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During Salone del Mobile, Nude presented its new collections in The Garden of Shadows, a conceptual installation by Sarah Izod inspired by the hidden gardens of Milan. Situated in the Paşabahçe store, the installation showcased the new glass collections designed in collaboration with international talent Defne Koz, Sebastian Herkner and Space Copenhagen. The verdant courtyards of Milan are little-known, traditionally ensconced behind austere facades throughout the city. The Garden of Shadows embellishes on this theme to reveal an intriguing glimpse into an enchanted, colourful scene through the store’s window. Once inside the store, the eye of the viewer is drawn into an enchanted garden filled with individual glass vessels and abundant with springtime blossoms that are set in a series of still life compositions. Using light and shade, the glass vessels create a kinetic wall mural by casting curious and compelling shadows. Structural flowers and foliage bring the glass to life with a muted, organic colour palette synonymous with Nude’s ethereal style. The juxtaposition of light and shadow elevates the beauty of each piece, revealing a new layer of detail and texture. A dynamic soundscape has been created to fully immerse the viewer in The Garden of Shadows. Sarah Izod, designer for The Garden of Shadows: “The beauty of this creation lies in its simplicity, employing the versatility of glass to propel beautiful, striking shadows that highlight the elegance and delicacy of each piece, encapsulated by the compelling concept of Milan’s hidden gardens.” Space Copenhagen: “This is our first collection with Nude and we were impressed the very deep dedication to the craft of glass-making they have. Called Silhouette, the pieces reflect the name in many forms; they are glass, transparent and reflective. The name derives from a constant passion of ours to have a consistency of things to have a sculptural, aesthetic appeal.” Defne Koz: “I think glass is such a luxury item and so special to work with. In my latest collection, Opti I looked at the textures and reflections within the transparency and how this works together to add more fluidity to the glass. It has been derived from the desire of creating an optical effect on the glass and therefore I use these textures slightly inclined so from the other side of the vase you see them crossing.“ Sebastian Herkner: “This is my second collection with Nude and it's so fascinating to work with craftsmen who have such a depth of knowledge about their material and this is shown in the new pieces, stretching the possibilities of working with glass. Ecrin focuses on creating a beautiful container to store objects. For me it's always important to design something that becomes a companion for life. I find glass is a very emotional material and this is reflected in this collection we have created.”

On the 31st of October 2013 the world of shapes and design blended with the inspiration of strategic and creative ideas. What you are about to read is a tribute to Wally Olins (1930-2014) and the most meaningful outcomes of the conversation he held with Ron Arad. Ron Arad, architect and industrial designer by training, has gone far beyond this formal discipline. He has become a creator in its truest sense. As an Israeli based in London ever since he went there to study at the AA – Architectural Association (1974-79), Ron Arad has worked for prominent clients such as Moroso, Vitra or Alessi. His creations have been exhibited at the Pompidou in Paris or the MoMa in New York City. His first creations were especially influenced by Dadaism, as can be seen with his masterwork, the Rover Chair. It is a design very close to a “ready made” art object, thus reflecting the inherent critique of the Dadaists to the tendencies in the art world. Even nowadays, Ron Arad stays true to his irreverent spirit that nourishes his creativity. After over 30 years working on a large variety of projects, Ron Arad is still true to his original spirit: designing is all about creating something that did not existed before. He is an innovator of shape and function, constantly re-thinking our reality and reinterpreting the objects that shape our lives. He is a firm believer that design is not about embellishment or style, but about the purity in the shape of an object. It’s about creating something new every time, uncovering an object’s essence. On the other side of the coffee table you see the ultimate brand guru, Wally Olins, who passed away in April 2014, about six months after this interview. Just like Ron Arad broke the boundaries of architecture to immerse himself into something bigger, as is the idea of freel shaping objects and spaces, Wally Olins was a pioneer in his sphere. He turned the world of Marketing and Advertising upside down by creating something deeper, more meaningful and lasting: Branding. He was another non-conformist driven by the curiosity in finding the essence that makes businesses, organizations and places unique. Like this, and with his powerful sense of educated intuition he has helped shape businesses, and even nations, transforming them to be more engaging, honest to themselves and relevant. "I am very very interested in new technologies, but I never forget the artisans."  