It's no secret that we kind of have a thing for designer Timo Weiland around here... and it turns out our pals over at W Hotels and the CFDA do, too. Selecting the designer as part of the CFDA {FASHION INCUBATOR} program, it was off to Bali for #teamTimo (Timo, Alan, Donna, Haley, and Cov-alum Kelly Framel of The Glamourai) to take in a little inspiration for upcoming collections. Weiland himself explained his choice of destination best, saying, "The TW DNA is deeply rooted in surfing and beach culture." Bali, here they come!
After a long flight, day one was a whole lot of work and not so much play for the group, as they arrived at the W Bali and sleepily Skyped with the rest of the team back home to finalize samples for Resort 2014. The next day, the crew hit up Deus Ex Machina Moto & Surf Shop, chilled on the beach at Seminyak before dining at the Garden, a local resto. After getting in a few winks at the W Bali, it was off to get a little surfing in first thing the next morning at Kuta Beach. After refuelling on local grub at a gorgeous cabin cafe, Timo and Alan played a DJ set at W's Woo Bar for W Bali's Sunset Session, with insiders from the hotel modeling a few looks from Timo's collection; later going on to hit up a few local Kuta clubs. Once the team had recovered from the night before, the crew browsed the fabrics at a few local markets, later going body surfing around Seminyak. After dining at Ku De Ta with the guys from the People's Movement, it was to Mantra for the rest of the night. After being greeted by waters too flat to surf, the crew made the best of their last day by eating plenty of seafood and ice cream while lounging on the beach, followed by drinks and dancing at Mantra all night, before hopping on their plane home to NYC. When in Bali, right? As Weiland later explained while reflecting on the trip, "We looked at Bali and Indonesia loosely in an abstract way for everything ranging from our prints, silhouettes, embroideries, textures, etc. Something unexpected that inspired us was the local street art, graffiti, and architecture of the area."
After the trip, Weiland filled us in, saying, "We are honored to be supported by both W Hotels and CFDA; so to us, this is a big deal. We have had access to places around the world that we otherwise would not have had the means to travel to as a team. The program has been top-notch!" Can you really beat an endorsement like that?
