Epic photo post: what I did on my "summer vacation"
What better way to spend Labor Day eve? I guess I'm supposed to be not laboring or some such hooha, so let's have a semi-proper Summer wrap-up, with a look at what's been going on inside the TieLab - more on the process end of things rather than product.
Overall, we're pretty product-obsessed, but our new-ish studio space has begun to make a world of difference in terms of what, how, and the quality of production. It's been, for the most part - to quote the internets -
full of win.
For those following along at home, in the beginning of March we began our migration down from the sixth floor, a tiny wee spot (ok, super-massive by nyc standards, LOLZ). It was less than one quarter of the whole floor. Our new spot a few levels down is a full half of the floor, clocking in at nearly 3000 sq'! Awesome, right? Well, most certainly, except it was
hit and required one serious load of work to transform from a predominantly afterhours raveity-rave spot to a proper studio. (Yes, we had a
EPIC SUPER RAVE one small little gathering of friends since then, and no, we won't talk about that now. ;) Thnx!
A few befores and afters (please pardon some of the camera phone shots - they're not the best but at least you can get an idea of what we've been up to. When it's a little more done, hopefully some better pictures will follow):
BEFORE:
Main printing area at brightest time of the day. AFTER:
Main printing area at brightest time of the day. 
A little cheap laminate goes a long wayOf course there were the many requisite trips to Ikea, which is always a good time!
And yes, we had to buy one. Some designer at Ikea is funny.
One of the big Ikea quests was getting some proper lighting - although the studio is well bathed in light during the day, as soon as 8pm hits now, it goes dark pretty darned fast. With 16' ceiling, it turns into a lightless cave.
Being able to actually
see what you're printing really rules!
Ikea is great, but it alone gets a little boring, so I've been trolling craigslist to try and find some key pieces that would otherwise be financially implausible.
Hello Saarinen! Painting by Joe Jagos who has since migrated to nyc. bastard.We've been up to much more than just re-decorating and minor construction. We've had a few school groups through to tour the space, given some talks on running your own shop and studio business and have had some wonderful press opportunities. Our other giganto project was the acquisition of our new
packaging. 1000 wood boxes = very heavy!
Of course this happened on one of the hottest days of the summer. We all look...ravishing! ;)
So what did you do on your Summer vacation? At some point, I'd like to actually go on vacation.
Labels: before and after, construction, packaging, studio
Plaid Habit - new design + new silk!
New design of the week - Plaid Habit! (har har har)
Are you a design addict or fashion victim? Interlocking vintage syringes are reversed and doubled in a kaleidoscopic pattern. Fresh from the prep school underworld! Wahoo.
Finally, I have silk in colors, it's been a few years and a few manufacturers (and one positively terrifying quantity!) in order to allow them able to remain affordable ($40). Of course I still have the microfiber which is even kinder ($30) to the wallets, easier to care for and appropriate for our vegan friends. But silk. Finally. So excited. This new silk has a tight weave, is a bit more matte and as a result, holds the print detail really, really well.
Still all hand-printed right here in our downtown Detroit studio. With love.
Angela's Eye + our new NICE PACKAGE
Hanging At The House Of 'Ties That Don't Suck' - Angela, of Angelaseye.com/WDIV Channel 4 spent the afternoon in the TieLab last week.
To coincide with our nice little chit-chat, I stayed up all night last night (this morning, ugh!) and was finally able to add our NICE PACKAGE to the necktie offerings. Hopefully I didn't screw anything up too bad. I code only well enough to get myself into trouble. ;)
We also have a brand spankin' new new design I'm more excited about than a can of snakes feigning to be honey roasted peanuts: Fool's Gold.
That's the news. It's a Friday in August and we should be on vacation like everyone else...but we're not, because we love you.
Nice Package!
We're about to introduce some snazzy new packaging - it's all here and finally finished! Hopefully I'll some have time to add it to the site this weekend and rebuild the cart. It's my folks' 35th wedding anniversary (!!!) and there should be the litany of requisite sitting on planes and trains to reach good ol' Connecticut - which means lots on non-printing time where I can attend to much-procrastinated tasks like site updates. :P This is M&D's last hurrah soiree before moving down to sunny Florida, so many congrats to the parental units.
