THE SPRING ISSUE
Art & Design
Azzedine Alaïa
The Couturier “No other dress can make a woman look and feel as good as an Alaïa dress because it cinches the body perfectly,” Naomi Campbell once effortlessly said about Azzedine Alaïa. From May 10 until October 7, 2018, London’s Design Museum will feature Azzedine Alaïa: The Couturier, the UK’s first exhibition of the late, […]
Kevin Abosch
The Art of the Yellow Lambo Weeks of contemplation, five days of sculpting, expert artisans, careful calculations; the sculpture created from this adept equation sold in less time than it took to manifest. Kevin Abosch’s neon sculpture, Yellow Lambo, ironically, also sold for more than the car itself. At a staggering $400,000, the sale of […]
Away from the Troubles of Life
In the political and societal tumult of the 2010s, most modern art endeavors to make a serious or provocative statement. The turbulence we experience with every fatal event, natural disaster, or political surprise renders us fatigued – an exhaustion which doubles when the movies we watch, the songs we listen to, and the art we […]
Roche Bobois
Creativity, Collaboration, and Cohesion For decades, the name Kenzo has provoked images of a wearable runway duality – garments that are human and street-friendly but not withholding of artistry. Unique patterns, daring lines, and chic resplendence are the markers of the Kenzo brand. But what of Kenzo Takada, the artist? What are his aspirations and […]
Hoch, Dali, de Salvia
Luca de Salvia Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting our vision.- Salvador Dali Deh deh deehhhhhhhhh. Vrrrrmmmmmmm. Clink, clink, clink, clink. Clunk. Blub, blub. Close your eyes. The instrumental journey of Sinfonia Digitale is an enticing, disorienting, and clever symphony as colorful as the accompanying images. If […]
David McCarty
A Story of Discovery We’ve seen it before in “Pleasantville,” “Edward Scissor Hands,” and maybe even the “Cat in the Hat”: a colorful character shows up and paints the town red, much to the chagrin of the residents. However, in “Sophie: A Story of Discovery,” a not-so colorful character gets her entire life painted yellow […]
Canyon Bicycles
Design and Innovation Around 30 years ago, Roman Arnold brought Canyon Bicycles to life in his father’s garage. Today, Canyon is one of the most coveted bicycle brands around the globe, winning countless awards for innovation, design, and quality, and for being ridden to victory by the world’s top professional racers. Based in Koblenz, Germany, […]
Norden Bikes
NORDEN, one of a plethora of bicycle brands from parent company C. Reinhardt, is a brand worth knowing. The designer largely responsible for NORDEN, Bjarke Schmidt Nielsen, is a former professional cyclist, and it was important to him to balance innovation with “respect to form and materials of the past.” Inspired by Scandinavian design principles, […]
Todd Murphy & Chris Jones
On one October weekend, the Lower East Side’s Marc Straus Gallery opened its doors with celebration for the release of two of its new artist exhibitions—Chris Jones and Todd Murphy. Both artists are creative genii of their own profession, Jones—a native of London and Murphy, a Chicago domestic and New York transplant via Atlanta. Both […]
Obsessions of a Creative
Jeff Bentley For Blue C’s Chief Creative Officer Jeff Bentley, a morning commute is a bit of a meditation. It’s only a couple of miles from his home to Blue C’s Costa Mesa offices, but it’s enough for him to get into a groove behind the wheel of one of his vintage cars and get […]
Laser Guided
Photography Nigel Barker Laser Installations Matthew Schreiber Model: Ballerina Kathryn Boren from ABT Makeup by Sheri Terry at Next Artists Hair by Abraham Sprinkle at Next Artists Wardrobe from The Blonds Location: 25-27 Mercer Street
An Exquisite Eye
Blake Kuwahara For those who know him, Blake Kuwahara is a name synonymous with design, and one of those thoroughly contemporary artists whose consideration for purpose in beauty is essential. Kuwahara has always been drawn to optics, a fitting relationship as his eye for composition and ability to translate what he sees to what he […]
J. Rusten’s Rocking Chair
