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Sommelier and restaurateur Honey Spencer shares her favourite NUDE Stem Zero glasses, the wines she's pouring at Sune right now, and why a few beautiful, well-chosen glasses will always outperform a full cupboard.

This September we have partnered with The Westmount for Negroni Week to understand the history of the Negroni and how to add your own personal twist! By Murray Anderson @thewestmount Ah, Negroni Week… One of the few cocktail celebrations that I really sink my teeth right into. It’s funny, I remember drinking my first ever negroni in a gin bar in my home city and I just couldn’t wrap my head around the concept: extremely bitter, heavy on alcohol and something that my palate didn’t have the pleasure of understanding. How things have changed. After working in the cocktail industry for several years and luckily landing a job with a fantastic Vermouth di Torino company, I began to fall in love with this Italian tradition that has been painting the world red since the 1860s.   How it all started The origin of the negroni is a great story that stems from the negroni’s ‘father’, the Americano. A cocktail created in the 1860s - when Americans found it necessary to water the Italians beverages down. The story begins when Count Camillo Negroni visited Café Casoni in Florence in 1919. His favourite cocktail at the time, the Americano, clearly wasn’t cutting it and he requested his bartender to replace the soda in his Americano with gin. Little did he know that this simple twist of fate would birth a legendary concoction that is still very much present in today’s bar scene. For the record, I also wrote that entire piece without the assistance of google (dates and everything), so I’m hoping that fact exhibits my passion for this little cocktail.   The Milano-Torino For anyone wondering, the original cocktail without gin or soda, is a fantastic low-ABV cocktail called the Milano-Torino, or Mi-To for short. I guess you could call it the grandfather of the negroni cocktail and essentially, the root of this whole negroni conversation. It was made by Gaspare Campari in the 1860s in his effort to help sell Campari to the Italian people. It involves equal parts of Campari and Italian Vermouth di Torino and like most things created in Italy, it’s elegant, timeless, and still very much alive in their culture today!   Creativity and the Negroni When it comes to creativity with negroni cocktails, I like to keep it simple. It’s important to remember the premise of the cocktail itself, perfectly balanced with sweet and bitter notes and most importantly, a combination of quality ingredients that work magnificently together. As I spent more time learning the art of cocktails, I suppose I adopted these rules for most of the drinks I make now. It’s a lot more fun using less ingredients in mixology, as it really forces you to take everything into consideration… Quality of ingredients, ice, garnish, glassware choice etc. Take this negroni cocktail I made for example. the concept: A negroni twist with the addition of Speyside Whisky, paying homage to my home country, Scotland. Using this base spirit, it brings in notes of apricot, honey and spice. Working alongside those key flavours, I added CUCIELO Rosso Vermouth di Torino; a fantastic Italian vermouth that helps add sweetness and an array of beautiful aroma from the botanicals present. Next, Apricot infused Campari. This simple sous-vide infusion helps takes the edge off the bitterness and pairs perfectly with the whisky. To serve the cocktail, I used a NUDE Savage Tumbler to showcase the simple, yet beautifully crafted elements in the drink and lastly… a spritz of fragrant orange peel over the cocktail, poured over a large block of clear ice. Remember, it’s easy to hide behind a cocktail with 15 ingredients, but serving a cocktail with 3? Maybe there’s a lot to be learned about the negroni cocktail… Sometimes, perfection lies within simplicity itself. Cheers!   NUDE Mixology Competition If, like us all this Negroni talk has got you in the mood for a tipple then there is still time to enter our NUDE Glass mixology competition which gives you the chance to create a cocktail as well as the chance to win 1000 worth of NUDE Glass – sounds like a good idea to us! Good Luck! Learn more

How better to kick off the celebrations of Negroni week (18-24 September) than catching up with our Milan based friend, Founder and Creative Director of Atelier Gourmode, Clara Nanut. Clara gives us an insight into all things Negroni whether it’s cosying up for a homemade version of the classic Italian cocktail or heading down to the chicest spot in town to test out the experts at the Bulgari. However you take your Negroni, take it in a NUDE Glass. By Clara Nanut @gour.modeA bittersweet symphony of a deep ruby red, a clichéd choice but always a good choice, one of the many Italian genial inventions, synonymous of the worldwide famous aperitivo. 
