March 3, 2010

I recently caught up with famed author and Parsons illustration-department chair Steven Guarnaccia to discuss art, illustration, and collecting.

Bradford Shellhammer: Steven, you're the chair of Parsons' illustration program and a noted illustrator. You're also a collector. Tell me when your collection of Rooster ties started.

Steven Guarnaccia: I began wearing Rooster ties in the early sixties as a preteen. My dad wore them and my brother and I wore them. Rooster had a line of kids' ties alongside their adult ties.

B.S.: How many do you own?

S.G: I haven't counted recently, and I've culled the collection in the last couple of years. But I probably have about 150 ties. And no two are exactly alike. Often the same pattern was printed in a variety of color ways.B.S.: What is the history of the Rooster brand?

S.G: Max Raab was the founder of Villager, a sixties preppy women's-clothing company that gave Perry Ellis his start. He came up with Rooster ties. It's where Ralph Lauren got his start. Raab went on to become a movie producer, producing A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, among other films. By the way, I wrote a short appreciation about Rooster ties for GQ a number of years ago, which caught the eye of the then owners, who asked if they could photograph my collection for their archives. I went on to design two lines of ties for them, inspired by the old ties, though unfortunately not with the original square bottoms.

B.S.: Do you showcase the ties in your home or do they simply hang in the closet?

S.G: At the moment, they're in the closet, mostly to keep them from fading. For a while I hung them over a rod, like a curtain, in a window, which looked great but wasn't particularly good for the ties.

B.S.: Aside from ties, what else do you collect?

S.G: At one point I had something like 39 discrete collections. I had to count because for a couple of years I was on Art and Antiques' list of the 100 top collectors. I've calmed down a bit since then. But some of my other collections are black-and-white things (dice, dominoes, aces of spades, etc., about which I wrote a book for Chronicle called, oddly enough, Black and White), skeletons, vintage illustrated children's books, and kids' card games.

B.S.: You're also a lover of modern design and architecture, as evidenced in your books Goldilocks and the Three Bears: A Tale Moderne and The Three Little Pigs. What made you re-create these classic kids' stories with a modernist slant?

S.G: I had been doing monthly stand-alone illustrations for Metropolitan Home and then Abitare, in Italy, and became very interested in the history of modern furniture design and architecture. I was invited to contribute to a French exhibition about Russian children's-book illustrator Feodor Rojankovsky. He had illustrated Goldilocks and the Three Bears for Golden Books, and as I reread the book, I realized what a little design critic Goldilocks is: This chair is too hard, this bed is too big. It came to me that I could illustrate the book using classic 20th-century furniture throughout the book and teach kids a soft lesson about design at the same time.

B.S.: Your personal style is colorful and eclectic, matching your body of work perfectly. Is clothing an extension of your art form?

S.G: I've always felt clothing is a major part of the cultural and aesthetic landscape we live in. I can't separate my feeling for clothes from my feeling for any other cultural experience: the books I love, the art I surround myself with, the music I listen to. At a certain point I began to blur the seam between the clothes my drawings wore and the clothing I wear. As my illustrated characters started to get more bold in their sartorial choices, so did I.

B.S.: Do most illustrators have unique personal style?

S.G: I'm actually always surprised by how little attention illustrators seem to pay to their clothes. One of the benefits of being an illustrator, and working in your own studio, is that you can dress how you like. I figured that that would mean that illustrators would be walking around in the most inventive clothes imaginable. I used to put on a tie to go into the other room in my two-bedroom apartment, which was my studio. But I think most people get dressed up for each other. I get dressed up for myself.

B.S.: Since you're involved in education and work with students, what is the one piece of advice you wish you had heard early in your art/design career?

S.G: I got all my best advice outside of the classroom. I do think that when I started out, most people were talking about how important finding a style was, and no one was really talking about developing your voice. And by that I mean both a personal visual approach and figuring out what you want to say and how to say it. To be able to express yourself through illustration, and also to be able to communicate one-to-one with a client, is crucial to being a successful illustrator, creatively and professionally.

February 2, 2010

When Jason was conceptualizing fabulis his mother told him he needed to involve two of his friends in building the company: Bradford Shellhammer and Richard Socarides. Richard is an attorney, who has worked in the White House and for several media companies. He is also an outspoken political pundit. Jason's mother is now two for two as Richard officially joins the fabulis team today as head of the advisory board. This morning Richard chatted with Bradford about his new role, Jason coming out of the closet, and President Obama.

How did you and Jason meet?

We met when we both worked at the White House during the Clinton administration. Jason worked for the Chief of Staff and I was a Special Assistant to the President working on political, legal and policy issues. Truth is we got to know each other first over email, even though we worked in the same big white building. When I was trying to get into see his boss he was running interference.

I was told you were the first person Jason outed himself to.

Yes, Jason came out to me in an email exchange over the White House server at Midnight when I was trying to finish a memo to the president and he was trying to come out of the closet!

Since the White House days how have you two remained in touch?

We stayed in touch while he went to Stanford and I went to work for a succession of media companies. I watched his success with each of his companies and gave him input and advice over the years. Now, of course, I am really excited about taking on an official role at fabulis.

And what is that role?

Jason has asked me to chair the committee of outside advisors.

And who will make up the advisory board?

We are putting together a group of diverse leaders who come from a cross section of industries and professions and endeavors: music, movies, politics, law, the arts, designers and restaurateurs, etc. But a cross section of gay men around the globe.

What will they do?

They will help Jason and you and the fabulis team develop an experience for the fabulis user, connecting each user to their city, the world, and each other in a new and fabulis way.

What are looking for in the fabulis advisory board?

We are looking for people who will roll up their sleeves and put their best ideas forward. We'll be reaching out to the smartest, most influential, and successful gay people in the world. We are searching the US and internationally across a wide range of industries and professions. If someone has interest in helping, and we are looking for real workers here, they should contact me at richard@fabulis.com

What do you find most compelling about the fabulis concept?

fabulis will connect the user to their community, professionally, to civic engagement. It allows the sharing of information and opinions. It will make people more interesting and more interested.

Whether I'm looking for something to do on Friday night or whether I'm visiting friends on the West Coast, or even around the world in Latin America or Asia, I am always looking for the latest and most interesting thing to do. I want to experience the best and most interesting and breathtaking places - in my neighborhood and when I'm away for work or fun. That is what fabulis does. Through the experience we're developing, everybody will have the benefit of knowing the best person for a recommendation. Everyone will know the top places, events, museums, films, etc.

There is great information already on the web. What is lacking is information unique to the gay community about experiences that, for one reason or another, may be particularly enjoyable to us. fabulis is the place where, hopefully, people will not only share this information, but where they would go to find it.

If fabulis was live now what would you be raving about?

One of the most interesting places I've been recently was to see the ruins at Paestum outside Naples. There are ancient gay erotic frescoes in the tombs. They date back to 500 BC and they look like David Hockney paintings. I was there recently visiting my friend Robert Hammond. We also stumbled upon this mom and pop pasta place, Osteria da Olindo, in the Trastevere section of Rome that had only locals, gay and straight. It was one of the best meals I've had there and was dirt cheap.

As someone who is all over television and writing for The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, what is your take on Obama's speech from last night?

I know his heart is in the right place, and I actually thought the best part was when he went off text and said, "It's the right thing to do" in reference to repealing don't ask, don't tell. It's amazing that he got a standing ovation for that, at least from the Democrats. So let's hope he can pull it off. He'll need all our help.

