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Homeland Security Secretary John Kellys move to White House chief of staff is ushering in a cloud of uncertainty at the department that has led some of President Donald Trumps most controversial undertakings from its roundup of undocumented immigrants to his travel ban and proposed border wall.

It may also set the stage for a brutal confirmation fight if President Donald Trump tries to replace the retired Marine general with an outspoken opponent of illegal immigration instead of a seasoned bureaucrat or lawmaker.

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A person close to Kelly said it's unclear who will replace him.

But several White House and former DHS officials proffered a slate of names of possible replacements for Kelly, with Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, emerging as a leading candidate.

Other potential picks include Thomas Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who accompanied Trump on Air Force One on Friday, and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, an outspoken opponent of illegal immigration who is helping to lead the president's controversial commission on alleged voter fraud.

Separately, department staffers have been talking about the possibility that the role might go to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, according to two sources with contacts at DHS, but a person close to the Trump administration said he's unlikely to get the job.

Which direction Trump takes could have a dramatic effect on soothing or stoking the uncertainty gripping his White House.

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"So much of Trump's agenda is tied to DHS," said one Republican lobbyist close to the White House. The consultant added: "Kelly was one of the best decisions he has made thus far. Considering how central DHS is to his agenda, he's got to make another great decision."

Homan got praise from one former DHS official, who called him a career tough guy who plays right to Trump's sweet spot. ICE is the agency leading Trumps street-level enforcement push, and Homan traveled with Trump on Friday to Long Island, N.Y., where the president spoke about the link between street gangs and illegal immigration.

Kobach, on the other hand, would ignite a firestorm among Democrats, who accuse him of carrying out an agenda of denying voting rights to minorities. Seth Stodder, who held assistant secretary roles at the Homeland Security Department from 2015 to this year, said a Kobach pick would be radioactive.

It would be one hell of a confirmation hearing, Stodder said, adding that he would probably oppose the nomination himself. I just cant imagine that happening.

Picking Sessions, meanwhile, would empower Trump to select a new attorney general who could exert more control over the Russia probe, perhaps an ally like Rudy Giuliani. But that option would likely set up a major clash with senators of both parties.

One source familiar with the process cautioned that it's "very early," and things could change in the coming hours and days.

For now, the department announced Friday, Kelly will remain in his DHS role through Monday. After that, Deputy Secretary Elaine Duke a Kelly confidante and well-respected leader will become acting secretary.

Duke, who previously worked as DHS undersecretary for management from 2008 to 2010, would be a capable choice in the eyes of some former DHS officials. Juliette Kayyem, a former assistant secretary for Homeland Security in the Obama administration, called her smart but not overly political, a good mix for the department. Still, shes skeptical Duke would get the nod.

[You] couldn't meet a nicer person who has nurtured and managed that department for three different presidents, Kayyem said. Trump doesn't want nice.

Blain Rethmeier, the sherpa who guided Kelly through his confirmation hearing, said that nobody is better or smarter on the policy than Duke, but that she isn't a known brand to the public.

Trump's choice for the next secretary will be crucial, and not only because of the agencys sprawling portfolio, which includes border security and visa processing along with airport security and disaster relief.

Kelly successfully piloted the presidents immigration crackdown under his watch: ICE has arrested roughly 75,000 undocumented residents to date. At the same time, reports of people trying to enter the U.S. illegally have fallen dramatically. Now Kelly's departure for the West Wing will leave a void as the department deals with the details of enforcing Trumps travel ban, his proposed border wall and terrorist threats against aviation.

Kelly is seen inside and outside the White House as a capable manager. Even some Democrats see him as the most palatable member of the Cabinet. But that is likely to change once he enters the White House, where he'll become a political target for the left.

McCaul, meanwhile, may have the easiest path toward being confirmed as Kellys replacement.

The Texas Republican competed for the secretary role in November. He introduced an immigration bill on Friday that would provide $10 billion for Trumps border wall, a pot of funds that would pay for a mix of wall, fence, technology and aerial surveillance over four years, while boosting Border Patrol by 5,000 agents the level Trump called for in a January executive order.

McCaul even published an op-ed on Fox News in December that pledge his support for Trumps signature project.

