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Cat People Issue One. Editor / art director – Jessica Lowe. Photo - Gavin Green.

Cat People Issue One. Editor / art director – Jessica Lowe. Photo - Gavin Green.

Cat People Issue One. Editor / art director – Jessica Lowe. Photo - Gavin Green.

Cat People editor and art director Jessica Lowe in her Heidelberg home. Photo - Gavin Green.

Confession – I never thought there would be a post dedicated to CATS on The Design Files (!!), but when Lisa brought Cat People to my attention (with the reminder we did once dedicate an entire post to another amazing local magazine all about dogs) I had to acquiesce.  Cat People is such an impressive little indie publication, and despite the Japanese Kanji on the front cover, it’s created right here in Melbourne.

At the helm of this unique title is editor and art director Jessica Lowe, who is most definitely (and defiantly!) a cat person. The idea for Cat People came about when she and her partner and photographer Gavin Green were travelling in Japan and became besotted with the zine culture there. Eager to find a zine about their favourite domestic animal to bring home as a little souvenir, they were shocked to learn no such one existed!  It was then that they had the ingenious idea to create their own, combining their shared skills in editing, publishing and photography.

Cat People is about bringing together a global community of cat lovers. Issue One features the lifestyles of four ‘cat people’ including artist Tanya Schultz  from Pip & Pop, illustrator Mat Maitland, and fashion designers Vivetta Ponti, and Suzanne Clements & Inacio Ribeiro from Clements Ribeiro, with a brilliant collection of commissioned illustration and photography by some pretty serious peeps including Italian illustrator Olimpia Zagnoli, and aclaimed Japanese photographer Takashi Homma. It is a beautifully presented and considered project that even those anti-cat or hyper allergic types can still enjoy.

Another amazing thing about Cat People is that it is bi-lingual, with sections written in both English and Japanese.  Jessica and Gavin launched their zine at Tokyo Art and Book Fair last year, where all advance copies sold out! ‘Japan is such a huge part of Cat People – it’s where we conceived the idea, and it has always been the spiritual home of the magazine,’ says Jessica.

We asked Jessica a few questions about this niche title –

Tell us a little bit about yourself – what’s your background in, what did you study and what path led you to starting Cat People?

Growing up my parents were the publishers of several bridal and fashion titles, so I was kind of raised around magazines. During school holidays my sister and I would watch over the shoulders of the graphic designers, borrowing their Pantone markers and helping to mark up the proofs.

As I got older, I developed a healthy obsession with magazines, particularly late ’90s issues of The Face, and graphic design, which I went on to study at RMIT. Books and magazines have always been where my interest lies as a designer, and I think print still offers us an experience that can’t be replicated in other media.

What can our readers expect to see inside the pages of Issue One of Cat People – who is Cat People made for?

Issue One takes us into the homes and workspaces of several cat-obsessed creatives from various disciplines – illustration, photography, art and fashion. We feature new work by Lucy James, Olimpia Zagnoli and Takashi Homma, and interviews with Pip & Pop (Tanya Schultz), Vivetta, Mat Maitland and Clements Ribeiro. Cats are used as subject matter, but also as a link between the featured creatives. It’s 146 pages of interviews, art and cats!

How did the concept for Cat People originally come to you and how long was the mag in development for? What process was involved in getting this idea off the ground and onto a shelf?

I’ve been working cats into my designs for some time, so the idea of a sort-of cat magazine was never too far-fetched!

My partner Gavin and I had been thinking of a project to work on together, and during a trip to Japan in 2012 we dug around in bookstores half-expecting to find a Japanese equivalent of Cat People. We didn’t, so we decided to make it ourselves.

Gavin is a photographer, and also a bit obsessed with books, so Cat People began as the convergence of both our interests – art, design, books and cats.

The next few months involved tonnes of emailing potential editorial leads, and receiving both crushing rejections and unimaginable acceptances. Self-publishing can be so tricky when you’re starting out, and it’s important to have the right measure of confidence in your ideas and communication. Ultimately, people seem to know instinctively when something is a good idea, and we were lucky enough to work with some of our favourite artists and designers on Cat People.

