moving to nooka.com/blog

blog posts newer than august 10th 2010 will reside at nooka.com/blog

nooka x singularity summit 2010

The Singularity is the technological creation of smarter-than-human intelligence. There are several technologies that are often mentioned as heading in this direction. The most commonly mentioned is probably Artificial Intelligence, but there are others: direct brain-computer interfaces, biological augmentation of the brain, genetic engineering, ultra-high-resolution scans of the brain followed by computer emulation. Some of these technologies seem likely to arrive much earlier than the others, but there are nonetheless several independent technologies all heading in the direction of the Singularity – several different technologies which, if they reached a threshold level of sophistication, would enable the creation of smarter-than-human intelligence. the singularity institute for artificial intelligence

the nooka philosophy also posits that universal communication can only help bring the planet forward in integrating the resources and technologies necessary to reach the singularity.

we are thereby more than thrilled to announce that nooka will be one of the sponsors for the singularity summit 2010 on august 14th -15th – a gathering of thinkers to explore the rising impact of techno-progressivism. the singularity institute, founded in 2006, is an organization that exists to confront both the risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence.

For more information, visit here

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i love dust nooka race

we wrote this blog post april 27th but never posted it! WTF?!?

well, here it is now.

ilovedust has done some incredible work for nooka – their custom nookanookas, custom zubs and now this amazing animation! this awesome animated video features a track by one of matthew waldman's favorite french electro artists, aberration chromatique. ilovedust's love of lamborghinis and the geometric shape of nooka zenh helped create a truly unique visual with strange creatures of their imagination.

be sure to check out all of the awesome work that ilovedusts does here and the sick beats by aberration chromatique here!

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nooka at x-games

starting july 28th through august 1, be sure to stop by the nooka tent at the summer x- games to meet team nooka! members of the team will be at the tent during select times for autographs. while there, be sure to inquire about the nooka x-games special discounts through www.subports.com- 40% off select nooka watches. sign up for subports early by texting 767825 (PORTAL) on your mobile device, or online here.

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nooka sighting: lola

text by michael a. traverzo

with a behind the scenes look at the material girl clothing line commercial, madonna and daughter, lola, were photographed catching lola wearing the grey and pink nooka zub zenv 20. at only 13 years of age, lola is a fashion guru with her material girl line, which will debut in august in macy's stores in the us. be sure to pick up your grey and pink nooka here!

noo musik summer 2010

i have been reviewing and buying a shit-load of music this summer trying to find something that will blow me away or at least become my summer soundtrack. lucky i am so well-connected with my favorite labels that i get previews to upcoming stuff so i can maintain my feeling of being extra-special. so here is a short list of what's on the heavy rotation in casa nooka, le premier laboratoire de l'innovation de conception et de l'imagination:

black city by matthew dear
"Matthew Dear’s Black City can’t be found on any map. It’s a composite, an imaginary metropolis peopled by desperate cases, lovelorn souls, and amoral motives. Like most literary Gothams, Black City is a place to love and hate, as seedy as a nightclub’s back room and as seductive as the promise of power. Matthew Dear, the musician, may live in New York City, but the Matthew Dear of Black City inhabits a sound-world unlike any other: a monument to the shadowy side of urban life that bumps and creaks, shudders and wakes up screaming in the middle of the night. Black City is Matthew Dear’s third album on Ghostly International, and it’s his darkest and most engrossing work to date." --ghostly.com preorder at only $7.99 is a great deal as well.

atlantique by minitel rose
a tight collection of retro future pop sounds from one of my fave french purveyors of electro-pop. it's more 80s than the 80s ever were which makes it 160 i think. french accented english and falsetto back up vocals with sequencers always create a sound that makes me energized. buy a copy here.