During the ramp up to the fabulis launch we'll be spotlighting Q&As with the fabulis team. Up first is Jason Goldberg, founder and CEO.

What motivated you to start fabulis?
fabulis is the 3rd company I've started. The first company was in the recruiting space and the second was in the social news space. With both of those companies I was passionate about the product but I didn't have the complete passion that goes with building something that was specifically built for me. That's what fabulis is all about. This one is for my me and my friends. Being gay isn't everything that defines us, but it is a very important part of who we are.  fabulis will be our site. This was my main motivation. I want to build a website that me and my friends and other people like us rely on many times a day, everyday . . . not just for online interactions but as much so to help us with our offline real-world lives and pursuit of happiness.

How did you get the idea for fabulis?
In 2009 after selling socialmedian to XING, I was working for them in Hamburg, Germany, where I had a great job working on product development at Europe's leading online business network. It was the first time I'd worked overseas and from a work perspective I was very content over there and really enjoying the experience. Great people there at XING. I really learned a lot from them and we accomplished a lot together in a short period of time.

On a personal level though, during this time my German boyfriend was (ironically) living in NYC while I was in Hamburg. We had a long distance relationship and every two-to-three weeks or so we'd see each other, often times in various European cities, which was one of the great luxuries of working in Europe.  However, we really struggled to find the fabulous places to go to in these cities. We needed information on the hot hotels, bars, restaurants, etc. What I found was that while this information is regularly needed by gay travelers, mainstream websites like Trip Advisor or Urban Spoon or Yelp or Fodor's are great for finding out what the masses deem worthy but they're pretty bad at really getting at the most fabulous things to do.

Me and my friends and my friends' friends have differing ideas on what makes a restaurant great than the typical Trip Advisor user. We don't always value the same things as the mother of four from Wisconsin or the straight senior citizen couple spending their twilight years in Florida.  That hotel they rate highly? We think it's boring. That "hot restaurant" in Fodors is dim to us. We don't want the mainstream viewpoint. We want the gay-male take. We want to know the trends before they are trends. We want to make the trends.  By the time it's in the guide book, it's passe.  And, we want more than just the guide to the gay places. We want the gay take on where to go, what to do, and who to meet when we're there.

I had one great realization. Gay men come in all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, etc. But there is one common denominator. It's a desire to celebrate life.

There aren't places to get relevant travel information when you're gay?
There are books you can get. There are some good restaurant series. But by the time books are written and published the trend is already over. We need a real time web environment. And, it needs to be social.  Gay men are inherently social. Gay men also often get this information from friends and friends of friends. And we're always looking to meet up with friends of friends. A number of times over the past couple of years I did not realize until I'd left a destination that there were friends of friends visiting also at the same time. We need a better way to meet friends of friends who are in the same place at the same time. I think fabulis can help with that, and in doing so we can make this big gay world a whole lot smaller.

So when did you decide to actually pull the trigger and start company #3?
Over the summer I thought about how to piece it all together. fabulis needed to be a new way to enable gay men and their friends to easily find out where to go, what to do, and who to meet. I started talking to dozens of gay men and everyone kept asking me to please build the site. At that point it became my focus. I finished my commitment to XING, left amicably, and started building the site.

Who became involved?
I reunited the socialmedian team, mainly Nishith and Deepa Shah in Pune, India and together we've assembled a 12 person development team there. I recruited the Brussels-based design team Duoh! and recently brought on Bradford Shellhammer as Creative Director in NYC. I spent a couple of weeks with the development team in Pune back in November and December and we worked on the initial ideas of fabulis. I also educated the Indian team on the gay market. That was fun for all parties. We developed the persona of our target user. We're now in our third development milestone. We are very head's down on product features. Live code is up and running internally for both the website and the iPhone app and we'll have our actual product out in the market in the hands of real users really soon.

How has fabulis been funded?
The initial finances I provided. We've also had a lot of interest from socialmedian investors as well as others. We've since then now raised money from several sources and we will share the details of our first seed round in the next few days.

What is it with gay men and trends?
Gay men are always on the forefront of trends. We're tastemakers. Look at Lady Gaga and how she effectively targeted the gay market first, a bellwether for mainstream crossover success. Gay men come first and the mainstream follows. How do you harness that? By enabling gay men to come together and spot trends. When The New Yorker wrote that Tipsy Parson is the hot new restaurant, they were four months late. Where are the hotspots now? And we're not just talking about places, but also uncovering an artist or a product before the mainstream does. We all want to be known as influencers. We'll provide foodies the chance to recommend restaurants. Frequent travelers can log their hotel reviews. Audiophiles can help you find the next Lady Gaga. fabulis provides the forum to do this.

But don't we already have Facebook for that?
Facebook is a great place to share with people you know. It is a lousy place to discover what you should be doing and who are the people you should be meeting. This is the gap we want to address. The social graph on Facebook consists of your friends. One of the aha's among gay men is that the social graph is larger. It includes friends of friends. It includes strangers who are at the same bar. On fabulis you'll be able to find out who is going to South Beach this weekend, or who is planning to be in Mykonos this summer, or just who is going to which local bar tonight. And sometimes knowing which strangers are going is more important than knowing which of your friends is going! We intend to be the ultimate resource to know who is going somewhere before you even decide to go. You can find out who is watching what TV show. You can make decisions based on your friends, friends of friends, and other people in your city (or the city you're visiting). You can check in with an iPhone at a bar, see who else is there, and get a message from someone across the room instantly.

What are your first-year goals?
We want to create the service that gay men around the world use to help them celebrate life. We want to develop and foster an emotional attachment between the fabulis service and our users. We want every gay man, everywhere in the world, to say "I am fabulis" because they feel like they were part of building the site. fabulis is being made for them. Our top priority right now is to get something out there in front of our users and gather their input and feedback as to how to make it better. Rinse. Repeat. Rinse Repeat. Make it fabulis.

One year from now, we will be successful if we have developed a service that our users feel like they designed and built with us, and that we had succeeded in building something designed by them, for them, meeting their needs.

January 13, 2010

Isabella Rossellini and whales

Sundance Channel's Green Porno has been a runaway hit. The show is the brainchild of the fashion icon Isabella Rossellini and colorfully, and creatively, brings to life animal mating habits. The costumes are works of art themselves. Bradford Shellhammer tracked down wardrobe designer Andy Byers to discuss working with Rossellini and his myriad of creations for the series.

Bradford Shellhammer: When I first saw GREEN PORNO, my reaction was surprise. I was surprised that the show had been made and that someone like Isabella Rossellini was involved. What did you think when you first heard of the concept?

Andy Byers: My friend and GREEN PORNO producer Rick Gilbert had me come over and he handed me this little stack of paper. I flipped through these very childlike drawings with words like “anus” written on them. He opened an envelope and poured onto the table little paper cutouts with googly eyes glued to them. If he hadn’t told me Isabella had made this stuff, I would have guessed he was showing me something his niece or nephew had given him. I can remember giggling with him at the idea that we’d be putting so much money into making this incredibly beautiful women look like she had been dressed up by a second-grade art class putting on a play. But that was exactly what she wanted. The wonder that is present in a school classroom doesn’t really exist in the adult reality. I loved the idea of her bringing sexual ideas back to a setting like that. It is kind of creepy but somehow perfectly fitting, because in a way Isabella was being a teacher.

