MILTON GLASER: “I’M DOING THE BEST WORK I’VE EVER DONE IN MY LIFE” P. 98
TM
STUDIO TOUR Inside Portland ad agency Wieden + Kennedy
5 FASHION STYLISTS talk shop
Giovanni Ribisi Shares his passion for design and the perfect pair of sunglasses
HAUTe EATS! 20 well-designed (and tasty) restaurants to try now
SPECIAL!
MUSICIANS AT HOME
An exclusive look inside the houses of 6 awesome artists
PLUS
IS wind power harmful to your health? 6 Space Saving Interior Design Tricks
JUL/AUG 2012 $8 USA/CAN
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DESIGN BUREAU
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Contents
DESIGN BUREAU
Music & Design
CONTENTS ISSUE 12 FEATURES 86 The Restaurant Guide 2012 Great food and great design don’t always go hand in hand—but they should. These spaces will sate your appetite for both wonderful dishes and creative interiors. 94 Ribisi’s New Role: Designer The Hollywood actor discusses design and takes a turn creating stylish shades 98 Milton Glaser Famed for his psychedelic posters from the 1960s, Push Pin Studios, and the iconic “I Love New York” logo, the design icon talks computers and self-expression 104 Musicians at Home An exclusive look inside the kick ass houses of six awesome artists 126 I Love You, but I’ve Chosen Rock In his latest book, photographer Olaf Heine concentrates on his main source of inspiration: music
Soso shows us inside her Sweden abode PAGE 122
DIALOGUE & THINKING 72 Storefront Glam For the London fashion house Karen Millen, luxurious style starts with beautiful architecture bones 74 Rat Pack Revival Old Hollywood style lives on in a trio of Miami restaurants 76 From Beats to Blueprints Tom Fanning talks about the transition from hit music video director to celebrity home designer and developer 78 A Wine-Lover’s Oasis For a wine tasting room, Roche and Roche layered Carolina cherry laurel, hollyoaks and hawthorne to screen the outdoor space 80 Posh Loft, Urban Grit One part high design, one part street style, this Venice loft is just plain cool
INFORMER 13 Pixels & Print 27 Objects & Gear 33 Fashion & Beauty 39 Travel & Culture 47 Structures & Spaces
PLUS 06 08 10 62 129 130
Contributors Letter from the Editor Letters Notes from the Bureau This Issue’s Best Albums For Hire
Above: Soso, photo by Henrik Halvarsson
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DESIGN BUREAU
Contents
fashion
Giovanni Ribisi The actor talks style and takes a turn as designer for eyewear brand Barton Perreira Page 94
INSIDE ISSUE 12
music + design
Busdriver The rapper lives a lean lifestyle in LA. Page 110
Photo of Giovanni Ribisi by Tim Cadiente, styling by Melissa Crook; photo of Busdriver by Bryan Sheffield
Contents
DESIGN BUREAU
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Milton Glaser The grandfather of graphic design explains why he’s never settled down Page 98
MUSIC + DESIGN
Tristen Secondhand styles suits this Nashville songstress just fine Page 112 graphic design
Jessica Walsh She would like to redesign US currency, and JFK airport Page 13
Photo of Milton Glaser by Noah Kalina; photo of Tristen by Bradley Spitzer; photo of Jessica Walsh by Matthew Williams
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DESIGN BUREAU
Letters & Contributors
DESIGN BUREAU CONTRIBUTORS
Publisher & editor-in-chief Chris Force chris@alarmpress.com
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
-----
Senior Account Manager
Ellie Fehd ellie@alarmpress.com
Tarra Kieckhaefer tarra@alarmpress.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Kristin Lamprecht kristin@alarmpress.com
account managers
Liz Abshire liz@alarmpress.com
Associate editors
John Dugan john@alarmpress.com
Amy Clark amy@alarmpress.com
Kathryn Freeman Rathbone katie@alarmpress.com
Leah Giorno leah@alarmpress.com
editorial intern
Arghavan Hakimian arghavan@alarmpress.com
Lauren Carroll -----
Emily Kirkwood emilyk@alarmpress.com
DESIGN DIRECTOR
Lindsey Eden Turner lindsey@alarmpress.com
Jessica Rimpel jessica@alarmpress.com
----contributors
Jennifer Hamblett is a British writer living and working in New York City. After studying art history at Goldsmiths College, London, she moved to New York to work on more journalistic endeavors. Her passion lies in telling visual stories and the stories behind visual things. She has written on photography for The New York Times Lens Blog, on art for The L Magazine, and on film for Pop Matters.
Emiliano Granado is a Brooklyn-based, Argentine-born, sunglasswearing photographer who shoots for all types of international publications and clients. Some of them even pay him. With real money. Granado recently launched his project, Time for Print, which he says he’s “kinda proud of.” And if you Google him, he’s 7th when you search “Emiliano.” www.emilianogranado.com
Zack Arias, Aryn Beitz, Robert Bengtson, Murrye Bernard, Caroline Birkett, Joe Budd, Denise Burrell-Stinson, Zack Burris, Tim Cadiente, Delia Cai, Sarah Cason, Dusdin Condren, Melissa Crook, Eric Cuvillier, Carter Dow, Eszter+David, Nick Farrell, Susannah Felts, Steven Fischer, Marili Forastieri, J'Nai Gaither, Lindsay Garvey, Emiliano Granado, Henrik Halvarsson, Jennifer Hamblett, Sarah Handelman, Olaf Heine, Derek Hudson, Doug Human, Noah Kalina, Lawrence Karol, Stephen Killion, Vince Klassen, Heidi Kulicke, Nicola Kuperus, Maggie Lange, Don Lewis, Jennifer Lucey-Brzoza, Saundra Marcel, Kaitlyn McQuaid, Peter Mealin, Matthew Millman, Nalina Moses, Jesse Lirola, Laura Neilson, Lindsay Oberst, Bob O'Connor, Georgia Perry, Russ Phillips, Sarah Platanitis, Quavondo, Paul Reynolds, Andrew Roberts, Caitlin M. Ryan, Thierry Samuel, Andrew Schroedter, Rainbeau Seitz, Bryan Sheffield, Bradley Spitzer, Lesley Stanley, Ryan Strong, Rob Tannen, Perry Thompson, Nathanael Turner, J. Michael Welton, Matthew Williams, Eric Wolfinger, Sharon Yang cover image
Giovanni Ribisi on location in LA, shot by Tim Cadiente. Ribisi sunglasses by Barton Perreira.
Cole Stevens cole@alarmpress.com Neal Van Winkle neal@alarmpress.com production manager
Ashley Zorrilla ashley@alarmpress.com
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Account EXECUTIVEs
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MARKETING MANAGER
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Human resources
Diana Shnekenburger diana@alarmpress.com
Bradley Spitzer is a Nashville-based photographer. After a good day of making portraits, relaxing with his family, and regretting his 5k training schedule, you’ll most likely find him demolishing his foosball competition. www.bradleyspitzer.com
Emily Schleier emily@alarmpress.com
----Danelle Sarvas danelle@alarmpress.com
Henrik Halvarsson is a born-and-raised Stockholm-based photographer. His past clients include Puma, Diesel, H&M, Levi´s, Glamour, and Elle. For this issue of DB, Halvarsson shot Sophia Somajo, otherwise known as Soso. www. henrikhalvarsson.com
Jenny Palmer jenny@alarmpress.com
Accounting assistant
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Assistant to the Publisher
LeeAnne Hawley leeanne@alarmpress.com
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Design Bureau (ISSN 2154-4441) is published bi-monthly by ALARM Press at 205 N Michigan Avenue, Suite 3200, Chicago, IL, 60601. Periodicals postage is PENDING at Chicago, IL and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to Design Bureau at 205 N Michigan Avenue, Suite 3200, Chicago, IL, 60601 Retailers: To carry Design Bureau in your store please call 201.634.7411. © 2012 Design Bureau. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. DESIGN BUREAU is a trademark of Design Bureau.
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DESIGN BUREAU
Letters & Contributors
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
“imprisoned by reputation.” Glaser cuts right to the heart of his design philosophy with startling clarity. Though the crystalline focus of a designer like Glaser is refreshing and admirable, it’s also been earned after decades of trial, error, and irrepressible effort. He is perhaps most famous for being one of the most underpaid designers of all time, forking over the “I Love NY” design to the state early in his career for free. The fact that the logo sold multi-millions of dollars worth of merchandise would be enough to embitter the boldest of designers. Yet throughout every interview I’ve read on Glaser, he seems appreciative and happy for the success of the design. It was, after all, effective.
“I believe the best people in the world are involved in making things.” As a design and magazine nerd, I completely geeked out when Milton Glaser confirmed his Design Bureau interview. Like many others, I’m a fan of his work and the balls it took to start New York Magazine when he did. I’ve drooled over Push Pin Studios illustrations and studied his designs in school. But the thing I admire the most about Glaser is that at 82 years old, not only does he still design work, he refuses to cash in and coast along on his celebrity. As he tells author Sandra Marcel (page 98), he refuses to be
Photo of Chris Force by Noah Kalina
At this point, Glaser has had many financial successes, so maybe that makes it easier not to feel bitter. Rich is rich, right? But I also think that when you create something, you have to set priorities—do you want to make it right, or do you want to make money? If you can’t do both, which will it be? I don’t know a single creative person who doesn’t deal with that question. And sometimes I think it’s easier to have something make money, as it’s a finite, definable goal. “This design must sell X percent more of this product.” But making something “right”—that’s scary. Few things on Earth couldn’t be made “more right.”Glaser approaches his craft with an obvious enthusiasm, and it’s reflected in his iconic logo—one of those few creations that can’t be improved. Its design has become legendary, so well timed and executed that it seems un-designed—it just exists. What more could a designer aim for? -----
Chris Force Publisher & Editor-in-Chief chris@alarmpress.com
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Shouldn’t it be fun? www.baypointbuilderscorp.com 617-614-0595
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Letters & Contributors
LETTERS TO DESIGN BUREAU July/August 2012 TWITTER FEED
Our May/June issue seems to have hit some pressure points...some pleasurable, a few not so much. It’s all good, we can take it. We love hearing feedback, so keep it coming. E-mail us: letters@wearedesignbureau.com
DESIGN BUREAU
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The Mexican hotelier takes on The States with Hôtel Americano
D
By Laura NeiLsoN
espite being the destination for New York’s art and design crowd, west Chelsea maintains a relatively quiet existence after the galleries shut their doors. Its gritty, industrial character, cool and stylish by day, often goes unseen at night. And while many a hotelier have understandably avoided this remote part of town in favor of higher-traffic locales, Carlos Couturier of the newly-debuted Hôtel Americano is quick to articulate that this was precisely what appealed to him.
The varying shades of gray and disagreement amongst design professionals—particularly architects and graphic designers—doesn’t lay forth crystal clear criteria for “good” versus “bad” competitions. Where contests are weighted on the scales of fairness depends a lot on additional modifiers: youth opposed to experience, the desire for accolades and portfolio-building, and of course, motivation and money. We’re not talking prize dollars, but motivation for profit. When you expose the inner workings of these contests, who are the real winners?
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Michael Arad’s concept called Reflecting Absence was chosen as the winning design.
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“We wanted the hotel to be an emblem, a foundation, before the neighborhood changes into something else.” —CARLOS COUTURIER
Photo: Noah Kalina; Stylist: Annie Mangen; Hair and Makeup: Jenna Riehl; Model: Laura Petersen of Q Model Management; On Laura: Blouse, Stylist’s own; Shoes, Alaïa.
Photo by Eric Luc
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HOT New Direction
michael arad Architect
tHe eMotionALLy-cHArged 9/11 MeMoriAL was left to imagination. That is, until a competition was held in 2003 to select one extraordinary designer who could translate such rawness into a physicality. There is no question that a memorial was absolutely necessary; for the hearts and minds of every American, for loved ones and survivors, and for a record of posterity equal to the magnanimity of the event which will survive into future generations. It was the brave decision of a committee to design a competition to select such a person. Any one part of the process in such a high profile competition could undoubtedly have had dissenters, but it was painstakingly crafted to be fair and democratic. It would be open to all. The entrants would be anonymous. The jury would be meticulously chosen. They would spend hundreds of hours reviewing submissions. The road to final selection was arduous, heated, long, and incredibly difficult. It was the largest global design competition in history.
Whether or not you’re a fan of Michael Graves' work, his interview in the latest issue of @DesignBureauMag is a must read. Check it! @randallcoy
Establishing itself as a part of Chelsea and appealing to its denizens speaks to the hotel’s open-door philosophy. For all its cool, downtown character, Americano is extremely welcoming and accessible. “We are Latins, after all,” notes Couturier. Besides the ground-level bar and restaurant, there’s an open rooftop and subterranean lounge, all of which are overwhelmingly frequented by locals.
Visitors to Mexico may already know of hood. And since most art galleries have con- or collector, or whatever. This is a neutral Couturier’s hotel group, Grupo Habita, and crete floors, we wanted that too,” Couturier space, where they can almost disconnect its various assortment of ten-and-counting says. Matching the hotel to its surroundings from that.” properties, ranging from Mexico City’s sleek was key for the hotelier, who moved to west Hôtel Habita, to Maison Couturier, a tropical Chelsea a year ago to gain a local’s perspec- Room rates aren’t inexpensive per se, but they farm estate nestled away in Veracruz. Hôtel tive. “Cities have become countries,” he adds. are affordable. And yet, Americano doesn’t Americano, however, is the group’s first en- “They have a personality independent from skimp on hospitality. Here, the notion of terprise north of the border. the country they’re in, and the neighbor- luxury is rooted in offering the same level of hoods are becoming the real cities. Each one service to all its guests. Providing luxury that’s Couturier and his team enlisted Enrique has a different lifestyle.” attainable, but without devaluing its very defiNorten, now based in New York, to masnition has always been a top priority for Grupo termind the design. Having worked with Couturier says he wanted the Americano Habita, now more than ever. Grupo Habita before, Norten’s participation to reflect the nearby galleries, but not rival tempered the daunting nature of an interna- them, opting for the first time not to use “In this economy, guests are much more tional project, while his understanding of art as part of his hotel decor. “How can you focused on value. They want to be accomChelsea’s landscape appropriately shaped compete with Gagosian, or Paul Kasmin, or modated individually, regardless of whether the hotel’s aesthetic. Pace gallery, or anything else in walking or not they’re staying in the smallest room or distance? That experience is out there, so the biggest—everyone should be treated like “We agreed on a metal façade because there’s we wanted to be respectful of it. It doesn’t they’re staying in the best room,” says Coutua lot of industrial aspects in the neighbor- matter if someone’s an artist or gallerist, rier. “And that’s what we do.” a
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However, when administered to subjective and sometimes intangible creative fields, these tenets become muddled. Ask a professional designer what they think about design competitions, and you’re just as likely to see them enumerate their own lengthy list of awards as to spout smoke and sound off.
HÔTEL AMERICANO
At just ten stories, and with only 56 rooms, Hôtel Americano is intimate in size, yet large in its presence. Design enthusiasts will appreciate the modern metal façade, airy, open lobby, and sparse yet stylish guest rooms.
HOSPITALITY SPOTLIGHT
CARLOS COUTURIER
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ompetition. It is a natural sorter; after jury, those remaining at the top of the heap are undoubtedly the best of the best. It is a discoverer of talent; with a democratic playing field, a youthful entrant has as equal a chance as an experienced one. And it applies pressure; going head-to-head brings out a Darwinian desire to win, more effort is applied, and the outcome can often be even more progressive, more innovative, than it would have been without that competitive function.
COOL DESIGN HOTELS
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Chelsea, New York, NY
“We like the fact that we’re in our own world, and yet, things are changing so swiftly,” he says. “We wanted the hotel to be an emblem, a foundation, before the neighborhood changes into something else.”
Design thinking
SOUND BITES
DB Picks
DB Picks
COOL DESIGN HOTELS
“I loved the feature on new designer hotels, especially the babe in bed at the Hotel Americano. Bravo, DB. I’m renewing my subscription stat.” (M.D., via email)
Arad’s design was carefully selected out of their ideas, and at this time began a phase 5,201 entries submitted from six continents, of demanding questioning which lasted even 63 nations, and 49 states. The esteemed jury longer. There was constant communication— selected eight finalists, and the eight became a barrage of e-mails, presentations, and three, the three became one. That one became meetings between inquiring jury members and two great voids in the the finalists. Arad did not ground of Lower Manhatmind. “I’ve sat on juries tan, a memorial of symwhere you had to make a bolic cascades of water decision that day, in the into perpetuity, which next few hours. This one have thus far generated was judged with integrity.” WINNER resounding praise. 9/11 memOrial For Arad, winning the deSiGN It’s difficult to make a competition had an uncOmPeTiTiON contest like this fair, intended consequence— while at the same time notoriety. He was an protecting its integrity by unknown architect who keeping it from the prying emerged almost abruptly eyes of press and outside from obscurity to become critics. “Even as a finalist, nationally and historically we didn’t know we were the final eight,” says recognized. Unintended because, living in Arad. “They brought us to the site in groups New York City at the time, Arad’s design was of four, so you could speculate how many actually born out of catharsis in the days imgroups there might be.” All eight finalists mediately following 9/11, before there was got a month and a budget to further develop even a competition to consider.
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competition conundrum indeed “While I applaud your increased coverage of design ethics, I felt that the framing of this piece was misguided. Not all architects are politicos who use competitions to climb the ladder of success. Likewise, not all graphic designers are innocents who enter shoddy competitions just to gain experience. The architect vs. graphic designer setup just felt gimmicky.” (D.T., via Email)
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how to make it in chicago “Your ‘Designed in Chicago’ story had me beaming with pride for my adopted hometown. The designers you featured are the epitome of what’s awesome about Midwesterners: solid, no-nonsense, and built-to-last.” (Q.S., via the web)
F-the economy, I’m getting a @DesignBureauMag subscription right now. Miss that shit. #sogood @PeterPerez_ Love everything about @DesignBureauMag ! “No amount will make you successful if you don't have passion. It’s a calling, not a job.” @AliMaraschino
Awesome #architecture! DesignBureau easily worth a #follow!! RT @DesignBureauMag: A mind-blowing library in Norway! @fountaineer Discovered @designbureaumag today and I really like what they have in their magazine. Nice work. @lizkelley
“Life has its own way of telling you its intention. I don’t plan to retire, but I recognize that there’s a certain point. You could lose energy, or you could run out of ideas. But that hasn’t happened.” milton glaser PAGE 98
CORRECTIONS, MAR/APR AND MAY/JUN 2012:
In our Mar/Apr issue article on Mr. Jones Watches (mrjoneswatches.com), we misidentified the watch designer as Crispin Porter. His name is Crispin Jones; We regret the error.
For the record: Rants, ramblings, and random facts from behind the scenes of this issue
$5,725
blossom
THREE
POSH SPICE
What it’ll cost you for a Chanel surfboard like jewelry designer CC Skye’s (p. 36)
Our cover star Giovanni Ribisi had a short stint on this classic ’90s hit— Whoa! Read what he's up to now (p. 94)
Number of crates of prohibition hooch and newspapers ADULT. unearthed in the band's Detroit house. (p. 120)
Our photographer Henrick Halvarsson's portfolio reveals he's shot Victoria Beckham before. Jealous! See his work with Soso. (p. 122)
Have a question or comment? We want to hear from you. Give us a shout at letters@wearedesignbureau.com.
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Pixels & Print
PIXELS & PRINT
DESIGN BUREAU
The best of the best in graphics and photos
FILL IN THE BLANK
Jessica Walsh
This graphic designer dreams about typography and has an undying love for all things avocado When I get out of bed, the first thing I think about is... Checking
my email and getting as much coffee into my veins as possible.
The designer whose career I envy most is... Stefan Sagmeister When I'm sleeping, my dreams are usually about... Flying through
space, being chased, or typography.
I wish I could redesign... John F.
Kennedy International airport. And U.S. currency. Both are terrible.
The best design request I could get is... “We have a huge budget, we
will fly you to an exotic part of the world, you can do everything from branding to advertising, and you'll have total creative freedom.� CONTINUED
Photo by Matthew Williams
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Pixels & Print
1
2
(CONTINUED)
The most awesome website is...
The font I hope they use on my tombstone is... Knockout!
I wish every designer knew not to... Take themselves and their work
I love reading... About our universe or
Google. My second brain.
interesting people. I would rather watch a good movie if I want a fictional story.
too seriously.
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5
1, 2, & 3
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Art direction and design for luxury department store Aizone in the Middle East. Creative Direction: Stefan Sagmeister; Direction & Art Design: Jessica Walsh; Photography: Henry Hargreaves ; Body Painting: Anastasia Durasova; Hair Stylist: Gregory Alan; Retouching: Lutz & Schmitt
Identity design work for the The Borealis Wind Quintet, including new logo, website, business cards, letterhead, CD covers, and poster designs.
Photo illustration for RISD’s new Alumni magazine, with the assignment to illustrate the word “Show”. Art Director: Criswell Lappin
www.jessicawalsh.com
I live on... a tiny planet in a solar system
in the Milky Way galaxy, containing 200–400 billion other stars, that is part of a universe which contains over 200 billion other galaxies, and is possibly just one of many universes...
