premiere issue! FEB/MAR
2012 Febuary - March 2012 \ 1
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everybody works. OUR MISSION is to transform the way you think
about it. At The Roger, we
BELIEVE that
WHAT YOU DO IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE poise and style WITH WHICH YOU DO IT. think & design for the professional
We , to inspirit the person you SPEND THE MOST TIME BEING.
We believe that inspiration should follow you from hobby to career, home office to corporate headquarters and be
INFUSED IN YOUR EVERYDAY.
It’s time to STOP SEPARATING WORK FROM PLAY
create the lifestyle YOU WANT EVEN BEFORE YOU CLOCK OUT. AND
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Features 14
MR. YOUTH
26
BIG FUEL
82
HORIZON MEDIA
186
Exclusive first look into the social media agency’s 27,000 sq. ft. Park Avenue abode
A shining example of “the third space,” decorated by Rebecca Bond, Big Fuel’s new space is as high fashion as it is collaborative
Inside the brand new headquarters of the world’s largest independent media agency
MARKATOS | MOORE A sought after branding and design firm dishes on the best ways to brand an interior for productivity and creativity
82 COVER: Big Fuel offices. p 26
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Roger’s Corner 9 12
FROM THE EDITOR ROGER THINKS IN PINTEREST
12
Structure 44
YELP
60
BETAWORKS
50
REFINERY29
74
Yelp opens in the Big Apple in a big way
The masterminds behind one of NYC’s most successful incubators explain the method to their madness
Recently funded and trending hot, The Roger sits down with the R29 team that’s made it so possible
ETSY
50
The workplaces of seven of Etsy’s most successful crafts people
Perks 24
THE BEST OF THE INTANGIBLES Enviable additions to company policy
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76
Workwear 104 98
2
OBITUARY The Suspenders
GUY FRENCH Two women with one vision build a brand on a working wardrobe staple: the blazer
Design
98
114
BRYAN BATT
138
BR DESIGN
124
ROMANOFF ELEMENTS
148
NADEAU
New Orleans’ most stylish Mad Man talks about his design philosophy and favorite ways to work from home
Office spaces from the leader in extraordinary commercial office design
Why art? And how to make it work in a work environment
The top reasons for using vintage furniture to create a functional and unique space
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40
170
Innovation
Savor 42
IT’S 5 O’CLOCK SOMEWHERE And it’s time for a sidecar
41
BROWN BAGGIN’ Recipes and workday snacking tips
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170
DEEPAK HOMEBASE
162
NAKED PIZZA
150
TASTING TABLE
Inside Deepak Chopra’s celebrityfilled classroom and virtual salon
From a pizza brand to a global food phenomenon check in on how and where this brand is revolutionizing food
Visit the culinary laboratory where all your firsthand food reviews are made possible
The journey begins. It is with great pleasure, excitement and gratitude that I introduce our inaugural issue. What began as a lunchtime conversation about showcasing creative workspaces and small businesses has blossomed into a venture that redefines the traditional lifestyle publication. We have been in search of the most creatives spaces to work, the best ways to make the workday a little brighter, and the teams and designers that make that possible. We’ve assembled a team of talented and dedicated photographers, writers, and designers who share our mission to refashion the way we work. It is not without the good faith and dedication of the companies featured, the designers interviewed and the brands showcased that this issue is possible. It has been so exciting to discover thriving young businesses like Markatos | Moore (p.186), whose space has been sprinkled with imagination down to the last detail, while peaking inside some of the most familiar brands in popular culture. At Yelp’s New York launch party (p.44) we experienced a culture that champions for the small business and drinks from an iPad. We sat down with actor Bryan Batt (p.114) and explored his love for design, his strategy for working from home, and his loyalty to New Orleans charm. To the incredible family members, friends, supporters and colleagues that have gotten us here: we are forever grateful for your support. The only thing more exciting than getting to this point, is moving forward from it. We look forward to growing with and participating in this amazing community of creators and collaborators as we invigorate a new era of occupational evolution.
Sincerely,
Alexa Baggio Founder & Editor in Chief
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MEET THE TEAM
Indulge the Majority. Redefine the Daily Grind. Why we’re here: We figured out that we could all agree on a few things: Pandora stations, lunch orders, and what constitutes an awesome professional life. Our career paths are different, but our attitudes about them are aligned. We’re excited to lend a voice to those of you thinking about work differently.
editor in chief
executive director
ALEXA BAGGIO
JOANNA CURRAN
creative director
photo editor
ALEXIS ROMANOFF
SAM DEITCH
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ANTHONY BATTAGLIA
Anthony is a Literature major stuck with a BS in Business Administration and Economics from Fordham. He treats his undiagnosed ADHD with espresso, rebels against Time by not wearing a watch, and used to read The Wasteland in its entirety every Saturday to cope with a former career as an investment banker.
REBECCA BOND
Rebecca left the corporate world ten years ago to pursue a career that combines a passion for business and the art of design. She has worked as a consultant to artist Madeline Weinrib, designer Elise Overland, and for Elle Décor. Currently a contributing editor at Architectural Digest, she pursues stories about design and social good.
RACHEL LOCKWOOD
Rachel’s first love is fashion, but interior design is a close second. An avid reader of all design publications, she loves the study of dressing a space the same way you would put on your favorite outfit. Rachel is currently a marketing manager for Ralph Lauren.
CAROL ROMANOFF
After studying Design and Environmental Analysis at Cornell, Carol’s career began in textile design, which segued into the home furnishings business. Working with designers, furnishing retailers, artisans, and private clients, Carol is an artist’s representative and an interior design consultant.
CONTRIBUTORS Febuary - March 2012 \ 11
ROGER T
black &
CHECK OUT OU
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THINKS IN
& white
UR LATEST PINS!
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PARK AVENUE
hustle
NEW YORK SOCIAL MEDIA STARLET MR YOUTH GROWS BOLD AND GROWS UP QUICKLY
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The story of Mr Youth is hardly novel. It swims in the crowded sea of startup fairytales that read as follows: innovator draws spontaneous inspiration one day, runs with the idea, grows a business, and sells said business for a pretty penny. The end, right? Caterpillar turned butterfly? Not quite, for complacency has no place in this story. The last chapter is far from begun. Amid their recent $40 million sale to LBi, and behind the typical young company hype, this social media agency just made a big Park Avenue real estate grab to fasten some lasting roots of their own.
THE COLORS “REFLECT OUR youthful excuberance “
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Why, you ask? They outgrew their old space, an inevitability of a successful and well-scaled startup. But as most would be saddened by the thought of having to vacate space in the chic Chelsea Market, Mr Youth has created a vibrant and undeniably youthful 27,000 square foot homebase, more than double the size of their previous playground. Sitting sixteen stories above Park Avenue, the space feels at first like you’ve walked on to the set of Nickelodeon’s What Would You Do? (Nick Blimp and slime not included, unfortunately). Bright blue, orange, and green run the entire floor – a color scheme not for the faint of heart, but intentionally catering to the agency’s young audience and employees. “[The design] says that we have grown up as an agency but still possess an entrepreneurial spirit. The colors reflect our youthful exuberance and the all-glass walls show the vibrant life going on at all hours,” explains Mr Youth’s CEO, Matt Britton.
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Britton has implemented cultural nuances to keep his talent psyched to come to work every day and willing to put in the extra hours. “Don’t be cheap with your office space – it is the physical manifestation of your business. Try to tear down walls and consider inter-departmental arrangements to encourage collaboration across disciplines. Invest in unexpected perks like the Mr Youth Barista to keep people energized about coming to work each day.” Matty B, as he is called, believes in three core principles:
&
innovation,
HUSTLE, RESPECT all of which the lively and provocative aesthetic evokes. The environment is not tranquil. It is stark and bold, the surfaces hard and clean cut, the jagged walls screaming “get to work, kids!”
As the firm matures, the environment will serve to contrast the inevitable scale and bureaucratic structure that follow, and keep a culture of youth and vitality in the growing establishment. No fool to growing pains, Britton is realistic about the challenges of maintaining such a sprightly heritage as his company expands and fends off becoming a stodgy corporate curmudgeon: “we have had to become a bit more process-oriented as we have continued to grow. Maintaining an entrepreneurial culture while instituting more processes will be a core challenge moving forward.” Purchased by LBi in December, Mr Youth is now equipped with the financial horsepower and farreaching infrastructure to take their talents global. With such leadership as Britton, and existing clients like Coca-Cola and Proctor & Gamble, make sure to keep your broker on speed dial for the next time these guys outgrow their space.
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PERKS
the best of th
FOODTRAVELHE THE FRUITGUYS
Every week, the number one fruit delivery service in the U.S. provides every employee with a free delivery of fresh fruit and vegetables straight from local farms in environmentally friendly packaging.
The company was created to provide offices and homes with direct access to fresh fruit and produce, combatting America’s health crisis, particularly in the workplace.
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ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL
All employees share a vacation time bank, which gives workers the option to deposit unused personal and sick days, and make them available to other employees in need. Colleagues who require additional paid time off due to unexpected emergencies can access the bank to supplement their vacation time.
Since the leave-sharing program’s establishment in 2007, nearly 4,000 vacation days have been donated, aligning directly with the hospital’s benevolent and humanistic mission.
he intangibles
EALTHCHARITY CHICK-FIL-A
PATAGONIA
The company created a business traveler’s exercise kit outfitted with exercise bands and fitness routine guides that inspire hotel room workouts. CEO Dan Cathy also offered six months of free training to any employees who committed to running the Disney Marathon in Orlando with him last year.
Patagonia offers their employees a $2,000 stipend towards investing in a hybrid vehicle, as well as a paid internship program that allows workers to take time off to volunteer at an environmental nonprofit of their choice.
With only 15% of corporate America accessing their company gyms, creating fitness alternatives for traveling staff members demonstrates Chick-fil-A’s commitment to wellness.
Patagonia’s CEO Yvon Chouinard donates 30% of his yearly salary to environmental causes, championing commitment to improving the environment across the company with these incentives.
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BIG FUEL According to Jon Bond, CEO of Big Fuel, you are your own media company. Yes, you. Your network, your followers, your image – all that defines your online identity rolls up to a brand. Whether or not you want to grow that brand – we’ll save that for a separate discussion, but brands and companies looking to attain growth need that media company of theirs to be as big as possible: “the bigger we make a client’s network the more leverage they have. Scale is what clients need, and one-off projects don’t get you scale. Cumulative build requires a lot of continuity, which is why we think you need one partner to dive into it.” This one-stopshop mentality has led to Big Fuel’s development into the “largest pure play social media agency” with plans to expand internationally this year. On the road to creating the first global social media agency, Jon set out to answer the question “how do we create a company culture that is consistent with the principles and values of social media itself?”