Wally Olins Wally used to say about himself that he did “all sorts of things”. But it’s certain that clarity defined him just as much as courage:”: “I try to be direct and clear. […] It’s nice to be nice, but it’s also nice to be straight.” Perhaps his secret to getting to the heart of everything? On this special October day, these two creative minds meet in Ron Arad’s studio in London. Their conversation needs no thought starter. As they are taking their seats they are already spontaneously starting to chat. Wally Olins: So, Ron, what’s your view on design… Ron Arad: To design is to impose your will on the material to make it perform a function, generally. Of course, this means using different processes depending on the case. Related to Nude and glass, it involves blowing into a mould and turning a bit. In other cases, like metal, it involves me physically, using a hammer. But for a long time I have let other people do this. My fingers used to be dirty but they are not anymore. I moved the physical work elsewhere because I feared becoming a craftsman. I am not. WO: Really? Why is that? RA: Because I am not a craftsman. A lot of things were done by genius craftsmen, before computers, just from drawing sections, using knives and other tools… WO: So, do you think an artist needs to actually build and construct his / her own creations?  RA: Many artists really just give instructions. Think of Chamberlain, he just ended up sitting in his wheelchair and saying this way or that way. Is that constructing your own work? People do whatever they really want. A friend of mine goes to the pottery every day, and that’s what she does. She wants to feel it; she is a potter. That’s crafting. I am not a craftsman. I am not a glassblower. I am not as good as people that made genius things. They know what they are doing, they are conscientious and they are amazing craftspeople. I don’t have the temperament for that. I used to make stuff here, in metal; I bought metal tools, to manipulate metal and I had people who were getting good at it, but I wanted to do other things. When I worked with metal it was exactly what I wanted to do then. But I am not a hand worker. I am not even good at computed modelling. What I do is drawing. WO: Are you saying then that the material, in a sense - glass or metal or whatever it is -, although it matters, because you don’t physically model it, it doesn’t matter that much, right? RA: It’s comparable with my situation towards metal. It’s about whether I do a piece of metal myself or people who are, vocationally, much better than me with the material, actually do it. It takes a skill. Let me draw a comparison to very skilled people. A few weeks ago I went to Cognac and I watched a young guy making a barrel and I was full of admiration for that. That is something I could never do. He doesn’t waste a single movement; he knows what he is doing. He makes 14 barrels a day. It’s an astonishing daily accomplishment. Now, let’s think about the material that Nude’s objects are made of, glass. The company was kind enough to take me to their two factories. One where they do everything physically, personally, blowing by mouth. There were 400 people wearing a uniform, it was crazy! They don’t talk and they’re not all doing the same thing. Each one does his own different thing. So sometimes it happens that our design turns out to be very difficult to make. If they see a struggle I say: Look, there is nothing sacred with what we designed, we can change it.  Wally interjects: So do you mean you can modify it so it can be made more easily? RA: Yes. We started with ignorance and designed a few things that, when they make it, there is almost no point in doing it because it doesn’t come out as beautiful. So when we observed that a few things didn’t work we said: Ok, let’s modify it. WO: Ron, I have a feeling that, in your art, you love to challenge the limits of possibilities? RA: I don’t know about challenge, sometimes I also ignore. I am not a big fan of conventions but I don’t think anything is sacred: “Oh the master did this”… But look, rather than struggle, you should look at it like: Look this is one idea that came on a Wednesday, maybe Thursday will bring a different idea. We should not be slaves of ideas. Ideas should serve us; we shouldn’t serve the ideas. WO: The idea of you being involved in the creation of a very high quality, high design, luxury class product, Nude, how did that emerge? RA: When in Istanbul, what you buy are tea glasses and then, when you are asked how you would like to design for a