Pixels & Print
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ID Club
DESIGN BUREAU
Awesome brand identities from unlikely sources
This issue:
Three bakeries whose design looks as good as their treats taste
Catalina Fernandez
When I make a million dollars, I wanna buy... A work space! I think that can get you a couple
San Pedro, MX Branding and Interiors: Anagrama A high-end pastry boutique that juxtaposes its luxe gold-foiled packaging against its minimalist warehouse aesthetic. www.catalinafernandez.mx
hundred square feet in Manhattan? Right now my dining room space has been converted into a photo studio and I would like to have a place to eat one day. Man, I just love... a good avocado. a
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Easy Tiger BAKESHOP & BEER GARDEN Austin, TX Branding: Ryan Rhodes Interiors: Veronica Koltuniak Handmade breads and pretzels are served up (along with a variety of great craft beers) among beautifully hand-painted signs. www.easytigeraustin.com
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Cover photo illustration and concept for Print magazine’s annual issue about 20 emerging artists under 30 years old. The concept was to use the neon sign photographed on a piece of plexi glass to represent the “brightest emerging artists.” Art Director: Alice Cho
DAS NEUE KUBITSCHECK Munich, Germany Branding and interiors: Designliga Their motto, which is painted on the windows, proclaims “Fuck the Cake Mix.” Enough said. www.das-neue-kubitscheck.de
Catalina Fernandez: www.anagrama.com; Easy Tiger: www.verokolt.com, www.biggerthangiants.com, sign painting by Joe Swec; photos byJulie Cope (www.juliecope.com) and Keith Davis Young (www.keithdavisyoung.com); Das Neue Kubitscheck: www.designliga.com, photos by Pascal Gambarte
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DESIGN BUREAU
Pixels & Print
PACKAGING DESIGN
Good Looking Brews As one of the co-founding brothers of CraftCans.com, Russ Phillips knows what a good beer looks (and tastes) like. Here are 7 cans that prove bottles aren’t the only ones having design fun. Text by Russ Phillips
BONUS: Landmark 12-oz slim can
Intuition Ale Works
Austin Beerworks
Hilliard's
Sixpoint Craft Ales
Jon Boat Coastal Ale, 4.5% ABV
Pearl-Snap Pilsner, 5.3% ABV
Amber Ale, 5.5% ABV
Resin Double IPA, 9.1% ABV
LOCATION: Jacksonville, FL
LOCATION: Austin, TX
LOCATION: Seattle, WA
LOCATION: Brooklyn, NY
DESIGN PROFILE: This simple
DESIGN PROFILE: Designed to
DESIGN PROFILE: The distinctive
DESIGN PROFILE: The first
design uses the aluminum as a contrasting background for the bold coloring. A “Jon Boat” is a flat-bottomed boat popular with fisherman, hence the name of this beer. (Design by DeRouen & Co. and The MAD House)
look like old oil cans, Pearl Snap's can features the perfect green for a hoppy lager. The name of the beer refers to the snap buttons on Western-style button down shirts.(Design by Helms Workshop)
pattern and logo is reminiscent of classic cans of the ’60s and ’70s. The fledgling brewery also uses the pattern on its cases, eight pack boxes, delivery trucks, and taproom exterior. (Design by Mint Design)
slim 12-ounce can by a craft brewer. The design features greens and golds, representative of the inside of a hop cone. (Design by Aaron Eckroth]
FLAVOR PROFILE: A Kolsch-style
FLAVOR PROFILE: A
FLAVOR PROFILE: Toasty malt
ale, light and crisp on the palate and perfect for a warm day on (or off) the water.
German-style pilsner with sharp, dry flavors and a prominent, spicy hop profile. A great choice for a hot Texas day.
flavors combine with caramel sweetness and a touch of citrusy hops in the finish.
BOTTOM LINE: The first craft
brewery in Florida to can their beer, Jon Boat is great for thirsty folks in Jacksonville.
BOTTOM LINE: Austin does
food, music, and beer extremely well.
Santa Fe Brewing Happy Camper IPA, 6.6% ABV
BOTTOM LINE: If the hipsters haven’t embraced it already, they will be soon.
FLAVOR PROFILE: Bittersweet,
sticky with pineapple and mango notes, and a semi-astringent intense dry finish. It should be poured into the appropriate glassware. BOTTOM LINE: This is a beer
for those that love hops. It’s strong, it’s bitter, and it’s worth taking your time to drink.
WHY CHOOSE CANS?
LOCATION: Santa Fe, NM DESIGN PROFILE: Prominently featuring the
red sun symbol Zia, Happy Camper IPA does its best to rep New Mexico. (Design by Brad Jungles and Matt McCaffree) FLAVOR PROFILE: Grapefruit, pine, and citrus flavors abound in this wellrounded IPA that features five different hop varieties. BOTTOM LINE: Like the name implies, this is worth throwing in the cooler on your next camping trip.
Cans are easily portable, lightweight, unbreakable, and they provide total protection from the potentially damaging effects of light on beer. And they also get cold pretty darn quickly. Today’s cans have a water-based polymer lining that protects the beer from the metal, so as long as you’re pouring a can of beer into a glass, you’re not going to taste anything metallic. Drink up! MORE BEER ON NEXT PAGE
Intuition Ale: Creative direction by Derrit DeRouen, DeRouen & Co., project management by Larry McIntosh, The MAD House, www.intuitionale.com; Austin Beerworks: www. austinbeerworks.com; Hilliard's: www.hilliardsbeer.com; Six Point photos by Michael Harlan Turkell and Eli Neugeboren, www.sixpoint.com; Santa Fe Brewing: www.santafebrewing.com
Pixels & Print
DESIGN BUREAU
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Pixels & Print
PACKAGING DESIGN, CONT.
TOP 5
COVER BOY We asked Bloomberg Businessweek creative director Richard Turley to name his five favorite magazine covers of all time. He gave us six.
Bomb Lager Helles Lager, 5.1% ABV LOCATION: New York, NY DESIGN PROFILE: NYC pop artist Billy the Artist did the eye-catching designs for these cans. FLAVOR PROFILE: This is a malty, not too
sweet, Helles-style lager that will appeal to those looking for an easy transition from more mainstream beers. BOTTOM LINE: For a very agreeable price, you get to hold a work of art in your hand—and the beer inside isn’t half bad.
R
ichard Turley may post his favorite rock videos on his Tumblr account, but the Brit also happens to be a bit of a rockstar himself, at least in the magazine design world. In 2010, a veteran designer with the Guardian and its G2 section, was brought in to helm the relaunch of Bloomberg Businessweek in 2011. With its new Helvetica logo in place , the business mag celebrates the glories of print each week in cheeky, bold but easyto-skim design. We asked the Liverpool Art School-educated Creative Director what makes a great cover design and more.
What makes a great magazine cover? Ideas. Surprise. Bravery. Originality. If you have more than one then it starts to become much more interesting. What makes a poor one? Perceived notions of what a magazine cover should be and a fear of messing with that formula. Also, dead-eyed girls in bikinis. Are there any simple rules you follow? I don't move the logo much. Is humor a key element in cover design? For me, absolutely. But not just in the covers, everywhere, I hope. If you make someone smile, they lower their defenses a bit and let you inside their head, which is the place I want to be. a
Sleazenation
Big Sky Brewing Trout Slayer Wheat Ale, 4.7% ABV LOCATION: Missoula, MT DESIGN PROFILE: Like the name implies,
Big Sky features an angler scooping a big trout. (Original art by Jane Lund, design by Mike Morawski) FLAVOR PROFILE: A light-bodied pale wheat ale that is not too heavy on the palate. It has a citrus finish and drinkability that’s hard to match. BOTTOM LINE: Whether you’re slaying trout
or not, this is a great option while enjoying the great outdoors.
Need another round? Check out www.craftcans.com for more great designs and great beer.
Big Sky Brewing: www.bigskybrew.com; Bomb Lager: www.bomblager.com
NOVEMBER, 2001
“Deadening, simplistic futility. The only sensible response to having a little bit of power is to poke fun at those whose faith in the system remains strong.” www.scottking.co.uk
Pixels & Print
DESIGN BUREAU
Esquire SEPTEMBER, 1965
“It seems kind of churlish to not include one of George Lois' covers, because he changed everything. This one is a bit 'graphic design' but, really, I could have chosen any of them.” www.esquire.com
Colors No.11, TRAVEL SPECIAL, JUNE-AUGUST, 1995
“I love this cover—a travel issue that begins with a plane crash. It fulfills all the criteria doesn't it? Simple, original, surprising and brave. And its funny too.” www.colorsmagazine.com
New York Magazine
Dazed and Confused
Ray Gun Issue 27
MARCH 24, 2008
AUGUST, 1997
MAY, 1995
“Just as its silly to leave out George Lois, it's dumb to leave New York Magazine off this list. This magazine changed me — changed the way I understood how magazines could work.So I'm putting this in, more to represent the magazine as a whole, but this cover by Barbara Kruger is an instant classic.” www.nymag.com
“Scratch off the panel. You win if you get her topless. Losers got two 'Xs' over her chest. A really cheap, nasty joke that makes you feel a bit dirty and exploited.” www.dazeddigital.com
“I have a real affection for David Carson, where others I think are repelled. I grew up in the era of Raygun and the 'End of Print,' so this magazine and Carson's approach is hard wired into me.”
Esquire cover image courtesy George Lois; Sleazenation inset photo by Wolfgang Tillmans; New York Magazine cover copyright Barbara Kruger, courtesy of the Mary Boone Gallery, New York and New York Magazine; Raygun image courtesy Jaap Biemans, www.coverjunkie.com, and Joe Kral; Richard Turley: www.richardturley.tumblr.com; www.businessweek.com
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Pixels & Print
5 DESIGNERS / 5 QUESTIONS / 1
Music Video Directors
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Ours is the age of songs debuting on YouTube and Vimeo, so why aren’t music video directors a bigger deal? We’ll just blame MTV and leave it at that. Oh, and ask them five questions. By JOHN DUGAN
JAY BUIM
FOCUS CREEPS
www.jbeardwizard.com Future Islands, Shy Child
www.focuscreeps.com Girls, Arctic Monkeys, Neon Indian
DUGAN o'NEAL www.duganoneal.com TV on the Radio, Ellie Goulding
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You're shooting a video with your dream artist in a dream locale with your dream video theme. Who, where, and what's the theme?
Two mysterious business men show up at a Japanese sushi restaurant/ karaoke bar and reveal themselves to secretly be Daft Punk robots in disguise
It’s either Lucinda Williams in some snowy urban landscape, or E40 in a Grand National doing wheelies
Rhianna, in Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, the world's largest salt flats. The idea is Rhianna is sent from a far off galaxy to Earth to save the human race but instead she makes a music video in Bolivia with me.
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Which music video defines your teenage years? Which defines your life currently?
Old White Zombie and Nine Inch Nails videos. Currently the video that defines my life is Paul Simon, “You Can Call Me Al” featuring Chevy Chase, directed by Gary Weis.
We both loved that Hype Williams movie BELLY when we were young and I think it continues to be defining
Nirvana “Smells like Teen Spirit” directed by Samuel Bayer, or the Beastie Boys “Sabotage” by Spike Jonze. Now, M.I.A. “Bad Girlz” directed by Romain Gavras.
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The worst video of all time is...
Tonetta makes the best worst videos of all time
Aaron was watching all the Primus and Rancid videos last week and in retrospect they are all kinda bad…so you got me!
David Bowie and Mick Jagger, “Dancing in the Street”, it’s the worst video ever... but also the best ever
commit a serious felony to 4 "Idowould a music video with..."
Prince
Did a doc thing with Danny Brown last year and wanted to do something more stylized
Björk
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Three fog machines
We've managed to do a lot with a Super 8 camera and a party light.
A treasure map, a treasure chest, and an eye patch
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Budget cuts! You're shooting a new video on a deserted island, and can only afford three props to use. What do you pick? Jay Buim Warm Ghost “Myths On Rotting Ships” Future Islands “Balance”
Dugan O'Neal photo by Casey O'Neal.
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FOCUS CREEPS (Aaron Brown and Ben Chappell) spector “Chevy Thunder” GIRLS “lust for life”
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Dugan O'Neal Black Sands Short Film, score by the Glitch Mob TV on the Radio “Will Do”
Pixels & Print
DESIGN BUREAU
GALLERY DESIGN
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www.weirddays.com Tanlines, Real Estate, Das Racist
www.mattdilmore.com Wise Blood, Busdriver
Sting has tantric sex with himself, says goodbye to his family, arrives in Mecca, feeds thousands of starving children, bathes with holy men, commits authentic 16th century ritual hari-kari.
I've always wanted to do something trippy for Kool Keith. It’d be ideal to have Keith somewhere barren and exotic, like the end of Teorema...with a slew of Brazzers girls thrown in for good measure.
Teenage years: “Black or White“ by Michael Jackson, “Heart Shaped Box“ by Nirvana, “Hypnotize“ by Notorious B.I.G. Currently: “Must Be Santa“ by Bob Dylan
Then: Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush “Don't Give Up,“ Now: Li’l B “Breathe Slow“
Oliver Stone's The Doors movie, also the best video of all time.
Feist “1, 2, 3, 4“
Phil Spector
...Ricky Lix
1. Baby police uniform, 2. Small gun, both for the... 3. Monkey.
I've found you can never really go wrong with some kindling, a flaming barrel, and duct tape
Weird Days (Alex Goldberg, Ben Schechter, and Drew Blatman) Delorean “Stay Close”; Real Estate “It's Real”
LA gallery Prism trades in a signature look for an alwaysevolving graphic identity
MATT DILMORE
WEIRD DAYS
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Extreme Gallery Makeover
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Matt Dilmore Black Lips “Let it Grow” Black Rebel Motorcycle Club “Dirty Old Town”
“
P
rism said they wanted to be a new type of gallery, with different art across different genres,” says graphic designer Natasha Jen of the LA-based art and design gallery. “I thought that ambition could be reflected graphically.”
For every show that goes up, Jen develops a corresponding, 100-percent individual identity. The process is straightforward on paper: the designer often takes her cues from the exhibiting artist’s signature style and then typographically transforms them into invitations, posters, and other needed signage. CONTINUED
Invitations for Prism's show Mind the Gap. Photo by Max Yawney
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DESIGN BUREAU
Pixels & Print
Transforming phones with Transfoner
(CONTINUED)
This evolving design strategy guides all of her work for Prism, but is particularly clear in her work for the Andy Warhol: Black & White Paintings exhibit. Jen focused on the jarring nature of the work, and echoed this element through simple typographic repetitions, which became the identity. And for a retrospective on acclaimed Japanese photographer Araki, Jen wanted to highlight the gracefulness of his images. “Although the works exhibited in the show were primarily his explicit bondage images, there was a kind
of strange elegance beneath the photography,” she says. “That subtle elegance informed how we dealt with the typography.” From Jen’s perspective, Prism’s evolving graphics anchor its ever-changing personality. “Identity design is the core of everything else,” she says. “It sets forth the language that you can feel about the specific subject, and everything else is an extension of that.” —maggie lange
Bored with your phone? Then check out Transfoner, a new app that is giving Android home screens a facelift. Designed for Foneclay, Jen reimagined app icons as small Lego-like pieces. Each time a phone unlocks, the icons reassemble themselves and a series of unexpected combinations emerge—an adorable robot, a rabbit, a turtle, the Empire State building, among others. After a short and entertaining display show, the icons then deconstruct into their normal looks and location. “The miracle of Transfoner is that it touches us back: with a smile, a giggle, or a wide-eyed reaction of ‘Ohhhhh, that was aweseome!’,” says Scott Dresden of Foneclay. Dresden, of course, brings up a good point. Why not have a little fun before making a phone call?
Clockwise from top left: invitation for Prism's Araki: a Perspective show; the gallery's "About Us" website page; the Transfoner app; poster for Prism's Andy Warhol: Black and White Paintings show; poster for Prism's Come as You Are show. Photos by Max Yawney
DESIGN BUREAU
Pixels & Print
My View
one photographer FIVE photos one city
Paul Octavious Chicago, Illinois
Photographer and designer Paul Octavious finds inspiration in the versatility of Lake Michigan. “The thing for me I find great about Chicago is it’s easy to escape the hustle of the city by going to the lake,” says the Connecticut native. “One of my favorite times to go to the lake is during the winter, when the lakefront looks like the Arctic. During the summer, the lake turns a certain blue that you only see in the Caribbean. I love this.” a
Portrait by Derek Wood
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DESIGN BUREAU
Pixels & Print
TOP FIVE
Affordable Art Websites You don't have to break the bank to make your walls look good
Short on cash, but high on your passion for art? Then check out one of our favorite online destinations for low-cost original art. Whether you’re in the market for a limited edition print or a piece from an emerging photographer, each of these sites proves that high art doesn't have to be pricey, and is as easy as two clicks of the mouse.—j'nai gaither
mammoth and company If you’re the outdoorsy type, then you’ll want to head to Mammoth & Company to peruse their prints of nature, wildlife, and marine life. www.mammothandcompany.com Clockwise from top left: Alexander Semenov / Cyanea Capillata / $20-$800 Amber Ibarreche / Gemz / $20-$800 Tom Edwards / River / $20-$800
little paper planes An online artists’ collective, Little Paper Planes showcases affordable works of promising emerging artists that dabble in various mediums. www.littlepaperplanes.com Clockwise from Jessica Bell / Russell Leng / Jeremy Miranda
top left: Print 6, Bridge Form 2 / $65 Print 3 / $35 / Print 1, Iceberg / $35
Pixels & Print
DESIGN BUREAU
20x200 This site got its name from its unique business model, which offers $20 prints in limited and signed editions of only 200. These prints go quickly, so if you like it, you have to act fast! www.20x200.com
poster cabaret
Left to right: Lisa Congdon / Day 256: Vintage Airline Tags / $60–240 Todd McLellan / Old Recorder / $24–$1200 Lawrence Weiner / Water Finds its Own Level Howsoever / $60–$2,400
Originally a place to procure concert posters from fave bands, Poster Cabaret has morphed into a venue for affordable modern art prints as well. www.postercabaret.com
eye buy art Get a leg up on the next great photographer with Eye Buy Art. The bi-weekly newsletter will alert you to important emerging photogs and their pieces so you can claim first dibs. www.eyebuyart.com Left to right: Adam Rankin / Eric / $25-$1,000 Nikolai Ishchuk / EP'(1) / $25-$1,000 Joakim Boren / Untitled #6 / $25-$1,000 Jeremy Gesualdo / Untitled #7 / $25-$1,000
Clockwise from top left: Blanca Gomez/ Beauty is in the Street / $35 Hollie Chastain / After School / $35 Diana Sudyka / Bronte in New Zealand / $40
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DESIGN BUREAU
Pixels & Print
Zingara Collection
www.taipingcarpets.com/zingara
Objects & Gear
OBJECTS & GEAR
DESIGN BUREAU
Things that make us drool, covet, and go broke
Noah by RVS by V, $315, www.labrabbit.org
Lennon by Le Specs and Henry Holland (collab), $125, us.asos.com
John Varvatos Gold Aviators, $200, www.johnvarvatos.com
Solid Green by Waiting for the Sun, €130, www.blender01.com
Clark by Lotho, $400-425, www.monocleorder.com
Men's Eyewear Let’s be honest—men care about their sunglasses just as much as women do. Fortunately, now there are more than just Blu Blockers and Wayfarers to fit their interests.
John Varvatos Burgundy Square acetate frame, $220, www.johnvarvatos.com
Photo by Doug Human
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DESIGN BUREAU
Objects & Gear
Caracas, €550, moncolonel.fr
Faces, €680, moncolonel.fr
Sunny Disposition French design studio Colonel brings the outdoors in with its new beach-inspired furniture collection Yann Poncelet and Isabelle Gilles formed Colonel over glasses of iced vermouth with lime. Fitting, then, that their new collection conjures images of carefree sunny days with its blend of craft furniture and classic beach gear. “What is really important for us in decoration is to mix old and new with different materials and techniques,” Gilles says of their designs, made in small series by French craftsmen. Even on cloudy days, this Colonel basks in fun. —Sarah Handelman Photos courtesy of Colonel
Bog, €380, moncolonel.fr
Suzie, €200, moncolonel.fr
Objects & Gear
DESIGN BUREAU
SUMMER GEAR
BEACH BOLD
By the pool or at the shore, these graphic towels make a colorful style statement photo by zack burris
Natural Zebra Hide Towel by Maslin & Co, $225, www.maslinandco.com
Brooklyn Brewery's Summer Ale Beach Towel,$28, brooklynbrewery.com
Gingham Aviators Towel in Raspberry by Stephen Moss, price upon request, www.smossdesign.com
Ed Ruscha towel, $95, www.worksonwhatever.com
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Objects & Gear
Street Savvy What it takes to make delicious restaurant sign designs
Turn to page 86 for our
RESTAURANT Guide
Craving good design? Frayda Sharaby heads sign production company Sign Expo, and she’s helped produce some of New York’s best looking storefront signs for eateries big and small. “A great sign translates a restaurant’s food and its feeling to the street,” Sharaby says. One of her personal favorites? The Murray’s Cheese aluminum swing sign. “It’s shaped like a cheese wheel and we painted it to look old,” she says. Sharaby based the sign’s design off a 1950s photo of the original Murray’s Cheese. “It really wakes up your taste buds and makes you crave their food.” a
DB BREAKS IT DOWN
LIAM GALLAGHER
DAN AYKROYD
A Cheat Sheet for CelebrityEndorsed Products Between pop stars, reality stars, rap stars, and even some fading stars, it can be hard to keep straight what celebrities are backing. Take a look at our guide of who’s hawking what. By Sarah Platanitis Murray's Cheese photos courtesy of Sign Expo.
We’re not sure what former Oasis rocker Liam Gallagher is so upset about all the time, especially since he has his own line of '60s-inspired, über-mod men’s clothes, shoes, and other accessories. Liam Gallagher’s Pretty Green, $30-$1,140 www.prettygreen.com
Conehead, meet skull bottle. Thanks to Blues Brother Dan Aykroyd, you can enjoy Crystal Head vodka straight from a skull. Yeah, we’re waiting on the funny man’s punch line for this one, too. Crystal Head Vodka, from $39 www.crystalheadvodka.com
Objects & Gear
DESIGN BUREAU
Metal Head Metalsmith-turned-designer Chris Gentner is no lightweight in the furniture department
Pewter coffee table “The table is formed out of steel first. A liquid pewter is poured over the top to form the textured surface organically. Each table will be slightly different due to the way the pewter settles and dries.”
Educated as a metalsmith, Christopher Gentner spent years hammering out high-end furniture and architectural metal for wellknowns such as Holly Hunt and Manifesto. All the while, he had his own shapes in mind. In 2011, the Chicagoan founded his own showroom, Gentner, showcasing his metal-based designs. “Often my inspiration starts in my desire for a certain item. If I want a chair I start working on a chair, but the shapes and forms come from all over, things I see every day,” says Gentner, whose influences include sculptors Richard Serra and David Smith. Furniture, he attests, is art you can use. “ It’s very rare for someone to put an 8’ sculpture in their living-room; a sofa is a chance to have something large and sculptural that you can also take a nap on.” a
STEEL BOTTLE OPENER “My brother said it best: ’This is a bottle opener that is not fooling around. This bottle opener says I’m in charge and I’m coming to get you, so you and your friend better look out.’”