disconnect from desire by school of seven bells
"School of Seven Bells take their magic seriously. Symbols, myths, mantras—in the hands of sisters/vocalists Alejandra and Claudia Deheza and guitarist/producer Benjamin Curtis (formerly of On! Air! Library! and Secret Machines, respectively), these mystical practices become achingly human, methods of making sense of an emotionally complex world. School of Seven Bells’ sophomore album Disconnect from Desire—the follow-up to the Brooklyn trio’s breakthrough Ghostly debut Alpinisms—takes its title from one of Brian Eno’s oblique stratagems; its’ cryptic album image is a “sigil,” a mystical figure containing the energy and intent of the album entire. The real magic of Disconnect from Desire, though, lives in its music: ten tracks of soaring, visionary dream-pop from a band working at the height of its powers." -- ghostly.com buy from the ghostly store here.

maya by M.I.A.
clever, interesting, engaging – a hot sweaty sound that could as well be the sound of a NYC sidewalk in the unforgiving summer sun with boys and girls of all shapes and colors bouncing in the sexy heat. i'm impressed. get it here.

dark night of the soul by danger mouse and sparklehorse
the list of collaborators is stellar [david lynch, julian casablancas, iggy pop!]. it's good to hear that there is pop head-music still being produced that can be appreciated by adults [as opposed to teenage goths]. good night music and for drives alone. moreover, how can you not love anything with the name sparklehorse in it? it makes me think of my pretty pony all grown up! get yours here.

night work by scissor sisters
i was honored to be invited to a secret concert of theirs under their secret moniker, queef latifa last year where i thought i heard tracks from the "night work", but it seems they scrapped all those tracks in favor of this collection, which i must admit, is better. i was hoping to see a roxy music cover in the album but perhaps that will be a single b-side? the sound is reminiscent of "something going on" by frida meets "desolution boulevard [us version]" by the sweet. that pretty much sums it up. still can't get my head around how they are so big in europe and not here, but then again, i still have no idea who taylor swift is aside from the kanye fiasco. buy night work here.

white magic by ceo
this has got to be the most enigmatic recording i've bought on itunes this year. it is moments of pure aural brilliance and seemingly intolerable drivel which somehow melds into a very strong expression of pop music. it is basically the abba of electronica as panda bear is the beach boys of alternative. gosh i'm good at the combo metaphor descriptions this time around! it's no surprise they are from sweden. buy it here. (for those into swedish indies, it sounds like the tough alliance because, well, basically it is)

crystal castles (II) by crystal castles
sometimes you want a band with a sound you like and basically, every song sounds the same. like stereolab for example. the whole 'if you want to do something, do it well' school or more that consistency is an excellent branding tool. who wants mcdonalds to taste different each time you have it? well, crystal castles does NOT fit into this mold. this album has them delving into a plethora of varied pop, dance, electro and moody soundscapes. i hear they are little bitches on stage but that's OK, i'm too old for music festivals. buy this here.

and a bonus for you! the komputer cast mix free download

how 'bout the cool foto from my kitchen window?

nooka: jabari presents

on saturday july 31st at 7pm, jabari johnson will be hosting the season premiere screening party for jabari presents, a new documentary series that will take you into the lives and minds of people in entertainment, art, and sports. we are extremely proud to sponsor the series as jabari explores new happenings in music and pop culture. jabari has interviewed people such as nicki minaj, 50 cent, justin beiber and many more.

check out the teaser trailer and if your in the DC area, hopefully you'll be able to check out the party at cre8 space studio gallery in washington.

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nooka in hungary

our distributor from hungary shared this video of a famous hungarian singer who is a fan favorite amongst the younger crowd. many people are following in his footsteps style wise, so hopefully they're wearing the nooka watches as well. be sure to check out the video and order your nooka watch here!

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nooka in singapore

following the success at butter factory in singapore, mlab presented another stunning showcase of the nooka collection together with other great fashion brands including dr martens for their launch of the aw2010 collections.

