The Wonderlust Journal

Spirit of ’77

OMFG Co., design firm behind the Ace Hotels’ collateral materials, does it again with the new Portland sports bar Spirit of ’77. Love the giant sign and scoreboard, and did you notice that the wall behind the bar is a basketball floor?

One reason I find my job (hospitality design) so interesting is that for hospitality interiors (bars, hotels, restaurants), you are combining interior design and branding, creating not just a space, but an entire world, from scratch. The interior design has to be well done, of course, as it would be in a home, but at the same time you are reinforcing a brand message at every turn.

And I don’t mean putting the establishment logo everywhere. What I mean is that every single aspect, from the fonts on the signage, to the paper products (menus, in-room binders, door tags), to the food and drinks, to the kinds of glasses and silverware you choose, all have to speak the same language, constantly reminding the visitor what the place is all about.

OMFG Co. does such a great job of this. If you’ve ever been to an Ace Hotel, you know what I mean. From the second you walk in the door, it’s a full on experience that is so specific because every detail supports the experience.

[OMFG Co.]

[Spirit of '77]

[Kitsune Noir]

October 19, 2010

Curated by:
Eliza Coleman

Section:
Interiors

Labels:
bar, branding

Zac Freeman

Found item collage portraits by Zac Freeman combine pointilism, impressionism, and mixed media by using film canisters, telephone parts, gears, and other odds and ends to create faces that are the sum of their parts.

I like… but… also kind of just feels like a mash-up of some of Chuck Close and Vik Muniz’s work:

Chuck Close, “Phillip Glass,” 1977, Watercolor and Acrylic on Paper

Chuck Close, “Big Self-Portrait,” 2000-2001, Acrylic on Canvas

So Chuck Close has got the pointilist portrait thing going on…

Vik Muniz, “Self-Portrait (Back) (Pictures of Magazines),” 2003, Chromogenic Print

Vik Muniz, “Toy Soldier,” 2003, Chromogenic Print (of toy soldiers)

…And then Vik Muniz takes the idea to the collage realm, using hole-punched bits of magazines and toy soldiers and everything in between to make portraits (as well as recreations of Old Master pieces). So while Freeman’s work is impressive for its tedium and is interesting to look at, and he certainly has an eye for light and dark, I kind of feel like he’s ripping off two other great artists… do you?

October 19, 2010

Curated by:
Eliza Coleman

Section:
Arts Visuels

Labels:
artist

Olivia Palermo, Bianca Brandolini Outside Valentino Show

October 19, 2010

Curated by:
Eliza Coleman

Section:
Style Files

Labels:
jet set

Interiors >> Vintage Suitcases, Art

I posted this a while ago but just came back across it and still love it. Shot by The Selby, the apartment of the couple behind Obedient Sons & Daughters.

October 18, 2010

Curated by:
Eliza Coleman

Section:
Interiors

Labels:
interiors, luggage, old stuff

WSJ Loves Andy Spade Too

I will pretty much take any opportunity to post something about or by a Spade, any Spade, but particularly* Andy Spade. Apparently, WSJ thinks he’s pretty cool too and published a little interview. Intro below, interview here.

After co-creating the mega accessories brands Kate Spade and Jack Spade, selling them and then fleeing corporate life, Andy Spade has just launched an unusual hybrid advertising agency-gallery-boutique called Partners & Spade. In his Manhattan storefront, he sells whimsical collectibles including Ghanaian flags, vintage hotel soaps and antique microphones and hosts art exhibits. In his back room, he produces films and photography books, and advises companies like J. Crew.

*A brief anecdote on the phrase “in particular”: Last week, my sister asked my niece (age 5), “Augusta, is there anything in particular you’d like in your lunch box today?” Augusta replied, in a huff, “uhhh WHAT is a PATICKLE?”

October 18, 2010

Curated by:
Eliza Coleman

Section:
The Spades

Labels:

Monique Lhuillier RTW SS ’11

Maybe the most “I-want-to-wear-that-right-now” pieces I’ve ever seen in one runway show.

October 17, 2010

Curated by:
Eliza Coleman

Section:
Style Files

Labels:
runway, style files

Red, White, Navy, Gold, Leopard

[Jak and Jil? Can't remember]

[Sartorialist]

October 15, 2010

Curated by:
Eliza Coleman

Section:
Style Files

Labels:
Color Story

Loving >> Creams, Whites, and Neutrals + Texture

October 15, 2010

Curated by:
Eliza Coleman

Section:
Interiors

Labels:
Color Story, interiors

Masters and Their Crafts >> Ira Glass

Do you get giddy when you hear the mid-week teasers from Ira on NPR in his endearingly nasal little voice? ”This week…. on This American Life…”?

The video quality isn’t great, but the content is. I’m always in awe of what a great storyteller Glass is on the show, adding suspense to even seemingly mundane topics, so I loved hearing insight on his method. Hint: he says to throw out the rules you learned in school.

The ability to tell a story well is a really incredible life skill and one that I admire greatly, because despite whether it is part of your job, it is a major boost to your conversational repertoire and is sure to make you more interesting at dinner parties!