Hasta La Ideas

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pemTodd Bracher as featured in Intramuros Magazine this month./em/p

pWe love New York Design Week not only for the insane amount of design to see, but also because it offers an opportunity to meet people face to face and get a little bit of their backstory, outside of press releases and high-res images. At a href=”http://www.core77.com/blog/ny_design_week_10/new_york_design_week_2010_carte_blanche_at_dupont_corian__16580.asp”Carte Blanche/a, we caught up with a href=”http://www.toddbracher.net/”Todd Bracher/a, an American designer featured on the cover of this month’s issue of Intramuros. After working in Copenhagen, Milan, Paris and London, Bracher made a move back to the United States a few years ago to establish a studio in his native New York City. Below, Todd demonstrates emPhysical Illusion/em, his project for the DuPont Corian Carte Blanche exhibition./p

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pWe talked to Todd about why so many designers in the USA are eager to define “American Design.” What’s with the nationalism? He pointed out that designers in the USA are wondering who holds their flag: “Italians have brands like Moroso, Alessi, and Cappellini. The UK has Habitat and Established and Sons. They have a homeland advantage.” He acknowledged that America has Nike, Coke and Herman Miller, but they aren’t in the same game. The “emotional side” of design is not focused on here. The American prowess is in marketing, branding, and sales potential.” /p

pTodd is optimistic despite the lack of representation. He observed that in Milan, the scene has been changing. “Design has become less big business, more small producers, and the ideas are as strong.” The growth of the designer-maker is reflected in the American scene as well. “American designers are ganging up. They don’t need branding or manufacturers to represent their ideas.” a href=”http://www.core77.com/blog/featured_items/design_club_why_young_american_designers_are_ganging_up_14223.asp”We were happy to hear it/a./p

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pemPhysical Illusion, by Todd Bracher for Corian./em/p

pA growth of independence in the American design scene should also free designers up to explore some of the weirder and more wonderful corners of American culture. Through his work at a href=”http://www.materdesign.com/”Mater/a, a Danish company out to support craft traditions, Todd was sent to artisans in 3rd world countries, like stone masons in India, to develop design projects around their particular set of skills. But, Todd said, “Craft is dying everywhere. In New Orleans, there are quiltmakers and bootmakers without work.” We tend to go to 3rd world countries to try to “revive” them, but there is plenty to work with at home in the US./p

pTodd is fleshing out a project that works with some of these issues. Instead of designing an object with the tools of a particular trade, he is developing a tool specifically for a craftsman. This is not only to find new directions for a craft, but to also design a system that will create products, removing design one step from the actual output. /p

pPick up this month’s issue of a href=”http://www.intramuros.fr/Intramuros/a to read more about Todd Bracher Studio, or visit the a href=”http://www2.dupont.com/Surfaces_Commercial/en_US/news_events/events/CarteBlanche_event_2010.html”Carte Blanche/a exhibit at Corian Dupont, open through July 2nd, 2010. /pa href=”http://www.core77.com/blog/ny_design_week_10/new_york_design_week_2010_todd_bracher_on_american_design_16609.asp”(more…)/a
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