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Enter Rebecca Bond, interior designer, contributor for Elle Décor, Architectural Digest, and, you guessed it, Jon’s wife. Rebecca and Jon, who met while collaborating on a marketing project ten years ago, approached the design of their space from a purposeful, budget-conscious, business savvy perspective. “I have the benefit, having worked in marketing for years before working in design, of understanding the importance of creating a workspace compatible with the mission of a business.” The mission: “to become the agency of record for social media. To become the global agency of record for social media [this year].” As social media becomes the infrastructure for marketing as a whole, large brands such as McDonalds, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, and Microsoft continue to turn to Big Fuel to design and execute all of their social media efforts. “We’re the one phone call they have to make,” says Jon. To Big Fuel, social media can be defined by the authenticity, participation, transparency, and openness that occurs within a social network. It has evolved from the one-way communications of print advertisements and television commercials, to the two-way dialogue that occurs when we visit a website, and now into collaborative, consumer-controlled environments that enables people to respond to advertisers and talk peer-to-peer.
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“
...we have the tiger by the tail, now we’ve got to harness the thing.
”
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Navigating through and creating within these new, large, and highly collaborative environments can be complex, and Big Fuel is a social media agency striving to get into a routine. “We have the tiger by the tail – now we’ve got to harness the thing. We’ve got to institutionalize in order to do it globally. We’ve got to create a culture that has that focus.” To strategize around this, Jon reflected on the development of his career at traditionally designed agencies. “If you look at agency life, most agencies account for two behaviors: people sitting at a desk with their computer, doing whatever they’re doing in a solo fashion, and meetings, in meeting rooms with clients or internally. Those two behaviors are already accounted for at every agency in the world.”
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“
My experience has taught me there’s a third behavior, and currently, there’s no place for it to happen: people getting together to brainstorm ideas. Except at Starbucks. Really. That’s where the most valuable part of agencies happen – where ideas get created. Ideas don’t really get created in big meetings, and they don’t really get created solo. They get created with small groups of people coming together and bouncing things off of each other in an iterative process. All of this is happening outside of agencies. I thought, let’s bring that in. Isn’t that the essence of social media as well?
”
With the goal of the development of “the third space” in mind, Rebecca transformed Big Fuel’s 40,000 square foot headquarters into one highly collaborative environment, defined by small gathering areas within one large room, and personal office spaces completely hidden from view. Febuary - March 2012 \ 35
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REBECCA BOND, DESIGNER
Avi (Avi Savar, Founding Partner of Big Fuel) and Jon were very specific about wanting the Big Fuel space to be different. The ‘different’ they were looking for was to create a space that is reflective of how social media business should be done. Though social media is for the masses, it is a very personal form of communication. The space where social media business is done had to reflect that. The process involved a ‘brief’ that included the spirit of the company and a color palette. It did not involve stacks of mass-produced furniture tear-sheets and piles of swatches. It was more about a point-of-view. We wanted the space to be broken into individual, uniquely-designed collaborative areas that would feel modern, quirky, sophisticated and playful. Each area would attract people to engage in conversation and collaboration. There is a lot of business that gets done in that space every day, but none of it feels like a big scheduled meeting in an impersonal conference room.
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I bought things from designers and artists, from flea markets, from peoples’ apartments. Most of the carpets and textiles are by artist and textile designer Madeline Weinrib whose work is often described as ‘painterly.’ You will notice in the space that everything lives congruently but nothing is too matched or symmetrical. In order to absorb some of the large space, many of the pieces needed to be large in scale, made of different forms of heavy textures which include: metal, leather, lucite, and ikat fabrics. Because there was not an unlimited budget, I had to be very selective in choosing high-impact pieces. I was able to purchase authentic pieces from a collector who was downsizing and moving to Brooklyn. There is everything in the space from an Italian Murano glass lamp to Design Within Reach chairs. My approach to design is very eclectic and somewhat spontaneous. I think that you should figure out your DNA and design accordingly. I took a long time to think about the first pieces that we would put in the space – the pieces that would ultimately set the stage for all the furniture and design built around them. Intuitively, once I know what the client wants their space to be, I know what to buy when I see it. That also requires having a clear understanding of the client and the business they are in. There is nothing worse than design without purpose or personality. All design should authentically reflect people and their business. It resonates with employees and it resonates with clients. There was a lot of trust between Big Fuel and me. They had to trust that I understood them well enough to create the vision they verbally communicated to me. I had to trust that I understood what they wanted. Fortunately, I think that it all worked out well. 38 \ Febuary - March 2012
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SAVOR Outshine that diet-sabotaging candy pusher you work with and supply your coworkers with a healthier, energy-boosting snack that’s impossibly easy to prepare and sure to make them all gather ‘round.
boost bites (Makes 18-20 bites)
Ingredients: 1 cup oatmeal ¾ cup fat free plain Greek yogurt ¼ cup peanut or almond butter ¼ cup honey ½ cup ground flaxseed 1 cup coconut flakes 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ cup dried cranberries Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl until fully incorporated. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Roll into bite-sized balls, and serve!
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1.
MAKE REQUESTS.
The HR department is there for a reason, y’all. Ask for fresh fruit bowls to be ordered in addition to the breakfast bagel supply. Request that a few healthier options, like whole grain crackers or sweet potato tortilla chips, be added to the vending machine instead of more of the same transfat-filled candy and greasy chips. Even suggest looking into healthy vending machines.
2. 3. 4. 5.
HAVE A SAFETY SNACK STASH
Necessary for when boredom, frustration and/or laziness strike. My stash recommendations: Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, a string cheese and Triscuits, trail mix, carrots and hummus, roasted chickpeas, and a single serving of dark chocolate.
Office Snacking Dos and Don’ts Carolyn Brown, MS, RD is a nutritionist at Foodtrainers, a health expert for WebMD, and blogger at OneSmartBrownie.com. A recent visit to a friend’s very trendy NYC office peeked my interest in the over-snacking conundrum faced by professionals of all kinds on a daily basis. Observing easy access to a bottomless snack bar piled high with chips, candy, fresh bakery delivery and ice cream, the novelty of the stocked-kitchen office perk quickly faded and the reality of the potential danger of working in close proximity to unlimited treats set in. Your office snacks might be more of the vending machine sort, but to be perfectly honest with you, it’s all the same. There is one healthy habit dilemma that isn’t going anywhere: that little thing called your job. Need some advice on ways to keep your snacking in check throughout the work day? Here are five tips to keep it as healthy as possible.
BYO MEALS.
Coworkers are great at talking you into joining the office pizza party, but it’ll be easier to turn them down if you have a homemade sandwich already prepared. No time to make lunch? Make friends with the freezer. I’m a big fan of Amy’s, Organic Bistro, and Seeds of Change’s frozen meals.
HYDRATE.
The water fountain is the new coffee machine. Hydration is so important, and something that falls to the wayside when we get busy. Get a cool-looking reusable water bottle and make it a point to drink up!
CREATE A JUNK-FREE WORKS ZONE.
The candy bowl desk: don’t be that person, and don’t hang out at that desk if it exists. Temptation staring you down all day won’t end well. Instead, plug in an electric teakettle and invite coworkers to your cubicle for tea. If the candy bowl culprit is nearby and you find yourself having more than an occasional treat, maybe make a “no candy, no matter how mini” rule while at the office.
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it’s 5 o’clock somewhere The Best After Work Happy Hour Spots in NYC
BAR CENTRALE
THE VIBE Quiet, tucked-away theater bar hidden above Joe Allen’s THE CROWD Producers, directors, in-the-know midtowners THE PRICE $$ (an old-fashioned will set you back $12 or so) THE BEST THING ON THE MENU Steak tartare with toast points
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The Great Equalizer How Yelp has Blossomed in the Business of Popular Opinion
As a small coffee shop owner, competing with big box retailers like Starbucks and their 17,000plus stores can seem overwhelming. The same is true for any small business. Going head-tohead with well-funded, strategically placed corporations comes down to one tactic: garnering popular opinion. With a Starbucks across the street, a hometown coffee shop can now compete, thanks to services like Yelp - the ultimate brand equalizer. Founded in California in 2004, Yelp has recently made the move to put a permanent stake in the NYC bedrock and invest more heavily here. “Yelp’s had a small footprint in New York since 2006 when we hired our first Community Manager. From there we’ve grown slowly, most recently occupying a small office in the Flatiron,” says Chantelle Karl, Yelp’s Senior PR Manager. But the opening of their new office on lower 5th Avenue leaves the old office in the dust. The new office party, complete
with a photo booth and pizza bagels, was a christening many employees will not forget. Chief Operating Officer, Geoff Donaker, spoke about the firms mission to become the ultimate brand equalizer, giving the little guys a chance to compete with the big guys. Karl adds, “since Yelp was founded back in 2004, our mission has always been to connect people with great, local businesses. Our co-founders, Jeremy Stoppelman and Russ Simmons, wanted to create a platform that helped consumers determine the best business at which to spend their hard earned money – whether that was a big box brand or a small Mom and Pop, they wanted Yelp to help people discover the best businesses to fit their needs.” Their logo, a bright red five-pronged burst, can be seen on store fronts throughout major metropolitan areas next to Zagat ratings and health inspection certificates. It is quickly Febuary - March 2012 \ 45
becoming a household tool with over 61 million unique monthly viewers. Google the name of a store, restaurant or salon and you’re likely to see it’s Yelp review appear first among search results. The team at Yelp has worked to collect over 22 million reviews for businesses nationwide. The new Manhattan office, comprised primarily of sales personnel, is an open, fun and thoughtful environment. Structured much like the type of trading floor you’d see at a financial firm, desks are set up on long tables with short back stops making communication across the room as easy as standing up and yelling.
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“
Our wicked smart engineers created an iPad-powered keg at one of Yelp’s Hackathons. Yelpers can not only tell what brew is on tap, how cold it is and how much is left, but they can see each other through “Kegtime,” a virtual happy hour that takes advantage of the camera in the iPad 2!
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”
The kitchen is stocked at all times with snacks, beverages, and cold beer. Their “KegMate”, engineered by the Yelp team, is complete with an app that will keep track of your daily beer consumption (employee card needed to activate). As one Yelp employee confessed, management may not actually track your KegMate activity, but if your performance were to slip they could point out your pre-5pm drinking habits to make sure everything is okay. “Our New York office primarily houses local and national sales, as well as a small marketing team. While Yelp is still a startup, we’re north of 850 employees worldwide. What makes the New York office special is that since we’re smaller we still retain much of that scrappy startup feel – despite the new digs,” says Karl. Admittedly the office feels like that of a more mature corporate environment than your typical startup, but they have not forgotten their roots. The Yelp office is a hub of activity, complete with thoughtful amenities and an air of enthusiasm. Now out of its infancy, this brand equalizer has tens of millions of reviews under their belt and still isn’t taking life too seriously.
They’re hiring! We’re really looking for the most qualified and passionate candidate. Whether that’s someone with years of experience or someone who’s fresh out of college, we’re looking for sharp and enthusiastic people who are excited about what we’re doing. See what’s open.
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PIERA
CHRISTINE 50 \ Febuary - March 2012
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Refinery29 is taking our inboxes by storm with a truly novel approach to how we absorb all things fashion. Hear from EditorIn-Chief Christene Barberich and Creative Director Piera Gelardi about their growth, motivation, and what it takes to get six daily publications out the door, day-in and day-out.
How did Refinery29 come to be?
