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Wednesday Jul 01, 2009

Debbie Millman Assumes AIGA Presidency

In probing interviews, she reminds the world just how much design matters. She wrote the book on how to think like a great graphic designer. And now, it's official: UnBeige favorite Debbie Millman is the president of AIGA. She replaces outgoing president Sean Adams, who will remain involved in an ex officio role. Millman's three-year term begins today, as do those of four other newly elected AIGA board members: Julie Beeler (Second Story Interactive Studios), AIGA treasurer Zia Khan (Lucid Partners), James Koval (VSA Partners), and Angela Shen-Hsieh (Visual i|o). Additionally, three board members will begin positions to finish the incomplete terms of former directors: Shelley Evenson (Carnegie Mellon University), Louise Sandhaus (California Institute of the Arts), and Lynda Weinman (lynda.com). They'll all be working toward AIGA's new mandate—"to advance designing as a professional craft, strategic tool, and vital cultural force"—as the organization approaches its centennial in 2014. Check out the below video from last month's AIGA Leadership Retreat in Portland, where Adams passed the baton to Millman. Note that the baton was metaphorical, but were it literal, it would be one well-designed baton.

Tuesday Jun 30, 2009

R.I.P., Kodachrome (1935-2009)

kodachrome.jpgEven an imploring Paul Simon chorus couldn't save it. Kodak is taking Kodachrome away. The company has announced that it will retire the world's first commercially successful color film, which today accounts for "a fraction of one percent of Kodak's total sales of still-picture films," according to a press release. While Kodak remains the global leader in the dwindling film business, the company now derives about 70% of its revenues from commercial and consumer digital businesses.

You—or your parents, or their storage unit—probably have albums full of Kodachrome memories, but Kodak has arranged its own online slide show of "great Kodachrome moments" (best viewed with the aforementioned anthem playing, preferably on a record player). They include Steve McCurry's famed Afghan girl photo that ran on the cover of a 1985 issue of National Geographic. McCurry will shoot one of the last rolls of Kodachrome, and his photos will be donated to the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film in Rochester, New York. Meanwhile, there's still time to stockpile Kodachrome, but you better act fast. Kodak estimates that current supplies will run out by early this fall at the current sales pace.

Previously on UnBeige:

  • Kodak Sharpens Focus on Sustainability
  • As Polaroid Remains in Limbo, an Elegy for Instant Photography
  • Friday Photo: Farewell, Polaroid
  • Shake It Like a Polaroid Picture, While You Still Can

  • Thursday Jun 18, 2009

    Santiago Calatrava to Design 'Cornerstone of New Campus' at USF Polytechnic

    USF.bmpWatch out, Disneyworld. Hang on to your geodesic-domed hat, Epcot Center. Because bridgemaster Santiago Calatrava is bringing his epic swoops and avian ribbing to Florida. Calatrava's firm has been commissioned to design the first building for the new campus of the the University of South Florida Polytechnic (USFP) in Lakeland, Florida, the school announced this week. Occupying 100,000 square feet, USFP's $45 million science and technology building will be the cornerstone of the new campus and will establish the design scheme for all buildings in the initial phase of the campus master plan. It will rise from farmland (currently occupied by the billboard pictured above) at the northernmost corner of the campus. Groundbreaking is expected late this year and the building is slated to open in late summer 2012.

    continued...

    Tuesday Jun 16, 2009

    UnBeige Goes Mobile

    cell phone rainbow.jpgSure, UnBeige is published online, but we actually compose all of our posts on a pair of candy apple red Olivetti typewriters before turning them over to Eero, our technology-savvy web monkey, who somehow beams them into cyberspace (he also handles all of our links). Now Eero tells us that UnBeige and the rest of the mediabistro.com blog family have joined the future with mobile-optimized sites that are easily browsable on your iPhone, Blackberry, or Palm. Should you routinely carry one of these devices on your person, you need only type unbeige.com into the browser to be automatically redirected to our mobile-friendly page. The mobile optimizations are in beta, notes Eero, so if you have any problems reading UnBeige on the go, please drop us an e-mail.

    Rodarte Wins Big at CFDA Awards

    (Scott Rudd).jpgThere was one big question on the mind of most everyone who swanned into Lincoln Center's newly renovated Alice Tully Hall last night for the annual and ever higher profile Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Fashion Awards, and it had nothing to do with the astounding transformation wrought by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. No, the sartorially astute crowd was too busy wondering whether self-taught designing sisters Laura and Kate Mulleavy of Rodarte would best decorated veterans Marc Jacobs and Narciso Rodriguez to win the award for womenswear designer of the year—just one year after they won the Swarovski award for the label they founded in 2005. In a word, yes.