B.S.: After my initial shock faded, I was most impressed with the visual imagery of the show, most notably your costumes. Can you walk me through how you tackled the design process?

A.B.: One of her first thoughts in regard to the costumes was that she wanted to be in a unitard. That helped keep things simple. From there it was just thinking about the costumes like a sculpture or a drawing. What’s the easiest way to get the idea across that she’s a spider or a starfish? What key elements represent the animal we were doing? And from that, what can we use that keeps her somewhat elegant — or, if not elegant, hilarious? The starfish is actually a good example to discuss. I first made the paper versions that stand next to her as she reproduces them. When she came into the studio to look at some of the sets, she loved the simplicity of the lines that create all the feet on the starfish. So instead of making this super-complicated outfit, we decided to just use the same paper cutout and glue them to a red shirt and pants. I love that one because it doesn’t look great. It doesn’t even look good, but it’s super-funny to me. I think you can even see the paper popping off the shirt once. Taking away the mystery, showing the gag, leaving in the mistakes, that’s what makes GREEN PORNO good for me. In the same way that great records leave in mistakes. It gives them character.

In other cases, the design is based entirely off her drawings. When I saw the script for the squid, there was an image of two big eyes with feet coming out of the bottom as two of the tentacles. I saw that costume in my head almost immediately, even the bubble wrap for suctions on the tentacles. But it was based on this simple sketch she made. I loved the drawing so much I used it again as a pajama pattern for the baby barnacle.

B.S.: What came first, set or costume?

A.B.: Well, at least in one episode, “Earthworm,” the set is the costume. Usually I’ll make the sets first, then take elements from what I enjoy and place [them] back into the costume. For instance, I made the shrimp lover first, then used that same construct to make Isabella’s shell for when she protects her eggs. In “Fly,” I made the sculpture, then decided what needed to be present in the costume. The eyes were the strongest element, so I made sure they were the same even though nothing else would be. Those goggles were made from foam and fabric, though, so she couldn’t see a thing when they were on. We had to guide her over to the fly and get her into position, and then she did her thing. She never seemed to mind when she couldn’t see. I could say that’s good costume design: helping her to forget she was on film and getting her into the character. Mostly, though, it’s just me making something with little idea of how it functions and more about how it looks. I would usually end up putting the costume on right before we’d go to set and be like, “Oh, shit, right, you can’t walk in this thing. Well, just lie down and wiggle around on the ground a bit.”

B.S.: Who constructs the costumes, and what are the materials?

A.B.: I usually make all the costumes myself. If I can, I’ll make them out of paper, as every other element on set is paper. If not, it’s just whatever works. Like I said, a lot of them are unitards that just have additions to them, like the snail. It’s just a gold unitard with little antennae sewn on the hood. She drew on the nipples and crotch. My friend Ryan makes these great papier-mâché sculptures, so I had him make the shells. He has a very playful sense in his work, and I knew they’d fit in with the style of the series.

B.S.: What was the most difficult costume to create? Which is your favorite?

A.B.: I guess the whale was the most difficult. I had to make it twice. I first thought about putting her in this whalelike bulbous thing, and she was worried she’d be a Barney. So instead, I started thinking “fat as a whale.” Making a fat suit is harder than it seems. Equally proportionate fat man boobs are no small task. My favorite is the bee. She just looks so great in that, beautiful and funny. The little vests are cute. The colors are perfect with the pink flowers. It is very preschool play, and I love the “stinger for defense.”

B.S.: When Isabella first appeared wearing the erect whale penis, what was the reaction on set?

A.B.: Of course everyone was laughing like crazy and the penis was held on by these two hooks that lock into the bottom of the belly. We figured it out only a couple hours before it was filmed so it kept falling off, which was also funny and never got old. We had someone holding an extra penis for lighting before she came out, just to light up this huge thing when she hits her spot. Everyone was running around with them between their legs. And when she penetrated the other whale, its vagina kept ripping open. Jokes just rolled off the tongue the whole day. “Whale” was a ton of fun.

B.S.: I also just learned that you created the score for GREEN PORNO. What other creative tricks do you have up your sleeve?

A.B.: Yeah, I was in a band for a couple of years, barely knowing how to play my instruments. Mostly it was just a reason to hang out with my friends. It taught me enough to be able to plug in my guitar and noodle around a bit. I’ve also been classically trained in 15th-century wizardry, and I am currently raising unicorns at my friend’s farm in upstate New York.

January 12, 2010

Johnny Weir is an outspoken athlete with a penchant for flamboyant costumes, both in and out of the ice rink. As Weir prepares for a hopeful journey toward the 2010 Olympics and as he readies himself for the Sundance Channel series Be Good Johnny Weir, he took a few moments to answer some of Bradford Shellhammer's questions about design, fashion, and dressing like a swan.

Bradford Shellhammer: You are a world-famous athlete. And you're a gifted fashion designer. Can you walk me through your design process?

Johnny Weir: The music and theme of my programs usually takes me on a mental journey of colors and icons and images. I start with the character I'm trying to portray, and then I decide what will work on the ice as far as color and shape are concerned. Once I complete my sketches, I go to my seamstress and go through many fittings, making sure everything is just right, and then we sparkle the hell out of it. It is figure skating, after all.

B.S.: Whom do you collaborate with when designing your costumes? What role does each person play?

J.W.: First of all, I have to impress myself with the sketches. Once I am happy with the design, I take the sketches into my practice and show my coach, Galina Zmievskaya. After Galina has added her two cents, I sometimes tweak the sketches and then take them to New York to my seamstress and co-designer, Stephanie Handler. Once Stephanie grasps my concepts, she begins a rough outline of the costume in velvet and mesh. After two fittings or so, we start to add details, and after a few skating practices in the "skeleton" of the costume, we make the final alterations and adjustments. After that, it's ready for the world to approve or disapprove of.

B.S.: What design has been your favorite? Your least favorite?

J.W.: My favorite skating costume to this point has probably been my short program in 2007-2008 set to a Russian theatrical piece from the rock opera Yunona i Avos called "Ya Tebya, Ne Kogda, Ne Zabudu." I tried to invoke the romanticism of the story while making the costume very literal. In Russian myth, the souls of sailors who die at sea turn into seagulls. There is a large white section, which to me represents the seagull, while one half of the costume is military-style to represent the hero of the story, Nikolai, and a lace handkerchief represents the story's heroine, Conchita. My least favorite costume was a gray mess of fabric I wore when I was portraying the story of Jesus Christ. It just didn't work on me.

B.S.: Does the showmanship of the skating world and your stylized costumes inspire/impact your everyday personal style?

J.W.: Figure skating is so over-the-top, and as in any line of work, you have to live it. My everyday style is absolutely over-the-top. I love my fur and giant sunglasses, and I never leave the house without a brightly colored Balenciaga. I'm also really into shiny, pointy shoes, which could have some throwback to the blades on my skates.

B.S.: When you're designing technical clothing, are there materials you wish you could use but cannot because of the stress of skating?

J.W.: There are a lot of things I wish I could wear that are impossible to wear while figure-skating. Usually stiff materials like leather, plastic, or glass are hard to wear. Imagine the kind of crazy corset you could create using some broken glass and electric-blue plastic.

B.S.: You've walked runways at Fashion Week. Any plans to do that again?

J.W.: I would love to walk the runway again! I had so much fun walking a few times for Heatherette that I'd love to walk and get made up and feel very special about myself. The energy at fashion shows is so different from a skating event. It is very exciting.

B.S.: Your swan costume rivals Björk's in humor and notoriety. Do you appreciate over-the-top and avant-garde fashion in others?

J.W.: Thank you! Anyone who has the balls to end up on the "worst-dressed list" deserves major credit, and they all inspire me. From Lady Gaga to Björk, over-the-top is never enough for me. Michael Jackson was wearing the most amazing Givenchy pieces toward the end of his life, and he was such an inspiration in them. Runway shows from artists like Viktor & Rolf, Gareth Pugh, Denis Simachev, John Galliano, and Alexander McQueen are all so inspiring, they make me want to run down the street in a pair of pink briefs, metallic-gold shoulder pads, and a giant sable coat with pointy sneakers made of matryoshka dolls.

B.S.: Who are your style and design inspirations?

J.W.: I'd say my style inspiration definitely comes from traveling the globe. I have seen so many different street styles through the years that I will never look like anyone else walking down the street. I try to invoke the moody sex appeal of Moscow fashion, the bubblegum-pop styles of Tokyo and Seoul, while still keeping it chic and label-whoring it up like New York. For figure-skating design, I'm definitely inspired by theater and ballet as well as architecture in some cases. This year I have been so inspired by Fabergé eggs. I think inspiration can come from some of the least expected places. I can say that at the moment, I am very inspired by Lady Gaga's style as well as the style of Sergey Lazarev. Gaga is always forward, while Lazarev dresses the way I think a man should dress, and I find myself somewhere in between.

B.S.: If you could design costumes or clothing for any other athlete, who would it be?

J.W.: I think Nastia Liukin is the most beautiful athlete around. I would love to design her some lynx and sable warm-up jackets to go over those gymnastics leotards.

B.S.: Name your three most loved belongings in your closet.

J.W.: This is hard -- my closets are pretty full of lovely things. I received a beautiful J12 diamond Chanel watch from a fan; I have my first fur coat from Cavalli that I named Svetlana; and finally, probably my Casadei patent-leather pointies, because they go with everything. Who am I kidding? My most beloved thing is probably my pair of bunny-fur bedroom slippers I got in Moscow eight years ago. They are so old and falling apart, but they still trump any Ugg I have ever seen as far as "slipper style" goes.

Inside the Gilt warehouse

Fashion lovers around the country eagerly wait for their daily e-mail from Gilt. The website, an online sample sale, caught fire in 2009. As the New Year starts, Bradford Shellhammer asks Gilt’s founders, Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, a few questions.

Bradford Shellhammer: Where did the concept of Gilt start, and how long did it take to get off the ground?

Alexandra Wilkis Wilson: Alexis and I met while attending Harvard for our undergraduate degrees, and we were also classmates at Harvard when we pursued our M.B.A.’s. For years, we often discussed that we would like to create a business together; we were just unsure what it would be and when we would launch.

Years later, after graduate school, we decided we were ready to bring our complimentary fashion/ecommerce skills together in the form of a business. Alexis came from the e-commerce world, being one of the early employees at eBay (during her four-year-run there, she witnessed its growth from 40 employees to about 5,000), while I came from the luxury fashion world, with retail experiences at Louis Vuitton and Bulgari.

We would frequently meet each other in New York City and attend sample sales together, during which we would receive numerous calls from family and friends instructing us on items they would like us to buy on their behalf. It seemed natural to us that the sample-sale business model had strong potential to work online nationwide and our skill sets and drive were ideally suited. Gilt Groupe was launched on November 13, 2007.

B.S.: Does the product drop-ship from each label to the customer, or does Gilt buy and then sell the merchandise?

A.M.: We do not do drop ships direct from vendor to customer at this time. All orders are shipped from Gilt to the customer.

B.S.: How do you approach brands to partner with, and what do you look for in the brands you carry?

Alexandra Wilkis Wilson: We are regularly approached by brands hoping to be sold on Gilt, and we are continually looking for new partners that align with the Gilt ideals of bringing value and luxury to our members. We have a wonderful, collaborative environment with our brands, and we take great pride in the process of selecting items to sell on Gilt. Because of our relationships with the design community, we are able to select items from the designers’ collections that we know will sell best while keeping in touch with what our members will wear. Gilt Groupe also partnered with the CFDA in January 2008, which confirms that our products come straight from the designers, not from sale racks. We have sponsored a number of shows at New York Fashion Week to date, such as Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang, Rodarte, Richard Chai, Brian Reyes, Costello Tagliapietra, and so on — this is most definitely something we will continue to do in order to support such talented designers during these hard times.

B.S.: Your simple photos of the merchandise on the models are not fussy and are very effective. Who is responsible for the Gilt “look,” and was it intentional to be consistent with your images?

A.M.: It is absolutely intentional, and achieving the Gilt “look” is a collaborative effort between the marketing, merchandising, and styling teams. We want to keep the site chic and aesthetically engaging to give our customers a truly unique shopping experience, while respecting the brands’ identity and image.

B.S.: Are there brands yet to appear on Gilt that you really want to feature?

A.W.W.: There are so many brands and designers we love and would be honored to have on Gilt. Too many to list.

B.S.: You’ve launched a separate men’s line. Do men and women shop differently online?

A.M.: Men and women are very different in so many ways, one of the biggest being their shopping habits! We created Gilt Man just for guys, so they have their own section of the site that speaks just to them. Everything from the language to the imagery on the site is tough and masculine, and the sales are targeted more toward gear/gadgetry than couture.

B.S.: I, like many friends, have lost some items on Gilt that other shoppers had snapped up first! What labels or items have sold out the fastest?

A.W.W.: Dresses … dresses sell out so quickly on the site. We have had a dress sale consisting of thousands of units that had a 100 percent sell-through in just 45 minutes. We love the new “Gilt Countdown Clock” available for download now on Gilt.com, which ticks away the exact seconds to your next favorite designer sale.

B.S.: And for my own selfish reasons, when will I see Etro or Paul Smith on Gilt?

A.M.: We are working on it.

December 22, 2009

House Industries is a font foundry that has created fonts for and/or inspired by the iconic textile designer Alexander Girard, the architect Richard Neutra, and the naughty lingerie line Agent Provocateur. It also makes toys, clothing, furniture, and art. Andy Cruz, the creative director for House Industries, recently answered some of Bradford Shellhammer’s questions.

Bradford Shellhammer: How do you describe the work of House Industries?

Andy Cruz: It’s a blurry line between work and hobby at House.

B.S.: Do you always start with a font and then the other creations follow?

A.C.: Letterforms are usually the starting point — they’re what keep the lights on — but we always try to take the storytelling beyond a graphic-design tool. Selfishly, a lot of the products we make are things we’d like to have for ourselves.

B.S.: I am intrigued by some of your projects with other design giants. Could you share a little about your collaborations with Agent Provocateur?

A.C.: Our friend Barnzley, a partner in the House33 store in London, introduced us to Agent Provocateur founder Joe Corre. Joe was using an off-the-shelf typeface for his I.D. that was firmly entrenched in an exponentially expanding operation. He wanted something that was a little bit different and executed in a way that his hack competitors could not easily steal but also blended in with his existing program. We penned a flowing Spencerian wordmark as well as an AP corset monogram and a proprietary font for use on everything from knickers to door handles.

