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.

nookanooka ×10 artists exhibition TOKYO

nooka has teamed up with 10 globally renowned japanese artists for a custom nookanooka exhibition to support the launch of the nooka strip, asset organizer and fragrance in japan! it helps that i'm personal friends with a good number of the artist. as timing has it, i myself [matthew waldman for those of you who don't know] will be there for the opening. if you're in tokyo, you should definitely stop by. this will also be good practice for the november launch of the mini nookanooka collabs we have coming up. we'll keep you posted on that.

at martina: JINGUMAE 3-4-9 B1F, shibuya-ku, tokyo, japan. 03 3407-1223 from wednesday september 30th - saturday october 3rd 11:00am - 8:00pm. party is friday october 2nd 6:00pm - 9:00 pm.

info in japanese here.

the artists that are included in the exhibitionare as follows: Taku Anekawa / BLANK / EDING:POST / HIROCOLEDGE / MATTHEW WALDMAN / Mikiko Minewaki 嶺脇美貴子/ Taro Mukasa or Takekasa 武笠太郎＠ZARIGANIWORKS / Atsuo Ogawa 小川敦生 / SHIN TANAKA / T9G

and special thanks to mai-chan for supplying the glaceau vitamin water for the event!

nooka is available at fine shops all over the world and online 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.

spongebob nookapants

everyones favorite sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea is coming to a wrist near you. spongebob squarepants is currently nickelodeon's highest rated television show and 2009 marks its 10th anniversary. we are extremely excited to be a part of history. what better way to mark spongebob's impact on popular culture then being forever immortalized on a nooka watch. we have designed two limited-edition timepieces referencing the palette of bikini bottom on the ZUB ZENH and the aluminum ZENV. these are designs i can imaging on sandy cheeks, spongebob and even patrick! hey, i know marc jacobs is a big fan of the sponge, maybe he'll be buying some of these as well.

spongelevator is the ZUB retail at $175 and the spongenvader $275. they are actually available now, exclusively at comic con in san diego. link here! and will be in stores for fall, but you can make sure you pre-order yours as these are sure to fry… I mean fly off shelves.

nooka featured is available at fine stores and here. join nooka and love nooka on facebook and nookaNOW on twitter.

wow wow nymag article online!

what amazing photographs thanks to melissa hom of new york magazine. frank nan's design translates more than seemlessly in these images [thanks to the production coordination of shinya nakamura and my dedicated staff! thanks guys!] so definitely check out the slideshow in the article available here.

nooka is available at fine stores and here. join nooka and love nooka on facebook and nookaNOW on twitter.

koolaborations: nooka + undcrwn

i'm a bit late in posting this so i swiped verbage from hypebeast via our own press release!


The basketball and Hip-Hop-centric brand known as UNDCRWN team up with Nooka on an upcoming watch release set for later this June. The colorful striped design features a multi-colored polyurethane band designed by UNDRCRWN founder Dustin Canalin. With the ZENV as the model of choice, logos of both Nooka and UNDRCRWN are showcased. Limited to 200 pieces, the watch will release soon at Nooka.com/Buy.

nooka is available at fine stores and here! follow nooka on twitter: nookaNOW look for posts from matthew waldman on spacecollective.com/NOOKANYC

the nature of collabs [collaborations]

yesterday, robert and i spend part of the day with the kdu collective in williamsburg – learning about what they do and talking about what it is we do here at the nooka lab [kdu = The Keystone Design Union – a privately held, global creative collective with members working in all disciplines of design and beyond]. of course, the goal is to explore any potential synergies, which are many i can sense.

their studio and showroom is very cool, housing the apparel lines they create themselves and others they rep. they have a 17 year old snapping turtle the size of a small dog in the garden in the back and a laser cutter i'm jealous of having!

