Cake Design News: Obsessions: Annie Larson

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Annie Larson is not predictable. But once you get to know her and her work — bright, pattern-melding sweaters, dresses and hats that she makes herself on a Brother KH 965i knitting machine — you can get a handle on what fuels her: classic shapes, under-appreciated motifs and the sort of hues that scare many people. But in the hands of Annie and her line ALL Knitwear, bold color combos are a lot less daunting. Hers was the first edition to sell out on the site I co-founded, Of a Kind. Here are 12 things Annie's seriously into right now. In a minute, you'll likely be right there with her. — Erica

Image above, clockwise from top left:

1. Beatrice Valenzuela Combinados, $200
"I like her shoes because they are all really close to the ground, so when you wear them, you feel really close to the ground. And they are comfortable. They're a little earthier than things I would typically tend toward, but she uses a lot of colors that I like."

2. Vintage Marimekko
"I purchased this vintage Marimekko dress toward the end of the summer and have been on the hunt for more ever since. I got it at Beautiful Dreamers in Williamsburg. My hair is obstructing some parts of the dress in this image, but there is some very clever piecing in the front, like where the pockets are built in. I thought it was really interesting how the different points and the stripes intersected."

3. Bonnie Cashin Outerwear
"When I was in college, the on-campus costume archive had a very large Bonnie Cashin collection, and they did an exhibit of her work. So that was how I was first exposed, and then my very in-tune mother bought me a vintage Bonnie Cashin cape, about five or six years ago, for Christmas. It was wild — hot orange alpaca, lined with leather and with all of the Bonnie Cashin signature closures. Fall is the best time of year to be a Bonnie Cashin fan. I think she's a little underappreciated, and her outerwear in particular is really amazing."

4. Dance Works III: Merce Cunningham/Rei Kawakubo
"The Dance Works exhibit that is up at the Walker Art Center right now showcases a series of costumes that Rei Kawakubo, of Comme des Garçons, made for a dance project that was choreographed by Merce Cunningham — the original dance took place in 1997. I have been obsessing over it lately, and trying to find more images of the costumes in action because it's so cool to see the way that they move."

5. Louis Vuitton Spring 2013 Collection
"I just loved it so much. I think that checkers are overlooked. In some ways, checkers are so generic that people don't even consider them, or they remind people of too many other things that they shy away from them. What I really liked about the collection was that it was only checkers. I am sure for some people that was redundant or boring, but I thought it was really great. I really admire that commitment to one idea — and especially in fashion where I feel like there is a lot of pressure to generate new ideas."

6. Rolu Couch
"Rolu is by a couple of guys that my boyfriend, Eric, and I know from Minneapolis, and they are really nice, really great people. They also make and design amazing furniture and do different landscape-design projects in Minneapolis. They have done a lot of plywood furniture designs, and a lot of their pieces have a raw feeling. But when I saw this couch — I would die if I could have it."