Join clothing & lifestyle designer ERICA TANOV, and her collaborators for a lively conversation and visual presentation, moderated by acclaimed design writer DIANE DORRANS SAEKS. They will explore the art of creative collaboration for home design and fashion collections. In addition to Tanov, panelists include three talented creative women: interior designer ELENA DENDIBERIA, co-founder of Studio Ahead; textile artist AMY KEEFER, the ‘Beyond Trend’ Coordinator and Textiles Studio Lead of Creative Growth and artist EMILY PAYNE.
ERICA TANOV is a woman-owned company led by its namesake founder, which recently celebrated 30 years in business. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Erica Tanov is a designer of clothing and homeware collections. Working with the finest luxurious fabrics and materials, embracing meticulous construction and subtle detailing, the designer is always drawn to a raw, natural beauty. Erica Tanov collections are available at the designer’s Berkeley retail boutique, and now also at her new Berkeley studio, a carefully curated space, which showcases the full breadth of her own designs, including wallpaper, architectural tiles, furniture, bedding, and fabric collections, as well as vintage ‘finds’ (furniture, jewelry, & accessories). Instagram: @ericatanov
DIANE DORRANS SAEKS is the bestselling author of twenty-five design books, including “Parisian By Design”, “Jean-Louis Denior Interiors”, and “Michael S. Smith: Elements of Style”. She was a founding editor of Metropolitan Home and Garden Design magazines. DORRANS SAEKS is interior design editor for PaperCity and an editor with C MAGAZINE. She has long-standing creative relationships with leading California and international designers. She has a large following on her Instagram: @dianedorranssaeks
ELENA DENDIBERIA is co-founder of interior design studio Studio Ahead where she leads creative work, focusing on custom details. She is an internationally exhibited artist with a sensual approach to art and design. Elena brings together the tactile experience of her art practice with a design narrative that evolves through close collaboration with artists, craftspeople, and fabricators. Instagram: @studioahead
Textile artist AMY KEEFER, the ‘Beyond Trend’ Coordinator and Textiles Studio Lead of Creative Growth, explores the intersection of art and apparel, viewing clothing as an extension of oneself and a medium through which personal histories and allegiances are revealed. She holds an MFA from California College of the Arts. An advocate for wearable art in all forms, Keefer joined Creative Growth, a pioneering non-profit organization dedicated to supporting artists with developmental disabilities, in 2016. Since then, Creative Growth’s annual runway show has expanded into a generative fashion department within the studio, partnering with important artists, brands and designers across the country. Founded in 1974 in Oakland, California by Elias Katz and Florence Ludins-Katz, the organization was established with a mission to utilize art as a primary means for individuals with disabilities to express themselves within a safe and nurturing community and gain professional gallery exposure. Creative Growth operates as both studio and gallery that not only showcases the works of its 140+ artists but actively promotes their inclusion into major collections and institutions globally, such as MoMA, the Smithsonian and the recent historic acquisition by SFMoMA. Sales from the gallery directly fund artist support and studio operations, helping to sustain and expand this vibrant creative community. @creativegrowth
EMILY PAYNE grew up in Mill Valley, Calif., and Amherst, Mass. She received her B.A. from Oberlin College in Ohio and her M.F.A. in Printmaking and Book Arts from San Francisco State University in 1999. Her work can be seen at the Seager Gray Gallery in Mill Valley, the SFMOMA Artist Gallery in San Francisco, the Kala Art Institute and the Cecile Moochnek Gallery in Berkeley. She lives and works in Berkeley, Calif. Instagram: @emilypayneart
Photo: Molly Haas