Title of Work

A new collection of handcrafted menswear combines style, art and sophistication
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If designer Jonathan Meizler had his way, subtle elements of couture would be a part of every man’s wardrobe. In Title of Work—Meizler’s new menswear label—opulent beadwork, Swarovski crystals and black diamonds embellish English wool crepe, Italian cashmere and silk twill ties and bowties.

After studying art and design in Vienna and London, the Massachusetts native returned to the States where he co-founded JonValdi to industry acclaim. Expanding from hand-painted ties to a fully developed sportswear collection for both men and women, he later created a women’s evening wear line exclusively sold at Bergdorf Goodman. Now the NYC-based designer has returned to his menswear roots with the line of luxurious ties, showcasing his background in couture and a talent for understated flair.

The Title of Work collection is now available online and at Neiman Marcus, hitting select retailers in the United States, Canada and Japan later this fall. Read below to learn more about where Meizler draws his inspiration from and the future of his new line.

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You call Title of Work “architectural jewelry.” Can you elaborate?

Architecture is a constant inspiration on both a personal and work-related level—from the Egyptian pyramids to Italy’s basilicas, the humor and function of Gaudi, the fluidity of Noguchi and Zaha Hadid, and Gehry’s postmodernist vibe. I am drawn toward symmetry in the asymmetrical. I feel the most successful of my collection incorporates this structure while integrating jeweled elements, achieving simplicity in the ornate.

What couture techniques do you apply to the ties?

I created Title of Work to explore the craftsmanship of a well-made product, similar to that of a couturier, where each piece is hand finished. Hand-beaded techniques—primarily used in women’s clothing and accessories—are rarely employed in menswear. With this first Title of Work collection, I wanted to establish that beading for men could be modern and accessible, while pushing the boundaries of masculinity.

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The collection looks labor intensive, tell us about the process of fabrication.

It is. For example, one of the signature pieces in the collection is a hand-cast sterling silver grommet with Swarovski crystals, attached by a jeweler who hand welds each sterling grommet around the crystal. There is little room for error. All of the collection is handmade and beaded, so no two ties are completely the same.

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What’s missing from the menswear market that your line fulfills?

When creating a collection, I think it is important to be as specific as possible, especially in defining one’s point of view in an overly saturated market. I saw an untapped niche in neckwear and felt it was the ideal foundation to build from. As a designer, I take pleasure in the challenge of straddling the line of art and commerce, and I have hopefully created an approachable collection that is subtly sophisticated, modern, sexy and refined.

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What do future Title of Work projects entail?

I currently have bowties in the collection, and for spring, I am expanding on that and creating sterling and black diamond cufflinks based on the amulets you see across the line. I am also in the midst of designing a bag collection. A bit raw and deconstructed, but, of course, beautifully finished with hand-cast hardware. On the other side, I am creating furniture, made from reconstructed wood, glass, metals and dead animals. I am obsessed with grommets, ventilators and industrial elements, so this should be interesting.


Clients from Hell

A few words with one of the secretive figures behind the client horror story blog

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Web designers, those anonymous talents who help make sense of the sheer volume of white noise out there, are the unsung heroes of the digital age. The transition for many businesses is rarely seamless though—irrational behavior coupled with an unhealthy dose of old-fashioned racism is expressed by many of these Clients from Hell.

Consider this one:

Client: I want more ethnic people, I feel as if there are too many “white” people.
Me: I see only one picture with Caucasian people in it—you want them gone?
Client: Maybe you could just give them a tan? Or make them more “thuggish?”

Or another:

“I got this email once from some lawyer in Nigeria and when I opened it and clicked the link, the same email was sent to everyone in my contact list. I thought, hey, this is a pretty smart and simple marketing technique. When I send out this email to the 4,000 people, I want it to automatically forward to everyone in their contact list. Can you have this done for me by tomorrow?”

The Clients from Hell blog has been cataloguing these types of exchanges since 2009 and came out with a book late last year, offering a humorous form of therapy for the tech community and a rare inside look at the petty and downright insane requests to which they are often subjected.