We are going to build the wall. Period, he wrote. In the process, I pledge to stand side-by-side with the Trump administration to throw out Obamas reckless immigration policies and start enforcing our nations laws.

He followed up Friday with another Fox op-ed that praised Trump's approach to foreign policy as "strong and decisive."

"The Trump White House relishes American exceptionalism and enjoys promoting Western values," McCaul wrote, citing examples such as his handling of ISIS. "It clearly understands that there is no such thing as leading from behind when it comes to tackling the most pressing international security issues."

Still, the congressman faced backlash from border hawks when his name was floated for the DHS role after the election. Activists in favor of lower immigration levels tweeted under the hashtag "#NeverMcCaul" and derided him as soft on the issue.

Daniel Lippman contributed to this report.

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Who will replace Kelly at Homeland Security? - Politico

The Sharif family, however, is unlikely to lose its grip on power for long.

The Supreme Court ruled last week that Nawaz Sharif had been dishonest to Parliament and to the judicial system and was no longer fit for office. He stepped down, quickly selecting his brother to replace him.

Speaking after the vote, Abbasi denied he was only a temporary prime minister. "They say, 'Oh he's only here for 45 days.' I say I may be here for 45 days or 45 hours, but I'm not here to keep the seat warm," he told reporters.

"I intend to work and get some important things done if the cabinet supports me in this."

The younger Sharif, who is currently serving as the chief minister of Punjab, can't take office immediately as he isn't yet a member of Parliament.

He's expected to run in -- and win, handily -- a September by-election for the former prime minister's seat in Punjab, in a district loyal to his brother's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party. The vote is similar to a special election in the United States.

Opposition leader Imran Khan, a cricketer-turned-politician, has criticized the nominations of Sharif and Abbasi, calling them both corrupt and called for cases of corruption against them to be reopened.

Shoo-in

So, while Shahbaz Sharif waits to be elected to Parliament, in steps Abbasi.

He needed a simple majority, and as the PML-N, which nominated him, holds 188 of the Parliament's 342 seats, he was expected to win easily.

Following his confirmation, Abbasi will now nominate a cabinet, to replace the one that was dissolved on Friday by the courts.

Analysts say Abbassi, a party loyalist, is unlikely to object to a short-lived stint in the top job, with this kind of horse-trading common in Pakistani politics.

"He'll step up to the plate. He's a politician's politician," said Ahsan Butt, an assistant professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government, GeorgeMason University in Virginia.

"(He's a) reliable character as far as the PML-N is concerned," added Butt.

Clean sweep

Just as Abbasi's elevation to the job was considered a foregone conclusion, so is the Punjab by-election.

It's a fairly safe PML-N seat so, barring any surprises, the younger Sharif is expected to coast to victory there.

"The PML-N is very strong in that region, they've controlled it even when they're not in control nationally," says Butt.

"It's a traditional party stronghold. One or two opposition parties will field candidates, but they'd be lambs to the slaughter."

Following the election, Parliament can confirm him as the new leader, with the US-educated Abbasi stepping aside.

As a sweetener, the short-term replacement could be offered another cabinet position, or his existing role -- until last week he was the minister of petroleum and natural resources.

He could even keep the portfolio during his brief tenure as Prime Minister, says Butt.

General elections, to be held next year, could then see the younger Sharif returned to power.

If he is re-elected and sees out a full term, he would be the first civilian prime minister in Pakistan ever to do so.

Dynasty diverted

Six months ago, the obvious successor to Nawaz Sharif, who had ruled the country since 2013, was his daughter, Maryam Sharif.

But her elevation to power looks to have been scuppered by the corruption scandal that brought down her father.

The leak sparked mass protests in Pakistan and calls from opposition political groups for a panel to investigate Sharif and his children over their alleged offshore accounts, eventually bringing him down.

And the ongoing investigation into Maryam, her husband Safdar Awan, and her brothers Hassan and Hussain, is likely to extend past the deadline for nominations for next April's general election. They have denied any wrongdoing.

Analysts say her uncle, who will likely already be Prime Minister by then, will stand and, given the ongoing popularity of the PML-N, win the vote.

The Sharif name has already proven to be remarkably resilient.