we were discussing the nature of collabs and whether or not they are played out when i explained my theory on why it's important [or perhaps my argument is an argument against them?]. i posited that engaging in brand+artist / brand+brand collaboration is a form of social network brokering similar to alliances via marriage amoungst royal families in previous centuries – basically "i can't give you the money for your ad campaign, but you can marry my son/daughter". it's a good discussion to have as collabs, when done correctly, generate a good deal of online buzz, but for some reason, not as much buzz in traditional media, and moreover, they don't often directly translate into sales. for nooka though, it's a great way to learn about new markets and connect with new consumers and fans.

had a great lunch as well: lobster on a bun with lettuce, avocado and BACON – thanks guys!

the kdu blog here. check it out, it's a truly impressive network of talent and really amazing people in the NYC hub.

nooka is available at fine stores and here. join nooka and love nooka on facebook and nookaNOW on twitter.

Nooka is an official sponsor of The Juan Maclean US Tour happening now!

nookanooka show preview: house of liu

we are planning an exhibition to launch the mini nookanooka for sometime in the fall in both NYC and tokyo. here is a preview of a piece you will see in that show by veggie something aka james liu.

from the artist: The general concept for my customs is sort of like House of Liu meets NookaNooka meets Game of Death meets a little sci-fi. But if you look closely enough, you'll also see a convergence and juxtaposition of opposites.

NookaNooka always seemed futuristic to me. This impression was futher ingrained when I removed the head from the body. I noticed that NookaNooka's body by itself seemed really tough and strong and reminded me of an organic robot that could really battle - sort of like Robocop and the likes. Visually, the form also seemed to fit the head of Di Di and Mei Mei from my House of Liu character line rather nicely.

With the help of some clay, wooden parts, and felt, I was able to attach the House of Liu heads to the NookaNooka bodies. I decided not to glue the heads to the bodies as I thought the customs would have more personality if the heads were articulated like the arms.

For the paint job, I decided to take away some of the cute factor by giving the bodies a slightly weathered look. This was a little tricky as I had to find a happy medium between making them look battle worn enough and still being able to compliment the cleaner paint job of the heads. I picked the colors of yellow and black for the bodies in order to give reverence to Bruce Lee and the Game of Death. I chose black and blue for the heads and blue spatters for the body to even things out.

Oh, some of the juxtapositions include... future vs. past (NookaNooka reminds me of the future and House of Liu took place in ancient times), worn vs. clean (the weathered body and the clean head paint jobs), and the usage of yellow (a happy color) and blue (a calm color) instead of red (an action color).

nooka is available at fine stores and here. join nooka and love nooka on facebook and nookaNOW on twitter.

Nooka is an official sponsor of The Juan Maclean US Tour happening now!

subcarism tokyo at stitch daikanyama

last month i posted some process photos for a piece i did for a group show in tokyo that opens at stitch in daikanyama on the 29th of this month [may].the show is titled SUBCARISM TOKYO and runs through june 14th. the opening i on the 29th from 6-9pm. subcarism = subculture (サブカルチャーsabucaruchah in japanese) + -ism

the goal of the show is to show the global influence of japanese subculture as seen through the international expressions of the urban vinyl scene and features an impressive line-up of talent. i am truly flattered to be included in such a line-up! the show will feature customized versions of each artist/company's signature vinyl and mine will of course be the nookanooka! the foto here is the 3 pieces i customized for the exhibition.

more info on the show here but it is in japanese only.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

ART DENKA http://www.artdenka.com
BEN MORI http://www.benmori.com
BLObPUS http://www.blobpus.jp
Brian Flynn http://super7store.com
Buff Monster http://www.buffmonster.com
Bwana Spoons http://grasshutcorp.com/blog
CHINO http://www.bus-works.com
David Horvath http://www.uglydolls.com
DEVILROBOTS http://www.dvrb.jp/w/
gargamel http://www.gargamel.jp
HARIKEN http://hariken.net
Itokin Park http://www.itokin-park.com
Joe Ledbetter http://www.joeledbetter.com
JUN WATANABE http://www.junwatanabe.jp/
KAIJIN http://www.kaijin-toy.jp
Katope
Koji Harmon www.cometdebris.com
Le Merde http://www.lemerde.com
MAD BARBARIANS
Martin Ontiveros http://www.martinhead.com
Matthew Waldman http://www.nooka.com
MOGraphixx http://www.mographixx.com
sunguts http://www.sunguts.com
T9G http://www.muse-um.com
Takeshi Togo/hgs http://www.thiyea.com
The Wonderful! design works http://w-d-w.com
Tiger Jet Michiko http://blog.livedoor.jp/vinyl_junkies/
Tim Biskup http://www.timbiskup.com
UNIVERSAL POOYAN http://www.universalpooyan.jp
Yukinori Dehara http://www.dehara.com