Cool Hunting tracked down “Vincent,” a web designer in the 18-25 demographic, who is part of the shadowy team of disgruntled designers that have been running the site and recently published a 150-page book.

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Cool Hunting: Which anecdotes do you find the most disturbing? Most amusing?

Vincent: The only anecdotes I find truly perturbing, actually, are the ones where the person who’s sent it (the “me” speaker) is jeering and maligning someone for not knowing something they couldn’t have possibly known. That’s not the spirit of jest, y’know. When it comes to poking fun at someone for being technologically ignorant, the tone ought to be spoofy, if not just a bit frustrated. When it comes to the real slimy characters, the ones we hear about who casually employ misogyny and racism as business models, those are the guys that you can really sink your teeth into—they deserve it.

CH: How did the Clients from Hell communities develop?

V: The way most communities develop. We settled around a body of water, or some other lush, food-bearing area and proceeded to erect houses and practice agriculture, until the crop-yield became sufficient enough that we could support guilds and artists, forms of governments, kleptocracies at first and then monarchies and then democracies. Then we abused that democracy and sold our interests to foreign investors and got mixed up in a few wars. 😉

Do you see different patterns in different countries and regions?

It’s mostly American, Canadian and English submissions, I think, with some Aussies peppered in. I always love getting submissions from people whose first language is clearly NOT English. Their delivery and word choice is incredibly awkward, but you can tell that they find what they’re saying really funny!

What kind of submissions are unpublishable and can you describe why?

Ha ha, well the aforementioned submissions where the English is horrid but the emphasis is still punchy (e.g. “And then he ask me make Sunday work for only same prices!!!”) are generally unpublishable. And we get a surprising amount of submissions where someone has clearly read one of our earlier posts and has a very similar story, so they send that. We can’t publish the same joke twice, though, I feel like telling them.

As a design professional, is the relationship getting better, worse, or does it remain the same?

I’d imagine that as the generation that grew up alongside computers begins to grow up and take over companies, that the client/designer dynamic will be less of a comedy of misunderstandings.

What effect—if any—do you think the CFH phenomenon has had on your profession?

Very little. The people that ought to be learning from it aren’t, unfortunately, the ones reading it.

How long do you reckon the CFH site will continue? Is their a clear goal aside from making a mint?

As long as there are fresh injustices or some fresh ignorance at which we can laugh or roll our eyes, there will be a CFH. If, one day, all the client relationships everywhere magically become harmonious and right, then we’ll retire it.


Nonlinear Studio

Intelligent design questioning the relationship between form and function (slightly)
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A straight line between points A and B might be the fastest way to get there, but for Nonlinear Studio‘s founding designer Evan Clabots fixation on a predetermined end result isn’t necessarily best. “The design process quickly turns into decisions, concessions and justifications to get a round peg into the square hole that was determined from the onset,” he says. Instead Clabots’ design philosophy focuses on questioning why an object exists as it does, as sometimes the slightest shift might lead to an extraordinary new outcome. To wit, the Brooklyn studio’s Slip Watch has a face at a slight tilt, resulting in a wristwatch that’s both easier to read and a statement accessory. Released just last month, the watch is the studio’s first self-produced object, soon to be followed by others in Clabots’ “Slightly Awkward” series.

Why did you name your studio Nonlinear?

It’s an allusion to the to the term “lateral thinking,” which was first coined by Edward de Bono in his book, “The Use of Lateral Thinking.” In the lateral design process, you start at A, move forward to B, re-evaluate at B, then decide whether to move forward to C or side step to two—or perhaps even over and back to one.

Without a definite final product in mind, how do you determine next steps?

I tend to design around the idea of why something is, not what something is. We’re always asking questions like, “Why should it be this way?” or “How does this detail work in the bigger picture?” Following this path allows you to create a more holistic design that makes sense on every level. You can’t be focused on your destination from the onset—let your answers dictate the next step. And you should never be afraid to use your eraser.

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Can you take us through this process in one of your designs?