B.S.: Richard Neutra? Alexander Girard?

A.C.: It goes back to creating opportunities to work on projects you really dig instead of things that suck your soul. Rather than just collect books or art from our design heroes, it’s more fun to really get our hands dirty … not only try to develop some cool stuff but share what we love/learned from the experience with others.

B.S.: The Girard project has yielded some great creations, like the dolls and the nativity scene. Were there any Girard projects you’d hoped to do that did not work out?

A.C.: That was the hardest part of the Girard project … knowing when to say when.

B.S.: When the designer is dead, as in the case of Girard and Neutra, how do you honor the legacy while creating something new?

A.C.: The best way we can honor those whose work we admire is building something inspired from the ground up … either as a font or an object. It’s much more fun than taking the “licensing” route and slapping an archive image on a fashionable product that nobody is gonna give a shit about in two or three years.

I think Eames Demetrios crystalized it for us: “Design is a willingness to surrender to a journey. You often hear about ‘design driven’ companies, but most of them that want to license the Eames name are thinking of it as an acquisition for their collection of brands. Every once in a while, you encounter a company like House Industries that is willing to go on that journey and grow our brand as well as theirs.”

B.S.: You’re based in Delaware, a place not necessarily associated with design. Does being in Delaware impact your work?

A.C.: I’ve found that being away from “the action” often makes you work harder.

B.S.: Your David Dodde serigraphs are stunning, especially the Neuhart work. Can you elaborate on the process of making these prints?

A.C.: Thanks. David has been pulling squeegees with House art since the beginning and has become a natural extension of the studio. We decided to try and strip things down and do a series of simple letterforms and images in a limited color palette. Again, stuff that would look nice hanging at home.

B.S.: As a blogger, I am impressed with your blog and how long it has been in existence. Many company blogs go unkept, but yours is filled with great information. What value do you see in your blog, and who is ultimately responsible for it?

A.C.: Sheesh, that reminds me — we gotta put something new up.

B.S.: What’s going to be the big House Industries news in 2010? Any exciting projects?

A.C.: We’ve been grinding hard on the Photo-Lettering and Eames/House projects for a few years. … Hopefully this spring they’ll be race-ready.

B.S.: If you could create a typeface for one fashion designer or brand, who would it be and what would you do?

A.C.: I don’t think it’s so much the dream project as much as it is finding the right person(s) to work with. I can’t tell you how many times we thought the stars were aligned, but then comes some narrow-minded (often corporate) wedge that either waters things down to taste like everything else or just plain kills any possibility of doing something memorable.

B.S.: Lastly, what’s your favorite font?

A.C.: I’m easy: Futura.

December 8, 2009

The avant-garde Barcelona-based candy shop Papabubble recently collaborated with Tobias Wong and Josee Lepage to open a shop within a shop in the whimsical Italian furniture manufacturer Cappellini’s New York City showroom. The results are breathtaking and sugary sweet. Papabubble owner Fiona Ryan and industrial designer Tobias Wong, who has designed everything from bulletproof heart brooches to diamond rings, answered a few of my questions about the collaboration.

Bradford Shellhammer: When I walked by Cappellini the other day, I was blown away by the candy in the window. What is Papabubble?

Fiona Ryan: We are a small group of artisan candy-makers that got started in Barcelona.

B.S.: This collaboration — Papabubble and Tobias Wong with Josee Lepage and Cappellini — how did it come about? What role does each play in the mix?

F.R.: All of us are kind of whirling around each other, and all have been totally essential to the collaboration. Ideas have come from everyone, and our hands are busy making them come to candy life. Tobias and Josee came in one day and asked if we’d be into it, and here we are. It has been a very pleasant collaboration.

Tobias Wong: “Organic” is the best way to put it! I have worked with Cappellini in NYC over the years showing my own work, curating others’, and creating installations. This year I got a call from them asking for another project of my choice (absolute freedom) within their SoHo flagship store, with no restrictions and whatever I wanted and needed. That request sat on the back burner for months until one day I was lunching with Josee Lepage (a dear friend and longtime collaborator) and within hours we hammered out the idea of piecing together a unique crossover of art, design, and sweets to match the economic climate. So we marched into Papabubble and presented our concept. It’s not a pop-up shop, we all agreed. It’s going to be a classic “shoppe in shop”!

B.S.: The Marcel Wanders lollipop is brilliant. Who thought of that? Has he seen it?

T.W.: It was Josee and myself. And Marcel’s signature gold nose seemed so perfect for this holiday project. After all, he riffed on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. We just took it for another spin. Wanders has not seen it yet, but I’m sure he will be pleasantly surprised and happy. Won’t you guide our sleigh tonight, Marcel?

B.S.: Did you attempt to make replicas in candy of some of Cappellini’s designs? What were the results?

F.R.: We did, and the results were usually beautiful but very fragile. It’s challenging to make sharp corners and straight lines with candy, and this project has been good practice.

T.W.: What Josee and I were really aiming at were creations inspired by Cappellini, so at the end, it wasn’t about mimicking their furniture. As you can see, this artistic translation turned our to be our own unique pieces. They are beautiful and create a new dialogue.

B.S.: The rings too are beautiful. Who came up with those designs?

F.R.: The three of us who make the candy here came up with the designs. Some have been intentional, and others have completely caught us by surprise. It is amazing how many possibilities there are. Other times, people will ask for specific types of rings with initials or will give us something to put in the ring … like a diamond! There was a proposal with a candy-covered diamond not too long ago.

T.W.: We are in love with them. And wish we could, but cannot, take credit for them! It’s all Papabubble. The rings inspire us.

B.S.: What is the process of designing candy? Do you sketch? Is it that thought-out?

F.R.: We do sketch. Say we want to make a bicycle out of candy. We sit down, map it out, and then figure out who is going to sculpt what. I may do the wheels, and another will take the handlebars. We have to make sure the timing is right with the cooling process and keep an eye out that we don’t actually put something backwards or upside down.

B.S.: What is involved in the process of making custom designs?

F.R.: We love to make custom designs. People will come to us with an idea or an image and we’ll work out how to turn it into candy. Some things are more difficult than others. We’ve done candy portraits and animals and massive lollipops. We’ve even done some “adult” items. It is great what people come up with and even better when it really turns out. There is nothing like licking a lollipop that looks like yourself or a friend.

T.W.: Bring it on! We can use a challenge.

B.S.: If you had to choose which piece is your favorite in the collection, which would it be?

F.R.: For me, the bowls or the Wanders.

T.W.: It is so difficult to name one. Each piece that Papabubble makes is unique, and so every time there is a new piece we find a new favorite. And then one of them gets sold and we wish we had put it aside for ourselves.

November 18, 2009

Robert Fontanelli’s work — drawings and 3-D re-creations of those drawings — is daring. It incorporates fashion and furniture in equal measure. And it’s erotic. I am obsessed. Last week, Fontanelli answered some of my questions and shared images of his new work.

Bradford Shellhammer: Your drawings contain a myriad of images — fashion, eroticism, modern furniture. When did you start incorporating these elements?

