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Open Studio: Cold Picnic

By Rebecca Jennings
  • Phoebe: "We were living in Boston, both working in jobs in 'missy fashion.' And then we got a little bit—I wouldn’t say fed up, but we got a little bit discouraged from our corporate jobs."
    Peter: "It was pretty rough."
    Phoebe: "We started the b
  • Phoebe: "[A friend] found this space that was really cheap, across from Pies n' Thighs, so we opened a store. We didn’t have the money to stock it the way we would’ve liked to, so we just started making more and more things."
    Peter: "That's how we br
  • Peter: "We just taught ourselves on the way. We had all these great old books from a lot of book sales we went to in Boston."
  • Phoebe: "[Urban Outfitters] picked us up when we used to do watches. They introduced us to other departments, and that's how we got into the cold weather stuff, like the bags. They've been really great to work with."

    Handmade Natural Small Fa
  • Peter: "In the beginning of every collection, we'll talk about and design everything together."
    Phoebe: "You do more leather, and I do more jewelry."
  • Phoebe: "Having a store is a full-time job, and we didn’t really prepare for that. So after a year, we realized we had to make a decision between, 'Do we want to be store owners, or did we want to be making things?' We really enjoy making things, so we sl
  • Phoebe: "We usually do [the plant hangers] in batches, so we'll do maybe 20 a day. It's very low-budget. We set up the computer to TV shows."

    Colorblock plant hangers in hemp (
  • King's Canyon ring, $110
  • Phoebe: "We were working a lot with concrete, and trying to get the effect of rocks that had been worn down by wind or the ocean."
    Peter: " We would make all these lovely bits with cement first, and then have them cast."

    Old Fort ring, <
  • On outside hobbies:
    Peter: "Yeah, we're pretty obsessed with food, so we try to cook as much as possible."
  • Malpais bucket bag, $308
  • Phoebe: "The wall hangings are imaginary landscapes—well, real places, but also our interpretations of them."

    Wall hangings, $506 to $1,122
  • Peter: "We would love more space than we have right now. But that's pretty much it. We love being in Brooklyn."
  • On White Cat, pictured:
    Peter: "The shirt compresses him and it's supposed to make them feel relaxed. He's been sitting by the window, just yelling out of the window. He's got a really strange voice."
  • The Caves of Hans-Sur-Lesse rug, $1,210
  • Peter: "We make pretty much everything here. We have two bag styles that we have made in the city, and then our jewelry is cast in Manhattan as well."

    Colorblock leather totes,

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