Got wood?

If only I had a nickel for every time a friend made fun of me for my obsession with wood, metal and leather ...

Wood feels homey, warm and familiar, bringing me back to my childhood and my hometown I guess.

I can't put my finger on it - it's something about the simplicity and the clarity of the patterns and the materials that draws my eye. Wood is honest, it's inspiring; its flaws blend in in an admirable way.

It gives a sense of nature which we've all somehow lost, and it contrasts nicely with metal, quite the representation of urban living. Yes, perhaps that's what it is - the internal unease, the different dynamics we hold within.

I was in NY recently and I added a few things to the wood, metal & leather family which instantly became favourites - below with a few more from the permanent collection ;).

Leather book phone case, Ebay
Wooden USB stick

MIANSAI cuff by Michael Saiger

Carpenter Watch, Lorenzo Buffa - MoMA store

Mesh Gau Bracelet, Laura Santi, MoMA store

While there, I also got a cheeky little double piercing at NY Adorned - I came across it randomly on another blog a week before I landed and I knew it was going down for sure.

The guys there are really friendly; the girl at the reception is the one who introduced me to the gorgeous Miansai cuffs.

They customise the jewellery and the piercings per se to your own taste and body. They do have a massive gallery where you can get a good idea of their products -golden studs, spikes, etc.- and services, which differ from season to season, making them more unique.

To me their game-changer  factor lies within J Colby Smith's subtle piercings, which pay tribute to the name by literally adorning body parts. His work carries a simplicity that fascinates me. The combination of really delicate piercings and luxurious materials comprise probably the smartest move I've seen in the industry so far, "exonerating" piercing on places...other than your lower ear. What this means essentially is that you can still have your piercings and still look "professional", in the conventional sense, and elegant, as these piercings don't take away from your natural characteristics, but they rather enhance them.

For those of you who will ask, I would say it is a bit pricey, however, it is a customised service and the jewellery itself is high quality (gold, silver and so on). At the end of the day, you get what you pay for. so totally worth it - fyi that's how it looks like:

Needless to say, a post with the best places to visit in NY and best shopping spots will follow shortly!

x M