Monthly Website Review - March 2005

http://www.design4design.com

The Interior Design and Architecture Resource Centre

Want to see what’s new in architecture and interior design in Great Britain, Europe, and indeed, the rest of the world? The website to go to is www.design4design.com, the online voice of the British-based publishing company ETP Limited, publishers of such trade titles as Blueprint and FX. Some current features on the site detail how lighting is improving the passenger experience on Boeing Airliners. Another feature details Los Angeles Architecture and design.

To highlight a few of its features, there are

  • Articles and features from other trade publications
  • Student showcases: work includes architecture, interior design, metal work
  • Job board listings covering the UK and Europe
  • Book and magazine listings - with subscription service
  • Product listings – a small selection from Europe and the UK
  • College, university and class listings for the UK

Design4design.com is well-designed, in that it is pleasant to look at, and there is a wealth of information here. The information is mainly focused on the UK and Europe, its fun to see the large choice of design schools, and the student work that is produced. Virtually every aspect of interior design and architecture are covered within this website. Design4Design is well worth a look.

Reviewed by R & RC Staff Member - Elizabeth Lady - S.F.

 

 

Monthly Magazine Review - March 2005

Suede

Publication: Suede
Publisher: Essence Communications Partners
1500 Broadway
Suite 600
New York, NY 10036
212.642.0600
212.997.2560 fax
Website: http://www.suedemag.com
ISSN: 1551-1707
Published: Monthly except February with a combined issues June/July and December/January
Subscription Rate: $19.97 per year/$24.97 Canada

Suede, a new fashion magazine targeting women of color, has exploded onto the scene with a high-energy bang. Powered by psychedelic graphics, frenetic bulletin-board style layouts, and bling-bling from front to back, SuedeMagazine takes “urban” to a whole new level.

What kind of style can be found in Suede? Big luxury looks like Manolo Blahniks, Gucci handbags and the latest in Louis Vuitton’s ultra-luxe jewelry line get their due, as do up and coming designers. You won’t find the typical splurge/steal fashion layout or a complete outfit for a hundred dollars. Suede believes in fashion with a capitol F. The writers also takes special care to address products that are unique to multi-racial women, and has make-up and hair care sections designed to address a range of issues.

But the Suede woman isn’t just a pretty face; she needs to feed her intellectual side as well. Articles offer up profiles of inspiring multi-racial women, and essays on social and political events. Stop by the Library for a look at this sensational acquisition; you won’t be disappointed.

Reviewed by R & RC Staff Member - Sophie Lalazarian - O.C.

 

 

Monthly Book Review - March 2005

Glamour: Fashion + Industrial Design+ Architecture

Author: Phil Patton, Virginia Postrel, Valerie Steel
Publisher: Yale University Press in association with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
151 Third Street
San Francisco, CA 94013
415.357.4000
415.357.4037 fax
http://www.sfmoma.org
ISBN: 0-300-10640-8
Copyright: 2004
Pages: 185
Price: $33.22

“Today…glamour embraces elegance as well as aspiration, upward mobility, the flexibility of class boundaries, and the state of being self-made, both monetarily and culturally.”

-- Glamour: Fashion+Industrial Design+Architecture

Glamour attracts consumers to everything from fashion trends to feature films. A new book, published to coincide with an exhibit of the same name at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, takes a look at the concept of glamour and how it relates to fashion, industrial design and architecture. The photos are amazing, and the accompanying essays, written by a variety of authors each with different perspectives, give good examples describing the history of glamour in design.

The fashion section was edited by Valerie Steele, who also wrote familiar fashion books such as Fifty Years of Fashion: New Look to Now, Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, Fan and Shoes. The book contains:

  • Exquisite color photos of fashions from designers ranging from Adrian to Madame Grès to Emilio Pucci to Gianni Versace, some showing garment details;
  • Descriptions of major design innovations with images provided;
  • Photos of innovative furniture, light fixtures and interior design elements;
  • Complete photography credits and extensive suggestions for further reading.

Glamour: Fashion+Industrial Design+Architecture is a work of art in itself. The book is a fine example of design aesthetic and could be used as an example of typeface, layout and presentation, in addition to general research on the designers included in the text. Check it out in the Los Angeles R& RC.

Reviewed by R & RC Staff Member - Jennifer Ruden