[reads]

The psychological power of possessions.

About the Collection:

Humans are materialistic by nature, but we have an odd relationship with the things we own. Possessions enrich our lives but they also come at a cost, both environmental and psychological. 

In this collection, we take stock of our ambivalent relationship with material goods, size up the things that humans actually needs and consider the ways possessions define us and ponder the future of ownership. These books look at how we separate our "stuff" from our "selves".  

Inspired by:

Tchotchkes, Louis Vuitton's $1200 Jenga set, Marie Kondo, Michael Landy and the breakdown he had in 2001 where he systematically destroyed every item amassed over his 37 years on earth.

Narratives and stories that play a fundamental role in modern society.

About the Collection:

 

What is mythology, why should we care about it and how does it fit into our lives today? Essentially myths are powerful encoding values and ideologies which tell us who we are. When understood, and when a person can identify areas of their own culture and belief systems, our ideas of myths are rife in all forms of media – film, television, adverts. It is only when one starts to recognize the differences in culture that these connotations become interesting; when they are juxtaposed in such a way, their meanings begin to conflict and change.Our Mythology collection is carefully put together to inspire our readers to think about the modern myths of our American cultural past that drive our decision making today.

We think we are free. Yet all around us, in pop culture, politics, mainstream media, and advertising, there are codes and symbols that govern our choices. They are the fabrications of consumer society. They express myths of success, well-being, and happiness. We’re taking a look in this collection into some of the myths that drive our decision making today.

Inspired by:

Nirvana, John Coltrane, UFO’s, California in the 60s, Ancient Greek Mythologies and spiritual shamans.

A small moment in time.

About the Collection:

The lifecycle of ideas and things are so fleeting. For us here in New York it feels like the lifecycle is even shorter—people make things knowing they won’t be relevant in the morning. We don’t attach ourselves to anything for too long, and this collection of ephemera is a representation of that. These 5 zines mimic that same cyclical structure and give us reason to pause and preserve something.

Before iPhones and Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook— there were zines, mix tapes and posters, analogue things we now refer to as Ephemera. A small captured moment in time. Zines remind us of the unique feeling of being one among a tiny group of special people in possession of a carefully made publication. In a world so bombarded by images reflected through the iPhone, somehow seeing images and words on paper feels completely refreshing to us.

Inspired by:

Kanye West at the White House, Tide Pod challenge, Justin Timberlake and Brittany Spears, and 6th grade love letters.

Active Memories.

About the Collection:

Everyone loves to go back in time, to reflect on things that were, resurface cultural movements, old memories, embarrassing photos and oral stories. In this collection we wanted to resurface beautiful books that remind us of past generations and the cultural movements they have inspired.

Inspired by:

A Scene at the Sea, 1991 Directed by Takeshi Kitano, Woodstock, The Berlin Wall, The beat movement, the tamagotchi craze, the 90’s crushes, the Parent Trap.

Containers and the things they hold. 

About the Collection:

We were inspired in the literal and metaphorical meanings behind vessels. Our bodies are emphatically the containers that hold what is truly important, looking at how we take care of and hold ourselves. This collection is also inspired by ceramic vases and the different shapes and objects that they hold.

Inspired by:

Japanese ceramics, Herman Melville’s famous Bartleby, Human fondness for received structures, Wabi Sabi.