Wednesday, December 30, 2009

nooka press: time out new york

text by michael a. traverzo

as the noo year slowly creeps upon us, resolutions will be made. so, why not do it in style ( work out that is, since most of the resolutions will be to "hit the gym")? in the noo time out new york, the hyperspace zenh is featured as one of the best fitness watches. go from the gym to the streets with this fashionable timepiece! here at nooka, we like to stay optimistic, so even if your not loyal to your resolution, you'll still be in style!

purchase your hyperspace zenh here!

also, don't forget to vote for nooka at pulchra. the voting process may seem a bit tedious, but it is actually really simple. simply drag nooka to the number 1 spot, if that's your choice of course and choose the other 9 objects until you have completed your list. In order for your vote to be valid, you will need to complete the details form. remember you can only vote ONCE PER DAY, so make sure to log on the next day and do it all over again. link is here!

follow nooka on facebook and twitter.

zirca x nooka



if your in singapore, end the year in style at zirca club! zirca x nooka present eden- the rebirth of music.

stand a chance to win an exclusive nooka by simply answering the question: what is the theme of the zirca nye party?

send your reply to: info@zirca.sg with your name, ic and contact number by 30 Dec 2009, 5pm

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

year-end entrepreneur notes and rants


it's been a long time since i've written a rant or business related post, so what better time than the last week of the year [i know from the emails and comments i get from the blog that many young entrepreneurs read/check in here for the evolving nooka story, and the past few months have read more like a press section than a real blog].

this year has been a very challenging one economically, though i must say, an exciting one for me and nooka. this of course is not "news" to anyone running a business and even more so to people who have found it difficult to find employment the past year. one thing that is different this recession, is the mood. i just don't feel the doom-and-gloom i felt when the economy tanked after george w stole the election in 2001, but then again, that was such a precipitous drop here in NYC with the addition of september 11th, i had to lay-off all my staff and take a job as creative director of a larger company [if i really go on rant mode, i'd write a lot more on how ridiculously structured SBA disaster loans were at that time to benefit only larger companies as they were for the most part based on the number of employees a company had at the time of application – isn't the "SB" in "SBA" supposed to mean "Small Business"?]. i must add though that the SBA [Small Business Administration] has failed the US economy this year even more and i totally encourage everyone and anyone with a business to blog their experience and more importantly send a letter to your congress people and senators to let them know how unacceptable it is to fund such a vast government agency with our tax money that has not one mechanism in place to ensure that their policies and programs are being followed or even made available in every locale where there is need – the SBA has no transparency whatsoever, they will not even give the guidelines that banks must follow to the small businesses being turned down for the loans to check against. they do not even have a person handling complaints. i was simply told to apply to different banks until i find one that would make the SBA money available! obviously, the SBA personnel have never filled out a business loan application before! after going through the process 2 times, i gave up and figured out another way to get through the rough spots presented to us this year. frustrating, yes, but i turned all that energy into being more creative and engaged in growing my business and cultivating my brand.

and it's not only small businesses. yohji yamamoto of japan, escada of germany and even christian lacroix have all filed for bankruptcy protection this year! they of course are large companies with a huge value in their respective brand equities and i'm sure they will restructure and still be on the shelves in 2010 and beyond. it is small companies like nooka that need to be very creative and careful in years like these.

luckily this recession, i have not had to lay off any of our staff [though christmas bonuses will hardly qualify as a down-payment on a house or car]. to be honest, even with the few scattered problems of financing and stores going under, we're coming out of 2009 ahead! 2010 will be our 5th anniversary as 'nooka inc.' and i am very happy to enter this milestone with added vigor and determination to build a mindstyle brand bringing optimism for the future via design!

so for that, i really want to thank all the amazing partners i've worked with this year: our amazing PR staff at raw information group, all of the fabulous magazines who showed us love and support in print and online, BLOGGERS [you know who you are], purpose built for our fragrance launch, all our manufacturing partners, our wonderful distributors in foreign lands, our north american sales staff, our legal team, all the celebs, sports personalities, designers and musicians like lil wayne, semi precious weapons, michna, kate simko etc, who embrace nooka without any prodding from us [well, maybe a little], the one club for choosing us as their corporate design project, redbull, kidrobot, the KDU, – and most importantly – the fans of our designs who keep buying what we make! i also want to thank my staff and wonderful crop of interns we had from sweden and spain [we are currently looking for an adobe indesign wiz intern!].

