Yanking those summer oxfords and madras shirts out of winter storage can be a disheartening experience, especially when we find that the grime on the collars seems to have intensified over the months. Wash & Stain bars from the Laundress have their uses year-round in removing stains, naturally, but we tend to think they really come in handy when the sun comes out and we've got nowhere to hide.
Chicago's Kriz Baronia (an alias of a fellow well-known in the city's music industry) has been posting his manipulated images of oddly fused buildings and skyscrapers with relevant quotes in a photo series he calls "FLOAT" on Instagram. Baronia joins the buildings at their mid or lower sections and places them in endless skies, giving the impression that the structures are floating alien spacecraft or hovering city drones. It's so simple and effective, we're sure there's someone else doing it, too. But who?
See more at BaronnerSpicolliCooperDraper.
Greek filmmaker Romain Gavras has made some of the most epic short films in recent memory. His reel boasts landmark videos from M.I.A., Jay-Z and Kanye West, and Justice, as well as a series of spots for Adidas. His latest project, "Charge", a new ad for Samsung Smart TVs, has plenty of his signature high-action stunt work and features cheerleaders taking down gladiators, and a dinosaur in a dead sprint with a police car. [via It's Nice That]
Menswear watchers are surely aware that there are dozens of brands offering men's shoes in the fine leathers of Horween, a 100-year-old, family-run Chicago tannery. This season, however, Sebago's iconic boat shoes, Docksides and Spinnaker, enter the picture. The Horween Docksides and Spinnakers come in eye-popping shades of Horween Cavalier leather upper (orange, emerald green, red, yellow/red, orange/ink, and mustard) and are priced at just $150, putting a handsewn Horween shoe within reach of more of us than ever before.
Google has just released a brand new font for the Android version of their new note taking-app Keep. The typeface is called "Roboto Slab" and as the name implies, it's a slab serif version of their previous "Roboto" font. We've included images of both for comparison. Although it's a small revision, Creative Bloq thinks it might become the new default font for future versions of Android. If you can't make up your mind about the new slab serif style, you can download it for a test run.
Bicycles are, for some, just as much a fashion accessory as a practicality these days. That's no slight—bikes, if they're to step in for our gas-guzzlers in more and more situations, will have to draw on all the stylish charm and heritage they can muster.
Brazilian-born Lorenzo Martone's new cycling brand makes no bones about its fashion-forwardness—Martone made his career publicizing luxury brands for others, in fact. Every Martone bike has a signature red chain as well as a uniquely designed handlebar basket. Looks and practicality need not be strangers on two wheels, evidently.
The bikes themselves are produced in Taiwan and feature steel alloy and aluminum frames, city-worthy puncture resistant tires, and the MCC Duomatic two-speed gear system developed by SRAM. The smooth shifting and basket feature suggest these chic city bikes are meant for grown-ups about town rather than custom-ride-crazed street rats.
There are two models, a 50cm women's bike, and 52cm and 56cm men's bike available in five colors (Mercer, Gramercy, Grand, Regard, and Real)—all go for $899 at martonecycling.com.
And this just in, the Martone Red Gramercy and the Martone Silver Regard are now available in the Nothing Major shop.
Federico Uribe's sculptural work begins with something small. He starts with small found objects like pieces of wood or plastic and renders either detailed figures, like a lion head or a full cow, or formless textural pieces that explore the coloring of each tiny object. His "Tapete" (carpet) sculpture falls into the latter category. Uribe uses the surprisingly colorful innards of deconstructed computers to create an intricate pattern of discarded cables, keyboard keys, and circuit boards. [via Colossal]
Bottle openers aren't complex; they're some of the cruder gadgets in the kitchen drawer. But turns out they can be improved upon. Designer Brendan Ravenhill combined the rustic appeal and comfort of a piece of finished wood with the addition of a bent nail and two magnets to make the biggest change to the bottle opener since the addition of the keychain. The first magnet keeps the opener on the fridge door, the nail pries the bottle cap off, and the second magnet keeps the cap in place for easy disposal.
Recently, Nothing Major caught up with Dutch artist Parra (who sells his wares under the Rockwell Clothing brand name) while he was in NYC for his "Tracy Had a Hard Sunday" solo show at Jonathan Levine gallery. In this exclusive video interview with Parra for our Pro.files video series, he tells us about his love of the T-shirt format and why he likes drawing the female form.
Video interview by Eavvon O'Neal, Music is "Benedict's Fence" by Wrong Season
A pop-up purveyor showcasing cutting-edge merchants and creatives from Chicago and the Midwest, Fête started last December as a hip holiday market showcasing artisanal food, vintage goods, and handmade creations. Now, founders Emily Fiffer, Heather Sperling, and Jessica Herman are positioning the recurring Chicago market at the intersection of food and design. With the next installment April 4-7, 2013, Fête expands its focus with a program of events and lectures celebrating and spotlighting the creative processes of an array of big names in food, design, publishing, and otherwise.
