john pomp

last week i hopped a subway up to williamsburg to speak with one of the city's most celebrated glass artists, john pomp. i've been a fan of john's work for some time now- the way he works with color and form always brings to mind a certain sensuality that is often missing from glass these days. john has devoted his time not just to creating beautiful glass, but to creating a place where people can explore and produce their own glass. behind the pomp storefront is 160 glass, a studio that is open to anyone in the area that would like to take classes and learn more about the art of glass blowing. and this february, john is offering a special valentine's day glass blowing class where couples can come and do something different together. so, to hear more about 160 glass' classes and hear john's podcast simply click "play" below. you can hear all that john has to say about glass, the tempermental nature of contemporary design and of course, some words of wisdom (not to be missed) for design students and those looking to start their own design-based companies. enjoy!

[if you would like download the file and listen later just click here. you can also subscribe to the d*s podcast feed by signing up at itunes. just search for "design*sponge"]

[photo above from the nytimes.com and photos below from johnpomp.com]

alyssa ettinger

kristina and i often brainstorm projects together and a few weeks ago she came up with a great one: women to watch in 2007. we both decided it would be great to team up and combine our knowledge of both european and american design (she's the european, i'm the american) to create a "list" of women we feel are important to acknowledge within the design industry. this will include designers, writers, people in film, etc and even those who do more untraditional jobs within the business. we'll be interviewing each woman via email or podcast to give you a better introduction and will be sharing them on both sites. today we launch with one of my favorite designers, alyssa ettinger. based in brooklyn, alyssa creates some of the most beautiful pottery in the industry. she was kind enough to join me for lunch in park slope on saturday and let me pick her brain about running a business and finding a way to make a living doing what you love. [click here] to listen to alyssa's full podcast and here to visit the site of the women to watch in 2007 section on d*s. i'll be including links to all pieces written by kristina as well. [photos of alyssa ettinger by jennifer lévy and pottery by naheed choudhry]

[just a note: the women featured won't be only european or american, we'll of course include anyone anywhere that we feel should be acknowledged]

jen corace podcast *

last thursday i took a bus from downtown providence to jen corace's studio. she was kind enough to let me interview her about her work, her childhood in the suburbs of new jersey and even her favorite meal (she has self-described "burrito problem"). i was so nervous to meet her (she's like a rock star to me) but she was incredibly friendly and was kind enough to give me all sorts of insight into her work and how she goes about creating the collections that have made her famous. from brooding problems to her dream collections (think: jen corace for the home) jen had so many interesting things to say- i hope you'll enjoy her podcast. [click here to listen] or right click to save as an mp3. enjoy! [thanks again to jen for taking the time to meet with me]

[photos from okok gallery, music by jets to brazil]

thomas paul podcast

it's thursday and time for a fresh podcast! last week i sat down with thomas paul at the lovely keena showroom in brooklyn. amid colorful pillows and roost accessories galore we chatted about design, fashion, trends and porkchops. yes, porkchops. [click here] to listen to the podcast and you'll see where the porkchops come in. in 20 short minutes you can learn about thomas' design philosophy, which fashion designer he admires and get all the details about his exciting new project launching this fall. i hope you enjoy it [thanks to thomas for his time and to keena for the comfy podcast setting]

angela adams!

whenever i think of angela adams i'm transported to a place far north, deep in the woods of maine. a world where trees, flowers and animals frolic together to inspire the richly colored and hugely soulful designs of ms. adams. well-known for her beautiful work with textiles, rugs, tiles and accessories, angela adams grew up on an island off the coast of maine where she was (and continues to be) inspired by the bounty of nature around her. i was thrilled to speak with her and even more excited to hear the stories behind her luxurious rugs and tapestries, how she met her husband (designer sherwood hamill) and what her dream project would be if she could design and create without any limitations. so, click here to listen to the first podcast of fall: angela adams. thanks so much to angela and nanette for their time and thoughts.

[don't forget to sign up for the d*s newsletter to receive an exclusive 10 minute extended interview with angela adams. the newsletter goes out on friday. and don't forget lena's guest blog- she's been posting up a storm today and it looks fantastic!]

lena corwin + rena tom!

this past tuesday i was lucky enough to sit down with both lena corwin and rena tom for special dual d*s podcast. lena was gracious enough to invite us to her (beautiful) home in fort greene to conduct the interview (thanks, lena!). it was extremely exciting for me to get two of my favorite brooklyn artists into one room to talk about their work, the design industry and their dream projects. want to know what lena and rena have in their homes, what lena's new project is and why rena decided to start a shop for independent designers? CLICK HERE to find out and listen to the dual lena and rena podcast! and don't forget to sign up for the d*s newsletter (going out this weekend) for an exclusive 10 minute extended interview with rena and lena. enjoy! [thanks to rena and lena for their time!]

fred flare podcast!

tuesday was all about brooklyn designs so i wanted to move our monday podcast to tuesday so it didn't get lost. this week i was thrilled to speak with chris and keith of fred flare. i don't think i've done a podcast that was this fun in a long time (or an interview of any type). i stopped by fred flare headquarters in williamsburg, brooklyn and sat down with chris and keith to chat about design, starting your own store and sing the praises of reality tv. did you know that chris almost made the cast of survivor? did you know that keith went to FIT and dreamed of being a fashion designer? no? well, [click here] to listen! the theme music is "sparkle pop", an original pop song written by chris and keith. [thanks guys, i had so much fun!]