Italians love it both perfect serve and “sbagliato” but but let’s go with order. History of Negroni See, rumor has it... that it all started in the far 1919, when a thirsty Count called Camillo Negroni, asked his bartender friend at Caffe Casoni in Florence, to strengthen his favourite cocktail – the Americano – by replacing the soda water with gin. The history blends with the legend but of some things we can be sure: we Italians love to enjoy life, know how to enjoy a good Negroni and that today I have the flattering task to tell you how.   How Clara likes it at home As a Milanese by adoption and as a tastemaker – which doesn’t strictly contemplate the complex cocktail handicraft - I could never sip it at home except in its “Sbagliato” version, which means of course “Mistaken”. It was invented by chance at Bar Basso in the 1970's, when a happy accident occured between the bottle of gin and Prosecco, which gave to this iconic recipe the well-known sparkling and refreshing twist. Ingredients: 1 part Prosecco 1 part Sweet Vermouth 1 part Bitter Ice Orange slice or peel Serve it in a Caldera glass and treat yourself to this relaxing time.   How Clara likes it at the cocktail bar Perfect serve, of course! If at home we can’t reach perfection, at the counter we expect it indeed. A local insider would choose the exclusive and secluded Bulgari Bar and order a pure classic Negroni with a fancy allure.Ingredients: 1 part Gin 1 part Sweet Vermouth 1 part Bitter Ice Orange slice or peel Ask the barman to pour it in an Alba glass, sip it and enjoy.

This month we partnered with @gour.mode (Clara Nanut) for her visual guide about the sublime art of entertaining your guests “al fresco." Using light and transparent objects from Nude Glass, Clara created a variety of bucolic moments. Keep on reading for an exclusive Q&A with Clara on how she finds inspiration on hosting and what she recommends for your very own al fresco dining setup. Where does your inspiration for hosting alfresco come from? My inspiration comes from my roots. I live today in Milan but I grew up in a small Italian town in Friuli – Venezia Giulia, up on a hill with a lavish garden, olive trees, oaks and pines. During summertime my family used to invite home lots of friends and set up aperitifs on the terrace or in the garden. These moments of my childhood, made of perfumed flowers, bursts of laughers, bright colors and delicious refreshments, are a generous source of creativity. How does your creative process work? To create a powerful set design, first of all I imagine a moment, I try to live it in my mind, in this case I think about the way people would interact in that moment, how they would use and move the objects in the space. Then I search visual inspiration to concretize my vision and start giving it a shape. Finally I concretely start with the set up, from a powerful piece, then gradually adding the other elements, in order of size and importance. I love to make it authentic and genuine, as if that table could tell us a story. What are your top 3 tips for creating a visually appealing and inviting alfresco dining setup? Here my three tips: Create your white canvas with a white tablecloth or a nude table made of wrought-iron, white stone or very light wood. Use mainly glass to make it fresh and summery. Add fresh fruit and flowers to turn it romantic. How do you believe NUDE Glass enhances the overall experience of alfresco entertaining? With its contemporary designs and the use of lead-free crystal, NUDE’s motto ‘Simple is Beautiful’ shines in an alfresco environment. What are some creative ways to incorporate natural elements or floral arrangements into the alfresco dining setup? Make it unconventional and little messy! Use different size of vases or glasses – why not – to host flowers and use them to decorate drinks and dishes too, I love some edible flowers in my cocktail or in the butter to spread on the bread! So casually romantic! Can you recommend any specific NUDE Glass collections or pieces that are particularly well-suited for alfresco dining? Heads Up Centrepiece, ideal for a sangria or a fresh punch! My version? Rosé wine made in my region, peaches and strawberries with a pinch of fresh mint! What is your favorite NUDE Glass product? This is a tricky question, I guess off the bat: Big Top Set of 2 Coupe Glasses, they are so Gourmode!  NUDE's Big Top Coupe Glass