SYLVESTER STALLONE
Bear Grylls
DR. DRE
Betcha didn’t know that Rocky has a thing for pricey pens. Practice writing "Yo, Adrian!" with the limited edition Montegrappa “Chaos” pen, featuring skulls and reptiles in sterling silver or 18k gold. Sylvester Stallone’s limitededition “Chaos” pen for Montegrappa, price upon request, www.montegrappa.com
Sure, former British SAS soldier turned television outdoor adventurer (Man Vs Wild) Bear Grylls can be annoying, even gross (enough maggot eating already), but we'd guess he knows survival tools. He's put his intitials on this Ultimate Survival Knife. The light blade comes with emergency whistle, fire-starter and pocket-sized survival guide for life's what-would-Bear-do situations. Bear Grylls’ Ultimate Survival Knife, $62, www.gerbergear.com
Hip-hop production icon Dr. Dre turns name recognition into brand gold with his Beats by Dr. Dre Artist Series headphones. Each style of in-ear phones is repped by and designed with a major pop icon. Diddy, Gaga and LeBron each have their own model. What, no Snoop Dogg? Beats by Dre Artist Series, $150 www.beatsbydre.com Christopher Gentner photo by Johnathan Crawford
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DESIGN BUREAU
Fashion & Beauty
Nerd Alert! Stefan Sagmeister, Steven Heller, and Kevin Finn have 100-plus design trivia questions for you. Think you can measure up to their vast knowledge? photo by kaitlyn mcquaid
TOYS BY DESIGN
DESIGN NERD
Design Nerd Triva Game by Kevin Finn, $75, www.designerd.info
PLAY IT
TEST YOUR KNOWLEGE
Need a hint? Turn to page 98
Q:
Push Pin Studios was founded in 1954 by four Cooper Union graduates. Name any three of them. ANSWER BELOW.
...and for more dorky design fun, check this: Take your design challenge to the next level with The Modern Architecture Game. Designed by Holland-based NEXT Architects, this game features 1,000 questions pertaining to six architectural categories: Visual, Architect, Project, Style, Influence, and Quote. Players answers the questions while moving their famous building pawns from the edge of the board to its center. Answer a question
ANSWERS: Milton Glaser, Seymour Chwast, Reynold Ruffins, and Edward Sorel
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correctly, and you’re one step closer to victory. But answer incorrectly, and you are forced to pass the infamous circular spectacles of Le Corbusier to the next player. The Modern Architecture Game, is available at NEXT's office in Amsterdam and exclusive bookstores worldwide. www.nextarchitects.com —Stephen Killion
Fashion & Beauty
FASHION & BEAUTY
DESIGN BUREAU
Because style never goes out of...style
Saxy Time Fashion design duo Howitzweissbach shows us that menswear can be sexy As far back as the middle ages, Germans looked to Erzegebirge (the Ore Mountains) near the Czech border for everything from textiles to wood carvings. Today, fledgling Leipzig-based designers Frieder Weissbach and Eva Howitz (collectively HowitzWeissbach) are recasting the region's craft legacy with a modern, experimental spirit. CONTINUED
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DESIGN BUREAU
Fashion & Beauty
(CONTINUED)
Their recent collection, FÜNF AUFRÄUMEN, mixes the traditional materials of the German Saxon/Bohemia border region (Blume family knit stockings, Jahnsdorf textiles) with structured shapes that reveal sexy surprises. Mint greens and gaping backs reveal flashes of femininity and skin in a bold but somehow polite collection. Even the lookbook mixes the avant-garde and the manly—all the models sport mountain man beards. —LAUREN CARROLL
www.howitzweissbach.com
Fashion & Beauty
More Than Silk
DESIGN BUREAU
Maj Anya DeBear
A designer commemorates her late father's drawings in a patterned collection Maj Anya DeBear’s silk scarves are more than just beautiful accessories. As her artist father, Robert, was dying of cancer, he expressed his last wish: to have his intricate tessellation drawings transformed into beautiful silk scarves. With his health deteriorating, DeBear and her family raced to realize this request for him, and created something beautiful and new in spite of otherwise tragic circumstances. “It was quite literally the way I dealt with him dying,” DeBear says of the designs. “I was watching him die, but while I was watching him die, I was watching this thing come to life.” To memorialize her father, DeBear named the line Ursidae, which means “the family of bears” in Swedish, her family’s heritage. DeBear will continue her father’s legacy with a new collection of Ursidae scarves, due out this Fall. TEXT BY Jennifer Hamblett PHOTOS BY DUSDIN CONDREN
www.ursidae.com
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Fashion & Beauty
MY FAVORITE THINGS
CC SKYE
Known for bedecking Hollywood it-girls in her glamorous accessories, the Los Angeles designer shows off her must-have pieces On summer hiatus from her gig as an MTV producer, CC Skye wandered into L.A’s jewelry district and ended up apprenticing with a local manufacturer. It wasn’t long before she launched her own luxury accessories line. With her leather and gold bracelets soon embraced by Nicole Richie and other stylish celebs, Skye’s biz went sky high. Although her gold-plated empire is growing and expanding (including a line of handbags and other accessoreies), Skye is still a bit of a hippy beach girl at heart. Case in point: she says she’s heading to Bali for downtime and spiritual realignment. (Think she’ll pack that surfboard?)
1 designer item:
Chanel Surfboard, $5,725, at Chanel boutiques.
photo by rainbeau seitz
CC Skye Enamel Hinge Cuff, $190, www.ccskye.com
Tom Ford and Helmut Lang images provided by Shopbop.com. Rumi: The Book of Love: Poems of Ecstacy and Longing, image courtesy Harper Collins.
Fashion & Beauty
DESIGN BUREAU
2 swimwear:
Lite Brite Swarovski crystal bikini, $2,200,
Skye's List of must haves, including Poetry and luxe-kinis
PROFILE
JET SET! the man behind hollywood's favorite jeans and tees
jewelry: CC Skye Punk Princess bracelet, $350, ccskye.com 3
ashley paige.com
4 furniture:
Kreiss, $2,095, kreisshq.com
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website: Shopbop.com
J
6 everyday accessory:
Tom Ford glasses, $395, shopbop.com
7 BOOK: Poetry
by Rumi, $14, harper collins.com
ohn Eshaya knows about fashion. The onetime sales associate at Fred Segal quips that he worked on about “950,000 window displays� before working his way to the top as Vice President and Creative Director at the LA shopping mecca. Now Eshaya is building his own fashion empire with Jet, which features Cali-cool tees, tops, and jeans. With such a strong fashion pedigree, no wonder celebrities like Jessica Alba, Heidi Klum, and Kim Kardashian are fans. Where do you find inspiration for Jet?
8 BAG: CC
Skye Victoria Wristlet, $275,
9 clothing item: Helmut Lang
jacket, $234, shopbop.com
The inspiration for Jet is the everyday girls. My girlfriends, girls I see on the street, girls you see at Coachella, girls you see at the beach. How come the street style look is replicated by so many celebs? Celebrity girls have great taste, and can get the great Chanel bags and shoes, but they are looking at the same girls I am. It all goes back and forth. The celebrity girls are looking at the everyday girls, and the everyday girls are looking at the celebrity girls. CONTINUED
Portrait by Nick Farrell
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Fashion & Beauty
Trick of Light One pro shares his trade secrets for transforming small concerts into over-the-top events with dynamic lighting effects
When Clear Channel Radio approached lighting design professional Jason Livingston to create the lightingscape at their in-house theater, he was up for the challenge. To take the space from ho-hum conference room to rock ‘n’ roll hall, Livingston and his team at Studio T+L installed 8,000 colored LEDs all around the room. And, because according to Livingston, “rock and roll always needs more,” they even built a custom LED video wall that shoots purposefully-blurred images across the back of the stage. Together, these swaths of constantly-changing light and color “completely enfold the audience in one image,” he says.
One Really Cool Media Wall
1
Up on stage, red, blue, and green LEDs behind transluscent panels create images with a cool, diffused look. Philips Color Kinetics helped Livingston choose the fixtures, fixture spacings, and other equipment to get the look just right.
Color's all Around
2
(CONTINUED)
Your work seems so perfectly distressed—the sexy slouch, the perfect rip. How do you make it look so precisely worn? We have a warehouse in Echo Park where we do all the t-shirts and sweaters for Jet. All made in the US, I love to say. I’m always in the parking lot with a grinder or some bleach and my co-workers say, “There goes the mad scientist again.” My hands are definitely dirty! I was putting a new grind on some jeans the other day and took a chunck of my knee off with the grinder. It wasn’t a very designer moment, or then again, maybe it was. What are your plans for the future? I’d love to open freestanding Jet stores in cool little neighborhoods. But you can’t just merchandise the clothes and the space—you’ve got to paint the walls, put [in] new displays, and keep the environment interesting.
The ceiling panels, wall carve outs, and stage backlights wash the venue in endless color combos. To pull off the effect, Studio T+L installed 141 Philips Color Kinetics iColor Flex SL LED strings in the video wall and wall streaks, and 270 Philips iColor Cove MX Powercore LEDs in the ceiling.
A Stage all A blur
3
Concert goers can stake out a spot right in front of the stage and check out the video wall up close. Performing artists can choose from thousands of stock backgrounds or upload their own images to the Philips Color Kinetics Video Systems Manager.
—Denise Burrell-Stinson Jet Jeans photo by Nick Farrell; Studio T+L Photos 1 & 2 by John Brandon Miller. Shakira concert photo courtesy Clear Channel.
DESIGN BUREAU
Travel & Culture
TRAVEL & CULTURE
Eat, shop, explore, do what you do
Around the World
SHOPPING SPECIAL SHOP: KANSAS CITY
Baldwin Denim
This cool blue jean boutique puts KC on the heritage denim map For Baldwin Denim’s growing legion of followers, a tank of gas is worth it to visit the flagship shop for the built-to-last Americanmade jeans. The six-year-old collection (now for both sexes) has built a rep online, but calls its spot in Leawood, Kansas, home. CONTINUED
Photo by Ryan Strong
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Travel & Culture
SHOP: MARRAKECH
33 rue Majorelle This Morocco-based concept store hypes homegrown designers...and has a juice bar, too A hip focal point in the city of Marrakech, next to the famed Jardin Majorelle, on Rue Yves Saint Laurent, chic shop 33 Rue Majorelle elegantly blends the past and present with high regard for regional tradition. Majorelle stocks the work of 40-60 Moroccan designers on two floors, and is curated with an expert touch with options for every budgets. The boutique features retro-chic and boho must-haves like colorful hand-sewn cushions from Khennouf, along with one-of-a-kind items like revolutionary bags from Egypt. “In Morocco, everything is crafted to perfection,” says owner Monique Bresson. “The vibrant and bold colors, the rich hues, the abundant geometric ornaments, and the handcrafted textures are what make Moroccan art and design so distinctive.” And everything inside is presented with reverence for artistic vision. “I wanted the visit to be apprehended like a ‘promenade’ between different and distinct universes,” Bresson says. “That’s why I have chosen to partition the space into corners, each of which tells only one story—the designer’s story.” In case the options become overwhelming, there's refreshment at Kaowa, a cafe and juice bar on the premises, as well as a soothing gallery specializing in Moroccan painting. “We need to continue to surprise our visitors with new designers and collections,” Bresson says. And also with juice, apparently.—Aryn Beitz
Monique’s Moroccan Fashion Must-Haves: Noureddine Amir—He does not design dresses, he sculpts them Said Mahrouf—He makes spectacular dresses
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The look of the shop, which opened in late 2011, was designed by founder/designer Matt Baldwin and Huft Architects to imbue a manly, no-nonsense attitude. Details like dark steel and wood paneling blend modern with craft, while at the back bar (which also serves as a DJ booth), a selftaught tailor makes in-store repairs and alterations using a 1952 Singer sewing machine. Barn lamps illuminate a custom table (it also hosts holiday feasts) that showcases stacks of selvedge denim, and a wall of fame displays remnants of worn-out Baldwins. “Our clothes and experiences should have character,” says Daniel Cummings, brand manager. “There’s value in that.” —Sarah Handelman
Baldwin Denim photos by Ryan Strong; www.baldwindenim.com; 33 Rue Majorelle photos courtesy of 33 Rue Majorelle; www.33ruemajorelle.com
Travel & Culture
DESIGN BUREAU
GOING STATESIDE: With the help of an international distributor, Nobrow recently launched its celebrated titles in bookshops across the United States. But Spiro and Arthur say the wider audience won’t change Nobrow’s relentless pursuit to publish beautiful and original books. “We’re not in this to work towards a mainstream,” Spiro says. “We’re interested in working with people who want to carve their own path.” One book at a time.
SHOP: LONDON
Nobrow Press A deluxe publisher thrives by doing color books right Sometimes choosing is hard, but Nobrow doesn’t want readers to worry. The British press, established in 2008 by publishers Alex Spiro and Sam Arthur, works with both fine artists and slapstick cartoonists to create diverse editions of beautifully printed visual publications. With its collection of original comics, graphic novels, and art books, Nobrow has succeeded in carving a distinct place for itself in the growing crowd of independent book publishers. “Starting out, we knew that the only way for the press to survive was if extreme attention was paid to form and detail,” Spiro says. Traditional spot coloring allows artwork to pop from thick, tactile paper stock. With French flaps, perfect binding, limited runs,
(not to mention the artwork inside), each Nobrow edition is both a covetable tome and object to behold. Launched during a recession in an already struggling industry, Nobrow's strength is swimming against the tide. “The future of print is in its past,” says Spiro. “We’re not like blogs. We don’t look for hooks. We want to create a culture around the book itself, and no one’s doing it the way we’re doing it.” —sarah handelman Birchfield Close, Hilda MG, and photos of Nobrow 6 courtesy of Nobrow; www.nobrow.net
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Structures & Spaces
design jobs around the world
Global Census DESIGN CAN BE A LONELY TRADE. GET TO KNOW YOUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY—AND FIND OUT IF YOUR PAYCHECK MEASURES UP. This issue, it’s fashion stylists.—stephen killion
April Francis locatioN: Chicago, IL WEBSITE: www.hautecloset.com,
www.aprilfrancis.com EDUCATION/background: BA in English Literature from
the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor. Became an entrepreneur in 2005.
Doreen Hoff locatioN: New York, NY WEBSITE: www.doreenhoff.com
NOTABLE PROJECTS: Founded Dose Market, a oncea-month marketplace at the River East Art Center in Chicago fusing the worlds of food and fashion; styled Jay Cutler for his Chicago Bears press debut in Michigan Avenue magazine; was chosen to participate in the Made by Nike project, madebynike.tumblr.com, out Summer 2012; de facto creative director for Hyatt Spas worldwide INCOME per project: $0-10,000 QUOTE: “I wouldn't limit myself to one medium. There’s always work to be done.”
EDUCATION/background: BSB Marketing & Entrepreneurship, University of Minnesota NOTABLE PROJECTS: JELL-O “Pudding Face” shot with Vincent Dixon for Crispin Porter + Bogusky, and Waterpik “Keep The Outside Out” Shot w/ Brandon Jernigan for Sterling Rice Group INCOME per project: $750–1,000 per day QUOTE : “Be daring. A sense of style also
takes a sense of humor and adventure.”
Z. Berhan Yilmaz locatioN: Istanbul, Turkey WEBSITE: www.zberhanyilmaz.com EDUCATION/background: Graduated
with a degree in Tourism Management at Harran University
For shoots, “Mirror” which is a critical approach to men’s fashion; “Butterflies,” and my tribute to “Fashion Victims,” which was inspired by Hussein Chalayan’s collection consisting of meat. INCOME per project: €1,000–3,500
NOTABLE PROJECTS: Fashion
editor for Hülya, Esquire, Dishy, Cosmopolitan, and Divan Touch magazines.
April Francis portrait by Lynnette Astaire, fashion photo by Jon Shaft
QUOTE: “I do not consider this a
job, it is a passion I have had since childhood.”
Structures & Spaces
Saskia Schmidt
Aaron Kok
locatioN: Berlin, Germany
locatioN: Singapore
WEBSITE: www.saskia-schmidt.com
WEBSITE: www.issuu.com/ aaronkok
DESIGN BUREAU
250 performers for Singapore’s Chingay Parade 2012, an annual float parade held during the Lunar New Year.
EDUCATION/background: Diploma in Fashion Design,
UdK Berlin NOTABLE PROJECTS: Editorials for Quality Magazine, ΠMagazine, Editorial with Rick Genest
EDUCATION/background: Studied Apparel Design in Temasek Polytechnic, and earned a BA in Communications (Journalism) at Murdoch University
INCOME per project: €1,500-10,000 NOTABLE PROJECTS: Styled and NOTABLE PROJECTS: Kraft, Starbucks, Kahlua, Panera
designed costumes for an entire contingent of approximately
INCOME: SGD$990–2,300, depending on the scale of the project MOTTO : A mentor I once had told
me, “Make your passion your job, and you never have to work a day in your life.” I did just that.
QUOTE: “As a fashion stylist, all you need is a vision to
be inspired. An idea why somebody should wear the clothes you choose, how they should wear them.”
Saskia Schmidt's fashion photo by Yves Borgwardt
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Travel & Culture
RETROSPECTIVE
30 YEARS OF METRO GIG POSTERS In celebration of the legendary Chicago music venue, we're taking a look back at some of its most kick-ass, original gig posters
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Travel & Culture
Over the past 30 years, many memorable designs have been created for the Metro's live show, for everyone from LCD Soundsystem to Babes in Toyland—even the very first act to grace the Metro stage, REM. “Metro is first and foremost about the music…but visual art has always been an important facet,” says Steve Reidell, the club’s art director from 2005 to 2010. “A limited-edition poster is so special because it's not a black and white flyer, and it's not a JPEG thumbnail embedded into a Facebook event. The prints are special.”—andrew schroedter
DESIGN BUREAU
SCREENPRINT DESIGN
SCREWBALL
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1 Aesthetic Apparatus
2 Scott Williams
Death and Dismemberment Tour, 2002 www.aestheticapparatus.com
Charles Bradley, 2012 www.scottwilliamsdesign.com
3 Jason Munn
4 John Regan,
Fever Ray,2009 www.jasonmunn.com
Destroy Designs Death from Above 1979, 2011 www.destroydesigns.com
5 Lindsey Kuhn, Swamp
Slayer, 1998 www.swamposters.com
6 Delicious Design League Lykke Li, 2009 www.deliciousdesignleague.com
7 Adam Hanson CSS, 2011 www.adamhansonart.com
8 Jay Ryan Built to Spill, 2006 www.thebirdmachine.com
9 Crosshair Justin Townes Earle,2011 www.crosshairchicago.com
10 Sonnenzimmer
Menomena, 2007 www.sonnenzimmer.com
H
e’s been called Chicago’s godfather of screen printed rock ‘n’ roll posters.
Going on twenty years now, Steve Walters has designed flyers for little known and famous bands alike. Groups such as Wilco, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Jesus Lizard, and Pavement have all had gig posters created by this plain spoken, low-key artist.
A Chicago area native, Walters attended the University of Iowa. He says he’s always loved music, and that a lot of his friends played in bands, but it wasn’t a lifelong dream to design gig posters. After graduation, he moved back to Chicago and paid the bills by working as a prep cook, a bike messenger, and a grocery store manager. CONTINUED
Photo of Steve Walters by Marty Perez
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Travel & Culture
(CONTINUED)
Walters says he’s actually never studied art, and that he didn’t start designing posters until after the supermarket laid him off. His first designs were just for fun, mostly for his friends’ bands’ gigs. But his early attempts, which he calls “primitive,” drew attention because they employed vivid colors, which at the time was an uncommon practice. “My friends liked them,” Walters says. “I got a lot of encouragement, and it took off from there. I never thought I’d make a career out of it.” He started his own company Screwball Press in the early ’90s. At the time, he was one of the only gig poster designers in Chicago, and when the grunge scene blew up, so did his career. He went from doing posters and album covers for local bands to designing for Capitol Records from 1995 to 2000. Since then, Walters has never looked back, surviving only on the money he earns as a designer.
In-House Art Freelancers aren’t the only ones having all the design fun! A look at Metro’s in-house art directors and their handiwork
“It’s feast or famine,” he says. “There are days when I’d kill to have a normal job. But working for bands isn’t like working at an ad agency. There’s a lot of freedom in this.” —andrew schroedter
Steve Reidell Metro In-House Art Director, 2005-2010 Justice, 2007
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM with holy ghost!
WEDNESDAY MAY 26 2010
3730 N CLARK ST, CHICAGO, IL / METROCHICAGO.COM
Ryne Estwing Metro In-House Art Director, 2010-Present LCD Soundsystem, 2010
www.screwballpress.com
Structures & Spaces
structures & spaces
DESIGN BUREAU
Enviable interiors to shamelessly ogle
STUDIO TOUR
Wieden + Kennedy ThE PORTLAND, OREGON-BASED HEADquarter offices of advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy are chaotic, disorienting, and not especially functional—and their principals wouldn’t have it any other way. Executive creative director Susan Hoffman is quick to admit that the emphasis at W + K is on creativity over functionality. “I don’t think you should be too comfortable if you’re working here” she says. With clients such as Nike, Coca-Cola, and Old Spice, W + K’s employees are challenged to continually take creative risks and adopt the firm’s slogan: Fail Harder. CONTINUED
Mark Fitzloff, Executive Creative Director + Partner, W+K; BYODog! Doggies large and small are welcome at W+K. Photo by Quavondo
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Structures & Spaces
An entire documentary film has been created on the topic of the firm's many chairs. Above:The Atrium at Wieden + Kennedy.