Robert Fontanelli: I have a jam-packed box from circa 1997 filled with fantasy drawings done on scraps of paper and Post-Its. I would do these drawings when my mind started to wander away from my demanding but largely uncreative corporate art-director job at Estée Lauder. And that happened frequently, I might add. I didn’t know what the drawings meant; I only knew that if I ever stopped doing them, I might almost cease to exist. I started to paste the best of these into an art pad I called “the book of interruptions.” They were germs of ideas and expressions: provocative people with ribbons for heads, or unwearable shoes with a separate platform for each toe.

B.S.: If you could choose one midcentury design you most covet, what would it be?

R.F.: Ah, that would be hard. I’m inspired by Carlo Mollino, Ettore Sottsass, Dagobert Peche, Roy McMakin (his refrigerator/bookcase!), and Czech cubism, to name a few. Paul Frankl’s skyscraper bookcase has been a muse since I first saw one in the eighties at the Brooklyn Museum “Machine Age” show. But I think I couldn’t live with something so precious as that. I believe your furniture should be used daily and not treated like a museum piece. I might have to ultimately go with a Donald Deskey zigzag lamp; there are only two or three left, or some ridiculous number like that. Plus, it doesn’t look like you could easily knock that lamp off your dresser by accident, which would put me at ease. By the way, I don’t like the term midcentury modern, because of all the clichés people assign to it. I just refer to it as 20th-century at this point, or modernism.

B.S.: Are there fashion designers who inspire your work? Who?

R.F.: Sure! Viktor and Rolf’s last show was art — those chain-sawed dresses with geometric shapes cut into them as if they were sculpture. It was a revelation when I stumbled upon a Jean-Charles de Castelbajac show at the V&A in London in 2006. There was an oversized poncho with two hoods so you could wear it with another person. And of course I admire where Hussein Chalayan has dared to go. His 2000 collection with the model wearing a coffee table is a classic. I first showed drawings of people wearing furniture about a month before that collection, so something was in the air. I’m lucky that the drawings for that PS122 show were done in 1999, because sometimes people act like I’m being derivative of him. Hell, Dali and Schiaparelli did amazing variations on that theme in the thirties. Chalayan has original takes on design and something thought-provoking to say. I like to think I do too.

B.S.: Currently, you are creating 3-D versions of your drawings. What has that process been like?

R.F.: It’s a refreshing challenge. I love working with carpenters or an exceptionally talented clothing designer and having them bring something alive, something that never existed before. I’m learning a lot. But you can’t be vague and hope for the best. As any of the masterful people I’ve been lucky enough to find to work with me will tell you, I try to think out the problems first. Dimensions, proportions, textures are all elements sweated over before a project is handed over. I don’t want anyone wasting their time because of bad planning. And all the conceptual thinking is done way in advance too, so when I’m done with a 3-D piece, it works on many levels. I find also that artisans are grateful to work on art pieces — not just for the extra cash but because the things I need help creating are not part of the norm. It challenges them too. And they also bring solutions and advice.

B.S.: Has there been a drawing you could not successfully turn 3-D?

R.F.: Not yet. Next year I want to have a man measured/fitted to be inside a table. It’s as if he was getting a suit made, but I’ll be working with a carpenter instead of a tailor.

B.S.: Are the 3-D versions functional? Wearable?

R.F.: There’s a chair hat, a sofa scarf, and a house dress that are all wearable.

B.S.: Your work seems to have both males and females represented pretty equally. Do you have a preference to which you draw?

R.F.: I love drawing both equally. But nude can be deadly boring sometimes! I prefer an element of clothing to spark imagination; women just have better pieces to try to capture. Men have interesting hair on their bodies to draw, which is fun for me always. I’m also glad my men look like men and my women look like women. I’ve seen a lot of artists’ work in my day that can’t claim that! If you’re drawing a drag queen, that’s another story.

B.S.: Where do you intend to show the 3-D versions of your work?

R.F.: I’m working on that! Finding gallery representation is a job unto itself. Anybody out there? Clampart? Feature?

August 31, 2007

During the month of August DWR is celebrating women in design.  Sandy Chilewich is one of our favorites. Her company, Chilewich, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.  Sandy recently chatted with me about her brand, her new designs and the female designers she most admires.

We’ve launched your new woodgrain lines and they’re really beautiful.  How did they come about and what is different about this manufacturing process?
Woodgrain was more of an experiment to see how far we could push the envelope weaving with unique and challenging vinyl yarns. I wanted to see if we could create the shading and dimension of a woodgrain with a simple jacquard.

Are there other natural patterns that you’d like to replicate using manmade materials?
Yes, the success of the woodgrain from both a design perspective and from the great response we have had, has led to much experimentation. Not just wood, but it’s a secret.

When we met you spoke about a few collaborations you’re currently involved in. Can you share with our readers these stories?
I am working with Luisa Cevese, an Italian designer, who is known for her proprietary process of encasing textile remnants in polyurethane. It is absolutely gorgeous. She is now incorporating some of our “waste,” the selvage (the irregular edges that are cut off) from our spun vinyl products. Her process, which requires heat, melts our material in different degrees and it looks very different than the other materials she has used. She will be making table mats and bags. I am also intrigued with introducing wire into our products and have been working with a British designer who is an expert in weaving with metal. This is already very challenging but still promising.


Design Within Reach is celebrating women designers in the month of August and you’re definitely one of our favorites.  What women designers have inspired you in the past?
My all time favorite female designer is Lucienne Day, who I imagine will forever continue to inspire me. She just has it all —  such a tremendous graphic range and not a “one note” designer who’s imagery or some version of it is repeated over and over. She was constantly exploring, but her work is unified by a consistent personal aesthetic.

Design Within Reach customers may only be familiar with our floor coverings, but Chilewich also makes an extensive collection of bags and table top items.  What products came first and are there new categories you intend to launch?
In 1997 when I launched the Raybowls™ they were my first foray into the home accessories market and, happily, they met with success. They had a simple and inventive mechanism for making fabric concave, with covers made from stretch netting usually found in lingerie. In a quest to source other suitable fabrics to incorporate into the Raybowl, I discovered woven vinyl. It didn’t work for the bowls, but where others saw an industrial material, I saw placemats, flooring, bags and more. The durability of the yarn, its tremendous design versatility and the fact that it is washable continues to inspire me.

Your products are all made in the United States. Do you do this intentionally?
It is great to be manufacturing in the States for many reasons. Most important is the ability to hop on a plane to do some R&D or solve a problem at the mills. Working on my home turf and speaking the same language (however I am not sure if our southern suppliers would say we speak the same language) just makes the design process, sampling, lead times, etc., easier. It is also very gratifying that I am supporting American production.

Chilewich’s color palette is very sophisticated. Have you or will you ever experiment with floor coverings or table tops in brighter colors?
I don’t know why people assume that bright colors are less sophisticated. It’s the particular tone which is decided upon from an infinite number of possibilities as well as the relationship to the other colors surrounding it. That determines sophistication. It’s true that I have focused on grays and browns in the past but this fall you will see indigo and next spring lemon and coral. I think they are thoughtful colors, which is for me what makes things sophisticated. It takes hours and hours of work to attain a color and palette that satisfies one’s imagination.

You’ve designed jewelry, launched a hosiery brand and now Chilewich.  Any plans to venture into uncharted professional/design territories?
We are launching window treatments with the Shade Store shortly. This is our first licensing arrangement. I will be introducing napkins next season - my first venture with natural fibers, which is funny. There is much on the horizon that I am contemplating, but it takes a lot just to keep up with the growth of the business that I am in now.