We travelled to photograph each of the featured ‘cat people’ in their homes and studios, while commissioning interviews and artwork. By the end of August last year we had the final magazine designed, and in September we travelled to Japan to launch Cat People at the Tokyo Art Book Fair, where we managed to sell out all our advance copies.

Have you always been a cat lover?! If you were a cat what breed would you be and why?

We had Siamese cats around the home as kids, so they have always felt like part of the family. Now, we have two crazy Siamese, Lola and Lulu, whose favourite pastime is sleeping on my keyboard while I am trying to use InDesign.

What’s next for Cat People?

At the moment I’m really excited about an award that Cat People has been nominated for – ‘Best Indie Magazine’ by the Society of Publication Designers in New York. It’s such an honour to be part of the awards. Fingers crossed! We are also in the very early stages of planning our second issue, which involves making lots of lists and writing so many emails. It’s an exciting stage and anything is possible.

Cat People is available to order here. 

Cat People Issue One. Editor / art director - Jessica Lowe. Photo – Gavin Green.

Cat People Issue One. Editor / art director – Jessica Lowe. Photo - Gavin Green.

Cat People Issue One. Editor / art director – Jessica Lowe. Photo – Gavin Green.

Cat People Issue One. Art direction – Jessica Lowe. Photo – Gavin Green.

When I first met Rita Mehta at the end of last summer, she had just launched The American Edit, a website focused on celebrating American-made style. After lunch, we lingered in the street for a solid thirty minutes chatting about our favorite designers, with Rita recommending countless local boutiques for me (a Minneapolis newbie at the time) to visit. Her passion for small business and consciously-made products was palpable. Since its launch, Rita says the community response to her site has been very rewarding. More and more, people want to know the story behind the products they buy and connect with the makers. Since she obviously practices what she preaches, it was such a treat to peek into her South Minneapolis home. Even though she and her husband Matt are technically long-term house sitters for friends living abroad and the space was mostly furnished upon moving in, they have taken the time to meld their style with their friends’, by investing in one-of-a-kind rugs, bedding and even making a standing desk – all things that will endure and can go wherever they live next. Though this isn’t their permanent home, they live by the notion of consumption karma; by bringing products into their space that were made and sold thoughtfully and carefully, Rita believes this brings good energy into the home. After seeing her space first hand, I would have to agree. Thank you, Rita and Matt! Special thanks to Ashley Sullivan for the photos and Munster Rose for the florals. -Shannon

Image above: The entry way… in the mornings, the light kind of explodes in here and it’s just the happiest little corner. I typically hate pink, but this wallpaper is helping me change my mind. I came across the African basket at Mociun in Brooklyn and knew it would be perfect in this space – I guess I really am starting to like pink!

Image above: The dining room is my favorite part of the house – there are few things I like better than having it filled with all of our favorite people. Matt and I tend to be overambitious in the kitchen and haven’t perfected the fine art of timing a meal perfectly just yet, so we always have plenty of wine on hand in case there is a bit of a wait between courses. The Moroccan rug from Mille is probably my absolute favorite piece in the house – the medallions make it feel even more special. However, they do fall off, and we find them all over…

See more of this Minneapolis home after the jump…

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lonny has got one colorful home tour on their site right now. i’m not sure if i could ever be so bold, but fashion designer Manish Arora’s Paris pied-à-terre is over the top bright, beautiful and very bohemian. “I cannot live in the dark,” the New Delhi–born fashion designer says — no kidding! i couldn’t help but share his exuberant lust for living! for the full tour, check out lonny.

• all photos via lonny.

© Aki Inomata

© Aki Inomata

The once humble shells are a thing of the past for these hermit crabs, who have been upgraded to some fantastically creative new digs constructed by Tokyo-based artist Aki Inomata for her series Why Not Hand Over a “Shelter” to Hermit Crabs? Using a CT scanner, Inomata made a detailed 3D model of a snail shell, adding iconic architectural features and cityscapes—the Manhattan skyline, the picturesque windmills of Zaanse Schans in the Netherlands, beautiful Santorini—and printed out the crystal-like abodes in transparent plastic using a 3D printer. She then left them for these tiny little creatures to let themselves in if they so desired—and that they did.