“A solid idea, $5,000, and whole lot of hard work!�
-Piera
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What was the inspiration fo community dedicated to yo
“The idea for Refinery29 came fro (von Borries) and Justin (Stefano) gap in the market of online fashio a site that spoke to this growing b who wasn’t being catered to by th websites that were inaccessible a I came on early to help build out t of creating fashion content for this incredibly exciting. We’re both avi don’t consider ourselves “fashion sense to create a place for other w source of authoritative, authentic, and not too self-serious fashion inspiration and information.”
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or creating an online our subject matter?
om our co-founders Philippe ) who saw that there was a on. They wanted to create breed of creative consumer he existing breed of fashion and dogmatic. Christene and the content. For us, the idea s generation of women was id vintage shoppers, but we people,” so it made a lot of women like ourselves—a , accessible,
-Piera In your opinion, what factors have contributed to your explosive growth and traction among readers? “I think what’s truly set us apart is our engagement with readers and our ability to not take the world of fashion too seriously. From the very beginning—when Piera and I were doing just one story a week—there was a fun and friendly tone to the content that was honest and appealing. To so many people, fashion and trends can be very intimidating, but we wanted Refinery29 to be a source for inspirational style news that was aspirational and also something people could relate to. We consider ourselves smart and informed but we’re also in it with our readers, trying the same things that they are. I think that authenticity has been what most people latch onto and what drives them back to us.”
-Christene
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Who can benefit from joining your community? How does Refinery29 speak to so many different kinds of people? “Our reader is very visual. She’s adamant about self expression and creating her own style, and she’s savvy and well informed. In short, she is our dream. We live for her and work tirelessly to provide resources, inspiration, and entertainment that give her the tools to make style her own. Listening to our readers has always been a huge priority for us—whether it’s responding to feedback emails, building more content around areas that readers have shown interest in, or helping a dude in Chicago find the perfect present for his R29-reading wife. I think our accessibility to our readers, our smart, playful tone, and our diversity of content has helped us become a go-to for so many women.”
-Piera
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How is your team evolving as you grow y your readership, your content? What doe multiple daily publications out the door e
“It’s an enormous feat every single day, when I look hours’ worth of content. I ask myself the same que do it? But we do. It’s all about finding the right peop Refinery29 voice and vision, which we have. I feel have such talented editors, photographers, and con so much about Refinery29. We nurture all of our em them enough freedom be creative but also to contin understanding of what distinguishes Refinery29 co from everything else out there. We all drink the Kool-Aid, and it just works.”
-Ch
your publications, es it take to get every day?
k back on even 10 estion: How do we ple to extend the very lucky that we ntributors who care mployees, giving nually deepen their ontent and visuals
hristene
How does the Refinery29 team collaborate to create? What elements must come together to make you successful? “We really stress the idea that everything we do is a team effort and that our successes and failures are company-wide. Because of that, there is a lot of inter-departmental collaboration and crossover. We believe great ideas can come from anywhere in the company. We regularly hold brainstorms where we put together groups from different areas and ask them to bring new concepts to the table. I think what excites us most about our jobs is being constantly surprised by what our team is capable of. We have the freedom (and encouragement) to experiment and flesh out new ideas.�
-Piera
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Take us behind the scenes. How does your space reflect your culture? “We recently moved to a lovely third-floor space on Cooper Square. We’re very collaborative so we worked with interior designer Chad McPhail to combine the open office feel with some structure. We built long rows of desks made out of reclaimed wood with dividers that employees can tack inspirations up on. The feel of the office is ‘70s industrial (concrete floors, black linoleum desk surfaces) with homey touches (reclaimed wood, rugs, plants) mixed with creative chaos (inspiration boards and walls). Our office has great energy now and it really reflects the openness and originality of our team.”
-Piera
What are your plans for the future? How will you continue to grow? “You know, as the content and our local channels broaden, we have more and more new readers, so it’s always top of mind to ensure that what we put on the site is consistent and embodies all the principles and spirit of Refinery29 content. Even as we get really big, we never want to lose that personal touch, that one-one-one voice and connection. Maintaining that as we grow is so key. And of course, all of our many expansions into commerce is a huge leap for us in 2012. We’re really excited about all the ways we want to bring shopping, exclusive products, and experiences to our readers in a really fun and unique way.” 58 \ Febuary - March 2012
-Christene
SIMPLE LIVING, CUBE STYLE Febuary - March 2012 \ 59
ORGANIZED
chaos:
A N I N T E R V I E W W I T H B E TAW O R K S
betaworks is a thriving New York based two-in-one investment and incubator firm that has been involved in some of the biggest tech and social media hits of our time. Founders John Borthwick and Andrew Weissman have had a hand in the successes of Twitter and Tumblr, and they’ve done so by creating a unique environment for collaborative experimentation. John was gracious enough to take some time to speak with us about betaworks and the creative-productive, organized chaos that pervades its culture and drives its success.
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Betaworks has invested in some outstanding companies. What is the betaworks process? How do you work to incubate these companies? Before anything else, we are makers. Functionally, we do two things: we build companies and we invest seed money into other startups. We’ve structured betaworks very deliberately so that information flows in both directions. The companies we invest in benefit from the knowledge we gain through creating our own companies, and our product (or “studio”) companies benefit from having an engaged network of entrepreneurs and makers to surround themselves with, bounce ideas off of, and learn from. Conceptually, we are a small team of thinkers and makers that hack away at ideas until we can form them into useful, meaningful products. Think of us as the modern day, digital equivalent of the art studio. What things do you look for in a team before investing in them? What are big red flags? We look for dreamers with ambitious goals that can temper those dreams with a pragmatic, critical eye for product building. For the things we build we try to hold no one idea sacred, and some of our favorite product ideas are still sitting on the cutting room floor – at least until we can figure out how to resurrect them appropriately! For investments we look for entrepreneurs whose worldviews on the changing landscape of the web match ours. If it’s social, and touches data sharing in real-time, if there is a beta that we can play with, then we’re ready to take a look and try and understand what they’re looking to accomplish.
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Inflexibility in thinking and overconfidence are two major red flags for us. We want you to assume that somewhere in the framework of all your assumptions there’s a loose screw and that you need to find it before you build on top of it. How are places like betaworks changing the landscape for business creation? The startup landscape in New York has really opened up in general in the last year and a half. Because we invest at such an early stage in a company’s lifecycle, and because we’ve been a part of New York’s tech scene for a while now we’ve been one of the few companies able to really foster and encourage the early-stage growth that is currently building New York’s tech scene from the ground up. We view betaworks as a hub and the companies as a network. We try and act as a facilitator to conversation and interaction between our companies, but never a barrier or an “owner” of the relationships. Our goal is to get good ideas colliding off of other good ideas almost continuously. Ours is a network that is growing rapidly, and it’s been wonderful to watch it grow within the greater context of New York’s emergent tech scene.
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What is a “beta” and how does this model work? We try and iterate early on and so we always spend a lot of time on the ‘napkin sketch’ stage of product building. The more we can sketch out before we start coding, the better the result. We also look to fail early and often. Because let’s be honest: most startups fail. We’re very comfortable with failure here, and see it as an important part of a product’s natural lifecycle. One of our mantras is to make new mistakes. Mistakes are part of the flow of innovation. If we can find more of our mistakes and incorrect assumptions earlier on when the product
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is still brand new and doesn’t have the weight of user’s expectations yet, then we can shave off more of the rough edges before we put it out to market. So we stay small and run lean for as long as we can. To us, to quote Schumacher, “small is beautiful.” What kinds of people work here? How are the teams organized? We have a very complex method for creating and maintaining our culture: we only hire you if you’re smart, nice and passionate about what you do. I know, I know, crazy, right? (smiles) People at betaworks are collaborative and social by nature. We encourage people from different companies to spend time together and get to know one another. We have weekly meetings across all the companies and a few internal-only events that focus on fostering honest, useful conversations about the goings on in our space and industry. As far as team organization, our largest team is hovering around 30 people, our smallest team is two people. In general we start by hiring a small technical team that focuses on product building and then bring in a General Manager – someone to focus on business and operations – relatively early on in the product’s lifecycle. When the companies are young betaworks acts as a core resource for many functions, but we make a conscious effort to wean the companies away from our team rapidly as they grow. When the time is right we find them amazing people to fill those jobs and we step back.
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about the space
How would you define the betaworks space? What about “organized chaos” works for this company? It’s a hard line to walk. When a company introduces too much structure they stifle creativity. When they allow for too much chaos they impede productivity, and alive and vibrant can quickly turn into distracting and stressful if you’re not careful. But all the interesting stuff happens in between that tension. We want collision, we want breakage, we encourage chafing. Complacency rarely produces excellent results and so we’ve set the paradoxical goal of creating a space that is simultaneously peaceful and chaotic. It’s imperfect, but overall we try and find a happy medium where people still feel like they’re in an organic, living space that is changing and growing as they do. We’re like sharks: we can’t stop moving and stagnation means death. . Febuary - March 2012 \ 71
How did your space come about? It was definitely done over time. When we started we were a small team in a single room. These days betaworks is over 90 people working in five separate companies across four partitioned, but connected spaces in our studio. Each company has their area and each company has their own culture. The type of diversity that comes from letting separate groups cultivate their own personas is fantastic. How important is physical space to company culture? It’s incredibly important. And yet a great, productive culture doesn’t come from what’s on the walls or what kind of desk you have. There are plenty of companies with wonderful facilities and bored, disconnected employees. So too are there plenty of tiny startups working in boring offices or drab basements whose employees are pumped to go to work every day because they’re working on something they’re passionate about with people they respect. It’s important to realize that you can’t mandate culture and you can’t build it with brick and mortar, but you can reflect it within your physical space and to some degree shape it. That’s why almost every surface in betaworks is a writeable surface, even our desks. It’s why none of us have offices and we leave the space so open. It’s not that we’ve mandated an open, adventurous culture but that we’re expressing what’s already there. It’s why the space is in a semi-continuous state of construction. It’s why it’s open and yet so quiet. It’s an environment designed for makers, to make. 72 \ Febuary - March 2012
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As Seen in Etsy These seven Etsians went from hobby to whole business. Get the scoop on what they make and the environments that make their crafts come to life.
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“
I love taking a pile of stuff and turning it into a treasured item.
”
-courtney prince
DOLORIS PETUNIA WHAT IS YOUR CRAFT? HOW DID YOU START? I am a jewelry and accessory designer. I started on a card table on the streets of Soho in New York City. When my husband and I decided to move to Los Angeles for his job, I quit my job and took to the streets for a grand little experiment. I would make things all week and sell them all weekend. But, NYC makes it much easier for artists to sell their art on the street. So when I moved to California, I found out about Etsy and Doloris Petunia was born. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART? I love the process of creating. I love taking a pile of stuff and turning it into a treasured item. I love the process of going from “before” to “after”. WHAT CAN YOU ABSOLUTELY NOT WORK WITHOUT? Color. I adore every single shade and hue and the impact that each brings. Febuary - March 2012 \ 75
LUMINOLOGY
WHAT IS YOUR CRAFT? HOW DID YOU START? Luminology is artisan soy candles with wooden wicks in reusable porcelain vessels. In February 2010, I made a personal decision to stop buying things based on price and start buying things based on value. It finally dawned on me that there is no value in waste, even if what I brought home was a bargain. Three questions became the method I would use to decide whether or not I would purchase something: Is it made of excellent materials? Does it have a meaningful use, and is it beautiful? As I tried to spruce up my home for a party, I could not find candles that fully met my new criteria. Shortly thereafter, I began investigating the world of candle-making. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART? I love being in charge! It is a ton of work, but I love calling the shots and having creative control over what I do. It’s mine. I created it, I own it and I love that.
