Carolyn Murphy Celebrates Her Homegrown Collection With Mother in Malibu
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After a career spent debuting the designs of others on runways and magazine covers around the world, Carolyn Murphy decided to craft her own line of beautiful clothes. In collaboration with Mother’s co-founders Lela Becker and Tim Kaeding, the top model turned designer created an exclusively upcycled collection called Homegrown. To celebrate the official launch, the Thorne Family welcomed fashion friends and folk to their farm tucked up away in the Malibu hilltops for an intimate luncheon with Net-a-Porter.
“When I was little, I had a sewing machine, and I used to take logos off of old clothes and transfer them onto other garments,” Murphy smiled, “I was fascinated by creating something new using pieces I already owned and loved.”
A bountiful farmer’s market filled with fresh produce from peaches to pomegranates to parsnips greeted guests like January Jones, Julianne Hough, Abigail Spencer, Indy Srinath, Dilone, Gillian Jacobs, Jaime Chung, and Dree Hemmingway to the outdoor affair. Naturally, many attendees were spotted sporting pieces from Murphy’s limited-edition collection, which was inspired by wild, western Americana style and includes classics like a white button-down shirt embroidered with one of Murphy’s bird drawings and quilts reworked onto jeans and into jackets. The 14-piece collection is entirely made from unwanted rags and Mother denim stock that Murphy reimagined with the design duo.
“One of the coolest things about the collection, since it’s made from recycled and reused deadstock or products that have been damaged, is that every single piece is unique,” Kaeding explained.
Paying it forward was not lost on Murphy and the Mother team, who will donate $50,000 of the proceeds to the Sierra Club, an environmental organization with a focused effort to protect 30% of the United States’ lands and water by 2030. “This was such an educational process for me, having been in fashion for 30 years,” Murphy explained. “On the other side of it today, I couldn’t have portended putting my money where my mouth is. There is so much greenwashing to be aware of, but at the end of the day, we have a united responsibility to sustainability.”
In the warm California sun, attendees mingled near the harvest fields, enjoying a glass of wine or tequila cocktail with passed h’dourves. At the long table lined with potted herbs and pink dahlias, a Polaroid photo taken of life on the farm personalized each guests’ place setting.
For the main event, a farm-to-table lunch made with ingredients grown on the very grounds was served family-style. The robust menu prepared by founder and chef of Malibu Farm, Helene Henderson, highlighted seasonal favorites like roasted rainbow cauliflower with wild mushrooms, mustard-marinated chicken breasts, quinoa salad mixed with butternut squash and cranberries, and grilled spiny lobster topped with lemon and garlic sauce.
Between courses, South African native Kaien Cruz, who was dressed head-to-toe in Mother, serenaded the crowd with a few of her favorite tunes. To finish off the special soirée, mini pumpkin creme brulees and caramel charred pears appeared tableside. But the sweet treats didn’t stop at dessert. Upon departure, guests were handed netted, reusable Mother bags and encouraged to take a piece or plenty of Homegrown back to their own homes by shopping some of the produce and florals on display. And to ensure that no food went to waste, all of the leftover fruits and veggies were donated to FoodCycle LA. What a fitting way to end an afternoon rooted in celebrating the art of circularity.
Photographed by Stefanie Keenan1/13Carolyn Murphy and Indy Srinath
Photographed by Stefanie Keenan2/13Lela Becker and Tim Kaeding