This month we have partnered with @villamyrahojden and her wonderful, architect design and self-built home to create some interior styling, inspired by Japandi. Find out more about Japandi and how you can incorporate this simplistic styling into your home. How do you define Japandi? To me Japandi is an interior style and a way of living. It unites the Scandinavian design which advocates simplicity and comfortability; lagom and hygge, with Japanese design and the wabi-sabi philosophy. It is all about natural elements, neutral tones, quality over quantity, keeping it simple, uncluttered spaces, minimalism, craftmanship and harmony. What are your guiding principles for Japandi?  Everything I buy, build or create and bring into my home should always add to the feeling of harmony. Every piece must be carefully curated and collected with the intention for it to stay in my home for a very long time. I always assess the quality, especially for bigger and more expensive objects, because it is important to me that whatever I buy must last for a long time. How does your creative process work?  I’ve always been a creative soul. I usually don’t put much thought into the process, I just act on my gut. So many of my shots are almost always a result of a spontaneous shoot because an idea suddenly popped up or because the light looked good. Where does your inspiration come from? This might sound like a cliché, but I draw inspiration mostly from nature. I like being outdoors and I love living amidst nature. It’s peaceful and brings harmony to my soul. That is why I’m so drawn to Japandi. It calms me, and I want my home to give me the same sense of feeling. Which collection from NUDE do you find the most inspiring? It’s hard to pick one, because I really do think all collections are appealing. But I think I am mostly drawn to Big Top, Ilo and Mist. What they all have in common, besides the high quality lead-free crystal glass, is the rippled pattern and the minimalistic design. It’s timeless and the ripples gives such an interesting illusion. What are your top 3 interior styling tips?  Always start off by identifying which feeling(s) you want your interiors to convey. For example, if you want your bedroom to feel like a calm, peaceful zen zone, then this will be your guiding star. Balance. It’s important with balance. Mix interior pieces or furniture of different heights, sizes and/or materials. I love to mix wood with natural stone and glass. Add plants! I love huge plants like trees. They make such a statement piece. Besides adding color and warmth to your home, they will also improve the air quality. What is your favourite NUDE product? It must be the high ball glasses from the Big Top collection. Everything looks delicious in those glasses!

Candle holders that inspire Calm With the new philosophy of comfort fully modeling the current scenario, designers have turned their attention to expressive everyday objects that help enhance connection, togetherness, and joy, creating a boost in well-being. Case in point: the Ilo candle holders designed by Ozan Özalp – meant to bring a soothing yet uplifting ambiance to any living space. When designing the Ilo collection, what was your starting point: form, function, material, or rather a specific feeling? I approached the project with the idea of using another material, in addition to glass, as combining glass with a different texture can significantly impact the design. It was essential to establish this balance right from the start; after all, NUDE is a glass manufacturer, so crystalline glass is always the key element. The design is striking but simple: the sculptural body features a ripple pattern to enhance the power of the candlelight. The other element is the copper plate – we experimented with different materials, playing with silky, bright surfaces that would create a dynamic play of reflections. Lighting is the most powerful generator of atmosphere in any space. What kind of impact were you trying to achieve? Nowadays, candles serve more as decoration than a light source. I started the project with this consideration, aiming to design a product that would promise an experience extending beyond mere appearance or function. My goal was to create a candle holder set that would allow people to relax and enjoy the moment. Looking at the light waves filtering through the dome’s ripples, creating a magical and meditative ambiance, I believe I have achieved it. NUDE collections are popular for their minimal, playful design. What’s the secret to striking the right balance between these two seemingly opposing elements? Balancing contrasting elements, such as modern and classic, artificial and natural, heavy and light, or simple and playful, as in this case, can be risky. However, if done right, the result will most likely be very successful. I’d say the secret lies in intuition and experience. Sometimes, you must embrace the trial and error method, too. You’ve been part of the NUDE Design Team for several years. How do you incorporate your personal sense of style into the brand’s aesthetic? I think NUDE has a design language in line with my own life philosophy