The recently-deposed Sharif has served as prime minister twice before. He saw his first term end prematurely amid allegations of corruption, and his second end in a military coup which saw him jailed, then exiled, before returning to perform yet another political comeback.

Now it seems likely that his brother will keep the name relevant in Pakistan's power circles, and political analyst Butt says it would be foolish to rule out a comeback for Maryam at some point.

"I won't say (her political career is) dead in the water. In Pakistan politics, forever is a long time."

Originally posted here:
Pakistan chooses new leader, but Sharif family waits in wings - CNN

Ornamental ponds are beautiful way to transform your yard into a relaxing oasis for entertaining or just enjoying the end of the day. The trick is to choose equipment that will ensure sparkling healthy water with minimal upkeep. At Aqua UV we do the research, design innovations and do testing so you can just sit back, relax and enjoy your pond.

A UV Sterilizer eliminates the algae, ugly green water, that makes it difficult to see and enjoy your fish. A larger benefit of UV is that it controls bacteria and parasites reducing the spread of fish disease.

The Ultima IIs patented design does the work of two filters, removing debris and nitrifying ammonia from fish waste. Simply backwash once a week.

We will even help you choose the UV and Ultima Filter for your pond,Call 1-800-454-2725 to speak with a technical support person weekdays 8:00-4:30 PST.For where to buy in your area click on our Dealer Locator.

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Ponds industry | aquaultraviolet.com

360 Interiors is an established interior design company based in the North West, and we have worked extensively in the Manchester, Liverpool and Preston areas but we have recently completed projects in London and abroad. We offer a personal and flexible service whilst providing innovative design solutions to both residential and commercial clients.

All of our interiors are designed to our client's brief and budget, from initial concept to completion. The design is meticulously thought about, to create stunning yet functional spaces, making all of our interior design projects unique. We have excellent relationships with our suppliers to enable us to offer individual design solutions to our clients at competitive prices.

So whether you are looking to update a room, completely redesign and redecorate, or simply need our house doctor service to help sell your home, we have the knowledge and expertise to make it happen. Each interior design project, large or small, is approached with the same level of professional integrity and creative flair.

Call us now on 01772 877024 or 07789 884454, or email us at

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Interior Design Manchester | Interior Designer Manchester ...

President Trump incited outrage this week after it was reported that he allegedly told a group of members at his New Jersey golf club that the reason he visited so often was because that White House is a real dump, according toGolf.com.Trump has since tweeted that the report is totally untrue.

Michael S. Smith, the Obamas White House decorator, is speaking out about the presidents statement and his own feelings about Americas most famous home.

RELATED:7 Photos That Show the White House Is Definitely Not a Dump

I had the great privilege of working in the White House for eight years, and everyone I know who visited was filled with a sense of awe and patriotism from the moment they walked into that storied structure, Smith tells PEOPLE exclusively. The designer, who has decorated homes for countless high-profile clients and been honored as a member of Architectural Digests AD100, outfitted the Obama familys private quarters including their dining and sitting rooms, the Treaty Room, the Yellow Oval Room, the master suite, as well as bedrooms for Malia, Sasha, and Michelles mother, Marian.

He notes of his time at the White House, I was always deeply aware of the extraordinary events that had taken place within those walls over the yearsevents that defined our countryand how every decision by any former president, and the actions of his family, become an essential part of the living history of our nation.

Before beginning the decorating project, he told AD, he read every letter and note from Abigail Adams,Jacqueline Kennedy, Sister Parish, Stphane Boudin, Kaki Hockersmithanyone who had ever contributed to the history of this building.He even had calls withNancy Reagan and a lunch withLee Radziwill, Jackie Kennedys sister.

Of course the first familys residence is much more than a home. Smith adds, The White House itself is part office, part museum, part residence and its gloriously emblematic of the best of American style. It is beautifully cared for by a remarkable staff, and its rooms are filled with the treasures of presidents past.

This sentiment was shared by many who reacted to Trumps reported dig on social media. Former White House photographer Pete Souza,shared a photoof the famous faade on Instagram, writing, What a shameful thing to sayIt belittles the honorable men and women who make the White House the exemplary historical place it is. And Chelsea Clintontweeteda message of gratitude to the White House staff for all you do every day.

