Dear X:
February 14th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
You are heart broken so I send you a song to sooth your pain. This is belated and maybe you are not sad anymore, if so, then … oh, yes, it is Valentine’s Day, Happy Valentine’s Day.
“I Wish You Love” sung by five singers:
A Letter to Jascha Heifetz
February 10th, 2012 § 2 Comments
I like Noh theatre and Japanese music. This morning while driving to work, instead of having my CD play, the WFMT radio station got turned on by mistake, and violin music flew out in such a passionate and expressive way that it stopped me from switching back to the music I had intended to play. I was awed by the impact made by the contrast: while my mind was ready for the stoic theatre of the east, the powerful music and the violinist’s prowess seized me. I stayed in the parking lot to finish the concerto just to find out who was playing. It was Jascha Heifetz playing Tchaifovsky’s violin concerto in D major with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the 1957 RCA recording.
Ah, yes, Heifetz, one of the greatest violinists of all time. I wrote to him once, his identity unbeknown to me. « Read the rest of this entry »
Back to Basics Inspirations
February 3rd, 2012 § Leave a Comment
The spring 2012 collection developed around a desire to create things that possess a tranquil quality. We are introducing soft textures and subtle patterns, many within our Brentano Green line. There are high performing patterns too like Plein Air and Zinnia (above), but in my mind, the idea of tranquility connects most closely with green mindfulness.
Story of Diary Notebooks
January 20th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
It is hard to love art but only one kind of art. So it is hard for me to just put efforts into one type or form or media. My major was oil painting and print making but I spent a lot of time on other types of visual arts such as calligraphy. I like the everyday objects that we use, see, handle to be beautiful, love to read beautiful handwriting, and therefore love practicing to make my own handwriting beautiful. (Consider as an example the handwriting of a scientist in the 16th century, the respected Galileo Galilei. Click for image.) « Read the rest of this entry »
Pavé-esque Installation
January 11th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
I just came across these pictures I’d taken last year of an entrance hallway in a building in Shanghai. I looks like our pattern Pavé in a large-scale, rippling installation. The real thing is a lot larger than a fabric weave of course but the idea is the same. I stopped to marveled at it for the similarity.
« Read the rest of this entry »
Healthcare Fabrics and Finishes ~ 2
December 28th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Are stain resistant finishes waterproof? Are they bleachable?
Because all stain resistant finishes are breathable, any liquid will go through the fabric eventually. It may bead up on the surface at first, but the finish will not make the fabric waterproof.
Similarly, one should not assume that a fabric is chlorine resistant because it has a stain resistant finish. Both GreenShield and Nano-Tex are chlorine resistant, but they will not make a fabric chlorine resistant. The fiber needs to be a chlorine resistant fiber, the way the fiber is dyed needs to be chlorine resistant, and the finish needs to be chlorine resistant. All three – fiber, dye, and finish – have to qualify in order for the fabric to be chlorine resistant. « Read the rest of this entry »
Orange
December 22nd, 2011 § 1 Comment
I have not paid any attention in English literature, but I surely know a few Chinese novelists who described colors with inspiring insight. The words and objects they use to describe (and mentally simulate) colors create aesthetic tension. For instance, Eileen Chang, one of the greatest modern short novelists in Chinese literature, depicted a metal window frame color in an old Hong Kong mansion as “chicken fat yellow.” I assume it is a rich cream color. The fact that she used an unorthodox way to describe a color left a deep impression on me. « Read the rest of this entry »
Same Moon
December 14th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
This past summer when I took a Japanese composition class, my Japanese teacher was a Japanese American. She has been supporting a group of psychologists in Tokyo who run a social program to help counsel the Tsunami victims. At the end of the semester, she brought little knick-knacks to the class to fundraise for the program. The money is used to buy “American” candies or toys for the children when they come together.
 Program Event (bottom right) |
 Program Event (right side) |
Brentano Color Forecast
December 2nd, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Brentano Designer Aaron Mensik has great color sense, so we tend to rely on him as our colorist in the design studio. Usually before he starts to color a pattern, we will talk about how and where the fabric will be used and what kind of color it should have. For instance, if the fabric is to be used in a vertical application, we tend to want colors that are clear and soft. We might not produce any dark colors at all. There are also differences for residential and hospitality, healthcare, etc., fabrics. « Read the rest of this entry »