and mindset. When designing a piece for NUDE, I ask myself, “Would I buy this?” It is easier to create a product thinking of yourself as a potential end user. What are some of your favorite pieces you’ve designed so far, and why? Besides Ilo, I would choose the Caldera collection. It was the first product I created for NUDE, and it will always have a special place in my heart. The development process was particularly demanding since the uneven inner bottom of the design forced our production limits. Knowing the behind-the-scenes challenges makes it even more precious for me. How do you stay creative during challenging times? Being a good observer is a must. Even a simple stone you come across in nature, or the music you listen to, can serve as inspiration if you know how to observe. I try to feed my creativity by noticing and paying attention to the world around me. What gives you the most gratification in your work? Since my childhood, I have always been fascinated by the idea of creating something; I would observe different forms, structures, textures, and materials. I’d say the first moment you see your design in a store, at a restaurant, or a café is the most gratifying.

Were you involved in the ideas or designs behind the Iris collection, both new and personalized items inspired by you? If so, how? I am working on the doll with the designer [Harry Allen] directly. For the others, they sent me sketches and I made corrections. Were the dolls your idea? Their idea. For the other Iris pieces, what kinds of things do you suggest for the sketches? I had suggestions about color, that kind of thing. I put my personal touch on it. What role does you feel fashion plays in interiors and design? First you have to define fashion. Fabric, color, use in design objects (like Versace, Armani make furniture and design objects). Another way to put it: Does design follow fashion trends? Yes. Everything follows everything. Because everything grows out of the same experience. How has your awareness and love of fashion affected your sense of design, i.e. your interiors and fabrics? Everything affects everything else. Nothing exists in a vacuum. One thing suggests another. Do you love design more than fashion? No, they are all the same. It’s just another expression. It’s all the same root, the same aesthetic. How does Nude use fashion in design? Are they taking in different fashion materials, trends, colors? "Simplicity is a state of mind. And I think Simple is Beautiful." You’re a woman who truly created her own unique fashion and interiors style. What advice would you give to a young woman (or man) who is trying to achieve the same thing? I think she has to learn who she is, what her aesthetic is, how she feels about things. Not jump from trend to trend and copy what is around. And be true to herself. Most people today just follow each other, like copy cats. They don’t have any core beliefs. Have you noticed over the years things have sped up, and people keep wanting the new, the different. If you create your own style, and you know what is true to you, sometimes you won’t be as embraced by a public or market that just wants constant novelty. Well, it depends what you’re looking for. If you are looking for instant [fame]…I think if you are a really good designer or artist, you are true to what you think and know it is going to take people time. Most people don’t go for things right away. It takes time. [Especially] if they don’t know and they are worried, and they have to be sure that their friends are going to like them and be publicly accepted. You are a global design brand who has not compromised her authenticity. Nude would like to be a global design brand. What advice would you give the brand about achieving that level of worldwide fame but remain true to yourself? - Let them figure it out for themselves! I can’t tell them what to do You are known as more is more, while Nude is known as less is more. Tell me about your personal style and why you enjoy it. With Nude, less is more makes sense because it is an object. I like simple objects, but I like to use a lot of them. Tell me a bit about how you came to work with Nude. They called me up—well they called my lawyer up – and he recounted it to me. It sounded interesting. I have never done glassware before and I liked their product. What about the Nude brand appeals to you? I liked the quality and the design. They do many different kinds of design, and the pieces have a contemporary and clean feeling. "I liked the quality and the design." How does Nude’s refined style fit into your world? I like anything beautiful. And it mixes with everything. That’s what I like. What is the link between your philosophy and Nude brand’s philosophy, that simple is