Trend: White & Textured Backdrops

Backdrops have come under scrutiny the more photo booths enter the mainstream. Smilebooth offers textures ranging from neon and confetti to boxed and modular. As more people are tasked with creative decision-making (brides, party planners, etc.), I thought I’d share some examples of the white variety.

There’s a classic simplicity to working within a monochromatic palette that allows the subject to shine. The print campaign above (unknown, unfortunately), focuses on a neon pop while the sheet installation (above and below) from Shanghai’s World Financial Tower is a beautiful and fun installation to interact with (that’s my friend Naveen amidst the white abyss).

Here’s a snapshot of the photobooth from my wedding party (yes, that’s my arm), shot by Moss & Isaac and styled by You Plus Me and a side view of the Shanghai installation.

What do you think- would you sample this for your next event?

February 3, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Following Mosaic Collages Around the World

We’re mixing things up today! Whenever creative city tours go live, we usually try to focus on hotspots in a single city (not a bad thing, right?)- though today, I’m stringing a multiple city tour together, under the umbrella of a reoccurring pattern.

While I’m constantly in touch with friends and colleagues living abroad, grilling them on pop culture and random social trends, I’ll say that I’m quite fortunate to have a job that has me on the go when I’m not on the wacom tablet. Scouting inspiration and observing daily routine in cities and suburbs around the globe is absolutely fascinating and something I probably wouldn’t have fallen into had I not left my full-time job six years ago.

So today’s feature. Of the 9 photos, I took 5 of them over the past year. The theme is graphic with unexpected patchwork, reminiscent of mixed media mosaic tiling.

From the curated art world to reactionary street art to the commercialization of home, fashion and printed goods, it’s interesting to see how this trend has seeped into society’s subconscious, revealing an exciting departure from pixelated patterns.

From stucco wallpapering in Lake Como to cement work in Atlanta (via little_ekd in my instagram feed!), to painted patchwork in Glasgow (thank you Pinterest) to a painted grate on Hoiser Lane in Melbourne and a segmented condo facade in Hong Kong, it’s easy to see an outdoor architectural trend here.

In the home sphere, the reinterpretation on soft goods is also obvious. The featured geometric pillows from La Rinascente in Milan are quite similar in color and form to the stucco wall in Lake Como. The unbelievable quilting and embroidered techniques from Alabama Chanin which was recently featured recently in NY Times T Magazine mirror the Glasgow wall with stunning precision.

Mimicking this technique in print, The overlapping hearts are a simple yet striking design I spotted last month in Tokyo. Giving gravity to the theme and tying loose ends where necessary, John Squire’s current show in London features dazzling mosaic work undone in chaotic organic nature.

January 19, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Winter Trends in European Footwear

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At my first job as a footwear designer, I snapped photos like a pro. Women on the subway, kid appliques at the market, tiger heels on fifth avenue, everything from high to low to everything in between. After leaving the company, it was hard to untrain my eye to go directly to people’s feet…something I still find myself doing on a semi-regular basis.

On my Fall scouting trip to Paris and London, the footwear gods overcame my camera. There were so many treats, I particularly loved the Sandro and Bensimon high tops. Here’s a round up of some of the more interesting (and wearable) pieces from the trip.

January 17, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

A Summation of Indigo PV with Arts Thread

Today’s feature is by our intrepid writer, Emily Gup.

I was pretty jazzed when I learned that Pattern Pulp and Arts Thread would be teaming up to cover the Premiere Vision / Indigo New York SS13 textile show. For those who are unaware, Arts Thread is an exciting platform based out of the UK for college students and graduates to post portfolio work and network with fellow grads and industry professionals.

Meeting up with Co-founder and Director Alex Brownless was a pleasure- we talked about the current work environment for recent grads and how exposure is integral in getting hired. The site is popular in the UK, Europe and Asia and is looking to expand into the US.

We also chatted about all-things textiles and viewed the five-level exhibition together. After weaving through each floor like kids in a candy store, it was evident that movement and transition were the strongest underlying themes throughout. Here are some supporting observations from the day.

Techniques:

A range of hand-painted and hand-drawn designs incorporating luxurious splashes of color, loose detailed geometry and dense ethnic prints.

Digital Effects:

Photo-realism and free-form layering. Ethnic prints were manipulated so as to blur the line between popular pixilated themes and traditional ethnic patterns.

Large Scale:

Organic and freeform with lush movement. Smooth transitions with art-nouveau influences.

Coverage by Emily Gup

January 12, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Dotted Chaos

I’m a fan of circular symmetry just as much as the next designer, but when it comes to free form chaos, it can be really refreshing to just let loose. David Huffman’s done just that within a topographic landscape for Floating World #1, his mixed media on canvas piece that’s currently on display at the Patricia Sweetow Gallery.

Applying a similar layering technique with an explosive saturated palette, Yayoi Kusama’s latest project is just as eye-catching.

Pairing a white room with stickers and children, organized chaos creates a living, breathing installation.

The full pictorial set can be viewed on This is Colossal. It’s worth a visit, as the process is a nice reminder that beauty often has a singular focus.

January 5, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: The Art of Parts

When flipping through the January 2012 Vogue, it took us about half a second to notice something familiar about the Lexus ad (as seen on the left). Immediately, we called to mind the meticulously dissembled works of Todd McLellan (example on the right) that we spotted last February whose images were quickly disseminated throughout the blogosphere with glee. Could Lexus have gotten their inspiration from Todd who incidentally also photographs cars and advertisements?

A little digging finds that this photograph from Lexus was only the beginning of a project in which four fashion designers – Moss Lipow, Eddie Borgo, John Patrick and Alejandro Ingelmo – were challenged to “rethink their notions of automotive design” for an ad campaign slated to appear in Vogue.

A Lexus CT 200h hybrid car was taken apart and from the pieces the designers created clothing and accessories. The results of the project were on display at the recent Art Basel Miami Beach.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GwQp7969lHY

We think the approach is interesting and certainly touches on a number of markets. Of course, fans of Todd’s work (and probably the mechanically inclined, too) will appreciate the peculiar beauty of seeing a machine taken apart and laid out piece by piece. Enthusiasts of repurposing goods, especially the parts of gadgets (example: watch parts) to make accessories will also likely take note. Intent on showing off both their goals for sustainability and their innovative engineering – and likewise an apparent appreciation for creative thinking – Lexus also might make you think about the cycle of inspiration and of the lines in which art, advertising and design blend, merge and where, if any, are there boundaries.