    The Mulleavys took home the CFDA's top honor for their otherworldly womenswear, which Kate described to us last fall as the product of everything from "a lot of trial and error" to—in the case of the spring 2009 collection—an inspired "mixture between science fiction and site-specific art." Meanwhile, Scott Sternberg for Band of Outsiders and Italo Zucchelli for Calvin Klein Collection tied for menswear designer of the year honors, while enduring CFDA favorites Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler took home the accessory designer of the year award. The Swarovski awards were presented to Alexander Wang (womenswear), Tim Hamilton (menswear), and Justin Giunta for Subversive Jewelry (accessory design). Taking home the first ever popular vote award for favorite fashion designer, chosen online by the public, was Ralph Lauren.

    Previously on UnBeige:

  • Marc Jacobs, Mulleavy Sisters, Narciso Rodriguez Among CFDA Award Nominees
  • Seven Questions for Rodarte's Kate Mulleavy
  • Eau de Rodarte: Designers Collaborate with Lexus on Eco-Friendly Candle

  • Thursday Jun 11, 2009

    William Morrish Appointed Dean of Parsons' School of Constructed Environments

    william morrish.jpgParsons The New School for Design announced today that urban designer William Morrish has been apponted dean of the School of Constructed Environments, which houses Parsons' programs in architecture, interior design, lighting design, and product design. He will take over decanal duties from interim dean Laura Briggs on July 1.

    A licensed architect, Morrish comes to Parsons from the University of Virginia School of Architecture, where as the school's first interdisciplinary professor, he taught and led research in the areas of sustainable urban infrastructure, new housing models, and global urbanization and climate change. His work has recently focused on addressing what he calls the "second generation of sustainability": the design of cultural ecologies. "Bill's experience working across disciplines and his personal commitment to examining the social implications of design make him an ideal choice for this position," said Parsons dean Joel Towers in a statement issued today. Click below to listen to Morrish, a former resident of New Orleans, give a 2006 talk about the city in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.




    Wednesday Jun 10, 2009

    Stella McCartney Inks Deal to Create Collection for GapKids, babyGap

    Stella!.jpgDesigning children's clothing seems a natural move for Stella McCartney: fashion mogul, mother, and famed "child of." With a slew of successful collaborations (Adidas, LeSportsac, H&M) under her faux leather belt, McCartney has just inked a deal to create a collection of childrenswear for Gap, which eschews articles both definite and indefinite. Expected to launch in November, the limited edition collection will be carried in select GapKids and babyGap stores in the United States and Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, and Japan, as well as online in the U.S., according to a press release issued today by Gap Inc. So can we expect impossibly cool, dusky-hued separates for the littlest fashionistas? All we know is that they'll be affordable. "For years now I've wanted to create a collection for kids, it's something I've often been asked about," said McCartney. "I believe that kids clothing should be more accessibly priced, which is particularly important at the moment given the current climate. It's really exciting for us to do a boys and girls collection for the first time."

    Wednesday Jun 03, 2009

    Elizabeth Edwards to Open Furniture Store

    elizabeth_edwards.jpgWhat kind of chairs does Elizabeth Edwards favor? The world won't have to wonder much longer. The author, mother, and embattled wife of John Edwards is following up her recent book tour with a little retail therapy: she's opening a furniture store this fall in downtown Chapel Hill, North Carolina. According to the Raleigh News & Observer, the store—Red Window—will "feature styles and prices patterned after the charity store The Red Door that Edwards' mother managed when she lived in Japan." Having visited only the spa version of The Red Door and never stepped foot in Japan, we have no idea what that means and question whether prices can be patterned at all, but Edwards has said that she placed orders for the store-to-be at the High Point Market, a biannual furniture trade show. Should you find yourself in Chapel Hill this October, pop into Red Window (note: enter through the door) at 400 West Rosemary Street. We learned from the Chamber of Commerce's "Fun Facts About Chapel Hill and UNC" that the street "was named after residents who lived at its opposite ends—Rose and Mary." Relay that bit of local trivia for a free ottoman.