beautiful? “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m hardly a minimalist. Just because I like to layer just a couple of chains,This is my simplicity.Simplicity is a state of mind.And I think simple is beautiful.” What are three of your favorite Nude pieces. Why? The doll we’re making – and the rest I’ll have to point out to you. There is a vase with the eyeglasses that I like, and the colorful candle holders. However, I like them all as I have worked on them together with the Nude creative team. What were your impressions of the Nude photo shoot and how did it feel? (Was it different than a fashion shoot, b/c it was an object instead of fashion?) It was the same principle. It was the same aesthetic. No different. Even from a business perspective? Everybody is looking for someone to tell them what to do. Use your own ingenuity and do your own thing. What works for me may not work for you. I’d love to know about a few of your own personal inspirations, be they people, places, or things. Those kinds of questions make me crazy. I don’t know what inspires me. All of a sudden, I get an idea. Everything inspires me. You inspire me. This place inspires me. And all of a sudden, everything comes together. I don’t figure out what inspires me, I just do it. I don’t know why. You worked at the restoration of interiors at the White House for nine presidents. Tell me about that, including why the project appealed to you, as it’s so different than your own style. What we did, in the White House…it doesn’t matter what you think, what your tastes are, what the president thinks, it has to be as close as humanly possible to the way it was. It can be the ugliest thing in the world, but it has to be the same. So, it doesn’t matter what your sensibility is: You just have to follow the truth. People aren’t doing that much anymore. It’s really bad. What you just described – that strikes me as what. True crafts person does. You put your ego aside and say, “This is the truth.” Exactly. It’s like if you are on the Supreme Court, you don’t change the laws to suit you. You have an incredible visual eye. How would you style a table using Nude stemware and serving items for an everyday at-home dinner? I can’t do that with words. I have to do that with objects. And how would you style it if you were advising a restaurant how to use Nude collections to make a big impression? You have to see it and do it; I can’t describe it. Is there anything else that you’d like to add about Nude, your style, or the collaboration? I’m very happy with the collaboration. The people are very nice to work with and they make beautiful products. And I think the company is very careful of protecting its legacy and keeping everything top-drawer. It doesn’t cut corners. I don’t know everything they make, and I don’t love everything that they make. But there are some beautiful things that are absolutely divine. #IrisApfelNude     #SimpleIsBeautiful

On the 31st of October 2013 the world of shapes and design blended with the inspiration of strategic and creative ideas. What you are about to read is a tribute to Wally Olins (1930-2014) and the most meaningful outcomes of the conversation he held with Ron Arad. Ron Arad, architect and industrial designer by training, has gone far beyond this formal discipline. He has become a creator in its truest sense. As an Israeli based in London ever since he went there to study at the AA – Architectural Association (1974-79), Ron Arad has worked for prominent clients such as Moroso, Vitra or Alessi. His creations have been exhibited at the Pompidou in Paris or the MoMa in New York City. His first creations were especially influenced by Dadaism, as can be seen with his masterwork, the Rover Chair. It is a design very close to a “ready made” art object, thus reflecting the inherent critique of the Dadaists to the tendencies in the art world. Even nowadays, Ron Arad stays true to his irreverent spirit that nourishes his creativity. After over 30 years working on a large variety of projects, Ron Arad is still true to his original spirit: designing is all about creating something that did not existed before. He is an innovator of shape and function, constantly re-thinking our reality and reinterpreting the objects that shape our lives. He is a firm believer that design is not about embellishment or style, but about the purity in the shape of an object. It’s about creating something new every time, uncovering an object’s essence. On the other side of the coffee table you see the ultimate brand guru, Wally Olins, who passed away in April 2014, about six months after this interview. Just like Ron Arad broke the boundaries of architecture to immerse himself into something bigger, as is the idea of freel shaping objects and spaces, Wally Olins was a pioneer in his sphere. He turned the world of Marketing and Advertising upside down by creating something deeper, more meaningful and lasting: Branding. He was another non-conformist driven by the curiosity in finding the essence that makes businesses, organizations and places unique. Like this, and with his powerful sense of educated intuition he has helped shape businesses, and even nations, transforming them to be more engaging, honest to themselves and relevant. "I am very very interested in new technologies, but I never forget the artisans."  