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Designed by architect Brad Cloepfil and Allied Works Architecture in 2000, the five-story building is organized around a large center atrium that washes the space in gallons of natural light, making it just about the brightest office interior you can find in rainy Portland. Although the space is creatively stimulating, “it’s incredibly impractical to have this much open space in an office building,” admits Mark Fitzloff, another executive creative director. Photos by Quavondo
The W + K employees work in clusters around the perimeter of the building, while pieces of fine art, one-of-a-kind furniture, and epic instillations (including a full-size totem pole) are sprinkled throughout the place. Break time treats like pool tables and video game consoles are also readily available, as W + K employees are encouraged to do whatever it takes to refuel their constantly-running creative minds. Tom Blessington, the Man-
aging Director of the Portland branch, also cites “the nest” as one of the best examples of the firm’s unusual yet inspirational environment: it's a structure composed of branches and reeds, with a sofa inside that has been designed to look like a pile of rocks. But Blessington says inhabitants of the nest should be warned: “Anything you say in the nest can and will be heard by the rest of the agency.” You’ve been warned.—Georgia perry
Structures & Spaces
DESIGN BUREAU
The Mission: "Fail Harder"
Above: Susan Hoffman, Executive Creative Director + Partner Right: Tom Blessington, Managing Director + Partner
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Structures & Spaces
Small Comfort
no matter the size of your space, maximize it with these six easy interior design tips
DIY alert! Chu used nailhead detailing to accent her headboard and her Ikea bookshelves (right)
She also used her earrings as art by hanging them in a curated collection on the wall
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en Chu has built lavish sets for Project Runway and J. Lo’s music videos, but this Brooklyn-based interior designer’s real talent is maximizing style within the confines of small spaces. Test out six of Chu’s tricks to punch up your boudoir style without putting a hole in your wallet. —murrye bernard
Interior Designer Jen Chu
Photos courtesy of Jen Chu
• Bond with your empty bedroom before you move in. Get a fresh perspective on the space before bringing in all your belongings. • Think high impact. Chu’s background in set design taught her that elements must be bold to show up on camera: “When you walk in, you should notice something that’s really unique and special right away.” • Be afraid of the dark. In addition to overhead lighting, install floor lamps, desk lamps, and sconces—not for the wattage, but for the mood. • Hack it. Chu likes customizing cheap furniture, as she did with her headboard by applying nailhead trim to an Ikea cabinet. • Curate a collection of tchotchkes. Collect something from each place you travel, or peruse the aisles of discount stores like T.J. Maxx or HomeGoods for ethnic finds. • Don’t be a hoarder. Chu’s design rule to live by: “One thing in, one thing out.” a
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performing arts facilities.
SEE WHAT WE CAN DO
Studio T+L combines bold creativity with strong technical skills, offering its clients highly imaginative and sustainable design solutions. As experts in theatre planning and design, Studio T+L collaborates with clients to design superb spaces that meet their aesthetic, operational, and budgetary goals. Studio T+L is renowned for its innovative use of LED lighting solutions in venues such as the P.C. Richard & Son Theatre in New York City, which combines conventional and moving light fixtures with over 8,000 fullcolor LED nodes to envelop the audience in a dynamic environment that integrates
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color, texture, and video images.
www.philipscolorkinetics.com
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DESIGN BUREAU
Structures & Spaces
How to creatE a cut garden Yearning to make your own arrangements? Landscape architect Abby Clough Lawless shows us how in four simple steps
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Cut gardens are usually set aside for one thing: bringing flowers into your home. They change every year and offer a place to grow and harvest. By setting aside a garden for cuts, you have a place to put that funky flower you couldn't resist at the garden center.
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To keep your garden in check, you're going to need to set up some boundaries. Planting beds and pathways give the garden a clear structure. Plant in small squares to form a base, and put larger plants in longer rows.
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Welcoming Glass facade “At night, the glass entryway really gives you a sense there is something going on in there,” Sidford says.
Laying rows of bricks in the soil not only defines the beds, but also allows the gardener to tend the plants without compacting the soil. You can seed or plant the whole block in a few minutes and let there be lovely chaos when the plants grow.
Select plants that create great flowers. Dahlias are available in the most beautiful colors, and they bloom non-stop from August to November. Also, plant berries and vegetables that you cannot find at local markets.
ALSO: If you have grand ambitions for your cut garden, you may need to call in a pro for its construction. Clough Lawless often works with Tom Johann, president of Wainscott Industrial Solutions, to build the pathways, boxes, and fences in her designs. Recently, the two collaborated on the architectural elements for a home garden in Amagansett, New York, and the project, Johann says, “went off without a hitch,” leaving the homeowners’ with a gorgeous cut garden.
Carriage House photos by Bob O'Connor; Cut garden photos by Abby Clough Lawless, Farm Design
Gaudette Builders When it comes to working on homes, it’s great when everybody involved in the construction process maintains a high level of professionalism, but it’s even better when everybody works well together. Ken Gaudette, Owner of Gaudette Building Exteriors, enjoys working with both Andrew Sidford and Bay Point Builders for this exact reason. “On site, supervisors and project managers all work well together,” he says. Clearly, Sidford feels the same way, as the two companies are currently collaborating on another home, and expect to work together for many years to come.
Structures & Spaces
DESIGN BUREAU
The Stairway Says Sidford: “The stairs were a sculptural element meant to be a welcoming arm, to take visitors up through the original structure,both physically and visually.”
BEFORE
A Carriage House Transformed Architect Andrew Sidford converts a Victorian vehicle storage space into a warm, welcoming home Massachusetts architect Andrew Sidford saved a 19th-century Massachusetts carriage house from demolition by shifting its purpose. Although the historic space had only been used for horse-and-buggy storage, the preservation-conscious owners saw its
potential as a living space and enlisted Sidford’s expertise. To make the space liveable, Sidford converted the structure into two apartments and a garage, striving to retain its original carriage
house feel without neglecting its contemporary use. The architect refinished the building’s impressive beams, rooftop cupola, and
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really old wood What’s that cool piece, you ask? “This is the original weathervane which was atop the cupola,” Sidford explains. “It's wood!”
THE Attic Room Originally used as a hayloft, Sidford transformed the space into a cozy outlook nook.Its original trusses preserve the hayloft feeling.
wide-paned windows to highlight its history. He then reworked the staircase and inserted a soaring glass façade and sculptural ironwork elements to inject the space with some contemporary style. Now finished, the carriage house is a newand-improved version of its former self, and stands as a worthy home for its current (human) inhabitants.—MAGGIE LANGE
Carriage House photos by Bob O'Connor
A perfect partnership Andrew Sidford and Chris Magliozzi, Operations Manager for Bay Point Builders, met in a routine project meeting and instantly hit it off. “It was apparent that the two firms had similar philosophies and good chemistry,” Magliozzi says. Sidford and Magliozzi put this shared philosophy to the test on their project in Massachusetts, which presented two key challenges. “The technical challenge was [to keep] a very open floor plan coupled with exterior glass walls,
which made it difficult to keep the structure rigid,” Magliozzi explains. And the second challenge? “The owner had a very aggressive schedule. The building was designed and built in 9 months,” he says. Although these factors made for daunting roadblocks, together, the two teams solved the home’s structural issue without compromising the tight timeline. “In order to succeed, we took a very team-oriented approach and put the project goals first,” Magliozzi says. “Both firms genuinely believe the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and that the best way to succeed is to put the client’s and project goals ahead of all others.”
creative solutions
big
& small
WI SI wainscott industrial solutions, inc.
p.o. box 974 wainscott, ny 11975 thomas r. johann phone: 631.537.0770 trjohanngcc@yahoo.com
GILLOCO CONSTRUCTION, INC. MAKING NEW YORK CITY LIVING LIVABLE 646.208.2541 WWW.GILLOCO.COM
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Structures & Spaces
WHITE OFFICE
GET THE LOOK
Duo Office Designs Having trouble focusing on your work? Do what designer Barbara Saskia does, and make yourself separate work spaces
Lighting: Ikea PS Maskros, $90, www.ikea.com/us
Stainless steel table: Ikea Vika table tops and legs, $35-100, www.ikea.com/us
Interior designer Barbara Saskia keeps not one, but two, offices on the top floor of her Harlem townhouse. “The smaller one, which I call ‘Little Opera House,’ is for left brain activities like administration,” she says. “I don’t always enjoy the work I’m doing there, so it evokes an evening at the opera rather than a boring day in an office.” Adjacent to the opulent red space is her expansive white studio, where she does the majority of her creative work. “It has a very different feel, somewhat surreal and dream-like,” the designer says. “I find myself working very differently there—it is more of an unconscious creative process that unfolds and runs through me.” And although both of Barbara’s spaces show off a luxe look, the designer assembled the styles without using any expensive pieces. See where she sourced her bargain finds so you can create your own simple and stylish look. a
RED OFFICE
COLOR THEORY
THE LITTLE OPERA HOUSE Wall color: Candy Cane Red by Benjamin Moore Trim paint: Rich Gold by Modern Masters Curtains: DIYed using red paillette sequin fashion fabric
Photos by Marie Krause
While Barbara may use all white for her own space, she’s certainly made a name for herself using bold color, as well. “Her brilliant use of color and sense of adventure in design make for an exciting project,” says Scott Gillow of Gilloco Construction. At the Cabinsi project, Gillow worked right alongside the designer to finish the home’s interiors, infusing the space with a vibrant energy that not only looks good but also feels good, too, even in photos. Swivel chair: Ikea Skruvsta, $149, www.ikea.com/us
ARCHITECTURE
Webber + Studio
Wall color: Bunny Gray by Benjamin Moore
Drawer unit: Ikea Helmer, $40, www.ikea.com/us
Drawer pulls: Anthropologie, $8, www.anthropologie.com
webberstudio.com tel 512.236.1032
Candleholder: WilliamsSonoma Mandera Pine Pillar Candle Holders, $80-112, www.williams-sonoma.com
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Dialogue
COLUMN: architects & artisans
Second Thoughts on Wind Turbines Environmentally friendly? Yes. But could wind power actually be harmful to your health?
F
ilmmaker Laura Israel “People living with these turbines nearby are tells me she’s not developing hypertension, migraines, and tilting at windmills, heart palpitations,” Israel says. “There are but with Windfall, her some really spooky health effects. Even with first documentary a turbine a mile away, I’ve heard people say film, she’s delivering a they can feel their heart beating at the same profound message about wind power: Look pace as the turbines.” She says nearby resibefore you leap. dents are sleeping in their basements, unable
to stop the 24/7 noise and visual pollution. But the booming wind industry, which is growing at 39 percent annually, chooses to ignore them. Windfall documents the effects of a proposal by a wind developer in upstate New York. Initially, the wind developers were attracted
J. Michael Welton writes about architecture, art, and design for a number of national publications. He also publishes an online design magazine at www.architectsandartisans.com For more information, visit windfallthemovie.com
Dialogue
“There are some really spooky health effects. Even with a turbine a mile away, I’ve heard people say they can feel their heart beating at the same pace as the turbines.”
DESIGN BUREAU
Image, Style, DesigN
Slow Design Why the fast lane isn't always the best for design
—LAURA ISRAEL, FILMMAKER
to the town of Meredith by green aspects and financial incentives to boost the dying economy; the energy that is produced by the turbines is usually owned by large power companies like Duke Energy, General Electric, or Deepwater. “The landowner profits a little bit, and the town a little bit.” Israel says. “The companies profit most, because most of the benefits come from federal subsidies to build and to sell wind energy for more money.” But residents of Meredith grew alarmed when they discovered the 400-foot-tall windmills brought with them issues they never could have imagined. “People say it sounds like a jet that never lands,” Israel says. “It just doesn’t stop.” And it’s not just the noise that affects the town. When the sun gets behind a giant turbine blade, an incessant, mechanical shadowy flicker results. Town residents say that nothing helps to block it out—not even closing shades or curtains. “People say you don’t get used to it, you get sick.” Israel’s intent with Windfall is to open the topic up to the nation. “I want to create discussion and encourage people to look at this industrial development for what it is: industrial development,” she says. “I want them to discuss it in a more balanced way.” Don Quixote, she’s not. But she’s certainly produced an eye-opener. a By J. Michael Welton illustration by andrew roberts
F
ast fashion may not be a familiar term, but its concept is quite commonplace.
In today’s “need it yesterday” world, the fashion industry has adapted to this dizzying pace by getting the runway looks and trends into stores almost immediately. Zara, H&M, and Forever 21 are just a few of the retailers accommodating its consumers' insatiable appetite for trends. Brands are also on board with churning out the latest styles faster than its consumers can think. Allen Schwartz, a designer who helms the affordable mall brand A.B.S by Allen Schwartz, has made a name for himself by making dress designs based off of the hottest
gowns on the Oscar red carpet—and turning around the knock-off designs by the next day. His crew works nearly round the clock to ensure that the designs will be available for purchase by the end of the week. Fashion has become so fast paced that many brands are now faced with the challenge of coming up with 10 collections a season, when most haute couture designers typically produce just two. This demand is creating unprecedented creative challenges, and is the result of information and communication technologies speeding up the fashion cycle. But this runaway train of consumerism might be headed for a different direcCONTINUED
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Dialogue
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tion. And at a slower pace, with none other than fashion royalty Tom Ford leading the charge. The 2000’s were all about Ford’s fast and sexy lines as the head designer for Gucci. Yet for his own eponymous line, he has taken a decidedly different approach. Instead of designing and producing 10 collections per year, he is retreating to the traditional twiceyearly show model. But what’s more surprising is that he’s not releasing images or details about his looks to the public until the collection makes its debut in stores. Instead he is remaining quite secretive about what will be coming out—thereby building excitement about the brand and its offerings. It is a move to an earlier era, which is in contrast to the direction other brands are taking – such as Burberry’s leading in simultaneously broadcasting runway shows online as it is making its catwalk debut. Ford’s selfimposed delay has forced his fans By Steven Fischer to wait patiently Illustration by andrew roberts to see his latest
This movement toward slower consumption is a reaction to our fast-paced, globally-connected world. That exhausting, energy-sucking lifestyle has led to a situation where time has become the actual luxury. looks, all the while building more buzz and interest for his brand. If you weren’t lucky enough to be there when it debuted in person, then you’ll just have to wait. In part, this movement toward slower consumption is a reaction to our fast-paced, globally-connected world, in which we are expected to connect with colleagues, friends, brands, everything on a continual basis. That
exhausting, energy-sucking lifestyle has led to a situation where time has become the actual luxury. And only time will tell if consumers are patient enough to wait for Ford’s looks if they accept his trend toward slow design. But for those who aren’t, it’s likely that H&M or Zara will produce something else for them to consume soon enough. a
The Fusion of Design and Construction
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Notes from the Bureau
Notes from the Bureau Architects’ Answers for Problem Projects
Coastal Construction’s Tofino Panorama house
A House on the Rocks It took large doses of common sense to construct this precariously perched home
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uilding the remote Tofino Panorama House in Tofino, Canada was more like a logic puzzle than a construction project.
The site’s dramatically sloping ground, set 150 feet above sea level, could barely accommodate a car, let alone a brand new house. To add to the challenge, architect Leith Anderson designed the home as “a closelypacked composition” of three smaller, independent volumes—a main house, a coach house, and a studio—and embedded them at different levels into Vancouver's rocky mountain ground.
Project manager Troy Freeborn of contractor Coastal Construction was the one responsible for executing Anderson’s design. To prepare the site for foundations,
“Crews carried a lot of materials to the studio, which is sixty feet above the main house, by hand.” —troy freeborn, coastal construction
Freeborn and his team used a rock hammer, a device that Freeborn explains “is less damaging to the surrounding vegetation than conventional blasting.” They then installed the fieldstone they’d removed to pave an open-air patio between the main and coach houses. As soon as the coach house was enclosed, Freeborn set up a
workshop where a team of workmen could fabricate woodwork for other structures. Since construction equipment couldn’t fit onto the site, the finished pieces had to be carried by hand. “Crews carried a lot of materials to the studio, which is sixty feet above the main house, by hand up lots of stairs,” Freeborn recalls. Coastal’s hard work paid off. The home, with its heavy timber frame roofing and sleek glass railings, takes full advantage of its location high above the ocean, offering views for miles, making the laborious building process entirely worth it. a By NALINA MOSES PHOTOS BY Vince Klassen
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Shaping a Meadow Landscape architect Larry Weaner’s projects may take up to ten years to execute, but it’s all right on time
L
arry Weaner has spent the past ten years shaping the land on his project, the Thomas House. Located in Salisbury, CT, the landscape architect has been responsible for redesigning 40 of the home’s 450 rolling acres.
“What we do falls between landscape design and ecological restoration,” Weaner says. He specializes in reshaping the naturally occurring vegetation of an area, which requires him to dig into the land’s biology in order to plant a mix of species that will grow stronger, lusher, and more beautiful over the years.
Pennsylvania Dutch Gone Modern Architect Lee Calisti mixes no-nonsense farmhouse forms with contemporary style
F
or the past decade, Lee Calisti has carved out a contemporary architecture niche in the Pittsburgh area. Distinct details, like flat roofs and lots of glass, characterize his projects as boldly modern, but that doesn’t mean he can’t retrofit his signature look to fit rural Pennsylvania’s more traditional sensibility. Here, he discusses how his modern farmhouse blends contemporary style into the pragmatic local surroundings. So how did you update Pennsylvania’s traditional farmhouse style? Even from the exterior, the home looks very contemporary.
Many have tried to instill that spirit into newer homes but failed to understand what truly made the style unique. I don’t believe in falsely duplicating and pasting on details from a style, but digging deeper to find what makes it unique. With the steep gabled roofs, board-and-batten siding, metal roof, simple massing, and tall windows, the spirit of the farmhouse is quite evident. The twist comes in the details and composition. There are no roof overhangs, but rather clean, tailored forms that emphasize the
“I don't believe in falsely duplicating and pasting on details from a style, but digging deeper to find out what makes it unique.”—lee calisti
The Thomas House landscaping may look bucolic, but it’s really a biological battlefield. “Natural landscape planning manipulates the race for dominance between desirable species and invasive weeds,” Weaner says. “You need to set it up from the beginning so that your species win.”
home’s volumes. We spent a lot of time on the forms, rooflines, and shape of the house. The key here is to tap into the essence of a style without replicating it. What are the home’s best design details? The front of the house is one of my favorite parts. You see this long gable roofline with a metal roof, so your mind is trying to decide whether it’s a farmhouse or a modern house. There were specific things we did to blur that distinction. There are no country or farm-style decorations. The interior is largely modern with simple but rich finishes and an open plan, and the furnishings are modern, too. Is there any one design detail that stands out in particular? There’s a 50-foot hallway upstairs that runs from one end of the house to the other, with doors on both sides. Long hallways can be a little uninviting, so a simple window at the end of a hall brings light into the space and gives the viewer something to look at. It’s a focal point. a By Heidi Kulicke PHOTOS by Lee Calisti
But this ecological restoration isn’t a speedy process; it can take anywhere from eight to 12 years to complete. And although the time period might seem a bit excessive, Weaner says it has allowed him to create a meadow that is naturally overrun with flowerbeds in
Sen. aur. (20-30)
Solidago rigida (100-130)
Monarda bradburiana (24-36)
Deschampsia cespitosa (15-25)
Phlox pilosa (6-8)
Desch. cesp. (60-100)
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Astil. chin. p. (282-564)
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Deschampsia flexuosa (150-200)
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Heliopsis helianthoides (45-60)
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Astil. 'Dtl.' (120-216)
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Deschampsia cespitosa (18-30)
Persi. 'Firet.' (150-180)
Chasm. latifol. Spodio. sib. (30-50) (57-95) FARG. JI. 1 (4)
Sacch. alop. (32-48)
Tetrap. papy. (1) Rudb. dea. (56-126)
Tetrap. papy. (3)
HAM. FARG. 'AR. 'JUM.' PR.' (6) (3) FARG. 'SIM.' Lys. (10) cle. (42-70)
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FRAXINUS EXCELSIOR (EXISTING)
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glasshouse (120 sqm, existing)
PHOTIN. FRA. ‘RED ROBIN’ (19)
Lys. cle. (80-120)
FRAXINUS EXCELSIOR (EXISTING)
HAM. 'AR. PR.' (2)
Lun. redi. (380-456)
HAM. 'AR. PR.' (3) Lys. cle. (30-45)
Eup. 'Cho.' (63-105)
ARON. MEL. (3)
Aco. 'J.' (244-366)
Car. mo. 'I. D.' Calama. (50-70) 'K. F.' (40-60) Astil. 'Dtl.' (80-144) Tetrap. papy. (3)
Tetrap. papy. (7)
Rudb. dea. (120-270)
Calama. 'K. F.' (100-150)
Eup. 'G.' (98-147)
Pet. jap. (64-96)
Bego. gr. evan. (185-259)
Rhe. palm. var. tangu. (42-63)
Chasm. latifol. (57-95)
FRAXINUS EXCELSIOR (EXISTING) FARG. 'SMA.' Bego. gr. evan. (8) (85-119)
Rhe. palm. var. tangu. (34-51)
Pet. jap. (176-264)
Ast. tabu. (10-30)
Ho. 'Bl. An.' (62-93)
Macl. cord. (16-48)
Hako. macra (75-105) Pet. jap. (76-114)
FRAXINUS EXCELSIOR (EXISTING) Hako. macra (90-126)
AESC. PARVIFL. (3)
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Over the years, Weaner has tested many different types of plants in his various meadow projects, often partnering with North Creek Nurseries to find new species that thrive in a four-season climate. “Meadows are dynamic, and Larry is exceptional at tracking that transition as they evolve over time,” says Carrie Wiles of North Creek. “The ultimate collaboration is being able to visit a mature garden that had been planted years ago. It’s a win-win partnership.”
