nooka pairings: zack yankush+BMX

usually when i post a pairings, it's from my own show collection. here is one sent to us from zack yankush! looks great huh?

about the photo: Zack Yankush aka Catfish Professional BMX rider Is known as "The voice of BMX". He announces every major BMX competition in the world including ESPN's X-Games, the AST Dew Tour on NBC, and the Empire of Dirt in England and is the Host of Fuel TV's BMX reality show "Props". Loves to match his nooka to his bike color.

who know...is their a bmx collab in the future?...

you can buy the watch zack is wearing here.

metallic zubs at rooms tokyo

the metallic zub zoo [gold, silver and bronze (pictured)] made their japan debut at the rooms show this week in tokyo. they'll be in shops by the holiday shopping season and you can reserve yours now here.

thank you elle-chan for the great design and construction of the displays!

the show itself is being held in an most amazing space, the yoyogi olympic stadium, designed by kenzo tange for the 1964 tokyo olympics. the pritzker prize citation for tange writes that is"among the most beautiful buildings of the 20th century". the suspended roof is still an impressive achievement of power and elegance.

weekend in tokyo

i arrived in tokyo on thursday evening and used the weekend to avoid jetlag for the upcoming shows, do some shopping and catch up with friends [as well as fill up on food i can only find here, like mos burger, basahi etc.]. i really should write a travel guide to tokyo one day, but i'm not sure how accurate it could ever be with things changing so quickly here year to year. so, for now and for this entry, a few highlights and photo-diary.

muji opened a new store in shinjuku on yasukuni-dori, close to my hotel [which is great, as the yurakucho main store is a bit far to go by bicycle with packages]. i spent a half a day there looking at everything [they added the IDEE furniture collection to their larger stores in japan, though the selections is limited due to space], eating in their organic cafe [fiber!], shopping the yohji yamamoto directed muji labo line, and stocking up on bath salts!

i spent saturday at tokyo midtown, the SOM designed mixed-use space in roppongi with my friend and musician of far east music, soichi terada [upper left in collage foto]. we saw an exhibition in the suntory art museum as well as the typography exhibition at the ando designed and issey miyake curated 21_21 design site. the suntory museum always has a great show of japanese art/craft, this time the pre-history of the kimono. i was disappointed with the show at design site this trip though – it came off more like a graphic design exhibition at a university than something becoming of their great space.

soichi and i also had a really authentic mexican meal at la colina in midtown – expensive but delicious. the band was pretty good...can someone identify what the giant 5 string bass guitar is [i've never seen one like that]? i requested "piensa en mi" which they actually knew [i would lose my appetite is i had to listen to "la bamba" one more time].

of course i went to my fave t-shirt shop, graniph. i got stuff for myself, but mostly souvenirs for my staff in NYC. our tokyo office mate, BACH curated the manga collection at the art shop installation/shop at isetan in shinjuku where i went with my friend tomoyo and i bought an overpriced polo shirt [please note: only in japan can you have a "fuck forever" neon sign in a major department store].

i'd list the meals i had if i was writing a food blog. enjoy the pretty pictures.

i love dust, artful dodger, jay-z, beyonce, ashanti + nooka

last tuesday i went out for drinks with mark graham, the creative director of UK-based i love dust, and his creative team after being introduced by my dear friend anya who is an art buyer at the martin agency in richmond virginia. mark and team were in NYC to install a show at the chelsea art museum which happens to be an early and constant supporter of nooka – ah circuitous synergies abound! and over cocktails and beers at temple bar, they offered to do a collab. not next season, or next year, but the next day. and at a speed i've never seen, a few custom painted nookas were displayed next to the customized nikes at the opening invitation only party on friday. jay-z, beyonce, ashanti and their entourages were there, but alas, i was NOT. i was [and still] in tokyo. the nooka studio was there to represent and i have the pleasure of simply blogging about it:)

there was also art by nyc-based vault49 in the dj room [one of which is featured in the foto above]. great stuff jonothan!

we will do more collaborations in the future, until then, enjoy the i love dust website here. i love their work.

flashfim online interview

this was uploaded on august 11th on the international fashion website, flashfilm. sorry i'm posting late, but i just found it today:
in japanese.
in english.

rooms in tokyo

i am writing this from jfk airport in nyc. i'm on my way to tokyo for a few things, one of which is "rooms", a fashion trade show [come by our booth if you're there], the yokohama trieniale [which we are the official watch. let's hope the factory delivers on time for people to actually see it!] and to meet with stores as well as catch up with friends and do other businessy stuff. the jet lag really takes its toll on me, but i'll compensate by filling up on ramen, gyoza, mos burgers, seasonal candy, delish sakes and shochu for 2 weeks.

nooka + complete technique

i bought a completetechnique ring at kidrobot in LA a few months ago, and my friend yuna said "oh! i know the designer of that ring. you should meet him, he's in nyc" when i wore it in berlin this july. unrelated, robert met the designer by chance at the trade shows in las vegas in august – multiple crossing synergies abound! well...today i finally met osamu koyama who is that man behind the brand. he has a great story and great products. we met to talk about a future collab which we're excited to do, so keep tuned for updates!