Story

Targeting STORY.

Just in time for the Thanksgiving / Christmas season New York concept store STORY has teamed up with big box retailer Target to create a curated holiday gift shop that features carefully crafted items designed to fit an eclectic group of needs. Brand consultant Rachel Shechtman founder of STORY refreshes the store design and the merchandise inside every 4 to 8 weeks, a fairly aggressive schedule for a store overhaul, and the current theme is “Home for the Holidays”.

To achieve the latest design and product offering Shechtman worked hand-in-hand with the team at Target to create the store look and feel. “Home for the Holidays” features a curated gift guide that is set inside an environment designed to feel like a home. The current theme will be up and running until January 4th 2015.

Working with the direction of interior designer Jason Bell, STORY, has transformed their 2,000-square-foot space into a mountain retreat. Each section of the store is designed to offer products for the gift recipient. There is a fur-lined section for her that even has a bathtub, a rustic patio with gift ideas for him. A modern living room with a fireplace furnished by HearthCabinet Decorative Fireplaces for entire family.

Inspired by an image of Aerin Lauder’s Aspen ski lodge, they drew inspiration for the fit and finishes of the space. Wood, stone, create texture and an open airy feeling within the space. Local artists Nick Bakita and Matthew G. Wells created a mountain range installation of wood to anchor the back wall.

By partnering with Target, STORY was able to leverage Target’s favorite private label offerings from Archer Farms, and Target exclusive items from designers like Nate Berkus. The two hundred products STORY is featuring were hand picked directly from the Target headquarters and offer New York shoppers a something for everyone gift assortment from over 100 brands.

STORY’s curated collection features has a focus on Made in America items this year capitalizing on this hot trend with buyers. The store is showing Faribault Woolen Mills, Merona, TOMS for Target collection, and a variety other items including gourmet food items from Vosges, hand crafted and embroidered items from Coral and Tusk, and beauty items from Birch Box.

“Wall”

With yesterday marking the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, I wanted to post images from illustrator Tom Clohosy Cole‘s book “WALL”. The illustrated book tells the story of a family torn apart when their father was stranded in the West following the division of the city in 1961.

The book is filled with gorgeous illustrations that help tell the tale of the family’s attempts to reach each other and reunite. The visuals add a beautiful human element to this complex political event that spanned decades.

Brazen.

In 2013 a group of artists, animators, scientists, writers, designers, producers, and marketers formed Brazen Animation with one purpose. “In a world saturated with “Throw Away Entertainment” we have only one goal: to tell inspirational stories with meaning and purpose.” To achieve that goal, they work on commercials while they develop their own feature projects. The video below is a fabulous example of the quality of the animated work they produce. It features “Iggy” who represents the Brazen spirit within each of us that is passionate, bold, unique, accountable, autonomous, collaborative, and classy.

“An Undertaking”, A Genuine Relationship With Life, Death and Sawdust.

This is a story about love, craft, and connections. It is a beautifully filmed and edited piece about a grandmother’s request of her grandson. Do yourself a favor and take 8 minutes out of your day and watch this. This is a great little story that is touching and heartfelt. It’s worth watching, not only for the story, but for the beautiful visuals, and the emotional connections that are captured here.

“Michael Yates’ passion for working with wood arose from the wood’s accessibility, its palpable presence and the hope that his efforts would last. But when his grandmother requested that he build her casket, the stability of oak collided with an evocative “conversation” with impermanence, death and the inevitability of absence. In spite of his initial fear and resistance due to our culture’s steadfast avoidance of the D-word, Yates eventually agreed to build the casket and began the real work of constructing a genuine relationship with life, death and sawdust.”