So back to that nice package. Each "gen-U-ine" pine box comfortably holds one necktie or scarf, is screenprinted, velveteen-lined, and varnished for your protection. A perfect
coffin keepsake and presentation device for your nifty new neckwear! Each one is somewhat different due to the differences in woodgrain pattern, I've been picking out my favorites all week. And another added bonus - it really protects the tie from wrinkling in transit. I Just did a test-mailing to myself to see how they fared. :)
This upgrade in extreme swankitude should only cost you a mere 10 bones more...still running all the numbers on that but should be in the $10-$12 range for the sweet package upgrade. ANyway, stay tuned to
cyberoptix.com for their launch.
Naka trunkshow photos
A quick report - better late than never? Our recent trunk show at
Naka in Ferndale was a huge success! Thanks to the staff at Naka and Stephanie of
Phantom Limb for all their help and enthusiasm. It was good to see local folks and bring the cases out of the studio, and who can turn down wine, cheese and conversation?
AWWWWW! Merry studio assistants soooo cute!
More on Kill Devil Hill
People just can't stop
talking about our Cowboy and Kill Devil Hill!
The retail stores on Franklin Street are organically developed; they are creative, unique visions of the shop keepers. Kill Devil Hill is no exception. The exciting part of this general store is that pretty much every time you visit, you will see new things. Cowboy Mark has "a whole barn-full" of unique one-of-a-kind items that will be gradually revealed. Brockman added that they both travel a lot and are always finding new things...Again, it's great to have a cravat-home in Brooklyn...stop on by for some old-timey goodness!
CPM & S2DIO NIGHT PRESENT CHEMICAL SALVATION, This Saturday!
As part of the long-running Detroit by Design S2DIO night, this month's installment will have Dethlab and
Cyberoptix, all in one! What more could you ask for! I'll have some neckties for sale, especially targeting those last-minute bad-kids who haven't gotten dear-ol-dad a darned thing. I'll also have 3 large photos on display from different editions of the Meat Series, taken over the last few years.
Mad Love, 2006S2DIO Night is a monthly event for creative types in Detroit featuring art, photography, music, dancing, and more at the legendary Bankle Building/Detroit By Design HQ.
VISUAL FREAKOUT BY:
BRANDON BELKNAP
CYBEROPTIX TIE LAB
LEO HANIFIN
LYNN UPSON
INX
KOOLIK
MYNAMEISSNOW
MATT ABBOTT
ERIC LEISS
+MORE
AUDIO FREAKOUT BY:
DETHLAB
VACUUM-live funk edits
E SPLEECE-live
JOSH DAHLBERG
BANKLE BUILDING: Saturday Jun 14, 10PM
2944 WOODWARD AVE. DETROIT
Kill Devil Hill covered by Refinery 29
While Kill Devil Hill evokes the feel of an old-timey general store, it couldn't be more of modern day specialty shop. With the bulk of the stocklist shipped from a connection in Montana—an aging mountain man with a penchant for animal bones, 19th-century trading beads, and handmade Native American crafts, owners "Cowboy Mark" Straiton and Mary Brockman have filled in the rest with their own expertise—Industrial American-era home, gift, and clothing collectibles circa 1870-1962..."Not only does
Refinery 29 has some most excellent things to say about the new shop, they provided a lovely photo of the ahem...
Cyberoptix ties also finally having a great home in New York!
As penned by Miss Lis Hsu - "admit it. you've been wondering where cowboy mark disappeared to. he's been setting up a store in greenpoint, brooklyn. it's called
KILL DEVIL HILL (i dunno, ask him what it means yourself!) and since he has not yet finished his time machine, he decided the next best thing is to gather stuff that's really old from all over. and it's not just your average "vintage" or "antique" items. he's going WAY back in time... u know, manifest destiny, frontier life,
carpetbaggers, turn of the century, model T, bonnie & clyde, world wars, FDR.
serving as a general store for all your old timey needs, you will be able to buy SKULLS, taxidermy, vintage workwear, military uniforms, western wear, arrows, jars, pots, pans, wax, trade beads from the 1800's, antler art, a jar full of teeth... thousand year old (not an exaggeration) buffalo teeth... and lots of other things that might be obsolete or definitely not alive anymore.
and if they don't got it? they will get it for you!