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the nooka team

we are officially announcing the creation of team nooka, our first sponsored team of athletes and entertainers. beginning in aw 2010, we will release special edition products co-designed by each athlete and entertainer. with team nooka, we hope to create a foundation to support the sports and lifestyles of the majority of nooka’s fans and customers. as nooka continues to grow, new athletes and entertainers will be signed to the team.

we are pleased to welcome pro fmx rider, destin cantrell as well as pro bmx rider, mike spinner. at only 20 years of age, destin has been riding freestyle motocross profressionally since he was 15. he is a focused athlete with swagger that the cameras love.

mike spinner burst into the bmx scene in 2006 and has performed tricks never done before- the 1080, 720 tailwhip and quad whip. he is definitely a media favorite, appearing on the jimmy fallen show, cbs morning show, as well as a national nike commercial.

the creation of team nooka follows the success of partnering with red bull during their new york bc1 competition as well as their sponsorship of the van’s warped tour. come july 29 - august 1, we will be sponsoring the summer x games in los angeles.

future product: nooka tattoo system

futurism is the central theme of every nooka product. we strive to think outside of the norm and in our upcoming series of genetic design innovations, nooka plants to release a unique tattoo process, and for traditionalists, inks to use in traditional tattoo processes.

these inks are based on a synthetic molecule coated with engineered rna and dna that causes skin cells to produce the pigments and/or scents associated with each color – ensuring that the colors will never fade and creating a fun interactive scent sensation unique to each design! these unique pigment producing processes are not only inspired by nature, they are sourced from the genetic diversity of our amazing planet – with 3 lines: plant sources from fruits, vegetables and flowers; insect sources for vivid iridescence and colors that shimmer in light or tell their stories in polarized and invisible frequencies; and mycobic sources in our medical line.

red is engineered from a choice of either strawberry or rasberry dna, green from mint, yellow from lemon, orange from tumeric and all create modified cellular bodies that enrich your body with micro-nutrients. unscented versions are of course available. please note that allergy testing is necessaryfor the mycobial and some of the insect derived inks.

How about a colorless invisible tattoo that produces the scent of your favorite cologne? a wide range of scents are available.

the nooka tattoo printer can convert any digital art file into a tattoo that is micro-injected thru a patented ink-jet process to the epidermis [for a temporary tattoo] or the dermis for a permanent one. and the beauty is that all tattoos can be removed with a UV pulse laser treatment! many of the my-cobial pigments can be applied topically or with an easy to administer bath
tablet. How about a floral tattoo that actually smells like flowers, or a scarab design that perpetually shimmers in the sun! WOW!

imagine a sunscreen you apply once that is invisible and weightless and creates a luscious fake tan without depriving the body of vitamin a and d! nooka screen does just that! a bioengineered symbiotic myco network built around brown chlorophyl modified from the japanese maple in a stunning array of skin tones is colorless until exposed to sunlight. sun exposure activates the chloroplasts creating a natural ‘tan’ that protects you from harmful rays. another part of the custom genome causes the symbiot to release vitamin a and d into the blood stream! WARNING, extended exposure to sunlight may cause a thin film of sugars to form attracting flies and other insects in certain environments!

artist spotlight: unmask beijing

if you remember, i mentioned the incredible work of unmask from a gallery i stumbled into while in beijing earlier this year. well ––– i contacted them to see if they would be interested in doing a customized nookanooka, to which they enthusiastically agreed [which i am very excited about]! this led to a product swap of which the fotos above are what i received. pretty cool stuff for their commercial projects, and the art, though financially less accessible is even more impressive. learn more with the links below.

exhibition information for unmask.
online shop for one of the toys above.
images of unmask sculpture on artnet.
their website here.

nooka venus sighting: kelly rowland

kelly rowland, one of the original members of girl group, destiny's child, was photographed wearing our nooest shades, the nooka venus! be sure to check out kelly's new single, commander featuring david guetta. pre-order your pair of venus here!

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studio visit: josh wilson

seattle seahawks cornerback, josh wilson, was in ny for a wedding and came by the nooka lab for the 2nd time. he already cleaned out the nordstrom in seattle and decided to come here to satisfy his nooka urge! check out the nooka mercury on him! be sure to order yours here!

