Lived In Series ~ Studio Mondine
Our Lived In Series was created to capture our clothing on a series of women, all pursuing their own creative paths, to see how they live in Kordal. So many women in our lives inspire us with their drive, their talent, and their genuine sense of self. These are the women we design for. They remind us of why we want to design clothing in the first place: to create pieces that encourage comfort, ease, and the unique and honest beauty in each and every one of us.
For this month's Lived in Series we caught up with the incredibly lovely and talented women behind Studio Mondine, a floral design studio based in foggy San Francisco, California. Inspired by the lushness of English garden arrangements and the precision of Japanese ikebana, they look to nature and the changing of the seasons to inform their designs. It's with feverish enthusiasm that they seek out the rarest ingredients, working directly with the finest flower farmers in the nation or cultivating these special blooms ourselves in our small cutting garden.
We took some time to catch up with Amanda and Ivanka, excited to learn some more about the slow flower movement, how they started their studio and what a perfect Sunday looks like, check out our Q&A below to learn more!
Photography by: Sandy Lee @sandyleestudio
You two seem to work so well together! How did you guys meet and come up with the idea to form Studio Mondine?
Ha! As with any courtship, it was when we first met that we both thought we had so much in common. About a year in, the "whoa, we might be polar opposites" realization kicked in. We spent years Two and Three trying to navigate and incorporate our differences. At times, it was messy. Year Four is shaping up to be our best yet -- we're working on celebrating our differences now.
What music are you listening to right now?
What do you look for in clothing? How does comfort, design, or material play a role?
Design, comfort, material...it all matters! It almost seems impossible to find a studio uniform because it needs to transition from 'on scaffolding designing a ceiling floral installation' to 'polished and put together in front of clients', and usually in thick summer heat!
Can you tell us a little bit more about how you source your flowers, do you have any favorite varietals? Are there farms you love working with on a regular basis?
What's the craziest thing that's happened at a wedding?
In the fashion industry more and more people are becoming aware of the issues with textile waste and fast fashion. Is there a similar conversation in the flower industry around sourcing organically grown flowers or keeping sourcing localized? What are your thoughts on this?
What does your perfect Sunday look like?
Waking without an alarm, working on the crossword over coffee, walking to the farmers’ market for dinner provisions, and arranging flowers cut from the garden before our guests arrive...
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Also in Journal
Lived In Series ~ Ilana Glazer
Like many of us, I was introduced to Ilana Glazer through the genius of Broad City, a show that she and pal Abbi Jacobson created and starred in. So when Ilana came to our Fort Greene shop last fall, we just about lost it! We shared that this year is Kordal's ten year anniversary and it would be such an honor to feature her in our Lived in Series to mark the occasion. Fast forward a few months later and Ilana is rolling up to set in Crown Heights on her bike, and yes, she's just as cool and kind as you'd expect. She's generous with her time, has everyone cracking up and looks incredible in our knits - even on a humid 90 degree day. We got a chance to talk about pregnancy and healthcare, how styling informs her characters, and finding levity amidst existential challenges.
Lived In Series ~ Re Jin Lee
