Category: Behind the Design

The Sky’s the Limit: Graphics To Spark Their Curiosity

February 18, 2018

Girls Galaxy Graphic Tee

“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” – Neil Armstrong

Americans have always dreamed big. That’s why Neil Armstrong made it to the moon on July 20, 1969. 

Today, we are surrounded by innovation. With a growing database of facts and information at our fingertips, we, more so than ever, have the ability to defy limitations and pursue even the most far-reaching ideas. New technologies pave the way for new thinking, and ever greater possibilities. Just like the  innovators and inventors who came before them, your little citizens can do anything they set their mind to. We are all born curious, all it takes is a little imagination!

Let’s Indigo-Go-Go: Trending Blue Basics

February 13, 2018

Indigo Kids Clothes

Say hello to indigo! It’s no secret that America has a long-standing indigo obsession, and trending this season is a revival of this original American basic. From deep indigo to vintage denim, blues in every hue are popping up everywhere this spring!

Behind the Design: Introducing Native Artists x Tea Collection

January 17, 2018

Tea Collection Native Artists Collaboration Styles

The US is home to people of many cultures, identities, and walks of life. Some of us are here because generations ago our great grandparents and great, great grandparents left their home countries and set sail to a new land filled with promise of hope and opportunity. Others emigrated more recently. And then there are those whose ancestry traces back to the first people to call the US their home.

Our 2018 collection embarks on a journey across America, exploring its kaleidoscope of cultures and celebrating the communities that make each region so unique. Honoring America’s first cultures, this season, we collaborated with indigenous artists all over the country to create original art that’s true to tribal tradition and designed to inspire curiosity.

Learn more about the inspiration behind our exclusive Native Artists x Tea Collection designs.

Native Artists x Tea Collection: Museum of Indian Arts & Culture

January 17, 2018

Isleta Pueblo Pottery Demonstration

The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture opened in 1931, with a mission to collect and preserve Southwest Native American material culture. On our visit, we were so inspired by the Pueblo pottery found in the collection that we felt passionate about bringing the patterns to life in our newest Tea designs. Antonio Chavarria—curator of Ethnology at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, and resident of Santa Clara Pueblo—beautifully explains the importance pottery plays in the lives of Pueblo communities.

Native Artists x Tea Collection: Meet Martha Berry

January 17, 2018

Martha Berry

Born and raised in northeastern Oklahoma, Martha Berry is a renown Cherokee beadwork artist. Taught to use a needle and thread by her beloved grandmother, she made a career as a seamstress for a touring ice show at the age of 20. Years later, she turned her skill to the traditional beadwork of her Cherokee ancestors, leading the revival of this iconic Southeastern tribal art form. In 2013, she was designated a Cherokee National Living Treasure, and today she’s here to share her story with you.

Native Artists x Tea Collection: Meet Benjamin Harjo Jr.

January 17, 2018

Benjamin Harjo Jr.

One of the nation’s leading American Indian artists, Oklahoma-based Benjamin Harjo Jr. is an award-winning Absentee Shawnee-Seminole painter and printmaker best known for his highly stylized geometric forms and use of boldly saturated colors. His art evokes a vibrant, storytelling quality, with imagery that echoes traditional Seminole, Navajo, Plains Indian, and Northwest Coast designs. A very busy and talented artist, we were lucky enough to catch him for a brief Q&A. Here’s what we learned about his life and work.

Native Artists x Tea Collection: Meet Gregory Lomayesva

January 17, 2018

Gregory Lomayesva

An internationally recognized painter, sculptor and mixed-media artist, Santa Fe-based artist Gregory Lomayesva is a master of many mediums. Born of Hispanic and Hopi roots, his whimsical pieces have a wonderful folk art flare that weave together the colors, motifs, and stories reminiscent of his rich cultural heritage. We had the unique chance to chat with Gregory to get a behind-the-scenes peek at his world. Get the inside scoop below.