You have to understand the basics of the code because it will be the driving force of your design. Make sure you stay up on all the updates that come out. How has your confidence with the code helped you trouble-shoot problems that come up in your projects? For the New York Sports Club, I was hired
“What we do falls between landscape design and ecological restoration. You need to relinquish precise control and let natural forces have a role.” —larry weaner
the summer, and tall grasses in the fall. “The act of translating nature into a landscape is almost automatically going to be beautiful,” he adds. The looser, unmanicured grounds that he’s created are altogether different from the formal gardens one would expect at similar country homes. But as Weaner sees it, the strongest natural landscape designs call for a lighter hand. “You need to relinquish precise control and let natural forces have a role,” he says. And as the Thomas House landscape proves, it’s a method with rich, often unforeseeable, rewards. a By NALINA MOSES Photos by larry weaner
Cracking the Code Most designers know that when working with the New York building code, you have to get creative. Architect Michael Berzak sheds some light on working the system.
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any designers say that the NYC building code is strangling. You say it is not. Why are you unfazed by its infamous complexities?
For all practitioners, the building code has always been a complex labryrinth due to so many older, non-complying buildings. I understood this early in my professional career because my dad is an architect. Through his established relationships with the Department of Buildings, local contractors, and owners, I learned to work together to solve problems. So, how do you stay on top of the building code as it changes?
for my knowledge and immediately hit an obstacle. Any structure that is considered “physical culture” needs to have a physical culture permit before you are able to obtain a building permit, which can take from six to eight months. My plan was a little risky, but instead of filing the space as a gym, we filed as a dance studio
because dance studios don’t fall under the physical culture category [of buildings]. So, we filed for as-of-right use and obtained the initial permit, so that construction could start immediately without loss of free rent periods. Once that permit was issued, we were able to amend the application for the actual fitness club use. Your original design for the New York Sports Clubs became the basis for the brand’s whole identity. Is there any one design detail that defines its look? The New York Sports Club did not really have anything that spoke to what a health club should be. No branding and no identity. We were basically given a blank piece of paper. It was like, “Hey kids, go crazy!” We felt the existing clubs looked like HMO waiting rooms. Eventually, we came up with multiple elements, such as the yellow and blue thunderbolt, to embody what a gym should speak to: strength, boldness, and something dynamic. a By lauren carroll Portrait by marili forastieri
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MORE THAN JUST FISHING From camping and hiking to working as VP of Design at Bass Pro Shops, Tom Jowett proves that he loves the outdoors—and his creative day job
Q&A by Sarah Cason
Above: Be sure to look up at Bass Pro’s Big Cedar Lodge: the lobby chandelier is one of the in-house welding shop’s finest pieces. Kay O’Neil, the stained glass craftsman responsible for its opaque glass domes, calls it “The Mothership” because “it looks so wild, like a UFO is landing!” O’Neil’s work in other parts of the resort takes a more delicate approach, capturing in glass the flora and fauna found on the lodge’s sprawling grounds.
Tom Jowett, Vice President of Design and Development for Bass Pro Shops, has watched the company grow from a catalog business to the massive multi-branched empire that it is today. He explains to us why, even after 25 years, he still loves what he does. Which came first for you: a love for design or nature? My father was a volunteer Scout Master for 16 years, and I grew up hiking and camping with him. Professionally, he was a developer and a contractor. I helped him in the summers, and one afternoon, an architect pulled up to the site in his cool shirt and nice polished shoes. I said, “I want to be that guy.” And you ended up studying architecture in school?
I studied art and drafting, and received a Master’s degree in architecture. Did you ever expect to mesh together your loves of architecture and the outdoors? Anything related to logs and trees and the forest was foreign to architecture school, where we study space and volume and modernism. With my educational training, if you had told me this was the path I was headed on, I would have laughed at you. At what point did you jump into the Bass Pro fray? When I started in 1987, I was the only employee in the company. It was a big leap of faith. I left a consulting [architecture] firm to work full time with
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founder John L. Morris after he hired us to work on [the company’s] Big Cedar Lodge. A large team of craftsmen and artisans was assembled, and they became what the in-house fabrication shop is today. Going into a Bass Pro Shop is quite the experience. What sort of things does the company offer in-store? Bass Pro still offers the catalog service that was begun by Morris. But now, there’s the boating division, men’s clothing brand, [the] Islamorada Restaurants, [the] Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl bowling alleys, a hunting division, fishing divisions...the list goes on. With all of these different undertakings, how do you keep the brand consistent throughout the stores? We do not compromise on quality. We provide a connection to the outdoors, in a perfect re-creation or a historic re-creation, with quality being paramount. We make sure everything in that space is authentic—it’s a real life experience that our customers understand very well. There’s a significant amount of detailing in both the architecture and the imagery. And the customer likes to have fun. That’s why we put an aquarium in, or [why we] do educational demonstrations. At every grand opening I’ve been a part of, when people walk in the doors, they say “Wow!,” and it’s an amazing thing. a
At Bass Pro’s shops, creating an authentic experience starts by literally building a strong visual identity. But that can be a challenge when each store has to house so many types of attractions. “The architecture of Bass Pro Shops accommodates an experience that is part tourist destination, museum, wildlife educational facility, and community gathering place,” says Nathan Rapp, Principal Architect for Insight Design Architects. To ensure that each store remains cohesive and fits its surroundings, Rapp and his team incorporate local materials and architectural forms. “The architecture sets up an environment that is open and inviting,” Rapp explains, enticing visitors “to discover the small ‘experiences’ that are waiting around each corner.”
For their flagship store in Springfield, Missouri, Bass Pro commissioned local artisan Wood Merchant to build custom wooden fixtures and furnishings. “We created bar tops, countertops, and work benches from locally-salvaged old growth trees,” says Rick Braun, Wood Merchant’s owner and master craftsman. Bass Pro was so impressed by the authenticity of these pieces that they have since commissioned Wood Merchant to work on many other projects, including the Big Cedar Lodge, adding authentic Missouri wood into the Bass Pro experience.
Left: A Bass Pro waterfall in Clarksville, Indiana. Right: Uncle Buck's Fish Bowl Lanes bowling alley. Photos courtesy of Bass Pro
Congratulations, Tom, for your profile in Design Bureau magazine. It has been our pleasure to help your design IDeAs become a reality.
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Above left: Hear that sound of running water? It’s coming from Bass Pro’s giant indoor waterfall. For almost thirty years, Cost of Wisconsin has constructed intricate water features in over 40 of the retailer’s stores. “We have developed mountains and waterfalls, along with aquariums from 3000 to 35,000 gallons,” says Alan Bentfield, a water feature expert at Cost. So the next time you visit Bass Pro, go check out the water. They may even let you take your new fishing gear for a test run.
On their exterior, most Bass Pro Shops look the same. “But once you’ve left the lobby, the journey changes significantly depending on the region you’re in,” says Steven Callendar of Timberlake Construction. Bass Pro places a great importance on building an experience that rings true to each store’s cultural context, so Timberlake’s team does a large amount of planning work to make sure each design looks just so. “The design team spends a great deal of time researching the local area, even taking long driving excursions,” Callendar explains. “The murals, the taxidermy, the vignettes, even the merchandise, tell a story.” Callendar’s favorite designs include a mural for the Spanish Fort, Alabama store depicting the sunken tanks in Mobile Bay, and the 65’ Redwood tree replicas found in the lobby of the Manteca, CA store. “We always view the construction as building the canvas that an amazing adventure will be painted on,” he adds. “Without the architectural elements and attention to detail, the story would seem incomplete.”
WWW.INSIGHTDESIGNARCHITECTS.COM
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An architecture blog worth reading We've seen a lot of bad websites and blogs from highly talented architects. For such a design-conscious crowd, why don't they give their online presence some love? The young architects at firm MYD Studio give us an answer, and a site worth visiting.
Lauren Moss and Jason Yaw understand the power of a good blog. The couple behind MYD Studio maintains an admirable one, posting both unique architectural treasures and banner pieces from their portfolio. Online, the two young architects aren’t afraid to reveal both personal and professional details. Offline, they talk to us about why many architecture blogs are so awful, and how MYD’s approach exposes their architectural outlook in the process. To the architects reading along: start taking notes. The blog for MYD Studio posts exciting, lively content every day. When you started, did you have a firm plan for the type of blog you wanted to create?
LM: Coming from a larger firm, I used to be
more cautious about presenting ourselves in a professional manner and keeping our personal lives out of it. But the more we have grown and our project has grown, I have changed that. No one needs to know mundane details, but who we are is reflective of our firm. We weave both work and pleasure into the blog, so it’s not so stagnant.
How do you strike that right balance? Are there any topics that you always cover? LM: I’ll post on things that are current events,
without any specific agenda or schedule, really. We wanted to document creative life. We are a small firm, we live together, work together, so design influences our life in so many ways.
like a new building, but sometimes posts about the way design affects our personal life appeal to people more. Like this birthday cake Jason designed for me. It really didn’t have much to do with architecture, but was a reflection of our personal life and how we have fun with it, too.
Jason Yaw: The blog reflects our design
LM: We like [the] mid-century modern aes-
Lauren Moss: We started writing the blog
By maggie lange Photo by Nathanael Turner
between personal and professional life on the blog?
sensibilities beyond just architecture. We will post about how we design, or why we design a certain element a certain way, so it makes it a little more personal and reflective of who we are.
So many bloggers suffer from over-sharing. Do you try and maintain a strict divide
thetic, so we write a lot of about Eames and Eames design. The topics we write about are definitely a reflection of who we are and what we aesthetically like. We feel whoever reads the blog gets a full sensibility of who we are as designers. a
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The Top 7 Posts from MYD
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LED Technology: Mid-Century Modern
[L/J] Combining new technology, like this LED bulb, with a mid-century classic, says a lot about our approach to design…also, we love Nelson Bubble Lamps.
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iPhone + Digital Art
[L] We use our iPhones all the time—it’s a great tool, and takes some pretty nice photos, especially with a few choice editing apps. Oh, and it makes phone calls, too.
[J] iPhone and iPad apps have become so sophisticated that we use our phones often to touch up and share images. This photo of steel brackets used for an awning became much more interesting after some enhancement using photo editing apps.
Buildings We Love: The Phoenix Art Museum
[L] Art is a great source of inspiration; we spend a lot of time visiting museums. This photo was taken at the Phoenix Art Museum, along with a number of others we’ve posted on our blog.
4 Latest Renderings: Design Development
[J] 3D renderings are one of the most effective ways to convey our designs. This is a recent project that just started construction. We’re looking forward to it moving forward. It should be a fun one…
6 Buildings We Love: Kahn’s Exeter Library
[L] One of many images of a favorite building by a favorite architect-the Exeter Library by Louis Kahn. It’s actually pretty difficult not to take a good photo of this space. It’s an amazing building.
5 Let Them Eat (Modern) Cake!
[L/J] Design is an integral part of our lives, and there are opportunities for creative expression everywhere! Though Helvetica wasn’t a font option (maybe next year), it still came out pretty well.
7 Under Construction in South Laguna, CA
[J] For this project, I was on site regularly. Our blog is a great way to share construction updates as things progress.
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Storefront Glam For the London fashion house Karen Millen, luxurious style starts with beautiful architecture bones
It all started with a chair. more than 20 years ago, Adam Brinkworth sold one of his customdesigned seats for Karen Millen’s first boutique in Bridgehampton. Before he knew it, he was designing a whole store for the fashion house. Since then, Brinkworth—now a full-service design agency—has helped Karen Millen to expand from one tiny UK shop to more than 300 sleek storefronts worldwide. Howard Smith, the Brinkworth project manager who oversees the store designs, shares with us how he helped to build and expand the UK fashion brand. Over the past 20 years, the look of Karen Millen’s fashion style has changed quite a bit. How have Brinkworth’s store designs also evolved? When you look back 10, 15, 20 years, the [Karen Millen] brand looks radically different. So, there’s been a constant tweaking to the design. The key is a very strong palette of materials that you can apply flexibly in each store. What materials make up that palette, and what look do they express? The Karen Millen customer expects glamour, luxury, and sophistication, and the materials cater to that. We use a lot of glass, stainless steel, real stone, and solid timber done in dark stains.
But the image of “luxury” isn’t standard worldwide. How do you ensure that each store reflects its country’s definition?
By kathryn freeman rathbone photos courtesy of brinkworth
The material palette lets us add extra layers to a design. But we do have to be aware that materials have different connotations in different countries. And in Russia, what we think is ostentatious always needs to be dialed up. With that in mind, what has been Karen Millen’s most luxurious storefront to date? Easily the Russian flagship store in Moscow—it’s one of my favorites. Everybody knew it was going to be special, so the expectations to really push the boundaries were very high from the outset. We spent nearly three months on the design alone. We wanted to do something different with the black glass. Instead of using it as a wrap for a doorway, which is what we usually do, we used it to build a staircase that turns into a monolithic wall. Then we sandblasted it in vertical bands so that it would really reflect the light. You have to walk up the stairs and around the wall to get to the store behind it. From the street, it’s a pretty discreet storefront, but when you walk inside, you just go, “Wow!” a
Moscow's Karen Mllen store dials up the luxe factor with its soaring black glass wall and blonde wood surfaces
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What’s black, white, and fabulously sleek? Why, the black and white glass at Karen Millen stores, of course. Designed by Glass Design exclusively for Karen Millen, glass furniture and walls give the stores their signature sophistication. Look closely and you’ll notice that Glass Design finished each piece with a beveled mirror edge. The effect? “Combined with the clean, cool look of the black and white glass, the stores feel spacious,” says Vince McDonnell of Glass Design. An added bonus: the clothes on display can be seen from every angle, so you’ll know what they look like even before you try them on.
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RAT PACK REVIVAL Old Hollywood style lives on in a trio of Miami restaurants
FRANK SINATRA MAY NOT HAVE CROONED ABOUT MIAMI, BUT HE WAS THE inspiration behind the décor of three South Beach spots. Designer Allison Antrobus created classic American steakhouse Prime 112, and its nearby sister restaurants Prime Italian and the Prime Hotel Lounge, with Sinatra and the’60s Rat Pack style in mind. “As the restaurants were all the same brand, I knew I had to link the design without them appearing like a chain," Antrobus says. "Given that Frank Sinatra's music was a constant backdrop at the restaurants, I decided to work off of that theme." Architect Allison Antrobus
By Lesley Stanley When it comes to applying flooring materials, Antrobus likes to get creative. “Alison's designs utilize the coverings as an intricate part of the whole design package,” says Tal Mazor, Vice President of The Place for Tile and one of Antrobus’ go-to suppliers. “[She] not only uses stone and tile on flooring, but also on walls and accents,” he adds, noting that this acute attention to detail “directs other aspects of the design” and pulls Antrobus’ dynamic rooms together.
Photos courtesy of Alison Antrobus
At the Prime Hotel Lounge, Antrobus used polished chrome, black leather, and vintage-inspired metal lampshades to pay homage to the Pack’s signature style. A custom-built wine wall marks off the space as a place where you can kick back and relax, and the restrooms feature hand-drawn wall murals of seductive, bejeweled females and handsome men puffing on cigarettes. Prime Italian’s dining room picks up the Lounge’s wit and sass with lipstick-red chairs that emulate Marilyn Monroe’s voluptuous curves. Antrobus even added a touch of humor with a collage of framed photos of people eating spaghetti in their own chuckle-worthy ways. “It’s all about having fun and being inventive,” Antrobus says of her design philosophy. “As long as your design is true to some aspect of the project, you should push your creativity as far as you want to.” a
On Prime Italian’s back wall, a custom black leather tufted booth creates a cozy place to dine and chat
Portraits of Frank, Sammy, Dean, and the rest of the gang adorn the walls at both the Prime Hotel Lounge and Prime Italian
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From Beats to Blueprints Tom Fanning used to make chart-topping music videos for mega music stars. Now, he designs and develops amazing homes for celebrity residents. He shares with us his transition from producing videos to developing homes, and why the two are surprisingly similar. By Delia Cai photos by don lewis
I
n the early 1990s, a young Tom Fanning was just starting out as a music video producer in LA. He quickly found himself becoming a part of the rap game, making videos for artists like Snoop and Dr. Dre. Impressed that a newbie producer was working with such mega-watt stars so early on in his career? Fanning recalls a time when hip-hop wasn’t exactly ruling the charts. “There weren’t many people who were dying to do urban music videos back then because there wasn’t a lot of money in them,” Fanning says. “They’d rather do The Rolling Stones, or Hootie and the Blowfish, or whoever it may be, [rather] than work with relatively unknown urban acts.” But as times and musical tastes changed, and as MTV started putting rap videos into heavy rotation, Fanning’s popularity exploded, too.
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“When you’re producing a music video, you’re... assembling a whole variety of creative resources in a way that’s going to deliver an incredible end result. Designing and developing homes is the same thing. It starts with an idea.” —TOM FANNING, BOWERY DESIGN
sembling a whole variety of creative resources in a way that’s going to deliver an incredible end result,” Fanning says. “Designing and developing homes is the same thing. It starts with an idea, and it goes through all these different transformations—[you] design it, title it, develop it—all the way through the materials and the interiors, so that at the end of it, you’ve created something special.”
The jaw-dropping Queens Way home epitomizes California cool with its expansive glass walls that open out onto LA. Simon Cowell thought so, too; he used to live in the house.
“What started out as working with a specific segment of the industry quickly spun into working with every single artist in the industry,” he says, reeling off the Foo Fighters and Beyoncé from his impressive client roster. As his career continued to rise, Fanning decided it was time to upgrade his home. But what he found while househunting was less than impressive, especially since he’d grown up with a father who was a housing developer. “I’ve always sort of had it in my blood—architecture and creating things,” he says of his sharp eye for design. As a result, he decided instead to design and build one for himself on the Sunset Strip. What he discovered in the process was that music video production and home design weren’t all that different.
Developing his own home reignited the video producer’s passion for design, and in 2000, Fanning founded his own boutique development firm, Bowery Design Group. Fittingly, Fanning’s clientele consists mostly of major musicians and celebrities. Loveable music curmudgeon Simon Cowell actually recently inhabited one of his firm’s properties, the Queens Way home. The impressive house, which Fanning worked closely on developing and designing, features reclaimed wood ceilings, white oak floors, and a Jerusalem stone fireplace. It is a perfect example of the modern, yet organic Bowery aesthetic that Fanning has created.
Today, Fanning has left his music video days behind him, and has moved fully into developing homes with Bowery. He moved out of his first home development project on the Sunset Strip and now lives with his family in a home he describes as a typical 1950s house—albeit with a Doheny Estates address and prime view of Hollywood. Does he miss those producer days? “It was a great run with music videos and the music industry, but I really enjoy what it is I’m doing now,” he says. “When you’re producing a music video, you’re “I love the idea of being able to come into a sitting down and creatively trying to figure space and completely put your fingerprint out how to put the best product together, as- and your design ideas from start to finish.” a
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Design Thinking
Four 90-year-old olive trees create a lush arbor for the garden’s dining area
Bluestone bands strategically placed within decomposed granite mark out the garden’s important areas
An inviting 40-foot long redwood table seats guests family-style for special tastings and meals
IN THE DETAILS A top-to-bottom look inside landscape design
A wine-lover's oasis Who doesn’t love sipping a great California vintage in the warm Napa sunshine? At the Maisonry wine tasting room, Roche+Roche Landscape Architecture layered Carolina cherry laurels, hollyoaks, and hawthorns to screen the outdoor room from the surrounding neighborhood noise. Since the space doubles as a gallery filled with architectural remnants, the landscape architects also clustered the plants strategically, enabling easy perusing. The thoughtful landscaping makes the garden an extremely welcoming place to relax and enjoy a glass of wine. by Heidi Kulicke
landscape Architect: roche+roche landscape architecture Project: maisonry Location: yountville, california PHOTOS: Carter Dow (above), Joe Budd (portrait), Lindsay Garvey (top three facing page), Robert Bengtson (bottom right facing page)
Dave and Nancy Roche, founders of Roche+Roche and the landscape architects behind Maisonry’s inviting garden
12 people can sit comfortably around the fire. Roche+Roche designed the firepit using stones from a building original to the site.
“There needed to be room for any size of sculpture or piece of furniture,” Dave Roche says. Wide paths and grouped plantings accommodate this need. “People love the atmosphere and the owners are happy the space is so flexible,” he adds.
Cahill ARCHITECTURE STUDIO
Established in 2005 in Sonoma, California, Cahill Architecture Studio is a service-oriented architecture and design practice specializing in custom residential, retail, and commercial winery projects. Cahill Architecture Studio is dedicated to providing clients with creative, site responsive strategies, exceptional service, and sustainable, cost-efficient solutions. Each project and site offers a unique opportunity for translating a client’s ideas into design solutions which are innovative and diverse in approach.
17619 Johnson Avenue Sonoma, California 95476 Chris Cahill, Principal 707.933.8272 cahill@StudioCsquaredarch.com www.StudioCsquaredarch.com
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DESIGN BUREAU
Design Thinking
Monochrome is in. To keep the street vibe in check, Hutton painted every surface in one shade of white. “We walked in, and I said, ‘Ok, paint it all!,’” he recalls.
IN THE DETAILS
Hutton’s own Sturgis Chairs have the look and feel of a motorcycle seat
The stainless steel coffee table is a Hutton original
A top-to-bottom look inside home design
posh loft, urban grit One part high design, one part street style, this Venice loft is just plain cool. “We wanted to imbue it with things that are markers in Venice Beach,” says Gary Hutton, the interior designer behind the edgy space. Bright white paint, carefully placed contemporary art, and custom local touches give the space that signature Venice vibe.
interior designer: gary huttoN DESIGN Project: VENICE LOFT Location: VENICE, california PHOTOS: Matthew Millman
The loft didn’t always look so airy. Its original staircase design reminded Hutton of “a cattle shoot” because solid panel facings filled the space between the stair treads and handrails. Once replaced with rails, the entire space opened up.
Dumbbells cast in resin and painted in actual dumbbell silver paint act as bookshelf supports. Look closely and you’ll spot the homeowners’ initials.
Design Thinking
“Venice is street graffiti central. It’s a really serious art, and we wanted to put it into the black box powder room,” Hutton explains. “Turns out the contractor’s grandson does incredible work, so we brought him in and said, ‘Just have at it!’”