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nooka sighting: yandel

text by michael a. traverzo
yandel from the puerto rican reggaeton duo, wisin y yandel, was photographed rocking a nooka string theory with our puerto rican distributor luis. be sure to order your string theory watch here!

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nooka x summer palooza

during the 2010 summer palooza, host joey lopez has been rocking nooka while covering the entire scene. it is a two part summer extravaganza including a "summer party series" and "summerpalooza exposed," a tv show featuring guam's hottest nightlife spots throughout summer 2010. be sure to get more information here!

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nooka student concept

text by michael a. traverzo



jason perez, friend of mr paul samples, design intern for nooka recently created an ad campaign for nooka as part of his senior portfolio. jason just completed the communication design program at the university of north texas and is currently seeking internships, partnerships and rocketships. check out the cool images and browse through his website here!

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pitti immagine uomo

pitti immagine organizes some of the world’s most important fashion events: international quality clothing and textile fairs, communication happenings and cultural and research initiatives for the fashion system and fashion as the aesthetic expression and global evolution of taste. Nooka will be showcasing their line. If you're in Florence from June 15th to the 18th, be sure to make an appearance. Learn more here!

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nooka sighting: miley cyrus

text by michael a. traverzo
teen sensation miley cyrus was photographed with the noo nooka shades, mercury. get ready for summer in style with your pair here!

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nooka sighting: chiddy bang

text by michael a. traverzo
chiddy bang, an american alternative hip hop band from philadelphia, pennsylvania was caught rocking nookas- pictures courtesy of jabari johnson. their sound is based on the fusion of hip hop and unique sampling from alternative artists such as radiohead and mgmt to name a few. their single "opposite of adults" just went gold in australia and they are doing some big shows/festivals this summer including glastonbury overseas and lollapalooza so be sure to be on the lookout!

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noo music spring 2010

there have been some really good releases the past month. my 2 faves at the moment are: where did the night fall by UNKLE and subject to shift by solvent. the UNKLE release has vocals from so many different great people, it's packed with enough aural texture and mood to keep you listening in a number of environments [work, romance, contemplation, flying, etc.]. solvent, one of favorite acts on ghostly records has not disappointed me with the new work – analog synths, rich textures, and a whole lot of fun in my opinion.

and back to the subject of collaborations, the david byrne + fatboy slim MUSICAL [yes, MUSICAL], here lies love is based on the life of imelda marcos, the philippine dictator, is impossible to give a solid verdict on, but with vocals by róisín murphy, cyndi lauper and even tori amos, it's something worth listening to. i find some of the tracks to be very good, and i'd actually like to see a performance of this piece live [and i generally HATE musicals].

i hope you enjoy this mini-review. the image above is a detail from the installation i did for design glut's uncomfortable conversations exhibition during new york icff last month. read a review here.

the buried life

text by michael a. traverzo"what do you want to do before you die?" the guys from mtv's the buried life stopped by the nooka lab. duncan, ben, dave and jonnie travel the globe in a purple transit bus to complete a list of ‘100 things to do before you die’ and to help and encourage others to go after their own lists. be sure to catch up with them here and look out for season 2.

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nooka sighting: rick ross

michael a. traverzo

"the boss" rick ross was photographed at bet's 106 and park with a zub zot black 20. be sure to purchase yours here!

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sounds like video

Sounds Like from Joey Roth on Vimeo.

veggiesomething signing

with the release of the 2nd artist series of mini nookanookas right around the corner, veggiesomething will be signing his custom piece on saturday june 5th from 12pm- 2pm. if you're in chicago, be sure to stop by rotofugi located on 1953 w chicago ave!

order your mini nookanooka here!

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from last month's travels

one thing [well...2 things from japan] i picked up from each continent on last month's month-long business trip: t-shirt that looks very "nooka" from a me*city store in beijing [a chinese brand from shanghai], gift wrap paper from the design museum in shad thames london, hello kitty moisturizer [the best moisturizer i've ever used to-date!], and a fun t-shirt from graniph.