KILL DEVIL HILL
170 Franklin St. (btwn Kent and Java)
G train to Greenpoint Ave
http://www.myspace.com/killdevilhillny
Rob Corddry wears "Bombs Away" tie at world premiere
L to R: Actors Lake Bell, Ashton Kutcher, Cameron Diaz, and Rob Corddry arrive at the red carpet world premiere of Twentieth Century Fox's "What Happens In Vegas" - 5/1/2008
photos courtesy of IESB.net
Rob Corddry's necktie: Cyberoptix TieLabNot only is Rob Corddry funny as hell, but he has great taste in neckties! (Thanks to an observant customer for pointing this out to us!) Get your own "
Bombs Away" tie from the
Cyberoptix TieLab. Or if you prefer, it lives in Toybreaker's tandem
Etsy shop as well.
Corddry is onscreen now in New Line's "Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay" and "What Happens in Vegas," stealing scenes as he's always done since his getting his start as a correspondent on "The Daily Show." Corddry has recently landed his first starring role with "Project A," a New Line action comedy being produced by Ben Stiller and will be portraying former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer in Oliver Stone's "W," which is currently in production.
Trunk Show at Naka Thursday, May 29
See new work from:
Cyberoptix TieLab & their new
BSD luxe-line
Phantom Limb: The Stuff You're Missing
+ food! drink!
+ brand new designs!
+ door prizes and discounts!
+ friends are welcome.
Naka is located at 9 Mile and Woodward
171 W. 9 Mile, Ferndale, MI.
Thursday, May 29 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm.
248.582.9113
Metro Detroit designers host trunk show at Naka, FerndaleThe work of two Metro Detroit designers will be on view at a special event taking place at Naka in Ferndale. Naka is a boutique featuring the work of both local and internationally based independent designers. Kelly Pettibone, owner of Naka, will be hosting food, drink, door prizes, discounts and brand new designs from both The Cyberoptix TieLab (Bethany Shorb) and Phantom Limb (Stephanie Tardy). For more info, please visit http://www.nakastore.com.
Many of Naka's artists are scouted from the pages of Etsy.com. Both Shorb and Tardy also maintain storefronts on Etsy. Conceived in early 2005, Etsy is an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade. It was built for consumers conscious of the true value of handmade goods and their creators, as well as to give all independent artists the technology and information they need to make a living, making things. Etsy's intention is to offer viable alternatives to mass-produced objects in the world marketplace, and to encourage consumers to be aware of the social and environmental implications of their purchases.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Formally trained in sculpture and photography but now focusing on product-based work full-time,
Bethany Shorb received her MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2001 and BFA from Boston University in 1998. She founded the Cyberoptix TieLab in 2006 after noticing a void in creative yet sophisticated neckwear.
Recently featured on The Martha Stewart Show, Shorb designs and hand-screenprints each necktie, selling both to individual clients and filling wholesale accounts to shops across Metro Detroit and over 100 boutiques and museum stores across five continents. Her studio recently expanded to occupy an over 3000 square foot space in an old furniture factory on the edge of Eastern Market in Detroit.
Echoing the core environmental and socially conscious values of Etsy, Cyberoptix strongly believes that a designer's ethics need not inform nor limit the look of the object. "There is always a more reasonable alternative to the historically toxic trade of screen printing - these alternative processes can also perform better on fine fabrics. It may not be as financially viable in the short run, but the long-term effects on workers' health and our surroundings are invaluable," says Shorb. Cyberoptix is committed to being a solvent-free shop and only uses nontoxic, water-based ink, a practice uncommon especially in high-volume workshops.
Selections from the Cyberoptix TieLab can be found locally at Naka in Ferndale; The Museum of Contemporary Art in Detroit; Design 99 in Hamtramck, and The Store at Cranbrook Art Museum in Bloomfield Hills.
http://cyberoptix.com
http://toybreaker.etsy.com
http://toybreaker.net/blog
http://bsdluxe.com
Stephanie Tardy of Pleasant Ridge makes colorful paper goods under the name Phantom Limb. With the motto "The Stuff You're Missing," many of Phantom Limb's products are made from re-claimed paper culled from unusual sources.
