STYLE INSPO: FRIDA KAHLO

If there’s one thing all of our style icons have in common, it’s that they stand out. They show up and show out. They have a look all their own. Millicent Rogers. Iris Apfel. Frida Kahlo.

“We’ve long loved Frida Kahlo, from a style perspective,” said Cheryl. “We’ve dedicated entire collections to her, or at least that channeled her. She is the epitome of staying true to herself, to her roots, to her traditional style. When everyone else was transitioning over to more mainstream looks, she would show up on the chic streets of NYC in huipil embroidery and Mazahua earrings. You know, she already has this unique look about her and then she dresses that in an aesthetic that feels authentic to her. There’s a lot to admire about that.”

So, Folk Foray was a natural fit for Frida.

“Frida is a fairly ever-present inspiration at the back of my mind, no matter what it is I’m designing,” Cheryl said. “That boldness and fearless ‘wear what I want’ mentality toward style. But it really wove into Folk Foray because I happen to have a little piece of folk art, a little trinket, with her face on it. It’s a beautiful little beaded necklace; a good friend, actually the guy who does our window displays, Bill Hornton, gave it to me. And I’ve kept it by my desk for who knows how long. It’s a beaded depiction of Frida’s face on a strand of little turquoise beads. She’s a reminder, a little patron saint of ‘be yourself’ and so I wanted to pay homage to her with a top in Folk Foray.”

The Little Frida Top is a casual conversation-starter. It has a big illustration of Frida, decked out in jewelry as she usually was, and accented with big florals on a background of serape and tempered with black sleeves trimmed in bright pink. It’s another of those “everything all at once” pieces that is really defining the Folk Foray collection.

Little Frida Top

You can also channel your inner Frida with more subtle nods to the fashion icon, wearing bold traditional pieces heavy with folk art florals, like the Ynez Poncho, the Munoz Top, or the Palomita Top with its feminine embroidery and ruffled shoulders.