Pratt graduates’ new and noteworthy products and publications include wallpaper, home goods, and a history of the skateboard.
The Spot
Brad Ascalon, MID ’05
One recent release from award-winning furniture and product designer Brad Ascalon is a versatile shower add-on that organizes go-to items. Designed for the Brooklyn-founded bathroom decor brand Quiet Town, this modular system combines the brand’s bright and sharp aesthetic with Ascalon’s self-described “uncomplicated, rational” sensibility. Built to hang over the showerhead, in durable powder-coated aluminum with an adjustable strap, The Spot could also be handy for storage around the house or in the garden. Learn more at bradascalon.com.
Hair Accessories by artistcolette
Colette Bernard, BFA Fine Arts (Sculpture and Integrated Practices) ’21
Artist and entrepreneur Colette Bernard embraced her interest in “internet culture and object-making” to create this series of sculptural, multicolored hair claws and clips. Her eclectic collection includes Career Claws—a work-themed line in shapes that range from wisdom teeth for dental professionals to safety cones for construction workers—and designs of everyday objects, including strawberries and love letters. Bernard writes that these durable, eco-friendly bioacetate accessories feel “like the lovechild between sculpture, graphic design, and fashion.” Available at artistcolette.com.
Camellias Wallpaper
Evan Paul English, MFA Fine Arts ’16
To create this baroque floral wallpaper for Flavor Paper, artist Evan Paul English drew from his background as both a painter and a tattoo artist. Reimagining designs from his personal work into mural-scale decor, English hand-drew a nonrepeating pattern, which was then digitized for installation. Originally developed for a Charleston champagne bar, the design was covered in an Architectural Digest story on actress Sutton Foster’s home. Camellias is part of Flavor Paper’s Wild Life collection of unexpected and playful designs and is available alongside its colorful sister style, Petite Camellias. Available at flavorpaper.com.
Compostable Small Bin Bag
Lauren Gropper, MS City and Regional Planning ’04
The latest from trailblazing eco-entrepreneur Lauren Gropper’s sustainability brand, Repurpose, is a 3-gallon, plant-based bag for handling food, pet, and yard waste. As the brand’s founder and CEO, Gropper told Forbes that her education at Pratt helped her bring “composting infrastructure into the mainstream” with Repurpose. These bags—derived from cornstarch with a leakproof design—are certified compostable, commercially and at home. Available at repurpose.com.
Call Me Roberto! (Calkins Creek)
Rudy Gutierrez, BFA Communications Design ’79
In this illustrated children’s picture book, artist Rudy Gutierrez (a Pratt alumnus and professor of undergraduate communications design) illuminates the story of Roberto Clemente, the baseball player from Puerto Rico who made history as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Gutierrez brings his vibrant style to author and journalist Nathalie Alonso’s bilingual Spanish-English text, which explores Clemente’s fight against racism and his quest to become one of the greatest players of all time. Available at penguinrandomhouse.com.
Crepe Sconce
Little Wing Lee, MS Interior Design ’06
This classic globe sconce, a collaboration between designer Little Wing Lee’s company, Studio & Projects, and leading LED-lighting manufacturer RBW, was selected by Domino as one of the “Best New Lighting and Appliances of 2024.” Lee told Azure that the fixture, which is made entirely of glass, was inspired by a love of the material and exploring its “different perceptions and textures” with light. The sconce is available in three sizes—9, 15, and 19 inch—with customizable color temperature and dimming controls, at rbw.com.
Detour T-Shirt
Akiva Listman, BFA Fine Arts (Painting) ’21
This screen-printed graphic black T-shirt is painter Akiva Listman’s first collaboration with OnlyNY, a streetwear brand he says he has admired since he visited their store in 2017, when he first arrived at Pratt. The shirt features an arrangement of city street signs, adding to Listman’s body of work focused on everyday New York City objects, including subway seats (featured on MTA’s Instagram last year), MetroCards, and Yankees hats. Learn more at akivalistman.com.
Three Short Films by Mackie Mallison on The Criterion Channel
Mackie Mallison, BFA Film ’23
After making the rounds at international film festivals, three of filmmaker Mackie Mallison’s experimental shorts are now available to stream through The Criterion Channel. The films include portraits of Mallison’s family members (Live From the Clouds, Chuu Chuu) and an exploration of Asian American identity featuring fellow Pratt graduate Ada Chen, BFA Fine Arts (Jewelry) ’18 (It Smells Like Springtime). His 16mm shorts interweave personal and global concerns with bursts of animation, landing him a spot in Filmmaker Magazine as a “filmmaker to watch.” Available at criterionchannel.com.
Perfect Little Pill Pouch
Julie Mollo, BFA Fashion Design ’10
This travel-size pouch from designer and self-proclaimed “bag lady” Julie Mollo is a sparkly, colorful take on an everyday accessory. Designs can be personalized and previewed on Mollo’s site, which offers customization for the two-toned-pill and clutch colors in a spectrum of glittery and clear shades. Pouches are handmade in Mollo’s Brooklyn-based studio and include her signature XOXO brass zipper “for a secure and stylish closure.” Available at juliemollo.com.
Skateboard (Phaidon)
Jonathan Olivares, BID ’04
Industrial designer Jonathan Olivares’s new monograph, developed in collaboration with the footwear brand Converse, uncovers the history of skateboarding through studio shots, archival images, and hundreds of illustrations. These images are paired with Olivares’s illuminating text on more than 100 skateboards, highlighting the materials and designs that have shaped this enduring cultural phenomenon. Available at phaidon.com. 