Wrap Loves #5

Alex Proba’s pool mural

For one of her latest commissions, New York designer Alex Proba has applied her bright, bold abstract patterns to a swimming pool in Palm Springs, California – hand-painting the pool herself, with an assistant, during a week just before lockdown. Sadly the stunning creation was a private commission, so you won’t be able to pop along for a dip this summer, but you can achieve that Proba touch in your own home thanks to her well-stocked web shop featuring prints, a new range of quilts, textiles and furniture. Refresh your flat without splashing as much cash.

studioproba.com

Chelsea Bravo’s latest collection

If your summer wardrobe is crying out for some new staples, Chelsea Bravo has got your back. Combining loose-fitting silhouettes with abstract prints and an artistic-hand, the now Brooklyn-based label (they originally started in London) features contemporary mens and womenswear, with each collection more effortlessly cool than the last. We’ll meet you in line for the unisex jumpsuit [left] from Chelsea’s latest drop, which looks like the comfiest piece of clothing ever.

chelseabravo.com

Artist Kanoko Takaya

Born in Kyoto, Japan, and now based in Bali, multidisciplinary artist Kanoko Takaya can turn her hand to painting, textiles, sculpture and everything in between. We’ve watched her Instagram feed eagerly during lockdown to see what she makes next, and one of our favourite projects has to be a series of hand-painted kites she’s crafted with help from one of the many kite workshops that open up during the summer months near her home. Initially the workshop helped her make one custom skeleton for her ‘KanKan’ kite, but Kanoko got so excited by the process, other shapes and characters soon followed including a fun round face and one shaped like two cute pooches.

instagram.com/kanokotakaya

SAGE Flowers’ bouquets

Combining fresh flowers with dried and dyed stems, SAGE Flowers creates sculptural, non-traditional bouquets for some of the coolest brands going. Iona and Romy, the pair behind SAGE Flowers have been making stunning arrangements from their shop in Peckham since early 2019, and while their doors remain closed for the time being, they are offering doorstep deliveries to certain London postcodes. Not only have they been keeping kitchen tables looking gorgeous with their blooms, they’ve also spent lockdown campaigning for more diversity in the floral industry and have created a directory of POC florists, growers and plant shops that you can access here.

linktr.ee/sageflowers

Cakes by A.R.D Bakery

Swapping fashion for fondant, Alison Dunlop makes cakes that look more like works of art than something you should take a fork to. Training originally in sculpture before moving into the world of fashion accessories, it’s easy to see how her former careers have fed into her edible pieces at A.R.D Bakery. As well as multi-tiered showstoppers wrapped with geometric patterns and topped with marbled spheres, A.R.D also offers the sweetest chocolate deliveries you’ve ever seen. New batches are released weekly, but you’ll need to be quick if you want to sink your teeth into some salted caramel bonbons as they sell out quick. We ordered some back at the start of lockdown and can attest to their 10/10 tastiness.

ardbakery.com