APRIL:
FOOD>001:
Our first London Food Lunch happened.
We broke bread, drank wine, swopped email addresses and made new friends. Next one coming soon – if you fancy attending, drop us a line at [email protected]
MUSIC:
CIVILIZATION Radio Episode #19 on NTS. 9PM EST/6PM PST. Featuring Bjørn Torske, Mouse On Mars, Javelin, Young Nudy, The Skids, YN Jay and NiN..
Produced by Lucas Mascetello.
Archive of new episodes HERE.
Archive of old episodes HERE.
LOGOS:
New brand identity for FINI (formerly Finilar) launched. Was a lovely project, made in deep collaboration with the Fini guys – who were a joy to work with. (And they sold 200 Fini NFT’s the day of the new logo’s launch.)
FASHION:
Interview Magazine’s Spring Issue launched with THE WEEKND on the cover. Poor video / peak inside issue HERE. Meanwhile, some way better scans of the 2023 March issue from Jack HERE.
ZOO:
★★★THE BEST THING ON THIS WEBSITE BY SOME DISTANCE★★★
Echo took a day off and went to the zoo and made a 69 page presentation detailing the trip. CLICK HERE NOW.
SIDE BAR:
In a previous life, two of Food made the FORMULA 1 logo and Identity, so took great joy in seeing the new PacSun Formula 1 “Summer Collection”. See what we chose to buy HERE.
MARCH:
NEW BIZ:
Work just keeps pouring in. This month we’ve onboarded both Chubbies Shorts and Flucky Flarm Pet Supplies. Pumped to share that work as it emerges into the mind meld.
RESPAWN:
Our new report reveals 69% of consumers globally who admit to behaving inconsistently think that paradoxical behaviors are both human and acceptable.
On my phone. Staring into the void. About to make a purchase decision. Make myself feel better.
ACTUAL WORK:
Ongoing projects /consultancy /NDA’d work for: Publisher YEAR ZERO; fashion brand TELFAR; speaker-maker KEF; hot techno band THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS; up-and-coming chair maker IKEA; budget hotel chain AMAN; and a branding project for artist, ED FORNIELES.
STUFF:
Went to see the NY Rangers – was fucking great. As is the Miyoko Ito show at Matthew Marks. Return to Seoul was good. We’ll be the lone voice in the room thinking the Edward Hopper show was blahhhh, but it’s over now so who cares. If you’re around the LES, the Medicinal Turmeric Soup at Ni Deli is really good. Favorite object of the year so far is the Boot Boyz Biz cards. Favorite book right now is this.
EDUCATION:
WE’RE TRYING TO SET UP A SCHOOL. A SCHOOL. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS WORK WEBSITE FORMAT IS YOU CAN’T REALLY SCALE AN IDEA TO THE RIGHT SIZE. BUT A SCHOOL. A SSSCCCHOOOLLLLL. SO IMAGINE THIS MESSAGE ONLY BIGGER AND WITH PICTURES.
FASHION:
INTERVIEW mag’s last issue of the year. Cover with EMMA CORRIN styled by friend of Food, HARRY LAMBERT. Gonna miss these headlines when they go [CLICK HERE], but THEY’RE GOING next year. REBOOT REBOOT.
COLLATERAL:
ECHO made a calendar for 2023. BUY IT. BUY IT.
MEDIA:
RICHARD recorded an episode of GRAPHIC DESIGN SUPPORT GROUP whilst eating a lovely Cocoran noodle dish throughout. The Mera Mera one, you know? Think it’s going out next year (the podcast not the noodles, they’re forever).
MEDIA:
CLOWN TOWN. MAX PAIN. EVERYTHING IS A SCAM. HOT SAUCE. FOOD x NEMESIS
LIT:
We’re going to be designing the highly esteemed HEAVY TRAFFIC magazine, edited by PATRICK MCGRAW. When I say ‘going to be’, we’re doing it right now. Like, now. When I’ve finished doing this fucking thing.
DESIGN:
RUBY and RICHARD finished part one of the MANA branding project. All a bit hush hush but this thing. Launching next year. Probably shouldn’t even be writing about it but no one reads this, right?
PRESS & PR:
More podcasts. Richard spoke to GRAPHIC DESIGN TITAN JOPP VAN BENNEKOM for the DESIGN HEROES series, about magazines, design, life, kerning etc etc. Meandering unedited version here.