INDO studio
Design related highlights include:
April 5: Process and Raw Materials: Gillion Carrara, Kristin Mariani, and INDO’s Linsey Burritt and Crystal Grover
Moderated by Pitchfork and Nothing Major creative director Mike Renaud, this roundtable discussion focuses on theories of material and design, along with new directions being taken by jewelry and accessory designer Gillion Carrara, dressmaker and designer Kristin Mariani, and the INDO team, who creates site-specific installations and window displays from recycled materials. INDO, 5:30pm
April 6: Studio Tour: A Rare Glimpse into the World of Crucial Detail
Columbia College product design professor Kevin Henry will talk with Crucial Detail’s Martin Kastner, a blacksmith-turned-designer who collaborates with acclaimed chef Grant Achatz of Alinea and Next, about his next-level tableware and conceptualizing new ways to present inventive cuisine. Crucial Detail, 3:30pm
April 7: The Making of Middlewest: A Conversation with David Tamarkin, Erica Gannett, and Sonnenzimmer
Time Out Chicago food critic and Middlewest founder David Tamarkin, along with photographer Erica Gannett and design duo Sonnenzimmer, will break down the aesthetic choices and angles they took when creating this new Kickstarter-funded food magazine. Tamarkin will serve up opinions on the direction of culinary media, as well as his own homemade coffee cake. Rational Park, 11am
April 7: The Sea Inside: A Tour of Land and Sea Dept.
The Garfield Park creative space/clubhouse of Longman & Eagle co-owners Peter Toalson, designer Cody Hudson, and Robert McAdams, as well as Jon Martin of Mode Carpentry, opens its doors for a tour. Drinks and food come from the newly opened Parson's Chicken & Fish, while sausage samples and Jello shots are from Longman’s Off Site bar. Land and Sea Dept, 2pm
Curious about the fest's intersection of food and design, we queried Jessica Herman for more details.
Why do a food and design fest?
Emily, Heather, and I are all passionate about food and design, so the inspiration comes from a personal place of wanting to showcase the primarily locally based talent in the city. As far as a fest, we've been doing the market experience for a while, and it's definitely key to the experience. But we wanted to take Fête to the next level. Having the chance to taste the food and shop the vendors' goods is one part of the experience, and an important one. The market is a kick-off for the weekend with basically the best catering you could imagine—Longman & Eagle cocktails, Virtue cider, food from Trencherman, Ruxbin, Parson's Chicken & Fish, La Sirena Clandestina, and so many more—and a chance to shop designed goods from a phenomenal group of vendors, some who have a presence in stores in Chicago and others who don't. But we wanted more. We want to inspire deeper conversations, offer access people normally just don't have to studio spaces, places like The Plant and Crucial Detail and INDO's design studio. I love seeing people have a chance to talk with the makers at the market, but when it's busy, it's impossible to have an extensive conversation. These additional events throughout the weekend offer a chance to continue the conversations that begin at the market and take them even further. Almost all of the weekend's events have some kind of representation at the market. For instance, Kristin Mariani of Red Shift will be talking about her process and raw materials Friday night with INDO and Gillion Carrara is selling her reclaimed leather accessories at the market.
What's the connection?
There's a lot of overlap. Longman & Eagle is a perfect example. Here's a team of guys who are equally passionate about food and design who have collaborated to build one the best restaurants and the coolest inn in Chicago. The design of Longman & Eagle is as important as the food. When people step inside the Land and Sea Dept. headquarters at our event, they'll see how that collaboration takes place with their studios all situated right next to each other. They're all generating ideas and tapping each others' different expertise and skills to execute those ideas. Similarly, look at someone like Martin Kastner of Crucial Detail. One of the interesting topics he'll discuss during his tour of the Crucial Detail space on Saturday is how his creative process collaborating with Grant Achatz has evolved over the years. The ideas for food and presentation come from both directions. It's not only Grant coming to Martin with ideas for food or drink for which he needs a design solution at this point, but it's also Martin coming up with ideas that he'll pass along to Grant. The process for honing in on that final dish or drink you see in the restaurant then goes from there.
Why is Chicago a good place for this?
There are so many incredible artisans, chefs, and designers in Chicago, but there's a lot going on people have no idea exists. Chicago's very much a food town, so people tend to be aware of the new restaurants that open up. But beyond that, if it's not necessarily buzzy, there isn't enough awareness of the abundance of creative talent in the city. If you don't already exist in these worlds as a chef or designer or have a natural connection, you probably don't have ready access to these people or places. Why not open the doors to the spaces so more people can understand what happens behind the scenes?