Tasking

I'm obsessed with these great task lights by Swedish design collective Wastberg. They are simple, and functional. And everyone needs a task light - even if you think you don't. A good task light will save your eyes and it will make, you know ... tasks .... easier. 


Magnus Wasberg's father is a lighting designer, and Magnus took an interest in the environmentally friendly qualities of LED lighting. So he brought together a group of designers and asked them each to make an LED task light, hence the creation of Wastberg. The LED technology breaks down the parameters that a traditional light bulb would have. Although, the white one with the red cord to the right references a Lampe Gras design - one of the original task lights.


Wastberg is sold in the US by Design Within Reach.

The History of Logos in Fashion

Wearing logos on one’s clothing is a little strange and surprising to me. Did you ever wonder where the wearing of logos originated? I did a little research and here’s what I found out…

The first time a logo appeared on the outside of a garment was on the Jantzen Girl swimsuit in 1921. Jantzen was based in Oregon, and while the knitted suits were a sensation, and the image of a girl in diving formation with a red swimsuit and cap on became an icon, the idea of a logo on the outside of one’s clothes did not take off from there.

In the 1920’s a well-known French tennis player named Rene Lacoste was the top player in the world. He won seven grand-slam singles titles in France, and he went on to invent the first metal tennis racket, which was sold in the US under the name Wilson. Lacoste’s nickname was Le Crocodile, and in 1927 he started having shirts made that would be comfortable to wear in matches. They had very long tails, and to celebrate his success he had a tiny crocodile embroidered on each one. The croc was 2.8 centimeters wide. In 1933 Lacoste partnered with Andre Gillier, a French knitwear manufacturer, to create La Societe Chemise Lacoste. At first they only made the white tennis shirts that Lacoste had designed, but they became hugely popular. Later they added shirts for golf and sailing, but still in white. They did not add shirts of various colors until 1951. And in 1952 they launched in the American market, positioning themselves as the brand of choice for the accomplished sportsmen.

The brand was a success in the states as well. And in the same year that Lacoste took hold in the US another great tennis player started his own brand. It was Fred Perry, and his logo was the laurel wreath (in blue on a white polo shirt). Initially Brooks Brothers sold the Lacoste brand, but in 1960 they stopped selling Lacoste and came out with their own line of polo shirts with their company logo embroidered on it. It was a sheep suspended by ribbons – the Golden Fleece.

Ralph Lauren had already been making men’s clothing for years when in 1971 he introduced women’s suites that included a tiny polo player embroidered on the cuff. The logo was only 1.25” high. The tiny equestrian image was so popular that in 1972 it was on almost everything Ralph Lauren made, including mesh polo shirts that were offered in 24 colors. Today the logo can be seen as large as 5” high.

The latecomer of the subtle logos is the Vineyard Vines pink whale, introduced in 1998, and she is very dainty at only 1.05” wide. Somewhere along the line though a number of other labels caught on to the success of showing one’s brand on the outside of their clothes, but didn’t show any restraint at all. Abercrombie and Fitch is one that was once very conservative but somehow their labels developed into billboards on the front of their shirts. Ed Hardy is a brand based on nothing more than graphic design. And Juicy Couture has to be the most ostentatious of all with its brand name stretched across the backside of the pants on their ladies’ velvet track suits.

The over exposure of such brands has lead to a reaction among the fashion conscious. Brands line American Apparel, Ben Sherman, H&M, and Zara offer almost no branding at all on their clothes, and concentrate instead on comfortable clothes and original designs. 

Gossip Girl

Has anyone else been watching Gossip Girl? I have, and I love it. Not afraid to admit it. It's like reality, but scripted. And there's the hot, HOT Chace Craford. And great fashion too! They even filmed on location in Paris. Very impressive CW.

Shop Stop

A few weeks ago I stopped into Inheritance. I highly recommend it. It's a tiny little place below that miserable gym on Beverly. I only learned about it because a decorator friend sent another friend there for a great deal on some Thonet chairs with mohair seats and latex dipped feet.

My fav find is their Japanese ceramics. They are dark and moody and breath taking. There were also lovely little silver accessories, and a big black plaster deer head with metallic antlers.

I Am Love

In my opinion the best foreign film to make it to the US this year is the Italian film I Am Love. In case you didn’t see the film, you can watch a preview here. Writer/Director Luca Guadagnino does an amazing job at building a love story within a privileged Milan family. At moments it feels very much like an Alfred Hitchcock film but with more fashion sense and less murder.

Tilda Swinton portrays the film’s female protagonist quietly and gently. She plays the role so softly that she seems like an ingénue who will never get the man; only to find out she’s the center of the love triangle. There are also two hot male stars in the film – Flavio Parenti plays Recchi Junior, and Edoardo Gabbriellini plays the lover of mama Recchi. If that weren’t enough, the music, lighting, and cinematography draw you in and have you fighting for your life along with the characters.

But the star of the film without a doubt is the creative direction. The costumes in the film, done by Fendi, were a major influence on the Paris Fall fashion shows as chronicled in this NPR story. And I was a fan of the vintage art deco house that much of the film takes place in. The long lingering shots feature everything in a magical golden light, giving the film a crisp, but somehow still dreamy quality.

I’ll warn you that the story is weak, but the visual feast more than makes up for it. Please go and see if for me if not for yourself. 

Heath Ceramics

Dear Blogger Babies,

My birthday is not until December, but I think you should start saving you pennies for my presents from Heath Ceramics.  

Heath has been in business in Sausalito, California since the 1940’s, making the most hypnotizing ceramic bowls, plates, and tile. The company was started by Edith Heath whose motto was “Simple good things for good people.”

I’ll take the spring basic set in taupe. Service for four, please!

Florence Knoll

Hello blog world/internet. I ignored you for eleven days, and for that I sincerely apologize. But please know that I’ve come back with new focus, and I have some really exciting postings coming up. They will also be coming out more regularly. I hope. For the first, I would like to share a little about one of my favorite designers – Florence Knoll.

Born in America, Florence Schust was an architect and designer. She started her career in the late 1930’s. During World War II she met Hans Knoll, a furniture maker in New York, and went to work marketing his products to architects and designers. They later married. Florence designed much of the furniture, and collaborated with other designers. Many of the things they produced became icons of the modern movement (later to be known as the mid-century modern style).

Knoll continued to design interiors and was especially well know for popularizing clean, modern working environments. The look echoed through the corporate offices of the 1960’s, and is still somewhat popular today.

In 1955 Hans was killed in a car accident, and Florence continued to run the company until 1960. She stayed on as design director until 1965 and then retired completely. The company she built is still in business and still producing many of the pieces that were first introduced in the 1940’s. Her influence on design throughout the world cannot be measured, and somehow her look always has a fresh timeless feeling.