2nd artist series of mini nookanookas

after the success of the original mini nookanookas, nooka has decided to create a 2nd artist series. nooka has joined forces with legendary artists/toy designers and a retail boutique to commemorate the release. veggiesomething (creator of the fizziefuzzie, house of liu, united by destruction!, sugar bandits, and debonair rascal), mad barbarians (illustration and design unit with 'mad, pop, rock, cute and stupid' as their main concept), room322 (winner of the 2009 nookanooka competition where retailers across the us and canada submitted their nookanooka design for a public vote) and Matthew Waldman custom designed their own mini nookanooka. each of you will be able to own these custom designs, so pre-order yours here!

mini nookanooka dimensions dimensions: 5.3"(height) x 3.9"(width) x 1.96" (135 x 100 x 50mm )

srp: $25

learn more about the nookanooka at their new interactive site with videos, pics and more here!

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uncomfortable conversations

this sunday, designglut will unveil their off cite icff show. designglut believes it is the role of creatives to start the uncomfortable conversations that ultimately cause people to grow. they challenged artists to design an object that provokes an uncomfortable yet important conversation amongst the viewers of the show. the type of object, the materials it’s made from, and the topic of the conversation are entirely up to designer. their intention is to get people talking about something they would normally avoid, pushing them outside of their comfort zones and opening their minds.

nooka design challenges people to reject nostalgia and embrace an optimistic charge towards tomorrow. fashion is one area where nostalgia is still more of a driving force than futurism, and for this exhibition matthew waldman created a piece that highlights the sometimes uncomfortable reality when biology asserts itself.

visit designgluts website for more information here!

the address is:
803 Washington St.
New York, NY

nooka press: sight unseen

monia khemsurov wrote an amazing article on her studio visit at the nooka lab. be sure to check it out and get in an inside look at the office!

check out sight unseen here!

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cite goes america

on may 15th, matthew waldman and nooka will take part in the 2nd of three off cite icff shows. cite goes america centers around a skeleton house featuring 400 sq.ft. of a detailed oriented large room, created with the pieces chosen for the collection. in this manner a birds eye view of what they believe is strong and interesting design is seen not only in the context of an occupied house, but with a real feel of the new american home.

nooka has contributed products from our line conveying a message promoting universal communication, whether visual, systematic or linguistic. it’s a futurist philosophy.

to learn more about cite goes america, check here!

the address is:
cite showroom 131 greene st. ny, ny 10012

sounds like

as part of icff, joey roth gave collaborators a set of speakers he recently designed to reshape, using their own visual language. in turn, he asked each of them to work with a musician to produce a track to accompany their speaker interpretation. matthew waldman and miho hatori combined their creativity to produce a truly unique experience.

here's a glimpse of each of their statements for the piece:
matthew waldman
technology improves life and creates new dialogs between people and the universe. moreover, it fuels an ever growing expectation of things to come. it is not an exaggeration to say that the idea of time travel is perhaps the most portent of expectations of future technology. it is this theme i have explored in my piece for the sounds like exhibition – creating a physical evocation of time past and yet to come.

miho hatori
...looking at the time machine makes me want to give it life. for me primitive sound is the basis for the way people hear today. we all evolved from ocean life and sound memory is embedded in our dna. that is the beauty of life and this is why we have the ability to hear and interpret sound- this is the beautiful part of evolution. the energy and movement of evolution is far more powerful than human imagination. It is an organic occurrence that we can only dream of understanding and channeling in such an accidental, yet powerful way.

here is the AMAZING track miho recorded for the piece:



piers fawkes from psk will be sponsoring a panel of 4 speakers including matthew waldman. to learn more, be sure to check out their site here!

learn more about miho hatori here

be sure to learn all about joey roth's project here!

the address is:
DDCLAB
427 W 14th Street @ Washington St.
New York, NY 10014

matthew waldman x graniph t shirt on sale

heres your chance to purchase one of the exclusive-to-graniph matthew waldman t-shirts. this special limited edition collaborative shirt features the famous creatures of the night pattern in a bold star. its the perfect match to your nooka watch.

order yours here!