The hermit crab and its transitory nature when it comes to shelter was just the right expression for Inomata’s inspiration for the work—the modern day negotiation of the land of the former French Embassy in Japan, where control changes hands every 50 years; “the same piece of land is peacefully transferred from one country to the other. These kinds of things take place without our being aware of it. On the other hand, similar events are not unrelated to us as individuals. For example, acquiring nationality, moving, and migration,” the artist says. To see a hermit crab house-swap in action, check out the video below.

© Aki Inomata

© Aki Inomata

© Aki Inomata

© Aki Inomata

The post Artist Constructs Fantastically Creative New Homes for Hermit Crabs appeared first on Feature Shoot.

Location: Jersey City, New Jersey
Size: 902 square feet
Years lived in: 5 years; owned

Jeff has lived in the NYC area for over twenty years. Five years ago he purchased this Jersey City loft, which he has thoroughly made his own. His home is brimming with antique curiosities that he's collected along the way.

Open House Tour

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In the United States, the right to bear arms is a permanent part of the political conversation, more lately because of shooting tragedies that seem to be happening with increased frequency. For her series My First Rifle, Amsterdam-based photographer An-Sofie Kesteleyn sought out children from Ohio to Texas to photograph with their Crickett rifles, which are designed specifically for children aged 7-12. They are lightweight .22-caliber guns that come in a variety of colors and are scaled to the size of children. Kesteleyn paired the portraits with photos of each child’s answer to a question about what their fears are.

Approaching parents to photograph their children isn’t necessarily the easiest task, and in Next #03 (Schilt), Kesteleyn explains how difficult it was to find subjects for the project: “I met with quite a bit of suspicion, probably because of the gun-ownership debate, which was very heated at the time. In the end I managed to photograph only around 15 children from the hundreds of families I approached.”

There is an argument to be made, in a largely gun-loving nation, for giving children hands-on experience with how and how not to use them. There is an equally valid argument for keeping them out of everyone’s hands, and it has been statistically shown (though constantly challenged) that when people don’t have access to guns, fewer people are killed by gun-related injuries.

Politics aside, Kesteleyn’s series is captivating for the mere fact that it is odd to see such young children with a real gun that can fire ammunition and be used to kill.

All photographs © An-Sofie Kesteleyn. Kesteleyn was a participant in the 2013 Joop Swart Masterclass by World Press Photo Academy. Her work from the project is featured in Next #03, published by Schilt.

The post ‘My First Rifle’: Portraits of American Children With Their Guns appeared first on Feature Shoot.

Chris and Amber Earl have only lived in their home for two years, but Chris’ history with the house goes back all the way to his childhood. In the 1940s Chris’ grandparents built this North Hollywood tract home and he spent many a summer playing in the back yard. Now he shares it with his wife Amber, a fashion rep, and together they’ve found a way to transform the space into their own- including a hidden speakeasy that once served as his grandmother’s art studio! Chris works as a wildnerness chef but also loves woodworking and is launching a new furniture line soon. His design and carpentry skills have come in handy at home, where he’s built not only a custom dining table but a bookshelf that doubles as a hidden door to the art-studio-turned-speakeasy the couple uses when friends join them for a meal. Their entire home is full of family details, beautiful travel souvenirs and hand-crafted furniture, all of which seems right in line with the tradition started by Chris’ family. Thanks so much to Chris and Amber for welcoming us into their home and to Denise Bovee and Michelle Mosqueda for the lovely photos! -Amy

Image above: Our bed is the sexiest thing in our house. This king size monstrosity is elegant, yet still masculine. The tapestry and pillow sham were found in Istanbul on our honeymoon.

Image above: This is us sitting on our porch! My sweater is Townsen, my skirt is Parker, and my shoes are LD Tuttle, I work in contemporary fashion in sales and I actually rep Parker and Townsen. Chris’ shirt is Shades of Grey, and his boots are J Shoes.

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There are very few brands I go back to over and over again, but Schoolhouse Electric is one of them. I’ve gotten to watch them grow from a small shop to the owners of a huge warehouse in Portland, Oregon that not only houses other brands that we love, but supports and hosts events for independent design on a regular basis. They’ve truly grown into a community of talented artists and I’m so thrilled to share the first peek at their Spring 2014 collection here today!

