Welcome back to the Confessional. This week we have all eyes on Malia Sias, Ecko fashion designer and founder of the Googly Eye Cru. From her unique sense of fashion and wacky sense of humour, there’s no forgetting this lovely lady. Her easy-going personality and infectious smile make her a standout of the bunch.
Malia and Syd (her B.F. for life!) are the brains behind the cutest pairs of eyes we’ve been seeing so much of lately… (or should I say being seen by?) The playfulness and humor felt through her Googly Eyes is somewhat a reflection of her own personality.
Read on and see for yourself!
Name and Age, please:
Malia Sias. Do you want to know how old I am or how old I act? I’m 33 but act like a preteen and have the sense of humor of an 80-year-old man.
Marital status:
Totally taken.
Where are you originally from?
Used to live in the Appalachian Mountains in PA then my parents played a cruel joke on me and moved to jerz…
How long have you lived in New York?
I used to come here when I was growing up in NJ but have been here for about 8 years now
What neighborhood in NY do you live in?
I’m kind of a gypsy right now. Usually Brooklyn or lower east side.
What are your favorite memories of New York since living here?
The nite me and my girl Syd rode around on our bikes til 5 am hanging up stickers. We got most of lower Manhattan that nite.
Did you go to design school, if so, where?
I went to the Art Institute of Seattle for fashion design. I was going to make a big “f” sticker in the same font as the name of the school and hang it up on the sign of the school so it would say the fart institute…I think that will be my next sticker project. Adding “f’s” to words that begin with Art.
When did you know you wanted to become a designer?
I’ve always liked sewing. I made stuff all the time when I was in highschool. Molly Ringwald style. Then I used to make dresses and sell them at grateful dead shows…then I just went to school for it. I love it.
Where and how did you get your first design job?
One of my first jobs was actually an internship at this bondage and leather fetish shop called Sin. It was in Seattle. I sewed their samples. Things like red latex nurses outfits…stuff like that. It was crazy. I remember this guy who sat next to me at this table and his job was to make all the leather goods. You know all those things that were props in the “basement scene” of Pulp Fiction. Like the leather muzzle with the ball in the mouth or the sex swings..and I’d think to myself. “Wow people really use these things.” It was a crazy introduction into the fashion industry…
How long have you been working for Ecko and what’s it like working for them?
I’ve been there for almost 9 years. I started with them back when they were this tiny company in Southriver NJ. I’ve seen a lot of faces come and go but somehow it’s a good place for me. I guess partially cause I’ve been there for so long I have this sense of loyalty to seeing all my years of hard work succeed but really I like all the people that I get to work with. It’s a company of young creatives and I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with so many talented artists in my 9 years there.
What is the Googly Eye Cru?
It something that me and my friend Syd started doing one nite just for fun. It started with our obsession and oversupply of those real googly eyes you know the ones that have the black ball inside that moves around?
How did you get the idea of making Googly Eyes?
Well the “eyedea” came from my huge collection of actual googly eyes. It all started when I was at fashion school and had this epiphany to create a collection that was had sewn mosaics of googly eyes. So my girl Tara took me to this doll supply wholesaler where I bought huge quantities of all different sizes of eyeballs for my art project. I ended up nixing the whole eyedea so I was stuck with all these eyes. So here I am 7-8 years later and being such a pack rat I still have all these eyes. So me and my girl Syd started going out and super gluing them to things. Like payphone receivers and such. But they’d always fall off after a couple days and no one really saw them. So I evolved our little art project into the stickers. And now we are hooked. There’s seriously nothing cuter then making a face out of a pipe or a garbage can. I freaking love it.
How many members are in the Cru?
Well its officially it’s me and Syd’s brainchild. We are the ones that started it. But we have a whole cru of our friends that are our little soldiers. We got Meegs in SF and Tara in AZ.
How many stickers have you stuck so far?
For reals thousands I guess. I don’t even keep count anymore but I know we’ve done over 8000 for sure if not more.
Congrats on your 5-page writeup in RE:UP this month. What other attention has G.E.C been getting lately?
Well we made pillows that are featured in this months XLR8R mag this month too. Besides the pillows we have some new things in the works that are updates to our stickers. Eye’m sure you’ll see them soon.
We’ve heard that there’s been lots of G.E.C sightings in Tokyo not too long ago. What was that about?
Yeah, I went to Japan and of course put up stickers. It was the perfect place for it cause everything there is so animated already that our eyes just looked cute on everything I put them on. My favorite was this garbage can that looked like an alligator.
(Googly Eyes in Japan. Click on images to enlarge.)
What’s next for you?
Well like I said we have some new projects in the work. They are pretty cute. I don’t want to give anything away. We also have a merch site www.merchline.com/reup where we are going to sell our pillows, stickers and tees. We are also working on a website.
What would be your ideal creative collaboration?
I don’t know if I have one right now. I’m just happy to collab with anyone as long as the end result is cute I’m all for it.
Got a long term plan?
