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Design Glut's in-house product design studio is known for our line of intelligent, socially-relevant products. We also provide innovative design solutions to outside clients. Learn more.
LATEST NEWS
November 19, 2008
NEW PRODUCTS
Check out the online store for new products by Design Glut! We've launched the World Links necklace, which has the continents of the world connected by links of chain around your neck. And our new Cubic Switchplates play tricks with your eyes. They're only 3mm deep, but it looks like they're protruding inches off the wall.
October 14, 2008
NEW ONLINE STORE AND PRESS
We just redid our online store to make it easier for our customers. The new layout is simpler to browse and has some additional functionality. Fancy Schmancy! We also have new press to report: Elle Decoration, Max, and 5 Au Clock.
September 21, 2008
NEW PRESS AND STORES
The October issue of Metropolitan Home covers the Slow Food Tray as part of a group of products using words as decoration. We also have three new stores: Spring and Stewart and Stand here in NY, and Composition in Colorado.
September 2, 2008
NEW PRESS: SURFACE
The new edition of Surface reports of the trend of designers "using oil as fuel for thought." Crude Black is included.
August 22, 2008
NEW PRESS: DFUN
The Crude Jewelry was just featured as the cover story in the current issue of DFUN, a Taiwanese fashion and design magazine.
July 15, 2008
NEW PRESS: WALLPAPER
The August '08 issue of Wallpaper is hitting newsstands right now. Check out the interviews with "NYC's new design wave": Todd Bracher, Design Glut, Takeshi Miyakawa, and Test Collective.
July 10, 2008
NEW PRESS: WATCH
The Smoking Gun was just featured in the latest edition of Watch.
July 9, 2008
ABOUT DESIGN GLUT
We’ve expanded the About Us area - check it out to get a better feel for who we are and what we do.
June 30, 2008
NEW PRESS: MAX
The fashion magazine Max just published a great-looking piece on Crude Black. We can't actually read it, but we're hoping they said nice things.
June 23, 2008
SMOKING GUN NECKLACE
The Smoking Gun is now available on a chain! It makes one pimped out necklace.
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• July 2008
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ALL INTERVIEWS
(Alphabetical)
• Brad Ascalon
• Brooklyn Salsa Company
• byAMT
• Cake
• Character
• Citizen:Citizen
• Curatorium
• Diaroogle.com
• Domestic Aesthetic
• Exit9
• FuckOffSarahPalin.com
• Harry Allen
• Mint
• Nooka
• NOTCOT.com
• Pomp&Clout
• redstr/collective
• Reiko Kaneko
• Robert Langhorn
• Skinny Vinny
• Sonic Design
• Supermarket
• Swiss Miss (upcoming)
• Todd Bracher
• TZ Design
MONTHLY ARCHIVE
Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]
August 12, 2008
Charles of Exit9
Exit 9 is one of our favorite gift shops in New York. The collection ranges from high design to kitsch, and it's pretty much impossible to not find something you fall in love with. We caught up with the owner and founder in their Brooklyn store.
Exit9
Manhattan: 64 Avenue A
Brooklyn: 127 Smith St.
www.shopexit9.com
Do you have any advice for designers trying to wholesale a new product they have developed? How should they approach you?
If the product is something hand stitched or hand made, it has to really stand out. The craft market has its own place. In our store, if it looks hand made, the customer thinks, "I could make this at home." It's not like they WILL go home and make it, but since they think they could, they won't buy it.
As far as approaching me, email is best. Send all the information to submit[at]exit9.com. Walking in off the street works, if I happen to be here. It's better if you call first and set up an appointment.
What tips can you give young designers about presenting their work?
Bring samples of a real, actual product. If it's a prototype, it needs to be very good quality. Be totally solid about what the prices are going to be, wholesale and retail. And have all the information on a piece of paper that you can leave behind for me. I may not order right away, but if you leave something with me I can file it and may order in a few months.
Another thing to keep in mind when approaching stores is territory. Stores don't want to all have the same thing, so don't just go down the block and stop in every place. Be choosy. Pick the store that you think is the best fit and approach them first.
When did you open the store, and how did it start?
I started Exit9 in the village in '95. It was a series of fortunate events. I came into exactly enough money to open a store, and a space was for rent just around the corner from my apartment at the time. Before opening the store I had a clock business, designing clocks and selling them to stores. So I filled my store with clocks and other things I'd made. Eventually I got into selling other people's designs. We opened the Brooklyn store two years ago.
