The Fab Blog

As an editor at Fab, I see a lot of fun, quirky, innovative, and exciting designs. Actually, I see a lot of designs, period—over the course of an average week, I’ll read copy that describes at least 900 different items. But it’s not every day that one of those items was designed by a member of my family.

I was editing the copy for the Auroras Dagger sale in tonight’s Vintage shop when a phrase jumped out at me: Nathan George Horwitt Clock. Excitedly, I opened the images folder and scrolled through lamps, tableware, cameras, and hat boxes, until I found what I was looking for—Uncle Nat’s clock, also known as the Movado Museum Watch.

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Tonight we’re selling the best bbq sauce you’ll ever find, Haks BBQ. Antonia Blair checks in with its maker. 

A self-taught chef and food entrepreneur, Sharone Hakman was immersed in a career as a financial planner when he decided to quit his job and pursue his passion for food. The L.A.-based culinary fiend soon became a contestant on the very first season of MasterChef, a hit reality cooking show that sought to find America’s most promising amateur chef. Hakman finished in fifth place, crafting a BBQ sauce along the way that judges declared his “secret weapon.”

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Are you feeling thirsty? Or perhaps suffering from a truly insatiable hunger? Fear not, mere mortal. Or at least, fear less: Fab has partnered with HBO to feed you right with True Blood-related treats. We’ve all got our favorite characters (Fab staffers live for Lafayette…and would die for Eric), and this sale has something to satisfy everyone. So channel your spirit vampire/faerie/shifter/werewolf (vampfaeshiftwolf?) and stock your candlelit home with this collection of goods honoring Bon Temps’ finest.

If you’re a Lafayette: What’s up, hookah? You sure do need a vacation. Can we come?! After all that heavy medium work, make sure to pack light—grab that Fangtasia tote Tara left at your house and cut the sleeves off your old Merlotte’s sweatshirt (you can use ‘em to make a cute headwrap). You’ll come back relaxed and refreshed, ready to get back to making the best damn grub in Bon Temps. Wait—did you write this True Blood cookbook?

If you’re a Sookie: Oh, Sookie. Bill has broken your heart (again!), your epic affair with Eric is a distant memory, and your faerie powers are dwindling…what’s a Southern belle to do? Girl, go sit down somewhere and paint your nails. This sweet polish set from Deborah Lippmann is just what you need to keep you from going out and looking for trouble like you usually do. While your nails dry, catch up on some reading: A Touch of Dead, by Charlaine Harris, should have all the answers you’re looking for.

If you’re a Bill: Then you’re a traitor. And a liar. What the hell’s gotten into you?! We’re praying a revenge so fierce will rain down upon you that even Lilith won’t be able to save you. Neither will this True Blood umbrella…but you should be prepared for anything.

If you’re an Eric: OH HEY ERIC. Did you find the house okay? Mmmm, come in, come in. Let me take your clothes off coat. Oh, you brought me a present! I love you presents! My own fangs?! This should be fun.

If you’re a Pam: I wish I could be Pam. I wish I could be friends with Pam. Don’t you? We could all go out for cocktails and simply stare lesser beings to death over cold, dry martinis—or chilled Tru Blood, obviously. Served in these Fangtasia martini glasses. Pam would never be caught drinking from a bottle.

If you’re a Tara: Tara, on the other hand, would never be caught drinking from a martini glass. She downs pints quicker than most of the men in Bon Temps (probably because she’s so pissed about the arc of her storyline). Toast to Tara finally (hopefully!) seeing some happiness with Pam and these Fangtasia beer pint glasses.

If you’re a Sam: You’ve got the biggest heart of all, Sam. Now that you’ve found true shifter love with Luna, go get her daughter Emma back…and then LEAVE ALL OF THE CRAZY BEHIND. Go back home and try to live a normal life. You’ve still got Merlotte’s, after all: Go pour some pitchers, serve up some cold ones, and hang out with Terry and Andy. Trouble will walk through the door again eventually—it always does—so enjoy some peace while you can.