glass company, what you do is look around and think: how can I make a contribution to this? WO: Is that what you thought, really? That’s very interesting, because you get projects from different people and there are times when you know what to do, but there could be others where your thoughts might be something like: what shall I possibly do with this now? RA: For sure. But here, I didn’t doubt for one second that we could do something. You look at it and you the plate? Why? Different glasses, they are for all the connoisseurs, they know. But not for me. For me, wine is either good or bad, but all those subtleties are not really my thing. When I buy wine it’s about the price or the graphics. And sometimes it’s the nations that I quite like. WO: For me, anything over 12 pounds sterling I get suspicious… (joking) RA: Rather than having glasses ready for any eventuality, create one that serves any eventuality. Red? Or, no, no, White! WO: So then, some clever dude says: I have had white, now I want red! What do you do? Different glass? RA: Well, the name of the series is “Red or White”. But you can turn it around and you have a red ring on the tablecloth. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?   WO: You didn’t walk around asking people: Would you like this? I hope you didn’t… RA: No… Well, I have some friends that are professionals that have restaurants. WO: But you didn’t do focus groups and so on. RA: Market research? No, I don’t do that. WO: Fine, then we are on the same page. I am extremely glad to hear that and I am not in the least surprised. RA: It’s like when I did that perfume bottle once. I did so many interviews about the perfume and I know nothing about perfumes. I don’t know more about wine, now. Same with cognac, I had a lecture about the Cognac and I tried to get them to discuss that the tastes are different and so on… But what about the effect? What about the kind of high you get? Does that enter the conversation? They didn’t even hear my question. WO: Yes, I see. It’s not about all that, for them. It’s very sensible from Nude’s side. If you are doing this very new project and you ask people what they want they are going to be very conservative and look at each other and be very dubious about everything. I think to do something like this you need to intuitively believe in it. RA: Not only that. This is one connection, but there are other issues. We did some stacking glasses. When you think about it, it’s ridiculous that for thousands of years people do glasses that stack on the rim. They get caught and damaged and you can’t open them up. There is absolutely no reason for it. And then you immediately think… why didn’t anyone think of it before? I have been to so many dinners with redundant glasses. I couldn’t understand why, for so many years, people couldn’t do glasses that are allowed to be adjusted. So we did “The A-frame”. If the A goes down they get closer to each other, if the A goes up, they go further apart. People always ask: Form or function? They are not at war with each other; they work together. Like this glasses collection we just created… how do they look? WO: What are you trying to sell me some spectacles? (Joke) Oh this is nice, (Ron brings him glasses) these are clever, because mine always get loose. RA: Also, I am very good at designing things you can sit on! WO: You are talking like an All Star Bauhaus Designer. Form follows function. RA: Oh no, no. Don’t say that! WO: You are just talking like one. I know what you said; you just sound like that. It’s quite funny. RA: I don’t subscribe to any slogan. WO: I understand that. RA: Ornament is crime. WO: Going back to our conversation about glass: did you do a bit of design for glass before? RA: Yes, but never a collection. WO: So now you were seduced to go deeper into designing for glass? RA: Exactly WO: So, what was the motivation for hiring you for this project? Going into something that is less conventional? I´m asking because when I think about my career and experiences I see that there have been very few companies that were able to move upmarket. In the glass market, what you would expect a company wanting to move upmarket to do is imitating the Frenchmakers. So it’s very respectable that Nude is not doing that at all. It’s an admirable move. Even more, that you didn’t find any resistance. Ron, have you been associated much with new luxury brands before? RA: They asked me once to do a special edition perfume bottle. They came to me with a presentation and a mood board and so on. They wanted me to really know the perfume I would design for. I should listen to all of it and design for that; but I ignored it later. I wanted to do the first perfume bottle that is designed for the iPhone generation. WO: Not sure if I like it… Hmm, don’t you need to have a big hand? RA: No, not really. WO: So what kind of stuff are you doing right now mostly? RA: We are doing a lot of Architecture.  

