Guatemala: A Land of Abundant Inspiration

While it is commonly known that many of our bags are handmade ethically in Guatemala, the rich connection our line has with the country, traditions and people may not be such common knowledge. Our owner and designer Jess has spent a great deal of time in the country, living there on and off for a number of years. For those of us who have had the pleasure of spending time in the country, it is easy to see how it can inspire an entire label, such as Stela 9.

One of the many interesting things one can stumble upon in Guatemala are the weaving traditions of the indigenous Maya people. The textiles created through the weaving process can be seen everywhere: on the huipils, which are the traditional blouses the indigenous women wear, being sold at market stands on the streets and as decoration in homes, stores and restaurants. These textiles are either made on a traditional treadle loom which is powered by a foot pedal or the mobile Maya backstrap, which uses a simpler technology. Often times as you walk through the city streets of the lovely Antigua (a small town in Guatemala which is known for its surrounding volcanoes and tourist attractions) you can see Mayan women working on their weaving in front of shops or even in the middle of the park. Antigua is a favorite travel location of Guatemala and where Jess spent much of her time. As Stela 9 bags are known for their patterns, colors and textures it is easy to see where some of this inspiration comes from in Guatemala. Homes are painted in vibrant shades and covered in vegetation. Women walk through the streets covered in intricately weaved huipils. From the surrounding nature, to the beautiful jade stones, hand crafted leather and textiles, to the simplicity of the colorful decorations in a family's home, there are endless things to be inspired by. 

Market selling huipils, souvenirs and textiles

pattern play

textiles

The streets of Antigua

The Mayan ruins of Tikal

The doors of a hostel in San Marcos, Lake Atitlan

Lace head scarves

Little girl in the park in Antigua

Vibrant colors

patterns and textiles

Little girls playing 

Women at work

A lovely display of bags and textiles

Textile creation

Man biking in Antigua

Antigua skies

Clearly, it is hard not to be inspired. In recent years we even returned to Antigua, Guatemala to do an on location shoot for our Spring/Summer 2012 Lookbook. 

The architecture, the people, the nature, the textiles, the patterns, the weather and much more of Guatemala have all been a little piece of the puzzle that created Stela 9.

Homage to the Queens

We watched all of their videos and knew all of their songs. We pined to win contests to meet them on cruise ships. We learned everything we needed to know about being cute, sneaky, stylish and getting boys to talk to us. We grew up with them. From Full House, to their Adventure series, to such hits as Winning London, Billboard Dad, and A New York Minute, they are the queens and now full-fledged fashion icons in the front row of every runway show, with booming labels like The Row and Elizabeth & James. They are Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and today is their 27th birthday. Makes you feel old huh? Somehow it feels like just yesterday we were sitting in front of the TV obsessing over one of their films and trying to copy that feathered hair, bandana look they had down so well. Now Mary-Kate is the boho grunge girl of our dreams and Ashley has her look together like no one else. We google pictures of them when we don't know what to wear. We follow their labels religiously. They are Karl Lagerfelds sweethearts, they are America's sweethearts and they are all grown up. This is our homage to the twin queens of the fashion world: Mary-Kate and Ashley.

Astrological Musings, June 3-9

We have found ourselves once again in the month of the Gemini. Mercury is the ruling planet this month, taking hold of all signs and setting in motion the principles of communication, adaptability, mentality, rationality and reasoning. It allows for clarity, inspiring creativity and motivating career moves and success in all signs. Mercury specifically rules over the Gemini's of May and June, reflecting Gemini's vivacious, curious and inconstant nature. Continue reading for this week's Gemini horoscope.

GEMINI

May 21–June 20

Clever Mercury and captivating Venus each form a harmonious triangle (called a grand trine) this week with dreamer Neptune and planner Saturn in your work sectors, making it easier to put things together in your head. Consider how you can best maximize your talents and execute a detailed plan to fulfill your most meaningful ambitions. Think about combining creativity and realism in your career to improve your finances and strengthen your self-worth. Look at your current resources and your list of top wants and see if you can better align those with work methods that will enable you to reach an elusive goal. Be mindful of your words and actions, though, as both Mercury and Mars are sparring with other planets. Make sure not to divulge someone else’s business or get too aggressive at work. The new moon in Gemini gives you a full head of steam, but thinking and getting in touch with your truest desires are more effective than doing something you might have to fix later. Ponder where you want to go from here and let friends or group activities boost your enthusiasm.

For more horoscopes follow the link below: 
Source: Free People Horoscopes

For everyone it is a good month to get in touch with your deepest feelings, get ambitious and start making your dreams a reality. Maybe clean your home for a fresh open space that welcomes new ideas or start that project today that you have been putting off forever. What better day to begin than a Monday?

Summer Fashion Inspiration

Now that the unofficial first day of summer, Memorial Day, has passed we can get the ball rolling on perfecting our summer style. Summer is about freedom in fashion aka a look that is seemingly thrown together at the last minute. The Stela 9 girl wears her hair naturally, hanging in a loose braid or beach waves around her face. She is the embodiment of an Indian Summer, with a look that is perfectly carefree. Summer 2013 is all about leather, mismatched prints, overalls, stripes, midi and maxi skirts, pastels, neon, lace and crop tops. Here is a collection of looks and images that Stela 9 finds particularly inspiring to our personal summer style and our interpretation of the trends of the season.

Visit our Pinterest board for more inspiration: http://pinterest.com/stela_9/