    Tuesday Jun 02, 2009

    It's Electric!: Herman Miller Slides into Energy Management

    eames HM.jpgWith sales down nearly 30% in the last quarter, Herman Miller is busy restructuring, consolidating its manufacturing operations, and...diversifying beyond furnishings. The company best known for industrial design classics of yesterday (by the likes of George Nelson and Charles and Ray Eames) and today (Don Chadwick and Bill Stumpf's Aeron chair) is focused on a new product that you won't be able to see, let alone sit on: Convia, a high-tech wiring system that allows offices, restaurants, and stores to integrate power delivery and save big on electric bills. Developed in consultation with Applied Minds as part of Herman Miller's initiative to explore new lines of business in the wake of the 2001 recession, Convia aims to make traditionally rigid electrical infrastructure flexible. Mina Kimes explains how it works in the current issue of Fortune:

    Normally, if an office manager wants to split, say, a conference room into two offices, he has to rip out the walls and hire an electrician to put in new wiring so that each office can control its own lighting. With Convia, the wires running through walls or cubicles are "smart," so no electrician is necessary, just install a switch and point a wand at every lighting fixture you want the switch to control. In a flash the room is divided into two separate circuits.
    The system, which also controls temperature and electric devices, can translate into big energy savings. Early adopters include the U.S. Green Building Council, whose new Perkins+Will-designed corporate headquarters in Washington, D.C. is "Convia-enabled."

    continued...

    Monday Jun 01, 2009

    Veronique Branquinho Folds Fashion House

    branquinho.jpgFrom Europe comes news of another fashion victim of the economy: Belgian designer Veronique Branquinho is closing the fashion house she founded 11 years ago. The Antwerp-based company—which encompasses womenswear, menswear, sunglasses, and shoes—has entered court-appointed liquidation. According to WWD, Branquinho's house was unable to survive in the face of "a sharp drop in orders for its fall/winter 2009/2010 collections, and a plethora of canceled orders and nonpayments for the past spring/summer season."

    While Branquinho, a graduate of Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts, will take a break from designing under her own name, she was recently appointed artistic director of Delvaux, the luxe leathergoods company. "The motivation for this choice was her highly personal style, her approach to accessories—elegance must remain discreet—and the international opportunities that this cooperation creates," noted Delvaux last month in a statement announcing Branquinho's appointment. "In her designs for Delvaux, she wants to create a tension between recognition—the existing codes of the House—and surprise." Branquinho will also continue teaching at the University of Applied Arts Vienna.


    Previously

    AIGA Affirms 'No Spec' Stance

    Hauser & Wirth to Open NYC Gallery

    Architect Arthur Erickson Dies at 84

    American Apparel, Woody Allen Settle Billboard Lawsuit for $5 Million

    Design Matters Celebrates 100th Broadcast

    G Whiz: Gucci Sues Guess?

    First Look: Rem Koolhaas-Designed Prada Transformer Lands in Seoul

    D'Oh! The Simpsons Go Postal

    Coming Soon to a TV Near You: Adobe Flash

    Jonathan Ive, Betty Woodman Among RISD Honorary Degree Recipients

    Monocle Opens First Stateside Shop in L.A.

    Project Runway Says 'auf Wiedersehen' to Lingering Lawsuit

    Richard Serra to Receive Honorary Degree from Pratt Institute

    Take Five | Selling Superman, Remembering Mark Chagall

    'Pearls Before Swine' Comic Creator In Movie Deal Talks

    The Very Hungry Caterpillar Turns 40

    Pizza Goes Green at World's First LEED-Certified Pizzeria

    Design Fixture Zaha Hadid Designs Fixtures

    Starbucks Coffee Now LEED-Certified

    Spend Oscar Night with David Rockwell and Gourmet Popcorn

    Joseph Ungoco Leaves Zink for Fashion Site WhatsWear.com

    MoMA Updates Identity, Acquires Giant Collection of Fluxus Art

    A Redesigned Penny for Your Thoughts

    Tony Duquette Sues Michael Kors for Trademark Infringement

    Condé Nast to Fold Domino: March Issue Will Be Shelter Mag's Last

    Artist Andrew Wyeth Dies at 91

    New U.K. Stamps Will Celebrate Iconic British Designs

    Approaching 50, Barbie to Undergo 'Sweeping Makeover'

    Trolling for a Legal Battle: Urban Outfitters Sued for Copyright Infringement

    Au Revoir, Chanel Mobile Art

    As Big Three Flounder, Honda Puts Finishing Touches on 49-Foot Robot

    Whitney Names Curators of 2010 Biennial

    In Brief: Of Icebergs and EDARs

    Edward Leida Launches Website, Will Guest Art Direct NYT 'On Language' Column

    Sotheby's Selling Full Set of Visionaire

    New York Observer Caps Election Coverage with Sculptures, Star Trek Parody Poster