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Is it made of excellent materials? Does it have a meaningful use, and is it beautiful?
”
-angela sands
“
...ten years ago I married myself to a sewing machine and taught myself to make clothes.
”
-liza rietz
LIZA RIETZ
WHAT IS YOUR CRAFT? HOW DID YOU START? I design and make women’s clothing and cloche hats. I always wanted to design clothing, so ten years ago I married myself to a sewing machine and taught myself to make clothes. I showed my first collection on a runway as part of a group show only months later! Soon after, I started selling my garments at a friend’s shop in Portland. FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME? I have been designing, sewing and running my storefront full-time since 2006. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART? I love designing and the evolution of the entire process – especially from the initial concept to sketching, then from patterning to draping. I love tweaking the garment on the dress form to get the sculptural elements that define my clothing. This part of the process is like sculpting on an artistic level.
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BRIGHT WALL WHAT IS YOUR CRAFT? HOW DID YOU START? I am a screen printer. I decided that I wanted to add a little extra shine to some of the played out tweeds and vests that you find in thrift shops all over Detroit. So, I bought myself a starter kit, watched some YouTube, and converted my 100-year old-attic into a workspace. FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME? Well, these days everyone has a bit of a side hustle, especially in Detroit. My menswear shop started out pretty much as beer and whiskey money, but it has grown to become a dominant part of my business. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART? I love the feeling of pulling the screen off the fabric and the nice crisp image beneath it. I guess that really gets at the moment of creation that I enjoy. I feel the same way when I turn the water on after making plumbing repairs and everything works right and nothing leaks. It’s a good feeling.
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...these days everyone has a bit of a side hustle, especially in Detroit
”
-erik taylor
“
Finally there was an avenue for artists to potentially make a living off of their talents.
�
-kristen dressler
KITTY DUNE WHAT IS YOUR CRAFT? My craft is knitting. I design and hand knit accessories for men and women. HOW DID YOU FIND ETSY? DO YOU SELL ELSEWHERE? My sister discovered Etsy and she immediately showed me the website. Finally there was an avenue for artists to potentially make a living off of their talents. We were so impressed with the look of the site and how it functioned. Hopefully with some good planning this summer my designs will be in a boutique near you next season! WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART? A favorite is when customers post pictures of themselves wearing my items. The fact that they are so happy with my product that they took the time to take a picture and send it to me is so great. I love seeing the looks on their faces as they sport my design.
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“
I found meaning in the humble act of making something useful.
”
-keith phillips
MUDSTUFFING POTTERY
WHAT IS YOUR CRAFT? HOW DID YOU START? I make functional pottery and fine art sculptures. When I was younger I wanted to be a great artist, but all through art school I found I didn’t have anything interesting to say. I was skilled enough, but the likes of Guernica wasn’t exactly pouring out of me. When I started making functional works of art, I knew I had found my calling. I found meaning in the humble act of making something useful. I like making each item a little different, hoping they turn a thoughtless consumption into something that makes us more aware and present.
WHAT CAN YOU ABSOLUTELY NOT WORK WITHOUT? I’m a big fan of the happy accident. In fact, I try to make as many accidents as possible throughout my entire process of making pots. The textures and colors become an excellent canvas to embellish with detailed images. I think the juxtaposition of highly detailed embellishments with the organic surface of the glaze is what inspires me the most.
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PEACE 4 YOU WHAT IS YOUR CRAFT? HOW DID YOU START? For years I designed, sewed and produced kites. Today, I’m a bag-maker and a graphic designer. I started ten years ago, all because my son asked me to design a bag for him. I knew how to sew and took it from there. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART? Creating new products and designs naturally, from recycled materials, is the most rewarding part of my work. Getting to work against the uptake of natural resources and make discarded materials new again is so rewarding. My work is ethical and I love sharing my designs with others.
“
Getting to work against the uptake of natural resources and make discarded materials new again is so rewarding.
”
-karl paul
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CORPORATE
RESIDENCY The most important strategy for the world’s largest independent media agency? Staying relevant.
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In a business previously plagued by the standards and sterotypes of the Mad Men era, Horizon Media has managed to break through the old norms and forge a path to greatness. “Media is not just about buying media anymore. That’s the old model and that model is not what it’s about. It’s a much more full-service model, a fully integrated approach to getting our clients’ message out there,” says Eileen Benwitt, Horizon’s EVP of Human Resources. “We must be relevant. I would say 60% of our organization is under the age of 30. So when you look at it from a generational perspective... at the millennials and what matters to them, and what work means to them, it’s critical that we understand all that and that we adapt and flex in ways that are relevant. You can’t stay in the status-quo.”
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talk
PILLOW
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So how does Horizon stay relevant? Catering to an employee base largely under the age of thirty helps the group stay up on the age of new media. Organizing employee groups into teams called ‘What’ and ‘Where’ allow the firm to focus their resources on digging deeper into the insights of their clients and consumers. But overall, the group has paid particular attention to the space in which they emphasize this work. Previously scattered among three different office buildings and multiple floors, Horizon now occupies an impressive 115,000 square feet on Varick Street between Grand and Canal. Benwitt recalls, “we started in one location and outgrew what was available to us so we started taking on new space in the surrounding area, Midtown. Every year was our best year, and that was happening in a space that was more limiting – limiting because it was very traditional. It didn’t breathe collaboration. As we continued to grow, we needed to look at other alternatives and that’s when we came downtown.” The space downtown is nothing short of a corporate mecca with impressive views of the surrounding
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city and enough natural light to feel as if you never walked indoors. Benwitt worked closely with the team at A + i Architects to create the space, which she appropriately refers to as their “corporate residence.” “The design of the space is very intentional. There was a lot of thought around breaking down old ways of thinking. What we wanted to achieve here was both a horizontal and vertical integration. We wanted to make sure that the space [as a whole] was your office... not your office was your office.” A firm believer that your office is as mobile as you are, Benwitt has paid particular attention to the recent trends in corporate design and the emerging emphasis on congruent workspaces and the result is impressive. The space is open and collaborative, littered with places to plop down a laptop, grab a coworker and get creative. “An office is no longer defined by the four walls that surround you at your desk...your office is your car, your office is your kitchen table, your office is your bedroom. It could be at the airport, on the bus... it could be anywhere you want to be. So today, an office is
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The space downtown is nothing short of a corporate mecca.
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wall-less... and we wanted to mimic that experience for our employees within our space.” All offices are located on the inside of the space and all senior-level amenities have been stripped. Each office is the same size and has the same perks. “Everyone has a private space of course, and [in] each private space, we got rid of any hierarchical notions that go with it. Everyone has the same size office, all the offices are on the interior and the great light and ceiling height is shared by all – everyone benefits. It really creates a sense of transparency and synchronicity.” Benwitt and A + i have no doubt created a space to be sought after and mimicked by corporate generations to come. Benwitt wanted the space to be as classic as it is forward-thinking. “I didn’t want the flavor of the moment... [There were] two important messages we wanted to convey [with this space]: first, the sense of what an office now represents, and second, the space needed to be timeless. I think we achieved all of this. I didn’t want lime green everywhere because that’s the color of the moment. It can never be dated and that’s a hard thing to achieve.” But achieve it they did. In recent conversations with the team at A + i, Benwitt raved about the spaces utility and how Horizon’s 700+ New York employees were using the space the way it was designed to be used – a nod to the success of their efforts. Benwitt further remarked that the true success of the space comes from its ability to free up its residents. “You have beautiful space, you have a great environment, you have sunlight, and you have the ability to connect to people so you can get done what you need to get done. You have no noise in the way and that is so liberating...it’s limitless.”
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WORKWEAR
the evolution of the suit ELEMENTS HAVE EVOLVED BUT THE SUIT HAS REMAINED A PROFESSIONAL STAPLE
30s
1700s
A stiff evening dress shirt and a winged collar are added, and the opera hat omitted.
Royal Court Dress of the 17th Century starts to display the characteristics of the modern day suit; complete with wig and breeches, of course.
1900s
40s
In the 1940s, fashion. Restr the use of woo single-breaste and cuff- and pants become
20s
1800s
As Napoleon began his reign, men began to focus more on leisure-based clothing, working downtown but wanting to associate with leisure activities such as riding. The long trouser was introduced and became a symbol of the transition to adulthood for young men.
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A suit is described as being a dress coat with silk facings, black or white waistcoat and breeches, with three black buttons and a buckle at the knee. Folded cocked hat with a black loop and white gloves finished the dress.
50s
A man is his work. The era of business clothing takes shape. Wool is the fabric of choice. Fedoras and smaller styles of hat are introduced.
60s
JFK influences an era making way for wide lapels, flared trousers, flower shirts, and other assorted accentricities.
2000s
war changes rictions on ol, and ed jackets pleat-free e the norm.
80s
Oh the 80s. Loud colors and crazy patterns bleed into formalwear. The headband manages to stay out.
After a sloppy decade, men start dressing up again, and the current era of sartorial creativity is born.
90s
The early 90s bring a baggy silhouette. By the late 90s, Business Casual is a household term.
70s
Grooviness encourages a loose-collared culture. Leisure suits take rise and floppy collars reign.
For sources, please see references (p. 202)
2012
Slender styles are recycled but tailoring is everything.
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BLAZING THE TRAIL Two women with one vision build a hot new fashion brand on a working wardrobe staple: the blazer.
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You have a group of girlfriends (or your girlfriend has a group of girlfriends). You’re all different from one another; you have different tastes, different jobs, and different lives. Yet every morning when each of you stands in front of your respective closets about to top off your look with a finishing garment, you all have the same desire to reach for something that will: 1. make you look good 2. make you feel great, and 3. prepare you for wherever the awaiting day may take you. Each of you – the banker, the marketing manager, the publicist, the lawyer – could reach for the same Guy French blazer and your quest to achieve the sartorial trifecta will have been accomplished. And hey, it’s only 8 AM. Let’s go back to 2009. Guy French founders Louisa Guy Roeder and Christina French Houghton were just friends of friends with a mutual longing for the perfect blazer, and a mutual belief that the market had yet to deliver. As the recession was at its peak and their friends were losing jobs left and right, they both started thinking about what they’d do if they too were out of work the next day. Simultaneously, they realized their current jobs weren’t aligned with their long-term career goals and decided to make a change. After enrolling in design classes and working countless hours to complete their first collection, the duo launched their blazer line in February 2010, joining their middle names to label their brand. Ever since, the pair has been designing blazers inspired by various women in their lives and what they themselves want to put on their backs every morning.
“
We want you to wear our blazer from day to night, weekday to weekend and season to season.