In addition to selling her line of cards and journals, Tardy will debut a 15-piece grouping of playful, mixed media art at the Naka Trunk Show. A new series of Michigan collages, inspired by her popular Michigan mixed-paper notebooks, will also be for sale.
Tardy founded the local indie craft collective Handmade Detroit and the Detroit Urban Craft Fair, now in its third year. In 2007, she was named a "20 in their 20s" by Crain's Detroit.
http://phantomlimb.typepad.com
http://thephantomlimb.etsy.com
http://handmadedetroit.com
DETHLAB + 1 : spring 2008 LIVE mix
We interrupt the usual tie-chatter to bring you a delicious treat, fresh from the necktie baroness and her two favorite models!
Download
new LIVE mix by Dethlab +1 [93mb, .m4a format]
Cocks on Techno Blvd.Tracklisting:
DETHLAB + 1 : spring 2008 LIVE mixDETHLAB mashup: The Producers: "Keep it Gay" vs. Homotronic: "U Look Like a Gay"
Rude 66: "The Strings of Death"
Lowfish: "Domination Ver. 2"
Josh Dahlberg: "Interloop"
Kiko: "Slave of My Mind"
Sascha Funke: "Kuschelrock"
Apparat - "Arcadia (Telefon Tel Aviv RMX)"
The Reflecting Skin: "Traffickers"
Das Bierbeben: "Sturm Bricht Los"
Deutsche Amerikanishe Freundschaft: "Tanz Mit Mir"
Adriano Canzian: "You Excites Me So Much!"
The Presets: "My People"
Tomas Andersson: "Washing Up - Ttim Deluxe Mix"
SebastiAn: "Smoking Kills"
Synapse: "Dust-Mite (Edit)"
DETHLAB mashup: Ambivalent: "R U OK" vs. Gershon Kingsley: "Popcorn"
Zoo Brazil: "Face"
Richard Bartz: "Symphonies of Midnight"
DETHLAB mashup outro: "The Producers: "Keep it Gay" vs. Homotronic: "U Look Like a Gay"
AND!
REMEMBER, this SUNDAY night, Apr. 27: DISCO SECRET
Music by Dethlab +1.Sunday 4/27 at the Detroit Eagle
1501 Holden St, Detroit, MI 48208
$2 drinks, guarded parking, leather.
PRESS: Crain's Detroit Business
Photo credit: NATHAN SKID/CRAIN'S DETROIT BUSINESS
If you think most ties are boring, you're not alone — designer Bethany Shorb agrees.
Visit the Web site for Cyberoptix TieLab, Shorb's online boutique, and you'll be greeted with a promise in the form of a slogan: “Ties that don't suck.”
Shorb's neckwear venture began as an afterthought back in 2006. Completing a screen-printing project, the Cranbrook Academy of Art-trained artist decided to make a tie for fiance Michael Doyle...See the full article at
Crain's Detroit Business.
On swinging and parachute jumping
We've been busy here all weekend printing and shooting new designs for Summer - these are hot off the presses and just released today!
Who doesn't like Coney Island? We sure do. Sadly developers will soon have their way with it as a whole, but this iconic Brooklyn structure will thankfully never see the wrecking ball due to it's status on the National Register of Historic Places. Show your love for Brooklyn with our new
Coney Island Parachute Jump necktie. Our litigious society will probably prevent it from ever being operational again as an amusement attraction (silly modern safety standards) ... it sure must have been fun in it's day.
Also in a similar vein of jumping, swinging and general tomfoolery is our
Swinger tie. (Poo poo on double entendres, we like triple and quadruple entendres around these parts!) We've seen this chandelier glyph adorn just about everything in designed goods over the past year or so - from wall graphics to sketchbooks to t-shirts - we decided to have a little fun with it.
for once, a post other than ties!
But we all look good in them...
Music by
Dethlab +1.
THIS WILL BE FUN. YOU WILL COME
Yes, it is a Sunday, but it takes place in a seriously most awesome bar. Yes, it is technically a gay bar, but be not afraid, Sunday nights are dance nights for all folks bent and not, assless chaps not required. Appreciated...though... :P
PLUS two dollar drinks, who can argue with that?
