Evisu: First Store in North America

by Josh Rubin

Long overdue, Osaka-based Evisu will be opening their very first North American shop this summer in New York City. Located in the Soho, the shop will also serve as a global brand showcase premiering lines from the international collections previously not released stateside. Evisu's large base of discerning denim junkies will be able to purchase vintage loom made couture, ready to wear and bespoke lines of the denim and other apparel.

The space, designed by UK-based interior design company 19 Limited in collaboration with the New York-based architect Tuller McNealus Feld, will provide in-store demonstrations of hand painting their signature stylized gull on jeans giving customers the opportunity to buy personalized pairs. Evisu will also use the store to exhibit the brand's Japanese heritage by supporting artists from across Asia through in-store exhibitions. Leading off will be Hong Kong-based artist Simon Birch with his large scale oil paintings. There are also plans to include a cinema area to screen Japanese films.

Evisu
92 Greene St.
New York, NY 10012 map

More rendered images of the new Evisu store after the jump.

Nesting Desk by 4 Pli

by Tim Yu

The Nesting Desk, by Brooklyn architecture and design firm 4 Pli, features an integrated screen made of stacked wood to hide and house a CPU without sacrificing ventilation needs. Providing a more organized experience, a plate of knotted wood creatively disguises wire holes located on the desktop (above right) and a sliding keyboard tray is optional. Constructed from natural birch plywood, aluminum details are added to maintain the desk's light-weight durability. Space efficient, the desk is pre-fabricated to easily nest and combine with others to form clusters of larger work spaces. Options include an integrated privacy screen to help separate space and a helpful tack surface.

Made to order, the Nesting Desk is available for $2,389. Inquire at 4 Pli.

5 in 1 Boutique

by Ami Kealoha

Williamsburg's newest addition to the North 6th shopping row, studio 5 in 1, merges process and product seamlessly. The deep-set space housed in a 19th-century warehouse underwent a slew of renovations beginning last September, when graphic designer and founder, Norman Rabinovich, set out to redefine the space and his life. "I got lonely working alone and sought to create a community where people can work together or individually," he says. His designs led him to an office/studio/shop for those who lack the advantages of a workplace, as well as a storefront to offer their goods. Today, a group that includes clothing label Eventide, Greentech Media, and several other operations comprise the 5 in 1 office.

Recently, the group took its biggest leap forward when the 5 in 1 storefront opened to the public. The wood-paneled shop has a roughed-up vibe created by recycled planks and a stripped-down piano. Display cases bear designs of Made Her Think, while additional racks hold Eventide dresses, Andrea Brueckner handbags, and Pvblic graphic T-shirts. A blown-up Kurt Mangum photo hangs from the ceiling, suggesting the neighborhood's ongoing deterioration and renewal. As Norman affirms, "the studio is an organic entity with a face that can change at any given time."

5 in 1
60 North 6th Street (between Kent and Wythe Avenues)
Brooklyn, NY
+1 718.384.1990

All of the Above

by Lost At E Minor

The collective workspace of "a fashion designer, artist and screen printer with a retail space up front," Melbourne's All of the Above is designed with an open plan so visitors can observe and interact with the production of fashion, art and prints. The retail space also features the work of other like-minded brands; in the words of the owners "the goal is to have somewhere to work individually but to also be a platform for others to come and use the space with us for their own showcases."

All of the Above
109 Victoria Street
Fitzroy Melbourne 3065
Australia
+61 (03) 8415 0461

Dalek and Mars-1 at Jonathan LeVine Gallery

by Tim Yu

Brooklyn-based artist, Dalek (James Marshall) and San Francisco-based Mars-1 (Mario Martinez) held a joint opening at New York's Jonathan LeVine Gallery this past weekend in a West side/East coast clash of sorts. Originally graffiti artists, both have expanded into various genres like painting, sculpting and designing toys. Using similar techniques and materials, they create otherworldly figures and landscapes.

Dalek's bright and contrasting color schemes are predominant in a series of new works titled "Desperate, Rejected & Angry" (Pictured above left, click image for detail.) He places his signature "space monkey" in settings that are always fun, brilliant and different. Painting and drawing with acrylic, Dalek creates fascinating amusement park-like settings that keeps the eye moving across the wood panels.

Mars-1 utilizes airbrush skills in a dozen new mysterious and multi-dimensional large-scale works titled "Aerodynamics of Psychonauts." (Pictured above right, click on image for detail.) A combination of acrylic and gouache makes for a soft, illusionary look while his abstract ethereal landscapes create a sense of wonderment beyond reality.

The exhibit will be on view thru 28 April 2007. Visit Jonathan LeVine Gallery to see more images from the show.

Jonathan LeVine Gallery
529 West 20th Street, 9E
New York, NY 10011 map
tel. +1 212 243 3822

Freedom Of Creation: The Smallest Show in Milan

by Leonora Oppenheim

The Amsterdam-based design company Freedom Of Creation (FOC) was one of our highlights of last year’s 100% Design Show in London. The beautiful organic forms in their lighting design and their extraordinary rapid manufactured textiles both stood out from the crowd.

FOC’s use of the laser sintering process—allowing complex forms to be built up in layers—has now been expanded to a more commercial use by Hyundai. Their floor carpets designs for the new concept car QarmaQ were recently previewed at the Geneva Car show and will continue to be shown at all the international car shows in 2007.

We particularly love FOC’s latest designs, soon to be launched at the Milan Furniture Fair. This fruit tray (pictured above right) is a newly developed design using sand as inspiration.

FOC will present their work at "The Smallest Show in Milan" from 18-23 April 2007 at
Upstairs Event
via Tortona 31
Milan, Italy
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