Eight Nominations for Songs of the Summer
We asked our very tuned-in designers to provide us with a playlist.
Whenever we sit down to talk to designers, the topic of music inevitably comes up. Since the designers we work with are far more musically savvy (and all-around cool) than us, we turned to them for eight tracks to get us through the next couple months. —erica
Some of the most prized records in Toujours Toi Family Affairs designer Nina Egli’s collection.
1) “Devil Hearts Grow Gold” by Las Sera, as nominated by Nina Egli of Toujours Toi Family Affairs: “It’s just so dreamy. It makes me want to stroll through flower fields and take a nap—and not work.”
2) “Composure” by Warpaint, as nominated by Hillary Taymour of Collina Strada: “It was the first band I saw at Coachella, which pretty much started my summer. All the girls are super cute, and their whole album The Fool is amazing.”
3) “Bar-B-Q” by Wendy Rene, as nominated by Ellen van Dusen of Dusen Dusen: “This is my jam of the summer because, hey, I like barbecues.”
4) “California Girls” by The Beach Boys, as nominated by Caroline Ventura of Brvtvs: “Whenever I listen to it, I am instantly transported back to growing up on the beach in So-Cal, learning how to surf, and digging for sand crabs.”
5) “Flying Overseas” by Theophilus London, as nominated by Matt Singer: “It’s about travel and love—and has a super easy summer vibe.”
6) “Secret Lover” by That Work, as nominated by Lyndsey Butler of Veda: “It makes me want to be the last one on the dance floor.”
7) “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, as nominated by Sarah Fox of Cursive Design: “My husband and I are on a month-long road trip across the country. I’ve never been away from home/work for this long, and I’m curious to find the routines that make me feel grounded. That sense of home will probably come from my husband—I am always at home in his company, and that’s what I love about this song.”
8) “Beercan” by Beck, as nominated by Annie Larson of ALL Knitwear: “I have been listening to Beck a lot again this summer. It’s still good—better, actually.”
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Three Crazy-Delicious Things to Eat this Summer
Don’t worry: A full cookbook is on its way.
Not to undermine the significance of liberty and freedom, but today is all about outdoor eating. We’re in the process of putting together a (digital!) cookbook with recipes from our designers—you’ll have to sign up for our newsletter to get the finished product—but there are a few dishes so perfect for scorching July days that we couldn’t resist sharing them early. Consider this your very tasty sneak preview (and sign up for our email list right this minute, ok?). —erica
AVOCADO POPSICLES by Mimi Jung of Brook&Lyn
“I bought a popsicle mold recently, and these, along with cantaloupe ones, were my first batch.”
Ingredients:
3 large avocados
¾ cup coconut milk
½ cup sugar (or less for healthier results)
2 tablespoons lime zest
Pinch of salt
Directions:
Blend all of the ingredients until creamy. Fill 12 popsicle molds and place in the freezer for at least 5 hours.
GAMBAS AL PIL PIL by Matt Singer
“My girlfriend and I ate an amazing version of this dish at Zamas in Tulum—serve it with a loaf of crusty bread.”
Ingredients:
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 tablespoons dry sherry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and paprika and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Increase the heat to high, add the shrimp, lemon juice, and sherry, stir well, and sauté until the shrimp turn pink and are opaque throughout, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper and serve.
1970s MACARONI SALAD by Erica Weiner
“My mom has made this weirdo salad for years, and I’m pretty sure it came from an early seventies edition of The Joy of Cooking.”
Ingredients:
1 box elbow macaroni (noodles, not the blue box)
1 cup full-fat yogurt or sour cream
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 shallot, chopped finely
Juice of 1 or 2 lemons
2 glugs good olive oil
1 cup jarred pimineto-stuffed green olives, chopped
Chives to taste, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain macaroni and put it in a big bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, mix, and chill.
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Four Ways We Rock Of a Kind Editions on Hot, Hot Days
In which we imitate second-rate personal-style bloggers.
We wear the editions we sell on the site. Pretty much daily. Here, four of our favorite hot-weather Of a Kind looks and their IRL scenarios, as styled by Claire and Erica and photographed awkwardly in front of passing crowds by Claire and Erica. —erica
What: Our Veda vest with a Theory tank, J Brand cut-offs that used to be pants, our Sophie Monet necklace, a wooden bangle purchased so many years ago that I can’t believe I haven’t lost it yet and definitely don’t remember where I found it, and Joie sandals picked up in Austin, Texas, at By George after United lost my luggage (lemons/lemonade, etc.).
Where: To poolside parties at SXSWi (the reason for the trip to Austin)—I may have gone for the tech, but I still dressed for the music portion. If I can’t do rocker-chic in Austin, then I’ll never do rocker-chic. 
What: Our light-as-linen-cause-it-is Ace & Jig dress with DVF mules, a Levi’s denim vest, our Brvtvs bracelet, and an Alyssa Norton friendship bracelet gifted to me by a friend years before they were a trend (snap).
Where: To that same friend’s rooftop party where there was (predictably) more cheese and dip than anyone should eat—hence the lack of a waistline.
What: Our Society for Rational Dress tunic with a vintage Donna Karan belt from the nineties (handed down from my mother) and a pair of Steven black pumps.
Where: To a serious meeting in midtown (blazer for air-conditioned conference room not pictured). Erica and I had a couple of disastrous days last summer where we tried to do profesh in the heat and ended up looking…sweaty. I got a little giddy when I realized this super-thin piece could transition to business-wear.
What: Our Lizzie Fortunato Jewels necklace with a gold chain of my dad’s, YSL heels (one word: Craigslist), and a dress from Kimberly Ovitz, a designer whose work I had been eyeballing for seasons before finally pulling the trigger.
Where: To a schmance NYC wedding, accompanied by a boyfriend in a vintage Dior tux that he scored on eBay and spilled red wine on almost immediately.
