War Craft Collection

Brooklyn naval history in a furniture line upcycled from local materials
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After launching a furniture series made out of wood reclaimed from Coney Island’s boardwalk in 2010, Brooklyn design studio Uhuru takes up the concept again with their second “local materials” collection, this time using deck wood from the USS North Carolina—the most decorated U.S. battleship of WWII. Like the whimsical lines of the amusement park-inspired line, the War Craft Collection takes its design cues from its source material with clean, industrial lines and a nod to history.

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Originally built during the ’30s in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the boat was the first new battleship to arrive in the Pacific and participated in every major naval offensive in that theater. The design of the table directly addresses the “inherently violent nature of modern warcraft,” modeled as it is after the 16-inch guns on the ship, a significantly larger barrel hole which represents an increase in response to concerns about Japan’s caliber limit.

The five other pieces in the “War Craft Collection” (each each limited to a run of ten due to the limited quantity of wood) will be on view 13-16 May 2011 at Noho Design District’s pop up in The American Design Building at Great Jones Lumber (45 Great Jones Street, New York, NY 10012).


Cylinder Belt Bag

Rodarte’s upcycled bag for Opening Ceremony channels free-spirited style

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From tutus for Black Swan to fine fabrics for furniture maker Knoll, Rodarte‘s Mulleavy sisters often lend their design talents to those seeking their virtuosic ability to cut and paste style references. Their Cylinder Belt Bag for Opening Ceremony, from the first collection in their collaborative line, sees the L.A.-based duo turn a new corner with a sturdy handbag crafted from vintage leather belts.

The upcycled purse extends Rodarte’s latest spring collection for their eponymous label, which drew on their Northern California roots. With Redwoods and and the ’70s in mind, the bag—along with other items like a “Tom Petty” hat and leather lace-up shorts—shows how even with a simple concept, they rework a style to keep it cutting-edge.

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Made in Japan, the purse features a buckle closure and adjustable strap, comes in black or brown leather, and sells for $750 from Opening Ceremony or Barneys (black only).

Those in L.A. can check out Rodarte’s fashion-forward perspective in person at the MoCA exhibit “States of Matter,,” on view through 5 June 2011.


Hooker & Co.

Actor-turned-woodworker repurposes New York City structures as classic furniture

by John Ortved

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At just over 350 years old, New York’s identity—as both a relatively young city globally and as one of the oldest U.S. cities—makes the quest to possess a slice of its past rival even that for the hot new thing. Enter furniture designer
Jesse Hooker
. The former actor builds custom tables, mirrors and seating using reclaimed wood from those structures—the Central Park Stables, for example—that helped define one of the greatest modern metropolises.

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Hooker, the son of a potter and a painter, grew up in Wisconsin and has been woodworking since he was 12, restoring wooden boats from the WWII era. When the now 30-year-old moved to New York in 2005 to act, he took odd woodworking jobs, like building gyrotonic exercise equipment, or “Hippie Bowflex torture machines” as he calls them.

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After a friend saw a trestle table Hooker had built for himself and payed $1,500 for Hooker to build him his own, Hooker started taking commissions in 2008. Others saw the friend’s table and wanted their own; his dining room tables caught on similarly. Built from the remnants of a Queens bowling alley, Hooker constructs their frames from simple angled iron welded together (with exceptional attention to detail), which he then hand paints.

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“It always starts with the materials,” says Hooker, surrounded by ancient wood in his studio. “Someone will ask for a commission and I’ll go to salvage and start working around whatever I pick out.”

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Hooker’s craftsmanship is immaculately simple, yet having a piece of his furniture isn’t just an aesthetic experience, it’s a connection to a bygone New York City’s older aspects of manufacturing and design. “I like the history of the materials,” he continues. “Those beams over there, some guys with handsaws and nails used them to erect a building, and then years later it’s all torn down to make room for steel and glass condos. But you can have a piece of that history. You can have some of that workmanship.”


