt (sodium chloride). 2. One or more individual mineral sculptures (Japanese nouns typically do not have distinct singular/plural forms, and so it is with shio). 3.  The entire art form, process, family of species, and all its future implications.

[ Daniel MacDonald + Cleo Wolfus ]

 

 

- Juan Alonso-Rodriguez

Juan Alonso-Rodriguez is a nationally acclaimed artist whose work has been featured in museums and galleries across the country.  He has been a working artist for over 30 years and feels that his Cuban heritage has been hugely influential in the evolution of his aesthetic.

 

“Over the years as my images and subjects have changed along with mediums and techniques;  I have found that more than anything, humanity is the driving force in my work.  The fact that I was born in Cuba, the quick loss of innocence I experienced as a young person in a foreign place, learning a new language, and growing up without my immediate family will always affect my work; sometimes more obviously than others.  The politics that have made me an outside intrigue me since they are almost always present, yet out of my control.  The human condition, our fragile existence on this planet, the way we relate, love, isolate, and unnecessarily damage ourselves and the world that we live in are fascinating topics, no matter how they are ultimately expressed.  I am influenced by balance, perceived symmetry, architecture, growth and decay, weathered beauty, and the tug-of-war between the natural and man-made landscape.

 

In recent years, I have had the opportunity to create both studio work and public art projects.  This has enabled me to challenge preconceived notions about the acceptance of art by the general public and capability of the solitary studio artist engaging in collaborative ventures.  As a believer that art has the ability and the artists responsibility to inspire social well-being, I welcome the balance between the introspection necessary to formulate ideas in the solitude of the studio and the gift of sharing some of the benefits with society.”

 

[Juan Alonso-Rodriguez]

 

- Shelter + Prospect

Humans have always searched for the balance of safety, privacy and comfort, with the need for a view of what is possible. We want to see what is coming, see what we might claim, what we might accomplish with open eyes and an adventurous spirit. But we need the home, the hiding place to retreat to, to gather with others, in safety, to share and savour.  Shelter + Prospect was started with that idea in mind. We are a multi-disciplined design studio, with experience in furniture, product, jewelry, web, and branding. Shelter + Prospect offers items for your home and lifestyle which we have developed in-house or in partnership with a select group of manufacturers and designers. Most everything is made-to-order out of our Seattle based design studio.  If you have specific needs, we are always happy to discuss customization.  Thank you for your interest in Shelter + Prospect!

 

[Ana Menote + Henry Hiltner]

 

- Rian

rian is a fashion accessories brand based on the creative work of artist/designer Rian Berry. His background as a painter gives him a unique approach to the fashion design process. The brand is known for it's modern contemporary styling and it's use of unique materials.  The rian brand was founded in Seattle, and in 2012 the brand opened it’s New York showroom. rian can now be found in better stores across the US and Canada.

 

[Julie Berry + Rian Berry]

 

- Slab Art Studios

Slab Art is a collaboration between Gudrun Onkels and Eric Holder.  “By reanimating wood in artisan designs, we create a new narrative that incorporates the tree’s origins and preserves its indelible beauty. For us, the process of woodworking is a continuous dialogue between design and sheer organic presence.  Each tree has its own story, reflecting the world around it.  In return for the life that trees help us sustain, we place them in protective shelter among us, as they have sheltered us for millennia. By transforming salvaged trees into artistic, useful designs, we aim to give them a new lease on life.  As a woodworking company with deeply ecological values, we work with the progressive community around us to create a network that supports these values.  Handcrafted from urban salvaged trees sourced in and around the Puget Sound area, our pieces are based in Japanese and German traditional craftsmanship and creative expression.

 

 

- Gudrun Onkels

Gudrun Onkels was born in Krefeld, Germany.  She learned fine furniture making at the master shop of Johannes Jorissen, graduating with honors. After building interior projects in a Stuttgart coop, she undertook a traditional five-year journey ship as a craftswoman, traveling through Europe and as far as Siberia to work on a variety of  projects, ranging from historical restoration of 1600s post-and-beam houses to a wide range of interior projects. She came to Seattle in 2000.  Slab Art is an expression of her ever growing artistic inspiration.

 

[Gudrun Onkels]

- Eric Holder

Eric Holder is an accomplished wood artisan and builder, Eric started his career as an apprentice cabinet maker in Oakland, CA. He counts Japanese woodcraft, both rustic and modern, and modern minimalism as primary influences, and aims for a balance between clean lines and the unbridled curves of nature. As co-founder of Slab Art, he specializes in creative salvaging of materials, integrating metals and glass into woodworking, and pushing the expressive limits of wood.

