Hello friends, hope you've been well!

It's officially been five months since I moved to Barcelona, and honestly, it feels like things hadn't really slowed down until only this last weekend, and the last month or so was especially jam packed. tl:dr — all of our belongings arrived from their epic boat trip across the world, only taking 4.5 months (lol). Kyle and I unpacked everything within a week, we don’t futz around with boxes for very long, though we then both got colds (no Covid, thankfully), hung up 95% of our art on the walls, and now we finally like we’re living in a real apartment once again. It’s funny to have all these objects from our Los Angeles life now merging into our new Barcelona life. Hope November is treating you well 💙

💭 — I love apartamento magazine, but let’s be real, reading an entire issue is the creative equivalent of getting through an issue of The New Yorker. That said, my attention was piqued when I saw they interviewed Solange, giving us a little tour of her magnificent Hollywood apartment. The overall earth tone color palette is so calming, the Olivier Mourgue chairs are a statement, and you have to check out her bathtub situation, it’s pretty fantastic.

💭 — Teenage Engineering are well-known for their development of timeless looking and feeling electronics. Last week they debuted their newest collection choir, eight wooden dolls embedded with speakers that allow them to sing (through midi sequences) choral classics. They remind me of a modern day nativity scene, each with their own unique look. They aren’t cheap though they sure are pretty!

💭 — Take a minute and look over Yorgo&Co.’s work for Coursier, the leading bikemessenger company in France. The brand is really centered around the beautiful “winged C” mark, as they call it, which has a lovely, timeless feeling to it, a simple and dynamic mark full of movement. And a simple color palette of black, white, and red makes the brand feel professional and efficient, the primary attributes you want from a courier service.

💭 — I chanced upon the work of Kobo Nishioka who transforms wood into the most charming animal sculptures. There’s a simplicity to all the forms he creates and the way the color is applied is extremely thoughtful. Each piece is unique because they’re all handmade, making each one special in it’s own way. I think it’s so impressive that he has such a range of creatures in his menagerie, from fish to birds, even a stegosaurus and a tapir.

💭 — “Oh shit” was my immediate reaction when I saw this astonishing photo by Atiba Jefferson on the cover of Thrasher. First, this trick seems insane, and second, that he was able to get the shot, being on the rails like that, is remarkable. This is a once in a lifetime shot that he should be extraordinarily proud of.

💭 — There’s something so appealing about a neatly stocked and curated shop. When done well, it feels like you’ve stepped into a wondrous world of items. Best Wishes, a store based out of Wellington, New Zealand, gives me that exact feeling. They carry meticulously made Japanese goods, fine ceramics, warm blankets, sublime bags, and so much more. I can only hope they open a Barcelona outpost ASAP.

💭 — For the past few months I’ve been gushing about Gizem Vural. Originally from Istanbul, she’s now doing her thing in New York, creating these adventurous pieces for clients such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Apple, The Guardian and many more. In my head, her work strikes me as a modern day Kandinsky, with an approach and gestures that feel musical in nature. I’m truly obsessed and I want a piece of hers desperately.

💭 — If you’ve been a reader for a while you know I will one day open my own coffee shop. In the meantime I’m always on the lookout for interesting coffee shop concepts, and I found a coffee cart designed by Norman Kelley and Spencer McNeil. Simply known as “Cart,” the structure is a contemporary take on a yatai cart, a mobile food stall dating back to 17th-century Japan. It’s crowned by a continuous LED ribbon which acts as a dynamic banner to display stills, text or moving image for passers-by. 

The Trend Report™ by my partner, Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick, is a sharp and insightful look at all the things going on in the world, arriving every Sunday to your inbox. Highly recommended, obviously.