September 2013 Issue Preview

PHILIPPE STARCK: “DESIGN IS MY POLITICAL WEAPON” P. 142

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SEPTEMBER 2013

THE INSPIRATION ISSUE

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Inspiring Dialogue on Design

IVERS

A LOOK BEHIND THE WORLD OF FILM, MUSIC, FASHION, TECHNOLOGY AND MORE...

SEPTEMBER 2013 $8 USA/CAN

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The Inspiration Issue Five guest editors show us theirs

CONTENTS ISSUE 22 FEATURES 98

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DIALOGUE & DESIGN THINKING

The Inspiration Issue We turned this issue’s feature section over to five guest editors from different creative worlds.

Their task? To show (and tell) what inspires them. Get inside the minds of a graphic designer, musician, filmmaker, fashion heiress, and photographer to the stars.

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The Wide World of Starck Why venerable designer Philippe Starck’s specialty might just be... everything

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Ionna Vautrin After a decade working for big names, France’s next big designer is making a name for herself on her own

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INFORMER

A Tale of Two Designs From an urban rooftop farm to a chic Central Park penthouse, one firm’s work spans the gamut of NYC’s architecture scene

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Pixels & Print

21

Objects & Gear

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Fashion & Beauty

Swiss Meets Italian Iconic design brands Kartell and Laufen team up to build a better bathroom

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Travel & Culture

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Structures & Spaces

An Artful Streetscape David Bomberg’s abstract artwork influenced the design of public spaces at a London college World’s Most Interesting Office The video editing company behind “The Most Interesting Man in the World” commercial gets an office just as irresistible

PLUS 6 8 10 88 159 160

Contributors Letter From the Editor Letters Notes From the Bureau This Issue’s Best Albums For Hire

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DESIGN BUREAU

September 2013

TRAVEL

The New Israel With a trove of historic Bauhaus-style buildings and new structures by today’s top architects, Israel is the new design mecca of the Middle East 40

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September 2013

WORKSPACE

Office Spice A rooftop terrace restaurant and basement cocktail lounge shake up a marketing and design firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Minneapolis work space 96

DESIGN BUREAU

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DESIGN BUREAU CONTRIBUTORS

Dusdin Condren photographed designer Jessica Walsh for The Inspiration Issue. Condren works in portrait, editorial, and fashion photography. His background includes degrees in Slavic literature, stints living in Europe, and a short career directing theater. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. dusdincondren.com

Kristin McCracken interviewed Alex Karpovsky for this issue. After working in higher education, she realized writing about movies was more fun. Her filmmaker profiles have appeared on Indiewire, The Huffington Post, and TribecaFilm. Her latest book is entitled 101 Things to Do Before You Turn 40.

Sharon McHugh is an architect, writer, and critic.

She began writing about architecture in the early â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s.

Sharon is the former USA editor for World Architecture magazine, a publication of the Royal Institute of British Architects, and now serves as the USA correspondent for World Architecture News (London) and Abitare (Milan).

Laura Neilson spoke with pop artist Kenna about his storytelling heritage, before shifting gears to interview designer Jessica Walsh on her gravitation toward the surreal, both in artistic and real-life contexts. Neilson also writes for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the website Food Republic. lauraneilson.com

PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chris Force chris@alarmpress.com ----MANAGING EDITOR

Kristin Larson kristin@alarmpress.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Joel Hoglund joel@alarmpress.com FEATURES EDITOR

Elizabeth Hall lhall@alarmpress.com EDITORIAL INTERN

Emily Rosen

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Ellie Fehd ellie@alarmpress.com

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR

Tarra Kieckhaefer tarra@alarmpress.com

ACCOUNT MANAGERS

Jill Berris, Joel Bednarz, Krystle Blume, Lindsay DeCarlo, Matthew Hord, Kyle Johnson, Brianna Jordan, Moira Kelley, Natalie ValliereKelley, Caitlin Kerr, Mallory Wegner, Xavier Winslow NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Shannon Painter shannon@alarmpress.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

ART DIRECTOR

Alyssa Erickson, Gail Francis, Isabella Gutowski, Miranda Myers, Courtney Schiffres, Allison Weaver

DESIGNER

Lauren Carroll laurenc@alarmpress.com

DESIGN INTERN

Jenny Palmer jenny@alarmpress.com

----Spencer Matern spencer@alarmpress.com

Kady Dennell kady@alarmpress.com Ellen Winston ----CONTRIBUTORS

Gem Barton, Zack Burris, Dusdin Condren, Francois Coquerel, Steven Fisher, Donovan Foote, Kathryn Freeman Rathbone, Fiona Garden, David Brandon Geeting, Amber Gibson, Sarah Handelman, Lucy Hewett, Matthew Hord, Frank Ishman, Amanda Koellner, Jordan Mainzer, Kristin McCracken, Jill McDonnell, Sharon McHugh, Laura Neilson, Gwendolyn Purdom, Lesley Stanley, Dr. Rob Tannen, J. Michael Welton, Matthew Williams ----ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER

Kate Moore kate@alarmpress.com

INSPIRING DIALOGUE ON DESIGN AVAILABLE ON THE IPAD

PRODUCTION MANAGER

MARKETING COORDINATOR

HUMAN RESOURCES

Lauren Miller lmiller@alarmpress.com STAFF ACCOUNTANT

Mokena Trigueros ----ON THE COVER

Photo by Chris Force. Lighting assistant: Luhrs. Wardrobe stylist: Marta Cebrat for Factor Artists. Styling assistant: Hermina Chamnankit. Hair/makeup: Kerre Berry for Factor Artists. Model: Cassie for Factor.

Products featured on the cover: Missoni pouf, $975, from Mobili Möbel, Chicago, mobilimobel.com. Quattro by Sonneman task lamp, $600, sonnemanawayoflight.com.

On the model: White Blouse, $44, by Rubbish at Nordstrom, shop.nordstrom.com. Tempest Boots, $90, by Tildon at Nordstrom

A one-year subscription to Design Bureau is US $40 (international $80).

Visit our website at wearedesignbureau.com or send a check or money order to: Design Bureau 205 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 3200 Chicago, IL 60601

T 312.386.7932 F 312.276.8085 info@alarmpress.com

Design Bureau (ISSN 2154-4441) is published monthly with the exception of May/June and Nov/Dec, by ALARM Press at 205 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 3200, Chicago, IL 60601. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL and additional mailing office(s). POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to Design Bureau at 205 N. Michigan Ave, Suite 3200, Chicago, IL 60601 Retailers: To carry Design Bureau in your store, please call 201.634.7411. © 2013 Design Bureau. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. DESIGN BUREAU is a trademark of Design Bureau.

Packed with extended photo galleries, additional content, and interactivity exclusive to the tablet edition.

Search Design Bureau in iTunes to get started.

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DESIGN BUREAU

September 2013

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

collaborate with each other but also to motivate.

And that, along with a feeling of progress, keeps organizations moving happily forward.

There are many perks to being a magazine editor. One of them is meeting great people with a willingness to spill their guts and share a drink with you. That still hasn’t got old with me. Another is getting to travel to amazing places and experience some of the world’s best spaces and design. But the best perk is being surrounded by colleagues who not only want to do their job, and do it well, but help the people around them succeed too. Collaborating on a successful project is a fantastic reward and, most of the time, a fulfilling use of time.

It’s how you choose those collaborations, and define their success, that gets tricky.

The theme this year has been “there is no time.” Sidestepping the entire conversation about intentionally manufacturing chaos and distractions to create a sense of importance and meaning to life—I would like to jump straight into the fact that time is not a given. If we want to speak in hip-hop terms, death is certain (cue Royce da 5’ 9”). And as we moved from a bimonthly magazine to a monthly magazine this year, and simultaneously published our major special issue, Inspiring Interiors, it did feel like death was certain.

But we survived. The life, project, colleague, deadline, or opportunity that you have is the one you have. So make the most of it. It’s a liberating, almost foolish moment when you accept that.

And this year, we did that. This is Design Bureau’s third year of publishing, and one of our keys to success has been our ability to not only

Photo by Jim Krantz, JimKrantz.com

Of course, we couldn’t do it without the design community and our readers as well. I’ve been involved with many fantastic projects that seem to hit the air with a spark then dissolve into the ether.

It’s not that way with Design Bureau. The magazine speaks to people, and they speak back. The dialogue we have been able to join is challenging yet rewarding, and it continues to grow and take us to new and fascinating areas of design.

In this issue, we again ask creatives to give us a glimpse at how they do it. What motivates them? There are no right answers, but the fun is in trying to find them.

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Chris Force Publisher & Editor-in-Chief chris@alarmpress.com

Month 2013

DESIGN BUREAU

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DESIGN BUREAU

September 2013

LETTERS TO DESIGN BUREAU SOUND BITES

We spent the hottest month indoors, looking at awesome interiors—at home and at work—and the people who make them. We love feedback, so keep emailing us your thoughts: letters@wearedesignbureau.com

QUIRK AT WORK “Offices like Quicken are a cool feat design-wise but I always wonder how it translates to productivity.”

(K.L., VIA EMAIL)

INTERIOR DESIGNERS SPEAK

WHO’S RYAN KORBAN?

“As an interior designer I often feel like we’re kept separate from architects, industrial designers, graphic designers... thanks for giving us an equal spotlight.”

“Interesting piece on interior designer Ryan Korban. Creative and talented people who never quite feel comfortable in their niche always fascinate me.”