”
Season after season, the pair designs with two key concepts in mind. The first is versatility. “We want you to wear our blazer from day to night, weekday to weekend, and season to season,” Christina explains. “These blazers aren’t stand-out statement pieces; they are something that can work seamlessly into your existing wardrobe.” Their second design principle is timelessness. “We don’t want our blazers to be on-trend one season and out the next,” Christina said. “These blazers should last you beyond a few months and should remain a relevant part of your wardrobe year after year.” Cut to 2012... Guy French is considering retail sales as their potential next step, and are about to roll out their first product line expansion into skirts and blazers. Former squatters at Kinkos, Christina and Louisa couldn’t be happier to have an office to call their own. “We used to feel like bag ladies,” Louisa said. “Three garment bags on each arm, a computer bag on our shoulders, five meetings in one day – I’m telling you, it wasn’t a pretty sight.”
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Now with an office in the epicenter of New York City’s Garment District, the pair doesn’t have to walk more than a three-block radius to meet with their various sub-contractors. Aside from the convenient location, they chose the building because of its industrial architecture, with high-ceilings, large windows and tons of light. “There is a great energy here,” Christina explains. “There are a ton of startups in the building, so we don’t feel like the only young company.” When asked about their favorite items in the office, Christina was quick to point out muslin, French curves and rulers on her desk. She has recently taken up pattern-making, which the company has outsourced for since launching. Louisa turned to a pointy looking plant on the back wall: “that’s my pencil cactus, and I will always love it because I can water it just once a week and it won’t die.” The duo decides the office item that “makes” the space is a large-scale photograph that graces their front wall, by Brazilian Artist Vik Muniz. The photograph depicts a birdseye view of a des ert with an image drawn in the sand, the image being an outline of a pair of scissors cutting along a dotted line. Something about it just seems right. As far as office upgrades go, Guy French is quite realistic in their desires. “We want both of our computers to have the high-tech design software we need,” Louisa explains. “Right now we only have it on one of them. Oh, and a Nespresso machine would be nice too.”
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obituary
SUSPENDERS 1820 - 1990 Archive: December 31, 1990
New York, NY (AP) - Suspenders of many colors, shapes, materials, and modes by which to connect to pants succumbed yesterday unexpectedly after nearly two hundred years of keeping men fitting well in their clothes. Known by such nicknames as X-back, Y-back, and even H-back as a youth, Suspenders rose to prominence in the 1820s with the help of British manufacturer Albert Thurston, a savior of men wearing the low-cut pants of the day. Mark Twain’s government alias, Samuel Clemens, furthered the meteoric rise by claiming such patents as the metal clips on the ends. Finally, in the twilight of their life, Alex DeLarge and his droogs immortalized the look in Stanley Kubrick’s 1970 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ classic 1962 dystopian novel, A Clockwork Orange. They were forgiving of tooloose pants. They served as a place for weary anxious 104 \ Febuary - March 2012
thumbs to rest. “They were flexible, easy-going, could really adapt to any situation,” said a close friend of Suspenders. “It’s my fault really. I stopped appreciating them. I was worried about what other people said when they saw us together. They were getting old, and in my vanity I lost attraction. Looking back, I wish I had acted differently and realized what a great and useful friend I had. I hope I’ll see them again, in this era or the next one (sniffle).” Their long-losing fight with pop fashion was definitively lost when a Google search began to render a FiDi bar with a (horrendous) website in first place, a symbolic death knell to the once dominant alpha pants holders. They are survived by Larry King and some wannabe punk rockers, and are the only thing that Gordon Gekko and Steve Urkel had in common. The belt was unavailable for comment, but is rumored to be doing just fine, though beginning to reckon with mortality and look over its buckle. Respects can be paid on Halloween, prom, weddings, or even normal weekend nights out in certain areas of Brooklyn and the Lower East Side.
GUY FRENCH LOOKBOOK
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FALL 2011
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BRYAN
BATT
ACTOR, AUTHOR, AND DESIGNER BRYAN BATT OPENS UP ABOUT PRODUCTIVITY, PERSONAL STYLE, AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO GO TO WORK AT TV’S MOST SCANDALOUS OFFICE
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What advice would you give to someone who wants to incorporate their personal design philosophy into their workspace? Working within your office’s spatial or architectural limitations, you have to create an environment that’s perfect for getting your job done, and that’s a very personal thing. That’s what it’s about at the workplace. Looking at yourself and how you work, be honest with yourself about what you need to be productive. A distracting wallpaper or too much clutter can hinder your ability to produce, but it’s important to make your work environment yours however you can. There are many factors that come into play, but I like to focus on inspiration. Be surrounded by things that foster your ability to create, be it a blank canvas or the security that clutter and photographs provide.
How did you go about creating your own productive workspace? When I first moved to New York and started working on Broadway, I didn’t have a home office. Every time I did a new show I framed the playbill or poster and hung it in the foyer of my apartment. After a while I realized that my foyer was turning into my resume – not what I wanted in my home! The office is a place for things you’re proud of professionally – your accomplishments. Walking into someone’s home and having it be nothing but awards, pictures, honors, and degrees is not what you want. There’s a place for everything, and the office is great for that. As far as my work space now, I like to be surrounded by a lot to look at – a lot of color and a lot of pictures. At my desk, there is a lot of clutter but it works for me. My things, my memories, my friends and family – all are a great reminder of what I do and why I do it. 116 \ Febuary - March 2012
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“
If you have an idea, if you have a story to tell, if you have a passion, you have to follow it.
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�
How do you stay productive? Believe it or not, I still keep a datebook and a calendar on the wall in the office. Any time a commitment comes up, whatever it is – a book signing, an audition, a design project, a concert, an event – it’s put on the calendar on the wall. I’m very old-fashioned in that way – I don’t rely on my computer. I count on my book – my Week At-AGlance. I’ve used those since the ‘80s and as long as they’re still making them I’m using them! That’s how I stay on top of everything I work on.
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the ‘60s. Everything got “business” in the ‘70s and ‘80s and a lot of pleasure was taken out the office environment. There was a definite focus on pleasure involved in work back then. Where do you go for inspiration? One of my favorite things to do is attend auctions! You’re guaranteed to be surprised with what you find, which doesn’t happen at many design shops or showrooms. I get inspiration from that element of surprise that you can’t plan for.
When it comes to office spaces, you’ve spent quite a bit of time in an imaginary yet extremely famous one. Talk to us about Sterling Cooper. How has today’s office environment changed? Well for one, there’s smoking and sex!
much
less
alcoholism,
Sterling Cooper was designed progressively, futuristically. Our clocks looked like little sputniks. The furniture was Danish modern, very streamlined. I’ll never forget the boardroom’s pair of incredible paintings. They went to auction after the set changed and I tried to recreate them for myself with no luck! A very visible differences is that back then, main offices were for entertaining. Couches and chairs were set up for more relaxed meetings, and of course, there was always a bar. Professionals weren’t so austere in
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When working on a design project with a client, I like creating something for someone that they want. I don’t like to simply put my stamp on it and walk away – they have to live there and they have to be happy. As I explain in Big, Easy Style, my rule is that if something looks right to you, it probably is right. It’s your eye that matters. In the end that’s the real truth. What is your personal design philosophy? “Let’s hit it with some color!” is something I say frequently. To which my partner, Tom, says “I’m still waiting for the bruises from the last time we hit it with color to heal!” I like classics with a playful twist – a sense of humor. My style is like a good martini, shaken. Shaken and stirred. Tell us more about Hazelnut New Orleans. It really took off – people really love it. We have very regular customers and we’re hoping to open another location soon. It was very freeing to take on this venture. I’ve been an actor all my life – theater, film and TV – but there’s an entire world out there beyond show business that I can be successful and creative in. When you put all your eggs in one basket, it can get myopic.
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I will say that when we were in the process of opening up the store, I’d wake up in a cold sweat. I had no idea how people would respond. I was constantly asking myself “what in the world am I doing?” Still, I maintain the attitude that this is not a dress rehearsal and I don’t want to be on my deathbed saying “if only I had...” Everything I want to do or try I want to do it or try it. Along the way you’ve become a writer. I started writing down personal stories a while back. It was therapeutic. My mother and I had this wonderful relationship and I always find myself telling hysterical stories about my childhood. A friend of mine said, “if you don’t write these down, I am going to.” So, nothing like the fear of identity theft to make you start writing!
She Ain’t Heavy, She’s My Mother was a great learning process, and a real tribute to my mother and to my hometown, New Orleans. My mother, who has since passed away, really, really loved the book and gave her stamp of approval before it went to print. I appreciate her being so game. I think that everyone has a story. Just tell your story! I think it’s all in the telling – whether you’re writing, designing, acting – however you work. It’s about how you tell it and from what angle. I firmly believe in the power of humor and love in the face of adversity, which is where my stories come from. If you have an idea, if you have a story to tell, if you have a passion, you have to follow it.
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WHY ART? AND HOW IT WORKS To make a case for art in the workplace, The Roger team sought the advice of Carol Romanoff, art consultant, curator and interior designer, who offers her perspective on the importance of incorporating art into commercial environments.
When designing commercial interiors, art is as important a consideration for the workspace as it is for the home. There are a myriad of reasons to bring art, whether decorative or fine, into your daily environment and a number of ways to approach selecting the right pieces. Art can make a bare space feel complete, complimenting small elements of decor. The colors and subjects in a painting or photograph may reflect the overall design of a room, highlighting elements of the carpet or furniture, tying the space together.
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The James Chicago Lobby, “Room 28” by Joel Ross and “Birch” by Andrea Mantin Febuary - March 2012 \ 125
However, art’s raison d-etre in a work environment extends far beyond a need to cover up a blank wall. Art in a workspace can positively affect both employees and visitors, creating a thought-provoking and welcoming experience upon entry. Art can influence productivity and well-being, reinforce guiding principles of company culture, and serve as a potential vehicle for both community involvement and future investment.
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ART IN A WORKSPACE CAN POSITIVELY AFFECT BOTH EMPLOYEES AND VISITORS, CREATING A THOUGHTPROVOKING AND WELCOMING EXPERIENCE UPON ENTRY.
Historically, art has been a cultural benchmark providing intangible sensory experiences -enhancing a room and bringing pleasure to the viewer in both private and public spaces. Today, the sensory factor, especially at work, has evolved to allow for a significant amount of one-on-one interactions between human and art or music, made possible by personal computers, individual work stations, and the social acceptance of ear buds. Employees can easily transport themselves to their own individualized versions of entertainment, motivation, and stimulation. Dining/Work Niche. James Hotel, Chicago
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Here, we can make the case for curating your workspace -- a built in, many-to-one sensory experience that unifies a team, its environment, and its visitors. Art can serve as a shared transportation device, common and central to multiple individuals. The visual stimulation of art’s color and its composition can have a vitalizing effect for an employee just as YouTube and Pandora can -- eliciting positive responses by the brain. The fields of Environmental Psychology and Color Theory have shown the beneficial effects of patterns and color on behavior and creative thought. An environment enhanced with art can encourage unified stimulation, inspiration, creativity and increase productivity. An art installation also provides insight into a company’s culture. The overall choice of artwork, its style, its subject -- every genre and work bears an identity. Collections can be started at all price points, by accumulating pieces from artists along the spectrum: emerging to blue-chip. Information about art valuations and auction statistics are available at sites like Artnet.com, for those who choose to purchase art as an asset. As a shining example, the J.P.Morgan Chase Collection began in 1959 when David Rockefeller took the lead in corporate art collecting by establishing the Chase Manhattan Bank’s art program. They celebrated fifty years of philanthropic support for arts and culture to “provide visual and intellectual interest to nourish the imagination”. The collection, primarily contemporary art contains more than 30,000 artworks in 450 locations worldwide.
