-
Design Diary: Asia Week New York 2018
Continue ReadingEvery spring, New York hosts Asia Week, a 10-day celebration of eastern art and culture. Collectors and curators descend on the city to visit galleries, make the museum rounds, and chart their way across a sprawling series of events. This year, making our way from Asian art galleries on the Upper East Side, south towards […]
-
In The Press: Betsy Nathan in Architectural Digest
Continue ReadingPAGODA RED founder Betsy Nathan was thrilled to take part in AD PRO’s Designer Takeover, which invites members of the design world to tell their personal stories. Betsy shared memories and photos of a trip she took with her son Jack through China’s stunningly beautiful countryside—a landscape and culture that has long inspired her: “Longsheng reminded […]
-
Chicago Botanic Garden: Asia In Bloom
Continue ReadingWe’re continually inspired by the Chicago Botanic Garden’s mission to ‘cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life.’ Today we’re looking back on Asia in Bloom, a special exhibition from 2018. Here, we had the honor to show a collection of taihu spirit stones, vessels, and sculpture. “You can’t tell the story of orchids […]
-
Welcome to the Year of the Dog
Continue ReadingAccording to Chinese astrology, which operates in 12 year cycles, 2018 is the Year of the Dog. If you were born in 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994 or 2006, you were born under this sign. The list of positive attributes is a long one — dogs represent loyalty, honesty and intelligence, and “dog people” are […]
-
Ultra-Inspiration from Pantone’s Color of the Year
Continue ReadingWhat’s the simplest way to spot a color trend? Wait for Pantone, the design industry’s premier chromatic forecaster, to name its color of the year. To much fanfare, they recently released 2018’s: Ultra-Violet 18-3838. The vibrant hue has been lauded as a hallmark of experimentation and non-conformity — it was a go-to for musical legends like […]
-
Amy Lehman & The Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic
Continue ReadingOur friend Amy Lehman is a true giver. She’s a doctor, world traveler, PAGODA RED collector and an inspiration. Through December 31, 2017, we’ll donate 5% of sales to Amy’s Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic (LTFHC), which provides vital healthcare to isolated communities in Eastern Africa’s Great Lakes region. Here, Amy shares the incredible story of […]
-
Japan: Travelogue
Continue ReadingTravel is not always about diversion. Sometimes it can transform us. For an artist, like our good friend and collaborator Kelly Messer, the journey can be measured in greater and more profound ways than distance. Kelly’s recent trip to Japan was a stirring, inspiring experience. Here, she shares her impressions and feelings about a place […]
-
Martin Margiela and Hermès: Unlikely Allies
Continue ReadingFrom 1997 through 2003, Belgian haute couture designer Martin Margiela created twelve consecutive collections for iconic Parisian brand Hermès. Margiela, like his contemporary Rei Kawakubo, used his influence to push against the luxury fashion world. He famously deconstructed luxury objects, stitching them back together by hand, and he often turned high fashion’s aesthetic inside-out, introducing details like […]
-
The Butterfly Effect: One Trend’s Timeless History
Continue ReadingButterflies have lately been touching down across the cultural landscape, alighting on wallpapers, fabrics and the pages of shelter magazines. These colorful creatures have long fascinated the design world. In the Victorian era, they elicited curiosity and graced the cabinets of stylish parlors. Papilio Pattern by Harlequin In the 1960s and 70s, revered Italian architect and designer Carlo Mollino had […]
-
Rei Kawakubo: The Art of In-Between
Continue ReadingWhen the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute announced its 2017 Rei Kawakubo exhibition, the fashion world responded with resounding joy. The Japanese designer and founder of Commes des Garçons is revered for her unapologetic, high-concept garments. An avant-garde force, she’s refused to be tethered to the dictates of “femininity” in women’s clothing. Gallery View, Self/Other East/West. Photo: The Metropolitan […]
