Most recently, I graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10KSB/Tory Burch Foundation Program; a program specifically designed to assist women entrepreneurs create growth plans and strategies for their businesses. The program ended last week and finished up with my participation as a panelist on the Morning Joe Show with Tory Burch, Arianna Huffington and Valerie Jarrett discussing the benefits of the Goldman Sachs program.

Attached is the link to the Morning Joe Show video

2013 has finally arrived….Happy New Year!
We are excited to announce Big News for Malene B

Malene B collaborates with Surya, home accessory solution brand, to create an exclusive carpet collection Destinations & Voyages for specialty retailers. The collections are reflective of her passion for world travel and cultural exploration, available in two broad ranges of flat-weave and hand-tufted area rugs that bring her signature style to the consumer.

The collection will debut at the Atlanta International Gift Show on January 9th-13th at the Americas Mart.

On January 10th Surya will host a meet and greet with Malene B
as she reveals the inspiration behind the collection.

What does this mean? Soon Malene B carpets will be available at your local retailer.

Most people are not aware that my Wolof carpet was originally designed for a pillow. I started to play around with different layouts and then I decided that it would make a really cool carpet design. Since the design was inspired by my love of traditional Senegalese style clothing of gran bous bous (large flowing dresses) and head wraps hence the name “Wolof”, it was perfect to make the design into a rug. The Wolof people are a very fashionable group of people and when I share the design with a native from Senegal they truly feel a connection to my piece. I love the fact that I get to experience a connection to this group of people, as Wolof continues to make a statement in many interiors.

1. Sina Pearson Textiles
The colors and patterns of these fabrics are phenomenal! She has such a gift of pairing different colors together that accent each other perfectly, not only that but she uses different textures and patterns in her fabrics to make pairings that are shockingly beautiful. I love her sense of design!

2. L’aviva Home
I love these coverlets! They are called tenangos and made by Otomi Indians from the mountains of the Mexican state of Hidalgo. The textiles that they create and the patterns that are infused in the fabric are exquisite! They are so whimsical looking and are great inspirational pieces for me.

3. Malene B Carpets
I call this rug Chiapas and it was inspired by embroidered Mexican textiles. The weave to me tells a story of the identity of the Mexican people and even the ancient Mayan people. This reminds me of the way they would weave their own baskets and rugs with the fibers and colors they had around them.

4. MoMA STORE
Believe it or not, but this bowl is made out of paper! How cool is that? I absolutely love the color combination. The entire Mexico series is phenomenal, but this particular bowl really caught my eye! So much color… I love it!

5. Jacaranda
I love this stool! It is so unique with its colorful designs on an absolute white background is magical. This stool seems to have such a modern twist to just an old milking stool. It’s so creative and intriguing.

6. MoMA STORE
I love this scarf! It’s a mixture of wool and silk and you can use it in so many different ways! Not to mention, you know I love the color… who wouldn’t. Absolutely beautiful

I became so inspired when I discovered Jo Malone fragrances! The scents are overwhelmingly inspirational. You can even create your own fragrance. Among my favorite scents is Blue Agava & Cacao. The invigorating scent reminds me of the vibrant culture that surrounds everything in Mexico. It’s a floral fragrance with a sensual blend of citrus vibrancy blended with the blue Agava flower ending with the raw scent of cacao. Another fragrance I love is her Pomegranate Noir which is a mixture of sweet fruity scents and the warm essence of spices with wood undertones. I acquired inspiration from these wonderful scents that helped inspire some of my more delicate patterned carpet designs.

During my trip to Los Cabos, Mexico in 2006, I fell in love with the Westin Hotel. It overlooks the Sea of Cortez and is amongst the mountains and desert. The architecture is magical as the hotel seems to flow right into the landscape around it. This luxury hotel really inspired me with its vibrancy and bold colors. You can even see the ocean from almost anywhere in the hotel! Thanks to this amazing get-away, my inspiration continues to flow when I think back to my stay at this vibrant hotel.