a place to keep what matters
I travel regularly-ish. Two cities, back and forth, almost every month. The opportunities in both cities are vastly different, call it regional market opportunities, tourist seasons, state-politics reactive, you decide. What’s interesting is how they differ as much as they do, but are also very similar. Both are sister cities in my opinion, geographically. One is to Chicago what the other is to…
The more I talk about minimalism to people, the more it seems the word has lost its power, its place in today. Interesting to see this series by Matt D’Avella pop up recently talking about that idea. How minimalism is dead, didn’t work, or was just a trend. He’s not wrong, from the viral things I remember seeing to the Ye/KK home tour that was luxury minimalism, it seems to have come and gone. As…
Every system needs a relief valve. Rules to no end = a system that will get stale, boring, lose its value perhaps. The all black system has its place, now over 13 years in practice, the pressure relief valve is the shoes. The louder the better. Volt Green, Lava Red, as neon as possible, or just something unexpected. There is still some order, usually monochromatic, from sole to laces and…
no mid life crisis, the jolt
I was having a conversation with someone recently around nostalgia, travel, and remembering a place. I was coming across a lot of images of cacti and big leafy plants that day that made me think of some places I’ve been to in Texas. I had also just recently bartended (very poorly, I’d say) at our company event, in charge of a specialty cocktail that represented “me.” I went with an elderflower…
Besides the obvious eco benefits, oxygen, and softening of space—why plants? I think my count is up to 28, maybe more, inside my home. Outside, so many more. Not just everywhere—curated, intentional, framing and screening in specific ways. It wasn’t until recently that I went “all-in” on plants inside. It doesn’t seem like an “all-in”–worthy topic, so let me take it off that pedestal. As I was…
It’s sleek. It’s the designer’s dress code, if you’re “cool.” It makes getting dressed in the morning easy. Two decisions. It’s slimming. It makes not giving a shit about clothing brands easy. Or at least kind of easy. It makes you feel guilty, though, when you like something colorful. It makes your closet look good—neat, simple, organized—even though I keep the doors closed. It’s a talking point,…
I don’t call myself a minimalist; I’d say it’s part of my perspective. I guess calling myself a minimalist makes it feel like you can only do that if every part of what you do is tied to that idea. That’s not real in my life. It closes more doors than it opens in bad ways, and it doesn’t create room for other passions like art, music, travel, and “the culture.” So instead, I say it’s part of my…
I was recently in Miami for a few stops that included Art Basel, a few new books from Taschen, seeing what was on display at the Avant Gallery, and a quick stop at the Wolfsonian-FIU. I've been a fan of Marco Brambilla's work for some time now having seen his Heaven's Gate installation years ago. When I found out his After Utopia installation was at the Wolfsonian as part of their World's Fairs…
Once in a while you come across an artist that makes you stop, think, and really enjoy the work they've decided to share with the world. The color, the detail, the emotion. On my recent visit to Art Basel in Miami, from Ángeles Agrela: