Readymade celebrates fashion.

Last week, at our Potrero Studio in San Francisco, we threw an event to celebrate Readymade magazine’s fashion issue launch. The party was a huge success, packed full with glamour guys and gals in blue suede stilettos (which I coveted). Our intrepid proprietor, Eric Hildebrandt, made a catwalk out of tape on the floor, and Readymade had the models walk between the crowd and the furniture. Many of the clothing designers were in attendance, and they used the same models from the cover of that issue. I can’t say I remember everything about the evening (which may or may not be due to the vodka luge, courtesy of Hangar One). Thanks to Readymade and the great folks at the Potrero Studio for throwing such a fun event.

The king of fashion.

Paul Poiret was an artist who used fabric as his medium and in doing so saved women from corsets and the overly the constructed garments of Paris before the First World War. How he did this was to elevate draping, the process of hanging fabric on the body to create garments, to its current day popularity.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art is celebrating the work of Poiret with the exhibit "Poiret: King of Fashion."

The exhibit's title comes from Poiret's own declaration of his royal artistry.  And it is hard to argue with the man after seeing the exhibit.  His work is beautiful, detailed and thoroughly original.  If you cannot make it to the Met swing by Bergdorf Goodman. Their windows are also displaying Poiret's creations. "Poiret: King of Fashion" runs through August 5th.

A showhouse goes modern.

Many of New York's DWR peeps ventured to the east side last week to see the annual Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse, a traditional showcase that is getting more and more modern with each passing year. The showhouse is a charity event for the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club and features many of New York's top interior design firms.  Sadly, the show ended this week but I'd be remiss to not mention a few highlights.  The design duo of Randall Beale and Carl Lana created the entryway to dramatic effect, complete with a pair of silver leather Egg chairs. Warhol would be proud.  Speaking of Warhol, a pair of his paintings hung in the one of the bedrooms designed by Jed Johnson Associates. Johnson was a onetime lover of Warhol’s and, though he died in 1996, his namesake design house created a pristine bedroom suite filled with understated designs and a perfectly curated show of remarkable art. However, it was Amy Lau's room that seemed to get the most DWR praise.  She uses modern in a way that remains clean yet warm, colorful yet calm.  Her citron and turquoise room was a perfect match for a warm spring day in Manhattan.

Road trip!

AAA estimates that that 38.3 million Americans will be hitting the road this Memorial Day weekend. As summer begins, it’s hard to resist the lure of the open road (well, gas prices notwithstanding…). Which is why now is a great time to introduce the first ever Design Within Reach Airstream travel trailer. It’s sleek, it’s silver and it’s stocked with some very slick accoutrements for the modern traveler. Tom Dixon’s Wire Coatrack, Heller Dinnerware, two Tripolina Chairs and George Nelson’s Ball Clock all come with it. Even a pillow covered in Paul Smith’s Modulating Stripe fabric from Maharam. But that’s only the beginning. Get the whole story here. Designer Chris Deam did such a stunning job in pulling it together, the DWR Airstream probably could have won the Apartment Therapy Smallest, Coolest Contest. Huh. I wonder if they would have let us enter.

2nd home blues.

Last week the New York Times ran a story on the despair of owing a 2nd home and, as someone who recently purchased one, I can easily see where things could go wrong quickly.  My partner and I are currently renovating a second home in upstate New York and it’s been quite a hit to the old pocketbook.  New siding, floors, windows and kitchens all begin to add up.  But we (and by we I mean mostly him) have decided to do a lot of these things ourselves, saving costs and allowing us complete creative control.  Some expenses have been unexpected (a new water filtration system, ridiculous gas heating costs during winter), but by and large the experience has been positive.

As most Manhattanites can attest just the fact that having a place to put our things is calming. And we’ve found ways to save here and there. A few ways we’ve cut costs have been to shop on eBay (where we got our Viking Stove), do many of the projects ourselves and to outfit the space at DWR’s Annex. Seriously, even if I did not work for DWR it would be the best place to outfit a modern house on a budget. Now if only they could help me wallpaper.

Keeping art under wraps.

The New York Times has a piece this week about Christoph Buchel, a Swiss artist best known for his conceptual pieces and large-scale installations. Collaborating with Mass MoCA in North Adams, Massachussetts, the installation has been going on since last fall. Roughly nine months of work and still the entire installation is not finished! In fact the process has been halted due to increasing budgets and increasingly complex demands from the artist. (Like burning, and then hanging, a fuselage from a 767 from the ceiling. How on earth does one “plan” for something like that?)

So, what to do about an installation that’s close to done and taking up the museums largest exhibit space? Well, Mass MoCA has figured that out (maybe). They’re opening up the doors to share the unfinished show, but they have decided to cover it up with tarps. Viewers will be allowed to wander amongst the art, but will have to rely on their imagination to fully appreciate the show. Their intention is to show the public how museums work with artists as well as to show their risky nature. It all sounds way cooler than my desk job. Such a unique dilemma, I’d really love to see the show for myself.

Apartment Therapy winners are in.

Congratulations to Mia Sorgi, the 1st place winner of the Apartment Therapy Smallest, Coolest contest! The past month has been so much fun to see all the photos of the entrants homes. It felt like a mix of being a peeping tom and a design critic rolled into one, all from the comfort of my Aeron task chair. Thanks as well to the judges, including our own Michael Sainato, Art Director at Design Within Reach. Big thanks to Apartment Therapy for hosting such an engaging, fun contest. We can't wait for the next one. In the meantime, see all four winners here.

A sad Blow.

When I heard earlier this week that Isabella Blow died my heart sunk a little. She was the English fashion muse who discovered John Galliano and Alexander McQueen. She was the woman who actually wore Philip Treacy hats. And shockingly, she pulled them off. McQueen called her "the most interesting person I ever met." I bet. I had no clue of the depression she was plagued with. Today the New York Times delved into her life and set the record straight. Ms. Blow felt left behind by Mr. McQueen, financially she was a mess and she attempted suicide twice this year. One of those attempts left her with broken legs after jumping from an overpass. Outside the world of fashion insiders Ms. Blow's name would most likely go unnoticed. But to those of us that eat, breathe and sleep clothing she was an icon and a true individual. In hindsight you could say she hid behind those monstrous hats, their size matching her sadness. She'll be missed.

The Cooper-Hewitt awards the best in design.

The Cooper-Hewitt has just announced the winners of their eighth annual National Design Awards. Meant to promote innovation, they manage to find the best and the brightest across a wide range of design disciplines – you can see the esteemed list of winners here. In particular, we’d like to extend congratulations to Maharam. A fourth generation, family-run textile company, they were honored as a Design Patron. (What is a Design Patron, you ask? It recognizes outstanding support and patronage within the design community.) And we would have to agree. This year, DWR and Maharam have partnered to offer an expanded assortment of innovative upholstery options for some of our most popular sofa collections. Looking to learn more about design? Cooper-Hewitt’s a great place to start. The Awards are accompanied each year by a variety of public education programs, including lectures, roundtable discussions and workshops. Plus, they’re planning a National Design Week in October. Spend some time on their website, there’s so much there.

Interview with Nani Marquina.

A few weeks before ICFF Barcelona textile designer and DWR favorite Nani Marquina chatted with Bradford Shellhammer about her latest designs, ICFF and her favorite color. Nani will be at DWR's Upper West Side showroom on May 18th for a cocktail party celebrating her work.

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.