15 February 2010

Fashion and faucets


Last weekend, I sat with an esteemed group of designer/ bloggers in a faucet seminar hosted by the incredible design and marketing team from Brizo. Our seminar consisted of a review of their current offerings, a preview of what's coming in the next few model years and some really great discussions with Brizo's design team about what inspires them to do the work they do. It's no accident that Brizo's events coincide with Fashion Week, the runway shows in New York are events industrial designers attend anyway. What goes down those runways goes on to inspire the offerings and trends of every consumer product you can imagine, it's far more than just apparel.

This is the RSVP, it was inspired by an Erte illustration.


This is the Baliza, inspired by the lines and light beam of a lighthouse.


This is the Vesi Channel, inspired by water rushing down a mountain stream.


This is the Floriano, inspired by a wilting flower.


This is the Virage, a study of lines and shadows based on a wrought iron grille.


It's beautiful, intensely creative work and seeing what the designers at Brizo are working on now is a thrill and a privilege. So who knows what will inspire the next great faucet? Or the next great car, sofa, mobile phone, book cover, Kleenex box or soup can?


Can a faucet be born of this?


Or this?


Maybe this.

Stay tuned, there's some really thrilling things coming from the House of Brizo in the next few years.

So the other bloggers who were in New York with me last weekend were a pretty impressive group. Being in New York was an honor enough, being counted as a member of this esteemed group was something I never thought would ever come to be. Amazing.

13 comments:

  1. I love the post and am incredibly jealous you got to go to fashion week. Beautiful write up!

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  2. Wow, these are some seriously sexy faucets!! My favourite is the Virage -- love the smooth & twisty lines.

    Kelly

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  3. Great blog, great post and great taps (as we say in the UK).

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  4. omg - are you kidding about that dishwasher! what a bummer. I would be so furious at them!!! hehe!!! what a disappointment. hopefully it will work out soon for your winner!!!!!!!!!

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  5. One thing that I could not get over was how beautiful the faucets looked in real life as compared to the photographs -- which are great by the way -- and the finishes are beautiful. Still trying to figure out which is my favorite!

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  6. These are some gorgeous faucets. I love how you connected them with Fashion Week. I'd love to have you link it with my Timeless Tuesday party ~ the premise is timeless beauty in various forms of design. I think these faucets and your artistic way of showing them fit right in (even the first shot ~ the juxtaposition is awesome)! Here's the link for this Tuesday but it happens every Tuesday ~ http://paulagracedesigns.blogspot.com/2010/02/timeless-tuesday-three.html

    Paula Grace ~

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  7. Bess: Thanks! It was even better than my first runway experience last fall and I didn't think that was possible.

    Kelly: I feel like I've been neglecting you. How have you been?

    Joni: Yes, believe it. Can you say humiliating? Caveat blogger!

    Adrienne: I know, people look at me like I'm a nut when I start prattling on about chrome fixtures, but all it takes is a good look at Brizo's chrome finishes to see what I'm talking about. Even their finish chain doesn't do their fixtures justice.

    Paula: Hmmmm. Let's give this a try then!

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  8. I MUST. HAVE. the Brizo "RSVP." Of course, then I'll need the $20K bathroom to go with it... I've so enjoyed your Fashion Week writeups -- thanks for blogging it for us! (And great shoes, BTW!)

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  9. I'm telling you Anna, if you could hear the designer who came up with the RSVP talking about how he got the idea you'd love it even more. The RSVP has what I say is the most compelling story behind it out of all of their offerings. I'm lobbying Judd, the designer, to write a guest post about it.

    Thanks for following along, I'm glad you enjoyed my posts.

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  10. Great post Paul. I almost forgot about the falling water reference.

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  11. I agree-- great post! You must take great notes. As I was reading through your list of the design inspirations, I thought to myself "oh yeah, I remember he said that!" All I could think of at the time was was "God I hope I remember some of this... What time is it? Really? and Where's the coffee?!) Love that last runway photo. It's so dreamy... kind of like the whole day's experience seems to me now.

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  12. I've had the unfair advantage of having known these guys for a while Pam. I have heard the stories we heard that Friday morning a couple of times before. I still can't get enough though!

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