From top left: Asymmetrical Peacoat in Verdant made from The Peacoat Bundle from The School of Making; Color Palette Bundle #4 from The School of Making; “Things had changed for the better, which is not always the case. But sometimes is.” from Sara Berman’s Closet, 2018 by Maira Kalman and Alex Kalman; “Maira Kalman sweeping in front of Mmuseumm” from Sara Berman’s Closet, 2018 by Maira Kalman and Alex Kalman; The Mini Color Palette Bundle Add-on for The Peacoat Bundle; Variegated Stripe Fabric Detail in Verdant and Forest from The Stripe Series Kits from The School of Making.
“There was a place for everything and everything was in its place. She knew what she had.” – excerpt from Sara Berman’s Closet by Maira Kalman and Alex Kalman
In 2018, friend, illustrator, artist, and writer, Maira Kalman, along with her son and curator, writer, and founder of Mmuseumm, Alex Kalman, wrote Sara Berman’s Closet—an illustrated family memoir inspired by the exhibit of the same name. It was an ode to their mother and grandmother and a celebration of living a spirited, courageous, and authentic life. The closet displays the ephemera from a later part of Sara’s life—after she left her husband at age 60. She traveled back to New York to start a new life in a Greenwich Village apartment where she kept her belongings in a very clean and organized closet. She took to “discovering new things and establishing new rituals” and “in a burst of personal expression, she decided to wear only white.” The book pays tribute to Sara’s life and reinvention. Sara’s closet was also recreated as an art installation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2017.
We’ve long loved Maira’s work, and this book teaches us to live big, love hard, take risks, and seek out the world’s endless possibilities even among loss and hardship. It gives us many things to reflect on as we near the end of this year.
From top left: “One Friday morning in a burst of personal expression, she decided to wear only white”; right: “Sara Berman” from Sara Berman’s Closet, 2018 by Maira Kalman and Alex Kalman; Asymmetrical Trench from The Trench Bundle from The School of Making; fabric; Embroidery Floss in Forest, Ochre, Baby Blue, and Natural from Color Palette Bundle #4; Detail of the Asymmetrical Trench; “Guards were now watching over Sara’s bras” from Sara Berman’s Closet, 2018 by Maira Kalman and Alex Kalman.
Our most recent projects from The School of Making—The Peacoat and Trench Bundles—remind us to be inspired to create and celebrate the beauty, time, and craft (and even the mistakes) of making our own. Make, wear, and cherish these pieces (and store them in your own closet) with pride. They’re even available to be made in white.
P.S.: Look back here for more inspiration from Anni Albers, the #YearofColor from The School of Making, and #womenwhoinspire (like Maira).
THE PEACOAT BUNDLE
Contents
4 yards of 100% Organic Medium-weight Cotton Jersey in the color of your choice
1 pack of Button Craft Thread
6 #7 snaps
Add-on: The Asymmetrical Trench Pattern (includes peacoat pattern)
Add-on: Mini Color Palette Bundle
Design Choices
Top Layer – Verdant
Appliqué Stripe – Forest and Sand from the Mini Color Palette Bundle
Button Craft Thread – Sage
Embroidery Floss – Forest and Natural
THE TRENCH BUNDLE
Contents
7.5 yards of 100% Organic Medium-weight Cotton Jersey in the color of your choice
1 pack of Button Craft Thread
6 #7 snaps
Add-on: The Asymmetrical Trench Pattern (includes peacoat pattern [Text Wrapping Break]Add-on: Mini Color Palette Bundle
Design Choices
Top Layer – Black
Appliqué Stripe – Forest, Ochre, Ballet, Baby Blue, and Sand from the Mini Color Palette Bundle
Button Craft Thread – Black
Embroidery Floss – Forest, Ochre, Baby Blue, and Natural
Share your inspiration and finished coats with us and the entire making community using the hashtags #theschoolofmaking and #TSOM20in20.