Her website, Man Repeller, offers witty and insightful ideas about fashion, not just as what we wear but as who we are: clothing as a window onto the larger culture. Although who’d want a window made of cotton? The rain would soak through, and you couldn’t see out. Metaphors: they only take you so … Continue reading »
Category Archives: Architecture & Design
Episode 116: David Adjaye
He has designed both elegant private houses (Alexander McQueen’s) and grand public spaces (the Nobel Peace Prize Center in Oslo). While he was working on the Smithsonian’s Museum of African American History and Culture, he was often asked: will it look African American? But what does that mean? Does Renzo Piano’s Times building look newspapery? … Continue reading »
Episode 82: Michael Graves
He’s designed so much, so prominently, it is tough choose only a few examples, but we might cite the Portland Building, an early expression of postmodernism, and the elegant toilet brush he did for Target. That is, he values good design on the grand scale and in ordinary life. In 2003, he contracted what seemed … Continue reading »
Episode 63: Isaac Mizrahi
When he was a ten-year-old Brooklyn yeshiva boy, his father gave him a sewing machine. It’s like The Sword in the Stone, the perfect destiny-calling start for a man who’s distinguished himself as a fashion designer and more. He’s created sets and costumes, directed opera (including the Magic Flute) and appeared in movies and television … Continue reading »
Episode 38: Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan
Simon Doonan is the creative ambassador for Barneys and a columnist for Slate. First known as a potter, Jonathan Adler now has 20 stores worldwide offering beautiful things. His guideline: “If your heirs won’t fight over it, we won’t make it.” They are the first married couple to do the show. PERSON: Liberace PLACE: Hot tub … Continue reading »