OPEN STUDIOS:
Food NY has been doing these since September. These sessions have also been called ‘Work Therapy’. If you want to come and talk, unload. There’s that Buddhist thing that the best therapy for you is listening to others, so it helps us too – really. Email Richard ([email protected])
PRESS & PR:
NICK hosted the 2022 Lovie Awards, celebrating the very best of the European internets. JAAP HAARTSEN won Lifetime Achievement Award for his role in creating Bluetooth and EDWARD ENNIFUL was awarded Lovie Person of the Year. Wish I created Bluetooth, prolly wouldn’t be spending my time writing this thing.
ADVERTISING:
Making a big, weird film for CASH APP. Going to blow stuff up.
MUSIC:
Two concerts defined us this autumn/fall. First was AUTECHRE at The Barbican, those who went are still in recovery, whispering quietly to each other about how it’s OK now, it’s over, it’s really over. Second was PIXIES at Terminal 5. Black Francis not speaking once during the whole show. Barely looking at the crowd. All he came to do was scream at us. Heart emoji.
ART:
Massaged a publication for ROE ETHRIDGE into life. LINDSAY LOHAN in Miami. What a lovely guy he is. You should meet him, he’s REALLY NICE. The Miami thing is good too. Lots of collages. [CLICK HERE]
PRESS & PR:
ECHO‘s new issue of 1814 magazine was featured on It’s nice that. Talking about bubble tea, angels and devils.
ONANISM:
First FOOD Summit/off site/clusterfuck. The snooker was on that week too, but the place we stayed in had decided that TVs were a distraction – you know, that sort of place? I get it, but come on, the snooker. We did invent ‘Cheese Water’ though. More to follow.
UGH:
GOT TO GET BETTER AT UPDATING THIS THING
UGH:
WHOSE IDEA WAS IT TO HAVE A DIARY SECTION
UGH:
AWAKE AT 4AM. STARING AT THE CEILING. THINKING I HAVEN’T UPDATED THE WEBSITE.
MEDIA:
SEMAFOR launched! We worked with Adriana Ramić to provide the first design principles. What emerged from that process was a simple toolkit: A recut version of Commercial Type’s Feature typeface, the post-it yellow background color (essential for standing out in Twitter screengrabs) and a stripped-back, newswire approach that the site and newsletter service was built out with. Some early designs and sketches.
FASHION:
Fall Issue of Interview magazine dropped with Nicki Minaj on the cover. Notable this issue is some beautiful headlines created by design hero, Kurt Woerpel. Here’s Echo taking you through the magazine.
FASHION:
Our October campaign for Mulberry launched. Styled by Harry Lambert, shot by Tom and Sam Johnson. Look here, here, here, here, herereere, hereerereeee etc etc the end. Best comment so far: “God will continue to grow this page, I will say to the world to celebrate with my great testimony with me, I never believe that I can ever get my ex-husband back one day”. Indeed.
PRESS & PR:
“He had an ability to carbonate your head and your heart” Iain writes on the passing of Dan Wieden for Campaign. “I’d often walk away with my brain “feeling fizzy”, often with no idea why.. It was a live improvisation. It was jazz with words and ideas”. Sleep well, Dan.
FASHUN:
Finushed ve new issoo of Intervooo Magascene. Hypey headlines styles inside vis issooo. Look out for vem. Cannut wait to shur.
FASHION:
Finishing up new Mulberry campaign shot by Tom Johnson, filmed by Sam Johnson and styled by Harry Lambert, with Food creative direction. Launching world-wide on October 3.
HAY. MAN.
PRESS & PR:
Richard was profiled by Asher Penn in issue 13 of Sex magazine. Print only so unless you pony up $15, you’ll just have to imagine how deep and insightful his comments are – on subjects as varied as yogurt pots, grooming cults and Nike mood board trash.
OPEN STUDIO:
Big September highlight for the NY office has been the beginning of our desk crits. So far we’ve had a bunch of designers (and a strategist) through. Open to anyone, of any creative persuasion. Mail Richard to book in or to find out more. [email protected]
PRAY FOR US:
KIM KARDASHIAN’S ASS (AGAIN) on Interview Magazine’s September issue.
Richard’s contribution was to call it the AMERICAN DREAM issue, then use PRAY FOR US as the headline. A few people took the bait.