Memory

Bike spokes upcycled into handy oversized paperclips
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Faced with high unemployment in Switzerland, poverty in Africa and a hobby of collecting old bikes, social entrepreneur Paolo Richter started
Gump- und Drahtesel
, a program in Bern which puts the unemployable to work restoring and upcycling bicycles. Most of the bikes go to Africa, but among the products the workshop produces—
rubberbands made from bike tires
, bike rims repurposed as hangers—this clip might be the most elegant.

The design plays off the classically useful shape of a paperclip, poetically named Memory, substituting a bike spoke for the metal and made by hand. At just over 3″ tall, it comes in handy as a bookmark, money clip, for papers or any number of other clipping purposes.

Pick it up from Uncommon Goods for $10 or check out Gump- und Drahtesel’s store Pico Bollo next time you’re in Bern.


V&Y Mart

An L.A. stylist debuts her statement-making line of repurposed t-shirt necklaces

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When L.A.-based stylist Lauren Constantine needed more distinct accessories on set, she decided to make them herself. After several years of crafting one-off statement pieces, Constantine finally opened up shop, peddling two styles under her label V&Y Mart.

The V&Y neckpiece is comprised of upcycled t-shirts, ripped and twisted into a multifunctional scarf. Both a cozy cold weather accessory and bold face-framing necklace, you can wear the accessory year round, dressed up or down and adjusted with its hardware closure. Constantine explains, “It’s more important to me that clients celebrate their own sense of personal style and feel good in what they’re wearing, not just throw on a different trend each season.”

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Putting her sewing skills to use, Constantine crafted a collection of bows she calls El Bow Co. She stuffs each with tulle, and they come in a variety of adorable fabrics and sizes spanning small to Minnie Mouse-style large.

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“I’m really passionate about getting down with the sewing machine, and so any chance I have to do that is exciting,” says Constantine. “As a stylist, you hone skills as a visual artist—bring characters to life, create moods and make statements—which is really rewarding in and of itself. But, to bring wearable art to life and be a part of the creation process, from the initial swatch selection to the final stitch, is for me the biggest thrill.”

Bows span $22-36 and neckpieces sell for $58 from Constantine’s Etsy shop, V&Y Mart.


Forestbound

New England antiques reconstructed into rugged totes

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Deep in the antique stores and flea markets around the Eastern Seaboard, Alice Saunders scouts materials to create Forestbound, her line of hand-made totes, purses and carry-alls. She makes each bag out of salvaged items that imbue them with a sense of history, interpreted by Saunders’ own distinctive aesthetic.

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“I’m about to finish up my spring special collection, which is based around a blacksmith’s leather apron from the 1930s,” says Boston-based Saunders. “All of the bags will incorporate straps or buckles constructed out of this particular apron, and the styles are inspired by what I envision a blacksmith from that era would have used.” In addition to her personal spring collection, Saunders is also currently working on a small collection of four bags for Terrain, Anthropologie’s home and garden shop.

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The bags are ruggedly woodsy, her style influenced by an outdoorsy New England childhood as well as a sense of nostalgia. “I think a lot about canvas and leather bags that would have been used eighty years ago, and how I can recreate that in a way that’s practical for everyday use,” she explains.

Anthropologie’s interest in her bags, as well as an upcoming collaboration with Brooklyn’s Digby & Iona, would probably make most people consider expanding operations. But Saunders is determined to keep her business small. “Creating a bag based around that day’s finds is the whole reason I’m so passionate about what I do. I’m definitely going to try my best to always find my own materials and be responsible for all of the construction.”

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In addition to larger collections for Anthropologie and other retailers, Saunders also sells her bags online. Prices vary depending on size and material, but start around $26 for a utility pouch to $300 for a leather carryall.


Lilian Asterfield

Vintage neckties upcycled into cheeky rosette brooches
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“I’m a sucker for odds and ends,” says Boston-based fashion designer Nicole Deponte. So when she inherited a trash bag full of one-of-a-kind vintage neckties in 2009, what started “as a happy accident”—an experiment with a belt—”grew into a ruffled collection of innovative accessories” called Lilian Asterfield.