so what words of wisdom can i offer up for other young businesses?
banks suck. none of the major banks that took government bailout money have made any overtures to make credit available to small businesses. moreover, they are returning the money so they can be free from any pressure to do anything that may benefit society and the small business community. it's an unfortunate reality that you have to even use them. but since you do need a bank, i can only recommend sovereign. i really like HSBC for my personal banking especially since i travel so much all over the world [there is an HSBC ATM EVERWHERE i travel to with the glaring exception of japan (japan is infamous for having a closed market to foreign banks)], they totally failed at being a good bank for business. they have high turnover of dedicated bankers and no mechanism in place to notify customers of personnel changes – they don't even bounce back emails when the person has left the company with an automated response! they lost loan applications on numerous occasions and seem to show no interest whatsoever in making their small business customer feel valued. we spent most of 2009 meeting with the small business agents for every bank you can name in NYC to find someone we would feel is actually interested in our business and the winner was sovereign! really amazing people who took the time to google search nooka and matthew waldman, visit our office, and make every process easy for us.

network your successes and your challenges. don't keep your problems to yourself. you share your successes on your blog and twitter feed right? so why hold back on your difficulties? there will be someone out there in your network with some helpful advice or an introduction to expand your network. remember, you're not complaining if you create a narrative about your challenges. in this way, you'll find more motivation for yourself and staff as well as the added value of engaging other people to help you further your goals.

as cliche as it sounds, read the business press. magazines like fortune, Inc., and fast company have good information in them for small businesses. read anything by malcom gladwell, especially what the dog saw. i found the insights and fresh views on statistical information help train my brain to continue to look past the emotional content we are continually fed as truth. there is beauty and clarity in logic too! the freakonomics sections of the nyt.com is also an amazing source of exercise for the brain.

be an optimist! embrace technology and new materials! follow your gut! be analytical! support universal standards! do not live in a city or a country – live on a planet – it is the only way towards a better future for all!

i think this is enough for now. what do you think?

Monday, December 28, 2009

nooka sighting: lil wayne

text by michael a. traverzo

american grammy winner, lil wayne has been an avid nooka supporter for quite some time now. here is an old video, the carter documentary part 7/8, featuring lil wayne rocking a sky blue zenh zub 20. The watch makes an appearance from the 8:40" on.

lately a lot of media attention has surfaced regarding lil wayne and his jail sentence... the nooka family would like to take a minute to offer him the best of luck! we are eagerly awaiting the release of wayne's highly anticipated album "rebirth" (rock album debut) and we look forward to witnessing more of his artistic creativity that we only expect to get better with age and experience.

nooka is available at fine stores around the world and online here!

nooka press: yrb magazine

text by michael a. traverzo
the nooka fragrance is featured in the latest issue of yrb magazine with chris brown on the cover!

be sure to pick up your nooka fragrance here!

also, don't forget to vote for nooka at pulchra. the voting process may seem a bit tedious, but it is actually really simple. simply drag nooka to the number 1 spot, if that's your choice of course and choose the other 9 objects until you have completed your list. In order for your vote to be valid, you will need to complete the details form. remember you can only vote ONCE PER DAY, so make sure to log on the next day and do it all over again. link is here!

follow nooka on facebook and twitter.

Monday, December 21, 2009

nooka press: japan, real design issue 1



here is great coverage from an interview i did in september/october in tokyo. this issue of real design for january 2010 not only has a full page on the AO, 2 pages on my design approach/philosophy, but also has a feature on the head of of japan operations, mr. yu yamada – almost a nooka issue! the headline on my interview translates as "looking to speed everyday objects to the future". i am also very flattered that i am included in a japan design feature [treated as a local designer, and not a foreigner. i was told this is because the interview was conducted in japanese + nooka has a tokyo office]. thanks to everyone in japan who took the time to make this happen [they actually had to redo the photoshoot as a hard-drive failed after the first one at the nookanooka gallery event we had in september!]. so, if you're in japan, make sure you pick up a copy of this magazine – the other articles are really good too.

purchase your nooka ao here!

nooka japan is www.nooka.jp

also, my latest article for openers.jp can be seen here. it's a japanese version of my 2009 year in shoes.

i love these


i just got these from dustin canalin of UNDRCRWN. he designed them for rockport. the details are really, dare i write, cute! thanks dustin! learn more about the collab here.

