Our December event,
City Listening gathered seven local design and architecture writers to read stories about LA. Here are links to the readings, so you can read along at home!
Frances Anderton: Whatever Happened to Los Angeles? [PDF]
Jade Chang: In Defense of the Mini-mall
John Chase: Sleeping with the Homeless (not yet online, we’re still debating between the R and NC-17 rating)
Christopher Hawthorne: New Developments Mask Wild Land’s Deadly Threat
Marissa Gluck & Josh Williams: That’s Rather Hideous/Million Dollar Listings
Sam Lubell: Fear and Loathing in Glendale
Alissa Walker: The Night Before Layoffs
See photos by Jenn Su and Keith Wiley and read the wrap ups on the Architect’s Newspaper, DnA and Dwell blogs. Thanks also to our drinks sponsors, Pama and Hpnotiq. And a big thank you to GOOD for hosting us as part of GOOD December.
In October, we asked you to go Out of Your Gourd for de LaB’s official extreme pumpkin design competition. The winning pumpkin can be seen here. Thanks to the The Farmers Cart and Lettuce Office (notice our harvest theme here?), and $230 in post-pumpkin proceeds went to the Downtown’s Women Shelter, just in time for the holidays.
In September we joined East of Eden, to find out where, exactly, was east. At this multi-gallery exhibition focusing on contributions from galleries located on the east side of town, we conducted a little mapping experiment where we asked attendees to draw where they thought the east side of LA was located. It inspired, um, spirited discourse, to say the least.
In August, we ventured down to the LA River with Freya Bardell and Brian Howe of Greenmeme. After a visit to their new Atwater Village studio (complete with oversized My Little Pony), we took a field trip to our local waterway to reconnect with our riparian treasure. Thanks to TRU Organic Vodka for the amazing green (literally!) cocktails. Check out pictures by photographer Adam Latham and by Karen Farrah Oswald at LA.com.
In July, we teamed up with the Architect’s Newspaper for a fundraiser at the NeutraVDL House in Silver Lake. We raised about $3000 to aid Cal Poly Pomona’s preservation efforts for this midcentury gem. One lucky winner went home with a mint Eames rocker thanks to our dear friends at Modernica. Check out fantastic photos of the Neutra VDL event by photographer Adam Latham.
In June, we took a break. But we were thinking of you the entire time!
In May, we headed back to Silver Lake for a special evening of green thinking and coffee drinking. After checking out a gravity-defying installation and ducking into a sweet design shop, we ended the night by learning a thing or two about proper caffeination. Thanks so much to everyone at Materials & Applications, Rubbish Interiors and LA Mill.
In April we ventured two short blocks west of La Brea to welcome the Storefront for Art and Architecture Pop-Up Store to Los Angeles. Hundreds of design folk shared Stellas and sweaty embraces as the party spilled out onto Sunset Boulevard. Intrepid reporter Jade Chang covered the scene for Metropolis’ POV blog. Thanks to the Storefront and ForYourArt!
In March we brought you a double dose of great design: A fashion show featuring the meaningful urban wear of se_arch+resQ hosted by our friends at MAKE Architecture. Guests who bought se_arch+resQ clothing and accessories supported non-profits with a focus on humanitarian issues and positive change. Thanks to our models and to Jenn Kennedy for the professional photos.
In February we headed to FreshPressed, the fabulous new screenprinting shop in Los Feliz! Thanks to proprietor Jonathan Sample we walked away with six custom designs by ALT Design, Bolton Design, Lettuce, Picnic Design, Tokyo Farm and Still Room printed on t-shirts, tote bags, posters—even neckties! Check out the photos!
In January, we visited the studio of Spacecraft & DSR in the heart of Hollywood. Our gracious hosts took us on a design walkabout to behind-the-plywood looks at Hollywood hotspots Kitchen 24 and Bar Deluxe and a grand tour of just-opened nightclub Goa. Of course we took some photos.
Are you a design professional living, working, or experimenting east of La Brea? Why not join our de Lab Flickr group while you’re at it? Don’t forget to upload your event photos there, too. And would you look at that, we’re on Facebook, too!
Questions? Ideas for future events? Hit us up:
Haily: haily AT designeastoflabrea.org
Alissa: alissa AT designeastoflabrea.org
Marissa: marissa AT designeastoflabrea.org
March is almost upon us, which means we're ready for our next de LaB event!
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