This past April we attended the wedding of our dear friends, Stephanie and Noel Hunt’s eldest daughter, who was married in perfect springtime weather in perfect Charleston, SC. Everything about the captivating wedding weekend was as stunningly beautiful as the bride (and her stunningly beautiful mother). On Saturday morning, with fuzzy heads and bleary eyes, we arrived (dreadfully late, of course) to the wedding party brunch, which was held at the house of Susan Hull Walker.
Walking up the full flight of steps to the front door of the Walker’s house, you are immediately hit with the old world allure one associates with a fine Charleston house. But even before you have made it out of the foyer you realize that the charm has been turned up about 40 notches. The art, the furniture, the sumptuous textiles, the accessories, the lighting, the colors, all of it...a grade above and slightly to the left of any sort of ordinary beauty.
The house is alive, engaging, almost conversing with itself... you can’t help but be enchanted. And did I say textiles? Let me say that one more time...the most amazing, glorious, rich, exotic textile collection you have ever seen...and everything intricately woven yet casually chic and playful. This amazing South of Broad house, complete with swoony side porch, is like the ideal garden, refined yet cacophonous. Quite obviously, this space belongs to someone super interesting--someone inspired by travel and cultural diversity, internationalism, the arts, and clearly someone with an uncanny appreciation and knowledge of textile and design.
Lucky us....we got to meet her! Our lovely and fascinating hostess, Susan, told us all about her business and her passion for textiles while we gobbled up the last of the ham biscuits. IBU Movement (ee--boo) is dedicated to supporting women weavers around the world, preserving their traditions and allowing them to become financially stable. (Sounds familiar, eh?) Her vision is on a grand scale though, as she and her team are tackling the world: (38 countries to date!), and rather than trying to set up workshops in different countries, their movement is more of a weaving together of cooperatives and particular designers and workshops (101 so far!) into a point of view--an idea which is really not quite new, but whose execution is admirable, impeccable, and well, spot on. Susan has recruited some of the most fashionable, smart and interesting women to be her Ambassadors; from style icon Iris Apfel to interior design master Charlotte Moss. Actress and activist Ali Mcgraw and reporter and producer Magalie Laguerre Wilkinson are also part of the IBU Movement! If you haven’t heard of it you really need to check out their gorgeous website and don’t neglect to read the About Us section. You will see how truly lovely she is, and why I found her background so intriguing.
{Susan Hull Walker, founder of IBU Movement}
As soon as we left the brunch, we scurried off downtown to see the IBU store and workshop in person, and found it, tucked upstairs on fashionable King Street. Not too big, not too small, but just right-- the store, like Susan’s house, is a riot of color. There was something for everyone, from luxurious kaftans, to gorgeous well-priced mumus, shifts, bracelets and housewares...Ibu is not catering to exclusivity (though there are some pieces with such handcraft that they are of course, exclusive). And is the case with most handmade products, you can see and feel the difference. We found our good friend and interior designer, Leslie Moore, coming out of a dressing room with her arms piled high with soon-to-be purchases. We followed suit and piles high gifts and summer wear to wear for the weekend and take home. So let’s all pile high and salute “a new world crafted by women” for the empowerment of women. It is shopping that makes you feel good about buying.
So here’s to you, IBU!
Here are some of our favorites!
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