office people: W—E Studio

August 07, 2024

Piera Wolf and Claudine Eriksson are the energetic pair that lead W —E studio, a multidisciplinary graphic design studio based between Zürich and New York that weaves purposeful visual languages in the worlds of art, architecture, fashion, culture, music and design. The two met in an apartment on Havemeyer Street in 2017 and have been working together ever since. Distinct in their tastes and sensibilities, Piera and Claudine are a fusion of contrasting elements. Piera's trust in the universe, guided by intuition and serendipity, pairs perfectly with Claudine's radiant positivity, evoked by a silver hue that reflects light. In our current creative landscape saturated with design studios, W—E studio transcends borders and categories with a practice rooted in the creation of brand experiences across all formats, including printed, tactile journeys, and exhibition design. They love to see young blood thrive which is why they balance their creative practice with teaching and research engagements at academic institutions such as Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), HTW Berlin (BA Visual Communication), and the School of Visual Arts, among others. They've received accolades from the Art Directors Club, AlGA, and Type Directors Club for their role as design lead engagement with studio Ferdinando Verderi for Vogue Italia, Lo—TEK. Design by Radical Indigenism by author Julia Watson, published by Taschen, and art fair design for The Armory Show New York. They are also our art directors for this issue (and the previous one) so if you like it, then they're probably doing something right!

Photography by Mitchell Connell

What is your ideal office?

Piera Wolf— Strong Wifi, tunes from The Lot Radio, books, plants, minimal interior.

Claudine Eriksson— Basking in natural light, remote, shared with friends working in other disciplines.

What is your most powerful tool?

PW— Trusting the universe: a journey of intuition and gut instincts and engineered serendipity.

If you were to assign a color to each other, which would you choose and why?

PW— Neon Yellow for Claudine, reflecting power, positivity. Swedish/Argentinian Sun, (emoji) flame.

CE— Silver for Piera, the SHINIEST and for reflecting lots of light.

Is there something you collect or have collected over a period of time?

PW— I'm not a collector — I enjoy journeying light — BUT I do have a rich library of different tactile paper samples.

CE— An unintentional but beautiful collection of patterned textiles from all over.

Which three words best describe your relationship?

Synchronized ping-pong.

What is your favorite movie of all time?

PW— One of them is I Am Love with Tilda Swinton that I first saw at the beloved Sunshine Cinema in the LES (before the theater got demolished).

CE— I could never commit to favorites, a definite answer would be too revealing.

Where was your last great meal in NYC?

PW— ‘Mission Chinese’ NYC — still hugs my heart.

CE— A bubby on the street from Asha’s Parlor, spicy and delicious.

Who was your first idol?

PW— E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial — I trained my voice so hard to sound like him saying "E.T. phone home".

CE— Mamma Trude!

What is the most interesting thing in your trash can?

PW— The many used chewing gums of my 2.5 year old daughter who recently became a fanatic chewer.

What are your favorite features of the human body?

PW— Hands (that create) and eyes (that go deep).

CE— Again, no favorites, but there is something special about shoulders.

Culture

Meet Keith Chilvers

October 29, 2024

When was the last time you had your face painted? Maybe it was at a childhood birthday party or a local fair, where your chosen mask sparked a day of pretend play. Revisiting this childhood ritual, artists Angel Velluto and Janina Zais took us across London to meet eight seniors whose stories revealed resilience and strength. Each participant was asked to fill out a Proustian-inspired questionnaire, and their responses were discussed with the team before being translated into unique masks by Zais. During the process, we had the chance to chat with each person to learn more about why the face paint they chose felt like a fitting tribute to their lives.

Keith Chilvers, 77, was born in Wolverhampton and now lives on Wellington Row in East London. He is obsessed with dogs and currently shares Hunter with a dear friend. His home is covered in beautiful wood carvings he makes himself and pictures of his past pets. On his balcony, he grows tomatoes and sweet peppers and in the front communal garden of his apartment block, he is trying to create a meadow of wildflowers for the other residents to enjoy.

Creative Angel Velluto
Producer Angel Velluto
Interview by Angel Velluto
Photography by Rebecca Zephyr Thomas
Face-Paint by Janina Zais
Director/DOP Ruby Harris
Editor Helen Teixeira
Casting by Rebecca Zephyr Thomas and Angel Velluto
Stills-film process and scan by Labyrinth

Where were you born?