This heavy metal canopy pays specific homage to the city’s design: it is a replica of the Venice street grid map
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Design Thinking
A wet bar tucked into the far corner means guests don’t have to go downstairs for a drink
The homeowners run a contemporary art gallery in Reno, so they’re not afraid to rotate pieces through their home
To give the Minotti coffee table the right amount of spark, Hutton plated it in copper
The retro copper floor lamp is a treasured Danish design find
Hutton’s custom chandelier lends “a pop of black and steel” to the understated dining nook
Rug from The Rug Company
To pick up on the first floors metal elements, Hutton finished off the kitchen with stainless steel touches. He commissioned master metalsmith Paolo Cividino, founder of Tutto Ferro, to build out a custom rolling island for the room. “We fabricated a custom set of cabinets bound by a steel framework,”Cividino explains “Although simple in appearance, as with all things minimal, the execution was critical.” To make the look a little bit more natural, Hutton whitewashed the oak cabinets and left their woodgrain texture untouched.
The Eames aluminum office chairs are another shout-out to Venice’s culture. “Their studio was only four miles down the road," Hutton says.
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RESTAURANT
GUIDE 2012
Great food and great design don’t always go hand in hand— but they should. From a small pizza joint in New York City to a massive art-infused former factory in Sydney, these amazing spaces will sate your appetite for both wonderfully-prepared dishes and creative interiors. ... SUPER OFFICIAL RATING SYSTEM Design nirvana. Did someone say ‘wow’?
Knock it down and start again.
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By Lawrence Karol
RESTAURANT GUIDE 2012
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NEiLD AVENUE DON't MISS DISH
Sydney, Australia
Imagine going to a restaurant where your favorite dish is always on the menu, but the design is different every time you dine—now you understand the brilliance behind Neild Avenue. The forwardthinking Sydney hot spot, designed by the Rome-based firm Lazzarini Pickering Architetti, is housed inside a former factory that has undergone a spatial makeover of epic proportions. “We essentially created a theater set with different degrees of intimacy that can change depending on the season or what’s going on during a particular night,” says architect Carl Pickering. He and partner Claudio Lazzarini built what
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THE BEDFORD
Chicago, Illinois
Pickering recommends any of the seafood dishes that come off Chef Robert Marchetti's coal grill
they call “mobile pods” out of unfinished wood frames and canvas to break up the space into separate areas. An alternating group of artists paint the walls of the pods, providing a vibrant, rotating backdrop for the diners. The ever-changing artwork complements the casual nature of the menu, which is broken down into categories such as grains, pulses, vegetables, and ancient soups. All this eclecticism, Pickering notes, “is probably why the restaurant seems to be a hit with everyone from the age of 8 to 80.” FOOD: Mediterranean RATING: a
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a Chicago hotspot. Fortunately for Smith, much of the historic former bank’s contents were still around for her to play with. “We were lucky enough to be able to work with a wealth of original materials such as the bank’s teller grills, terrazzo flooring, and marble columns.” Smith smartly repurposed other leftover resources, using old marble as the surround for the fireplace, and the faces of silver safety deposit boxes as a shimmery backdrop for the dining room. Artfully updated, this old bank has found an invaluable new purpose.
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FIOLA
Washington, DC
At The Bedford, you can live what I imagine to be a dream for all those Gordon Gekko types out there: dining inside a bank vault. Anne Smith, Partner at Salita Development, was responsible for the transformation of a 9,000-square-foot historic bank space into
DON'T MISS DISH: Anne Smith loves the Cucumber Cooler cocktail, as well as the mussels steamed with chiles, garlic, spring onions, Schlitz, and a touch of cream RATING: a
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Architect Griz Dwight of GrizForm Design is the creative force behind James Beard “Best New Restaurant” Nominee Fiola, an upscale trattoria in DC. Fiola’s Chef Fabio Trabacchi is known for using common ingredients in extraordinary ways—meatballs
Bedford photo by Jesse Lirola; Neild photos by Eszter+David; Cafe at Hotel Mulia photos by Peter Mealin
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FOOD: Locally-sourced Midwestern fare
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GLOBAL HOT SPOTs As the Executive Editor of BlackboardEats. com, and the former Travel Editor of Gourmet, William Sertl is a peripatetic eater and traveler. Here, he gives us his five favorite stops around the world.
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DON'T MISS
topped with a sunny-side-up egg; oysters with lime, ginger, and oyster “granita.” Dwight followed Trabacchi’s lead in the design by transforming the previously dreary, chopped-up space using natural materials such as rosewood and stone. “A lot of restaurant designs have a rusticity, but that doesn’t mean the space has to look unfinished,” he says. “We wanted to combine earthy, warm materials in a more upscale and unexpected way.” This included wrapping interior columns in golden silk oak leaves and channel glass and creating an alfresco feel with a stone wall whose arched openings give diners a peek into the kitchen. Large ultra-modern chandeliers are set in gilded domes, which Dwight says amplify the warmth of all the natural elements used throughout the restaurant. They also give off a tremendous glow that you can see from the street—perhaps adding a bit of sparkle to a town that can sometimes take itself a little too seriously. FOOD: Rustic Italian
DON'T MISS DISH: Dwight recommends the Salumeria RATING: a Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles The six-month-old Wolfgang Puck at the Hotel Bel-Air is open on one side and contemporary, with an outside patio of banquettes and directors’ chairs under a retractable “pergola” open to the sky. Claridge’s, London Dress-up fine dining is still the norm at star chef Gordon Ramsay’s silverdomed restaurant in one of London’s most glamorous hotels.
Sukhothai, Bangkok The best traditional Thai food in town is at Celadon, an elegant dining room surrounded by pools and gardens that creates a romantic vision of Asian luxury. Hôtel de Crillon, Paris There simply is no more beautiful dining room anywhere in the world, and even if you only have breakfast at Restaurant Les Ambassadeurs à Paris, you will feel as if you’re eating at the court of Marie Antoinette.
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the cafE at hotel mulia
Jakarta, Indonesia
One of the primary goals of any hotel should be to make you feel like it’s your home away from home. Dan Kwan, design director of Wilson Associates, took that notion to heart when he planned the layout of The Cafe at Hotel Mulia. He worked with the idea in mind that the restaurant needed to appeal to locals, as well as a very international clientele. His solution was to avoid the usual one-size-fits-all style of many other hotel restaurants and instead to take a more residential room-byroom approach that creates different environments within one large space. Craving Asian cuisine? Stop into the Asian kitchen where orange hues evoke tropical weather. Or maybe some sashimi? Grab a table next to the large trumpet-shaped column covered with Sakura flowers. Just craving some regular Western fare? A room bedecked in an English rose motif might be more your style. Any way you slice it, you’re sure to find a spot that will make you feel right at home. FOOD: International
DON'T MISS DISH: Dan Kwan says the Sop Buntut (translated as “soup backside”) is addictive. It's a clear oxtail consommé with Indonesian spices, served with fluffy white rice and belinjo crackers made from a bitter local nut, and a sweet, smoky-inky black sauce called kecup manis (sweet ketchup). RATING: a
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ZIGolini’s pizza bar
New York, New York
Sofitel Berlin, Gendarmenmarkt The hotel is hip and modern, but Restaurant Aigner downstairs is everything you love about an old-fashioned German bistro, with large portions of traditional fare prepared in a modern style.
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Hotel images courtesy Hotel Bel-Air; Sofitel interior photo by Derek Hudson; Crillon interior photo by Eric Cuvillier, Crillon food photo by Thierry Samuel; Celadon images courtesy The Sukhothai Bangkok
New York’s Hell’s Kitchen is packed with pizzerias. So why does Zigolini’s Pizza Bar stand out? Let me count a few of the ways: The bartender and waitress were two of the nicest people I’ve ever encountered in a restaurant. The design of the narrow space— where a natural brick wall faces one covered with dozens of single-bottle
RESTAURANT GUIDE 2012
stainless-steel wine holders—is cozy in all the right ways. Although the restaurant is small, “there’s something interesting everywhere you look,” says Eric Lam, of Lam Architectural Design. Pops of red populate the space—in large lamp shades and small votive candle holders—and long communal tables add to the convivial nature of a room that might otherwise feel cramped. On the way to the restrooms, you’ll encounter a wall that’s covered with a beyond-life-size photo of Jean Harlow. I’m not sure why she’s here (Harlow was from Kansas City and not of Italian heritage) but I’m willing to bet that she would have loved the ambiance at Zigolini’s.
Much of the inspiration for the interior of Austin’s La Condesa came from the fashionable, artistic Mexico City neighborhood of the same name. “It’s not the typical design language you see in Texas,” says architect, Michael Hsu. “We wanted it to be decidedly modern and urban.” A huge collage by the Sodalitas Art Group references the wall murals and billboards of Mexico. Utilitarian lighting fixtures mix with others that are highly decorated. The contrast in materials continues in the cozy bar area where there’s a wall composed of concrete masonry blocks similar to those found in
many border towns The overall effect is playful, yet sophisticated—just like that of a restaurant that might fit right in among the lively streets of its namesake. FOOD: Contemporary Mexican cuisine with traditional regional influences DON'T MISS DISH: Michael Hsu praises the mole by chef Rene Ortiz as, “Among the best no matter where you are. On top of duck it's even more special.” He recommends the Pato con Mole Negro: Crescent duck breast and confit leg, three-day mole, toasted sesame seeds, rice, crema, and tortillas. RATING: a
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FOOD: Italian
DON'T MISS DISH: My favorites were the Pizzeta Regina Margherita and Pizzeta Prosciutto RATING: a
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LA CONDESA
Austin, Texas
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RUTH's PICKS Former Gourmet editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl is a writer, a food critic, an Editor-at-Large for Random House, and Editorial Advisor at GiltTaste.com. That means she is one busy woman and travels constantly. Here, she shares where she’s been eating and which dishes are worth a return visit.
Egg toast with caviar Jean Georges New York “The brioche is thin, buttery, crisp.The egg yolks cooked sous-vide, have the consistency of custard. On top is a river of caviar, touched with just a hint of dill. The textures are amazing—crisp toast, creamy egg, and the crunch of caviar inside your head.”
Shrimp Toast Sandwich Sun of a Gun Los Angeles “Chinese shrimp toast, grown into something fierce and powerful. Crisp bread, Sriracha-flashed mayo, lots of shrimp. Perfectly proportioned.”
Muzuku Sushi Zen New York "It’s a special kind of seaweed from Okinawa. Most Americans hate the texture, but I love the pliant strands; it’s the freshest, greenest flavor that I know."
Boat noodles Saap Coffee House Hollywood “There’s nothing chic or remotely design-friendly about this bare bones coffee shop, but the noodles take you straight to Thailand. The broth is rich, murky, filled with flavor and little tidbits — squid, beef, fishballs, and a few things you’d probably rather not know about.”
Tagliolini with dungeness crab & meyer lemon Cotogna San Francisco “Beautiful pasta entangled with local flavors. What’s not to like?”
La Condesa photo ©Paul Bardagjy; Jean Georges image courtesy Jean-Georges Management; Son of a Gun and Saap Coffee House photos by Sharon Yang; Cotogna photo by Eric Wolfinger
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MEhtaphor
New York, New York
The moniker “Mehtaphor” might be a play on chef Jehangir Mehta’s last name, but it could also be perceived as a reference to the restaurant’s design. Creative Directors Vennie Lau and Paul Vega, of VLDG Inc., were inspired by Mehta’s idea that the restaurant feel like it was his apartment, and guests were coming over for an intimate dinner at his place. Lau and Vega chose furniture and accessories that mix together
If you aren’t able to snag a room at Duane Street, then take a cab up town to the Hyatt 48 Lex, another cool hotel designed by VLDG. The property boasts 116 stylish rooms, all of which imbue a sleek yet warm vibe. Vega and Lau chose materials with refined textures, patterns, and colors, such as honey-hued woods and raw linen. They worked directly with luxury rug company Tai Ping to produce the custom rugs in the hotel’s corridors, adding just the right amount of verve to 48 Lex’s style. “The gradation of the pattern is essential for the look and feel of the hotel,” says Bob Zaccaria of Tai Ping. “It is a very cool design.”
diverse elements such as metal, leather, and burlap. “All the pieces are complimentary, but not uniform, just as many people’s homes are filled with a variety of furniture and artwork that they’ve acquired over time,” Vega says. The restaurant is located inside the Duane Street Hotel, which Vega also designed. My favorite reference to the aspects of a private residence is the deconstructed chandelier. Since the small space couldn’t handle a large fixture, Lau came up with the idea of dissecting a chandelier and hanging
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bits of it along one side of the restaurant. It provides a quiet bit of elegance and sparkle that balances out other rough textures, like the wood floors and tabletops. And in a wellappointed “home” like this, I’ll definitely be a guest of Jehangir again. FOOD: Indian-Asian fusion
DON'T MISS DISH: I’m not a vegetarian, but the Vegetable Dumpling Chaat could be the dish that converts me. RATING: a
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island creek oyster bar
Boston, Massachusetts
The design inspiration for Island Creek Oyster Bar all started with a visit to Skip Bennett, the founder and owner of Island Creek Oysters farm, located in Duxbury, just south of Boston. “One of the things that struck us was that everything was very flat and there was a tremendous sense of horizon,” says Peter Bentel, Partner at Bentel & Bentel architects. This detail took the shape of a line that runs about four-and-a-half feet off the floor of the restaurant, defined in some areas by wood panels that have been stained gray. The architects also installed a series of hanging elements, including the large lighting fixtures that create a linear plane from the front to the back of the room and allow for a
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Mehtaphor photo by Perry Thompson; Island Creek Oyster Bar images by Peter Vanderwarker
RESTAURANT GUIDE 2012
Electronic Magnetism Exploring the website for Island Creek Oyster Bar is almost as fun as playing an online game While working on this guide, I spent a lot of time on restaurant websites. In my data-gathering frenzy, I often clicked right past the homepage, checked out a few bits of information, and then I was off to the next one. But the animated nature of the site for Boston's Island Creek Oyster Bar stopped me in my digital tracks.
feeling of intimacy without losing the grandeur of the 16-foot-high ceilings. It’s also clear that the simple weathered textures and colors of the oyster farm are present throughout the space: the back bar shelving has a rugged look to it, like the shelves Bentel’s team saw at the harbor holding anchors and buoys; large recycled wood shutters are framed in galvanized steel; gabion walls inspired the huge installation at the back of the room where two-foot by three-foot boxes are filled with thousands of oyster shells. The trip from Skip’s oyster farm to Boston’s Kenmore Square has come full circle. FOOD: Seasonally-influenced seafood
DON'T MISS DISH: Peter Bentel says the lobster roll is “exquisite.” RATING: a Created by Oat, the site’s design (like that of the restaurant’s interior) takes its cue from the oyster farm on Duxbury Bay. “Our approach combines texture and function, executed as a fictional collection of artifacts handled in the process of working on an oyster farm,” says Jennifer LuceyBrzoza, a founder and principal at Oat. “Manuals, dockets, oyster tags, registers, and job jackets evoke the ordered chaos of farm life.” All I know is that checking out a restaurant online has never been this much fun. // islandcreekoysterbar.com
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PIERLUIGI
Rome, Italy
FOOD: Italian
DON'T MISS DISH: Anotteti says, “For me, the most impressive dish is the Paccheri Amatriciana di Mare—tomato sauce, seafood, smoked pancetta, and Pecorino cheese!” ICOB coasters, identity materials, and raw menu
RATING: a
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ICOB collateral photos by Jennifer Lucey-Brzoza
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Messing with tradition is a dangerous undertaking—especially in Europe. “We didn’t want to transform the structure of the restaurant and create confusion in loyal customers,” says Architect Pier Giorgio Antonetti as he discusses his work for Rome’s Pierluigi.” In collaboration with the lighting design and manufacturing firm .PSLAB, he subtly redesigned the space with stylistic references to the elegance of the 1930s Art Deco period—Pier Luigi was founded in 1938—using Emperador marble, walnut, and dark brown metal paneling. And in a nod to the restaurant’s speciality, Antonetti says, “We covered the walls of the entry in a mosaic tile that simulates the scales of a fish.” Lara Noujeim of .PSLAB says her firm’s approach to every project is, “to mimic the concept of the architectural vision for a space,” and they collaborated closely with Antonetti on his vision. In the main dining areas, drum shades bring a consistency between rooms that are separate from one another. The newly-built cocktail bar has drop disks with exposed bulbs and these same fixtures were hung in the basement wine cellar creating, “a reminder that the two areas are located on top of each other,” says Noujeim. It all goes to show that the past and the future can quietly collide with beautiful results.
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SUNDA
Chicago, Illinois
Watch the YouTube video Journey to Sunda, and you’ll soon have an idea of what inspired Brad Young and his co-horts Billy Dec and Arturo Gomez to open their popular New Asian spot. The video offers a quick trip through Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, China, and Singapore, and the same can be said of the decor and menu. “With both the food and the design—furniture and art from different Asian cultures, ceiling tiles from China, Buddhist elements from Thailand—we wanted to make sure that people couldn’t put their finger on just one aspect of Asian culture,” says Young, the chairman of Rockit Ranch Productions, and one of the owners of Sunda. Young found the ideal partner to share in this vision when he hired the lauded designer (and former DB-feature subject) Tony Chi to create the restaurant’s interior. Chi believes in what he calls “invisible design,” which refers to undetected subtleties of how a space feels. And from the sushi bar’s hanging sculpture containing 1,500 wire fish (though I confess, I didn’t count them all), to the warm coral tones of the dining area, there’s a beautiful timelessness to this restaurant. Combined with Chef de Cuisine Jess De Guzman’s culinary creations, it pretty much guarantees that you won’t be disappointed when you make your actual journey to Sunda. FOOD: New Asian, featuring Eastern and Southeast Asian regional cuisines DON'T MISS DISH: Design Bureau's managing editor Kristin Lamprecht can't get enough of the crispy spicy tuna roll (below) RATING: a
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Lawrence Karol is a passionate lover of design magazines and lives in a stylish Mid-Century-Moderninspired apartment in New York City with his dog, Mike. He is a former Gourmet editor and has written for Coastal Living and houzz.com.
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Sunda images courtesy Rockit Ranch Productions
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The actor discusses his passion for quality craftsmanship, his stint as a sunglass designer, and a near-career as an animator
A New Role for Ribisi
G
iovanni Ribisi isn’t just another celebrity playing the role of a standin designer.
As the collaborator behind two newlydebuted styles for eyewear label Barton Perreira, the aptly-named “Giovanni” and the “Ribisi,” the actor’s bona fides are a stellar combination of killer personal style and a formal training in the world of 3D animation. Granted, the latter was intended to land him in Hollywood’s expanding world of blue screens, but like any serious actor, Ribisi isn’t one for being typecast. You collaborated with Barton Perreira on two of their sunglass styles. How did these two particular designs reflect your own aesthetic? The “Ribisis” are modeled after a frame from the 1930s. It reminded me of a motorcyclist and
maybe somebody who is into physics or science. I’ve always been a fan what felt like a more innocent time, and a time where there were values in quality craftsmanship. That first pair was designed more or less in a selfish way—it was really more of a solipsistic thing for me where it was like, “What would I wear?” That seems like a natural inclination, though. Granted, they were the first glasses I’ve ever designed. I had a model of my face, actually, so I truly was designing for that—not because it was my face, but because it was the only human model or scan that I had for geometry. The second style, the “Giovanni,” is another variety that I would want to wear, as well as something that I thought would work in a more universal way. You mentioned having a vintage-inspired aesthetic—what is it about the past that appeals to you? In my mind, I associate it with a certain value system that we, as an American culture, lack today. There was necessity. We had an identity, we
by laura neilson photos by tim cadiente
Stylist : Melissa Crook; Art Director: Juan Mendez
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Tim Cadiente is not only the awesome photographer who shot Ribisi for DB and Barton Perreira’s ad campaigns, he’s also the company’s CMO and partner. Cadiente worked with Ribisi to develop the campaign for the actor’s designs. “It was private glimpse into Giovanni’s creative work space—a space made of shipping containers. Shipping containers are international, so this setting could have taken place in any port in the world.” Stylist : Melissa Crook Art Director: Juan Mendez
Features
Features
DESIGN BUREAU
“In my mind, I associate [the 1930s] with a certain value system that we, as an American culture, lack today. There was necessity. We had an identity, we took pride in its expression through work and craftsmanship, and perhaps this gave way to an ‘industrious’ aesthetic.”—Giovanni Ribisi
took pride in its expression through work and craftsmanship, and perhaps this gave way to an “industrious” aesthetic. You’re no stranger to 3D renderings, we hear. I went to school for that stuff, actually, a while back. I went to Gnomon, in Hollywood. A lot of people I went to school with—years later—were visual effects artists working on Avatar. How did you get interested in that world? It’s kind of a hobby of mine. I did a movie a long time ago, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, where the whole film was done on blue screen. It definitely inspired me to try to investigate to see what the CGI world was like. What programs and tools did you end up using for this project? Maya, which is an Autodesk and an AutoCAD program, and another called ZBrush by Pixelogic. Those are mainly used for Shrek or for film, but a lot of people use them in the design industry, as well. What kind of challenges did you encounter? You’re designing something that’s meant to be worn on one of the most personal aspects of an individual—their face—and one of the more sensitive aspects, too. Having said that, I realized at a certain point that’s one of the reasons why I focused the task more on myself. I could just go, “Well, this is my fantasy for what I want in sunglasses.” You mean, the character you want to play? Yeah! Exactly! And there’s nothing that speaks to that more than sunglasses. Now that you’ve gotten your feet wet, would you do more collaborations in the design world? Absolutely. Yes, I am very interested in collaborating and creating. For me, while the word “design” implies an aesthetic perspective, it more importantly necessitates function, and the balance between these two dynamics is what interests me. I'm by no means an expert— or even educated for that matter—in any one particular field of design, but that learning curve is also something I enjoy. a
Barton Perreira RIBISI Available at Barney’s $480, bartonperreira.com
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Design icon Milton Glaser is best known for his earliest work. Co-founder of the oh-so-famous Push Pin Studios, he made his name in the 1960s as an illustrator designing psychedelic-style posters. He’s written books, created magazines, runs a business, and has been teaching for 50 years. He’s the creator of the ultimate city mark—the “I Love New York” logo. But trying to pin down this design celebrity’s talents would be a major mistake. Because the 83-year-old Glaser nearly got pigeonholed once, and he’s never letting that happen again. Q&A by Saundra Marcel Photos by Noah Kalina
“If you think that design is about self-expression, then you’re out of it. Unfortunately, there’s so much bullshit about self-expression and artistry and the rest of it, that it confuses people.” — MILTON GLASER
The office of Milton Glaser, Inc. Facing page: Milton Glaser’s desk
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Saundra Marcel: One of the things that has earned you accolades in your career has been your inclination to go against the grain. You launched New York Magazine in 1968, before anybody else was making city magazines. In 1987, you redesigned all the graphics for New York's iconic Rainbow Room to make it look like the fantasy nightclubs projected in Hollywood movies. Have you always desired to be different?