Friday, December 18, 2009

sight unseen launch party

text by michael a. traverzo

come down friday, december 18th 6:30pm- 9pm to the ramiken crucible gallery on 221 east broadway at clinton to check out psychic neighbors, an exhibition with work by beck and joe brittain. at 8pm, 2 nooka zen h watches and 2 areaware numbers clocks will be given away.

special guest djs: jr spiegel and jamie wahba

be sure to rsvp at hello@sightunseen.com and visit the the sightunseen website here!

also, don't forget to vote for nooka at pulchra. the voting process may seem a bit tedious, but it is actually really simple. simply drag nooka to the number 1 spot, if that's your choice of course and choose the other 9 objects until you have completed your list. In order for your vote to be valid, you will need to complete the details form. remember you can only vote ONCE PER DAY, so make sure to log on the next day and do it all over again. link is here!

follow nooka on facebook and twitter.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

nooka x spongebob holiday exclusive



beginning december 16th, nooka is offering an exciting holiday package exclusive from the nooka online store. all purchases of one of the 3 limited edition nooka x spongebob watches will include a spongebob squarepants dvd set. quantities are limited to only 50 of the holiday packages so be sure to pick yours up here now!

also, don't forget to vote for nooka at pulchra. the voting process may seem a bit tedious, but it is actually really simple. simply drag nooka to the number 1 spot, if that's your choice of course and choose the other 9 objects until you have completed your list. In order for your vote to be valid, you will need to complete the details form. remember you can only vote ONCE PER DAY, so make sure to log on the next day and do it all over again. link is here!

follow nooka on facebook and twitter.

my new board



thanks to buddy carr and the fabulous design of antonio carusone. here's the link. it's really too nice for me to use, but it doesn't make sense to let it gather dust...oh the daily dilemmas of a designer!

Monday, December 14, 2009

designnet korea


this is from the november 2009 issue of designnet magazine in korea. very cheesy photo of me. sorry, hangul only.

Friday, December 11, 2009

nooka sighting: michael lau


i've been a big fan of michael lau since i first bought the complete tom kid collection many years ago! he's having a big show in kuala lampur at H-5, and their new gallery space called ZINC. if you're in or near malaysia, check it out. i think this link on hypebeast is the best place to learn about michael lau's work. the nooka zen-h looks great on him huh? get yours here.

2009 nooka music reviews



my obsession for noo things is best satiated with noo music and 2009 was no exception – i bought a LOT of new music to keep the nooka lab awash in sound! there is something for everyone in this list with the exception of country western, jazz and hip hop [we all love lil wayne here in the nooka lab, but there are other people far more articulate in hip hop than myself to write about what he’s been up to this past year]. the big change from the past 2 years of reviews: no bands from sweden or australia on the list. so here it goes, not in order of preference as i love everything on the list for different listening environments/mood.

Seek Magic
by Memory Tapes
Memory Tapes is a recording alias of New Jersey-based Dayve Hawk, formerly of Hail Social. seek magic runs the gamut from ambient electronica to some tracks that are pure pop with sweet male vocals. the overall feeling is laid back and dreamy – you can work out, get work done, entertain a party, have sex or soundtrack a commute with this album.

The fame monster by Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga, also known as Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, is an American singer, songwriter and performance artist. I am so glad the Gaga has written some tracks to highlight her incredible voice on this new release. also, she cites freddy mercury as an inspiration for her music but this was not apparent until the fame monster. the production is nothing less than what you would expect from this young yet seasoned music industry expert.

See Mystery Lights by YACHT
YACHT is one of the many creative alter egos of Jona Bechtolt, a musician and multimedia artist who embraces an eclectic but playful blend of electronics, acoustic percussion, and noises of all sorts. Psychic city gets my vote for most infectious and i dare say, adorable song of the year. YACHT reminds me of early B-52s in terms of the sense of fun the songs create with more of a no-wave new york vibe and sound [though i don’t expect anyone to remember the bush tetras].

Psychic Chasms by Neon Indian
Neon Indian is a band from Austin, Texas and Brooklyn, New York. The duo's music is primarily composed by Alan Palomo, also known for his work with the band Ghosthustler and as the artist VEGA. The band's other member is video artist Alicia Scardetta, who provides visuals to accompany the music. I was turned on to the neon indian myspace page by reuben wu of ladytron and was very happy to see them have a proper release this year. the sound is 70s and 80s chart pop put through a few tubes and tunnels which i guess makes it fit well into the electronic brooklyn sound of the past 2 years though there is something extra that keeps me coming back to it.

