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Children of the Indigo Nation by Sugarhigh + Lovestoned

You might have seen previews of it, but the official release of the new Sugarhigh+Lovestoned Summer 2012 lookbook happens here and now, exclusively on Ben Trovato. Children of the Indigo Nation is a lookbook like no other, like Sugarhigh+Lovestoned (SH+LS) is a fashion label like no other. Let’s start at the beginning..

…how it all began,” Chloe Chippendale - one of the founders of SH+LS - starts. “SH+LS is a collaboration between two friends, me and Tami Snodgrass. We met in Maui while working on separate clothing lines and after a few surf sessions and happy hours we realized that we shared the same vision: a collection that is down to earth and down for just about anything.

At the end of 2009, they launched their debut collection: three tees and a studded mini.

We maxed out our credit lines, sold off anything not nailed down and went for the gold. A learning experience to say the least - it led us to thinking creatively to find funding for our second, a much larger and much more thought-out collection witch consists of 16 plus pieces, including a men’s graphic tee capsule collection.

The funding was brought in through Kickstarter, and the money, support and following they received during the time they raised the capital to set their dream into motion started a fire inside of them that just cannot be snuffed out.

Think 60s & 70s hand died worn-out tie dyes, flowy hi-lo skirts, fringed boyfriend tanks and some pretty killer graphics,” they say when asked to describe their new collection. “This collection is deeply inspired by the elements, the desert, the moon + psychedelics. It’s kind of like a movement of freedom and wildness, like they did back in the 70′s with all of it’s free-love, free-spirited, self-exploration and rock & roll. Gram Parsons, Keith Richards, Jim Morrison, Anita Pallenberg… they all made pilgrimages to Joshua Tree to find themselves and experience the world with kaleidoscope eyes.

And the process of shooting the actual lookbook was like a travel back in time, should we believe their stories. With an Olympus OM-1 from the 1960′s and a few prism filters, photographer Amanda Smith captured the freedom and wildness of this era perfectly.

We really couldn’t have asked for a better team here. The way we all came together and the chemistry we created was truly magical. We love working with Amanda Smith, a self-taught Portland-dwelling, hippie badass, born and raised in Houston TX,” Chloe says.

As for the models, Skye Sengelmann a pole-dancing hippie love child from Hawaii is our free-spirited muse. Her personality reminds you of Alabama from True Romance - a true wild child + life of the party. We spontaneously picked up model Brandon Anderson at 2 am the night before the shoot in a last minute hunt to find an extra boy. We bonded over stories of Burning man, love and travel, and over the next three days we became friends for life. Our other male model, Chance Welton, is Chloe’s lover, soul-mate and partner in crime. Musician, traveler, free-spirit and festival junkie, we didn’t have to ask him twice to get naked + covered in paint. As for Sarah Peinado, she is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. After a few long-distance collaborations with her blog “Where’s My Other Shoe” we were so excited to finally work with her in person.

Honestly, it couldn’t have been more perfect,” Amanda tells us, adding: “Everyone brought something different to the table and it all blended together so smoothly. I had the most amazing time both on and off set.

“It was truly an adventure; cartwheels on Venice beach at night, climbing rocky desert mountains, getting kicked out the hotel pool for having too much fun, hanging out with a leather-skinned, wild cowboy named Jim Queen.”

“It was a total blast and I’m looking forward to future projects and adventures with both the ladies of SH+LS and the models.”

Aside from their crazy adventure Amanda says she was inspired by the natural environment they were in. “Joshua Tree is a weird and magical place, it’s hard not to be inspired by the landscape. It was the first time I had ever been there, as well as working on a shoot of this caliber, so I was inspired by my own experience exploring these exciting and beautiful new territories. Also, the creative ideas and vision from the SH+LS designers and models.

Amanda started out photographing and styling her own shoots for fun, mainly as a hobby and creative outlet, but then started working with stylist Sarah Barker for her local event calendar msmsodx.com, where they’d work together on lookbooks for local vintage shops in Portland. “Opportunities have seemed to just present themselves so I jump on them whenever it seems like good fit and a good time.

This was definitely a good one.

Remember, sharing is caring, and if you love Sugarhigh+Lovestoned‘s fashion as much as we do you can easily shop their looks right here.

Credits
Photography by Amanda Smith
Models - Skye Sengelmann, Chance Welton, Brandon Anderson, Sarah Peinado
Creative Direction & Styling by Chloe Chippendale & Tami Snodgrass
Hair & Makeup by Liana Kramer
Video by Reece Pottorff
Designers - Chloe Chippendale & Tami Snodgrass
Jewelry & accessories by Heyoka + Torchlight
Vintage accessories provided by What Goes Around Comes Around