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SELECT ART THAT CHANNELS YOUR BRAND Art selection can reflect a company’s brand. One of the world’s most iconic brand images, Ralph Lauren’s polo pony and their reoccuring equestrian theme, has translated to the art that has landed on the walls of some of their most famous storefronts. The corporate identity is reinforced by the selection of Bonnie Edelman’s Sermo per Equus horse photographs in several of their international locations like Berlin, Budapest and their eponymous shop at Harrod’s in London. ABC Kitchen, a Jean-Georges restaurant in ABC Home’s New York Flatiron location, is a collaboration between the two brands, resulting in a farm-to-table restaurant that reflects the artisanal aesthetic of the store. Art Director Amy Ilias spoke of how she and CEO Paulette Cole conceived the space: “...[we] selected an assortment of serene and nature inspired photographs by Elena Lyakir, for the walls, to enhance the space and echo the design aesthetic of both the store and the food.”
Rajita. Photography by Bonnie Edelman
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Photography by Elena Lyakir. ABC Kitchen restaurant. New York.
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CURATE WITHOUT ADDING OVERHEAD Art isn’t always purchased. There is a trend for companies to participate with community-based non-profit arts foundations, local schools and charitable organizations by sponsoring exhibitions and providing their workspace as a venue for students and fund-raising efforts. Leah McCloskey, Director of the Outreach Program at the Art Student’s League, an NYC art school, partners with numerous Manhattan Businesses to showcase artists’ work from the League. Park Avenue Bistro, a Manhattan restaurant has used its walls to show and sell artwork since the program began, rotating exhibitions every four months. The restaurant has identified itself as a gallery, providing an additional experience for its diners. There are companies that provide art rentals. This can be advantageous for a company that is deciding on art to purchase or instead chooses to rotate the art on a regular basis. There are art consultants that specialize in corporate art selection. A consultant can help navigate the art
market, from emerging artists to more established artists and assist in matching the appropriate art for the business and its culture. WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE ARTIST Companies may also partner with an artist directly. Epoch Investment Partners, Inc., a NYCbased global asset management firm, selected a collection of paintings by artist Anne Raymond for their midtown offices overlooking Rockefeller Center. Over 30 pieces were chosen to reflect the focus and energy of the international firm. The texture and depth of the colors in the abstract oils on canvas and one-of-a-kind paintings on paper, add vibrancy to the firm’s offices and a pleasing addition to the midtown views. Interior designers and architects often provide direction while creating and designing a space. Some large corporations have an art consultant on staff and there are collections that have developed based on the personal interest and preferences of company leaders and private collectors. Interestingly, more art is in corporate collections than in museums worldwide.
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SATISFY YOUR CUSTOMER WITH ATTENTION TO DETAIL Hotels and hospitals are increasingly using their hallways as exhibition space. It’s a way to involve local community while at the same time creating additional value for guests and patients. The James Hotels in New York and Chicago are using their walls and guest rooms to exhibit emerging local artists. Lisa Zandee, brand manager for The James Hotels explained how the “artistically inspired” brand evolved naturally. The goal was to create a warm, inviting environment that would appeal to its creative-minded guests. The brand’s hotels evolved differently, reflecting their local markets. In Chicago, there is signature art, staples of the hotel’s identity, as well as spots for rotating art, creating new commissions. In New York, the hotel sought to support local artists, commissioning site-specific pieces while incorporating periodic and seasonal new exhibits.
The James NY Front Desk, Weaving by Hechizoo Textile Atlelier
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The James NY guest room. Screen by Nienke Sybrandy
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The James NY guest room. Photography by David Kassman Febuary - March 2012 \ 135
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The centerpiece of the New York hotel’s foyer was custom created by Sarah Frost, comprised of thousands of recycled computer keys for a mosaic-like effect. One guest room has a screen by Dutch designer Nienke Sybrandy that features a signature print of a tree, comprised entirely of computer code. The concept has provoked discussion of art and the experience of living with it, knowing that some guests will like the work, and some won’t. But, as Zandee explains, the art installations are just “one part of The James’s DNA.” Art is accessible to all companies, both large and small, due to the variety of available avenues for obtaining and exhibiting artwork. It has the benefit of impacting employees as well as those doing business with and visiting the workspace through its positive reflection of the company.
The James NY Foyer, QWERTY, Mosaic by Sara Frost
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CORPORATE MODERNISM The Modern Stylings of BR Design
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The line between corporate design and home design may seem deliberate, but in fact it is blurring. To design a home is a very different challenge than to design a space that supplies productivity while comforting its inhabitants. Commercial designer Michael Rait shares his insights on the intricate dance he’s mastered: bringing form and function to some of the nation’s most culturally restrictive environments.
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What is your greatest professional accomplishment? I hope it hasn’t happened yet! Up to this point, I would think it’s been all the great people I’ve worked with through the years who are now my friends: clients, consultants, contractors, manufacturers. Projects come and go but the real accomplishment is being able to maintain friendships and relationships. How did your business come to be? From my days as an intern until now, I’ve always worked in the commercial area. When I first started it was nightclubs and discos. I started designing office spaces in 1981, eventually opening my own practice in 1985. Although we’ve worked on residential projects for friends and family from time to time (I love designing those) our primary focus has been on designing work environments for clients in the legal, advertising, financial, publishing and tech industries. We have also designed some retail spaces for local and national retailers. In 1985 I thought that all you needed to do was put a sign on your door, print a few business cards and you were in business. Obviously I was delusional! However, I did have a few clients and friends who said I could do their projects if I went out on my own. Unfortunately, none of the came to fruition except for my best friend’s restaurant in NoHo. From that, I was able to grow my business in New York and work on projects throughout the US and abroad.
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What does your team draw inspiration from? We are totally focused on our clients, meaning that we try to understand their goals by being very good listeners – hearing what their desires are and what they are trying to achieve as a business, i.e. image, functionality, attracting and retaining new employees, etc. Based on these parameters (also budget and schedule) we are able to develop a solution for the design of their new space. If you’re interested in why we design in a certain style, that has evolved over the years and as new designers join our firm, we work together as a team to direct their design solutions. Primarily we are a modernist firm, so we have been inspired by the great modernist architects that have practiced or designed some of the great buildings in New York. Talk to us about the collaboration between BR Design and client. How do you weigh a client’s wants and needs with your expertise? We are hired by our clients precisely because we have the ability to translate their concepts into reality. Some clients have a very abstract concept of what they envision for their new office space while others couldn’t be more precise. I think that the more abstract a client is, the better they utilize our creativity and experience. We avoid any preconceived ideas which allows us a much broader bank of solutions. When a client has a specific solution in mind, it handcuffs us to that design without the opportunity to explore ideas that may be valid. Describe your ideal client. Do you prefer them to present a lot of ideas, or do you prefer to collaborate heavily in initial phases of planning? Either way works for us as long as their ideas are conceptual, i.e. “I want to see everyone,” as opposed to “every office should have a two foot strip of glass next to the door.”
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What advice would you offer a young professional starting out on a career like yours? If you have a passion for design, most definitely pursue your dream and don’t be too discouraged if you’re not the superstar designer because things will change. Be optimistic! Get the best design education you can from practicing professionals and use them to get some experience. Create the best portfolio possible. It doesn’t need to be endless but show some great examples of your work, highlighting your best skills. If you have the talent and the skills to convey the ideas to your team, success will follow. What advice would you offer to a business owner, looking to create a new space for their team? Design is the last thing a business owner should think about. What I mean is that a successful design solution is one that addresses the client’s important issues: collaboration, communication, client base, workforce issues, budgets, technologies, growth, etc. Once the client is able to articulate their goals and requirements, the design will evolve. New companies are popping up every few seconds. How can a young company on a budget invest most wisely in their space? Most startups that we deal with have outgrown their existing space (garage, basement, sublet, etc.) and are ready for their first real office space. If they anticipate continued growth, flexibility is a key principal to include in their plans. Money may be limited, so creative solutions that can grow with the client are crucial. Don’t spend your money on improving the landlord’s building but invest in items that you can take with you to the next space, whether it’s technology, furniture or art.
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5
REASONS TO USE ONE-OF-A-KIND FURNITURE IN THE HOME OFFICE
Reproductions and Vintage Indian pieces that inspire and delight are quickly becoming the trend in home offices. Here’s why:
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inspiration.
Your home office can be a place designated for business but still be an inspiring niche that is both productive and inspiring. Your home office should invite you in to tackle the day’s projects.
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functionality. Office furniture can be unique yet functional. Vintage pieces can hide all your boring office equipment so that you can “close” the office and not let work impede on the rest of your space.
Nadeau: Furniture with a Soul. Located on 57 East 11 Street. Offering wholesale pricing to the public. “Formerly 20 years to the trade, now offering wholesale to all.”
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individuality. Let your space be a reflection of you and your business while blending into the greater aesthetic with pieces that will never lose their allure.
customization.
Outfit your office space with furniture and decor that adheres to your unique requirements, as opposed to what’s standard.
affordability. Vintage and unique wholesalers like Nadeau offer a wide variety of solid wood hand-crafted pieces that are more affordable than traditional office furniture.
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Tasting Table
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Archive. Where would we be without this Gmail functionality? Reading or deleting? One action too time consuming and the other too committal, the relief brought about by sweeping that slew of daily emails under the rug is a sensation you’re likely familiar with. Here’s something you should know. There is treasure arriving in the inboxes of over one million subscribers daily, in the form of a single adventure, tidbit, or discovery – and it’s not getting archived. Well, maybe by some, but those some are un-hungry, un-fun, and unworthy. Tasting Table: a daily food-focused publication with editorial staffs in five cities across the US and over one million subscribers, all home grown in three short years. Someone finally figured it out: accompany food porn with smart and helpful information that maxes out at around 200 words per email, and we’ll read that email. Every day.
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THINK OF TASTING TABLE AS THE FRIEND YOU CALL TO ASK,
where should I eat tonight?