Nah not really. My plan is to just have fun and let it evolve by itself. Of course I’m constantly being inspired to do more with it all the time but really I just take it day by day.
Do you have much free time? And what do you do when you’re not working?
Nah I don’t feel like I have a lot of freetime. When I’m not working at Ecko I’m out doing googly eye stuff or just hangin out with my friends. But I’ve been hibernating with this cold weather I always do more in the city when it’s summer out.
Who are your favorite designers and artists? Built by Wendy is one of my favorite lines. She is a perfect balance of vintage, casual, dressy and humor. I also have been reading up on Vivienne Westwood and went to see her exhibit in SF. She is so eccentric and was so ahead of her time. And Jean Paul Gaultier always blows me away. I can’t say I have one favorite designer. I’m more intrigued and inspired by individual finds. I love shopping in Hong Kong there seems to be an unlimited supply of animal print. My favorite artist..hm this is a hard one. Definitely Bigfoot. Also this kid Legend. He is one of the most talented artists I’ve ever met. He finds things on the ground like rusty pipes and sprockets and then nails them to wood and paints around them. They are so amazing. Oh yah did I mention he is only 16 and started doing this at like age 13. I bought one of his pieces, it’s this owl and it’s so sick!
How would you describe your personal style?
Animal prints. Animal prints and Animal prints. Denim and boots.
What’s your favorite accessory you own?
Wow this is a really hard one cause I’m all about accessories. I guess if I had to narrow it down it would be my tiger striped enamel ring. It’s the second best thing to the real Cartier de Panther ring I really want…
Where do you like to shop?
Hong Kong hands down is where I load up on all my clothes. Mong Kok is a shoppers paradise. I usually have to buy an extra suitcase when I’m there just to bring home all the clothes, shoes and bags I bought for myself. I also love shopping in London. Topshop & Portabello market. I love all things vintage. My favorite vintage shopping is in Arizona…shit is so cheap again everytime I go there I have to buy a separate suitcase to bring home all the stuff I find.
Do you go out much? Got any favorite bars, lounges, clubs?
Well I love Nice Guy Eddie’s cause of the jukebox there. I has all my favorite rock music. I usually end up wasted and jamming out to Bonjovi or Kiss. Also, nothing beats Palais Royale on Friday happy hours. 2 for 1 drinks.
Name your top 3 fave restaurants in NY and your favorite dish there. Curly’s on 14th… I like the tostada salad with beef. Kates Joint. I always get the unturkey club. Organic Grill. Anything with tempeh I love.
What music have you been listening to lately?
Bonjovi, Heart, Accept oh and yah…Justin Timberlake
Do you plan on living in NY forever?
No I’m going to buy an A-frame in the woods someday.
Name one New York woman that you would nominate to our Hail Mary! list.
My girl Syd she’s the other half of the G.E.C. of course!
New York designer Daryl K. has been one of the most reliable go-to designers for us city girls worldwide. Her style is sleek, sexy, and casual with the right amount of color, lots of black, and perfect layering pieces. I was thrilled when she reopened her store a few years ago, right back in the same space she had on Bond Street before she went on a brief hiatus.
Her new Spring 2007 collection is no exception to what we’ve grown to love and expect. The perfect shorts jumpsuit and wide selection of spring dresses are enough styles to choose from for this whole season’s shopping spree. An added bonus for spring is the recent launch of her online store. You can view the lookbook first then conveniently go straight to shopping! Aaah, the New York way…
(left: John Rieben. A Is the First Letter of the Alphabet. 1965-66. Lithograph. right: Frieder Grindler& Renata Grindler. Kaspar. 1969. Offset lithograph.)
It’s considered to be one of the most important and widely-seen typefaces of the 20th century. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Max Miedinger and Edouard Hoffmann’s design, Helvetica. For many designers and graphic-minded people, Helvetica, with it’s well-proportioned curves and straights, represents the perfect typeface. Clear and clean, and neutral.
The MoMA is honoring their first typeface acquired for MoMA’s collection with an installation of more than 25 works that feature the Helvetica font, including posters, signage, and other graphic material demonstrating the variety of uses of this design classic. Original lead forms of the Helvetica typeface from 1956-57 will be on display, as well as the New York City Subway Map (1970) designed by Massimo Vignelli; a variety of album covers, including Massive Attack’s Blue Lines (2001); and an American Apparel advertisement (2005).
As a special feature in the exhibition, an excerpt of Gary Hustwit’s documentary Helvetica (2007) reveals the typeface as we experience it in an everyday context.
50 Years of Helvetica
April 6, 2007-March 2008
The Philip Johnson Architecture and Design Galleries, Third Floor
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BLOWOUTS IN BABYLON
The Golden Hanger pop-up shop is going on for two days only, Saturday and Sunday this weekend. There will be 7 featured brands including Bijules, Rojas, Glad News, Sir Hayes baby gear, Still Life headwear, Christopher Bevans menswear, and Icelands’ Pretty Shitty as Imba.