nooka is available in many shops in japan including stitch in daikanyama as well as here. join nooka and love nooka on facebook and nookaNOW on twitter.

nooka X spongebob squarepants

i usually wait to blog about stuff until it's actually in stores or at least a few weeks prior to that date, but as this news is already out on the PR wires, i feel it should also be on my blog.

it's no secret that personally, i'm a huge fan of spongebob [i like square butts and just can't lie...what a great tv commercial!], but was a bit reticent at first to agreeing to a collab when we were approached by nickelodeon. my fears about the collaboration were quickly dispelled when i was shown the great stuff BAPE produced last year and were told that we would have liberty to manipulate and create our own design vocabulary for the project.

i must say, the creative teams at nickelodeon are amazing! they are enthusiastic about their properties and about working with us.

2009 is the 10th anniversary of spongebob squarepants and we are more than stoked to be a part of the year long celebration. our pieces will be available in-stores this summer but look for pre-order status in june on our online store. i'll blog about it again when closer to the drop-date. in the meantime, read this cool article in, of all places, marketwatch.com! and also on hypebeast!

nooka featured is available at fine stores and here. join nooka and love nooka on facebook and nookaNOW on twitter.

Nooka is an official sponsor of The Juan Maclean US Tour this Spring.

nooka X deviant design zon

alex vaz in compton california [LA] sent us some images of his tricked out nooka zon to our info@ mailbox, and boy was it a surprise. 3.25 carats and almost 300 stones set by LA based jeweler marky mark [his myspace page here]! deviant design/marky mark does a lot of custom work for both alex and rob drydek. it seems that unofficial collabs turn out very nicely. alex has his own brand, his web site here.

nooka featured is available at fine stores and here. join nooka and love nooka on facebook and nooka_ on twitter.

and again, thanks alex!

nooka collab: ddc lab

Nooka Inc. and fashion retailer DDCLAB have come together to create a truly unique collaborative watch to be released in March 2009. DDCLAB’s design studio, DDC USA, has released a custom, silver reflective fabric as a part of its 2008-2009 fashion line. This custom fabric is used on the band of the watch, stitched with a bright red; the watch is also equipped with Nooka’s ZOT Classic Night face. Limited quantities of the collaboration will be available. DDCLAB is a unique fashion brand which carries innovative, technologically conscious clothing and accessories. The store was launched in 1998 by Roberto Crivello and Savania Davies-Keiller, owners of the exclusive design Studio DDC USA. Known for strength in fabric coursing and the ability to earmark technologies that are new to the market as well as those that are not even on radar, DDC USA works very closely with mills to develop and build upon innovative technologies. DDCLAB’s style is simple yet modern and futuristic, with an emphasis on technology and materials. With two stores currently in New York City, DDCLAB and Nooka proudly share a close relationship as well as shared design concepts and values.

only 100 pieces produced, and available exclusively at ddclab for a short time.

all other models and noo spring colors are now available at ddclab and on our e-store here. join "nooka" and "love nooka" on facebook.

nooka in LTD magazine

i can't believe i forgot to upload the december issue of LTD magazine [or did i?]. well, here is the winter 09 #14 AND the spring 09 #15 issue pages with le nookas featured prominently. the current issue also has some style picks of mine. the price for the zon is wrong, but hey, not complaining. get one here.

nooka + i love dust at vallery barcelona

some random shots from the "our friends and our family" show by i love dust at vallery in barcelona spain, february 16th, 2009. gracias to nuria mañe for the fotos!

barcelona

don't forget to check out the i love dust exhibition at vallery in barcelona. opening is tonight.

