The Cycle of Seasons

Branding gently, Eric Wareheim's loft, LOEWE and Suna Fujita collab, plus lots more

Nov 18, 2024

Last week was hectic and fun and stressful, all bundled up together. My little dog Olly was ill, he woke up with hives all over his body, which meant a 4am visit to the vet, no sleep for Kyle or I or either dog, and ultimately finding out he was probably bit by a spider in his sleep? Dramatic and not fun though thankfully he was given medication and all was well. Visited an Orient Express themed bar with a friend, which was just as silly as you might imagine. Ate Chinese-style ramen, went to a fund raiser for Valencia at Casa Bonay, had drinks with some other friends, watched Jessica Pratt perform live (really good but the shortest concert of my life), saw a tiny art show, went to pilates, and spent a lot of time trying to figure out some new ways of doing things.

Hope you’re doing well, enjoy the inspo below, and happy Monday 💙

Gentle Branding 🙂‍↕️

Creating a unique looking brand identity in a world full of “creatives” is a challenge, especially cutting through all the noise. Philadelphia-based studio Smith & Diction are an outlier, repeatedly building brands for clients ranging from AI powerhouses like Perplexity to other end of the spectrum, a boutique Victorian hotel. They recently unveiled their work for Sotto Instruments, a project by Sam Tellman who is reinventing how the piano sounds, creating a new kind of softer spoken acoustic instrument.

The work is centered around the dandelion logo they created which represents the “lightness & softness of the instrument.” It’s such a lovely gesture, and I think it’s so smart how the dandelion can be taken apart and reformed to create different patterns, like in the brochure mockup they created. For the typography they paired a classic looking GT Alpina with Agrandir to create a classic but quirky feeling. Everything sits together so nicely, I always look forward to seeing what S&D will create next.

💿 — Do the folks at teenage engineering ever sleep? Hot on the heels of the release of their EP–1320 medieval, which allows you to make “magical melodies, sultry songs and bubonic beats,” they’ve now put out the OP-XY, a no-compromise, dual-cpu boosted and fully rebuilt sequencer, sampler, and performance instrument. Honestly, I know nothing about what this does, but the marketing campaign they put together is hysterical, filled with German electronic references and moody photography featuring black leather get-ups and dancing.

🍿 — For fans of film there’s a new magazine called The Metrograph, featuring longform interviews with cinematic icons, visual portfolios, essays from leading figures in the art and literary worlds, and intimate portraits of film technicians at work. I stumbled across it because of Matt Willey’s involvement, and everything he designs is something quite special.

Enter the Loftheim 🍄

Who doesn’t love a good home tour? Especially when it’s a space that’s actually weird, well-furnished, and utterly evocative of it’s owner, Eric Wareheim. OK, it’s technically a loft though it’s sort of like a second home to the funny man turned cookbook author and wine snob. Domino magazine toured the space, giving us a behind-the-scenes of the former trucking garage that was converted by architect Joseph Giovannini, which now holds Wareheim’s growing plant collection and eclectic vintage furniture.

Wareheim speaks about recent events in his life, stating that: “I’m going through—it’s gonna sound cheesy—an awakening,” he says. “I had some dramatic stuff happen recently, and [during that time] I couldn’t see anything.” It’s been interesting watching him change over the years, seeing his interests shifts, which is entirely relatable. I’m just so happy to see someone create a space that is truly a reflection of their joys and passions rather than creating a home that is boring, bland, and beige.

👖 — As someone who’s been trying to change up their style, attempting to avoid the trappings of an elder millennial wardrobe, I really appreciated Noah Johnson’s round up of Japanese fashion brands helping to shape the landscape of men’s fashion. Both A.Presse and Unlikey Dry Goods are very much the type of looks I’m looking for, with a looser fits, unique silhouettes, and really beautiful colorways.

🏨 — As someone who’s been staying at Ace Hotels since 2010 it’s nice to see them expanding and bringing their brand and their vibe to new locales. The Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens is now open which was “influenced by Greek modernism’s naturalist bent and the classic charm of ’70s coastal resorts.” Located in Glyfada, the 1972 Brutalist building was redone by French design studio Ciguë in collaboration with Georges Batzios Architects, restoring the boxy, cubic exterior as well as enchancing it with a four story mural by Athens-based, French artist Claire Manent, who was inspired by David Hockney’s pool paintings. Yatzer has the best look at the new hotel, head over to see all the beautiful details.

LOEWE ❤️ Suna Fujita

LOEWE and creative director J.W. Anderson have a dependable reputation for collaboration (never forget the Spirited Away collection!) and their most recent collab with Kyoto-based studio Suna Fujita features a playful assortment of adorable characters including whales, squid, hamsters and bunnies adorning a number of LOEWE classics. The collection is a smart move because it has a whimsical, holiday feeling to it without actually being holiday related in any way. Kind of like if The Little Prince met Katamari Damacy which feels timeless and nostalgic. They literally thought of everything to make the collaboration feel complete including custom holiday packaging and these gorgeous little wallpapers for your phone.

Highlights include a beaded bag featuring an angler fish who’s also a bus for children, charming felted leather keychains, and nappa leather slippers adorned with an octopus playing with children. It’s all so much fun and continues to show why LOEWE is the most influential brand in the world.

🍁 — Last month, Noma returned to Kyoto for a ten week pop-up in the Ace Hotel there, this time focusing on “the ingredients synonymous with fall in Japan—wonders that grow in the forest, beautiful seafood, and a variety of game.” Wallpaper magazine chatted with Thomas Lykke, co-founder of OEO Studio and the creatives behind the spatial design, who wanted to bring the outside in, building a wooden pavilion from which we are hanging about 5,000 autumn leaves in a gradation of autumn colors. to further the effect, they’ve added lighting that flickers through the leaves from above, creating the effect of komorebi – the Japanese word referring to sunlight filtering through trees.

🔠 — Sanglier, which means “boar” in French, is a new geometric serif typeface from Morganne Borowczyk who wanted to create a typeface that combines the structured precision of midcentury design with a playful, nature-inspired twist. It’s so odd and bold in such unique ways, you must check it out.

A High Bar for Quality 🍫

Creating a brand that evokes the sense of a place is always a strong direction to take and Barcelona-based Run Design has done exactly that for the Barcelona Chocolate Company. Inspired by the unique typeface that was used on the streets signs of Barcelona in the mid-19th century, they redrew the typeface and ended up creating three different versions with variable heights, which are determined by the height of the “beans.” It’s such a clever concept, tying together the idea of cacao beans with the typeface and it’s amazing how contemporary it all looks, especially with such a well-chosen color palette.

🎁 — VISO PROJECT is a lifestyle brand out of Madrid and New York by David Vivirido and Francesco Sourigues that focuses on craftsmanship and collectible design. Their newest collection just dropped and it’s filled with a beautiful assortment of objects such as ceramics and plates, but it’s their blankets that truly stood out to me. The beautiful mohair blankets in plums and bubblegum pink stripes as well as incredible gradients in black, white, and orange are truly one of a kind.

👼 — There are some creatives who are a step out of time, and for Lareu & González, a multi-disciplinary strategic and creative studio with bases in London and Paris, this is actually a benefit. Made up of Andrés Lareu and Camilo González, their work is inspired by Art Nouveau and references gilded eras from long ago. It’s so interesting how timeless the work looks, almost as if it was discovered rather than created by the talented pair of designers. Have fun digging into their work!