If you've never been, it's nice and dark with a good sound system, security guard for parking, it's CLEAN and not GROSS like so many other fine establishments in our fair city...so don't be scared.
A special mix for you forthcoming...
xox
Some love for Detroit from Mr. Sterling...
Beyond the Beyond: Toybreaker: Cyberoptix TieLab
Best review from Bruce Sterling ever:
(((A great tie to wear when you're a Detroit mayor in court for imaginary sex crimes. Or on the Martha Stewart Show, live from the slammer.)))
February 27, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Work of Local Detroit Designer to Appear on The Martha Stewart Show: Highlights of Etsy.comLocal Detroit designer Bethany Shorb (aka Toybreaker) is to be featured on The Martha Stewart Show on Friday, February 29th on WXYZ Channel 7. The segment can also be seen at primetime on Fine Living Network Monday, March 3 at 8pm and midnight Eastern Time. The show features movers and shakers as well as everyday people who've accomplished extraordinary things. This entire segment of The Martha Stewart Show highlights the best of Etsy.com, touted as "Your place to buy and sell all things handmade." Shorb's men's accessory line, "The Cyberoptix TieLab" is featured along with the work of fifteen other successful independent designers also part of Etsy.com.
Conceived in early 2005, Etsy is an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade. It was built for consumers conscious of the true value of handmade goods and their creators, as well as to give all independent artists the technology and information they need to make a living, making things. Etsy's intention is to offer viable alternatives to mass-produced objects in the world marketplace, and to encourage consumers to be aware of the social and environmental implications of their purchases.
Formally trained in sculpture and photography but now focusing on product-based work full-time, Shorb received her MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2001 and BFA from Boston University in 1998. She founded the TieLab in 2006 after noticing a void in creative yet sophisticated neckwear. Based in the Eastern Market area of Detroit, Shorb designs and hand-screnprints each necktie, selling both to individual clients and filling wholesale accounts to shops across Metro Detroit and nearly 100 boutiques and museum stores across five continents. Her studio currently occupies a portion of the top-floor of an old furniture factory and will soon be expanding to an over 3000 square foot space on a neighboring floor.
Shorb runs her stand-alone web store, The Cyberoptix TieLab (http://cyberoptix.com) in tandem with her Etsy shop (toybreaker.etsy.com). "The Etsy shop has been a great boon to my business," says Shorb, "it has introduced a much broader customer base than I was unable to reach before. Etsy also supports a strong sense of community among both buyers and sellers - we are all able to collectively learn more about our art and good business practices." Brooklyn-based Etsy now has 48 full-time employees, approximately 650,000 registered users, 60,000 of whom are individual artists selling more than 950,000 of their handmade creations.
Echoing the core environmental and socially conscious values of Etsy, Cyberoptix strongly believes that a designer's ethics need not inform nor limit the look of the object. "There is always a more reasonable alternative to the historically toxic trade of screen printing - these alternative processes can also perform better on fine fabrics. It may not be as financially viable in the short run, but the long-term effects on workers' health and our surroundings are invaluable," says Shorb. Cyberoptix is committed to being a solvent-free shop and only use nontoxic, water-based ink, a practice uncommon especially in high-volume workshops.
Selections from the Cyberoptix TieLab can be found locally at Naka in Ferndale; The Museum of Contemporary Art in Detroit; Design 99 in Hamtramck, and The Store at Cranbrook Art Museum in Bloomfield Hills.
POOL Tradeshow recap
Damnit, I never post anymore...uncut for your pleasure! :P
POOL Tradeshow (part of MAGIC) Feb 12-14, Las Vegas Convention Center
I had the best helpers anyone could ever dream of having - we thoroughly rocked the
work hard play hard work ethic. ;) Thankfully for the first time in my life, I had the forethought to ask some people to help with the booth that I knew I'd get along well with in potentially stressful situations. I owe them the world for keeping me very happy and very sane. It's no secret that I'm a Type A from hell; I've attempted to do much smaller-scale shows alone and it was all kinds of not fun. I finally feel as if I'm attempting to learn from experiences and not make the same, stupid mistakes 12 times. For those ever thinking of doing something like this, a tradeshow threesome is the minimum way to go, otherwise you're left standing around or running around like the proverbial chicken sans head. Load in and tear-down are some of the most vile, fast-paced/race against the clock events, but with the right amount of hands, it can almost be fun.
