// CKD TURNS TWO

// 

I was sitting at a table with John Varvatos’s team at the Soho House meatpacking in New York. Dinner wasn’t served yet and all I could think about was my pillow. I had just started the textile program at FIT - my morning class started at 8 am. Sitting beside me was his lawyer. The same man who's clients ranged from Madonna to the Rolling Stones. I remember I was rambling on about my dreams in the textile industry with absolutely nothing to show for them, when without saying anything he pulled out his phone to show me a quote. “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” He then said before you go to sleep dream bigger. Each night dream bigger than the night before. Place yourself into a life that seems unimaginable, one day that life will come true. To this day, that remains to be my favourite memory of New York. Life can get ugly and hard and scary. Living in my head with my larger than life dreams has been the only thing that kept me moving forward through the growing pains of reality. Set your goals high and the leaps you take won’t seem scary just necessary.

CKD has had the pleasure of working with the coolest clients. Together pushing boundaries in the industry, coming up with artwork that thinks outside the box. My dreaming has paid off, thank you Lawyer Man. I’m not sure what CKD will look like as a two year old. The dream however is to keep moving forward, learning, evolving, meeting new people, creating better innovative work, keeping myself open to different opportunities that will allow for growth. Anything is possible, I know that for sure now [blows out her candle]. 

// HELLO FROM POOLSIDE

// life lately: 

My father's parents lived in Florida. My mom's parents have had a condo in Florida since before I was born. I pretty much grew up here. Between New York living and airplanes overseas lately I forgot how much I loved this place. It's quiet and sunny with working wifi poolside. I hopped on a plane this weekend to meet the fam for a change of scenery. There's a lot of a lot going in CKD life. Camping out in the studio alone can get lonely, so I thought I would find some shade under palm trees instead. Just thought I would say hello. x -C

// BIG BALLS

// Location: Dolphin Gaming 

Dolphin Gaming is a bingo hall with a bar and some sort of machines that look like slot machines. They asked for graphic yet lottery-esque. This is what CKD came up with, and I think it looks pretty sweet. Definitely very different than anything I've done before! 

// COLLECTION N TWENTY FIVE

// Here tomorrow 

My mom told me to give it a year. She said if things don't change in a year pick up and go back. A year felt like eternity. I was sitting on the couch, my hands stained from painting Collection N Fifteen, and my eyes full of tears. It will be a year tomorrow. Growing pains are true to their words - painful. Painful, humbling, heart breaking, and glorious. I've hopped on a off planes, saw what across the world looks like, met new people, fell in love with life again, and watched myself walk into the woman I've been put on this earth to become. The only thing I'm chasing is my development. The only thing that can knock me over are my own two feet. And the only direction I'm looking is forward. This collection is so much more than just a couple roses and green leaves. Every petal came from a lesson that lead to personal growth. The grounds have been left white because finally I can see clear again. And I do feel new. Oddly. I feel like I've been pulled back together again with slightly different engineering. Collection N Twenty Five is all about this new true love. x -C

// CKD IN ST. BARTHS

// Tropical Hotel in Saint Barth

I love when Elisa sends me photos. This one came from St. Barths at CKD's newest project at Tropical Hotel. I'm feeling maybe it's time I book another flight. I should really be seeing this in person. The hotel looks so dreamy. 

// CKD X MICROSOFT X GELASKINS

// 

It's here, it's here, it's live, it's here. The Microsoft x Gelaskins collaboration is officially live. Click here to see all the CKD designed Gelaskins for Microsoft Surface [and all of the other products avaialble]. It was pleasure working alongside all of these talented Canadians. 

// BALI'S DAY OF SILENCE

// Seminyak, Canggu, Ubud 

I hate arriving in a new city late at night. You see nothing and after a six hour flight from Melbourne we were left with two options; the first to order room service and go to bed, the second to get dressed and find a restaurant in town. Since Bali was a short stay Ashley and I decided we should find a restaurant. We hopped in Putu's taxi happy to feel the strong tropical heat cover our bodies, well at least I was. That's when he told us we arrived just in time for Bali's day of silence. Which started the night we arrived and would end the following day at 6 am. Room service it was. The entire island shuts down for day of silence. We were unable to leave our hotel or keep the lights on after 6 pm. I've never experienced anything like it. The rest of the adventure was not so silent. I fell so in love with this place. The people, the vibes, the beaches, the food, the sacred monkeys, the surfers. We spent a full day at Finns on a day bed overlooking the ocean. I spent the majority of that day accidentally burning my skin and watching the surfers. I can see myself coming back here for months at a time. It's just a happy place to be. I'm currently sitting in the Hong Kong airport as I write this. I'm finishing up an eleven hour layover. Surprised I survived it actually. In 16 hours I'll be back in the studio gearing up for the Microsoft x Gelaskins launch, wallpaper going up in Lower East Side, and Collection N Twenty Five has already started coming to life in my head. Excited to get working. See you in the studio. x -C