by chloe on February 22, 2010
The boys model for Burberry Trench
A couple months ago, SvG designs were featured in an LES pop-up boutique alongside the fashion-forward wares of Dee and Ricky. The pair of Staten Island twins (of triplets, they have a sister) dropped out of high school to start designing innovative toy-based accessories, suddenly the toast of the town when Marc Jacobs commissioned a LEGO set for his 2008 runway show.
Marc Jacobs 2008
Soon, the lego brooches, belts and bowties adorned the likes of Kanye and Rihanna, while the boys modeled for famed local painter Kehinde Wiley and the Burberry Trench campaign.
Most recently, they have teamed up with Max and Maggie for a Barneys collection which casts legos in silver and gold. As for the future, anything is possible. Keep reading to find out about their style icons (George Jetson anyone?) and what the theme of their own lego playset would be. Chea!
SvG: What are you wearing right now?
Dee: I am actually wearing the same outfit I wore the day before. I’m stuck in L.A. YEAH!! Dickies-E for Effort shirt, those crazy colorful toe socks, Hanes boxers and an army and navy beanie.
Ricky: Stingy fedora abc 123 tuxedo vest, t shirt bearing bill gates 1977 mug shot, some tailored slacks, tube socks, black chucks and a premium leather DeeandRicky waist bag.
SvG: Whose style do you admire the most?
Dee: Mostly fictional characters, the real world is just too much alike.
George Jetson
The Gonz
Tony Soprano
Robin Williams (He can’t be real)
Johnny Quest
Richie Rich
Soulja Boy (He can’t be real)
Mandark
Ricky: No one really…
Pop Artist Takashi Murakami rocks D&R
SvG: Where do you go when you’re not on Staten Island? Where do you hang
out when you are?
Dee: If we are on the island we are in my hood. If not, everyplace else.
Ricky: We’re usually in the city . . . never in the spot, always moving around.
SvG: Did you play with LEGOS a lot as children? What other toys did you play with?
Dee: Yeah they were around. We mostly played With Mighty Max, Ninja Turtles action figures, NES or Sega.. CHEA! 90’s FTW
Ricky: Yeah .. Had some Legos around here and there . . but we also played video games like Genesis , and Super Nintendo.
SvG: If you could create a Lego play set what would the theme be?
Dee: Staten Island. The highlight of it would be my hood . . . haha yeahhh.
Ricky: The death of Lègo.
SvG: Who do you think can rock a Dee and Ricky design the nicest?
Dee: A toddler
Ricky: I don’t know . . . anybody . . . its makes you look the nicest.
Dee and Ricky makes you look the nicest
SvG: What is the soundtrack to your work time? play time?
Dee: Jeezy: Trap star
SvG: What’s up with the Barneys collabo with Max and Maggie? is it a big deal and can I get a piece?
Dee: Hell yes its a big deal, and yes, you can get a piece.
Ricky: Yeah its kinda like a big deal . . . they’re in Barneys now . . . get ‘em while they hot.
Pop-up boutique with Dee and Ricky x Max and Maggie goods
SvG: What are the most exciting projects you are working on now or have coming up in the future?
Dee: Casio Watches, Max&Maggie, a bunch of stuff. TOP SECRET STUFF.
Ricky: A lot . . . you just gotta wait and see . . . it’s a surprise!
SvG: Is New York the best city in the world? How do you gather inspiration from your surroundings here?
Dee: Hands down the best city in the world. Inspiration from other people’s mistakes. Waking up . . . eating a sandwich. Its whatever.
Ricky: Yeah its a cool city if you want to live the fast life . . . I get inspiration from my surroundings . . .
Kehinde Wiley's captures their swagger
by chloe on February 11, 2010
Many of us have mixed feelings about Valentine’s Day, whether for it’s commercialization or just for the fact that it excludes those without a significant other. Never fear, I will spare you the drivel in favor of what really matters: SUGAR. I want to dedicate this year’s holiday to my very favorite bakery and local coffee shop, BAKED. Located on Van Brunt street in Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood, BAKED was started a few years ago by former advertising homies Renato Poliafito and Matt Lewis.
These days it’s a booming business inside the orange doors as well as across the country in distribution. Known for inventive and delicious recipes (chocolate bourbon pecan pie squares! sweet and salty brownies!), it’s no wonder they have a popular cookbook and a loyal following that includes Oprah. After personally sampling just about every in-house delicacy, I thought it was only fair to get owner Renato’s perspective on the correlation between sweets and the annual day of love. Read on and learn more about the perfect Brooklyn’s newest signature V-Day treat and why it’s just as good if you get the eat the whole thing yourself!
SvG: What were your Valentine’s Day traditions growing up?
R.P: I have to say, Valentine’s day wasn’t really on my radar as a kid. I
must have thought it was a grown-ups holiday. I guess I also wasn’t
popular with the ladies. Sad face.
SvG: What is your favorite Valentine’s Day memory as a grown-up?
R.P: Hrm. Yikes. I don’t have one! This is frightening, because I consider
myself somewhat of a romantic. I did have an Anti-Valentine’s Day party
quite a few years ago that brings back a lot of fond memories . . .
SvG: Why did you go into the baked good business?
R.P: Well, I originally thought I was going into the coffee shop business
with my business partner Matt- who was going to focus on the baked
goods. But the baked goods got to be such a hit, that the idea was
flipped on its head. We’re a bakery now, with a coffee shop attached.
SvG: Oh good, I love when that happens. Now that you’re the sweet-tooth cognoscenti,
do you get tons of traffic/orders around V-Day?
R.P: We do. It’s our biggest ‘last minute order’ holiday as well. You get
this rush of desperate looking men on the 13th trying to buy anything
and everything that’s for sale. They would tear out the fixtures if they could.
SvG: Haha. What is the most popular baked item this time of year, besides light fixtures?
R.P: Everything sells pretty well, but the conversation heart cakes are big this time of year, for obvious reasons.
Red velvet is a big time winner around Valentine’s Day as well. Of course heart-shaped anything flies off the shelves…
SvG: Which brings me to crux of the V-Day conundrum. Considering you have spent a lot of time “making things look
beautiful so people would buy them”, do you believe Valentine’s Day is a holiday about love or more of a hallmark/advertising thing? Be honest!
R.P: Good question! Well, I think most holidays these days are hyped to the nth degree and everything is so terribly commercial now. You lose the essence of the holiday - its real purpose - and this one is to tell the ones you love how much you love them, which i think you should do every day, not just on February 14th. But i tell you, a dozen cheap roses and a box of Whitmans samplers can still win me over…
SvG: My boyfriend (and probably most boyfriends) would definitely agree with you, minus the roses and Whitmans part . . . but just for shits and giggles, what do you think is an ideal valentines day date and/or gift?
R.P: Gosh. My expectations of an ideal V-Day date are pretty modest: a dinner, maybe a movie. a peck on the cheek and goodnight irene. Oh, I almost forgot- a tennis bracelet from Zayles. That will seal the deal.
SvG: Gotta have that tennis bracelet! Ok, so last question: What is your favorite BAKED good at the moment?
R.P: Well- right now, its our newest item, the ‘brookie’- its a chocolate chunk cookie baked inside a brownie shell. its amazing. I’m vying to make it Brooklyn’s official dessert.
