Inspiration comes from every pocket of life- from the worn path on your weekend hike to the makeup counter on your lunch hour errand run. Sometimes the parallels are crystal clear, though oftentimes it’s easy to miss the touch points. Today’s post highlights how close natural and manufactured patterns can be and how taking note of your surroundings can expand your creative palette. This geometric print at the Sephora counter is timeless, popular and a staple for many designers. While it’s common to see this pattern in concrete and urban architecture, it’s refreshing to see a man-made path. What natural paths have you found to be inspiring?

It’s always interesting when you stumble across a material out of context. It’s particularly striking when it happens three times in a week. Recently, yarn afgan patterns seem to be staging impromptu cameos all around town. This Commes Des Garcons summer knit from Barneys is adorable and proves it’s commercial worth. Playing off the concept of the flower bomb, this image of Magda Sayeg‘s yarn graffiti in Austin, TX found its way to my inbox from friend and fellow blogger, Nick Ducoff. A day later, I stumbled upon this bike on the lower east side. While it may be coincidence, it’s interesting to see seasonal material mash-ups, particularly when they cause a creative stir.

Translating a photograph into salable fashion can be a daunting task for any designer, however when done correctly, it’s extremely awe-inspiring. This dress (label unknown) from Barneys, presents a sleek and modern canvas for this textured stone pattern. Adding golden tones, blurred lines and simple draping, this realist image is immediately softened and feminized for a summer silhouette. We all find inspiration outdoors and while oftentimes its the hand-drawn interpretation that make the final commercial cut, it’s exciting to see an abstract photo-realist take, familiarizing luxury with the great outdoors.

What are some of your favorite nature-inspired graphics?

Last week I had true artist admiration (and envy!) while dining at Chubby Cafe with Michael Keferl, of CScout Japan. Michael turned me on to this gem of a spot which is tucked away in the Setagaya suburb, just outside of Shibuya station. The cafe is a creative trifecta of art, food and retail and is housed just below Hiroshi Murakami’s graphic design studio, Gaim Graphics. Murakami is a believer in merging interesting people with good art and soulful music and has succeeded in creating an unpretentious vibe in the space below his office. Everything is perfectly curated, from the organic menu to the paintings on the walls to the graphic merchandise on the shelves. If you’re in the Tokyo area, definitely check it out- it’s a rejuvenating break from the madness [...]

The right lighting can make or break a retail space. Every interior designer knows this. While exploring Tokyo and Kyoto last week, I stumbled upon several lighting displays that completely blew me away. Interestingly (and practically), all of the rounded sculptures were open, intricate and reflected the mood of the store’s merchandise. Pass the Baton‘s white cups resembled recycled china, a theme consistent to the store. This rose ball from furniture row in Kyoto, had a polished boutique-like vibe. One of the most impressive interpretations of the dome trend was on full display at Franc Franc, a newish luxury concept store that housed wares ranging from Monocle to J. Period. The chandelier was so impressive and open, it allowed shoppers to view from above and below, making it interactive, tangible and a [...]

Greetings from Tokyo!

First off, I hope that our readers from the States had a fantastic 4th of July weekend.  While I missed the festivities, I have had the pleasure of visiting one of the most inspiring cities in the world.

From the back alleys of Harajuku and Daikanyama to the high streets of Omotesando and Ginza and the mega department stores of Shinjuku and Shibuya, Tokyo has been stimulating all five senses.

Next week we’ll be back with highlights from the trip.

In the meantime, check out our favorite new Japanese export, The Suzan, who’s new album was produced by Bjorn Yttling (of Peter, Bjorn and John fame) and will soon be released on Fool’s Gold/Downtown Records.

Let us know what you think!

Whenever I tackle a new branding project, the client always asks how prints and patterns can be incorporated into the design without being too obvious. Today I’m presenting one of my favorite examples that I encountered back in February. La Amada, a hotel in Playa Mujeres, Mexico truly presents a 360 rollout. Their bubble motif touches everything from their online and print materials to their sculptural landscaping, dinnerware and bottle packaging. Without being ostentatious, repetitive or logo-centric, this hotel successfully emits a serene, artful, luxurious mood, all by scaling back and allowing their customers to interact with their motif throughout the day. Less is more, particularly if it’s custom, creative and varied.

Today we’re featuring a walking tour of Le Marais in Paris by yours truly. I was recently asked to give creative recommendations and I realized it was time to share my thoughts on Pattern Pulp. Le Marais is filled with inspiration- from concept stores to stenciled graffiti to restaurant tile work, nearly every square foot is filled with eye candy. Every trend tracker, designer and food aficionado I know weaves through this neighborhood with fury, armed with a camera, a note pad and acute taste buds. Follow along, take the tour and let us know what you think!

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1. 1. A patterned makeup bag at the homegoods concept store, Autour du Monde.
2. 2. Stenciled street art along Rue des Rosiers.
3. 3. Shoes Up poster at the sneaker store across from Muji in Le [...]

Over the past year, I’ve felt the urge to write about tigers on numerous occasions. Oddly though, it just didn’t feel right. Well, today’s the day this story finally gets threaded together, as a few trips to Barneys, the back streets of Paris and the Lower East Side have proven that tigers continue to play muse when it comes to graphic application- be it current or a throwback to the 80′s. The above murals are an inverse of each other, and an interesting parallel of color palettes. The composition to the left is a painting by Colleen Rochette and is on display at Barney’s Department store on Madison Avenue. The mural to the right is opposite L’as Du Falafel, a popular Falafel joint in the Marais in Paris.

This Diane Von Furstenburg dress puts the stripes and [...]

Life’s all about timing and last night I stumbled upon quite a treat while walking to a meeting along Houston. In preparation for his upcoming New York show, Shepard Fairey tagged the now infamous wall along Houston and Bowery. (The same wall that the Os Gemeos team tagged last year). The artistic spectacle drew a curious crowd of creative types and tourists that watched in excited awe. Between touch ups, Fairey mingled with the crowd, posed for pictures and answered political charged questions about his work. If you’re in the neighborhood, definitely check it out- the final results are stunning.

Oftentimes the cities surrounding New York are overlooked, as travelers don’t always know where to go or what they’ll find beyond the Manhattan and Brooklyn skylines. Today we’re featuring a creative city tour by Don Sipley, a freelance illustrator and FIT instructor who currently resides in Jersey City, New Jersey. Sipley’s illustrations are fantastical and extremely print friendly. He’s designed countless book covers and has been supplying the glossies with illustrations for over a decade now. This photo series was taken over a period of time over the past winter while Sipley walked his dog at sunrise. She’s an older dog and walks at a slow pace, so Sipley started taking photos to amuse himself. Follow along, take the tour and let us know what you think!

1. 1. View of downtown Jersey city from top of 150 Bay st [...]