Catch the first and second parts of our visit with Iko Iko here and here.
Shin Okuda, through his handmade Waka Waka furniture, has harnessed the power to transform. He cuts, manipulates, and joins ordinary plywood to result in warm, utilitarian pieces of furniture and accessories that have the potential to transform a room. He works with oak, birch, pine, or maple plywood, and one of his favorite aspects of process is working with clients to design and fabricate furniture that suits their personality and living space.
Continue Reading…
Catch the first part of our visit with Iko Iko here.
In describing her Los Angeles-made Rowena Sartin clothing and accessories, Kristin Dickson-Okuda continually refers back to function and personality. The concise bio on her website tells us there’s an “everyday to the pieces…the clothes want you to be you and show that.” When you see these pieces incorporated into the serene geometry of IKO IKO, you understand what she’s striving for.
Continue Reading…
Just south of Santa Monica Boulevard on the west side of Fairfax sits IKO IKO, a gallery and store that offers a curious array of clothing, furniture, sculpture, home goods, art, and jewelry. Kristin Dickson-Okuda and Shin Okuda create and curate an experience “underlining texture, process, and innovation,” resulting in goods that are esoteric yet utilitarian, enigmatic yet inventive.
Continue Reading…
Chicken, pizza, grilled cheese, hot dogs, and burgers. Like many Americans, I know these five food groups very well. I was one of those kids who’d sit at the table for an hour trying to force down fish and vegetables my mom made for dinner. Fortunately though, taste buds change, I quit being a stubborn jerk, and I moved to an amazing food city. What’s never changed though is my search for the most delicious and well-crafted versions of my childhood street food diet.
Continue Reading…
Like some of the best spots in Los Angeles, Mojave Sands Motel in Joshua Tree is easy to miss. And yes, after months of anticipation, thrift store detours, and a relatively painless 2.5 hour drive, we passed right by the place. While gazing at one-pump gas stations and front yards dominated by the spindly cactus trees that give the national park it’s name, suddenly the town of Joshua Tree shrinks in your rear-view. The town ends as quickly as it begins, and if you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself in 29 Palms.
Continue Reading…
