Come Rain, Sleet or Snow, We are Heading to Fashion Week: NYC!

February 10th, 2010 | Design Events

As I am putting the final items in my suitcase, I’m filled with excitement and eagerness for what is sure to be a spectacular and inspiring week. I’m looking forward to collaborating with the other designers who will be there, and hopeful that we will be able to share ideas and learn a thing or two from each other.

Getting ready for fashion week has heightened my awareness about the connection between fashion and interior design, and I am thrilled and thankful that Brizo has brought us on to be part of this experience. So much of what I do as an interior designer corresponds to what is going on in the fashion world, and throughout the upcoming week I’ll be looking for inspiration that I can bring back to my clients.

I have always believed that the interior design process should be enjoyable for the client, with a result that delivers a home environment that ties together form and function in a way which exceeds the client’s expectations. I feel that fashion week also values these same ideals: that fashion needs to be fun, functional, and well orchestrated. I think that experiencing this from a spectator’s perspective will give me more insight into how the client feels during the interior design process.

Segway Inventor Dean Kamen Discusses ‘Inspiring Design’ at Build Boston Keynote

December 9th, 2009 | Design Events

Dean Kamen, founder of DEKA Research and Development, is a self-taught physicist and highly successful entrepreneur. I had the privilege to hear Kamen present a key note speech entitled Inspiring Design at a recent Build Boston event. Over the course of his hour and a half presentation, Kamen regaled the audience with stories about several of his inventions, including a prosthesis inspired by the one Luke Skywalker wears in Star Wars and a water purification system that Kamen says would "wipe out 50% of human disease."

But what struck me most was Kamen's commitment to bettering humanity through scientific design and innovation. One of his projects is a nonprofit organization called U.S. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). Kamen launched the organization several years ago after realizing that many American teenagers couldn't name a single living scientist. "Our culture celebrates one thing: sports heroes," he says. "You have teenagers thinking they're going to make millions as NBA stars when that's not realistic for even 1 percent of them. Becoming a scientist or an engineer is." The organization's goal is to get people to value scientists the way they now value athletes. It's great to see someone like Kamen using his talents to improve society. I completely agree with his desire to improve lives, especially through design.