Women-led businesses we love: Cultura Collection, a new lifestyle brand with an ethos of wellness and sustainability

Sarah Barnard Design recently attended an exclusive launch party in Santa Monica for Cultura Collection, a new online collective that retails quality products from conscious, purposeful brands and serves as a community hub for global citizens interested in travel, music, dance and wellness.

Founder Renimah Al-Mattar, a longtime friend of Barnard’s, launched Cultura Collection after 15 years in the corporate world. “I started this brand because I believe in the power of wellness,” says Al-Mattar. “For me, a healthy lifestyle started with immersing myself in the type of exercises that brought me joy like music and dance and yoga, but it also extended to eating clean and using products that are eco-conscious and free of chemicals and harmful additives. All of the products I carry support this ethos.”

 The launch party was held on the rooftop of a commercial building in downtown Santa Monica, where guests snapped selfies against a succulent backdrop, nibbled on hors d'oeuvres prepared by a local restaurant, and browsed the selection of wellness products, handcrafted clothing, paper goods and delicious vegan chocolates.

Al-Mattar is committed to mentoring, supporting and empowering women and the majority of the brands represented in Cultura Collection are women-owned and operated. “We still live in an age where it is more difficult for women-led businesses to have access to capital or even marketing and distribution at times,” says Al-Mattar. “My goal is to use my online platform to tell the stories behind these unique brands.”

This message resonates with Barnard, whose own online boutique storefront, Kale Tree, supports the work of local artisans producing sustainable, ethically-made home goods. Lifting up fellow women-led businesses is something Barnard is particularly passionate about.

“I’m so happy to see what Renimah has accomplished in her support of small makers and women in particular,” says Barnard. “I’m looking forward to following her business as it grows.” 

The successful launch of the Cultura Collection brought together like-minded individuals to celebrate well-made products, artisan communities and entrepreneurship. Barnard was grateful to have been in attendance for Al-Mattar’s first and most important business milestone. You can shop the Cultura Collection online at culturacollection.com (they’ve got some great holiday gifts!) or follow them on social media.

Nordic LA presents: Scandinavian Influences & ARK Journal Launch

Sarah Barnard Design had the pleasure of attending an Architecture and Design event hosted by Nordic LA for an exclusive reception and launch of the second volume of ARK Journal amongst other notable architects, designers, and artists from the Los Angeles area and beyond. The festivities spanned over two days and were held at the Schindler House in West Hollywood and the Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.

Friday night began with a private tour led by Rudolph Schindler’s great-grandson, Guillaune Schindler. The house is well known as the birthplace of Southern California Modernism, due to its incorporation of architectural and social theory. Built between 1921 and 1922 using a standardized "slab-tilt" wall construction, the home was conceived as an experiment in communal living designed to host two couples, with four rooms for each individual, a shared kitchen, and garden patios. Most interestingly, the bedrooms were designed as "sleeping porches." These were outdoor, open rooms on the roof that allowed them to enjoy the temperate Southern California weather and the sweeping views of the neighborhood.

After the tour, guests gathered on the Western-facing outdoor space, best known as Rudolph and Pauline's porch, to hear the panelists' discussion. Lasse Anderson, the Director of the Utzon Center for Architecture in Denmark, moderated the speakers who included the West Coast Manager of Pucci International, Ed Schilling, and Cyrus Etemad, a real estate developer with a focus on the restoration of historic and commercial buildings. The conversation was focused on bringing traditional design and architecture into a contemporary context through renewal, rethinking, and relaunching classic brands and sites.

Saturday evening, the Ace Hotel hosted the group for cocktails and conversation. Located in downtown Los Angeles, the Ace Hotel first opened in 1927 as the United Artists Building. Today it is a historic landmark, influenced by Spanish Gothic architecture, and is an "inspiring location at the heart of the ongoing Broadway renaissance, a meeting place for creatives, innovators, artists, and entrepreneurs."

ARK Journal explores spaces around us, the objects we put them in, and the people who make them. The Copenhagen-based journal bridges architecture, design, and art, allowing the launch party to fit in seamlessly with the weekend's course of events.

The publication included a beautiful feature of Merette's home in Møn, an island in Denmark, which she built with her partner Søren Aagaard. The sleek house made of clay blocks and chalk plastered walls plays with light and nature, and even includes windows built to frame a specific view of the farmland surrounding the home.

Nordic LA's weekend events centered around Architecture and Design had great success in bringing together creatives from Scandinavian countries and Los Angeles. The event gave a new-found inspiration for global communication and the importance of creative collaborations.

Nordic LA provides opportunities for artists, musicians, and performance-focused creatives to connect with others both in Los Angeles and in the Nordic countries.

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Sarah Barnard designs healthy, happy, personalized spaces that are deeply connected to nature and art. Empathy and mindfulness are the foundation of her practice creating healing, supportive environments that enhance life.