July 16, 2007

I've adored fashion writer and downtown style icon Lynn Yaeger for years. I finally nailed her down for an interview. Enjoy.

Describe your look?
It’s really an array of different influences: backstage at the ballet, 1920s flapper, Victorian farm girl, overgrown babydoll, etc.

I was devastated at the loss of Isabella Blow. Did you know her and did you consider her a kindred spirit?
Alas I didn’t know her, but of course I always considered her a kindred spirit and greatly admired her. There are so few of us who dress up every day.

What designer under the radar will be a household name sooner than later?
I have no idea, I'm terrible at that sort of thing

When you wrote “truly wacky style doesn't date” in the NY Times Style Magazine I felt you were speaking directly to me. Have you always had a wacky style?
Yes always wacky, but it has changed a bit over the years—I used to wear vintage almost exclusively, and now my clothes are all new.

Did you ever not stand out in a crowd?
I hope not.

Are you still considered a fashion outsider or have the A-list labels caught on to your influence?
Well I do see some of my hallmarks show up on the runways from time to time, but I’m still definitely an outsider. You’d be shocked if I told you all the things I don’t get invited to.

Who do you think is underrated in the design world? Dare to say who’s overrated?
I actually think Vivienne Westwood has never really gotten the credit she deserves.

You’ve said in past interviews you return many things you buy. What was the last thing you took back?
Oh my God, I have been on a massive buying-and-returning spree at Barneys this season. Already bought and returned a certain Dries Van Noten dress twice, am thinking of buying it a third time…

You once stopped me at a party to tell me you loved my outfit (Miu Miu graphic shorts, metallic blue Versace sneakers). It made my night. Do you constantly find personal style you admire on the streets of NYC?
I wish I found more. New Yorkers are so tame, it’s depressing.

What’s your key to happiness?
At the risk of sounding like the rat in Ratatouille—be yourself! An artist can come from anywhere!

June 27, 2007

Casey Stratton is the red-eyed singer with a voice as intense as his mane. He caught up with me last month to answer some questions about his new disc, the music industry, and why he blogs.

Your new recording is called The Crossing. What’s your favorite track on the album?
My favorites tend to shift all the time. Right now I’d say that my favorite track is “Static Into Sound.” I like the sentiment of it. For some people it can take a lot to admit that you need someone else.

I assume you’ll tour to support the record. Any plans yet? I’ll buy you a drink if you come back to New York.
We’re planning to tour in the fall. Summer is rough. People are busy. So I’m waiting. Hopefully gas prices will go down in the meantime! Also, I’m never one to turn down a drink so I’ll have to take you up on your offer!

You’ve blogged over at Live Journal for some time now. What prompted you to write an online journal? Do you read others?
I started my journal in 2004 when I was living in New York. I had begun to read other blogs and a few people I knew had Live Journal blogs. I decided that having a journal would be a way to share some of my ‘real life” experiences with the fans and such. That’s why I have no issues with doing memes or quizzes or anything. It keeps me grounded in reality. I read my “Friends” page every single day. I think that it is fascinating to be reading about people’s lives from all over the world. I read TONS of blogs. I love them.

I must admit that the other reason I started blogging on LJ was because Sony had mentioned having a blog on my official website at the time, but they wanted to approve every entry I wrote before posting them. Um…no. LOL

On your blog you wrote an entry I was fascinated by about how the seasons affect your songs. During what season was The Crossing written and recorded and how did it affect the outcome?
Something that makes the records interesting and diverse, in my opinion, is that most of them are written throughout at least 3 seasons. Most of my records take about 9 months to a year to write and record. The Crossing began in the spring of 2005 and continued through the early spring of 2006 so I wrote for almost a full year on this one. My hard drives are set up with folders that are titled “New Spring 2005” and “New Winter 2006” and so on, so even then I am compartmentalizing the songs in relation to the seasons. The majority of the tracks that made the record were from the winter and spring sessions, so I think that adds a nice dichotomy to the record. A mixture of more hopeful sounding songs and darker ones.

I’ve been training for a marathon and in doing so have listened to more and more dance music. I repeatedly find myself going back to the tracks Junior Vasquez mixed of yours. Were you happy with them? Any plans to remix recent recordings?
Best of luck with the marathon. I can’t even imagine. To be honest Dance music is not really my thing unless I’m in a club, for the most part. Junior and I had a bit of a falling out, but I’m in good company on that front. It seems you’re no one until you fight with Junior. I do enjoy hearing the mixes when I’m out and about, though. It was something different and fun to do. No concrete plans to remix anything at this point, but you never know.

One of my best friends was signed to Warner Brothers in the 1990s. She now releases her own music, so I have seen the ups and downs of independently releasing music. What do you miss most about a major label backing you?
Well I think the operative phrase here is “backing me.” I do miss having a giant recording budget and string orchestras, but for the most part I don’t miss being signed. Once the record was done, the internal politics of the BMG merger caused them to stop backing me altogether. I watched as my marketing budget was slashed by 75%. I knew then that the album would not get the push it deserved. It happens all the time, so you just get back on the horse and keep making music. It would be nice to have the resources of a big company again, but I don’t think it’s worth it creatively and my loyalty lies to the creation of music first and foremost.

What’s the greatest pleasure of releasing your own music?
For me the greatest part of releasing music on my own is that I don’t have 20 people trying to change everything all the time. I get to decide what goes on the record and in what sequence. Therefore the albums feel more personal and I think my fan base can recognize that. It adds to the intimacy of the music. Like they say, too many cooks can spoil the broth.

I use music particularly if I am in a bad mood. It cheers me up. When you need inspiration which artists do you listen to?
If I’m having a bad day I go straight for the Tori Amos, Kate Bush, Sarah McLachlan, Paula Cole section of my music library. I have always used songs to get through the rough times. When it comes down to it that is what inspired me to become a songwriter in the first place. I was originally going to be an opera singer, but one day I decided I wanted to make albums.

What song would you like to cover most?
I have always wanted to cover “Troy” by Sinead O’Connor or “New World” by Bjork with a full orchestra behind me. Maybe one day!

One last question. Who has more fun: blondes, brunettes, or redheads?
That’s a tricky one for me since I’m naturally blonde. Even so I think redheads have the most fun…especially when it comes to being wild. Redheads can get in a lot of trouble. Even when you’re red from a bottle. In fact maybe ESPECIALLY us fake ones. If you go out of your way to have bright red hair you know you’re looking for a wild time!

June 11, 2007

Zach Augustine sent me Donny Miller's book Beautiful People with Beautiful Feelings. It changed my life. Donny Miller answers my questions.

I was given your book Beautiful People with Beautiful Feelings as a gift this year and I think it's the best coffee table book I own. And I own a shit load of art books. What's so special about your book?
I tried making a book that wasn't just a bunch of pretty pictures. Something with substance. Maybe that's why you like it. Oh yeah and it’s the best book ever made.

Do ugly people have beautiful feelings too?
All the people in the book are ugly. I feel this way, I’ve met plenty of beautiful people, but if they have an ugly soul, the physical is a moot point.

I read in an interview on your site you did that you "think in women." Which is funny as I "act in women." As a matter of fact after one too many wines I'll often times pull out your book and recite lines for an audience in an overtly feminine voice. Is that weird?
I want video of that. Doesn’t sound very weird.