Further Complication by Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Branson Cocker is an English musician and former frontman for the band Pulp. Through his work with the band, Cocker became a figurehead of the Britpop movement of the mid-1990s. i know i’m the king of anti-nostalgia but this could be an early 70s david bowie album if bowie didn’t take himself so seriously. very funny lyrics on i never said i was deep. love it!

Moondagger by Deastro
Deastro, Randolph Chabot’s alter- ego, has been playing music for more than a decade and has self- released more than three albums worth of, drawing his own album covers, and playing countless live shows in Detroit’s network of DIY venues. Randolph’s passion for music is contagious – you can hear it in the production of his carefully crafted pop tunes, and you can experience it live when he plays wearing googly-eye slinky gag glasses. the one word i would use is ebullient – seriously, look it up – it’s a great word.

Illuminations EP by Little Boots
Victoria Christina Hesketh , also known by her stage name/pseudonym Little Boots, is an English electropop musician. As a musician, Little Boots sings and plays the keyboard, piano, Stylophone and a Japanese electronic instrument, called Tenori-on. And there’s a freddy mercury theme here! Little Boots covers Love Kills by Freddy on her EP of fun electro pop! She is also a pleasure to watch live, she plays everything herself!

Music from the Atom Smashers by Kate Simko
Kate Simko is an American electronic music producer from Chicago, IL. Reflecting from her diverse background, Kate's music crosses genre borders, blending rich textures and intricate programming with funky synth lines, thumping bass and groove. 137 Films’ science documentary The Atom Smashers follows physicists at Fermilab – the most powerful particle accelerator in the United States – in their tumultuous search for the Higgs Boson particle, otherwise referred to as the “God Particle” and “The Holy Grail of Physics.” kate’s soundtrack is brilliant! perfect for a long drive or a plane flight, as well as tracks that can be the soundtrack for hip intelligencia everywhere. like i always say: the future is fuckin’ sexy.

Ay Ay Ay by Matias Aguayo
Matias Aguayo lives between Buenos Aires and Paris, djing, making music, performing concerts alone and together with Marcus Rossknecht with their project “BROKE!”. ay ay ay is more of a performance piece than an exercise in pop. when i listen to this album i imagine a march of unidentified jungle and forest creatures – heavy as elephants yet thin as a mantis.

Hollow Me by Yura Yura Teikoku
Yura Yura Teikoku is a 3-piece band from Tokyo's underground music scene centered around Kōenji. They have an eclectic sound usually described as psychedelic pop-punk. gosh, it’s almost prog rock on some tracks and a bit no wave on others. the simplicity of the line up, guitar, drum and bass, with very little post production compared to other albums on this list make it surprisingly refreshing, earnest and psychedelic. i should add that the band name translate to ‘the swaying empire’ in english.

Temporary Pleasure
by Simian Mobile DIsco
Simian Mobile Disco is an English production and remix team. Formed from the ashes of Simian in 2005 its members are James Ford and Jas Shaw. this is my long-haul bicycle ride music and it would be my work out album of 2009 if i actually went to a gym. well produced club music – some house-y, some techno-esque. the real value-add is the variety of vocalist from track to track meaning i didn’t have to buy any other club music other than this for 2009!

other fun releases:
Big Fun by Towa Tei
towa tei was a founding member of NYC’s deee-lite who has since had a very prolific solo career. i think big fun is one of best albums to date with collaborations with greats like miho hatori on 2 tracks for all of you hungry for something new from this former cibbo matto member!

Alice EP by Immi (the link is actually a link to one of immi's other albums, since itunes does not have the alice ep)
immi is a electronica/pop act from japan. Alice EP has showcases all her strengths and is a good intro to this japanese artist.

latecomer of note: if you like the giorgio moroder sound of the 70s, then you will love the new project from lindstrom, lindstrom & christabelle: real life is no cool – it's "i feel love" meets vanessa daou! (my fave vanessa daou album from 2001 is linked).

Thursday, December 10, 2009

nooka x doraemon

text by michael a. traverzo


doraemon and nooka have collaborated to bring you the japan exclusive (500 pieces) “nooka + doratch” timepiece inspired by the character. the collaboration will be sold for ¥21,120, in sync with the year that doraemon was born, 2112. the watch features the many expressions of doraemon.

doraemon, the story of a robotic cat who travels back in time to aid a schoolboy, nobita nobi and their journeys together was created by fujiko f. fujio in 1969. it is extremely popular in countries around the world, though strangely, was never released in english! [it's well-known in italy, taiwan, china, spain...]

if you're in japan you can order yours here!