Backstory on the BFF co-conspirators - Amalia is my old college roommate from Boston University who is a published Mayan archaeologist currently based in New Mexico - since it wasn't all that far of a plane trip, it seemed like a great time to actually see each other, which sadly is something we never get to do. WTF does Mayan archaeology have to do with menswear? Who cares! She has this uncanny ability to get away with just about anything, so I knew we had a great asset. Speaking of assets, she's also fiercely hot and has an IQ of about 612. Hot and smart do good booth help make!
David is a fellow photographer/electro musician/curator/consumer of all things most rad also based in Detroit. He is involved in about eleventy billion art and music
projects. Mr. Blunk has been the face of the TieLab along with Mike in
Sweatshop Boys Published in the "POOL Art + Fashion Volume 4" - which was given out to all buyers at the show. Of course the book was displayed prominently at our table and tapemeasure strangulation pantomime was de riguer. Also see aforementioned fiercely hot and IQ of about 612.
Intros complete - we crammed more work and play into 5 days than I ever thought possible.
Day 1: Arrival at the
Las Vegas Hilton from McCarran Airport.
Fear and Loathing style sunglasses...check! Travel was pretty uneventful - flight wasn't too too late and we scored an exit row seat.
Before fetching all of our 8 boxes from the business center we decided to head down to Quark's Bar - the
Star Trek Experience is located inside the Hilton. Amalia got a little fresh with some aliens:
Tribbles were also procured.
First night and not a moment too soon to start having fun, we bounced over to the Palms Hotel and went up to
Ghostbar. Located on the 55th floor, the views are beyond amazing. The music wasn't, which was to be expected, unfortunately, but it was still totally worth seeing. Amalia scored free drinks, because, well, it is Amalia.
We headed back down to the main level and got an incredible sushi snack at
Little Buddha and then went to the other 55 story tower -
the Playboy Club - for the 944 Magazine party.
It was vile...truly truly vile, but we left nose and face prints on the glass and made fun of all the orange-tanned top-heavy things and booty danced to some atrocious music. Then we found *another* club on top of that one, Moon, and continued the absurdity. It was what it was - glaringly tacky and gross, but for the first night, I think we did well.
Day 2: Arrival at the convention center, we walked around in circles. A lot. With all our stuff. "Is this where we register?" Yep, right here. (wait in line for 45 minutes) "Nope, not here...you have to go ALLLLL THE WAY OVER THERE. (get "there") No, not here...you have to go.... this game went on for a long, long time but we finally got it all sorted out. Damned virginal tradeshow experiences.
Finally arrived at the right place and our lovely David got right to hanging wallpaper - we'd have been wicked screwed had we not someone who could reach over 8 feet up! Ladders = union labor = no.
We were all tired and probably a little cranky so no carousing before the first night of the show - we did get amazing tapas at a little place off-strip called
Firefly. Trip advisor steered us very well.
Day 3: (Day 1 of POOL show) Our booth! The S(eco)nd part of the show was great, and I felt very fortunate to have been considered. The bamboo flooring was not only aesthetically pleasing and didn't necessitate stupid carpet rental, but it seemed friendly to stand on for long hours. It was so refreshing to see other brands that embraced all facets of socially responsible and environmentally friendly practices, not just a bevy of American Apparel organic cotton t-shirts.
Detail of neckties in specimin jars - I really wanted to do the display this way, but for future reference, traveling across the country with antique glass is a bad, bad idea.
It was a long day for everyone - and they even had SUMO Fatboys for catnapping, of which Amalia took full advantage.
At this point we were sorely in need of some good music, my only complaint thus far was the music inside POOL - the bank of speakers for the entire convention all was strategically placed right over my booth - normally that would be grounds for wooting but with the R&B tripe that was being played at +11 all day, I was less than amused. We heard there was a POOL party at the Hard Rock Hotel - we feared more orange bimbos and P Diddy or Puffy or whatever the hell that hiphop crap was, but we were proven wrong in the best of ways. It was the VICE Magazine party, and I still don't know who the dj was (Huffer?) and it was like 5 hours of Dethlab. It couldn't have been better. The club itself was dark and opulent in the best of ways.