R&D:
IMPOSSIBLE YOGIC FORMS (using Stable Diffusion). A text-to-image study of flexibility of letterforms and contorted human forms.
Available soon as first edition of new FOOD FORMS printed matter series.
OPEN STUDIO:
First open studio drop-in session to be held in our NY office. Aimed at recent grads to come in come and off-load.
Advice, sharing work, bonding, English tea offered. Email [email protected] for details.
CLICK TO
ENLARGE:
Forty-five Ed Sheerans.
Next week: Jason Statham holding an oversized hotdog.
THE RULES:
MERCE CUNNINGHAM’s RULES.
#9: Be happy whenever you can manage it. Enjoy yourself. It’s lighter than you think.
OUR RULES:
‘SHOULD WE DO THIS PROJECT’ flow chart. Prepared by Steve (also his shoes).
PRESS & PR:
“Because like, networks and decentralised accelerated futures, and new wave profit-based cultural belief systems and like, the end of aesthetics, subcultures, lifestyle brands. Because we’re opportunistic reworlders. Cashed out rewilders. Tugging on the fumes of past successes. Lost in the sauce.”
DESIGN:
Using AI as copilot for the naming and brand identity of new soft drink, FIZUY LUB.
FASHION:
Shooting MULBERRY fall campaign. With HARRY LAMBERT, TOM JOHNSON and a ghillie suit.
COMING SOON
FINANCE:
Creating a new brand for MANA – an AI-driven VC fund in collaboration with NEMESIS and RUBY BARRETT
MUSIC:
Joint venture to reimagine volunteering within ‘new realities’ for RockCorps.
COMING SOON
R&D:
MEET MATTHEW.
R&D:
Field trip to BIRMINGHAM (U.K.) – the Brooklyn of the industrial middle. Minds blown. Like Greenpoint except less Telfar bags (though more spent whippets).
PUBLISHING:
Richard is guest editing It’s Nice That for a couple of weeks at the end of the month.
Including interviews with design studio Tomato (D’Arblay Street era). Plus Wretched Worm, Paul Barnes, Emily Segal, Silva Cunningham and a bunch of anonymous insider interviews about what it’s really like inside agencies.
LAUNCHING AUG 15
O.O.O.:
Typing this from the beach. It’s nice here, you should try and come.
GOD’S WORK:
Hosted ‘Inclusivity In The Outdoors’ event with our friends at the ANTHEM AWARDS / FLOCK TOGETHER / NATIONAL PARKS at our studio in London.
NEW BUSINESS:
Had a few calls with a start-up. Got excited for a moment. Then ran a mile.
PUBLISHING:
ECHO flew back to China to launch the new issue of her 1413 MAGAZINE (with accompanying OBJECTS) at the Beijing Book Fair.
MUSIC:
CIVILIZATION Radio Episode #10 on NTS. 9PM EST/6PM PST. Featuring Glaxo babies, Grauzone, Pinty, Oil XL, Free Kitten, Television and more..
Produced by Lucas Mascetello.
ARCHIVE OF OLD EPISODES HERE
SELF CARE:
Got a haircut. It’s ok. Nice head massage too. Got sold some shampoo too. Look basically not much happened this month, we’re NOT HERE.
FASHION:
Launch of MULBERRY’s SOFTIE ZINE for opening of new Mulberry store in NYC. Peep at ZINE. FILM OF ZINE, FILM, BEAR HEAD, SOCIAL BITS
——-
Zine edited by Dean Kissick and featuring words by Claire Banse, Cristine Brache, Seashell Coker, Devan Díaz, Annie Hamilton, Olivia Kan-Sperling, Honor Levy, Meetka Otto, Precious Okoyomon and Bunny Rogers
——-
Photography by Luisa Opalesky
Music by Porches
MUSIC:
AI Generated Music Video with CALIBRE and CHELOU (With photos by Felix)
VIDEO HERE
GOD’S WORK:
WASD FOR NOOBS – training executives in ‘Metaversal navigation’. And how to avoid embarrassing virtual boardroom faux-pas.
PRESS & PR:
Richard speaking at BIRMINGHAM DESIGN FESTIVAL on subject of FREEDOM. Email [email protected] if you want to see the slides.
SHHHHHH:
A multi-platform virtual production of a much loved Children’s story.