If the world of furniture-design had haute couture houses, Jared Rusten’s San Francisco based studio would be one of a small handful. Unlike a fashion atelier though, Jared, and his eponymously named J. Rusten Furniture Studio defy easy classification. Certainly, most of the work the studio produces will read as “furniture” (chairs to sit in, […]
The Lath Hunter
Serra Victoria Bothwell Fels Meet Serra Victoria Bothwell Fels,aTennessee-raised, Australian American artist based in Brooklyn. Driven by a desire for sustainability and personal economics, Bothwell Fels has been using reclaimed wood to create large-scale installations inspired by the geometry of Sierpinski triangles. Her choice of medium is lath—a material found inside plaster walls—recovered from construction […]
Ethereal World
The Ethereal World of Aurora Robson For artist Aurora Robson, art is a dialogue. While many are attracted to her work simply for its beauty and grace, a much deeper conversation is taking place. Fused in every piece, shape, and sculptural creation is the message of the devastating impact our collective plastic consumption is reaping […]
Ornamental Art—Alex Soldier
“I see artistry and craftsmanship as two parts of one whole; one cannot exist without the other.” This is how renowned jewelry designer, Alex Soldier, approaches his work. “Detail is an imperative part of my vision. Ever since I made my first sculpture at fourteen, detail has been embedded into my DNA.” This dedication to […]
Brian Goggin: Rebel with a Cause
Within the industrial collage that is south of the Market art spaces lies a hidden authentic artistic revolution. The day, in its entirety, oversees a gloomy mist-filled morning and late afternoon that lingers to capture a small portion of the evening. Approaching the side streets of Alabama and 14th, the evening finally shows its glimmer, […]
Siba Sahabi
The future is handmade. This is the real innovation. Today, as the perfection of technology is becoming more human, and men are becoming more robotic, Siba Sahabi (sibasahabi.com), a poetic designer with German and Iranian roots, invites us to contemplate imperfection as the mother of all arts. “Handmade items have an imperfection that gives them […]
Today’s Beats
The scenario: A well-known rapper and producer who is passionate about improving the sound quality of audio products; an entrepreneur who sees a gap for a high performance audio brand; and one of the world’s most distinguished product designers. The response? Beats By Dr. Dre – a line of high-quality headphones that provide music enthusiasts […]
The Pino Solo Wine Tree
Now in its fifth year, Napa Valley’s Newton Vineyard presents the latest installation of its Eco Chic collection. A collaboration with Derek Chen, this limited-edition wine rack is a simple yet stunning design of a tree, comprised of a 75% post-consumer stainless steel “trunk” and a base created from discarded wine barrels, a by-product of […]
Into the Woods
Photographs by Martin Vallin Styling by Hanna Holmgren Thomas Sabo leaf bracelet Thomas Sabo tree, feather, key bracelet Maria Black big ring and bracelet Marcel Bedro knot bracelet and ring, stone bracelet Maria Nilsdotter bone bracelet Drakenberg Sjölin silver bracelet Efva Attling flower earrings Bud to Rose bullet ring, and star ring Maria Black ring […]
Observation
He has been called the “playboy” of the international design arena—not for his looks or his charm, but because he plays a lot with his expression and sketches, with his designs and in life. The Zurich-based designer Alfredo Häberli is known for creating functional and alluring design objects that are full of character. Häberli is […]
Mark Colle
Lights go low, music starts rolling, whispers subside, and the first model steps out. She struts down the runway, avoiding obstacles of all sorts: flashing lights from the photographers, the runway’s sharp corners and floral arrangements displayed in large Plexiglas cubes scattered across her path. The flowers are carefully hand-selected to highlight the palette of […]
Ernesto Artillo
Fashion and its imagery have developed into a world in constant evolution- — a universe of contrasting aesthetics and competing styles. Often over-saturated with not always brilliant pictures, it has now reached an era when there is too much of the same and too little thought behind each figure. The boundaries of art are blurring […]