 

[Eric Holder]

 

- Chrystie Cottier

Chrystie is currently the Director of Finerie CoLAB and is in charge of procurement of new local design talent, graphic design, and visual merchandising among other responsibilitiesat CoLAB.  She has been designing & marketing jewelry to local boutiques for over ten years under her former line Ambience Design.  Her formal education in both Fashion Merchandising and Interior Design has aided in her self-taught exploration of the three dimensional form of jewelry.  She is passionate about good design no matter the medium.

 

 

Chrystie strongly believes that accessorizing is key to creating a cohesive fashion statement.  She enjoys allow the materials to dictate the direction of her jewelry designs.  She generally works with a combination of gemstones, swarovski crystal, sterling silver, gold-filled, vintage elements, and the unique unconventional objects.  She finds herself greatly inspired by nature, traveling, movement, patterning, and unexpected color palettes.  Her aesthetic can be desribed as of synthesis of elegant, modern, edgy elements, textural intrigue, and a hint of vintage whimsy.  Reinventing discarded or broken items in an innovative way inspires her to push the limits of the matierals.  Kintsukuroi, the Japanese art of taking a broken item and making it beautiful by repairing it with precious metals greatly inspires her design.  This idea of respecting the history of an object and making it once again beautiful, has greatly inspired her new line which is currently undergoing a name change.

 

When she is not CoLAB or designing jewelry, Chrystie can be found exploring other creative pursuits including: graphic design, fashion styling, event planning, and interior design.  Other hobbies include hot yoga, movement, drinking kombucha, hot herbal teas, snuggling with her cats, and enyoing healthy vegan food.

 

[Chrystie Cottier]

 

- Julie Danforth Design

Julie Danforth grew up in Gig Harbor Washington.  She  attended Seattle Central Community College in 1998-1999, graduating with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Apparel Design.  As one of the top in her class, she was on the Dean’s list, a Phi Theta Kappa Honor Student Member and Hallmark Awards officer.  While earning her degree, Julie was an intern at Cutter & Buck as a Design Assistant Color Technician.  In the summer quarter Julie attended American Intercontinental University in London and completed an internship with Designer Paul Costello in Knightsbridge, as a Design Assistant.  The quarter following graduation from Seattle Central Community College she returned to London for in internship at Angels Costumiers in Camden, as a Design Assistant in the Film and Stage production department.

 

​​In November 2011, Julie started her fashion design career with Marta Kappl at House of Fashion in Seattle.  Soon after, she was selected to be in The Metropolitan Fashion Week 2012 closing gala event at the Museum of Flight, and was nominated for Emerging Designer. Followed by a fashion show event with Marta Kappl and co-host Tom Douglas, “Haute Cuisine meets Haute Fashion” at the Palace Ballroom.  She also participated in the Gilda’s Club event, “Surviving with Style” fashion show at the Westin. And then was selected as one of the top 13 finalists for Seamless in Seattle 2012, in the Emerging Designer category.  In the fall she participated in The Eastside Women’s Show in Bellevue, where she was featured as a Local Emerging Designer in the preview show for Kathy Ireland Bridal.

 

Taking inspiration from the famous designers of the 60’s and the iconic celebrities who wore them, Julie captures that moment and transforms those fashions for today’s sophisticated tastes. Classic design lines, glamorous and beautiful combined with a subtle sexiness and sophistication.  Her passion for creating the perfect look, fit, and customer experience for each of her clients can be seen in all of her collections.  Julie has continued to hold on to her dream and today designs with even more energy and passion than she did as a child.

 

[Julie Danforth]

- Masha Osoianu

Being raised by a fashion designer, Masha Osoianu was continually surrounded by patterns, textiles and creative people. Masha fell in love with the fashion business and knew it was her true passion in life. Her first creative collection of contemporary hand-knitted sportswear was presented on runway when she turned 13 years old.

 

At age 18, Masha’s formal training began at the Republic of Moldova State Art Institute. Soon after, her training continued at the Art Institute in Seattle. After several years of designing for a major retail brand, Masha decided to create her own line. In November of 2008, Masha Osoianu Design (MOD) was born.

 

MOD is designed for a woman who listens to the fashion trends while inventing her own personal style. The MOD woman is not afraid to stand out from the crowd and she is any age. The shapes are comfortable and contemporary with a feminine appeal. MOD insists on quality in even the smallest details- French seams finish, silk linings, natural fabrics, hand finished details and hand-knits. The goal of MOD is to give unique options for style-savvy customers that don’t blindly follow fashion trends.

 

Currently, MOD’s custom designs and small-run collections are produced by Masha and small and partially in Moldova. Each piece is handled with care and is hand-made. The knit is original and was inspired by the characteristics of the Russian yarns, each hand selected and imported from Moldova.

 

[Masha Osoianu]

 

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