the “Doratch” series is a line of time pieces created for doraemon and since its first release in 1997, it has been a phenomenal success. currently, there are more than 60 different timepieces and nooka is extremely proud and privileged to be part of their 40th anniversary.

nooka watches are available here!

also, don't forget to vote for nooka at pulchra. the voting process may seem a bit tedious, but it is actually really simple. simply drag nooka to the number 1 spot, if that's your choice of course and choose the other 9 objects until you have completed your list. In order for your vote to be valid, you will need to complete the details form. remember you can only vote ONCE PER DAY, so make sure to log on the next day and do it all over again. link is here!

follow nooka on facebook and twitter.

hypebeast x spongebob x nooka watch contest


hypebeast is currently holding a contest with nooka and giving away a total of four spongeBob x nooka watches. the contest will take place over both facebook and twitter with two watches being given away over each platform.

prizes:
* facebook: zot aluminium spongebamo / zub zenh 20 spongelevator
* twitter: zenv aluminum spongenvader / zub zenh 20 spongelevator
* unfortunately if you are a winning entry, you cannot choose which watch to receive.

how to enter:
* facebook: to enter, simply add nooka as a facebook fan and comment below on the following question "what is your favorite nooka watch in their whole collection and why?"
* twitter: to enter, follow nooka on twitter and tweet the following: RT Follow @Hypebeast/@Nooka to win a FREE SpongeBob x Nooka Watch (http://twitpic.com/sxc6e) Info: http://bit.ly/58PBVs #hbnookacontest

rules & details:
* contest is open to all residents around the world
* [facebook] winner must be a facebook fan of both hypebeast and nooka
* [twitter] winner must be a follower of both hypebeast and nooka
* the same person cannot win both the twitter and facebook contests. however you can enter both contests.
* only 1 entry per person in each contest.
* winning entry will be chosen from random from a group of eligible entries.
* winners will be contacted and will have 7 days to reply with their mailing information. If the relevant information is not received, a new winner will be chosen.
* winner cannot be an employee, the family member of an employee, or otherwise associated with nooka or hypebeast
* winner is responsible for any local taxes or import duties.
* prizes will be shipped out on behalf of nooka.

contest end date:
the contest will end on thursday, december 17th at 12:00 pm pst.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

nooka x spongebob in times square!

text by michael a. traverzo

unless you've been living under a rock, and no i'm not referring to patrick, you'd know spongebob has clearly taken over the world in all forms. if you're in nyc, come down to the mtv store since they'll be selling the spongebob x nooka timepieces until the end of the year.

if your unable to make it out to the city, you can also purchase one here!

also, don't forget to vote for nooka at pulchra. the voting process may seem a bit tedious, but it is actually really simple. simply drag nooka to the number 1 spot, if that's your choice of course and choose the other 9 objects until you have completed your list. In order for your vote to be valid, you will need to complete the details form. remember you can only vote ONCE PER DAY, so make sure to log on the next day and do it all over again. link is here!

follow nooka on facebook and twitter.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

nooka fragrance in marie claire january 2010





First of all, being on the same page with Tom Ford and Cartier L'Heure is a privilege in and of itself. However, it is amazing to see Ning Chao quote me in the text of the January issue of Marie Claire. The fragrance has received phenomenal reviews thus far and I am even more excited to get this in to some stores ... any retailers reading this?

sorry for the crappy scans...i got this in an email...need to get my own copy of the magazine ASAP, as should you!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

nooka press november 2009









recently, nooka received some great press in the states in time out new york and antenna magazine, as well as gq italia and popeye japan across seas. as you can tell, nooka is a definite must have for the holidays. be sure to get yours.

nooka watches are available here!

also, don't forget to vote for nooka at pulchra. the voting process may seem a bit tedious, but it is actually really simple. simply drag nooka to the number 1 spot, if that's your choice of course and choose the other 9 objects until you have completed your list. In order for your vote to be valid, you will need to complete the details form. remember you can only vote ONCE PER DAY, so make sure to log on the next day and do it all over again. link is here!

follow nooka on facebook and twitter.

one club talk: the future is sexy!


here's a little preview from the evening with the client we posted last month for the one club here in NYC. my talk started out slow and plodding but the fine editors at the one club made a smart preview you see here. a full length version should be ready soon. remember [and to paraphrase myself]: the future is sexy.

if you're a student, there's still time to enter to one club college competition. the info is here.

support independent design and buy nooka for all your holiday needs [put nooka on your holiday gift guides as i know many of my readers here are premier bloggers of the world!] our site is www.nooka.com and north american online store is here.