If you’re a Jessica: First Hoyt, then Jason—who’ll be your next victim? Men find it impossible to resist you. Maybe it’s your perfume: You strike us as a Forsaken girl. It boasts a mix of dark and light that sounds just about right. Here at the office, we’re rooting for you to win Jason back, so double down with this perfume and body cream set.

If you’re a Jason: You sure have been through a lot, Jason Stackhouse. Excuse me: Officer Stackhouse! An addiction to V, the loss of your true hippie love, that crazy warepanther (who lived in what we’re betting was a meth lab—her name was Crystal, after all), Maryanne the maenad, the Fellowship of The Sun…damn, that list sure is long. You also killed Eggs and betrayed your BFF Hoyt, and now you’re trying to fight the feelings you have for Jessica—plus avenge your faerie parents’ murder. What you need is to go for a nice long run and think back on those good ol’ quarterbacking days. Slip on this Bon Temps Football Sweatshirt and go back to a simpler time. You’re better off sticking to simple.

Thirsty for more? Our True Blood sale is here. And remember:

—Mariel Cruz 

Tonight we’re offering amazingly cool surfing gear from RAREFORM, a California company that is dedicated to saving the beauty of our planet while helping help its customers enjoy it. Jordan Shavarebi investigates the story behind the brand.

If you’ve ever thought about trading in your business suit for a wet suit, this eco-friendly surfer dude fairytale might be of major interest to you. The surfer dude is one Alec Avedissian, and the fairytale begins as most fairytales do: With a discontented protagonist in a somewhat oppressive place.

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If you love new design, exciting ideas and, umm, an awful lot of prosecco, there’s one event you really shouldn’t miss: The Milan Furniture Fair. One of the world’s biggest design events, Milan is the place where design careers are made. This year, we were thrilled to co-present Tom Dixon’s MOST—an exhibition featuring some of the world’s most exciting designers.

Among them was Paris-based designer, Arik Levy. To celebrate the launch of the Milan Furniture Fair Pop-Up Shop in Fab Europe, we wanted to share a little more about this multi-disciplinary designer.

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Today Fab features an assortment of fabrics from the one and only Amy Sedaris, the comedian, author, and domestic artist extraordinaire who possesses the uncanny ability to hold her face in a “who farted?” repose for extended periods of time while assembling a stunning autumnal wreath on morning television. The collection of printed 100% cotton is full of ricrac, Dallas-inspired dollar signs, and darling dotty prints inspired by Amy’s favorite colors and patterns that will suit the needs of both super sewers and well-meaning needlepoint novices.

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Kitty White, better known to the public as Hello Kitty, was in a quandary. She’d just learned about an important trip and was packing in a great hurry.

First of all, she knew she had to be fierce for the journey, so she pulled out her leopard print luggage. With her trademark image subtly infused into the animal print design, there would be no confusion at baggage claim.

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Today we’re partnering with (RED) in a very special pop-up shop. With the help of great brands like Beats by Dre, Bugaboo and FEED, we will donate up to 50% percent of the profits to fight AIDS.  We thought you might want to know more about this amazing organization and the difference it makes in the world.

(RED) was founded in 2006 by Bono and Bobby Shriver, who saw that there was a need to get the private sector to contribute to the fight against AIDS. So far, the results have been remarkable; (RED) has contributed close to $210 million to the Global Fund to fight AIDS. 

There are a number of  organizations that help fight AIDS and extreme poverty. But (RED) is unlike all of them. It’s not a charity  that relies on donations from the public, it’s an innovative  model that collaborates with some of the world’s most iconic private sector brands  to create (RED) products and experiences. So how does that work? 

(RED) partners donate up to 50% of the profits from the sale of every (RED) product directly to the Global Fund to fight AIDS. That money is then used to finance Global Fund grants which provide HIV/AIDS programs on the ground in Africa. To date, those programs have impacted the lives of more than 14 million people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa. 

To better illustrate what this looks like we’re going to zone in some numbers from one region where (RED) has made a big difference—South Africa.

