JCKstyle - March 10, 2006
At the Parson's Table is the New School for Design's version of Inside the Actors Studio. Paul Goldberger, dean, plays an alter personality to the serious James Lipton, jovially quizzing famous guests—like last night's architect and product designer, Michael Graves—on subjects of interest. Those in the hot seat, like quick-witted Graves, recount rarely heard anecdotes—such as when a grumpy Frenchman confided that his whistling bird kettle made him grin—and share career highs with an audience hungry for insider information.
Last night, Graves revealed stories including how his iconic kettle, with bird perched on spout, came at the request of Italian firm and long-standing partner, Alessi—who priced the premier model much higher than Graves wanted "to make the kettle seem like art," he explains.
Graves's mark is most indelible in the shelter category. He's dabbled around, but is wary of designers who overdiversify: "I feel that guys like Isaac Mizrahi shouldn't mess in my sandbox, so I shouldn't mess in theirs either."
With regard to Target, Graves met the retailer on a job site in Washington, D.C. Impressed by his work, the vice president of hard goods asked Graves to put a Post-it note on every product he could improve; Graves inquired about the VP's Post-it inventory.
Then what originated as a plan to sketch just six items, including a spatula and a toaster, mushroomed into a vast inventory of cleverly designed merchandise. His best seller for Target: a toilet-bowl brush. "Who knew it would land on the cover of Time?" says Graves.
Weekly Gem
Indian couture fashion designer Ritu Beri released her first book, Firefly: A Fairytale, about her "dreams to conquer the global fashion world." Beri tells the press that the book "is about all that inspires me and makes me creative"; she also calls it "aspirational." The latter could be because she told the Indian press that financial problems forced her to price the first 100 copies at $2,200 each.