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london

i am in london, and man, it was cold the past few days. luckily it's in the 50s F [15ºC] today! i'm staying in shoreditch house and i must say, membership does has it's privileges – best stay ever in london [london, like NYC, is a city where even paying $200+/night does NOT guarantee a nice room, or even good water pressure in your shower]. i just wish my room had a bath tub...

so, i got the most of the cultural stuff out of the way on monday, as it was a bank holiday here: design museum, tate modern, and even a show on royal british armor at london tower [my friend darren dragged me to that one]. great shows at both the design museum and tate but it bothers me deeply that my products are in neither of the 2's gift shops [but i won't get into that here].

darren also arranged tickets to see hair, which he did the press for. it was a bit of a mind fuck for me on a few levels. i'm not into musicals, but hair is one i grew up listening to because of my parents brief hippy phase [my mom's huge afro and colourful dashikis were part of my aesthetic influences] and also, the drama club in my high school did a production of it [against my best advise, inner city NYC public school with maybe 5% white kids is not the most supportive environment for a hippy musical. no one came]. the mind fuck part is really about NYC – a city that spawned jazz, folk music [still can't get my head around that], glam rock, punk, disco, AND hip hop is so different now, it's hard to process how much has changed even since i was in high school and i wonder how a city like new york will propel itself into the future. london seems so motivated by their olympics, shanghai by the the world expo...why is NYC so not interested in big events to force major improvements to infrastructure? of course, the federal government is part of the problem with nyc being bled dry of tax revenue, but i'm not an articulate enough writer to address this complex issue up...just mentioning it in the context of what went through my brain while watching a production of a musical.

anyway, excited to meet with illustrator extraordinaire, ken chung, go for a tour of the royal society of arts HQ, meet with the ilove dust team...all between now and friday when i return to NYC.

nyc icff 2010 X nooka

the 22nd annual international contemporary furniture fair, the icff, will turn new york into a global summit for what's best and what's next in design. this year, nooka and matthew waldman will be involved in three off-site shows, uncomfortable conversations by design glut, sounds like by joey roth, and cite goes america by jan habraken.

more details to come as the date nears!

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larry tee and nooka

in a recent interview with djmag, dj larry tee shared his thoughts on fashion. be sure to pick up your copy of the magazine and catch up with larry tee.

order the nooka strip that dj larry tee has here!

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nookanooka show in budapest!

budapest is a city i have always wanted to visit – rich history, their language is an isolate on the european continent [it's an altaic language more closely related to finnish, mongolian, japanese and korean than to any other groups], they have a culture of spending long afternoons in thermal baths, and the danube is a famous river. i was not disappointed!

my reason for coming was the hungarian custom nookanooka show organized by csap viktor, our man on the ground in budapest. the show featured 35 local artists, and i was blown-away by the enthusiasm and craft the artists applied to the competition. i will update the nookanooka pages on our website as soon i get the official photographs and artists bios from csap. larry tee was dj at the after party, and it was great catching up with him [i haven't seen larry since he moved to london]. i got to become friends with the madonna of hungary, kristóf steiner who splits his time between budapest and tel aviv and was our emcee for the evening. really great guy!

the only unfortunate thing was some planning issues, mainly the may day holiday weekend. like NYC on labor day, more than half of the city was out-of-town! hopefully the show will travel within buda or pest to continue the buzz when the city is back to full-tilt! i'll keep you posted.

so, let me end by saying, if you haven't thought of it, visit budapest! it's affordable, extremely bicycle friendly [i rented a bike for 2 days and it was AMAZING] and full of things to do. as for best thermal, i recommend széchenyi. gallért is more famous [matthew barney's cremaster cycle was partly filmed there] but not as nice overall [poorly signed, only some of the staff are helpful]. széchenyi is in a beautiful park with an amusement part and museums, so you can kill a whole day there!

