advanced package design

this semester i'm teaching the advanced package design class at parson's. i started with 13 students which have now dwindled to just 6, which is quite a loss for the students who dropped. the other way of looking at it is that the remaining students get more attention. today, i arranged a trip for them to material connexion, an incredible resource for all kinds of designers: architects, industrial, product and even graphic designers! michael lagreca [pictured with some of my students in this foto] was kind enough to make time and give them the overview. as parson's students, they have access to the database even from the school library. the designers at nooka at frequent visitors of the material connection library as well.

visit the material connexion website here.

nooka is available at fine stores and here. remember, you get a free copy of deastro's keepers with every online watch order on this link while supplies last!

join nooka and love nooka on facebook and nooka_ on twitter.

nooka sightings: mtv news carlos santos

MTV Shows

STD testing, not just for ho's – it's for everyone! get your's done and here's an mtv news clip to show you how. carlos is wearing a slylish glow in the dark zub available here. get your business done with some style! thanks carlos.

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and on facebook: search for groups "Nooka" and "I love Nooka"

openers japan article march

i write a monthly article for the fabulous openers online magazine in japan, and for march, i was out of ideas on how to write another article that encapsulates fashion/design and my world with a focus on NYC when i hardly leave my apartment or office when here in NYC! an idea came to me after lunch with my friend yoko in february when i turned 44 on the theme of how we all have uniforms whether we're aware of it or not, and how my uniform has shifted over the years from artist to graphic designer, and is now getting more fashion insider. i know it can read as shameless self promotion, which is actually fine – there's nothing wrong with my look as a branding project. post in japanese here.

nooka is available at fine stores and here. remember, you get a free copy of deastro's keepers with every nooka.com order while supplies last.

join nooka and love nooka on facebook and nooka_ on twitter.

studio visit: limité magazine

this wednesday i finally met up with the brains behind limité magazine, adrian farquharson in my nyc studio. we had a great chat and found out that we both graduated from the same high school [but no joke, different centuries!]. you can check out his tastemaker site here. note to self: green makes me look very very very pale!

i also noticed that he has a great post on the nookanooka today. thanks adrian!

the nooka adrian wears is available at fine stores and here. remember, you get a free copy of deastro's keepers with every online watch order on this link.

join nooka and love nooka on facebook and nooka_ on twitter.

some music nooz

some music news for the weekend and beyond.

michna michna michna: i can't believe michna is still on tour, but nice to see the orange zub peaking out under his signature santa claus streetwear [foto by angela dawn photography] while playing tombone. you can still catch him playing, so look for shows the following dates and cities.
Michna with Raw Paw live
3/27 Orlando, FL @ Will's Pub*
3/28 Tampa, FL @ The Honey Pot*
3/29 Jacksonville, FL @ Freebird Live*
3/30 Knoxville, TN @ World Grotto*
3/31 Nashville, TN @ Exit/In*
4/1 Tuscaloosa, AL @ Mellow Mushroom*
4/2 Birmingham, AL @ Zydeco*
4/3 Athens, GA @ Tasty World*
4/4 Brooklyn, NY (DJ Set) @ Brooklyn Museum
5/23 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
6/18 Barcelona, Spain @ Sonar Festival
*with Eliot Lipp

deastro deastro deastro: deastro plays his very first NYC date this weekend, tonight and tomorrow night at cake shop and will release his new album. moondagger soon. news on that here. remember, you get a free copy of deastro's keepers when you buy a nooka on our e-store here.

nooka michna/adrian wears available at fine stores in your town and here. join nooka and love nooka on facebook and nooka_ on twitter.

a nooka on style dot com

a nooka on style dot com. original post here. click through all the watches in the feature to get to ours.

nooka featured available at fine stores in your town and here. join nooka and love nooka on facebook and nooka_ on twitter.

nooka creative x-change: james liu

recognizing that creative people find inspiration from multiple sources, matthew waldman conducts mini interviews to hopefully gain insight into the creative processes of the artists he meets.

this installment is with james liu of veggiesomething! thanks james!

please provide a small bio on yourself?
Born in Pingtung, Taiwan and based out of Chicago, Illinois, Veggiesomething has loved art and design for as long as he can remember. His artworks have been seen throughout the world via numerous art shows and exhibits and have been featured in various publications and media outlets.

Thus far, Veggiesomething has created four character lines (FIZZIEFUZZIE, House of Liu, United by Destruction!, and Sugar Bandits) and one lifestyle concept label (Killerslayer). These creative endeavors often highlight his love for modular designs that are bold, clean, clear, and concise.

can you tell me what motivates you to create your products?
Like other designers, my initial motivation for creating a product is to solve a problem. The problem can be big, or it can be small. Regardless, there is usually at least a general purpose to what we do. And in the process of that problem solving, challenges will pop up. The potential of overcoming those challenges and seeing the final product in use are usually my biggest motivators.

what are some of your influences and inspirations?
I'm heavily influenced and inspired by everyday life. There are a lot of different "scenes" that I'm interested in, and I love to take elements of inspiration from one scene and apply them to another scene. For instance, I'm heavily influenced by the punk scene after having been involved in it via things like doing a zine, being in bands, etc. for so many years. I carried that punk DIY ethic and that energy into almost every design that I do. The influence may not be prominent due to the demands of the design, but it's always there.

what does nooka mean to you?
To me, Nooka means living the independent spirit. Everything from the design to the concept to the entrepreneurship of the watch exemplify that spirit. Every time that I look down at my Nooka watch, I'm reminded of that spirit and it makes me want to pursue it in my own way.

the nooka james is wearing in this foto available at fine stores and here. join "nooka" and "love nooka" on facebook. nooka_ on twitter.