Carlo Rossi jugs-o-wine will be free flowin! Click on flyer for more details.
Yes, it is the age of the internet. We’re letting you know where to find the hottest items on the web from the biggest web shopper you’ll ever meet! Here’s the ultimate online shopping guide courtesy of our snazziest dressed friend, Saint Marina!
Aaaah, what’s the real New York like in the summertime? Heat, humidity, dirty feet!… and The Hat. (Guys, the dirty feet part does not pertain to you, we KNOW, you still rock your sweaty feet Nikes during the summer heatwaves…) For you up or out-of-towners, you might know this spot as El Sombrero, but that’s how we can tell you apart from the frequent Lower East Side dwellers. The Hat is ALWAYS referred to as “the hat”.
This landmark is a Dominican-owned Mexican restaurant in the heart of the L.E.S and though I usually steer clear of the grub, I pretty much make my auto-pilot entrance every time I walk by. Their frozen margaritas are $7 of tequila brainfreeze goodness, a summer New York delight. When the temperature heats up I can expect to see a mini-fiesta with some familiar faces hanging out on the corner, usually Nasty Neal’s close by regulating passers-by. It’s definitely the choice pitstop during your regular L.E.S roll-thru or weekend bar crawling escapades.
Never been there? Stop in for a cool down! Just make sure not to disturb the Regulator.
Check the picture above for the address…
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BLOWOUTS IN BABYLON
Tonight, Tuesday April 24th, 1992 and Project Matt present “Downtown’s Sweetheart” Vashtie’s birthday bash at Lotus. Hosted by Oscar and special guest Grand Puba with DJ Soul and King Solomon on the wheels.
Then on Thursday, the 26th, our peoples from Supreme, Angelo (Absurd) and Gaby “Fresh-ta-death” Lardizabal invite you to Coochifrito! (That’s right, say it again.) A hot night of freestyle, salsa and slow jamz with music by DJ Jean aka PRESERVATION (on break from touring with Mos Def) and Dorian (Brukkout). It all goes down at Kingsize. Click on flyer for more info.
As we found out a few weeks ago, Brooklyn’s Empire Roller Skating Center will be officially closing its doors this Monday, April 23rd. Saturday is your last chance to get your bounce on in the house where roller disco was born.
In 1935, what was originally a stable to the vicinity’s Ebbets Field and New York Police Department opened its doors as the Brooklyn Roller Rink. By the late 70’s under this roof, New York gave birth roller disco. Bill Butler had all eyes on him, becoming a legend as he skated through originating the “Roll Bounce” and will forever be known as the “Godfather of Roller Disco”. Since then the 30,000 square foot building has been the location for one of Lil Kim’s videos and Bow Wow’s movie of the same name of Butler’s signature move.
The debate, however, upon hearing word of the closing of the skating center is not only the end to one of Brooklyn’s oldest landmarks but the demolition of one of the area’s largest recreation centers. A rally was held by Project Empire last month to protest the closing of the Empire Roller Skating Rink. Protesters gathered to voice their pain and anger towards the close and conversion to a storage facility but despite this, the conversion is a done deal.
Get your last skate session in at this legendary roller rink. This Saturday, April 21st skating starts at 11pm-8am the next morning.
Recently we received an email from one of our favorite Illustrators, Tobie Giddio, with the subject “Why I moved to New York and became an illustrator.” The email contained this genius video (starring aspiring models and early b-boys- see it at the bottom of this post) of illustrator Antonio Lopez at the height of his career in fashion illustration in the 80’s. Puerto Rican born and an FIT graduate, Lopez worked closely with designers like Charles James and Karl Lagerfeld, and magazines like Andy Warhol’s Interview, Vogue, and Elle, creating some of the most iconic imagery of celebrities that came out of this colorful era.
(illustration: Tobie Giddio)
Tobie Giddio’s career was just starting off as Lopez’s life ended at the early age of 40. After graduating from FIT Giddio began doing weekly ads in The New York Times for Bergdorf Goodman. You can see by the shading of the eyes, elaborate details in the head dresses and deep colored lips in her early work how much inspiration she’d found from Lopez’s style. Browsing through her archives online is slightly reminiscent of the “how to” fashion illustration handbooks published in the 80’s. Over the last 3 decades, Tobie Giddio has developed a very distinct and organic style and has since been commissioned to work for some of the most influential names in the fashion world including Cartier, John Hardy, and Neiman Marcus.
Giddio’s highly developed style and gorgeous use of color is shown through her recent works including campaigns for Infiniti Motors, the Limited, a series of hand drawings for Amy Sedaris’ book “I Like You- Hospitality Under The Influence”, and of course fashion editorial spreads both in America and Europe as well as beautiful animations of her work created in conjunction with Dovetail studios.
We wrote about newbie Lower East Side boutique “Honey in the Rough” a few weeks ago and tonight they are having their grand opening party. Click on the flyer for more info!