    In Brief: Good Week for Oprah, Less So for Her Home

    New Museum Adds Michelle Obama Portrait to Elizabeth Peyton Show

    In Brief: Selling Andy Warhol, Feting Design Observer

    Yes We Can: PowerHouse Readies Book of Scout Tufankjian's Campaign Photos

    Forget Ringtones, Now Switch Up Your Cell Phone's Font

    In Brief: 02138 Folds, Miami's Economy Holds

    Pinocchio, Mendacious Boy Puppet, Plunges to Death at Museum

    In Brief: Follow Red Brick Road to Discount Theater Tickets

    In Brief: Nick Cave to Present Turner Prize

    Less Is More at Swiss Fallout Shelter Turned 'Zero-Star Hotel'

    Beirut Declares 'Poster Disarmament'

    Phillips Sold to Russian Luxury Retail Group

    Financial Woes Begin Creep Toward Museums, Fashion

    Piano Plays On at LACMA, as Resnicks Donate $45 Million for New Pavilion

    Tara Donovan, Jennifer Tipton Among 2008 MacArthur Fellows

    Gray Lady Embraces UnBeige

    Harvard Law School to Honor Christo and Jeanne-Claude as 'Great Negotiators'

    Blair Kamin on the Farnsworth House Flooding and How It Can Be Prevented

    Thomas Campbell Named Next Director of Metropolitan Museum of Art

    Picture it, Siciliy, Where Houses Cost One Euro

    MLK Memorial Clears One Big Blockade

    Cuddle Up with Karl Lagerfeld

    Former Disney Employee Smells Rat in Mickey Mouse Copyright Protection

    ICA Boston to Host Shepard Fairey's First Solo Museum Show

    Economic Slowdown Hits Home; Shelter Mag Shuttered

    Inaugural Aspen Design Challenge Seeks Solutions to World's Drinking Problem

    'The Flame Was Not Put Out,' Claims Olympic Torch Designer

    Unabomber Wants Cabin out of Newseum; Is He OK with New Museum's Replica?

    Supreme Court May Rule on Candy Cane Symbolism in Censorship Case

    National Geographic Mines Archive for New Photo Book Imprint

    Victims' Family Members Dragged into Flight 93 Memorial Debate

    Friday Photo: Worshiping Damien Hirst's Golden Calf

    Illeana Douglas to Star in IKEA Web Series

    New Museum Announces International Triennial for Emerging Artists

    Happy Birthday, Steven Heller!

    Renaissance Sculpture Takes Tumble at Met

    Art Center Puts Gehry Building Plan on Hold—Or Not

    Getty Images Buyout Gets Shareholder Approval

    Latest Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Revisions Submitted

    Stock Tips: PhotoShelter Gets Inside Image Buyers' Brains

    Attack of the 1,350-Foot Drawing

    The Car in the Gray Lycra Suit

    Art Center Divided over Planned Gehry Building, Educational Priorities

    NYC Finally Starts Crack Down on Building Failures

    Yazmany Arboleda's Guerrilla Art Show Closed by Cops, Covered by NYT

    Marc Newson's Nuptials: Only 37 Shopping Days Away!

    Philippe de Montebello Headed to NYU

    Things Semi-Calm Now with MLK Jr. Memorial

    A Return of the 'Other' Flight 93 Memorial Controversy

    MLK Memorial Now Runs Into Government Hurdles

    Abercrombie Continues March Across Europe, Plans Copenhagen Flagship

    Flight 93 Memorial Controversy Gains the Most Steam It's Ever Had

    Made Plagiarized in Hong Kong

    University of Kentucky to Use $6 Million Gift for International Design Contest

    Target Fights Cereal Killers

    Ripped from the Headlines: Comics Get Topical

    Eye Opener: Graphic Design Review Changes Ownership

    It Takes a Vilnius: Zaha Hadid to Design Guggenheim Hermitage Museum

    Pulitzer Prize Roundup: Criticism, Cartooning, Photography, and Bob Dylan

    How to Read Newspapers Online

    And Speaking of Mortal Sins...

    The Greening of Baptists, All the Way to Our Inbox

    Designing a New Olympic Medal...for Coaches

    Rodrigo Corral to Design Olsen Twins' Coffee Table Book

    Read more on UnBeige >

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