Isamu Nocughi
05.03.2013 § Leave a Comment
During the New Year’s holiday, I visited the Smart Museum at Chicago University. There was a small sculpture by Isamu Noguchi entitled Iron Wash, a classic Noguchi piece which made me feel as if I were meeting up with an old friend.
Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) was one of the twentieth century’s most important and critically acclaimed sculptors. He is my role model for artistry. His work, at once subtle and bold, traditional and modern, has lyrical and emotional expressiveness with an aura of mystery.
I have visited his museum in Long Island City, bought books about him and read about his life. The knowledge that such a great artist once existed is an ecstasy that brings tears to my eyes. « Read the rest of this entry »
Baccarat Museum, Paris
07.11.2012 § Leave a Comment
As a tourist in a new place, I feel compelled to run around and look at everything that is going on and the beautiful sceneries, so the museums are always left out. I am always a bit bewildered by the idea of locking myself in a place for a whole day and looking at things from the past when I should be “sightseeing.” But after some traveling, some of the most memorable things I’ve found are the notes or sketches I made at a museum. As a textile designer, I constantly look for inspiration for new motifs. Even the most unlikely things will strike my fancy, such as these cubist looking glass jars from the Baccarat Museum in Paris or this hardware by Diego Giacometti.
These sketches were made on 1-28-2008.
 Diego Giacometti |
 Baccarat Museum |
Maple Key Design
19.10.2012 § Leave a Comment
I designed a maple key pattern about ten years ago, but it was not successful as a fabric and I never introduced it. I am making the attempt again and making some studies. Maybe it will become a Brentano fabric design one day.
Story of the Color Sky
29.06.2012 § Leave a Comment
The light blue is “Sky.”
One of the subconscious reasons I started to study Japanese was to be able to read Japanese textile-related articles. The Japanese people’s ability to maintain a catalogue of their traditional color names throughout history with actual colors samples is most amazing to me. I brought back five of these kinds of books with me from Japan. My fever of studying color names was reignited when I purchased a Japanese-English dictionary last year at the Mizuwa Marketplace bookstore in Arlington Heights. At the front, there are about five pages of color blocks with name identifications. I was in awe to see that a common little dictionary would have such a professional level of color work. « Read the rest of this entry »
It’s Time for Primary Colors
07.05.2012 § Leave a Comment
Color trend forecasting is half statistics and half instinct, especially before the statistics start to point in a specific direction. I might be looking too far ahead, but I know that the public is in the mood for primary colors. Clear, down-to-earth, not pretentious or devious, primary colors are classics yet give a sense of contemporariness. We are showing primary colors in the 2012 HD Show and will be featuring them in the fall 2012 Gallery collection. All interior designers should have the pleasure of working with primary colors during their careers, and I am happy to produce products to fulfill this need.
Natural Inspiration
05.04.2012 § 2 Comments
Stamens and tree bark are fascinating. I’ve got to figure out a way to make these patterns into fabrics.
Orange
22.12.2011 § 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 »
Brentano Color Forecast
02.12.2011 § 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 »
Sportswear Exhibition
07.09.2011 § Leave a Comment
After the Alexander McQueen show, I stayed one more day in New York. I had never visited the Fashion Institute of Technology, so I did. Their museum was featuring a sportswear show called ‘Sporting Life.’ The first piece on the left at the entrance of the exhibit was my favorite. Fashions always came late to Korea, and I remember wearing those balloon pants in gym class. They were a short version like the sketch on the right but with a white shirt without a sailor collar or ties … a faint memory of the old days. « Read the rest of this entry »
Alexander McQueen ~ 5 of 5
30.08.2011 § 1 Comment
Padded Hips
I think women want to emulate Audrey Hepburn, but men prefer women like Elizabeth Taylor. It is all about the sensuality. « Read the rest of this entry »
