O'BRIEN'S FORAY INTO BEDDING

Sumptuous Scarves
A Very Velvet Wonderland

We are very happy that both velvet and scarves are back in fashion! Twenty-two years ago, we started as scarf makers because it was the simplest thing to make out of fabric besides napkins. Now that we are fully engaged in our bedding and pillow business, we like to go back to the scarves so we can play with a different set of colors. We can be bolder, use more luscious colors, and wilder combinations. We are glad to see deep rich velvets in use by designers such as John Rocha, Donna Karan, and Josie Natori.

Photo Credit: Accessories Magazine via Vogue

We've noticed big fur on trend this year while at the same time we have recently found the deepest pile velvet available. It is so lush it's nearly faux fur and just in time for what is on the runway! Since we dye each piece of fabric in our studio we can capture color depth and variation like no one else. Put one of these scarves on and feel the cozy comfort in the most luxurious style.

Left to Right: Panne Velvet Loop in Raspberry, Dove, Midnight

Along with these new deeper piled velvets, we’ve added colors to our shibori line. This technique continues to be utilized in home furnishings as well as fashion. Shibori can look natural and organic while still forming a repetitive and structural pattern. In keeping with the watercolor print trend from designers such as Galliano and in-trend colors, we've added a gray color called Sterling. However, we couldn’t resist taking on some more challenging colors as well (see below). Our new Patina colorway takes color to a new level!

Galliano - Photo Credit: Vogue (Kim Weston Arnold/Indigitalimages.com)

Left to Right: Rorschach Copper, Rorschach Sterling, Rorschach Patina

We've transformed some of our more popular patterns into scarves. The Vines pattern is a large-scale bold pattern with layered colors that makes the velvet feel like a magical forest. Op Art is our take on the optical art of the 1960's that creates the illusions using geometric shapes. Our Leopard print, a timeless pattern is updated in luxe velvet.

Left to Right: Vines Cobalt/Black, Op Art Smoke, Leopard Plum

Art&Sole

SERIOUS BUSINESS AND SERIOUS FUN

Robb Reichard (executive director of AIDS Fund), Jane Gershon Weitzman, Kevin O'Brien (photo by Urszula Pruchniewska)

Jane Gershon Weitzman, the inimitable woman behind much of the success of Stuart Weitzman Shoes,  has been a fan of Kevin O'Brien Studio, and a friend of Kevin's for many years.  Building their company since the '80s she and Stuart have sold their business and now Jane has even better things to do, she raises money for any number of good causes through a book about shoes she has created.  Now that we at Kevin O'Brien Studio are finally on our feet in our new headquarters (a totally rebuilt movie theater from the thirties), we are able to invite people to our manufacturing and design facility.  So it became clear that Jane and Kevin had to do something together, that something was an event to support the work of the AIDS Fund.

(photo by Urszula Pruchniewska)

Some sample photos from Art&Sole

For more information on the AIDS Fund, please visit their website (here) (photo by Urszula Pruchniewska)

For many years, Kevin O'Brien Studio lived up to the description "scrappy upstart" and did our business from a historic, but creaky and ancient loft in Philadelphia's Old City district, but all things, even companies, must grow up.  After an unseemly long adolescence, we have burst upon the scene (in our own minds at least) and opened our beautiful new space to our guests. On a recent May evening, Jane gave her funny and heartwarming address about her new book, Art&Sole. The book would seem to just be about shoes, but the stories that Jane told were about a lifetime of using her company to create opportunities for all sorts of New Yorkers who needed a bit of a helping hand, be it in the LGBT community, inner city schools, or breast and ovarian cancer.  There wasn't a dry eye in the crowd as Jane recited stories about how she was able to help so many people simply by thinking differently about how to use her position at a very successful company.

(photo by Urszula Pruchniewska)

Jane giving her presentation (photo by Urszula Pruchniewska)

Afterwards, Jane answered lots of questions and signed books while the Aids Fund volunteers served up food and drinks. Meanwhile, Kevin and Angela (the KOBS manager) gave tours of our facilities. Then the raffle winners were read out and people went home with goodies from El Dorado Rum, Bernie Robbins, Bitars Restaurant, Starbucks, Trinity Framing, Merritt Gallery, Philadelphia Theatre Company, In Liquid, A Girl Named Katie, Shane's Candies, Candy Coated, Blush Salon, South Philly Accupunture, Farm & Fisherman Tavern & Market, Nickolette Phillips Design & Tailoring, Eat-a-Pita, More Then Just Ice Cream and artists such as Nikolay Milushev (YOMI t.g.m.b.) and Tim McFarlane.

(photo by Urszula Pruchniewska)

Catherine, Lee, and Sarah modeling some of our raffle items

We clearly take fun very seriously

Serious money was raised and serious fun was had.