i have two posts i want to get up before new year's eve, one being this one, and the other my year end music review.
creating nooka has been the most engaging and satisfying experience of my life – i wish i had made the decision to produce my own products years ago! unlike a large brand, i still have a personal connection to what i produce and truly see each product as a personal ambassador going out into the world. there are still many challenges ahead, especially trying to get new product lines launched in this challenging environment without any access to credit and financing, but i've done that before – so as always, cautious and optimistic for 2009 and beyond!
as with any complex process, i would not be here writing this without the support of others, and for this i am always grateful. and here is a short list of people who have channeled, championed, promoted, understood, supported, reflected me and nooka with such honest and enthusiastic authenticity that i can only start by saying "THANK YOU!"
matthew cohen and
joe chang of the
raw information group for keeping the press focused on nooka. this is great validation for a small brand that can not yet afford a national ad campaign and something i appreciate daily.
kanye west for being the only style icon in the public eye worth watching – your journey is truly inspiring!
javier laval for keeping us hip in L.A.
ddc lab and their wonderful staff for including us in all they do as well as giving nooka the only retail space to carry ALL our lines at once – thank you
savania,
roberto and
brad!
MoMA for being a constant supporter from the very start. I can not think of a more cordial process driven organization of this size and magnitude that truly supports emerging talent with a commitment to product design.
everyone at
elsewares for being constant supporters from the beginning of this journey.
daiki suzuki of
nepenthes for being my first mentor to the fashion world. i do not think he realizes how helpful his advise and introductions were for me to get the nooka ball rolling 5 years ago!
united arrows for being a major brand champion for us in japan which opened many doors for us in japan and moreover, asia!
eugene kan of
hypebeast for being such a great supporter!
yu yamada for making japan our 2nd biggest market after the USA.
alexander allen for his keen eye, enthusiasm and talent.
michael surtees of
designotes for putting an articulate designer-lingo voice to me, nooka and my process.
tina roth for just being tina roth/
swiss miss – you inspire me.
missy and
sam of
ghostly records for being so inclusive and supportive. it's so important to have friends with similar sized struggles and triumphs!
anya mills of
poptags for her support of nooka from its inception in the late 90s on a napkin!
lil wayne for rocking the nooka on national TV more than once [and for producing truly complex music in a sometimes banal music scene].
fall out boy also for rocking the nooka on national tv. also thanks for the rockband your manager sent the studio!
erykah badu for being the most beautiful canvas i've seen a nooka on last year.
mark graham of
i love dust in the UK – simply "wow, thanks!"
steve heller of SVA and the new york times for always being an accessible giant.
todd owyoung of ishootshows for always letting me know when there's a nooka sighting in a live music show or event – you truly rock!
miho hatori for reminding me of the art and inspiration i put in my work but had forgotten.
claude cohen in france for championing nooka in france, a market i was ready to give up on 2 years ago! merci bien!
josh spears for your great eye and words.
alicia in spain,
magnus in sweden,
falko and
ben in germania,
roberto in italia,
stephen and
maz in the UK, and
viktor in hungary for helping to make nooka an established brand in europe. i'm excited for 2009!
jonathan winer for putting nooka on the map in israel.
adnan of wristfashion in dubai for not only giving us a foot in the arab world, but also being such a constant and articulate supporter from my first designs way back when it was an ignored license at seiko!
allan ho for championing not just nooka, but me as a designer in HK. when's my next interview?
raoul and
marleen in the nederlands for rocking the tulip empire for us!
my staff in new york, tokyo and our one man crew in HK [eddie] for untiring enthusiasm.
william yan – keep up the tireless blogging!
carrie campbell for being our eyes and ears (and moreover, legs, arms and mouth) from the mississippi to maine – i don't know how you do it!
my friend
edward enrique of the
taf buying office for his advise and company for our executive lunch meeting!
joost elffers of
elffers books for being an incredible mentor.
everyone who has bought a nooka and especially the fans who took the time to send me an email.
and this is by no means a complete list, so feel free to nudge me if i left anyone out [i wrote this BEFORE the benefit of a cup of coffee].
much love to everyone in 2009!
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