Milton Glaser: I’ve always been driven by the idea that it’s possible to occasionally produce art in the realm of design. Every once in a while the utilitarian function of design can also embrace a metaphysical one. Those are the jobs that mean the most to me. But don’t blur those together into one lumpy mass that doesn’t help you understand what you’re doing. You can’t be an artist in the design field. The very nature of producing art—which is about transgression, and invention, and the new—can prevent you from communicating clearly, and that’s too much of a burden to carry when you’re designing a beer bottle. There’s only one place to begin, and that is with solving the problem. A designer’s work is bound by utility and by the needs of a client. If you can do that and at the same time introduce art, then great. But that’s few and far between.
SM: So, you’re practical? MG: Oh. Well, you can’t be in the field if you’re not practical. If you think that design is about self-expression, then you’re out of it. Unfortunately, there’s so much bullshit about self-expression and artistry and the rest of it, that it confuses people. It confuses teachers, it confuses schools, and it confuses everybody in the field, because they’ve not made this distinction clear enough to themselves. SM: When you walked away from Push Pin Studios in 1974, it was because you felt like you were becoming “lodged in history,” and needed to do different things. You said you were becoming “imprisoned by its reputation.” Why, and how, have you been able to escape this feeling? MG: What happens in professional practice is like what happens in movies. People are selected to do what they have already done; it’s a typecasting that occurs. Whatever that characteristic may be, when people become good at something, they’re doomed to repeat it forever.
The great thing that an artist has, is that he or she can follow their own obsession, and move toward what they do not yet know. I’ve had that experience over the last five years with
rugs and textiles that I’ve been doing. These are new experiments in color and form, and are done independent from a client or audience. That’s a very different experience. SM: You’ve benefitted from the relationships you’ve had with so many talented designers throughout your career. How do your peers inspire you? MG: Well, I can’t say that I can answer that, in terms of pushing. I don’t need to be inspired. SM: But now you’re working with designers who are much younger, who were brought up using the computer, which is so different from the way you were trained. What happens here? Is there a push-pull? MG: Well, I’ll tell you how it works. I now say that I know how to use the computer, and that I’m not intimidated by it. That’s because I never touch it. I work with somebody else here who is proficient. I say, ‘Okay, let’s start. Just give me a red square. And take this thing and move it over here. What do you think of that? Too big. Okay.’ It’s like dancing—you have to have a good partner, and you have to know how to lead. And since I have ten times the experience of the person who is working with me, there’s no question about who’s leading the dance. But if the person that you’re leading isn’t a suit-
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able partner, then it’s unpleasant for us both, and not fun to watch. SM: You pull up a chair and direct them? MG: When you run an office, you have to assume the responsibility that everything that goes out of the office is something that you’ve had something to do with. The core of
knowledge and authority and judgment, and then it’s tragic. It’s had a bad effect on the profession, because it allows poorly trained people to get into the field and produce ordinary work. It’s like trying to produce music without having mastered the piano. And incidentally, this is a dead argument—people have talked about this endlessly, but we don’t really have a way of dealing with it.
that principal, and every time I’ve done it, I’ve been sorry. SM: So you’ve learned your lesson? MG: Up to a point. SM: Will you ever retire? MG: I don’t understand what people mean when they talk about retirement. Retirement from what? SM: To golf ? MG: Golf ? Oh, what a nightmare! No. That’s not my intention. Life has its own way of telling you its intention. I don’t plan to retire, but I recognize that there’s a certain point. You could lose energy, or you could run out of ideas. But that hasn’t happened. Actually, I’m doing the best work I’ve ever done in my life over the past four years. SM: Have you ever wished for a less recog-
nizable name?
MG: Well, if my name were linked with one specific thing, then I would worry. But I’ve managed to be obscure and peculiar in my production, so that people don’t even know anymore exactly what it is that I do. I’ve always followed my own interests, and I’ve always been very conscious of not getting pigeonholed, ever since I was a young practitioner.
I saw what happened when you became specialized, and I didn’t like that. It’s partially philosophical. I don’t believe in too many things. I’m not an ideologue. I don’t believe in the truth of any singular pursuit. My favorite quotation is ‘Belief is the closing of the mind.’ And that pertains to my work, very much. a
The Nine-to-five Skinny at Milton Glaser, Inc.
the office is my vision, my history, my ideas. It can’t be any other way.
SM: Do new clients ever come to you not knowing who you are?
You know, I don’t have any hang-ups about the computer. The only problem I have is that it’s badly used. The computer is the most powerful tool that a designer has ever had. It likes to do certain things, and it doesn’t like to do other things. It dominates the designer. That’s why when you go to a school, you see that young designers’ books are all coming out alike—because they’re all coming out of the same instrument. Young students don’t have enough training before they get to the computer and they use it to compensate for lack of
MG: What people do now—which is pathetic—is that they will look up 20 designers and call them all and find out what they would be charged for a logo, and then pick the cheapest one. Frequently, I suspect, when we get such inquiries, they have no idea who we are. SM: How do you respond? MG: Well, it depends on the request! One of
my rules of the universe is never work with someone that you don’t like. I’ve violated
Just because he’s 83, don’t think Glaser has lost any speed. In March, he announced the launch of a new line of hand-woven rugs designed exclusively for carpet manufacturer Lapchi. Textiles are a new field for him, but in the spirit of staying fresh, this venture is no surprise. Of course, Milton still churns out regular graphic design work, too. “On Mondays, we do a cover for The Nation,” he says, referring to the country's oldest political weekly magazine. “We get a brief in the morning, and we finish by 5:00 pm.” With all that Glaser has going on, no wonder he's not too interested in golf.
“One of my rules of the universe is never work with someone that you don’t like. I’ve violated that principal, and every time I’ve done it, I’ve been sorry.” —MILTON GLASER
Poster design by Milton Glaser, 2001
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Photo by Olaf Heine MORE ON page 126 Things I Hate About You, Berlin, 2008
MUSICIANS AT HOME
MUSICIANS AT HOME an exclusive look inside the kick-ass houses of six awesome artists
We've uncovered the places where these creative musicians get their groove on, whether it's a small studio-slash-apartment in Sweden or a handbuilt cabin in Vermont
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Hauntingly beautiful singer/songwriter LIA ICES finds inspiration in bucolic bliss
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thereal songstress Lia Ices is currently seeking urban refuge and creative indulgence at Roberta Flack’s idyllic farmhouse in the Hudson Valley. Since moving to the legend’s Upstate New York home a few months ago, she has created serene spaces in which to work; the perfect blank canvas to experiment with pushing the boundaries of music and fashion. Her intimate songs have a strength and power that is reflected in her sense of style. Her voice, like her look, can be soft and elegant one moment and edgy the next. Ices can carry off a silk jumpsuit on stage as well as she wears red-lipstick and an old Nirvana t-shirt at the grocery store. What’s crucial, she says, is experimentation and allowing her intuition and feelings to decide. As a musician and performer, how important is personal style to you?
LIA ICES
It’s an extension of the artwork, it’s another really important and fun way of self-expression and it keeps evolving like my writing. It always comes up: How much do I make it a costume? How much do I make it myself? I always like when there is some sort of dichotomy with what I am wearing, even just a body suit under overalls, something that is not sexy but that feels really good to me. It’s the same in the music. I feel much more powerful when there are more layers rather than just one direct thing. How would you describe your style?
I would say architectural hippie. I really like architectural shape. I really like vintage hats and shape and jewelry and bracelets and how that affects my body when I’m singing. I often seek out bangles and bracelets in all shapes and sizes. It changes your body, built up on your arms and makes a sound when you move. I think it’s fun to decorate yourself and I’m giving into that. Having that aspect align with who I am is just as important as the music. What was your earliest memory of dressing up?
My grandfather took me to Paris when I was 12 and I got this red felt hat that looked like a Parisian school girl and I had never seen anything like it and it was a little piece of the world that I didn’t know existed. Do you have a favorite piece of clothing or object?
I have this raw silk indigo dyed cape or shawl that I love. It’s really dramatic. After I got it as a present I started researching indigo dye and the cultural meanings and history of the process. It’s a totally spiritual process and there are layers and layers to its meaning and history. I’m also interested in colors and their meanings, what being surrounded by a color actually does for you. Indigo is supposed to bring out your intuitive self and that’s where the phrase “out of the blue” came from because you would be so involved in yourself. a
BY JENNIFER HAMBLETT PHOTOS BY EMILIANO GRANADO
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“Style is an extension of the artwork. I always like when there is some sort of dichotomy with what I am wearing...it's the same in the music. I feel much more powerful when there are layers.” —LIA ICES
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From sleeping in a Pope’s palace to shopping for second-hand clothing, rapper Busdriver’s aesthetic influences are just as diverse as his rhymes
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ou could say that this prolific California rapper has honed his style over the years, but he’ll be the first to admit that it’s a style born mostly from economy. Though his literary, leftfield rhymes have gotten him noticed in the indie rap and electronica world, and have garnered him a small, yet dedicated fan following, he’s not swimming in designer duds a la Jay-Z or Kanye. Not that he would want to. You’ve lived in Sedona, Arizona, LA, even Paris. Have any of these diverse cities and cultural landscapes had a lasting impact on your personal style? When I was a teen in LA, I would wear Starter caps and jackets, baggy jeans and an undeserved grimace. Back then I was just trying to blend into the thick crowds of tag bangers, breakers and aspiring rappers that made up my world. Since then, I’ve given up on keeping up with how to identify my dress with a particular group. I tend to not have a fixed crowd that I stay anchored in, so it’s pushed me to a truer place expression-wise.
BUSDRIVER Paris informed what I assumed was the functionality of personal style in social gatherings. You almost need to become a byproduct of whatever corner of the universe you happened to spout from or have carved your niche into. In the spirit of that, I grew to never second-guess what I wanted to wear. What is your house like?
It’s a giant ear canal with two pieces of furniture in it. When I’m home, I’m either nude or in a full-body cast.
You’ve mentioned when you’re on the road, you sometimes have to wing it in terms of where you’re staying. Were there any particularly interesting locations? I’ve slept in a Mormon church once. Some fans who turned out to be religious zealots lead me there after a gig and gave me room and board. But I think one of my more pleasant overnight experiences was pre-planned. I played a gig in Avignon inside Palais des Papes once. It was the Pope’s stronghold in the 1300s where he hid from the chaos that was Rome in the wake of the papacy’s slow decline after his election. It now stands as an enclosed city with narrow serpentine streets, majestic churches and cluster of randomized buildings. It’s the most gorgeous manmade structure I’ve ever lived in, and certainly the strangest place to wake up. It’s like being yanked from the world as you know it and placed in some modernized French anachronism. What inspires your personal aesthetic?
I should say psychedelic rock, hip-hop, and club culture. But it’s mainly poverty. Making a mark with little-to-no resources is the general push behind most that I do. And with clothing, that goes double. I’ve only bought second-hand for the past 10 years, mainly out of necessity. a
BY KRISTIN LAMPRECHT PHOTOS BY BRYAN SHEFFIELD
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DIY darling of Nashville, TRISTEN, lets us inside her home, where throwback floral wallpaper and thrift store finds combine to create the songstress’ vintage-inspired style
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cattered atop a table in Tristen Gaspadarek ’s East Nashville home are cardboard rectangles and fabric remnants that she’ll soon transform into blank books to sell on tour. It’s something different, she explains, not the same old T-shirt. For the 29-year-old singer-songwriter, the constant challenge of How can I make something cool with what little money I have? tints every facet of her style, from handmade merch to wardrobe to furnishings. “I’ve always shopped secondhand, and I pride myself on being able to make something out of nothing,” she says. “If I wasn’t making music, I’d be making something else.” Gaspadarek, who performs simply under her first name, grew up in a Chicago suburb, where, early on, her father taught her to record songs, encouraging a talent for songwriting that drew her to Nashville after college. Her first full-length album Charlatans at the Garden Gate is a jangly pastiche of retro textures, fresh pop hooks, and whip-smart lyrics—one that racked up much critical praise. A second album is slated for release this summer, and Gaspadarek says it’ll be something of a departure from Charlatans.
TRISTEN For the moment, Nashville suits her, both for its rich musical soil and its easy living. It’s a town where a girl can pluck from the best of the best players when it comes time to record; and where she can move her thrift-store finds into an unassuming brick home, fall in love with kitschy green linoleum and floral wallpaper, and pour her heart and hours into writing songs. Within that art-friendly space (which she shares with her fiancé Buddy Hughen, also a guitarist in her band), other inspirations converge, from volumes of Khalil Gibran poems to TV shows and films. Gaspadarek points to her short hair: “Twin Peaks. Big aesthetic inspiration from that show.” Rummaging through a closet jammed with sartorial curiosities, she explains that people often give her or lend her stage-worthy garb. She rarely shops, and she’s become handy with a sewing machine for alterations. “I’ve always been sort of forward with fashion, so I’ll wear crazy shit,” she says, pulling out a dress that once belonged to Hughen, and a shimmery red “Flash Gordon” sheath: “Like, what the hell is this? But it looks amazing on.”
Visuals, she notes, have always been important to her. “The artists I really respect—Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, the Beatles—they had nice suits!” she says. “The aesthetic was part of it.” You might say she's on to something. a
BY SUSANNAH FELTS PHOTOS BY BRADLEY SPITZER
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“Twin Peaks. Big aesthetic inspiration from that show.” —TRISTEN
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A rustic lifestyle in northern New England has proven to be musically inspirational for former The Books vocalist NICK ZAMMUTO
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or a dozen years, guitarist/vocalist Nick Zammuto has applied creativity to his craft — first with his acoustic-collage duo The Books and now with his experimental, self-named “pop rock” band Zammuto. The same inspiration, however, manifests in his idyllic home, which the New York native spent years building in the hills of southern Vermont. Given Zammuto’s experience in aural repurposing, it seems natural for the songwriter to craft a home of reclaimed and organic odds and ends. But in reality, the inspiration for his modern log cabin home owes as much to his wife, Molly, whose first pregnancy and new-found nesting instinct became the catalyst for Zammuto’s architectural creation.
NICK ZAMMUTO
“She has this amazing sixth sense about fertility in general,” says Zammuto. “She had found this shack at the top of a mountain in Vermont in winter. I remember seeing a photo and thinking ‘Ugh, this is a shack in a field of slush,’ but she had dug through the snow and found blueberries underneath. We bought the place even before the snow melted.” Having proved itself as a place full of life, the pair set about transforming the shack into a family home for them and their three sons, cutting holes where they felt they needed light, and working with locally sourced pine. The result is an open and flowing space that reflects the couple’s domestic and musical ideals.
“Music guides your experience but it doesn’t necessarily control it. That’s what I love about it—every time you listen through a song or track it sounds different,” he says. “Architecture is the same. It controls the experience, but doesn’t completely define it. It suggests possibilities and valences it can connect to other things in a multitude of ways.” Zammuto’s own musical loops are created out in a small tractor garage that he has converted into his studio, at a welcome distance from the family spaces. But the music, even if it doesn’t invade the home directly, has played a large part in its evolution. “There are hardly any right angles in the house at all. I think that because I am sensitive to sound and make experimental music that is listenable, but has raw edges. The house is an extension of that.” Whether his home is inspiring his music, or his music is inspiring his home’s design, it’s something that will continue to be a prominent piece of Zammuto’s creativity. “Music is one of those things that you can live without, but no one chooses to live without it. Good design and architecture is kind of the same. You need to be inspired by the space you live in.” a
BY JENNIFER HAMBLETT PHOTOS BY PAUL REYNOLDS
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“There are hardly any right angles in the house at all. I think that's because I am sensitive to sound and make experimental music that is listenable, but has raw edges. The house is an extension of that.”—NICK ZAMMUTO
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Claustrophobia is key to the music of Detroit's ADULT. But at its historic HQ, it's more about comfort, creativity, and memories.
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ver the course of the last decade, Detroit’s ADULT. (the couple of Adam Lee Miller and Nicola Kuperus) has been perhaps the most fervent proponent of a new dark, dance aesthetic that harnesses the dangerous aspects of late ‘70s analog dystopian modernism. Every song the band constructs is a strenuous excercise in claustrophia and anxiety expressed in naked synthesizers, programmed beats and in the haunted voice of Kuperus. Since 2007, the band has taken a break from touring to focus on visual art and soundtrack work (for Jake Yuzna's film OPEN as well as their own shorts.) It has also found them the time to enjoy living in a house in Detroit that they have invested nearly as many hours as dollars. Miller and Kuperus acquired their 1912 home in 2004. Formerly a photography studio since the ‘50s, and possibly a speakeasy during prohibition (the couple discovered crates of early ‘20s hooch buried near the basement), the space required a complete overhaul renovation—all new ceilings, refinishing every floor and double-hung window. “Every inch of the house had office carpeting, fluorescent lights, and ALL the woodwork was painted a hundred coats of white. None of the plumbing worked and there was no kitchen,” Miller says. A DIY undertaking for Miller, who fortunately is the son of a builder, it took six years to bring the home back to original condition.
ADULT.
The band may take a stand for an extreme sonic aesthetic, but the restored house is all about comfort and creative space. Miller uses an attached large concrete block building with 13-foot ceilings and oversized doors (as it was previously used for car photography) as his painting studio, while Kuperus uses the basement (or her “woman cave” as she calls it) for photography. The vintage furniture, they say, “either came from our grandparents or resale shops.” The couple shows no fear for resale value (“we NEVER think about that; once you do, it screws up everything”)—embracing pink and even sea foam green for their chill qualities. “We felt we needed a soothing color to wake up to to counter all the years we looked up at an ugly ceiling,” Miller says.
And while the band may have helped usher back in the mainstream obsession with taxidermy with its Gimmie Trouble antlers album cover, Miller and Kuperus no longer collect stuffed animals. “We're not interested in a single style or theme; if there was one objective, it would be for our interiors to contain our memories. Our interiors are living and always morphing.” a
BY JOHN DUGAN PHOTOS BY NICOLA Kuperus
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Despite what her name might insinuate, there is nothing mediocre about Swedish pop star Soso. Or her personal style.
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oso is a lot of extremes. She’s a petite vision of a woman ensconced in gothic garb. Her music is dark, slow-building electro-pop glazed with a commanding voice. She does everything by herself, from writing and recording to video production. And she does it all from the comfort of her own home, under her company entitled Do It Yourself Bitch Productions. A former songwriter for Scandinavian pop queen Robyn, Sophia Somajo (her full name from which the nickname “Soso” stems) says her own music is extremely driven by visual forces. She maintains a frequently updated blog that shows off her love for visually jarring dichotomies: the ugly next to the beautiful, the hard on top of the soft. She also likes to change the look of her Sofo, Stockholm apartment almost monthly, depending on her shifting personal tastes. “Visual aspects change all the time. I’m telling myself that it’s evolution and not schizophrenia, ” Somajo says of her surroundings, while also listing “phobias and laziness” as reasons that keep her recording in her bedroom instead of at a studio. Scandinavian design conjures up images of minimal interiors and strong, clean lines, and unsurprisingly, Somajo is a fan of this look. But to prevent from falling into a trap of being a bit too generic, she infiltrates that aesthetic with “contrasts and randomness.” “I like [my place] when it doesn’t make sense,” she says.
SOSO
Soso reveals that she’s also obsessed with Chinese culture, a theme that’s unabashedly referenced throughout her forthcoming album, That Time I Dug So Deep I Ended Up In China. “It all started with a cassette of Chinese pop music that my dad brought me on a business trip to Hong Kong in the ’80s,” she says. “I’ve had it for twenty years, and then it really got to me — how genius it was. So I based my whole album on it, sound wise.”
To get into that place, Somajo watched countless Chinese films in all their “super minimalistic, milky” glory while fusing traditional Chinese instruments into the strikingly bare-boned, bold verses of her tracks. In one such song, “Sab Lackath,” Soso recorded herself crying and edited it into a rhythmic beat. It’s this extreme personality, combined with her constant need for inconsistency, that drives Somajo’s personal design style.
Though nestled beneath the umbrella of her comfortable indie work ethic, her sound, her environment, and her look must stay fresh. “I’d never wear a whole outfit from one designer,” she says as an example. “That would feel really unimaginative. I mix it up with random crap that I pick up along the way…Ugly stuff, you know.”