(E.R., VIA EMAIL)

(J.L., VIA EMAIL)

“WHEN I WAS YOUNG I VERY MUCH BELIEVED THERE WAS MORE TO LIFE THAN WE COULD SEE OR UNDERSTAND. I WAS PRETTY SURE I HAD SPECIAL POWERS.” GRAPHIC DESIGNER JESSICA WALSH P. 100

DB SHOUT-OUTS FROM THE TWITTERVERSE

Join the conversation at twitter.com/DesignBureauMag

DB TWEETS @LaufenBathrooms Kartell by Laufen was named one of @DesignBureauMag’s favorites from #iSaloni! @RayNorrisDesign Loving the May/June issue of Design Bureau and the articles Going Underground and In the Details. @margsutherlin Really really cool tour of the House of Rock by @DesignBureauMag. Seriously cool digital storytelling here.

DB ON INSTAGRAM Seeing the @taipingcarpets Chinoiseries collection at Tai Ping Carpets showroom event

Stopping by the @Knoll_Inc HQ in Denver

See more of our photos on Instagram. Follow us @designbureaumag

FOR THE RECORD: Rants, ramblings, and random facts from behind the scenes of this issue

BRUTALISM

SHAMU

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Design destination Israel holds the UNESCO World Heritage White City, filled with more than 400 Brutalist and International Style buildings. p. 40

If he had to choose a different career, avant-garde fashion designer Long Tran would be a trainer at SeaWorld. Find out if he made the right choice. p. 31

The number of floors one unique home in the Netherlands occupies. Why so tall? It’s converted from an industrial water tower built in 1931 p. 45

The new Kartell by Laufen bathroom line includes a “mist system” that produces a perfumed mist, all part of a multisensory bathroom experience p. 60

Jessica Walsh photo by Dusdin Condren

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DESIGN BUREAU

September 2013

DESIGN BUREAU RECOMMENDS…

We’re always on the lookout for cool gear at home and on the go. Send us your recos at letters@wearedesignbureau.com.

ELIZABETH HALL, FEATURES EDITOR

SCHWARZES GOLD “This sleek pendant lamp wraps a biodegradable bell-shaped charcoal shade around a copper inside that creates a warm golden glow. Very cool.“ Price on request, ingoschuppler.de.

JOEL HOGLUND, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

JENNY PALMER, MARKETING COORDINATOR

TENERARCA IPAD CASE

NEST THERMOSTAT

“I’m a germaphobe so the fact that the amazingly soft leather on this iPad case is specially engineered to kill germs makes it my iPad-case soul mate.“ $150, tenerarca.myshopify.com

“This smart thermostat learns your schedule and programs itself, or you can control it from your phone... and it’s a lot sleeker and more stylish than your typical thermostat, too.” $249, nest.com

KRISTIN LARSON, MANAGING EDITOR

QUATTRO LED LAMP “This slim and sleek task lamp from venerable designer Robert Sonneman really lights up my life, no joke.“ $675, VRQQHPDQDZD\RটLJKW FRP KADY DENNELL, DESIGNER

MYPRESSI TWIST “No cords or power source (just a pressure cartridge) means I can easily get P\ HVSUHVVR ଘ[ RQ WKH go.“ $169, mypressi.com

Images courtesy of the designers/brands

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available now at wearedesignbureau.com

PIXELS & PRINT

The best of the best in graphics and photos

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Oxley’s Uploads He designed the logos for social media giants like Twitter and GitHub... but not on purpose

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ou can say Simon Oxley is a prolific designer, alright.

Since 2004 he has created and uploaded more than 9,500 images for iStockphoto that have sold nearly 100,000 times, designed graphics for astronauts and scientists, and worked with some of the top corporations in Japan.

But it’s a little bird that made him famous—well, sort of. “I was watching CNN in Japan when suddenly my bird image filled the screen behind the newscaster presenting news of their tweets,” Oxley says.

“It was a total surreal surprise to

CONTINUED

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A Simon Oxley illustration entitled “It’s Happening Again”

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DESIGN BUREAU

Pixels & Print

September 2013

GRAPHIC DESIGN

(CONTINUED)

Oxley’s bird image became the early logo for Twitter, and another was picked up by popular programmers’ site GitHub

“I BELIEVE AN IMAGE CAN BECOME A FRIEND BASED ON OUR INTERACTION WITH THE SERVICE OFFERED, THE SAME AS HOW WE RELATE TO PEOPLE.” – SIMON OXLEY realize Twitter was using my image.”

The simple little design he had uploaded to iStock was purchased by the nascent social media company and became synonymous with the brand when it quickly rocketed to fame. Oxley, though, didn’t exactly get a byline (or a ton of cash).