South Africa’s population is 50.5 million. There are over five million people there who live with HIV and almost two million children who have been orphaned by AIDS. (RED) money supports HIV/AIDS programs in South Africa that have provided support to more than 33,300 families affected by HIV and AIDS, provided more than 35,000 people living with HIV and AIDS with access to community home based care, and tested more than 245,000 people for HIV.

There’s a long way to go before we can eradicate AIDS and HIV, but (RED) has brought that goal a little closer. So, do your part. Choose life. Shop (PRODUCT) RED.

Today, we’re selling Ethan Abramson’s beautifully crafted wood furniture. Kate Canary delves deeper into the mind of this creative woodworker.

For most of us, inspiration doesn’t grow on trees. But that’s right where Ethan Abramson finds it.

The New York-based furniture designer allows gorgeously grained, richly hued hardwoods—new and salvaged— to dictate his design process.

Photograph by Garrett Ilardi

Having worked in both Brooklyn and East Hampton, he’s ventured from stark industrial lofts to sweeping coastal landscapes and back again, feeding off the visual dichotomy. Lush scenery breeds boundless inspiration, while urban limitations demand efficiency and innovation.

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We think the world would be a better place if men learned more about accessories. Angie Nagel breaks it down in a three-part master class. 

When thinking about ways to incorporate today’s Jack Spade sale into our blog, we tossed around a lot of ideas. We discussed researching the history of the company. (Did you know the first Jack Spade bag was sold to a hardware store in 1997?) Then, we thought about how men’s accessories often skimp out on the details, and how important the little things are when it comes to making an impression (amiright, ladies?). Lastly—and to me, most amusingly—we thought it’d be fun (and educational) to give some of the men at Fab a little lesson in ways to add adult sophistication to their wardrobe.

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You know how people always say, “I remember exactly where I was when [insert momentous occasion here] happened”? I can say the same for when I found out that Fab was going to be doing a special Daft Punk album launch sale. I was talking to my friend David, the buyer for Books & Media at Fab, and I said, “Hey, have you heard the teaser on that new Daft Punk single? So good.” And he said, “Yeah. We’re doing an album event with them,” and grinned. I felt like I was in that moment in The Sound of Music when Maria Von Trapp is on top of the mountain and starts spinning around in circles. I would have replicated that move, but ultimately I lack the effortless grace and lightness of Julie Andrews.

I sat at my desk and immediately g-chatted my co-worker Aja, who responded with the following:

Aja: SHUT YOUR FACE

OMG STOP 

She was right. It was exciting news.

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He is hailed as the father of color theory. She is revered as the modern textile artist. The distinctive works of the Josef and Anni Albers hang at museums all over the globe, and soon they’ll be hanging around your house. Seriously! Today we have a very exciting debut at ICFF in New York (and online)—we’re partnering up with The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation for an amazing, artful collection of products for the table, living room, bedroom, and bath.

You know the story: the two were visionary pioneers of modern art and dedicated, dynamic teachers (spending time at Bauhaus, Black Mountain College, and Yale). Yet for some, the name “Albers” synonymous with a single image: the square. And while Homage To Square’s significance cannot be overstated (nor explained in our humble blog post), there’s so much more to the story of Josef and Anni.

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NY-based industrial designer Todd Bracher creates furniture, lighting, and home accessories that are handsome, engaging, and strikingly simple in form. Named the New Designer of the Year at ICFF in 2008, he was previously the head of Tom Dixon’s design studio, as well as the Creative Director of Denmark’s Georg Jensen. Several of Bracher’s home goods are currently available on Fab, including some beautiful pieces he created for Fritz Hansen, Cappellini, HBF, and more.

Todd was kind enough to chat with us about his influences and share some photographs of his studio, which is located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

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Listen up, gentlemen! Today, we’re selling the most exquisitely dapper cufflinks you’ll ever come across, courtesy of Monsieur Fox. We were curious about the mysterious muse behind these handcrafted gems and asked Kevin Miller to investigate. 