So what’s a private person who’s pursued such a public career going to do when fame comes knocking on her Stockholm door? “I’ll cover my eyes and count to ten.” And when she inevitably has to leave the safe confines of her creative haven to travel the world in support of her music? “Actually, I made an active choice after my first release in 2008 not to perform anything live since I had made it in the most anti-social way,” she says. But, that might not be entirely true—at least not forever. “I am moving slowly towards my audience,” she admits. ”And I am going to meet them in person in some form, this year and next.” Chalk it up to her extremist nature. a
BY CAITLIN M. RYAN PHOTOS BY HENRIK HALVARSSON
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“I’m not always a bitch. I’m just very blunt. And I hope that it comes across in my music. It would be very confusing to keep track of alter egos. I have trouble keeping track of myself!”—SOSO
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Features
PHOTO ESSAY
I Love You, but I've Chosen Rock Photographer Olaf Heine is best known for his detailed, carefully staged portraits of celebrities and athletes, including Sting, Lou Reed, and Don Cheadle, among others. But in his latest photo book, Heine concentrates on his main source of inspiration: music. In casual snapshots, observations, and images taken on the edges of studio shoots, in rehearsal spaces, backstage and on stage, he has created highly emotional and intriguing portraits of international pop and rock greats. Heine’s book includes such varied artists like The Killers, Coldplay, Neil Young, Tocotronic, Bon Jovi, Incubus, Peaches, Kid Rock and Iggy Pop, as well as photos of classical musicians and dancers from the renowned Stuttgart Ballett. This very personal documentation is rounded off by notes, postcards, journal entries, and souvenirs that Heine has gathered during his travels over the past fifteen years. “Olaf is blessed with a clear and inescapable German eye. You better run, or fight back.”—Iggy Pop
'I love you but I've chosen rock' ____ Photos by Olaf Heine. Text by Adriano Sack. Published by Hatje Cantz Publishing. Design by Plantage Berlin. 300 pages, hardcover, €49,80, Amazon.com or Artbook.com
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Iggy Pop and girlfriend, Miami, 2002
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PHOTO ESSAY
Top: Brandon Boyd, Venice Beach, 2010 Middle left to right: Connor, Plate 2, Berlin, 2010 ; I Love You But I've Chosen Rock, Berlin, 2008 Bottom left to right: Peaches, Berlin, 2010; Arnim (Beatsteaks), Plate 2, Berlin, 2010
This issue’s best Albums
Presented by
Music
DESIGN BUREAU
A
ALARMPRESS
MELVINS LITE Freak Puke (Ipecac) It’s another year, another set of releases from the incomparable Melvins, whose five-song EP The Bulls & The Bees (with its Big Business lineup) preceded Freak Puke, a new full-length album as Melvins Lite with Mr. Bungle bassist Trevor Dunn. The album is “lite” due to the streamlined three-piece lineup, but the rock riffs aren’t quite as abrasive—more in the psych, garage, and classic veins than the band’s sludgier fare. Dunn creates a much moodier, smoky environment with his bowed and walking bass, adding a jazzy and improvised element to contrast with the pure rock. And guitarist Buzz Osborne presents a sort of half-strength vocal delivery, paring down the intensity in favor of texture. It’s yet another new side of a band whose influential career has spanned three decades. [SM] /01 02/
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TORCHE
YANN TIERSEN
DEBO BAND
Harmonicraft (Volcom)
Skyline (Anti-) Despite his list of accomplishments, French multi-instrumentalist and composer Yann Tiersen—best known for his work on the Amélie soundtrack—only recently has garnered recognition as a solo musician. Recorded over six months, his latest studio effort, Skyline, finds him experimenting with sounds and textures and an alternately light/dark dynamic as he ventures further into rock music.
s/t (Sub Pop)
In 2008, Floridian four-piece Torche came to prominence with Meanderthal, a breakout effort that resonated with an infectious brand of melodic sludge. But after a similar dose with the 2010 maxi-EP Songs for Singles, the band has turned up the pop with its new full-length, Harmonicraft. Deep, weighty riffs still anchor most songs, but the album falls closer to rock than metal, and the vocals of guitarist Steve Brooks are more ascendant than ever. Tracks such as “Kicking” exemplify Torche’s anthemic nature, and even comparatively subdued songs such as “Solitary Traveler” have their hooks. But the best moments again come in the minute-and-a-half burners like “Walk it Off” and “Sky Trials,” which combine the catchiness with high-speed rifffests. [SM] /02
Skyline continues where his previous album, Dust Lane, left off. Its dense opener, “Another Shore,” showcases Tiersen’s skill at building upon one evolving theme with guitars, strings, and synthesizers, but songs like “Hesitation Wound” offer respites from the heaviness with breezy vocals and whirling wind arrangements. [MK] /03
Matt ULERY
birthmark
Buy a Little Light (Greenleaf)
Antibodies (Polyvinyl)
With diverse influences and a keen ear for melody, bassist Matt Ulery has been a standout in Chicago’s chamber, jazz, and improv scenes, performing in the Balkan-infused Eastern Blok and penning his own compositions for solo material and for the multifaceted jazz band Loom. Now Ulery has linked up with trumpeter Dave Douglas’ Greenleaf label, offering a doubledisc of chamber-jazz fusion with appearances by contemporary ensemble Eighth Blackbird and Polish singer Grazyna Auguscik.
As a cousin of Joan of Arc’s Tim Kinsella and Owen’s Mike Kinsella, multi-instrumentalist Nate Kinsella has an easily recognized last name within indie-rock circles. But despite his affiliations with those Windy City staples, Nate has proven more than capable of holding his own, and he does so again with Antibodies, his third solo release.
By a Little Light splits the discs between instrumentals and vocal tracks, so fans who prefer one over the other can enjoy a full disc without skipping around. But the entire release is a stirring creation, moving between styles without losing its identity. [SM] /05
Experimenting with an array of instruments— from violins to marimbas, oboes, and more—he creates a dreamy, interwoven landscape for confessionary lyrics delivered in his airy, softspoken style. It’s like an alternately neoclassical and minimalist take on Owen, but presented with the idiosyncrasies that only Nate can provide. [MK] /06
07/
The debut LP from this Boston-based 11-piece serves as a tribute to the golden era of Ethiopian pop music. Its sound, however, is much broader, incorporating American funk and soul as well as Balkan sounds and melodies. The songs here largely are horn-driven, with Bruck Tesfaye’s eccentric, warbling vocals making a regular appearance. And on instrumental tracks, Ethiopian-American bandleader Danny Mekonnen’s saxophone takes to the fore, adding his unmistakable jazz rhythms to the mix. In short, Debo Band has revived a classic age in Ethiopian music by taking it to the present. [MK] /04
GEOFF BARROW & BEN SALISBURY
Drokk, Music Inspired by Mega-City One (Invada)
Since its inception as the setting for the longrunning Judge Dredd comic-book series, the vast, fictional city-state of Mega-City One has shifted and expanded—both in size and landscape—at the mercy of artistic vision. Now Portishead producer Geoff Barrow and Emmywinning soundtrack composer Ben Salisbury have teamed to create their own interpretation of the city’s soundscape. On Drokk: Music Inspired by Mega-City One, Barrow and Salisbury create a stark, minimal atmosphere, bound together by pulsing synths and digitally manipulated acoustic instruments. Though the album was not composed for an actual film, it’s gritty soundtrack music, echoing the likes of Blade Runner, The Fog, and The Terminator. [MK] /07
Scott Morrow is the music editor at ALARM Press and author of This Week’s Best Albums, an eclectic weekly series presenting exceptional music. Visit www.alarmpress.com for more. [SM] Scott Morrow, [MK] Meaghann Korbel; Melvins photo by Jessi Rose
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TALENT FRESH BLACKOUT 2003DESIGN ON THE MARKET Imagine yourself in a 30-story office building in downtown Manhattan. You are inputting data on your computer and listening to music on iTunes, while your colleague photocopies documents on the Xerox machine. Then all of a sudden, everything goes out. The lights go off. The music stops. Your computer shuts down. The entire office evacuates the building. You walk down thirty flights of stairs, and witnesses thousands of people on the streets, all confused about what's going on. This is what happened on August 14, 2003 – the Northeast Blackout.
Working together, ampere (amps) and volts become the watts, or megawatts (MW) in larger volume, that define how much work the electricity can do. But both amps and volts travel in waves and only produce watts when the waves are in phase with each other.
Time period is the time taken for the signal to complete one cycle, usually measured in seconds (s)
DC always flows in the same direction, and stays positive (+) but may increase or decrease
WATER SUPPLY • Loss of water pressure occured due to pumps’ lack of power • Boil-water advisory, a public health directive issued when the drinking water could be contaminated in Detroit and Cleveland • Sewage spilled into waterways in Cleveland and New York • Power lost to sewage pumps in Kingston, Ontario caused raw waste to be dumped into the Cataraqui River
When the amps and volts are not in phase, they produce reactive power which is an unavoidable by-product of producing watts.
Amplitude is the maximum voltage reached by the signal, measured in volts (V) AC flows back and forth, continually changes between positive (+) and negative (–)
TRANSPORTATION • Gas stations were unable to pump fuel, causing gas charges to increase • Amtrack Northeast Corridor railroad service stopped • Regional airport and all trains running in and out of NYC shut down • Via Rail in Toronto and Montreal suffered service delays • Airport service disrupted in Chicago, Halifax and Vancouver
amplitude (V)
peak-peak voltage
and they work together to transmit power effectively. The way VARs work is by cancelling out their own “out-of-phase” waves, retaining only the “in-phase” ones. Thus, maximum amount of watts can be transmitted.
AFFECTED INFRASTRUCTURE
peak voltage
Alternating current (AC) and Direct current (DC) are used when referring to voltages and electrical signals which are not currents. For example: a 12V AC power supply has an alternating voltage (which makes an alternating current flow).
ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION
THE POWER OF REACTIVE POWER Reactive power (measured in VARs) plays a crucial role in electricity generation and transmission. It is a condition when the amps and volts are not in phase so they are unable to create real power (watts). When VARs flows down the transmission line, it balances watts,
AC/DC
The blackout occurred throughout parts of the northeastern and midwestern United States and Ontario in Canada, affecting 45 million people in eight U.S. states, and ten million people in Ontario. It was the second most widespread blackout after the 1999 Southern Brazil blackout (estimate of 75 to 97 million people affected). So what caused the blackout? Many factors, including irresponsible system operators, power lines and computer failure, and inability by energy companies to provide effective real-time diagnostic support. The power outage affected power generation and water supply, contributing to the events outlined below. But first, we need to understand how electricity works.
VOLTAGE
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If these additional out-of-phase waves travel down the transmission line, they decrease the amount of megawatts (the in-phase waves) that can travel through the line.
Frequency is the number of cycles per second, measured in hertz (Hz). The US Standard is 60 Hz
COMMUNICATION • Land lines and internet disconnected • Cellular communication disrupted due to the increase indemand • Inability to receive information from news source (television and radio)
TOO LITTLE POWER? OR TOO MUCH?
INDUSTRY • Large numbers of factories were closed in affected areas • Factories outside of affected areas were forced to close or slow work due to supply problems and the need to conserve energy • Some industries (e.g. auto) did not return to full production until eight days later
7-25 kV
This analogy will help you understand more:
A B
Power plant generates electricity
A group of men is trying to push a ball from Point A to Point B. The real power needed on a sloped plane is the same as if the plane were flat, but one man needs to keep the ball along its path; this is considered reactive power.
Transformer steps Transmission up voltage for line carries transmission electricity long distances
Area
All-Time Peak Load (MW)
Cleveland-Akron Area (including Cleveland Public Power)
The control areas of First Energy (FE) in Ohio include three Ohio distribution utility footprints and that of Cleveland Public Power, a local utility serving the city of Cleveland. This area includes the Cleveland-Akron area, which is one of the transmission-loaded
Apparent Power / VA (Volt Ampere) The product of current and voltage. The difference between power and VA only becomes apparent when the load contains VARs Reactive Power / VAR (Volt Ampere Reactive) To generate this power, volts and amps have to flow in different phases
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ISONE, Maritime Provinces
NNYISO (New York ISO) IMO (Ontario Independent Market Operator)
Reliability coordinators view the grid system to ensure actions taken by the individual operators are appropriate and sufficient to preserve grid reliability.
NYISO IMO
138 caused by grid errors
12,150 mW
138
0 mW
138
0 mW
138
0 mW 24,300 mW
10:47 Ontario and New York transmission splits
HIGHLIGHT: MAJOR TRIPS FROM 3:05-4:06
:10:00
3:32
August12
August 13
forecast
80°
refer to KEY PARTIES for what AEP, MECS and FE stands for
August 14
345
Akron
:08
3:44
ON
:05
12-3:30 PM
:15 230
Cinergy’s Bloomington-Denois Greek This status was not updated in MISO’s state estimator
3:31
Sammis-Star 345kV line tripped.
• Richland-RidgevilleNapoleon-Stryker
MISO senior EMS engineer forgot to re-enable the state estimator
1
:07
IMO
To this point, the system was in a reliable state. This means, electrical conditions prior to this point, were not principal causes of the blackout.
FE’s Control Room operators lost alarm function
:31 FE’s Eastlake Unit 5 This trip added more loads in lines around the region
NYISO PJM
Reliability Coordinators
ON
ON
NY
NJ
NY
NY
NJ
PA OH
NJ
PA OH
MD
Sammis-Star tripped and the Handsome Lake units tripped off-line and increased the load on the local transmission system.
As a result, northern Ohio was connected to eastern Michigan by only three 345kV transmission lines near southwestern Lake Erie.
345
2
:02
Stuart-Atlanta Caused a short circuit to ground, and locked out
138
:51
345
3
:05
138
3:31-4:05 PM
:44
138 138
FE’s Harding-Chamberlain
138 Pleasant Valley -West Akron
:32 FE’s Hanna-Juniper
345
CASCADE 4:05-4:12 PM
This event marked the turning point at which initiated a cascading blackout across the Northeast United States and Ontario.
4
ON
ON
ON
:05
NY
Dale-West Akron
Voltages dropped and power shifted to remaining lines
PA OH
MD
Flows from Ontario into Michigan increased ten times to 3.7 GW.
East Lima-New Findlay
• Canton Central-Tidd • East Lima-New Liberty
138 138
:39
:14
138 kV lines to trip
NJ
PA OH
MD
MD
Electricity moved through Pennsylvania, New York, Ontario, and into Michigan along the remaining transmission path to serve the combined loads of Cleveland, Toledo, and Detroit.
More transmission lines and power plants failed in northern Ohio and eastern Michigan.
ON
NY
NJ
PA OH
ON
NY
NY
11:57
NY
NJ
NJ
PA OH
MD
PA
PA NJ
OH
MD
OH
MD
NJ
the overall pattern of
MD
approximate points of separation between areas within the Eastern Interconnect.
Flows reversed and turned back from Michigan into Ontario, due to power overload.
These longer lines were more likely to trip and separate in the face of such large power swings.
The 69-mile line between New Jersey and New York was the last major transmission path remaining from the eastern Interconnection.
The cascading failure resulted in a total blackout.
Remaining transmission lines between Ontario and East Michigan, and South West Connecticut between New York separates. Blacked out.
areas affected
138
ESCALATION
This gives indications if a problem emerge in an equipment 597
ISNE MISO
locked out all terminals
138 138 138 138 138 :59 • West Akron-Aetna • Barberton • West Akron-Granger -Stoney-Brunswick :58 -West Medina Chamberlain• West AkronWest Akron Pleasant Valley The lost of Akron bus • West Akron-Rosemont tripped due to breaker failure, causing other -Pine-Wadsworth
138
MISO calls PJM about Stuart-Atlanta
MISO was not updated regarding this disconnection
:40
FE’s periodic trigger was disabled This program allows the state estimator to automatically run every five minutes
ON
NY
MD
138
:06
This event is a turning point in this phase of the Blackout.
PA OH
MD
138
Twenty generators tripped off line by Lake Erie. East connection was split into two sections separated by an East to West line
• Star-Urban
INITIATION
AEP’s Conesville power plant in Central Ohio shut down
Control area operators monitor the portion of the system under their control and direct actions to ensure overall system reliability and safety. System operators keep their systems within defined operating limits, preserve reliability of the grid and follow the direction of their reliability coordinator.
Trips caused by the loss of Chamberlain-West Akron
NJ
OH
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ON
NY
PA
Tripped because it picked up loads from 138kV lines that tripped shortly before. This plant was loaded 120% of its maximum capacity.
:10:42
POWERFLOW 4:05:57-4:13:00
• Galion-Ohio • Central-Muskingum
4:06 Sammis
The loss of Sammis-Star
actual
85°
75° August 11
• East LimaFostoria Central • Ohio CentralWooster
3:42
Marion
O H I O
FE
Transmission lines disconnect across Michigan and North Ohio. Generation trips off line in North Michigan, and North Ohio separates from Pennsylvania
:09
345
3:05
Star
Ashland
AEP
90°
138
Eastlake Unit 5 Remaining Paths for power to flow to Eastern Ohio
MECS
10,000
EMERGENCY SERVICES • Emergency services number 9-1-1 was out of service for several periods of about a quarter hour each in New York City • NYC government activated Emergency Operations Center: response efforts included delivery of portable light towers to unlit intersections and generators and diesel fuel to hospitals
disconnected connected
14,000 12,000
Without correct information, guidelines, and communication, VARs cannot be distributed effectively. In this case, utilities like FE and ECAR (East Central Area Reliability) have emergency plans for lack of volts and watts, but not VARs. Due to lack of voltages, many plants shut themselves down since 3.30 PM. Sammis-Star 345kV, one of the remaining plants, had to pick up the loads from previously disconnected plants. It finally tripped because it was loaded beyond its capacity. This event marked the beginning of the cascade phase.
A few hours before the blackout, First Energy (FE) noticed low voltage on their system, which indicates low supply of reactive power (VAR). They increased VARs generation in nine of their plants. However, some plants encountered some errors and were not able to produce voltages.
0 mW
138
6150 mW 6150 mW
As a result, these plants shut themselves down because of low voltage supply. This caused even less production of reactive power. Unfortunately, the ability to produce VARs is limited only to very few plants that manage all generation and transmission to their control areas.
Voltage the potential energy that makes the electrical current (wattage) flow in a circuit by pushing the electrons around.
4
Temperature (°F)
20,000
16,000
August 14
ELECTRICAL GRID
Tell us a bit more about your background. I grew up in Hong Kong and spent the last two years of school in Melbourne, Australia. I’veTALENT been interested DESIGN TALENThigh FRESH DESIGN FRESH ON THE MARKET ON THE MARKET in photography since seventh grade, and as I grew up, I realized that I wanted to work in creatives, so I decided to enroll in art school.
0 mW
18,000
numbers show the capacity of generator in kilo Volt (kV)
Peak demand day in 2003 Several key generators were out of service; these vital units provide real and reactive power directly to Cleveland, Toledo, and Detroit areas.
A vast, interconnected network for delivering electricity from suppliers to consumers.
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138
12,150 mW
6150 mW
Load Forecast v.s. Actuals Load (MW)
345 caused by trees
230
ISNE (ISO New England)
138
22,631 make accurate assumptions on electrical loads. They also barely met North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) realibility standards; including adequate system planning, understanding, training, and effective communication.
generator produces electricity trips electricity disconnection reclose reconnection after tripping lockout failure to reclose
Control Areas
PJM, Dayton Power & Light, AEP (American Electric Power)
138
6150 mW
6,715 12,165
24,267
transmission line trips:
human errors
power plant failures
KEY PARTIES FE (FirstEnergy), MECS (Michigan Electric Coordinated System), Cinergy
0 mW
6000 mW 6000 mW
0 mW
Load on August 14 (MW)
7,340 13,299
areas in the US. Although high electricity demands contributed to the blackout initiation, that was not considered the main cause. In fact, system operators were expected to have emergency plans to manage high demands. Prior to August 14, FE did not
FE Retail Area, including PJM
MISO (Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator)
Wattage is the amount of electrical power expressed in watts. When a transmission line trip, other lines have to pick up the wattage it normally contains. If transmission lines contain too much wattage, they will heat up and trip.
0 mW
6000 mW
138
2
FE Control Area, Ohio
PJM
3
1 6000 mW
Electricity transmitted based on demand
WAS HEAVY LOAD THE MAIN CAUSE OF THE BLACKOUT?
Real Power / W (Watts) The power that performs useful work in electrical devices. To generate this power, volts and amps have to flow in phase
Reliability Coordinators
Transformer steps Neighborhood transformer steps down voltage before entering the house down voltage
6000 mW
While this man keeps the ball on its path, he does not give much power in pushing, so there is a loss of power capacity.There is also extra friction lost because he has to touch the ball. But without him, the ball will not be balanced and pushed to point B.
:42 • Star-South Canton • Pleasant Valley-West Akron • Cloverdale-Torrey
Picked up the most load from previous trip
This line was only 44% loaded, but tripped due to unsafe tree patterns
AFFECTED CITIES
Ottawa
ON
The black area of this map shows the region affected by the blackout. The transmission failure began in Ohio and started a chain reaction that spread across the Northeast, Midwest and southern.
Toronto
MI
21,100,000 2,900,000 1,100,000 710,000 310,000
CT
Buffalo
Albany
DESIGN TALENT FRESH ON THE MARKET New York Cleveland Buffalo Baltimore Toledo
MA
NY
Rochester
London
Detroit
PA
Pittsburgh
Toledo
PEOPLE AFFECTED
NJ
Cleveland
Toronto Ottawa Rochester London
8,100,000 780,000 1,050,000 475,000
Akron
OH
The power outage began in Ohio
Marion
Dayton
Cincinnati
Ashland
DE MD
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Who are some designers you look to for inspiration? I don’t really have any specifics. I get inspiration from everywhere... What's the most useful piece of information you learned in design school? The most useful thing I learned is that a designer should not only produce good work, but also know how to present the work and their ideas, as well. What are your post-graduation career goals? I’m hoping to work either in advertising or an innovation firm. I want to be part of something that’s influential and changes peoples’ lives and habits subliminally, in a good way of course. W hy should somebody hire you? You should hire me because I love challenges, working with people, and having fun. I also like working based off deadlines.a
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Lecture series announcement; Blackout 2003 infograph; Segregation
Elaine Likes: Advertising, strolling, traveling, public transportation, Instagram, Facebook, 37 South Wabash (SAIC design dept.), supermarkets, house music, studying race and cultural differences Elaine Dislikes: Bugs, creepy crawlies, cold windy days, darkness, slow response to emails, laziness, tardiness, being lonely, Panda Express, auto-flush toilets
RESUME SNAPSHOT: Elaine Li EDUCATION School of the Art Institute of Chicago BFA in Visual Communication Design, May 2012
Work Experience Obama for America, Sep-Dec 2011 Digital design intern assisting on projects such as logo, interface, and merchandise design Tom, Dick & Harry Creative, May-Jul 2011 Design intern working with graphic, package, and interface design, and photography
Interested in being featured in For Hire? Email us at forhire@wearedesignbureau.com
honors & awards STA ARCHIVE10 Accepted piece, October 2010 Nippon Steel/SAIC Presidential awards, January 2011
Wanna hire Elaine? Check out her website: lielaine.com
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