David also got shot as a Vice
do.
We just had SO MUCH FUN. Whatever triggered me to be a stressed-out pain in the ass got broken, we all danced like complete idiots and everything was fan-effing-tastic from then on. Something got purged, maybe it was all the good music (?) and the rest of the show, although still craploads of work, seemed painless.
Day 4: (POOL day 2) David and Amalia giggling at pictures from the night before.
I met a lot of new buyers and connected with many previously only encountered over email, it was wonderful to finally put all the names with real faces. Press contacts were made and all in all it was a very positive experience.
More captions soon....also in need of more photos, especially day 4 Why did I forget to take photos? (Sushi dinner, Amalia to airport (SAD!!!) Aoki at Prive, K:rave (gaybar) MGM...)
Day 5: (POOL day 3) Booth teardown...so sad! Many, many, MANY thanks to Amalia's local-ish friend Louis who hooked us up and helped us out in immeasurable ways. (Louis is seen throwing goat.) Show was over at 5, this was lights out at 6. (!!!) Those convention center guys run a tight ship.
A quick disco nap was had...no sleeping and staying in (although tempting) during the last night in Vegas. That would have been laaaaaaaaame.
Wandering about the strip after teardown...headed into the Bellagio for a quick dinner before more dancing - ended up at FIX by total accident, I have a terrible habit of just stumbling upon 5 star restaurants. Ooops!. ;) FIX was designed by the Graftlab, also of the
Pink Project in New Orleans.
Lobster tacos! Holy crap was the food good there - yellowtail sashimi, lobster tacos and Blue Point oysters. Perfect pre-dancing snack.
We went to Prive for the second time - Diplo played. We were well taken care of by the folks that work there. Many thanks! :) Their sound is incredible, I haven't had my guts rattled like that since the Control Party in Detroit.
After closing down Prive, we wandered back around Paris and the Bellagio, because they are so ridiculous they rule beyond words. Liberace vomit. I played a table game for the first time, blackjack and I get along famously. I won a little bit and ran. :)
All good band names, dj names and fashion lines are conceived on Sharpie and napkin.
POOL is just one week away...
...and we're frantically preparing all kinds of new stuff!
*** Come see the Cyberoptix TieLab at POOL, we will be at BOOTH #601. *** Plus, meet our lovely assistants David and Amalia, they'll charm your pants off. (Really)
We'll be debuting our new line of
BSD luxury silk neckwear. See a sneak preview of the new styles
here.
Caviar: Beluga; Salmon; Wasabi Tobikko
Ammo Belt [Tie]
Terminal Illness: Avian flu virii attach and replicate at the nodes of six conjoined international airport terminal diagrams. 
Trainwreck: Kaleidoscopic Union Pacific Big Boys wreck harder than... [insert dj name here]s(eco)nd, the newest launch of
POOL TRADESHOW, made its debut in August 2007, focusing on the new breed of environmentally and socially conscious organizations emerging worldwide. “It only takes a second to change the world,” says Mindy Weiner, creator of s(eco)nd and Director of Operations for POOL TRADESHOW. “We now have an opportunity to lead by example on THE issue of our time. The fashion industry has been working to raise awareness for the last few seasons, but the timing is right for s(eco)nd and our stand on environmental issues. s(eco)nd will allow us to take a second look at how we do business, from an ecological standpoint, and will encourage our audience to rethink their basic day to day habits. We are proud to take a stand and to help pave the way for greater change.”
POOL TRADESHOW, held twice a year in Las Vegas, showcases the best emerging designers and new products ranging from fashion and accessories to a wide variety of lifestyle products. Designed for the directional boutique market, POOL carefully curates each show, balancing fresh talent with established brands. Each line participating at POOL is pre-screened to allow buyers more time to place orders.
POOL Tradeshow
Come see us at the POOL Tradeshow, we will be at BOOTH #601.