Wally Olins Wally used to say about himself that he did “all sorts of things”. But it’s certain that clarity defined him just as much as courage:”: “I try to be direct and clear. […] It’s nice to be nice, but it’s also nice to be straight.” Perhaps his secret to getting to the heart of everything? On this special October day, these two creative minds meet in Ron Arad’s studio in London. Their conversation needs no thought starter. As they are taking their seats they are already spontaneously starting to chat. Wally Olins: So, Ron, what’s your view on design… Ron Arad: To design is to impose your will on the material to make it perform a function, generally. Of course, this means using different processes depending on the case. Related to Nude and glass, it involves blowing into a mould and turning a bit. In other cases, like metal, it involves me physically, using a hammer. But for a long time I have let other people do this. My fingers used to be dirty but they are not anymore. I moved the physical work elsewhere because I feared becoming a craftsman. I am not. WO: Really? Why is that? RA: Because I am not a craftsman. A lot of things were done by genius craftsmen, before computers, just from drawing sections, using knives and other tools… WO: So, do you think an artist needs to actually build and construct his / her own creations?  RA: Many artists really just give instructions. Think of Chamberlain, he just ended up sitting in his wheelchair and saying this way or that way. Is that constructing your own work? People do whatever they really want. A friend of mine goes to the pottery every day, and that’s what she does. She wants to feel it; she is a potter. That’s crafting. I am not a craftsman. I am not a glassblower. I am not as good as people that made genius things. They know what they are doing, they are conscientious and they are amazing craftspeople. I don’t have the temperament for that. I used to make stuff here, in metal; I bought metal tools, to manipulate metal and I had people who were getting good at it, but I wanted to do other things. When I worked with metal it was exactly what I wanted to do then. But I am not a hand worker. I am not even good at computed modelling. What I do is drawing. WO: Are you saying then that the material, in a sense - glass or metal or whatever it is -, although it matters, because you don’t physically model it, it doesn’t matter that much, right? RA: It’s comparable with my situation towards metal. It’s about whether I do a piece of metal myself or people who are, vocationally, much better than me with the material, actually do it. It takes a skill. Let me draw a comparison to very skilled people. A few weeks ago I went to Cognac and I watched a young guy making a barrel and I was full of admiration for that. That is something I could never do. He doesn’t waste a single movement; he knows what he is doing. He makes 14 barrels a day. It’s an astonishing daily accomplishment. Now, let’s think about the material that Nude’s objects are made of, glass. The company was kind enough to take me to their two factories. One where they do everything physically, personally, blowing by mouth. There were 400 people wearing a uniform, it was crazy! They don’t talk and they’re not all doing the same thing. Each one does his own different thing. So sometimes it happens that our design turns out to be very difficult to make. If they see a struggle I say: Look, there is nothing sacred with what we designed, we can change it.  Wally interjects: So do you mean you can modify it so it can be made more easily? RA: Yes. We started with ignorance and designed a few things that, when they make it, there is almost no point in doing it because it doesn’t come out as beautiful. So when we observed that a few things didn’t work we said: Ok, let’s modify it. WO: Ron, I have a feeling that, in your art, you love to challenge the limits of possibilities? RA: I don’t know about challenge, sometimes I also ignore. I am not a big fan of conventions but I don’t think anything is sacred: “Oh the master did this”… But look, rather than struggle, you should look at it like: Look this is one idea that came on a Wednesday, maybe Thursday will bring a