Maverick Style: Inspired by the West

Vintage Style with Mexican Flair

I love the Consuela line of home decor items and fashion accessories. They use lots of bright, fun colors, and they make me happy just to look at them! The last time I wrote about this line, I featured their beautiful wooden picture frames and boxes. This time I would like to focus on their rustic handcrafted crosses.

Consuela has a large selection of beautiful crosses that are handcrafted out of heavy wood and individually painted and embellished with wonderful aged metal adornments. The crosses combine vintage styling and Mexican flair with bright, bold colors, resulting in the perfect accent piece for any room. The crosses are available in three sizes, and can be grouped together to create a unique focal point in a room.

Featured below are three of the medium sized Consuela crosses, which are 15" wide by 24" tall. The turquoise cross and the red cross are $175 each, and the black cross is $185. Visit the Consuela website to see their entire selection of crosses, as well as other distinctive home decor items and fashion accessories.

The Preeminent Exhibition of Fine Western Design

I have visited Jackson, Wyoming many times, and it is one of my favorite places in the world. However, I am even more excited about this year's upcoming trip because I will be attending the Western Design Conference for the first time. The 18th Annual Western Design Conference takes place from September 9 - 12 at the Pavilion at Snow King Resort, and it is one of the signature events of the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival.

Hosted by Teton Home and Living magazine, the Western Design Conference features a Lecture Series (Thursday, Sep. 9), a runway Fashion Show presenting couture collections from new and established Western fashion designers (Thursday, Sep. 9), and a Gallery Exhibit and Sale showcasing Western furniture, fashion, and accessories (Friday - Sunday, Sep. 10-12). The Gallery Exhibit and Sale celebrates those who have chosen to forego mass production in order to create one of a kind, museum quality functional art pieces honoring the spirit of the West. The Gallery Exhibit and Sale consistently attracts the most talented artists working with wood, metal, leather and textiles.

Featured below is a spectacular elk and white tail deer antler chandelier from Kyle Anderson of Game Trail Gatherings, a stunning hand crafted leather vest by Denice Langley of Denice Langley Custom Leather and Silver, and a beautiful turquoise and amber bracelet by Susana Brown of SIS Designs. I can't wait to meet all the talented designers and see their hand crafted products in person!

The great news is that all of the Western Design Conference events are open to the public! Tickets for the Gallery Exhibit and Sale are only $15, and they also enable you to attend the Lecture Series. Visit the Western Design Conference website to find out more about this premiere Western event.

Sophisticated Shirts for Men

Ryan Michael also has an incredible selection of shirts for men. They are Western inspired, but sophisticated in styling. Like the women's shirts, they are perfect for almost any occasion, with fabrics and colors that are rich and distinctive.

Featured below are some of my favorite styles and colors from Ryan Michael's Fall 2010 Men's Collection. The Four Needle Western Shirt, made of silk and cotton, is available in five fabulous colors, including Autumnal Green. The Vintage Western Shirt is made of Tencel, and is only available in Indigo, the perfect shade for a vintage style Western shirt. The new Double Needle Shirt, made of a cotton/linen blend, is available in a range of colors, including black, which is featured below. Do you want to impress the women in your life? You cannot go wrong with a Ryan Michael shirt!

Visit the Ryan Michael website to see the entire collection of men's shirts for Fall 2010, and to find a retailer near you.