And there’s the rub with designing stock images. “Once I submit images to stock collections I lose a lot of control over how folks use them, which can grate, but it allowed me to broadcast to a far larger audience,” he says.

After Twitter took off, Oxley became a bit of a graphic design star in Japan, where the Oxford, U.K. native lived with his wife for 12 years. No surprise—his style, honed through a childhood of comics and D&D and 8-bit video games, was a perfect match for his adopted country. “In Japan, the enthusiasm for manga, and that corporations like character mascots, fueled my natural cartoon style, freeing my mind to make anything I felt like making with no stylistic constraints that I maybe had in my home country.” And with no constraints, Oxley may soon be able to tackle his next goal. “It is an ambition of mine to make models of the characters I have designed in vinyl,” he says. “And with the rise of 3-D printing, it may become a reality sooner than I thought.” a

“IF YOU THINK THAT DESIGN IS ABOUT SELF-EXPRESSION, YOU’RE OUT OF IT. THERE’S SO MUCH BULLSHIT ABOUT SELF-EXPRESSION AND ARTISTRY THAT IT CONFUSES PEOPLE.” MILTON GLASER ISSUE 12, JULY ’12 Images courtesy of Simon Oxley, idokungfoo.com. Milton Glaser portrait by Noah Kalina

September 2013

Pixels & Print

DESIGN BUREAU

TYPOGRAPHY

Fashion Font

Every fashion lover grew up cutting pictures out of magazines. See how this graphic designer turned these images into her own font CONTINUED

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Image courtesy of Yvette Yang, fashion-font.com

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Pixels & Print

September 2013

TYPOGRAPHY

(CONTINUED)

Fashion labels used in Yang’s Fashion Font 1

PRADA 3 2

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LOUIS VUITTON

DOLCE & GABBANA

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nspiration turned to production in an instant for Yvette Yang. The graphic designer (and creative director for new Parisian lifestyle design brand Atelier Lannelongue, launching in October) has created new suites of her Fashion Font using images collaged from spring/summer

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CÉLINE

and fall/winter fashion collections released every year since 2007. “I always enjoyed reading and watching visuals on fashion magazines,” Yang says. “One day I discovered that images such as a side view of shoes and various shapes of bags can be read as letters, and I immediately took the scissors and started to cut the images out of magazines for the collage work.

It just happened suddenly like that.”

Her hand-collaged fonts have been bought by Vogue Korea, and she’s often asked by other clients to create typefaces in similar collage style. Like a fine piece of custom haute couture, the whole design process is computer-free, Yang happily stresses. “Creating forms without a computer brings unexpected results that my brain did not plan, and I really enjoy this.” a

Images courtesy of Yvette Yang, fashion-font.com

September 2013

Pixels & Print

DESIGN BUREAU

IMAGE DESIGN

Stock Options They can be print and web designers’ best friends, but DIS is turning timeworn stock photography on its head “WE WANTED TO EXPAND ON THE SYNTHESIZED LIFESTYLE OPTIONS STOCK IMAGES PORTRAY.” – SOLOMON CHASE

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he masterminds of DIS aren’t fed up with traditional stock photography.

Actually, they’re obsessed with it. Lauren Boyle, Solomon Chase, Marco Roso, and David Toro—each with a background in art and vets of the advertising and fashion worlds—founded DISimages, a warehouse of hundreds of off-the-wall stock shots for purchase. “We wanted to expand on the synthesized lifestyle options they portray, as well as create stock imagery that can be applied to both commercial and art contexts,” Chase says.

DB: Can any designer submit a DISimage concept?

Lauren Boyle: It’s currently commissioned based.

We find artists and photographers whose work we would love to see translated into stock, but we pretty much let them do whatever they want.

DB: Where do you hope to see DISimages used?

Marco Roso: We love the idea of them turning up in totally surprising places. They’re going to be used on a high-end mermaid tail e-boutique and a website for a modesty swimwear supplier, like burkinis. Seeing the images completely taken out of the context of DIS and DISimages is a goal. The images are rarely as straightforward as other stock sites, but each image taken alone in a different context can take on totally new meanings. For us that’s really exciting. We also want curators to get into it. Essentially they’re stock art.

DB: You have a digital magazine, a book coming, and created an unconventional watermarked video ad for Kenzo. Where is DIS heading?

David Toro: Many brands have been interested in applying DIS notions of uneasy commercialism.

We’d like DISimages to continue to grow with new artists, new concepts, new lifestyles, and new representations of a post-internet condition. We want a large enough database in which someone can search art key words like ‘immaterial’ and be able to curate a whole exhibition on the subject, even if half of them look like inappropriate Old Navy ads. a

Clockwise from top left, images by DIS, Jogging, Harry Griffin, and DIS. All courtesy of DIS, disimages.com

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