MORE SOON.
FASHION:
OUTDOOR CAMPAIGN for MULBERRY in NYC. Applying commissioned poetry over wheat paste posters (Mulberry’s and otherwise) to celebrate opening of new store on Wooster Street.
MEDIA:
Fire-drill creative direction of holding website for SEMAFOR to time with PR event. (Including video made for $8k with Getty Images in a day).
FASHION:
Shooting the MULBERRY Wooster Street Store opening campaign with Luisa Opalesky featuring Ella Emhof on a rooftop in Brooklyn in a bounce house (US)/ bouncy castle (UK) depending on where you chose to call home.
ART:
Working with SUPERBLUE / JR / NIANTIC / NEXUS / LFL to reimagine experiential art for the Metaverse age.
—–
Strategic and creative direction with Art Practice, Lucas Mascetello.
LAUNCH FILM. BETA APP.
PRESS & PR:
Interview in Dazed with Richard about use of AI tools in new issue of CIVILIZATION.
—–
“The internet is most like a very big toilet. It‘s a big corporate office full of cubicles, where people are forced to eat at the same time every day, and everyone gets sick of each other.
There are no windows.
Everyone is trying their hardest to get something out their ass while they‘re back there. A big shit blockage that keeps everyone stuck, a big pool of shit around the cubicles”
MEDIA:
Beginning of SEMAFOR consultancy. Ben Smith and Justin Smith’s new media start-up. Working with ADRIANA RAMIC on the initial design of site and concepts for story forms.
CIVILIZATION:
Single edition posters of tiny pieces from the new paper blown up to poster-size.
WHO DO YOU TRUST, COME FOR ME, BIRD CHESTED MEN, SLUSHIES ARE WHAT YOU MAKE THEM.
RUN A MILE:
Quickest ever escape button hit on new client “zine project”. Still shaking from it.
RADIO SHOW:
CIVILIZATION Radio Episode #9 NOW ON NTS. 9PM EST/6PM PST. Produced by Lucas Mascetello.
ARCHIVE HERE
PRESS & PR:
Richard and Mel Ottenberg spoke about INTERVIEW MAGAZINE at the MAGCULTURE Live NYC festival. Paywalled review of event HERE (for those who like, subscribe).
PRAISE BE:
Sprawling zoom call with Graham Wood – one of the founders of TOMATO. Us in NYC. Him in Whitstable. Putting this in here because it will never be forgotten.
FASHION:
MULBERRY.
MULBERRY.
MULBERRY.
FINANCE:
ANNA.
ANNA.
ANNA.
(See that cat? We did that with ROBBIE GRAHAM. I mean, we did more besides. You know, like GIFs and ads and stuff. And lots of decks.)
PRESS & PR:
Zoom call with Jop Van Bennekom of FANTASTIC MAN / GENTLEWOMAN / BUTT for the National Magazine Archive’s Creative Hero series (after a similar chat earlier in the year with Luke Hayman.)
PUBLISHING:
NEW ISSUE OF CIVILIZATION
Issue #6: THE BLACK DOG.
Featuring: The Hate List, Crybabies, Boy Diaries, Girl Texts, Break-up DMs, Butt2butt, Battle Plans, Asthma, Eczema, Fentanyl Strips, Tiny Egg Treats, God’s Blood, Your Inner Thigh, Doctor Dad, $7 Yeezys, Panopticon, Paul Dirac, Karl Marx’s Volvo, Bottling It Up, Yuzu, Hot Famous Guys, Poolside, Fatigue, Fear, Poverty, Weapons & War.
$12. EDITION OF 1000.
MORE EXPLANATION HERE.
SELF CARE:
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FINANCE:
As part of a consultancy project, connected CLIM8 to HANNAH FRY, where she’ll be an ambassador / voice of the brand.
PRAISE BE:
Caught up with AARON KOBLIN and got nostalgic over a ton of things, mostly thinkering – thinking and tinkering. (You had to have been there).
RUN A MILE:
Turn down another web3 project for entirely missing the point.
ART:
Nice moment sharing some work we did for JR with his studio. Humbling after what they’ve just unveiled in Ukraine.
GRIND:
Making this website. YOU’RE LOOKING IT NOW
MENS HEALTH:
Spent a couple of weeks going in the wrong direction with a character design idea for NUMAN. It happens.