Thursday, February 19, 2009
Time: 8:00pm - 11:00pm
Location: Vallery, Calabria, 85
Barcelona España

i love dust in barcelona reminder

it's getting closer to the date, february 19th...make sure you go to the show if you're in españa!

if you can't make it, nookas siempre disponible [always available] aquí.

inauguración el 19 de febrero en
opens february 19th at
VALLERY
Calabria, 85
08015 Barcelona
Spain
+34935396430

i love dust in barcelona

i love i love dust. they are my favorite art collective in the UK and they do bitchin work all over this great world of ours. there will be one-of-a-kind limited nooka watches on display along with toys by kidrobot and of course, original art by i love dust!

nookas always available here.

me encanta i love dust. ellos son mi colectivo de arte favorito en el Reino Unido y hacen un trabajo cojonudo sobre nuestro fantástico mundo. habrá reloj nooka de edición limitada junto con los juguetes de kidrobot y, por supuesto, arte original de i love dust!

nookas siempre disponible aquí.


inauguración el 19 de febrero en
opens february 19th at
VALLERY
Calabria, 85
08015 Barcelona
Spain
+34935396430

missbehave magazine

missbehave magazine is showing nooka mad love in their upcoming issue! we are all-over the main fashion spread, they write about the sooperdooper limited edition hellz bellz collab AND they have a contest give-away on thier website. makes me want to be a teenage girl all over again.


missbehave giveaway is here.

nookas featured can be purchased at fine shops near you or here.

available now!

hellz bellz and LTD collabs available now!

the hellz bellz model features a heavy metal mesh band giving it a lot of heft.

the LTD model [invisible warrior] features a semi-transluscent custom camo strap.

buy them from your fave nooka seller or here.

a very busy thursday night

this past thursday was very busy indeed. first, the booka launch party for the new steven heller book, the design entrepreneur, in which there's a 2 page interview with me, and then the very glam opening party for the new ddc lab store on mercer street in soho! it was fun to have both uptown chic and downtown buzz in the same night! all the ddc brand ambassadors were sporting prototypes of the upcoming ddc lab + nooka collab with their ddc lab + new balance fashions. it seemed like everyone in the fashion world was there so i got to cram a lot of socializing into one evening [the redbull and vodkas certainly helped].

nooka + kidrobot = koolabooration

Nooka Inc. and Kidrobot have teamed up to produce a limited edition collaborative watch featuring the distinctive Kidrobot design figure. The collaboration utilizes the extremely popular Nooka Zub watch in black with the Zen-H style face along with the Kidrobot icon printed in white on the band. These watches will be sold in limited quantities both at Kidrobot locations and at Nooka retailers.

Kidrobot, founded by designer Paul Budnitz in 2002, is the world’s premier designer and retailer of limited edition art toys and apparel. Kidrobot merges urban street trends, fashion, and pop art to produce limited edition, collectible toys and apparel. Kidrobot products often feature unique collaborations with top international artists whose diverse backgrounds include graffiti, fine art, fashion, industrial design, graphic design, illustration, and music.

Nooka is a New York based design company founded by artist and designer Matthew Waldman. Nooka is most famously known for its line of innovative and unique digital wristwatches which take the concept of telling time into an entirely new realm.

Nooka and Kidrobot have a long-standing relationship, sharing very similar design ideals and often being featured in many of the same magazines and retailers, such as LTD and MoMA. With this collaboration, the Nooka and Kidrobot brands merge their unique concepts on design and fashion.

this edition is limited to 1000 numbered pieces!

available online and in kidrobot stores the week of november 10th and via nooka channels 2 weeks thereafter. pre-order yours here!