Life is finite. It comes to an end. That’s why it’s important to live it to the full, to treasure every day. A Memento Mori is an object we keep to remind us of this inevitability. It is neither morose nor malevolent, but a simple fact of life. Nude has collaborated with two cutting edge designers to create an exquisite range of Memento Mori in lead free crystal glass. We like to think of them as philosophical ornaments. They give us cause to reflect; to remind ourselves of life’s undying importance. Ali Bakova is a leading light in modern Turkish design. His work is playful yet functional, mixing the classic with the contemporary. Bakova’s extraordinary collection of skulls are both tactile and dramatic. They have a quiet presence that is both compelling and eloquent. Both transparent and opaque, and in a wide range of hues, Bakova’s skulls offer a variety of moods and personalities to reflect the individuality of the owner. The main set of skulls come in jet black, opaque white, crystal clear and sea green. A limited edition have also been fashioned in silver and gold.Each skull is three quarter length and has a flat base. This softens the affect, making the item more contemplative than alarming. A smaller set of skulls - half the size - come in jet black, crystal, and sea green.A still newer range - slightly softer in design - has also been launched in charcoal black, crystal gold and crystal bronze. The very latest item is a crystal clear skull that can be used as a tea-light holder - a playful comment on the concept of inspiration. Taken together, Ali Bakova’s work makes for an arresting and dynamic collection.   Erdem Akan is another renowned exponent of design. He enjoys combining East and West, old with new, reflecting both his upbringing in Istanbul and his education in Britain. Akan has chosen to lay his Memento Mori skull on its side, as if sleeping. The hollowed-out skull acts as a bowl. What you put in it allows you to make your own comment about both life and death. It’s a very original approach, exemplifying the designer’s mordant wit and attitude. Akan’s skulls come in two different sizes and a variety of finishes: smokey green, jet black, and opaque white. There is a subtly gentler mood to his collection, but with the same metaphysical component.   The work of Ali Bakova and Erdem Akan - particularly in relation to these extraordinary pieces created for Nude - once more reaffirm our credo - Simple is Beautiful. But with the Memento Mori collection, this time it is stated in a playfully significant way.

Were you involved in the ideas or designs behind the Iris collection, both new and personalized items inspired by you? If so, how? I am working on the doll with the designer [Harry Allen] directly. For the others, they sent me sketches and I made corrections. Were the dolls your idea? Their idea. For the other Iris pieces, what kinds of things do you suggest for the sketches? I had suggestions about color, that kind of thing. I put my personal touch on it. What role does you feel fashion plays in interiors and design? First you have to define fashion. Fabric, color, use in design objects (like Versace, Armani make furniture and design objects). Another way to put it: Does design follow fashion trends? Yes. Everything follows everything. Because everything grows out of the same experience. How has your awareness and love of fashion affected your sense of design, i.e. your interiors and fabrics? Everything affects everything else. Nothing exists in a vacuum. One thing suggests another. Do you love design more than fashion? No, they are all the same. It’s just another expression. It’s all the same root, the same aesthetic. How does Nude use fashion in design? Are they taking in different fashion materials, trends, colors? "Simplicity is a state of mind. And I think Simple is Beautiful." You’re a woman who truly created her own unique fashion and interiors style. What advice would you give to a young woman (or man) who is trying to achieve the same thing? I think she has to learn who she is, what her aesthetic is, how she feels about things. Not jump from trend to trend and copy what is around. And be true to herself. Most people today just follow each other, like copy cats. They don’t have any core beliefs. Have you noticed over the years things have sped up, and people keep wanting the new, the different. If you create your own style, and you know what is true to you, sometimes you won’t be as embraced by a public or market that just wants constant novelty. Well, it depends what you’re looking for. If you are looking for instant [fame]…I think if you are a really good designer or artist, you are true to what you think and know it is going to take people time. Most people don’t go for things right away. It takes time. [Especially] if they don’t know and they are worried, and they have to be sure that their friends are going to like them and be publicly accepted. You are a global design brand who has not compromised her authenticity. Nude would like to be a global design brand. What advice would you give the brand about achieving that level of worldwide fame but remain true to yourself? - Let them figure it out for themselves! I can’t tell them what to do You are known as more is more, while Nude is known as less is more. Tell me about your personal style and why you enjoy it. With Nude, less is more makes sense because it is an object. I like simple objects, but I like to use a lot of them. Tell me a bit about how you came to work with Nude. They called me up—well they called my lawyer up – and he recounted it to me. It sounded interesting. I have never done glassware before and I liked their product. What about the Nude brand appeals to you? I liked the quality and the design. They