In addition to beautiful new lighting, Schoolhouse has introduced a beautiful new series of bedding (I love the + sheets), tabletop, lighting fixtures (I’m ordering those brass switchplates for sure) and, my favorite, brass geometric knobs that feel very of the moment and perfect for giving cabinets a modern update. The entire collection definitely moves in a more modern, streamlined direction, but still holds on to the vintage/industrial traditions that Schoolhouse Electric is known for. I can’t wait to see these all in person- those brass pulls are coming home with me for sure. Until then, you can check out highlights from the collection here and more after the jump- including an interview with Kirsten Nieman of Schoolhouse Electric designer. She’ll walk us through the the new collection, its inspiration and where they’re headed as a brand. Thanks to everyone at Schoolhouse for the sneak peek! xo, grace

Click through for an interview with Kirsten Nieman of Schoolhouse Electric!

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Katy Perry as Princess Mandee

Katy Perry as Ace The Animal Trainer

Quite the unexpected party guest, pop singer Katy Perry recently crashed five different birthday parties disguised as one of these ‘world’s worst birthday entertainers’—a washed up Vegas dancer past her prime, a drunk clown with few kid-pleasing talents—for her new music video “Birthday.” The party planners of the birthday parties Perry attended were conned into thinking they were participating in a reality TV show called ‘Birthday Blowout,’ where anything could go. Perry only revealed her identity at one of the parties, never letting on at the others.

To support the video, Canadian director and photographer Ryan Enn Hughes shot this series of animated gif portraits of Perry in disguise using a Canon EOS 1DC camera. There’s no denying these are a little creepy, but Hughes did a stellar job of bringing these quirky characters to life.

Katy Perry as Goldie Dancer

Katy Perry as Yosef Shulem

Katy Perry as Kriss The Clown

The post Surprisingly Awesome GIF Portraits of Katy Perry in Disguise appeared first on Feature Shoot.

If you’ve ever driven through Texas, then you’ve probably seen a pumpjack or two—or ten—depending on what part of the state you’re in. These “nodding donkeys” as they’re nicknamed, are used to mechanically lift oil out of wells and are plentiful in oil-rich areas across the state. Austin-based photographer Ben Sklar has seen these unique and Texas-proud pumpjacks for years, but never knew how he’d like to photograph them beyond a toursists’ snapshot. He recently decided that a typology approach made the most sense—a record of the same heavy machinery repeated, but decorated differently each time. Equipped with a 4×5 camera, Sklar spent a day driving around the small town of Luling in search of signature pumpjacks, his collection capturing character and charm, Texas-style.

The post ‘Nodding Donkeys’: Photos of Decorated Oil Pumps in Small-Town Texas appeared first on Feature Shoot.

Breathtaking and surreal, Karen Knorr‘s work is more than just lush images of animals and colorful architecture, but a celebration and musing of India’s rich culture and myths. Using sacred and secular sites, the series highlights “caste, femininity and its relationship with the animal world.” India Song is tediously captured with a large format camera and scanned to a very high resolution to catch every detail of the various temples and mausoleums. Knorr then inserts live animals into these decadent landscapes in a amalgam of analog and digital as well as fantasy and reality. Cranes, tigers and elephants lounge and roam like kings in their environment. The series acts as a nod to the many animal-centric fables of the Panchatantra, Knorr’s beasts taking on a magnificent nobility when made lord of Indian palaces and holy sites.

via Faith is Torment

The post India’s Animal Kingdom: Portraits of Wild Beasts In Ornate Palaces appeared first on Feature Shoot.

Courtesy of Michael Nichols, National Geographic

If you think this photo goes on forever, try to imagine the actual scale of this mighty sequoia.
Located in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park just east of Visalia, California, ‘The President’ is known as one of the largest trees in world and is estimated to be around 3,200 years old.

Standing 75.3 meters tall and 8.2 meters wide, the sequoia had never been completely photographed until photographer Michael “Nick” Nichols and some tree-climbing scientists set about the monstrous task. It took 32 days and 126 individual photographs stitched together to capture the sequoia’s unfathomable magnitude. Nichols worked on the project for the National Geographic, the tree representing “110 generations of human life.”

via Lost at E Minor

The post Photo du Jour: The Largest Tree in the World Captured in 126 Photos appeared first on Feature Shoot.