Please tell me you have another book in you?
I am working on another book. Different than the last. I’m growing as an artist.

Myspace says you're in a relationship. Who's the lucky lady?
Angie. I am to be wed very soon.

The graphic images in the book. Were they created for the book or are they compiled from you art?
Those are my art pieces. I worked on art for the book, you know?

I am creating a headboard from artist's skate decks (Ryan McGinnis, Jeff Koons) and I am totally freaking out that you did one for Baker. Where can I get one, please?
Jeff Koons did a skateboard? He’s great. I love the hanging locomotive piece he recently proposed for LACMA. When you have enough money to hang a locomotive from a crane, then art is limitless. See, art isn’t limited by the mind, it’s limited by the money. Ah, but using the mind to get the money. Problem solved. You can order one from me. It’s the cover of the book. This is what it looks like.

Where can I see your art?
In the book, but I will be doing more soon and redoing my site. Here’s a public art piece I did. I’m doing many more of these public art pieces.

What will you be remembered for?
If I died right now, probably the book. But if I live and get all the things done that I’m doing, then I will be remembered as an artist who explored with unmatched commercial success film. An artist, who changed the way people saw themselves. An artist who stopped hunger and healed people with a magic spoon full of never ending macaroni and cheese. An artist who floated above the 10 freeway in Los Angeles and entertained those stuck in traffic jams. Basically, the greatest artist who ever lived. I already hold the title as the most handsome artist ever.

I'll be in LA this weekend. Where should I eat?
Hope you can check your email as it is Saturday. Vegan Glory on Beverly and Orlando. Get the Italian dressing.

Thank you, Bradford.

May 11, 2007

Her creations are colorful, playful, and quirky. Her designs have beautiful organic quality. A few weeks before ICFF Barcelona textile designer Nani Marquina chatted with me about her latest designs, ICFF, and her favorite color.

Hello Nani. I am excited to be hosting you during ICFF. What do you have in store for us during the party?
We will introduce our last novelties and most innovative collections: Little Field of Flowers, Seagrass, Roses, Noodles and Flying Carpet.

What new products will you be showing that week?
We'll be exhibiting at ICFF (Hall 1C Stand nº 932), where we will present the entire new collections for 2007 including the Tapete side-table and Déploye blankets. These two collections are the first step to a new range of home objects that we will launch next year 2008.

The party at Design Within Reach will not only showcase your products but Camper's new line of shoes. How did you get involved with Camper?
We've had a very good relationship with Camper for such a long time. Camper is a Spanish brand from Mallorca, which is very close to us, and they are also very innovative. They have a very clear philosophy about well-being and they have a very close relationship with flooring and stepping too! Camper strongly bets on sustainability and innovation. We also love the brand because of its amazing communication image.

I am a huge fan of Tord Boontje. Can you describe the new rug he's designed for you? How did this collaboration come about?
We also love Tord Boontje! His designs are very close to nature and the organic world. We were tempted to put these magnificent floral compositions over the floor. We worked so hard together to find the best way to enhance his floral graphic concept. We used a manufacturing technique that we employed for our Roses rug. This handmade technique is called hand loomed. So, we proposed to Boontje this type of craftwork allowing the use of die-cut felt flowers. Then the flowers are knitted onto the rug.

You're known for your use of color. If you had to choose, what would be your favorite color?
Well, I think all colors are nice. The point is to mix them properly. If I have to choose just one color I guess all things done in red do improve so much.

Barcelona is such a hotbed for design: furniture, textiles, fashion. Are there any Barcelona-based designers we should know about?
I guess you know Javier Mariscal; he's a must! Concerning new hot designers I really recommend Ana Mir and Emili Padrós, from Emiliana Design Studio.

I always feel the need to ask designers the clichéd question of what inspires them as I really do wonder about others' inspirations. So I am sure you've been asked before, but what inspires you?
My job is chasing beauty. The fullest place where you can find beauty is in nature. I love to stare at spectacular landscapes, but this does not necessarily mean that my products directly remind one of these sceneries.

Where do you stay when you're in NYC?
I love to walk all over Manhattan. I like going to the MoMA and seeing how the city changes every time I come. It is in a continual transformation and every time I visit the city I discover new places and images. I love the movement you can feel in every quarter and see how new quarters arouse!

Concerning your textiles: Where does the wool come from and where are the rugs manufactured?
Our wool comes from India, New Zealand and, sometimes, from Morocco. Our main production is in India and Morocco.

You're fond of felted wools. How does this process differ from traditional piled rugs?
Felt gives volume and movement to the rug and defines shapes. It basically invites people to touch our rugs.

One last question, what's been your favorite creation to date?
I've been designing rugs for 20 years . . . so, there are lots! If I have to choose just one, it would be my last creation: Roses. This collection was brand new for its manufacturing process, which was very innovative, and its new material.

June 28, 2006

Dangerous Muse are the homo-electro duo of Mike Furey and Tom Napack and they have both gay boys and straight girls swooning. The fellas took time from rehearsals and prepping their new EP to chat with Bradford Shellhammer about their fans, their photos, and their new record.

The photos on your site are pretty hot. Who shot them and what was the shoot like?
MF: Some of our favorite photos are ones that weren't intended for press -- ones that our friends just took for fun. The black and white ones on our site were shot one night after a bottle of wine. They were captured by Miguel Villalobos and styled by Zaldy (head designer for Gwen Stefani's clothing line, L.A.M.B.).

Describe your music in 10 words or less?
A piece of us we share with you.

Do you ever read blogs?
MF: Not until recently! There is this really great blog that my roommate told me about called The Hype Machine. It's great for finding fresh and really random music.

TN: I'm not really into reading blogs. Sometimes I read PopJustice.com. But I will say that Queerty is pretty fuckin’ solid!

What do you have in the works?
MF: We're in the process of finishing our first album. Over the summer and into early fall, we will be recording many more songs. We plan to have our debut CD release in March 2007. We will be supporting this release with a tour and with promotional and marketing materials domestically and internationally.

Ted Ottaviano produced "The Rejection." We're you fans of Book of Love?
TN: "Boy" is one of our favorite songs. We have really enjoyed working in the studio with Ted.

MF: Ted Ottaviano is a stellar producer and a perfectionist. We love him. Ted produced all the tracks on our next digital release, "Give Me Danger EP," coming in August 2006. This new EP will be a collaboration of our first digital release and three new songs. It will also include a radio edit of one of our favorite remixes of "The Rejection."

Depeche Mode or New Order?
Depeche Mode.

Erasure or Yaz?
Erasure.

Madonna or Kylie?
Madonna.

Do you have more male or female fans?
MF: It's hard to say. Our audiences have been a good mix of both guys and girls. Same with our MySpace messages.

TN: We've been psyched to see the mix of people who have been writing to us. It's bizarre sometimes to hear where our music is being played.

Your dream collaboration?
MF: Maybe someday Michael Gondry or Matthew Barney would take a stab at directing a music video for us.

TN: I want to do collaboration with MAC for Dangerous Muse eyeliner.

Any word on new live dates?
We are currently in rehearsals for live one-off events. A list of these dates and locations is maintained on our official website as well as on our MySpace page.

How does being a bi group work exactly? And I mean bi-coastal, of course.
TN: We like flying both ways.

MF: But to be straight, being on separate coasts has been a real pain in the ass...