Do you still sell things which you've made?
No, I don't have time anymore... There are so many other people out there that are so great at their craft.
How do you do your buying?
75% of it happens at trade shows. We go to the big gift fair at the Javitz. The other 25% comes from people who contact us and people who come in off the street and show us their products.
What do you look for in new products these days?
I really like things with more than one function. We have a ring that is also a bottle opener, which is fantastic. It shows that the artist is thinking and innovating.
What is your favorite object in the store right now?
This "I Tap N Y" reusable water bottle. [above]
Also, there's this ashtray. It says, "Jesus hates it when you smoke." The designer is a guy who came in off the street and approached us. We've been selling it for 8 or 9 years now. It's pretty rare for a product to have that long of a staying power. [below]
Who is your typical customer?
It's different between the two stores. In the Village, it's 18-30, single, hip artists. In the Brooklyn store, it's 25-50, a more established crowd, people who own property in the area, and moms with strollers.
Have you noticed any recent trends in terms of what people are buying?
There was a huge micro-trend with these crystal sparkling bouncy balls. A few of the kids brought them to school and everyone had to have them. We've also done really well with kitschy items. You can buy pretty much anything in this neighborhood, except for the funny stuff. Novelty breath sprays are very popular, people in the neighborhood love them. Another trend we've noticed is that there are lots of European tourists in the store. They're buying everything up because it's cheap here.
Exit9
Manhattan: 64 Avenue A
Brooklyn: 127 Smith St.
www.shopexit9.com
Do you have any advice for designers trying to wholesale a new product they have developed? How should they approach you?
If the product is something hand stitched or hand made, it has to really stand out. The craft market has its own place. In our store, if it looks hand made, the customer thinks, "I could make this at home." It's not like they WILL go home and make it, but since they think they could, they won't buy it.
As far as approaching me, email is best. Send all the information to submit[at]exit9.com. Walking in off the street works, if I happen to be here. It's better if you call first and set up an appointment.
What tips can you give young designers about presenting their work?
Bring samples of a real, actual product. If it's a prototype, it needs to be very good quality. Be totally solid about what the prices are going to be, wholesale and retail. And have all the information on a piece of paper that you can leave behind for me. I may not order right away, but if you leave something with me I can file it and may order in a few months.
Another thing to keep in mind when approaching stores is territory. Stores don't want to all have the same thing, so don't just go down the block and stop in every place. Be choosy. Pick the store that you think is the best fit and approach them first.
When did you open the store, and how did it start?
I started Exit9 in the village in '95. It was a series of fortunate events. I came into exactly enough money to open a store, and a space was for rent just around the corner from my apartment at the time. Before opening the store I had a clock business, designing clocks and selling them to stores. So I filled my store with clocks and other things I'd made. Eventually I got into selling other people's designs. We opened the Brooklyn store two years ago.
Do you still sell things which you've made?
No, I don't have time anymore... There are so many other people out there that are so great at their craft.
How do you do your buying?
75% of it happens at trade shows. We go to the big gift fair at the Javitz. The other 25% comes from people who contact us and people who come in off the street and show us their products.
What do you look for in new products these days?
I really like things with more than one function. We have a ring that is also a bottle opener, which is fantastic. It shows that the artist is thinking and innovating.
What is your favorite object in the store right now?
This "I Tap N Y" reusable water bottle. [above]
Also, there's this ashtray. It says, "Jesus hates it when you smoke." The designer is a guy who came in off the street and approached us. We've been selling it for 8 or 9 years now. It's pretty rare for a product to have that long of a staying power. [below]
Who is your typical customer?
It's different between the two stores. In the Village, it's 18-30, single, hip artists. In the Brooklyn store, it's 25-50, a more established crowd, people who own property in the area, and moms with strollers.
Have you noticed any recent trends in terms of what people are buying?
There was a huge micro-trend with these crystal sparkling bouncy balls. A few of the kids brought them to school and everyone had to have them. We've also done really well with kitschy items. You can buy pretty much anything in this neighborhood, except for the funny stuff. Novelty breath sprays are very popular, people in the neighborhood love them. Another trend we've noticed is that there are lots of European tourists in the store. They're buying everything up because it's cheap here.