RELATED:Inside the Obamas Private Quarters at the White House: It Has Truly Felt Like a Home for Our Family

Smith allows that, Each successive president and his family have left their own historic imprint on the White House, just as President Trump and his family will. Melania Trump reportedly hired decoratorTham Kannalikham to bring a seamless integration of elegance and comfort into where the president, the first lady, and Barron will be spending their family time, a senior advisor to the first lady told WWD.

Smiths takeaway is one likely shared by each previous White House decorator: Im extremely proud of the warmth and inclusiveness that defined the White House during the years in which I was involved, he says.

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The Obamas' Interior Designer Responds After President Trump Allegedly Called White House 'a Dump' - PEOPLE.com

Though he was one of Italys most influential mid-20th-century architects and interior designers, very little is known about the inner world of Turinese legend Carlo Mollino. Born in 1905 in the northern Italian city of Turin, Mollino became a figure of fascination for design enthusiasts worldwide, many of whom were transfixed by his hidden private life and ability to create dreamy, sensuous spaces inspired by his various obsessionswhich ranged from the voluptuousness of the female form to symbols and talismans of witchcraft and the occult. At a time when the style of the day was, for the most part, defined by a movement known as Rationalism (led by fellow design giants like Gio Ponti and the Castiglioni brothers, who looked to architecture primarily as a self-effacing entity, created more for streamlined functionality than for decoration), Mollinos work was particularly unique, overtly romantic, and a far cry from the goings-on in Milan.

Carlo Mollinos RAI Auditorium, built in 1952.Photo: Courtesy of Oscar Humphries

After graduating from college, where he studied engineering, architecture, and art history, Mollino began working for his fathers architecture firm. There, he entered several design competitions and won for projects like the Agricultural Federation in Cuneo, Italy, and the Turin Equestrian Association headquarters, both of which, for buildings intended for public use, were unusually artsy and illustrated his predilection for sloping forms and circular spaces. After Mollino left his fathers firm, he spent the rest of his life picking and choosing his own projects, many of them commissions for private homes that were hidden from public view. His most famous work, the grand Teatro Regio in Turin, an opera house, is one of his only buildings still standing today.

As Mollinos oeuvre has grown in appreciation over the years, the scarcity of what is available to view and acquire has only added fuel to the fire. In 2005, a Mollino table earned a record-high sale for 20th-century furniture at Christies, going for $3.8 million. Its great appeal is the immediately seductive look, a former director at Christies, Philippe Garner, told The New York Times in a 2009 interview. The fact that virtually every piece can be traced to a specific commission and that production was very limited add the appeal of rarity.

The chairs in Carlo Mollinos RAI Auditorium.Photo: Courtesy of Oscar Humphries

It was only until Mollino expert and curator Fulvio Ferrari and his son Napoleone discovered and restored an apartment Mollino had been secretly working on did the doors to the architects world open. A social recluse for most of his life, Mollino spent years creating and decorating a home for himself on the River Po in which to live out his later days. Inside, both his dark strangeness and genius were revealed: Rooms immaculately decorated, strange voodoo imagery hung on walls and ceilings, and hundreds of erotic Polaroids taken of women who modeled for him were found. Obsessed by the Ancient Egyptian mummification process and beliefs, Mollino also created a wooden boat-like bed that served as a symbolic vessel of passage into the afterlife, placed in a room prepared meticulously for his death. Though he never actually lived in this apartment, it spoke most aptly to his deep love of all things beautiful, revealing how carefully he tried to construct the world around him. It is within this spacenow known as the Museo Casa Mollino, a highlight for visitors to Turinthat Mollino has been brought back to life.

In a beautiful new short filmdirected by Felipe Sanguinetti, produced by Oscar Humphries, narrated by Fulvio Ferrari, and given exclusively to Voguewe are offered visits to Mollinos Teatro Regio and Casa Mollino. It provides private insights into Mollinos mind and how he saw the world. Shot from around corners and through half-opened doors, the visual narrative is atmospheric in its secrecy, just as one would imagine for spaces of Mollinos. His presence is palpable and, in many ways, evidently vulnerable in the navigation of the cameras lens: As viewers, we get the distinct impression that we are walking side by side with Mollino himself, reseeing the spaces so close to his heart.

