Julian Schnabel and Ian Schrager
I spent a couple of nights with my lover at the Gramercy Park Hotel, NYC, Schrager’s collaboration with Julian Schnabel — painter, filmmaker, now, interior designer. I found the space intriguing. What was it — dark, deeply scented of burning firewood, and some other...
The concept of the sacred in commerce
The conceptual gesture, to supporting Shawn McNally's spiritual exploration, is drawing back to manuscripts hundreds of years old to find the archetypal spiritual exploration that captures the needs and quests of the seeker. It's all about the voice, the sacred voice,...
Brand Braille
*10. MARKETING: INNOVATIVE BRANDING AND MARKETING TRENDS. TIM GIRVIN, designer and founder of GIRVIN, discusses a new expression: Brand Braille. Tim describes this a sa metaphor – a way to transmit a brand message through the creation of a distinctive pattern that...
Interview Notes / Tom Kundig
How do you know Tom? I've known Tom since childhood, in Spokane, our families sort of connected earlier in our lives – and still have a kind of connection together, over there. Why do you think he suggested I speak to you? Being a designer, I suppose that I've learned...
Making Ballet
I spent the day with Balletmakers | Capezio the day before yesterday. It was Cristina and I. Some interviews, some research, some connections. More gathering. This will be going on for a couple of weeks, the two of us. But there were intriguing other insights into the...
Perfections
Good morning. Here’s a procession: For the last 15 years, or more, I’ve been watching the evolution of this artist, designer and sculptor, Anish Kapoor. He was, however, born one year after me, so he’s been around. You probably know about him. Maybe not. But working...
Tim Girvin Comments on Scent for Exhibitor Magazine
Scent is a slightly uplifting character to the dynamics of a space. Time Warner's new Samsung technology space has a expression of light citrus blown in. The entries of Hotel Costes, and perhaps by contrast, W, Mandarin Oriental and Schrager's offerings utilize...
Luxury in China
Let's start at the beginning point of our earlier conversations; branding is about people. It's not merely about the growth figures; there's no growth if people don't get the story. The real point, however, is about what luxury means; yes – it's a commodity, but in...
Chocolate confections
There are a couple of trends that I perceive, in working in this space of consumer communications and brand representations. First, it's clear that there are continuously emerging "new brands", which might be "repositioned" old brands. Confectioners work in one place,...
Whole Foods and Storytelling
Whole Foods and Storytelling I was in Whole Foods this morning and shot some images. Whole Foods marketing is really about storytelling – a layering of images, texts and ideas (as ideals) that embrace customers into their world. And if you are not an organically...