American Rag Talk

Tonight I went to the talk from Mark Werts, founder of the American Rag stores. The majority of the talk was devoted to a slideshow walkthrough of the La Brea location here in Los Angeles. As one of his associates clicked through the slides, Mark commented on the various pieces in the location and tied them into his business philosophy and model. Personally, I felt that the end of the talk devolved a bit. He promised a discussion of current trends, but instead I got a mindless espousal of globalization and a short by pretty nonsensical statement on how the west is "in decline". Nevertheless, the vast majority was quite interesting and he made a couple points on retail that I had never really thought about. Firstly, he showed a couple items that they stock, but do not really sell, such as music CD's, and expensive hand-blown glasses. The idea is that these items aren't so much to generate revenue as they are to reinforce the store's image. Furthermore, he interestingly said, "I try to find what no-body wants". As he clicked through the slides, it seemed that each found piece in the decor was some cheap and inexpensive knockoff. Rather than attempting to fill the store with high-end bits, Werts used discarded, seemingly-worthless knick knacks to create a consistent but eclectic look.

Roski Talks: Mark Werts of American Rag

ROSKI TALKS: MARK WERTS Founder, American Rag CIE
Tuesday, February 11 @ 7pm
Wong Auditorium, Harris Hall, USC

The American Rag brand has been synonymous with contemporary styling for over 30 years, due to founder Mark Werts's iconoclastic vision of the retail experience. Each element of his forward thinking empire - merchandise, interior architecture, cafes, and dressing rooms - is imbued with a sense of hand-selected authenticity.
Werts has been celebrated as one of the most innovative and trendsetting retailers in the United States and is currently expanding with outposts in Japan, Eastern Europe and South- east Asia. He and his buying team have traveled the world in pursuit of exclusive merchandise to fill the American Rag stores.

Join us for an evening of visionary insights into the vital roles of art and design in the new global marketplace.

DIRECTIONS: Take the Expo Line to Expo Park/USC and follow the map. Meter parking available along Vermont and campus parking available for $10 cash/credit card at Gate 1 on Watt Way and Exposition Blvd.

Hello!

Hi everyone! My name is Savina and I am taking FADN 102 this semester. I was born in Korea, and moved to New Zealand when I was seven. Then I attended high school in Irvine, and now I'm here! My major is business administration. I am also planning to minor in Communication Design and Advertising. I really enjoy going to my design classes; I think it's a nice break from numbers and letters.

I would like to share my experience at a photography exhibition that I went to during winter break of 2013 when I went back to Korea: Ryan McGinley's Magic Magnifier.

Ryan McGinley  is an American photographer who was one of the youngest artists to have a solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art. He was a graphic design student at Parsons NY. The theme of "Magic Magnifier" was youth.

These are some of McGinley's works:

 I think his works represent the freedom, love, and the automatic excitement that comes with "being young". Photos were taken when he went on a road trip with his actual friends. Models are all naked to symbolize freedom, and not being chained by societal norms.