The completed Teatro Regio, 1973.Photo: Courtesy of Oscar Humphries

Mollino is so famous for the Polaroids he took and his iconic pieces of design, that as an architect hes often overlooked, said Humphries, who shot the film with friend Sanguinetti in June. But he was an architect first, and we wanted to show that.

Of the films humanized perspective, Sanguinetti noted: I wanted to share what I felt in these two spaces. Its unlike anything Ive ever experienced before, and what Mollino brings out in people is such a unique and emotional response to his work. I hope the spectator, when watching the film, can feel that.

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A New Short Film Offers a Private Look Into the Life of an Italian Architect and Design Enigma - Vogue.com

Beautiful Decay watercolor. Image courtesy of Eskayel.

Shanan Campanaro, founder and creative director of Brooklyn-based textile brandEskayel, is an avid surfer. Campanaro regularly explores the worlds beaches, which inspire watercolor paintings that she creates with fluid, aqueous inks. She then prints these abstractions onto eco-friendly fabrics, wall coverings, rugs, accessories, and home furnishingsthat have established Eskayel in the design world.

Now, the brand is launching its inaugural collection of murals. Called Beautiful Decay, the collection replicates patinated exteriors of timeworn coastal buildings that Campanaro has encountered in her travels through Morocco, Croatia, and Italy. Ive always been captivated by weathered buildings, says Campanaro, who we recentlynamed as amust-follow female designer on Instagram. Different patterns and shading emerge from the layers of paint peeling off exteriors.

Five custom engineered-textile murals from Beautiful Decay are debuting atThe New Work Project, a members-only creative workspace in Brooklyn by interior design firmThe New Design Project. Husband and wife co-founders Fanny Abbes and James Davison initially approached Eskayel to help scout a local artist, but a lightbulb moment ensued.

They sent a few inspiration pictures and I immediately thought of watercolors I completed for Eskayels new Jamaa series, coming out early next year, recalls Campanaro. I had discarded these paintings, but they were exactly what Fanny and James were looking for, so I recolored them to match the projects palette. Having a tonal direction makes the collection feel really cohesive. She further notes that despite being a creative departure in terms of scale,Beautiful Decaymaintains Eskayels laid-back look and feel.

Available on a per project basis, Beautiful Decay can be printed on fabric grounds such as oyster linen, organic denim, and a 50/50 linen cotton blend. The collection will be unveiled on August 10 at The New Work Project in Brooklyn.

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Eskayel's Inaugural Mural Collection Channels Decaying Coastal Architecture - Interior Design

What could possibly be more luxurious than a stay at the legendary Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes? Leave it to Kris Jenner to figure it out. After kicking off her vacation in the South of France by staying at the celeb-favorite 147-year-old hotel (where Jenner enjoyed spa treatments at Spa Eden-Roc Sisley), she boarded fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger's yacht, Flag, for a Mediterranean holiday. Also aboard: Hilfiger's wife, Dee Ocleppo, and the favorite designer of the Jenner and Kardashian clan, Martyn Lawrence Bullard. (Bullard has been enlisted by the family on countless occasions: Besides Jenner's home, he has outfitted Khlo's and Kourtney's, and is designing Kylie's glam room).

Jenner wasn't shy about showing off her toned body lying around Hilfigers yacht; she Instagrammed a photo of herself with the simple caption #naptime.. Other stunning images included Jenner enjoying the sun with Hilfiger, Ocleppo, Bullard, and another traveling partner, as well as one of Jenner solo perching on the end of a diving board that extends off the impressive yacht with the appropriate caption: Living life on the edge. Jenners daughter Khlo Kardashian, despite not being on the vacation with her mother, cheekily shared a photo of Jenner showing off her figure in a bikini. Kris Jenner looking like a snack! I see you mommy! #6KidsAndBad! Kardashian proudly captioned the image of her mother.

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Tommy Hilfiger Hosted Kris Jenner and Her Interior Designer on His Yacht in the South of France - Architectural Digest

6sqfts ongoing series My sqft checks out the homes of New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Want to see your home featured here?Get in touch!