do many different kinds of design, and the pieces have a contemporary and clean feeling. "I liked the quality and the design." How does Nude’s refined style fit into your world? I like anything beautiful. And it mixes with everything. That’s what I like. What is the link between your philosophy and Nude brand’s philosophy, that simple is beautiful? “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m hardly a minimalist. Just because I like to layer just a couple of chains,This is my simplicity.Simplicity is a state of mind.And I think simple is beautiful.” What are three of your favorite Nude pieces. Why? The doll we’re making – and the rest I’ll have to point out to you. There is a vase with the eyeglasses that I like, and the colorful candle holders. However, I like them all as I have worked on them together with the Nude creative team. What were your impressions of the Nude photo shoot and how did it feel? (Was it different than a fashion shoot, b/c it was an object instead of fashion?) It was the same principle. It was the same aesthetic. No different. Even from a business perspective? Everybody is looking for someone to tell them what to do. Use your own ingenuity and do your own thing. What works for me may not work for you. I’d love to know about a few of your own personal inspirations, be they people, places, or things. Those kinds of questions make me crazy. I don’t know what inspires me. All of a sudden, I get an idea. Everything inspires me. You inspire me. This place inspires me. And all of a sudden, everything comes together. I don’t figure out what inspires me, I just do it. I don’t know why. You worked at the restoration of interiors at the White House for nine presidents. Tell me about that, including why the project appealed to you, as it’s so different than your own style. What we did, in the White House…it doesn’t matter what you think, what your tastes are, what the president thinks, it has to be as close as humanly possible to the way it was. It can be the ugliest thing in the world, but it has to be the same. So, it doesn’t matter what your sensibility is: You just have to follow the truth. People aren’t doing that much anymore. It’s really bad. What you just described – that strikes me as what. True crafts person does. You put your ego aside and say, “This is the truth.” Exactly. It’s like if you are on the Supreme Court, you don’t change the laws to suit you. You have an incredible visual eye. How would you style a table using Nude stemware and serving items for an everyday at-home dinner? I can’t do that with words. I have to do that with objects. And how would you style it if you were advising a restaurant how to use Nude collections to make a big impression? You have to see it and do it; I can’t describe it. Is there anything else that you’d like to add about Nude, your style, or the collaboration? I’m very happy with the collaboration. The people are very nice to work with and they make beautiful products. And I think the company is very careful of protecting its legacy and keeping everything top-drawer. It doesn’t cut corners. I don’t know everything they make, and I don’t love everything that they make. But there are some beautiful things that are absolutely divine. #IrisApfelNude     #SimpleIsBeautiful

Global Design Brand Nude and Iris Apfel Celebrate the Launch of Their Year Long Campaign at The New Museum: New York On the 18th of October, leading global design brand Nude celebrated the launch of its much-anticipated campaign with style icon Iris Apfel with a cocktail party at The New Museum, New York. The remarkable campaign combines Nude’s ethos of ‘simple is beautiful’ with Iris’ bold and instantly recognisable style. Nude's ‘simplicity’ and Iris' maximalist aesthetic seem to be at odds with each other, but their core philosophy and values are ultimately the same: celebrating the here and now, timelessness, consistency, clarity, confidence, and satisfaction. The Nude x Iris Apfel campaign can be seen in key magazines and on digital platforms, as well as on billboards and trams across the globe's capitals, including New York, London, Milan and Istanbul. The yearlong worldwide partnership will see the unveiling of striking collections that are inspired by Iris’s indomitable style, whilst an entirely brand new collection will be showcased during January's Maison & Objet 2019. Nude teamed up with distinguished designer Harry Allen, who transformed The New Museum's Sky Room, curating a mesmerising and colourful event space, where guests and close friends became immersed in the world of Nude x Iris Apfel. Larger-than-life Iris Apfel inspired balloon installations were displayed in the museum’s Sky Room. These impressive balloon installations were curated by talented designer Robert Moy , founder of Brooklyn Balloon Company, and emulated perfectly Iris’ striking, eclectic and maximalist style. Guests were provided with ample photo opportunities to pose alongside the magnificent balloon sculptures of Iris Apfel, notably alongside her iconic necklaces and glasses. A night of Nude and Iris Apfel saw important guests and close friends celebrate the campaign over an entirely bespoke Campari Iris-inspired cocktail, designed by leading mixologist Pamela Wiznitzer, and served in Nude's stunning, lead-free, crystal glassware from the Alba collection. This splendid evening saw an exclusive first look at the Iris-inspired collection, juxtaposed beautifully next to the Nude x Iris Apfel campaign images. Guests could peruse pieces such as Nude's Iris Apfel paperweight, Ayşe Birsel’s Monobox collection decorated with red dots and Tomas Kral’s Beak collection - re-imagined for the first time in acid bright and bold stripes - whilst sipping their Iris inspired cocktail.