A recessionista is a fashionista on a really tight budget. She shops the designer racks at Target, looks for deals through shopping clubs, and settles for accessories when the going gets tough. According to Mary Hall, who runs the blog The Recessionista featured in a recent New York Times piece, “To me, Recessionistas are people struggling to survive some of the recent economic challenges while still enjoying a few of life’s pleasures.”
I prefer the approach mounted by my friend Julka Almquist and her sister Kristin on their new blog, Design for Less. For Julka, it’s not just about scratching your shopping itch with a plastic purse made in China. It’s about “promoting design literacy, conscious consumerism and resourcefulness.” Like Mary Hall, Julka features deals (my current favorite is the free Obama sticker designed by Shephard Fairey for MoveOn.Org). Julka, trained as a design ethnographer, also interviews friends and fellow bloggers about their money habits. She puts “shopping” in the broader context of design, labor, and the environment. Now that’s chic.
Featured above: a diamond ring designed by Erika Weiner using herckimer quartz stones. The ring is a frank reference to Civil War hucksters who tried to pass off these rocks as the real thing. Erika sets each one by hand, and every ring is a little different. A few rough edges won’t kill the romance — or your budget. What’s not to love?
— Julia Lupton · 2008-11-09
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