There’s the “Slightly Awkward” lamp. The obvious fixation when designing an adjustable lamp is the mechanism. The thought is, “How can I reinvent the wheel and outdo every other wheel that’s come before this one?” But asking the question, “Does this thing really need wheels?” causes you to take a lateral step outside the box and design with a new perspective. The Slightly Awkward lamp adjusts without any mechanism at all. One of four legs is shorter than the others, which allows it to rock from on one tripod stance to another and changes the light. It’s an extremely simple lamp with a function inherent to its form—and there’s an almost human quality to its posture.

What particular designers or objects influence your work?

A lot, but who I’m really interested in today is Jasper Morrison and Naoto Fukasawa. They actually both collaborated on an exhibition called Super Normal, where they celebrated the beauty of pared-down simple design. I love the simple details Morrison creates, like the three-pronged lid handles for the Alessi cookware he designed. The handle allows you to lift the hot lid with a cooking spoon. And Fukasawa has a great eye for beautiful, minimal detail. I think his Twelve watch for Issey Miyake may be my favorite design object. He took your basic, unmarked, round watch and faceted the interior of the face like the inside of a socket wrench. That slight change in contour, marks the hours with every kink. He took the simplest form and with the slightest tweak made it genius.

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Let’s talk about your own Slip Watch, a first for you. How did that come about?

I’ve been a watch-lover for a long time. I think they’re such great objects, especially in this day and age. They embody such history, lineage of craftsmanship and often status too—for men, it’s one of the few pieces of “man jewelry” that we get. But, let’s face it, they’re also becoming obsolete. We live in an era when everyone looks to their smartphone for the time. Watches have this antiquated function that, combined with their heritage, make them perfect for playing around with.

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Do you wear a watch?

I’ve always collected watches that in some way play upon how time is told, like the Twelve watch. I have one of the first edition watches Mathew Waldmen created when he started Nooka, and I love old jump dial watches. One of my prized possessions is actually a $12 Lego watch.

Over-sized pilot and diver watches are really popular right now, but they don’t really say enough for me. I’m actually working on a watch design in this style that brings some commentary to the genre.

How does Slip do that?

It’s very much a commentary on the watch in its most basic form. It’s intentionally minimal, with proportions that are almost predictable. But its placement on the band makes it looks as though it’s slipping out of position. It’s also a poetic commentary on the passing of time, the moments we cherish are gone before we recognize they were even there.

At the same time, the watch’s posture relative to the band makes the numberless face easier to read—you don’t need to turn your arm as much. The band penetrates the case at 12 and 9, which along with the crown, gives points of reference to the otherwise unmarked face.

This was your studio’s first self-produced object. Will there be more?

Self-producing the watch was a bit of an experiment, and an education in the other side of design. It really helped me better understand how financial and marketing considerations are all very relevant in the design process. It’s not about designing “the best product” it’s about designing “the right product.” I’m always designing new watches, but I’ll produce the next one when I design the “right” one.

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Your work is so varied and multidisciplinary, what are some common themes?

My friends often accuse me of being a minimalist, but I often find truly minimal objects to be too cold and austere. They fit well in your space, they look great, but they’re not the things you get really attached to. I really cherish objects with character and personality—something with proportions slightly different than you might expect, or perhaps it’s worn down or tarnished in a way that’s unique.

I love designing simple objects that are almost predictable, and then finding that little tweak that makes them special—especially when that one proportion that’s a little “off” is actually the functional aspect. For me, it all works when it creates a complete story… a slightly awkward complete story.

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What’s next for you?

One thing I’d like to get back to is interior design. If a product is a short story, an interior is a novel. I’ve looked at a few projects in the past year, but haven’t found the right one. With interiors, the client is almost like your co-author. If you’re writing a novel with someone, you really want to make sure you both want the same book.

What might be next in the Slightly Awkward series?

I would love to design a motorcycle. I have an old 1973 Honda that I’ve been re-shaping, and I’m just in love with these machines. They’re a great meeting point of functionality and style. Motorcycles have such intricate proportions, and every one has a personality that can be changed with one line or one component. Come to think of it my bike is actually already “slightly awkward.”