Dashing, daring, with enough panache to go around the whole forest, he just might be the most interesting fox in the world. Monsieur Fox is the allegorical animal that represents the suave accessories brand by the same name. His likeness and limbs are ever present in the brand’s sterling silver cufflinks, so we thought we’d ask the sly devil what makes him so dapper. We got a whole lot of wisdom back, channeled through Monsieur’s human counterpart, Adrian Azodi.

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Today we’re selling United Nudes’ architecturally inspired footwear. Sarah Fones investigates the connection between buildings and shoes. 

For the past oh, eight seasons or so, chunky, clunky, vertiginous, (as in painful,) footwear has dominated designer runways. Said wedges and platforms have often been dubbed “sculptural” and “architectural,” when in fact they’re essentially just “high”.  What separates the truly chic from the weak? Well, the easiest answer would be a bonafide architect-as-designer.  Consider Zaha Hadid for Melissa and Lacoste; Frank Gehry for J.M. Weston; or Rem D Koolhaas (perhaps you’ve heard of his uncle?), for United Nude.

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Photo by Matthew Sandager

John Derian has a rare talent for taking bits and pieces of vintage imagery and reimagining it as an enchanting object. His decoupage plates, platters, paperweights, coasters and bowls, which are on sale on Fab today, are rich with mystery and history, and all tell stories of their own. His interiors display a similar magic.

Photo by Matthew Sandager

His New York City shops are filled to the brim with his own designs along with vintage and antique imports, bed and table linens, stationery, plate-ware, vintage and new lighting, and an ever-changing assortment of one-of-a-kind curios, which all come together to create an otherworldly environment, kind of like stepping into a fairy-tale. We were curious about his inspirations and the way he sees the world, and were lucky enough to get a quick chat.

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Today we’re selling Christophe Gowans’ addictively witty art work, which features albums-reinterpreted-as-book-covers. AJ Kushner tunes in.

Christophe Gowans’ career as a graphic designer and art director implies a refined knowledge of how we respond to text and images in different contexts. His work in the recording industry designing album artwork suggests an appreciation for the power of music to stimulate visual responses in the brain. And his fascination with book covers as artifacts allows his brilliant series of Record Book Prints to make perfect sense. The project imagines bestselling pop and rock albums as popular novels, pulp magazines, and self-help titles from every decade of the last century.

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As we recently told you, Fab is coming to ICFF. We’re holding a competition to find, new, innovative, amazing designs for us to produce and sell. Wanna play? This is what you do:

Pre-register with your name and country to: designforus@fab.com

Bring your product ideas, portfolios, and prototypes to:  

The ICFF Theater

Jacob K Javits Convention Center (11th Ave at 38th Street) 

1 PM – 3 PM on Tuesday, May 21, 2013.

Present them in front of our Design Jury. 

Bradford Shellhammer, Founder and Chief Design Officer, Fab

David Trubridge, Lighting Designer

Eames Demetrios, Director, Eames Office

Ben Watson, Executive Creative Director, Herman Miller

Harry Allen, Founder, Harry Allen Design

Lucy Swift Weber Youdovin, The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation

Dan Rubinstein, Editor in Chief, Surface

Jerry Helling, President, Bernhardt Design

Jill Singer, Co-Founder, Sight Unseen

Alan Heller, President and Founder, Heller Inc.

Your work should be of high quality and be a functional object made through handcrafted, high-tech and/or experimental processes.

Designers must be registered to attend the ICFF. 

No fee trade registration through May 14. Please register on www.icff.com 

Today we’re selling Harold Krisel’s bold and abstract art work. Taylor Quist tells the story behind this amazing artist.

Many artists strive for fame and fortune. A lucky few achieve it during their lifetime, some receive it posthumously, and most never do. Painter, printer, and architect Harold Krisel (1920 – 1995) took an entirely different tack. While studying architecture at the New Bauhaus in Chicago, this native New Yorker found himself drawn to the dynamic free-natured forms of the modernist and abstract art movements that were taking the art world by storm in the 1940s.

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