Yesterday we ran part one of our interview with Nooka founder Matthew Waldman, but wait, there’s even more!
The Queens, New York native, artist and designer spoke about building a Mind Style company in addition to collaborating with some astute and clever designers for his brand.
In part two, Waldman talks about making accessories, working with Hello Kitty and what we should expect in Nooka’s future.
STORY: Part 1 GlobalGrind Interviews Nooka Founder Matthew Waldman
GlobalGrind: Can you talk about accessories? You’ve done sunglasses, belts and cases for gadgets.
Matthew Waldman: When I talk about techno-progressivism, or about things being progressive, and about rethinking existing objects, the belt hasn’t really changed any form since the pirates. It’s basically a loop with a pin and then there are holes. There are some other ratchet belts out there and other things but I felt that there wasn’t a perfect belt. I really think our belt, the Nooka Strip, is the perfect belt. Everyone who buys one just loves it, it’s a great product!
I was looking at some garbage ties and I thought, ‘Wow, these are just beautiful forms but they’re so tiny! They would be great if I could make a belt out of it.’ But the garbage ties don’t work in two directions, you have to cut them to release them. So, I reverse engineered some things like some garbage ties. It looks like a simple accessory but the process in which I approached the design (and also the fact that it has a design patent and it is quite innovative) makes it very Nooka. What also makes it really Nooka in the philosophy is that it’s not just innovative, but it’s to show that you can have innovation in something totally mechanical.
[pagebreak]
Consumers today, they only expect and demand innovation when it comes to technology, when they’re buying a new phone, a flat screen TV or some kind of Internet delivery system whether it’s Kindle or iTunes.
In that space, people insist on having the latest and the greatest technology but then when they go for accessories, or they go for fashion, somehow, their brains turns off and they go in retardation mode and start dressing like they lived 30, 40, 50 years ago. To me that’s very strange!
I’m trying to fight the tide of nostalgia that has gripped accessory and fashion design by doing the little bit that I can with the accessories that we release.
Above: Xerox scan of Nooka belt with case.
[pagebreak]
Another accessory that you released recently is the Nooka fragrance which you made with Pierre Constantine Glarose. What was that experience like and why did you chose Japanese uzu as a base?
I wanted the fragrance to embody all of the touch points and the philosophy of the brand. Because we’re such a global brand. The uzu was actually a happy accident because it happens to be a Japanese food. I’ve lived in Japan and a lot of my formative experiences were in Tokyo. The note and the feeling we were trying to express through the citrus note was electricity. Uzu actually does give you that sort of fresh electric air. When you combine uzu and the type of the ozone that compounds in the fragrance, you get something that is very electric. So it just worked out to tell the story of electricity and also of globalism.
Above: Nooka fragrance bottle scanned with Xerox copier.
[pagebreak]
If you could narrow it down what’s Nooka’s most popular product?
It’s definitely a black Zub Zen, probably a black Zub Zen H or Zen B watch.
Why do you think that resonates with people?
I think people tend to like black because it goes well with everything. It’s also because of the price points. I think the Zen faces are the most arresting and make the biggest statement, the strongest statement.
What can we expect in the coming seasons from Nooka?
We’re going to continue to play with more materials. We just released something called the Zub 40, which is our first rubber construction watch with a removable strap. It’s also a lower price point. We’re going to be doing a sneaker collaboration with a major international brand. We’re going revitalize our the glow-in-the-dark line, coming later next year. We did a collaboration with Hello Kitty for her 35th birthday so I’m excited about that.
[pagebreak]
How did you hook up with Hello Kitty?
When I talk about design, I always include a couple of slides about things that influenced me as a child and growing up. One of those things is always Hello Kitty. Hello Kitty is the perfect design and it’s very much my philosophy. When you talk about trying to find a universal language, and fashion is one. You don’t have to know who or what or where Hello Kitty is from. You look at it and immediately people respond to it as being cute and it just makes people feel good. It’s something with just a few brush strokes and a few lines that communicate those emotions. It’s a very successful design and I can’t express it enough. I think those kinds of interviews, I think people at San Rio read it, and they reached out to our office in Tokyo.
Hello Kitty is definitely a universal symbol of cuteness.
Yeah, and you don’t have to explain it!
