Thursday, November 10 , 2011 marks the opening of the fourth installation of BOFFO Building Fashion with the two week retail installation by The Lake & Stars + SOFTlab. The space at 57 Walker Street, New York, will contain patterns that are meant to blur orientation and depth perception in a way that will encourage visitors to explore, discover and engage with the space and work rather than simply view it. The interiors of the installation will be clad in dichoric acrylic and fabricated by Flatcut. The color and reflectivity of the acrylic changes depending on the viewing angle. Director Jenna Elizabeth collaborated with The Lake & Stars on a special short film to debut on the opening night of the BOFFO store. The film features world famous “pole fitness” dancers and will be shown on Planar screens.
Since the form of the space is angled the interior will act like an inhabitable kaleidoscope. One of the most exciting aspects of the piece will be the unique engagement by the viewers. As visitors move through the space they will be reflected, distorted, multiplied and remixed into the overall collection of pieces. The Lake & Stars is a lingerie collection designed by Maayan Zilberman and Nikki Dekker. Maayan and Nikki launched The Lake & Stars after meeting in New York City in 2007. Having designed previously at mass and boutique brands respectively, together they sought to create a collection that would bridge the gap between special occasion and everyday lingerie. Serving as a counterpart to their ready-to-wear designer contemporaries, the brand would be inclusive, friendly, and lighthearted-designer lingerie meant to be worn everyday, as a statement of personal style. Their designs have been worn by Kate Moss, Sarah Jessica Parker and were recently honored with a spot in the CFDA Incubator’s Class of 2014.
SOFTlab is a design studio based in New York City. The studio was created by Michael Szivos shortly after receiving a graduate degree in architecture from the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University. The studio has since been involved in the design and production of projects across almost every medium, from digitally fabricated large-scale sculpture, to interactive design, to large-scale digital video installations. As the studio adjusted to a wide range of projects, it began to focus less on the medium and style and more on ideas. The Lake & Stars retail installation will include limited edition & new product offerings from the brand. The Lake & Stars has produced an exclusive capsule collection for the BOFFO store, with pieces based on their bestsellers over the last ten collections. Nike has also partnered with The Lake & Stars, by creating custom made Air Force Ones for the debut of the BOFFO store. To commemorate both this anniversary and the opening of the retail space, a “chorus line” of custom-made Lake & Stars mannequins (courtesy of Rootstein) will be dressed in a retrospective of the label’s lingerie styles. The shop will also feature The Lake & Stars voodoo candles, branded candy, “sleepover toothbrushes,” and fine art books.
Gallery
The Lake & Stars is a lingerie collection designed by Maayan Zilberman and Nikki Dekker. Maayan and Nikki launched The Lake & Stars after meeting in New York City in 2007. Having designed previously at mass and boutique brands respectively, together they sought to create a collection that would bridge the gap between special occasion and everyday lingerie. Serving as a counterpart to their ready-to-wear designer contemporaries, the brand would be inclusive, friendly, and lighthearted- designer lingerie meant to be worn everyday, as a statement of personal style. They are the recent recipients of the 2011 Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award for Womenswear (a first for any lingerie label), and designed costumes in collaboration with Zaldy for Britney Spears’ 2011 tour. The line was made famous for its prominent appearances on Sarah Jessica Parker in the Sex and the City movie, where her character, Carrie, wore lingerie pieces as crossover RTW looks.
SOFTlab is a design studio based in New York City. The studio was created by Michael Szivos shortly after receiving a graduate degree in architecture from the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University. The studio has since been involved in the design and production of projects across almost every medium, from digitally fabricated large-scale sculpture, to interactive design, to large-scale digital video installations. As the studio adjusted to a wide range of projects, it began to focus less on the medium and style and more on ideas.
As a studio, SOFTlab, embraces projects that are strange, difficult, blurry, and straddle multiple mediums. The constraints of each project are treated as opportunities that are tested through a collaborative studio environment with the hopes of solving typical problems in new ways, with new tools. Through the studio’s unique blend of backgrounds as designers, artists, architects and educators we are able to approach every project from a fresh perspective to create rich spatial, graphic, interactive and visual experiences. SOFTlab privileges adaptability and infuses every project with the capacity to evolve and grow into something new and unexpected. Rather than thinking of a project as finished, the studio thinks of a project as a chance to cultivate intelligent change. By mixing research, creativity and technology with a strong desire to make working fun, SOFTlab attempts to create new and unique experiences.
In 2010 SOFTlab was awarded the New Practices New York award by the AIA Chapter of New York along with 7 other young studios. The studio has also produced a wide range of design projects and collaborated with various artists, designers, publications and institutions including MoMA, New Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The New York Times, eVolo Magazine, Surface Magazine, Columbia University and Pratt Institute. The studio’s work has been published widely in international journals and has also exhibited work in museums and galleries throughout New York City and Germany.