This apartment has basically become my yard, says Alessandro Pasquale, an Italian designer, artist, and collector of incredible and one-of-a-kind pieces. Im an interior designer, so I love details. The little things catch my attention, he adds.

These statements find considerable weight when you scan Alessandros Bed-Stuy home, a 900-square-foot space filled with hundreds of objects hes arranged so that any angle of the apartment can be photographed. But while you may be thinking this guy is either incredibly wealthy or a bit of a shopaholic given his lot, its worth noting that Alessandro isnt raising a paddle at Christies procure these rare items. Rather, since moving to NYC hes become something of a scavenger, plucking obscure items that have been abandoned curbside or trashed in dumpsters, then finding a place for them in his home.

Ahead take a tour of Alessandros apartment,where hundreds of tiny details create one big and beautiful space for him to rest his head.

Where are you originally from?

I am from Padova near Venice but studied architecture and interior design in Rome. I later moved to Milan where a did masters degree at Politecnico in exhibit design. Then I moved to NYC in 2011 with sponsorship from an architectural office.

How did you find this apartment and why did you pick Bed-Stuy?

I had a hard time finding a place because Im Italian and at the time didnt have a credit history. My friend who is now living on the third floor of my building one day called me and told me that the second floor was available. I took it right away because at that point had a lot of money in hand for adeposit but not even a room.

As for the neighborhood: Bed-Stuy for me is still real and not super commercial like Williamsburg. I like the mix of people and especially how nice they areits like a big family here and you know everybody on these blocks. In the past two years that Ive been here, Ive seen some amazing changes in terms of restaurants, coffee shops, wine stores, bars, and the cleanliness of the streets. With that said, I love the neighborhood as it is, but thereality is that in two or three years it will be closer and closer to whats happened to Williamsburg.

How did you go about decorating this apartment?

A lot of things you see in the apartment I found on the street. This apartment has basically become my yard. A lot of my friends ask me how Im able to find all of this stuff, but its crazy because things just come to me.

Once I was searching for a very specific table on eBay and I stepped out in front of my apartment when I was living in Midtown and the doorman had the exact table I wanted. He sold it to me for $5. Another time, I was searching for mirrors and when I was wrapping up a job one day, I spotted several outside in the garbage.

I like to create moods in my home, so theres an idea being carried throughout that any angle of the apartment can be photographed. I try to pull the character out of objects by arranging them particular ways. Theres no TV here because I feel like it is distracting and hinders creativity.

The next step for me is to have a big open space with high ceilings so that I place all these pieces I found on the street on the wall and create an installation with these things.

Where have you found your best stuff?

Because of the projects Im working on, I find myself in Nolita, Soho, and Greenwich Village very often. But most of the thingsthe most quality thingsIve found in Greenwich Village and the West Village. Renovations I work on also reveal some really great pieces. If theyre not reincorporated into the design, Ill take them with me and try to find another use for them.

A lot of people dont know what they have. They throw these beautiful things out and Im shocked. I cant leave these things on the street, so I bring them home and I try to make them work in my space.

How do you feel American style stands up against Italian style?

Theyre truly opposite to me. In Italy, what people have in their homes is pure quality. Italians really love the U.S. and especially New York City, but when we speak about design in Italy, it doesnt have anything to do with America. In the U.S. its all about whats new and design is very business oriented a lot of the time. Things are treated as disposable items even if they have amazing value to themand thats because people just dont know what they have. Theres not this sensibility to preserve things. In Italy, we are exposed to amazing things from childhood so I think our brains develop in such a way that they become driven by beauty.

How would you describe your style?

Madness with a method. You can see there are a lot of little things here but everything has a place. If someone moves something, I know it. Im an interior designer, so I love details. The little things catch my attention. When I step inside a spaceany spaceI close in on the details and details are the most important thing to me. They speak to me a lot: in my work, in my life, everything.

Where do you shop when you do shop?

I dont like to buy things from IKEA. Id rather have less and invest in good piecesat least with respect to what I dont find. I also construct a lot of things myself. Im kind of picky; Not in the sense I need to have super expensive things, but I want the objects I have to communicate something to me. If I can do something myself, its better.