vans pro team in guam

on april 29th, the vans skate and bmx team went down to tumon bay guam to sign autographs and put on a "jam session" demo in front of dna evolution and kicks/hi guam. dna of evolution and kicks/hi guam invited the public, especially skaters and action sports enthusiasts to come down and witness the occasion. the long live crew also released their long awaited skate deck/ tee pack and a preview of the long live skate video at the gathering. from the looks of it, this was an epic event!

our sales rep gifted kristy van doren, colin mackay and some other from vans pro team some watches. be sure to check out the great photos!

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matthew waldman in yrb

matthew waldman and the nooka brand were featured in design @ work, an article focusing on 7 different brands with 7 unique aesthetics in the latest yrb magazine. be sure to check out the great photo courtesy of esteban aladro!

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hong kong update and a small rant or two

i used to go to hong kong once or twice a year when i started nooka, but due to frustrations with dealing with the first factory we contracted, i began to send other staff members to do the factory visits. though things have improved on all fronts, and communication being the main ongoing issue, it is yet again necessary for me to shepherd the process directly. so after an absence of 2 years, i went to hong kong. so even though it is late april, and i packed not much of warm clothes, i was shocked with cool weather [snow in tokyo, freezing smog in beijing, but cold in hong kong?!?]. this actually worked to my advantage as i don't do well in hot sweaty weather – my hong kong productivity doubled!

since it was a short trip, i planned all the meetings to be in the HK offices of the factories we use. without going into minutia, the outcome i have been feeling mount, is that a company like nooka needs to have it's design office in hong kong or at least closer than a 14 hour plane ride. the iceland volcano put a stop to fedex up until a few days before my meetings, so my timing couldn't have been better. moreover, being able to discuss design changes face to face is by far the most efficient way to produce things. i really need to think this through: can i live in HK 6 months of the year? is tokyo close enough to base the design lab there? i was impressed with the energy and people of beijing, but the pollution there would kill me. how do other small independent design brands handle these issues? remember, i sort of fell into product design! still figuring this stuff out...

<volcano: if my anti-gravity drive transport was developed we wouldn't see the huge disruptions caused by this event. am i the only one consistently ranting about the lack of technological progress in air travel? this is the same technology in use since the 1960s...just sayin...>

i got to meet the great people at victionary publishing, the incredible chris ng of idn magazine, and arnault, proprietor of kapok, your place for nooka products in hong kong! his combination cafe, shoppe and gallery on a cute hidden street in wanchai is a great place for a coffee and nooka any day of the week. check it out; G/F 5 saint francis yard, wanchai. www.ka-pok.com.

aside from work, caught up with mark landwehr of coarse toys – had a IKEA swedish meatballs at his apt with some of his friends and coworkers. my friends andrew and marco actually live 3 floors below him in the same building, so i invited them to meet their neighbors. a friend from when i was a young adult in tokyo has been living on lamma island for 14 years, and we had a lovely seafood meal there, my first time on lamma island.

www.idnworld.com for one of the last surviving international design magazines, produced out of hong kong. http://www.victionary.com/ for victionary design publishing, also out of hong kong. support independent design, buy their products as well as mine.

business travel notes: do not get brainwashed like i did and get an american express platinum card. you do not receive any better service from the airlines than if you were to book all your flights on kayak, nor does it get you access into any of the airport lounges in tokyo narita or beijing international. they booked me on air china for 2 legs of my flight, and this is an airline to avoid – unresponsive counter people who just stare at you when they don't want to answer a question and the interior of their planes are old and quite smelly. luckily i always have a muji moisture mist and travel sizes of nooka fragrance to keep me from not breathing. i have to say, american express marketing is certainly successful enough to get me to pay the $750 annual fee which will be contested when i cancel this card on my return to NYC.

