Meet and Greet...Tracy at Reebok

-Job Title- Classics Footwear Designer

-Hometown- Miami!

-Where did you go to school? Syracuse University

-What did you study? Industrial and Interaction Design

-How long have you been at Reebok? almost 2 years

-What does your job entail? Our Classics category works on more fashion oriented sport styles and I see a product from initial concept sketches to final development stages (of course, with the help of marketers and developers) I work in both men's and women's categories to design trend appropriate products that reflect the Reebok brand. This also includes putting new twists on styles from our archives in the 80's and 90's which made Reebok popular, such as the Freestyle and the Pump Omnilite.

-Whats your favorite part of your job? The quick satisfaction of seeing a drawing become a real sneaker.

-Which shoe design are you most proud of thus far? I'd have to say that my favorite shoes are probably the ones that never made it to production. Those are the ones that pushed the boundaries the most.

-What's one of your favorite stores? Muji. I like design that is simple, but ingenious.

-What inspires you? People and places. I enjoy traveling to places I've never been and meeting people of other cultures. Seeing different and new things keeps my mind fresh and not only inspires my designs, but also my life.

Sneaker fetaured.

Duffel

One of my favorite parts in a magazine is when they talk about someones travel essentials. It kind of fascinates me. It's been years and many miles that I've had my duffel bag, one of my travel essentials. I don't call it a weekender bag because I've found myself packing more than a weekends worth of clothes. One of the best parts is how the hunter green canvas is aging along with the leather straps. When it comes to luggage quality in the long run will be the smarter choice. Fortunately, I got this on sale but realize that if I payed more it would've still been worth it.

When in Paris

On one of my most recent trips I stopped by Paris. I could spend days talking about the great shops there. Here are a couple of highlights. I will not get into the high end stuff these are stores nobody should be afraid of stepping in to.

Petite Bateau (Little Boat) has an interesting concept. They have clothes for kids (new born to 7 yrs old) and for women. I took pictures of the windows because I loved the use of the actual clothes and the pictures of the families. The style is clean cut and classic.

One of my all time favorite stores is Colette found on Rue St. Honore. This is a store everyone should have on their list of things to do when in Paris. Why you ask? Their goal is to have the coolest stuff. I say stuff because they are not only about clothes. There you can find rulers, books, cell phones, ipods, and of course the latest in shoes, bags, and art work. There is even a cafe on the bottom level. One is not aloud to take pictures of the store but I learned that after I took these. Ooops!

Signs of Spring

Burberry knows how to bring spring into our minds. Love the jewel toned clothes and hats. Shot by Mario Testino.

Old and New

Something old and something new. Look, some cool ways to wear a blazer. Bottom-Details Jan/Feb 09 model, Tyler Riggs. Top-VF Jan 09, Bill Bucksley 1968

Domino Effect

If you haven't heard, Domino magazine is going to be no more. Yep, another one bites the dust. You can read a letter by the editor on their website. Blueprint is history and now Domino, will this madness ever stop? Yes, we can think about ourselves and the loss of one of our favorite sources for inspiration but that also means about 40 people lost their jobs. (From what I've heard CondeNast is on a hiring freeze like many other companies). So Best wishes to all at Domino.

Meet and Greet...Brittain Ward at Wilhelmina

I met Brittain on a shoot not to long ago. He was a pleasure to work with and I asked him a few questions for the blog. Keep an eye out for this up and coming model.


-Hometown: My father was Marine Corps so I call no place home. I've moved 18 times but currently I'm in NYC.
-How long have you been modeling? I've been modeling for about a year and a half now.
-How did you get started? I was scouted while in college I had a job as a waiter and someone stopped me and gave me a card.
-Who have you worked with? GQ Style, German GQ, Russian GQ, Details magazine, Esquire, Abercrombie, Calvin Klein.
-What did you think about the fashion industry before you were a model? I never really thought about the industry before I started I was in a small town and had no aspirations or interests involving fashion. After being immersed in it though, I've learned that any career in fashion is unforgiving and trying at times.
-What do you do when your not modeling? I read a lot, I just finished this book Outliers which was amazing. I'm pretty simple, I don't really go out to Manhattan that much. I prefer spending time with my college friends back in Jamaica Queens where I live( 50 cent's old hood hahahaha).
-What's on your playlist? My playlist is all over the place Anita Baker, ACDC, Project Pat, Pink Floyd, Billy Holiday, Louis Armstrong, lil' Wayne 8 years before he became well known, and a lot of old Cash Money Records and Three 6 Mafia.

"To wear something disposable thats the anti-ecofriendly...But
a coat that is beautifully tailored that you wear for 15 years. Fantastic."
-Michael Kors, Fashion Designer