EXPLORING THE PRESENCE: THE SENTIENT MIND OF SERGE LUTENS
EXPLORING THE PRESENCE: THE SENTIENT MIND OF SERGE LUTENS | SCENTEUR, ARTIST, DESIGNER, PERFUMER. Attention, craft, fascination and the making of an extraordinary career. Photo © Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido The concept of presence is about attention, capturing the...
Richless, rich less, poorful, poor full?
Are you poorful, or richless? Our economy's new language - shifting story and interpretations Brandstory and language: what's the positioning -- in a challenging milieu -- what are we really looking for: rich, poor, satiety or survival? How do we describe it? And feel...
Attentionality and intentionality: brand awareness and the focused relationship
What are you paying attention to? And in that equation, what are your customers paying intention to? What drives them to intentionally pay attention? There's tension in that balance. Sometime back, I'd connected with Lynda Weinman and her husband, Bruce Heavin. This...
EXPERIENCE NOMAD: EVENT HORIZON
EXPERIENCE NOMAD: EVENT HORIZON | I WAS THINKING ABOUT ANTONY GORMLEY'S INSTALLATIONS. AND THE FIGURE IN SURVEILLANCE. I was thinking about the watcher, the sentinel. And the sentient. In NYC, we live -- Girvin's offices, are -- in the neighborhood of Madison Park....
Smoke, scent, perfume — the etymology of the mist of fragrance
Smoke, scent, perfume -- the etymology of the mist of fragrance; examining the legacy of aroma, the waft of fire, in the history of language. The inspiration of smoke, scent and magic One might offer that, as a designer, I've spent a lot of time examining the context...
BRAND BACKSTORY | LEGENDARY MYTHOLOGIES IN BRAND STRATEGY
What is the myth, brand storytelling: the legend, the narrative that lies in the heart of the brand proposition? Karl Lagerfeld by Karl Lagerfeld (by Girvin) I was talking to a client about the concept of legendary culture and it set me thinking to the concept of...
The scent of Paris | notes on fragrance, Serge Lutens, women and sex
Exploring the concept of memory, experience and the layering of the scented, working in Paris: the evocation of the perfumes of women and the metaphor of place and fragrance design. (Photo: Girvin) A friend of mine asked that I offer something -- a quick essay -- on...
Neil Patel + HARD WORK | 15 reasons why your business sucks
PASSIONATENESS Biz 4.0: Really, is there a perfection to business logic and the path to doing it right? Neil and I've been trying to meet for a couple of weeks -- a new entrepreneur, a millennial business strategist and a passionate (indulge me -- a new application of...
Starbucks go(es) home! Retail design strategies at Starbucks, and who’s doing it?
Speaking with colleagues, people have asked -- "you seem to know something about what's going on at Starbucks; but really, who's doing the work?" I just talk to people -- being the perpetually curious type. And I ask questions. It's not like I'm a constant design or...
Manly Men Brands | Authentic design for guys | Andy Spade, Peter Buchanan Smith, and other real men
The proposition of men, designing men's stuff is an interesting one -- from Filson to designer Axes, from canvas luggage to gear that guys want. What's the pitch? To the general philosophy that there's a men's designer consciousness -- to the concept that there isn't:...