I love to search for things, so online is great for meeBay and 1st Dibs for example. I also got to flea markets, Brimfield. I dont like new things. Contemporary architecture and contemporary design, I dont like. If you spend a lot of money, you can have great things, sure. But I always seek things out from back in the day because with these you can see the process, you can see details in the materials; theyre not just sleek and modern.

For more practical, smaller things Ill go to CB2 and Restoration Hardware, but Im not crazy about going to big retailers and buying new, mass-produced things. I like things that have character.

Where do you find inspiration in the city?

The energy of NYC is my constant inspiration to do better and better. Creativity speaking I get inspired by many things.It can come from a beautiful flower or the worst looking thing. From my photography, you can see how I look at the world, and like I said, I am attracted to details and shadow. The book In Praise of Shadows by Junichir Tanizaki is exactly how I think when I design.

All images taken by James and Karla Murray exclusively for 6sqft

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Neighborhoods : Bedford-Stuyvesant

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My 900sqft: An interior designer fills his Bed-Stuy home with rare ... - 6Sqft (blog)

When Kristen Dees and Mercedes Curran made high school visits on behalf of the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles to speak with adolescent students, many of the pupils seemed unsure about pursuing a future in the industry.

It was almost too late, like they were too scared to know if this was something they wanted to do for the rest of their lives, Dees said. Some parents wanted tutoring and mentoring geared toward the college-bound kids. But what about the age before that?

Dees and Curran decided to create Designer Camp, a Los Angeles-based company that held its first Orange County camp last month for students ages 11 to 17.

The weeklong Designer Camp 101 at SOCO in Costa Mesa exposed its participants to the elements of design, color theory, personal branding, trend hunting, sketching and draping.

On top of those building blocks, the camp aimed to teach the students life skills such as teamwork, public speaking and setting deadlines for projects, said the camps Orange County directors Anne-Marie Lockmyer and Rhonda McCaughey.

The 15 students took part in workshops with professionals in business, photography and fashion and interior design.

The designers are real with them, Dees said. Theyll talk about how hard it is, like how you need to know math for measurements and science so you know what materials wash well, what fades in the sun or what works well with ironing.

Kevin Chang / TimesOC

Carly Tawney, 13, left, and Milla Machuca, 17, work together to create an upscale, red-carpet look during Designer Camp 101 at Drifter SoCo in Costa Mesa.

Carly Tawney, 13, left, and Milla Machuca, 17, work together to create an upscale, red-carpet look during Designer Camp 101 at Drifter SoCo in Costa Mesa. (Kevin Chang / TimesOC)

During the weeklong camp, the students broke into different teams to create their own benefit corporation, also known as b corp.

We highlighted b corp, a brand that is for profit but gives back to a social good, Dees said. The whole goal is for them to come up with a company that gives back to a social good and to have them brand that company.

The campers came up with ideas such as selling long socks to help donate pairs to families in colder countries like Mongolia and designing special water bottles to help install clean water pumps to third world countries.

The first Designer Camp 101 took place in Los Angeles in 2015. Since then, the programs in L.A. have grown to include three more camps focused on fashion and styling, interior design and photography.

Dees said she hopes more extended camps will be able to take place at SOCO in the future.

A lot of students [in the L.A. camp] were driving up from Orange County, Dees said. Different brands and companies were also encouraging us to expand.

A cozy nook within the Drifter storefront at SOCO served as the Orange County camp site for the week, where the students could find colored pencils on the table and fabrics hanging on a rack.

Fashion is what really interests me because of how you can express yourself through the clothing, said Jacob Aguilar, 15, a student in the camp who draws inspiration from designers like Jeremy Scott and Charles Jeffrey. I really want to pursue that in the future.

Carly Tawney, 13, attended the Fashion & Styling Camp in L.A. the week before she came to Designer Camp 101 in Orange County.

I would love to work in editorial or be a stylist for a magazine, said Carly. Meeting the different designers has really helped because its shown me that you can go from styling to being a buyer to then marketing. You dont have to narrow down your career to one specific thing in life.

Alexandra.Chan@latimes.com

Twitter: @AlexandraChan10

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At Designer Camp's first OC session, students get a taste of fashion 101 - Los Angeles Times