Link About It: Société Perrier

The DJ’s DJ, behind the scenes of Studio 54 and more from an online destination for global nightlife and culture
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Unlike gimmicky social clubs, entrance into
Société Perrier
requires little more than being “the best in nightlife, art, music, fashion, travel, mixology and cocktail culture.” To learn more about a few of the fashion designers, DJs and drinks that have what it takes, check out our favorite picks from the site below.

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1. Nervo

Australian twin sisters and former models Liv and Mim Nervo have already cut their teeth in the music industry writing pop hits for Ke$ha and Kylie Minogue, but their newest endeavor includes tag-teaming as DJs, while also producing a record of their own. Their single “We’re All No One,” featuring Steve Aoki and Afrojack debuts 6 September 2011. Having opened for Britney Spears on her Femme Fatale tour, the two are already well on their way to being a double threat.

2. Recalling Studio 54

Those of us that never got the chance to experience New York’s Studio 54 in the glamorous, hedonistic glory of its disco days can hear vivid recollections from two former staff members on SiriusXM. The Marc and Myra show recounts first-hand tales of the legendary club and its famous patrons, including Andy Warhol and both Jaggers.

3. Captains of Industry

All kidding aside, Stonerokk and Graham Funke, aka the Captains of Industry, are seriously legit DJs, as exemplified by their strict, records-only policy. Here, they recall a few celebrity encounters and the one song they refuse to play.

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4. Catherine Malandrino

A world traveler and bon vivant, fashion designer Catherine Malandrino is an enthusiastic advocate of new media and its facilitation of the globalization of fashion. Adding to her roster of collaborations with fashionable pop stars such as Madonna and Beyonce, Malandrino hints at a unpcoming project with Lady Gaga.

5. Morning-After Mixology at the Standard Spa in Miami Beach

An impressive demonstration of morning-after caregiving, the Standard Spa in Miami offers hangover-plagued guests a menu of restorative elixirs containing ingredients like coconut water, honey, ginger—some with booze, some without. Those suffering from at home will benefit from this quick video course in morning-after mixology.

6. Grand Opening New York: LES Runway

In its latest incarnation, the ever-morphing downtown gallery space Grand Opening offers up fashion two-ways: after dark, the space hosts runway shows by emerging and independent designers such as New Form Perspective, Pip-Squeak Chapeau and Gemma Redux, while daytime hours reveal a pop-up shop selling the previously-showcased wares.


Carissa Moore

Our interview with the reigning world champ of women’s surfing
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Earlier this year in Los Angeles, I had the chance to sit down with surfer Carissa Moore, 18, fresh on the heels of her win at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast in Australia. Since going on to also claim her first ASP World Champion title—the youngest to ever do so—at the Roxy Pro Biarritz last month, there’s perhaps no surfer who’s done more to advance the cause of women’s surfing than this Hawaii native.

Her dedication and skills (she’s been at it since age four and started competing professionally at six) have attracted unprecedented attention to the sport, including Nike sponsorship. The brand also backed the film “Leave a Message,” in which Moore totally dominates.

As the rising star gears up to compete this year’s Quicksilver Pro next month, read on to learn more about what it was like to be in the movie, snow surfing and keeping it all balanced.

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Cool Hunting: Do you remember the first time you went surfing?

Carissa Moore: I was about four or five when my dad pushed me into my first wave at Hawaii Beach, where I was born and raised and still live.

CH: Does your dad surf?

CM: My dad is actually a competitive swimmer. He won a lot of big open water swims and was an Ironman for a while. So he wasn’t a super serious surfer, but I think what’s awesome is that he applied a lot of the skills he’s learned from swimming to coaching me.

We’re best friends, we’re travel partners, he’s my coach. It’s neat! Sometimes it can get complicated because he’s both my dad and my coach. Coaches are always trying to push you to do better and sometimes I hear my dad and I think he’s not satisfied with me. But he’s always wanted the best for me and I think that’s made our relationship so sweet. It’s cool ’cause at the end when we accomplish something, there’s no person I’d rather share that with than my dad.

