Echoing Green

Verde en masse, YSL in full-force, Burmese restaurant branding, and the coolest washroom on earth

The emerald countertops at Syra Coffee

As of lately, everywhere I go, I’m seeing green (not to be confused with the Nikki Minaj song). I’ve been noticing all number of green tones, from a lively Kelly Green, to a more blue-toned jade, and even some rather crisp malachite greens. Here in Barcelona these hues are in full-effect, livening up the streets in the form of a summer dresses, well-fitted polos shirts, and of course, handbags.

This sudden viridescent crop up may be the doing of Daniel Lee, ex-creative director of Bottega Veneta, who ushered in “Bottega Green” much to the excitement of every fashion periodical. Brands love an opportunity to own a specific color (Tiffany Blue, Barbie pink, etc.). While this may not entirely be the case here, it does very much feel like the iconic “cerulean” scene from Devil Wears Prada, the slow trickle down effect from one designer’s vision to the color now popping up everywhere you go. Keep an eye out, and send me an email or respond in the comments if you’re seeing green as well 💚

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💭 — Something magical occurred with Yves Saint Laurent’s Mens Spring/Summer 2023 collection. Creative director Anthony Vaccarello took inspiration from his youth, the clothes he would wear in the early 2000’s, and brought a clean, unpretentious, and utterly genderless collection. Look after look the show delivered exquisitely tailored silhouettes, each more timeless and fascinating than the last. In total the collection feels so chic, you can imagine someone wearing these clothes on a leafy terrace, smoking from a long cigarette, the coolest person at the party.

The setting for the show was Morocco, a place special to Yves Saint Laurent the person, though the actual location was a fantastic stretch of desert with a "stage" designed by Es Devlin, who really helped set the tone of the show. Do yourself a favor and read Vogue's review, who I felt really captured of the essence of the show so well, as well as this Dezeen piece that gives insight into the show space.

💭 — When one encounters a sculpture by Henry Moore, there is a feeling of awe. How did a person dream up such elegant monoliths, and even more incredible, how was one able to spend their life making such monumental work? Currently at Hauser & Wirth Somerset is an immense retrospective of Moore’s work, spanning six decades across all five of their gallery spaces, as well as pieces displayed across the grounds. For those unable to visit, the link above has a range of ways to explore the exhibit, including an interactive walkthrough and videos and photos exploring the breadth of works.

💭 — I always find joy in seeing an old building reused for a new purpose. So often developers choose to tear down a building, propping up some sad, sterile white box in favor of whatever charming structure lied there before. Curbed is on the same wavelength with a recent piece called What to do with a crumbling church?, they’ve created a thoughtful editorial piece showing how exciting adaptive reuse can be. I hope they continue work like this as I hope it inspires some creative thinking when dealing with an aging city.

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💭 — Restaurant branding is one of my favorite aspects of design. Alluring people with interesting imagery or a funny logo, there are so many great ways to draw people in. Macau based studio Indego Design have come up with an eye-catching brand for TING MAT MAT, a traditional Burmese restaurant that has been operating in Macau for over 30 years. TING MAT MAT has been handed down to the second generation to take over the business, and thus, a new look and feel has been introduced.

First, this color palette is stupendous. That perfect pink-y tone, the deep red and teal printed onto the pink, those creamy gradients in each of the illustrations, it’s such a joy to look at. Second, the balancing act of the type, the illustrations, and the branding elements come across as unique and playful. If I passed by TING MAT MAT I would immediately stop in my tracks.

💭 — I’ve had several conversations lately about the food scene in Toronto and how it’s one of the best in the world. Adding to the list is Matty Matheson’s new spot Prime Seafood Palace, a contemporary take on old school steakhouse. Matty gave Architectural Digest a little tour with architect Omar Gandhi and it’s such a treat to watch. I don’t often say this but I want to visit that washroom so badly! It may very well be one of the most beautiful places to do your business.

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📍— Lovely little design project from Dennis for the Chandigarh Café, which was inspired by Le Corbusier’s buildings in India. The combination of Indian-inspired designs with a modern space is such a treat.

📍— One of the funniest things I saw recently was Peter Saville’s “redesign” of the Aston Martin logo. The marketing language they use is the cherry on top, haha… “Subtle but necessary enhancements not only keep forms fresh, but allow for new technologies, situations and applications to be accommodated in the future.” How many millions do you think was spent on this? 🧐

📍— Randomly, I came across the city of Melbourne’s City Collection, a site that collects various works of art and memorabilia. It’s easy to get lost in this repository of artifacts, with one my favorites being this proposed flower kiosk that should absolutely make its way into production.

📍— If you’re in need a new hat for summer look no further than Left’s Anybody Cap which comes in a stunning Ginger Orange color. All of the hats are dyed naturally using the leftovers from the Sunshine juice shop, putting vegetable scraps to good use.

📍— Minecraft recently shut down the idea of utilizing NFTs in the game, citing, “Minecraft remains a community where everyone has access to the same content. NFTs, however, can create models of scarcity and exclusion that conflict with our Guidelines and the spirit of Minecraft.” More of this, please.

📍— Related, major props to Studio Proba for creating art that looks like it could be a rendering (or worse, an NFT) and is instead, 100% real. Wouldn’t be exciting to have permanent public art like this in more cities?

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The Trend Report™ by my partner, Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick, is a sharp and insightful look at all the things going on in the world, arriving every Sunday to your inbox. Highly recommended, obviously.