put hungary on your list of countries where google sites do not work. they are not blocked but i can't get gmail or blogger to work at all – times out. search is fine but painfully slow. so if you are like me and do cloud computing, make sure you have back ups to download from other servers and POP/IMAP set up on your laptop for your email. i am writing this [and updating the blog via email, not the website] in sunny budapest where we are having a nooka dj event with larry tee this friday! i haven't seen larry since he moved to london so this will be a cool environment to catch up. let me know if you're in buda or pest this week. also, if you are lactose intolerant or have a milk allergy, bring a huge supply of lactase or soy milk with you.

nooka x ddg

text by michael a. traverzo


nooka and luxury jewlery designer, deviant design group, have combined their collective views of unconventional design to create custom high value nooka watches for an exclusive clientele. check out the "blinged" out nooka zot classic that features a 14k gold face plate inscribed with the nooka and ddg logo as well as an exterior watch case adorned with over 4 carats of si1 f-g colored diamonds. similar upgrades and customizations will now be available starting at $2,500.

ddg offers a variety of customization options ranging from precious stones and diamonds, gold plating, inscription, unique straps and special requests to add your personal "swag" to a nooka.

email ddg@nooka.com for more information or a price quote.

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matthew waldman x graniph t shirt

graniph recently teamed up with matthew waldman for a special limited edition collaboration t shirt. this exclusive to graniph shirt features the nooka creatures of the night patter in a star shaped design. be sure to visit here to a get a closer look at the design.

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nooka night in budapest

for those of you lucky enough to be in budapest, you will have the esteemed pleasure of being able to stop by merlin and join the 'andy warhol of dance music', electro dj larry tee, while he hosts nooka night. get the chance to chat with the man behind nooka, matthew waldman while there. this event is april 30th, so be sure to mark it in your calendars!

for information: +36 1 317 93 38/107
info@merlinbudapest.org

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nooka x vans warped tour

nooka will sponsor the 16th annual vans warped tour and to commemorate the event, nooka has customized 100 zub zenv 20 watches for their vip's. the limited edition timepiece will feature purple graphics on a green band.

the 2010 incarnation of the vans warped tour – affectionately known as ‘punk rock summer camp’ will host a distinct and diverse lineup of the hottest artists on the scene, as well as a full concourse of lifestyle attractions and vendors. now in it’s 16th year, the 43-date tour commences on june 25th in carson, ca and finishes on august 15th in hillsboro, or. north america’s longest-running touring festival has promised to be the most memorable jaunt yet for the annual punk rock extravaganza.

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day of art: beijing

today i took time to go visit the great wall of china, and don't let me be the first to tell you - it is one great big ole wall snaking along the mountain ridges outside of beijing. what was more exciting for me was my afternoon at beijing's 798 district, an artist colony with galleries, museums, cafes and shops.

i didn't see everything, but was very excited about a lot of what i did. notable and a must visit is the well curated UCCA [Ullens Center for Contemporary Art] www.ucca.org.cn which had quite a few good installations, a gorgeous cafe and shop as well [perfect future home for nooka i feel]. REM(A)INDERS at galleria continua was an amazing distillation of the detritus one finds in china - really made me smile the moment i walked in the voluminous space as i got the concept right away when i saw a full sized tree covered in colorful plastic bags. gallerista alessandra p. was a pleasure to talk to. there was a group show of young chinese talent at the beyond art space, managed by gallerista mila b. was good, but i was truly blown away by the work of art trio, UNMASK! their hyper-realistic sculptures of genetically engineered men touched so many of my reference points past and present that i almost bought one if not for the price tag. if you are in beijing this week, their is an opening of their solo show tomorrow which i am very sorry to miss [off to hong kong tomorrow]. i tried to find a link for their solo show as it's in a different gallery in 798, but nothing came up...

i included some fotos in the collage from my visit to the olympic village. the acid rain in beijing has already taken a toll on those new structures.

here are some links:
http://unmask.com.cn/
http://www.china.org.cn/english/798/236196.htm
http://www.ucca.org.cn
http://www.galleriacontinua.com
http://www.beyondartspace.com