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CH: What about your mom? Does she come too?

CM: My mom and I have an interesting relationship. I’m really thankful for everything that she’s done for me. I think that I definitely wouldn’t be here or be who I am today without the struggles and the relationship that I have with her. My parents divorced when I was 12 and when I was with her she didn’t really want me to go to the beach. She wanted me to go to school, she wanted me to go shopping, and she wanted me to be a girl. At the time I was always struggling with that because I was like, “I just love this. Why would you want to keep me from something that I love?”

But, it was almost a blessing because she kept me balanced. I graduated from high school last year and it was one of the best accomplishments I’ve had in life because it’s not just surfing. It also got me to appreciate my time in the water too because I didn’t have as much time as everybody else. So I was like, “Ah! I’ve got to be just as good and work even harder with the time that I have.”

CH: What are your long-term goals with surfing?

CM: Ever since I was little, I’ve had a dream of traveling the world and surfing, being on the world tour and hopefully competing to be a world champ. It’s pretty cool ’cause I can say now that I’m living my dream. And I’m really stoked that my results this year have been pretty good.

CH: Do you have insane wetsuits for the really cold water?

CM: This is the coldest place I’ve been ever! But I did recently get my first hooded sweatsuit and it’s super thick. But I don’t know when I’m going to use that. My dream though (secretly) is to surf in the snow. Well, to trudge through the snow and go surfing for at least 10 minutes. People do it in New York and I think it would be a neat experience.

CH: What are your other top spots?

CM: Surf-wise, my favorite place is mainland Mexico, really down south. I love the type of wave there and the food too! The waves are mostly right-point breaks and it’s sand-bottomed so you don’t have to worry about reef. Surfing there is just super playful. Fiji is absolutely breathtaking and beautiful and I want to go back there. And then my dream place to go is Greece.

CH: What was it like being in “Leave a Message?”

CM: This is the first surf movie that I’ve been a part of. There’s actually a lot of surfing porn films that are made. “Porn” meaning that they’re straight surf, straight action and not much lifestyle. There’ve been a few women’s surf films but nothing like this. This film is hardcore innovation stuff, which is closer to what the men are doing. I think that’s why this movie is so monumental in our sport.

I’m so stoked to be a part of it and stoked to be a part of the Nike team. I’m excited to see what the guys have to think about it too! But I think what’s cool about women’s surfing at the moment is that each girl has a lot of personality, which makes it have a different flavor than what the men’s tour has.


Dezeen Screen: interview with Maarten De Ceulaer

Dezeen Screen: interview with Maarten De Ceulaer

Dezeen Screen: this movie by Brussels gallerist Victor Hunt reveals the story and process behind Belgian designer Maarten De Ceulaer’s bowls shaped by balloons. Watch the movie »

Dezeen Screen: interview with Kwangho Lee

Tales of the Hunt: Kwangho Lee

Dezeen Screen: in this movie by Brussels gallerist Victor Hunt, Korean designer Kwangho Lee explains how growing up on a farm outside Seoul has influenced his work. Watch the movie »

Dezeen Screen: garden design trends

Dezeen Screen: garden design trends

Dezeen Screen: in this third movie that Dezeen filmed for trade show Garden Unique, British garden designer Andrew Wilson of Wilson McWilliam Studio talks about current trends in garden and landscape design. Watch the movie »

Dezeen Screen: architecture and garden design

Garden design: Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2011

Dezeen Screen: in this second movie filmed by Dezeen for trade show Garden Unique, British garden designer Andrew Wilson talks about successful collaborations between architects and garden designers, including The High Line in New York and Peter Zumthor’s Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London (above). Watch the movie »

Dezeen Screen: garden design by Wilson McWilliam Studio

Dezeen Screen: Wilson McWilliam Studio

In this interview filmed by Dezeen for trade show Garden Unique at Spoga+Gafa, British garden designer Andrew Wilson of Wilson McWilliam Studio talks about a few of his favourite projects, including a pathway cantilevered over an intense sea of roses (above). Watch the movie »