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While some might feel fatigued by the thought of adding another food & drink online resource to their goodstuff-to-read-when-procrastinating/fingers-crossedsomeone-takes-me-here-on-a-date lists, the reasons to supplant your current favorite are somewhat indisputable. Founded with the goal of becoming the go-to online brand for adventurous eaters and drinkers, the content is as firsthand as it gets. Every single recipe, food review, bar recommendation, and travel destination is experienced by the Tasting Table team before you’re asked to read it or trust it. Only eyewitness opinions are fit to print, backed by the tastiest research around. A simple idea, even the obvious way to go, but the authenticity is rare, the findings are valuable, and as we continue to be bombarded by counterfeit content, it’s nice to know it’s worth spending time here. The brand’s credibility explains the need for the stateof-the-art, on-site test kitchen and dining room housed within Tasting Table’s NYC headquarters. Called the “taste-making nerve center” of the 35-man team’s office by Geoff Bartakovics, CEO. The test kitchen serves as a bonafide research laboratory, playing a huge role in driving that original content that sets this publication apart from the rest. Every recipe published is tested and developed in the kitchen by in-house Executive Chef Brendan McHale and the expert editorial staff. The space also plays host to an array of private parties, tastings, and master classes, and serves as a stage for video content that supplements editorial output. Designed by Loren Daye and Eric Cheong, previously of Roman and Williams, the team was challenged to create a cutting edge facility reflective of the brand, which Geoff describes as “high-end but not fussy or self-important.”
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With modular components that allow for rearrangement at the drop of a hat, the space is fully capable of handling a variety of events as often as imaginable. Flanked by two vintage-inspired lounges with a massive wet bar, the 30-seater dining table runs the course of the main room, opening up to the ultimate fantasy kitchen of your FoodNetwork-fueled dreams. The brand correlates with the breed of eater Tasting Table most closely embodies: “think of Tasting Table as the friend you call to ask, ‘where should I eat tonight?’ We’re the friend who knows the
best spot for $2 tacos, [while believing] the $200 tasting menu is worth the splurge. We’re serious eaters who don’t take ourselves too seriously – just like our readers.” Snatching up one of those thirty seats might not be in the cards for you anytime soon, but free and regular access to mouthwatering knowledge is up for grabs. Adventure through the kitchen here, and be sure to equip your inbox with the most reliable, read-worthy epicurean treasure map around.
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NAKED PIZZA
Eat Naked, Think Naked, Live Naked.
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Many are familiar with the way Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh describes his empire: an excellent customer service business that “happens to sell shoes.” The strategy to shift public focus from product offering to customer experience is certainly an intriguing one – even more so when the game plan is accompanied by a mission to not just satisfy, but literally heal the customer from the inside out. Meet Naked Pizza, a social health movement with brick-and-mortars that just so happens to sell pizza. We’ll take you through what this means with Naked Pizza Founder Robbie Vitrano.
THE MEANING
Vitrano defines “naked” as “the Venn diagram of evolutionary biology – the 200,000-year-old human nutritional blueprint (a great diversity of mainly plantbased whole foods) synced with a contemporary culture of urbanized populations demanding convenience. In that context, ‘naked’ literally refers to paring down to the essence of how we eat, how we understand food, how we conduct business, and how we relate to one another.” Simple terms? Ubiquitous, fast food that’s good for
you. And not just diet-friendly food that eliminates the guilt of taking down a large pie alone. Naked Pizza is comprehensively nutritious: the all-natural crust is made of grains, probiotics, and prebiotic agave fiber, and the ingredients are free of antibiotics, hormones, trans fats, added-sugar, corn syrup, and any other “freaky” chemical you can think of. The food is backed by science and in-line with what our digestive systems can actually handle (they’ve evolved very little over 200,000 years). We’re built to ingest very similarly to the way the first humans were. They ate plants. We eat Velveeta and swig 5-Hour-Energies. Getting it?
THE START
Naked Pizza was born of a question: “why, in this time of nearly limitless access to information and innovation, are human beings becoming less healthy to the point of epidemic?” Many of us survive on a diet of ingredients that are completely unrecognizable to our bodies, thanks to “innovative” food processing techniques put forth by food companies to increase shelf-life and in turn, the bottom line. Vitrano calls this utter breakdown of biological awareness an “unholy scheming of marketing and nutritional science that’s resulted in human beings being the only animal that needs to be told how to eat.” Febuary - March 2012 \ 163
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On to the solution: develop a food that could actually reeducate people on how and what they should eat. And the outcome? Pizza. Really good pizza. Not “tree bark”, says Vitrano. “It’s real, quality pepperoni and cheese just without the freaky chemicals. You’ll actually taste the food. It’s delicious because it’s, wait for it… pizza. People try it, they like it and they tend to order again.”
billion global pizza industry, is “arguably the world’s most successful manufacturing, distribution and marketing infrastructure,” notes Vitrano. “By making a pizza that is physiologically correct and just as delicious, cheesy, and saucy, we can reach lots of people and prove that it’s possible to change all this.”
Ask Vitrano how pizza became the chosen vehicle for change and he’ll equate the choice to bank robbery: “when they asked the bank robber why he robbed banks, he said, ‘that’s where the money is’. Why pizza? Why fast food in general? That’s where billions and billions are served daily.”
The Naked Pizza franchise is a global one. With 24 locations currently open and 500 future outposts in the works, the brand has grown by leaps and bounds from the days of one storefront in post-Katrina New Orleans. Three locations have opened in Dubai and more are on the way in Australia and Kenya.
Pizza, both carryout and delivery, is one of the world’s most popular and accessible unhealthy foods. Fast food, inclusive of the $50
THE GROWTH STRATEGY
The original business development plan was to cultivate a social media presence that could weigh in on influential conversations around
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food and health. Most of Naked Pizza’s early following was compiled of people who had never actually gotten naked (eaten the pizza). In that sense, “the business has taken shape around a highly collaborative, highly engaged, sometimes contentious community. There are many sacred cows across the food continuum from Alice Waters to ConAgra, and we’ve likely bruised more than our share. But in a way, that’s the point.” Still, the team did not overlook the fact that to achieve a critical mass, the product couldn’t be inferior: “we’ve always understood that at the core had to be a pizza that did not violate expectations about taste, price, or convenience. It had to be somewhat familiar as to provide an on-ramp.” The plan just paid attention to these elements in reverse order, attracting publicity to the brand through charged social commentary. “We were talked about in media like the New York Times and on TechCrunch for being one of the first of ten case studies on the use of Twitter as a tool for business (along with other “tiny” companies like Starbucks, JetBlue, Dell and Levi’s). You could accuse us of selling the sizzle, but for us it’s about influence. This includes the honest exchange between a person ordering our pizza, chatting with a couple of hundred people on Twitter or Facebook, or having a story posited in a capitalist’s bible like the Wall Street Journal.” Our goal from the beginning was cultural influence. That’s why we chose a $50 billion dollar in-
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dustry as a Trojan horse. We want to be part of creating the world’s largest grassroots health movement - the AARP of health and food. But you can’t save whales unless you can afford the boat. Purpose and profit are inseparable.
IN-STORE EXPERIENCE
Enter any Naked Pizza location and you’ll know you’re not in Kansas anymore. The colors are soothing and wholesome, and the wall menus, covered with playful icons of ingredients, are in formative. The design is clean and minimal. Whether you came to get learned (educational videos made by in-house production teams stream to flat screen TVs; iPads line the walls to provide information the Naked team finds “important” and to encourage self-ordering) or came to grab a quick meal, you’re sure to be impressed. We recommend delivery: with an average of 25 minute wait times and online status updates, you’ll never wonder “where the &$%^ is my food?” Outfitted by upbeat and efficient staffs, who time everything for precision and quality performance (“it’s a militaristic ballet”), as well as Lamboo® (sustainable bamboo furniture), there is a vitality in the stores that is hard to come across elsewhere. “The store is about access and fun, which helps our customers... reconnect to natural eating. It really isn’t too deep... not preachy or earnest, but joyful. A tiny celebration of what’s pretty remarkable about people, food, health and feeling good.”
Keep Valentine’s Day simple and you might get lucky.
Teleflora XOXO Bouquet Includes a dazzling bracelet.
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DEEPAK
HOMEBASE ABC IN ACTION
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Many of us have strolled the heavily trafficked Union Square North. Perhaps you’re down to wear enough hats to secure a job at a startup in Silicon Alley, or maybe you’ve resolved to buy more of your produce at the Farmer’s Market in 2012. Familiar with this neighborhood or not, the Flatiron is home to a very historic set of buildings, occupied by the ABC Carpet and Home empire since 1967, and what’s inside might surprise you. Bypass this home furnishings utopia because you’re not currently in the market for a new chandelier crafted from driftwood, and you’re missing the point. CEO Paulette Cole, along with COO and director of social responsibility Amy Chender, has reincarnated ABC Home as a mission-driven business, helping individuals to create homes they love while bettering the planet. Says Cole, “the common thread among us all is a search for home, and creating home. Our homes are mirrors of our own evolution, but so is our planet. Our planet is a collective image of our culture’s state of mind. What we’ve been feeling is
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that if the planet is a mess it reflects back to all of us that we need to get it together.” Pay a visit. It doesn’t take long to understand what she means. Most companies don’t utilize their existing brick-and-mortar to incorporate progressive social initiatives into their mission; off-site volunteerism and end-of-year charitable donations are typical forms of consciousness at the commercial level. Not at ABC Home. Enter the old W. & J. Sloane building at 881 Broadway and at first sight, all will seem straightforward. Six floors of home furnishings are at your disposal, but with that comes a myriad of ways to invest in socially conscious products that definitely don’t look so... socially conscious. Catering to their somewhat “fussy” clientele remains a top priority for ABC, as the customer’s expectation of beauty cannot be compromised by sustainability. Whether you’re there purely for the high-end decor, or there to pipe money to a women’s cooperative in Vietnam by acquiring a new pillow, the ABC Team has achieved something: allowing you to participate and become part of the solution in affecting change. Cole has even been discussing changing the word “customer” to “participant”. The business prides itself on giving people ample opportunity to “vote with their dollars”, affirming their commitment to certain initiatives.
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A clear diversion from ottomans and throw blankets appears to the rear of the first floor: ABC Kitchen, the collaboration between ABC and Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten to bring organic, farm-to-table cuisine to visitors able to score a reservation. Opened in March of 2010, every inch of the restaurant is a reflection of Cole’s commitment to responsible, sustainable and visionary interior design, with a James Beard award for 2011’s best new restaurant to call its own. Climb a central staircase to the mezzanine and find yourself in the presence of revolutionary work: Deepak Homebase. Channeling the iconic energy of celebrity doctor/writer/philosopher Deepak Chopra, Deepak Homebase is a salonstyled classroom filled with an aggregate of dissimilar chairs lined like church pews, facing a simple stage near the entrance of the room. Cole and Chopra joined forces to conceptualize, create, and curate Deepak Homebase: Deepak’s interactive platform where he joins forces with influential A-listers (Bobby Kennedy, Adrianna Huffington, and 50 Cent, to name a few) who champion different causes. Deepak and various acclaimed guests host solution-focused conversations around pertinent topics -- love, health, poverty, religion, happiness, success, living, dying -- all are fair game. The ultimate goal: invite people in from around the world to talk about how they’re bettering the world and awaken those who are listening. The room’s “studio-lab” motif is an intimate, candlelit setting balanced by tubular glass and biological-chic elements that evoke thoughts of
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a laboratory. “Deepak’s knowledge stems from an informed place of deep scientific intelligence”, hence the “clinical” and molecular vibes. Deepak Homebase is, after all, a university in existence to amplify content. So, why ABC? Why Manhattan? Cole and Chopra have been connected for 20 years: Cole designed his first Chopra Center in La Jolla, California 16 years ago after attending several of his workshops. With profound respect for Deepak and his teachings, Cole was inspired to help him channel his work and his wisdom
in a more disruptive way. “We set out to create a platform for a show that could gather all of this wisdom and energy, supported by the right infrastructure to make it accessible, and create a new network, changing how we get information out to people who want to be informed at more levels. We want to achieve reaching that critical mass – to create a just, happy, sustainable world.”