Wolverhampton.

Where do you feel most comfortable?

London.

What quality do you think defines you most?

I do what I say I’m going to or die trying.

What do you look for in a companion?

Not talking too much.

What is your biggest weakness?

Refusing to give up.

What is your biggest strength?

Refusing to give up!

What has surprised you most in life?

Lasting this long.

What does your perfect day look like?

Laid back.

What is your favorite color?

Green.

Who are your favorite fictional characters?

Cohen the Barbarian from Discworld.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?

Jerry Garcia.

What is your favorite food?

Christmas food: mince pies, pudding, etc.

What quality do you dislike most in someone?

Pushy people.

What is your earliest memory?

Being in the hospital, aged 3 with appendicitis.

What is your biggest luxury?

Buying guitars.

How do you show someone you love them?

Just by being there for them.

Culture

The New Old Laguna: Casa Loma Beach Hotel

October 29, 2024

After a drive down California’s coastline, the entrance to Casa Loma Beach Hotel from the street side seemed unassuming. But when we walked in, we were met with a beautifully curated space with the ocean as its backdrop. Located on Main Beach, the hotel is steps away from the cliffs and beaches Laguna is famous for. The atmosphere was relaxed but luxurious, laid-back but inviting.

Underneath an impressively large sculpture carved onto the lobby wall, we met John from Marc & Rose, the hospitality group responsible for the hotel’s renovation. While it was initially just meant to be a quick intro, in his excitement and eagerness, he couldn’t help but explain the specific design choices and partners that developed the art-focused environment: overall design by Electric Bowery; artwork by LAND; hand painted signage by Joe Swec; custom radio station curated by Uncanned. Elements that enveloped all the senses, but never overwhelmed.

This careful balance created the aura the hotel sought to encompass: what Laguna might have felt like when it was still a bohemian surf-town, attracting those who appreciated craft and nature, but in an elevated and refined way.

Text by Justine Hwang
Photos Jesper D. Lund

While most of the weekend was left free to enjoy on our own, the highlight of the opening was the immersive theater experience, performed by IAMA Theater Company. Earlier, John had alluded to the premise: a funeral for Cappy, a fictional character meant to represent the old Laguna (pre-reality tv show fame). Not being a big theater person myself, I wasn’t sold. The dress code was that of the hotel color palette: shades that were reminiscent of the surrounding landscape. After the opening act on the pool deck against the sunset over the beach, we were free to explore around the hotel, visiting each scene however we felt. After my first room / scene, I left in tears. I was completely sold.

We watched scenes of a young love blossoming, adult lovers breaking up, past loves healing old wounds. All while learning about the history of the town and interacting with the hotel spaces in an intimate way. Sitting in various rooms and suites, appreciating the hand woven tapestries and soft lighting from the organically shaped lamps. Being warmed by the fireplace on the terrace once the sun had gone down. Continuously moving between the indoors and outdoors, making nature as much of a feature as the interior.

The following morning, breakfast was served on the terrace with stunningly vast views of the ocean. We spotted dolphins following a pair of paddle boarders out on the water. While there is not much that is better than a cloudless sky full of sun and the sound of waves crashing on the shore, Casa Loma works to enhance these simple joys through all its fine details.

Culture

Backstage at Suero: III Points

Originally launching as a legendary Basel party back in late 2021 as a real life extension of Miami boys Nick León and DJ Python's underground dembow takeover, suero officially hit the big stage this past weekend through the tireless efforts of Miami mainstay Caterina Haddad.

The party's big tent approach to a fusion of Latin sounds and bleeding-edge club music manifested with iconoclasts like Arca, Isabella Lovestory and Bad Gyal, but the 13-hour run also included Rick Ross, Yung Lean & Bladee and Python's IDM and downtempo collaboration with Ana Roxanne, Natural Wonder Beauty Concept. Of course, Miami and suero love to party, and this instinct manifested most clearly in Nick León's heady, masterful live A/V collaboration with Ezra Miller and Snow Stripper riotous, 3 AM finale. Where it goes from here is anyone's guess—long live the unpredictable suero sound.