POOL takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Feb. 12-14 2008.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Detroit-based neckwear designer, The Cyberoptix TieLab, has been selected to appear at POOL in Las Vegas, February 12-14, 2008. The TieLab is confirmed to appear at the exclusive S(eco)nd area of the POOL show, highlighting environmentally responsible design and manufacturing.
POOL is where the visionaries of retail come to scout hot new items for the boutique market. From emerging brands, to the world’s best graphic artists POOL is where designers and thinkers come to shape the trends.
Cyberoptix has been making custom clothing for stage and film since 2001. The TieLab division was founded a few years later by principal designer, Bethany Shorb. With a market flooded with boring corporate neck nooses and novelty ties, the Lab aims to fill a void within the fashion conscious 18-35 year old market, offering a subtly subversive, well designed, handmade alternative to the men's uniform staple while strictly adhering to ethical manufacturing processes.
"Clichéd use of green tones coupled with faux chipboard to do not make a "green" product. We strongly believe that a designer's ethics need not inform nor limit the look of the object, rather they must fuel it's making. Neither bales of hay, nor burlap nor any other fashionable, eco-hippified trappings dress our design decisions. In the garment industry, we all know that screen printing is notoriously environmentally unfriendly. We are doing what we can within our means, re-thinking tired industry standards to make our trade better. We are a 100% solvent-free shop -- although far more time-consuming and far less cost-effective, we only use nontoxic, water-based ink rather than Plastisols," says 31 year-old entrepreneur Shorb.
POOL has an industry reputation as a launching pad for emerging brands that soon become the popular standard for specialty boutiques and leading retailers around the world. POOL features Women’s Contemporary & Young Contemporary, Women’s Accessories & Footwear, Men’s Contemporary & Streetwear and Men’s Accessories & Footwear.
s(eco)nd, the newest launch of POOL TRADESHOW, made its debut in August 2007, focusing on the new breed of environmentally and socially conscious organizations emerging worldwide. “It only takes a second to change the world,” says Mindy Weiner, creator of s(eco)nd and Director of Operations for POOL TRADESHOW. “We now have an opportunity to lead by example on THE issue of our time. The fashion industry has been working to raise awareness for the last few seasons, but the timing is right for s(eco)nd and our stand on environmental issues. s(eco)nd will allow us to take a second look at how we do business, from an ecological standpoint, and will encourage our audience to rethink their basic day to day habits. We are proud to take a stand and to help pave the way for greater change.” POOL TRADESHOW, held twice a year in Las Vegas, showcases the best emerging designers and new products ranging from fashion and accessories to a wide variety of lifestyle products.
DETH From Above Volume 3: A Pattern of Violence
It's usually all ties all the time here, but in anticipation of our upcoming mini-North American tour with Solvent and Lowfish, it is time for a new mix. Plus loud music in the studio always makes the working time far more enjoyable! Hopefully we'll be picking up a slot at the POOL Tradeshow in Vegas in Feb.
The third installment of our Dethlab mix trilogyA Pattern of Violence[MP4 format, 74.2 MB]
01. Mathew Leutwyler - Jovencitas
02. Das Glow - Cathedrale
03. Daniel Wilhelm - Alster Dream
04. Markus Lange - Ruhestorung Plattenbau (Oxia Remix)
05. Alex D'Elia - Biancaluna
06. Namito + Martin Eyerer - Quipa (Etienne De Crecy Remix)
07. Savas Pascalidis - Boccaccio Life
08. Dibaba - In Your Face is the Place
09. Cirez D - Tigerstyle
10. Lutzenkirchen - A View To the Sea
11. Fergie - Up & Over
12. Gui Boratto - Tipologia (Lucy Remix)
13. The Shock - Manhattan (Einmusik Remix)
14. Stephan Bodzin, Swoop - Superlicious
15. Kardinal, Lowkey - Zombie's Night
16. Etienne De Crecy - Funk
(Top 10 of 2007 still in the works, about 5 of these are representative of that forthcoming list.)It starts off nice, but fear not, it'll hit you in the face with a brick soon enough. This is a slight deviation a bit from the other two which were primarily of Mr. Burnlab's curating. A little more dark ambient and French electro-house this time.
Listen to the two previous installments
here.
