Carina Schott

Inspiriting Designer

I know my story will sound cliché, but the idea behind “Nonchalant Mom” is anything but commonplace. When we had our son Sander in 2002, we decided it was time to move, so we packed up and moved ourselves from Manhattan to Rhode Island. I found myself with a lot of energy, 20 years experience in the fashion industry behind me, and no one with whom to share my love for natural living to raise my son. I also found it hard to network and get information on raising my son as naturally as possible. We still go all the way back to New York just to see our pediatrician, Dr. Michel Cohen, because his approach is laid back, and he let us bring up Sander according to our own intuition (although he laughed every time we told him that Sander was still sleeping with us).

Nonchalant Mom was born from a need to find great toys, clothes and information on natural parenting, all in one place. It wasn’t on the internet yet and I knew I could bring these ideals together, and make it FUN! I also wanted to meet other parents that enjoy these things, and create a community of “natural parents” so I don’t feel so alone. I know you are all out there, so lets get together!

Kindest Regards,
Carina Schott

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Candace Langan

Inspiriting Interior Designer

Simon Lowe

Inspiriting Designer

“I hope that when I make furniture I’m creating more than a chair, table or bed: I hope that I’m making a piece whose existence will humbly make the world a better and more wondrous place to live. A chair, for instance, allows us to sit and rest, which in turn allows us to run, dance and laugh. It is a small gesture celebrating everything beyond itself.”

Simon always returns to the sea somehow, ever since he watched the Indian Ocean from the beaches of East Africa twenty years ago. On his return to the UK from Africa he learned to sail, and progressed to working as a professional yachtsman for several years. He continued to race yachts every weekend in the Solent even as he studied for a degree in Semitic Languages in London. Having finished university he finally set upon the course that has carried him through until today, very recently graduating with a Master of FIne Arts in Furniture Design from the Rhode Island School of Design, and founding Simon Furniture Design.

Nine years ago, he started working as a builder’s labourer, digging holes and mixing cement. Then he began taking on some carpentry work. He learned on the job. He gutted and refitted the boat that he was living on, then another. Other people needed work doing on their boats and houses, and very soon he had a small carpentry business. Restless as ever though, he packed up one day and headed across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. In Antigua he worked for four years at Chippy Fine Yacht Woodwork. During this time, as well as a summer in Palma, Mallorca and another in Newport, he had the opportunity and privilege to work on very many of the world’s most prestigious superyachts.

“I have spent 20 years acquiring diverse skills and experience and now have an enormous sensory vocabulary with which I believe that I can transform functional items of furniture into individual pieces of beauty, which you will want to touch, feel, smell, stare at, consider and use- and if you listen very closely to them maybe you will hear the sound of the sea.”

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Courtney Mitchell

Inspiriting Designer

“As a child I never seemed to stay in one place for too long. This wanderlust that grew within me since childhood has now come to influence my work as a designer. I am inspired by the variety of landscaped, cultures, textiles, and colors from around the world. My constant longing to be out in nature often influences my work as well. Sometimes it is a literal interpretation, but mostly what I take from nature is the feeling that being in a certain place can give you.”

Courtney Mitchell graduated in the Spring of 2013 from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where she received a BFA studying Apparel Design. She has worked as an intern at Ralph Lauren as part of the Women’s concept design team. She has also interned for Free People, where she worked on the “Dresses Team”, creating pieces that will be on the market as of December 2013.

Courtney’s most recent collection was her thesis collection, “Hanyut”, which was shown in the RISD Collections Fashion Show in the Spring.

“My Thesis Collection draws inspiration from my time spent traveling around Indonesia this past summer.  The word “Hanyut” when translated from the Indonesian language means “to wander” or “to drift”. Much of my inspiration for my recent collection is pulled directly from the textiles and materials I collected while on the island of Bali, as well as from my experience living in the mountains of West Java. The collection blends handmade vintage batik fabrics, traditional Balinese laces, and sheer fabrics inspired by the ominous mist of the Javanese jungle.

In Bali Hinduism is practiced by a majority of the people, and makes the culture on this island so special, as you can see daily offerings left outside the homes and stores of the people who live there. White, worn on specific days of meditation in Hinduism, stands out amongst the endless sea of batik clothing. I was so drawn to how pristine and elegant the white looked, and to mimic this effect, I incorporated white as the base color for my collection.

Located amongst rice paddies and steep ravines, is the town of Ubud. While I was there I fell in love with all the incredible handicrafts, but what really stood out to me were the intricately carved buffalo skulls. The way they were carved with floral designs and curvilinear lines is reminiscent of many of the batiks. I wanted to incorporate this into my collection through various fabric manipulations such as laser cutting suede, and appliqué. The jewelry pieces I styled my collection with are all pieces I made myself, mostly from copper that I hammered out, and gave a patina to.

When I think back on my experience in Bali, I always imagine standing at Uluwatu Temple on the edge of the cliff, overlooking the ocean, with the forest behind me. The pieces for my collection are all things I imagine being most beautiful when they are worn outside, and the movement of the wind can bring them to life. My pieces I hope to evoke a feeling of calm. ”

In the future Courtney hopes to own her own company, and to create a lifestyle brand, encompassing her many hobbies, such as backpacking, traveling, climbing, interior decorating, jewelry making, and her love for designing clothing.

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