ML - Aspen Peak

2014 - Issue 2 - Winter

Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak

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photography courtesy of anna trzebinski; by c2-photography (blouses, bag) boutiques. This summer, she opened her f lagship store on the Cooper Avenue mall. "We want to be a connector that's not always about pumping money out of people," she says. "We want to be a portal into another world that's not just retail." In her store, a life-size photograph of Trzebinski, Lemarti, and members of the Maasai tribe sits behind the register. Throughout the store hang luxurious cashmere coats, ostrich-feather scarves, and beaded ponchos, each uniquely assembled by the Kenyan crafters. Materials are sourced from all over the "If you look at anything that's handmade, there is something totally different in it than something that is machine made," she says. "That's not to say that machine-made clothes don't have their place. But the process of making it [by hand] always involves traditional rituals or ceremonies." Trzebinski, 48, grew obsessed with this idea more than two decades ago and became one of the first female fashion designers from Africa to receive legit- imate press in the United States, gaining notoriety worldwide through grassroots trunk shows and A friend of Trzebinski's models a python-patterned shirt and guinea fowl feather-trimmed scarf from the designer's collection. right: Hand-crafted apparel and accessories hang in Trzebinski's new Aspen store. top: An evening bag inspired by traditional Maasai necklaces with a cow horn button and handle ($950). world—glass beads from the Czech Republic, croco- dile from South Africa, and turquoise from New Mexico—before being cut and stitched in Africa. Instead of being an inventor, she says many of her designs are translations, culling a variety of elements from different cultures and styles to make her own. Her touch was enough to catch the eye of designer Ralph Lauren, who's been helpful in the develop- ment of her brand. She was originally set to open a store on New York City's Madison Avenue last year, but a series of events and investor relationships led her to Aspen instead. "Aspen is full of genuinely engaged, interested citi- zens who want to change the world," says Trzebinski, who had been coming to the Roaring Fork Valley for nearly 30 years and felt that it was the right "mind-set" for the launch of her United States store. During the off-seasons, she plans to continue trunk shows and visit Kenya and her studio. (She splits her time between Kenya and the United States, and lives part-time in Aspen.) Though much of her line is clas- sic—nothing ever goes on sale—Trzebinski continues to find inspiration around the world. "There is so much stuff on this planet that is so beautiful… it doesn't have to be mass-produced," she says. A nd t ha t 's a n idea l she's t a ken i nt o her ow n ha nds. 414 E. Cooper Ave., 970-925-2848; annatrzebinski.com AP "There is so much sTuff on This planeT ThaT is so beauTiful... iT doesn'T have To be mass-produced." —anna trzebinski 56  aspenpeak-magazine.com STYLE Tastemaker

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