Among the line’s original scarves, hats and headbands, Deponte’s hand-sewn rosette brooches put a particularly feminine twist on the source material. The exaggerated poof of the accessory reinvents the meaning of a power tie for today’s dandy, looking equally fitting playfully paired with an ’80s suit as it would with a more modern cut. Although Lilian Asterfield launches a new collection each season, the label prides itself on not being season or gender specific.

The brooches retail for around $25, and sells online through Etsy or Nicole’s site directly.


Made Of New York

Industrial-era building materials reclaimed to make a modern furniture line

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Creatively crafted, Made of New York furniture is comprised of discarded Manhattan lumber and is constructed using as few machines as possible. The simple, geometric collection was conceived by former creative director of Ikea Sweden and current head of strategic design consultancy Daytime Projects, John-Michael Ekeblad, along with furniture designer Jonathan Locke and timber-sourcing expert Brian Kane—a trio as intelligent as the home furnishings they build in their South Bronx studio.

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The process begins with sourcing the wood, much of which comes from torn down 19th-century buildings. In determining the use for each part the team aims to have “minimal treatment of the wood in favor of sustaining its naturally worn out beauty and charm.” The resulting pieces are each completed within five to ten days, using water-based stains and sealers and wood plugs whenever necessary.

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Made of New York is currently finding a retailer to house the collection, but until then pieces sell online from New York City Snaps, with prices spanning $220-1,200.


Made in Peckham

Hendzel+Hunt reclaim South London scraps for a well-crafted furniture collection
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Secluded in its own room during Designersblock this year was Made in Peckham, a project devised by London-based design studio Hendzel+Hunt.

Specifically conceived with sustainability in mind, the team made the entire range from locally-sourced materials, such as discarded palettes and leftover scraps from the streets, yards and workshops in the Peckham area of South London. Designers Jan Hendzel and Oscar Hunt, who specialize in bespoke cabinets and furniture, then upcycled the rough materials.

While it’s easy to read the project as yet another marketing move under the sustainable banner, the undertaking bests the appalling design and construction of other green-washed projects, putting it more in league with the efforts and intentions of genuine sustainable leaders in design like Piet Hein Eek and his Scarpwood work or Wharfside.

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Made in Peckham feels honest in its execution. Hendzel cites his “zeal for materials, design and manufacturing techniques,” as inspiration for his refined approach. They even invite clients to visit their workshop to see the level of craftsmanship and passion that goes into creating each piece of furniture.

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The pair have kept the materials nice and raw for the Made In Peckam collection. The wood is certainly not untouched, with great detailing and an intelligent use of the natural pattern from the grain. Further distancing the pieces from others of a similar approach, Hendzel+Hunt have held true to the traditions of cabinet-making throughout the construction, with each piece held together without any metal fixings.

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While the company itself has only been in existence for a short time, the duo have already scored some major press thanks to a table they created for The Shop at Bluebird, a conceptual fashion and housewares store on Kings Road. They also stood out from the London Design Festival crowd with their subtle showcase of the things which make design one of the keys in protecting our environment, while not taking advantage of the consumer.


WeWood

Watches crafted from reclaimed planks
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Conceived in Italy but based in L.A., WeWood watches combine European craftsmanship with sustainably-minded materials to reinvent the average wristwatch—in wood.

The budding brand offers up a line of tasteful Miyota-movement timepieces crafted from several varieties of Maple, Guaiaco (an indigenous South American tree) and Red Wing Celtis, with all materials reclaimed from unused flooring scraps. Devoid of toxic chemicals as well as any colored stains, the natural shades and grains of the different wood types shine through for an organic take on oft-metallic or plastic watches.

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Currently crafted in two styles—chrono and classic—the series of 11 watches include light beige, black and even an army-hued green—the natural shade of the Guaiaco tree.

The watches sell for $119 from WeWood, with every sale resulting in a planted tree.