Kalamazoo Gazette Announces i heart ipanema Grand Opening

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2010/04/new_clothing_store_i_heart_ipa.html

Kalamazoo Gazette Features Local Designer Delainie Van Almelo and i heart ipanema

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/04/try_on_a_pair_of_handmade_ninj.html

i heart ipanema -- origin of the name

Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro. Photo by Evgenia Kononova, 11 January 2006

We started out selling vintage and handmade on etsy.com with our shop named ipanema. We chose this name because of the connection we have with Bossa Nova music, the beach neighborhood in Rio that birthed it, Ipanema, and the culture there--cool, hip, intelligent, artistic, laissez-faire, joyful and in love with life and people--and O Cristo Redentor the sentinel standing high above the city on Corcovado.

On etsy, people "heart" your shop if they love what you do. Establishing our flagship store in 2010 is embellishing upon the great things we've done with ipanema. Hence, 'i heart ipanema.' A two-fold declaration.

Leopard Style

Nature never goes out of style. Case in point, the animal prints you see all over, particularly leopard and jaguar spots. Be it an elegant classic fur coat and cap, an outrageously rebellious neon scarf and leggings, or that luxurious and sexy dress that makes heads turn, leopard print screams like its namesake and demands attention. Where's yours?

RecklessRogues Steppin At Big Steps Shoes

i heart ipanema and RecklessRogues were proud to collaborate with Big Steps Shoes for the Art Hop in downtown Kalamazoo on Friday, March 5th. Rogue DJs ehowes and Angelo were stepping up on four turntables while the hoppers filled the store again and again, impressed by the slick new boutique's offerings, the art of Aubrey Jewel Hardaway and the cool and correct sounds of RecklessRogues. Located at 245 S.Kalamazoo Mall Ste.B, Big Steps Shoes features an awesome array of fashionable, hip athletic shoes, such as Nike, Puma, PFflyers, Supra, & New Balance, along with cool casual shoes from Kenneth Cole, Cole Haan, Steve Madden, Clarks, Barefoottess, & Madden Girl. Big Steps Shoes was the place to be on Friday. Don't miss this brand new gem and definitely don't miss them on the next Hop! Check back soon for photos from the evening!

for RecklessRogues booking, contact us at recklessrogues [at] gmail.com

Art for I Heart...

We asked visual artist Christopher Darling, a great friend and a great artist, to do something to liven up the storefront for our I Heart Ipanema shop while we renovate. He has of course gone well beyond our expectations; we were floored by the contents of the tube we received from NYC. Below is a post from Christopher about the project.

"A friend of mine is opening a clothing and accessories store in a few months. He called me up the other day and said, "I have some 10'x3' glass doors that I want to hang artwork/illustration in while we are renovating the interior of the store. Would you be interested is making some artwork for the doors?" I had just finished watching this 1970's video called, Painters Painting. It included interviews from New York artists that helped found abstract expressionism and pop art: de Kooning, Johns, Warhol, Rauschenburg, Frankenthaler, Stella, Newman, Hoffman, and some others. Watching the film helped me realize that it is still possible to solve assignments without figurative work, although figurative work is definitely in fashion in both illustration and within the contemporary New York art scene."

Christopher Darling is an illustrator & writer, born in Chicago, now living in Manhattan. He studied design in Minneapolis & creative writing and fine art in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Currently, he is in the MFA illustration program at the School of Visual Arts in New York. His client list and resume are available upon request. Check out his website: christopherdarling.com