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Inhabiting the mezzanine level of ABC Home allows Deepak to tune in to a community that sits at the edge of progress and change. “Everyone passes through New York, and that allows him to have these live and very vital conversations” in front of both the “incredibly cross-generational” audience that fits in the salon, and those who partake from home. All Deepak Homebase talks stream live to a thriving online community that allows any individual to join the conversation and contribute action towards a solution. The ongoing event series that has disseminated significant energy from Deepak Homebase and ABC is called Love In Action, designed to bridge a gap between Deepak’s work and people outside of his immediate following. “Love In Action taps into the stewards of our time” says Cole, generating mainstream awareness with the help of charismatic celebrities, such as Mark Ruffalo, actor and founder of Water Defense, and Adrian Grenier, actor and founder of SHFT. “If a visitor can leave inspired to wake up just a little bit more and become part of the solution – to want to take on some role in the community – that is crossover. That is the first step.”
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story sellers
WITH MARKATOS MOORE
Google the word “branding� and your search will turn up a slew of business publications and articles written on the importance of branding and setting your business apart. In the age of entrepreneurship, the tools needed to start a business are becoming ubiquitous, and with rapid execution putting more players in the market place than ever, branding can be a key survival tactic.
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THE ROGER SAT DOWN WITH SAN FRANCISCO BASED BRAND DESIGN FIRM MARKATOS|MOORE TO FIND OUT WHAT’S IN THEIR SPECIAL BRANDING SAUCE AND WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT THEY’VE CREATED TO HARNESS IT.
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The Roger sat down with San Francisco-based brand design firm Markatos | Moore to find out what’s in their special sauce and what kind of environment they’ve created to harness it. Having both graduated from the University of Kansas, founders Peter Markatos and Tyler Moore crossed paths after school and joined forces on a few freelance projects. A part-time arrangement turned into a working relationship that spawned one of the most impressive brand identity firms now available for hire. “My background is in design,” says Moore. “I went to the University of Kansas and finished my degree in Holland after which I worked for a small company at the height of the dotcom bubble. Yeah, everyone lost their jobs. But I was able to pull a client with me – America Online – and I started my own company from that. I worked on my own for five to six years before meeting up with Peter. We worked on a couple of projects together and felt like the partnership was really great. In 2006, we decided to start a company.” Not long after their decision to form Markatos | Moore, Peter and Tyler pitched their first big potential client, The Discovery Channel. “We went in there and told them how amazing we are and we ended up getting the job, the first big job we got as a company,” Moore recalls. From there, the dynamic duo created the impressive and sophisticated packaging designs for the Planet Earth series. So how did Peter and Tyler go from freelance designers to a sought-after brand identity firm? “By creating narratives that resonate with people. We ask ourselves: ‘what is an authentic story we can tell about this company or this product?’ We believe that’s why we get big corporations coming to us, wanting to tap into that approach. We pride ourselves on attention to detail and strive for excellence in design.” And what is the most important part of creating these narratives? Research. “We really focus on doing tons of research, which helps us come up with these narratives. I question how deep other Febuary - March 2012 \ 189
firms go with research or how senior the people they have working on it could be,” says Moore. The research process, however, is more than Googling a client’s competition or finding out the roots of their creation. “A lot of it comes from writing. All of our designers sit and write about what the company product means to us, but also what it will mean to consumers out there. We concept and write within that concept. Once we have an internal meeting, that’s when we start the serious research – going to the library and diving deep, beyond Google. There’s also an element of learning about the history of things – an industry, a company, a product – and tapping into that. From an aesthetic standpoint, our design almost always has a visual nod to
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THE PLURALITY OF OUR CLIENTS KEEPS US FRESH & OUT OF CREATIVE RUTS.
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something historical, or at least an awareness of history.” This means, for the entire team, a lot of time in the office library. Peter and Tyler have perfected the process of client interaction to make sure that first and foremost they understand their client’s vision. Be it for new business cards or a complete brand overhaul, the duo works directly with the client to ensure end goals are defined: “most of the time, our clients are really pretty smart and they almost always know a lot more about what they’re doing than we would, so we learn a lot from them. We sit down to listen and learn as much as we can and then we take that info and test the waters. We audit their industry and surroundings and ultimately generate a document – a brief that encapsulates all that – and then we dive into official business.” Let the iterations begin. The team has become so successful that they now must select projects from many prospects. The selection process aims to maintain a diverse client roster – a mix of project types, industries and sizes. Current and previous clients include businesses as large as Facebook, Nokia and Xbox and as small and local as ConcreteWorks and The Preserve. “We are now picking and choosing who we want to work with – from different industries, various companies, big and small. We always have internal conversations to decide if we’re taking something on. At the end of the day we have to be 100% behind what we work on. We like to keep it balanced. We actually don’t like to just do one niche or one industry. The plurality of our clients keeps us fresh and out of creative ruts.” 194 \ Febuary - March 2012
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Located in the heart of the hip Jackson Square district of San Francisco, Markatos | Moore has upgraded from the first floor to the third floor of their current building. “We almost pulled the trigger on a spot in The Mission (one of San Fran’s most culturally rich and youthful locales), but we resonate very strongly with San Francisco as a design firm,” which ultimately led the duo to their current location in one of the oldest parts of the city, the original commercial district. “It was a total fluke that we got this
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space to begin with. It used to be an art gallery and we talked the landlord into letting us call it an office.” The pair has worked hard over the last three years to have the space emit creative sophistication. “Our space is highly creative and fun – a very clean, curated space. There was a design firm in here previously so some of the architectural decision making happened through them. They upgraded the bathroom and kitchenette, lighting, and even took
down some of the wa of the space has b process. A friend of of the work stations doors, cutting them ing them – a proces give them a whitew workspaces are] re really nice,” says Mo
In the conference stalled a metal wall the room (approxim
walls.” The decorating been a collaborative the duo built out all by hand, taking new m down, and bleachss called pickling, to washed effect. “[The eally simple but look oore.
room, the team into run the length of mately 24 ft) to hang
their work from with magnets – an ingenious way to make a space collaborative without damaging the walls. Similarly, in another conference room, the walls are entirely painted with IdeaPaint, a dry erase paint that runs about $40/ gallon, but can be completely erased to look like normal wall paint. “It’s awesome. A nice kind of clean palate but you also have places you can put stuff up and write on the walls and get dirty. There’s chaos in areas – and if not you can create some.”
Overall, the team believes in creating a workspace that feels like home. “We have this raw deluxe thing going – brick walls, beautiful wood floors, really nice furniture, design work and raw wood - its a great combination.” After three years of evolving the space, they have created a work environment that makes them tick. “You have to make sure that you’re in a space that’s an extension of your home. Nothing too clean or too perfect.. Comfortable and inspired is key.”
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REFERENCES
MR YOUTH Photography: Sam Dietch, 2012 Special Thanks: Christian Borges BIG FUEL Photography: Sam Dietch, 2012 Special Thanks: Jon Bond, Rebecca Bond, Chris Bradley HORIZON MEDIA Photography: Sam Deitch, 2012 Special Thanks: Scott Berwitz MARKATOS | MOORE Photography: Melissa Kaseman (http://www.melissakaseman.com/) BRYAN BATT Special Thanks: Sean Boyles NADEAU Photography: Sam Deitch, 2012 YELP Photography: Sam Deitch, Austin Roberts, 2012 Special Thanks: Chantelle Karl BETAWORKS Photography: Sam Dietch, 2012 Special Thanks: John Borthwick, Nicole Frand, Charlie O’Donnell
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REFINERY29 Photography: Sam Deitch, Austin Roberts, 2012 Special Thanks: Alec Sash, Philippe Von Burries ETSY Photography: Individual Etsy Users, 2012 Special Thanks: Adam Brown DEEPAK HOMEBASE Photography: Sam Deitch, 2012 Special Thanks: Amy Chender, Amy Ilias NAKED PIZZA Special Thanks: Robbie Vitrano TASTING TABLE Special Thanks: Samantha Bernstein OBITUARY Photography: iStock Special Thanks: Anthony Battaglia GUY FRENCH Photography: Sam Dietch, 2012 Special Thanks: Rachel Lockwood PERKS Photography: iStock FIVE O’CLOCK SOMEWHERE Photography: Sam Deitch, 2012 Special Thanks: Kevin Roose
BROWN BAGGIN’ Photography: Sam Deitch, 2012 Special Thanks: Carolyn Brown MEET THE TEAM Photography: Austin Roberts, 2011 EVOLUTION OF THE SUIT Esquire Magazine; “The Evolution of Men’s Style: 1933-2008; (link to <http://www.esquire. com/style/style-evolution0908#slide-1>); Original Image Sources: 1) 1700s. http://www.metmuseum. org/toah/images/h2/ h2_2003.45a-c.jpg 2) 1800s. http://mistercrew. com/files/2010/09/victorian_mens_fashion_02.jpg 3) 1920s. http://www1.assumption.edu/ahc/1920s/demotic%20art/fredastaire1.jpg 4) 1930s. http://1.bp.blogspot. com/_2zMxGeRNL3Q/TKIdCQUf0DI/AAAAAAAAQRE/ ZzPeFzmrD5A/s640/Shortlist-Suit-1930s.jpg 5) 1940s. http://hayleymiss.blogspot. com/2011/01/male-fashion. html 6) 1950s. http://i.ehow. com/images/a08/4m/an/ wool-suits-1950s-800x800. jpg 7) 1960s. http://www. fiftiesweb.com/fashion/ mens-seersucker.jpg 8)
1970s. http://www.esquire. com/style/style-evolution0908#slide-23 9) 1980s. http://www.sabotagetimes. com/wp-content/uploads/ SHARP-SUITS-PAGE115-Al-Pacino-as-TonyMontana-in-Scarface-1983. jpg 10) 1990s. http://www. mytailorstore.com/images/ shop/7008.jpg 11) 2000s. http://www.esquire.com/cm/ esquire/images/2000-09-esquire-style-lg-86539585.jpg 12) 2012. http:// www.style.com/slideshows/2011/fashionshows/ S2012MEN/LVUITTON/ RUNWAY/00020f.jpg SMALL CHANGES (counter-clockwise) 1) Q and AA Day Journal; Urban Outfitters 2) Birch Storage Boxes (Set of 4); CB2 3) Khokan Blanket; Brun de Vian-Tiran 4) Remote Controlled 3’ Pillar Candles (Set of 3); Bed, Bath & Beyond 5) Natural Cowhide Pillow; Room & Board 6) Velvet II Camel Pillow; Room & Board 7) Graffiti Flame Pillow; Room & Board 8) Marquee Alphabet Light - Multi; Urban Outfitters 9) Knitted Blood Orange Proof; CB2
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