The Bubble New York show popped a couple of days ago, but I still have some spotlights left to shine on some of the standout exhibitors. One definitely goes on Zid Zid, a two-year-old or so label based in the US and Morocco, which was founded by a pair of American parents while their little kids are over there getting in touch with their Moroccan roots.
Zid Zid combines a contemporary sensibility with traditional and artisanal craft and a bit of fun. The resulting products run the gamut: there are handmade stuffed animal/pillows, bags and purses, a shirt and shirt dress or two, hand-stitched leather slippers--which the kid spent a good twenty minutes trying on and rearranging by color, we clearly have a shoe fiend on our hands--and child-sized furniture, including a hand-painted table and some awesome embroidered tuffets.
Back in the 60's and 70's, designer Alexander Girard helped kick off a bit of a folk/ethnic art craze by importing modernism-friendly fabric and objects from out of the way corners of the world. Zid Zid's designs feel a bit like Girard's designs, but with a 21st century twist, where multicultural American families settle in both their "home" countries.
Or am I waxing too philosophical about some cool-looking stuffed animals?
Contact Zid Zid for the latest retailer information [zidzid.com]
Baby Geared has Zid Zid Kids animal cushions, $40 [babygeared.com]
Design Public has them, too, plus the tuffets, which I will call "poofs" only under duress, $78 [designpublic.com]
Design*Sponge was all over this stuff last year, though, and has a bunch of images [design*sponge]