different idea. We should not be slaves of ideas. Ideas should serve us; we shouldn’t serve the ideas. WO: The idea of you being involved in the creation of a very high quality, high design, luxury class product, Nude, how did that emerge? RA: When in Istanbul, what you buy are tea glasses and then, when you are asked how you would like to design for a glass company, what you do is look around and think: how can I make a contribution to this? WO: Is that what you thought, really? That’s very interesting, because you get projects from different people and there are times when you know what to do, but there could be others where your thoughts might be something like: what shall I possibly do with this now? RA: For sure. But here, I didn’t doubt for one second that we could do something. You look at it and you the plate? Why? Different glasses, they are for all the connoisseurs, they know. But not for me. For me, wine is either good or bad, but all those subtleties are not really my thing. When I buy wine it’s about the price or the graphics. And sometimes it’s the nations that I quite like. WO: For me, anything over 12 pounds sterling I get suspicious… (joking) RA: Rather than having glasses ready for any eventuality, create one that serves any eventuality. Red? Or, no, no, White! WO: So then, some clever dude says: I have had white, now I want red! What do you do? Different glass? RA: Well, the name of the series is “Red or White”. But you can turn it around and you have a red ring on the tablecloth. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?   WO: You didn’t walk around asking people: Would you like this? I hope you didn’t… RA: No… Well, I have some friends that are professionals that have restaurants. WO: But you didn’t do focus groups and so on. RA: Market research? No, I don’t do that. WO: Fine, then we are on the same page. I am extremely glad to hear that and I am not in the least surprised. RA: It’s like when I did that perfume bottle once. I did so many interviews about the perfume and I know nothing about perfumes. I don’t know more about wine, now. Same with cognac, I had a lecture about the Cognac and I tried to get them to discuss that the tastes are different and so on… But what about the effect? What about the kind of high you get? Does that enter the conversation? They didn’t even hear my question. WO: Yes, I see. It’s not about all that, for them. It’s very sensible from Nude’s side. If you are doing this very new project and you ask people what they want they are going to be very conservative and look at each other and be very dubious about everything. I think to do something like this you need to intuitively believe in it. RA: Not only that. This is one connection, but there are other issues. We did some stacking glasses. When you think about it, it’s ridiculous that for thousands of years people do glasses that stack on the rim. They get caught and damaged and you can’t open them up. There is absolutely no reason for it. And then you immediately think… why didn’t anyone think of it before? I have been to so many dinners with redundant glasses. I couldn’t understand why, for so many years, people couldn’t do glasses that are allowed to be adjusted. So we did “The A-frame”. If the A goes down they get closer to each other, if the A goes up, they go further apart. People always ask: Form or function? They are not at war with each other; they work together. Like this glasses collection we just created… how do they look? WO: What are you trying to sell me some spectacles? (Joke) Oh this is nice, (Ron brings him glasses) these are clever, because mine always get loose. RA: Also, I am very good at designing things you can sit on! WO: You are talking like an All Star Bauhaus Designer. Form follows function. RA: Oh no, no. Don’t say that! WO: You are just talking like one. I know what you said; you just sound like that. It’s quite funny. RA: I don’t subscribe to any slogan. WO: I understand that. RA: Ornament is crime. WO: Going back to our conversation about glass: did you do a bit of design for glass before? RA: Yes, but never a collection. WO: So now you were seduced to go deeper into designing for glass? RA: Exactly WO: So, what was the motivation for hiring you for this project? Going into something that is less conventional? I´m asking because when I think about my career and experiences I see that there have been very few companies that were able to move upmarket. In the glass market, what you would expect a company wanting to move upmarket to do is imitating the Frenchmakers. So it’s very respectable that Nude is not doing that at all. It’s an admirable move. Even more, that you didn’t find any resistance. Ron, have you been associated much with new luxury brands before? RA: They asked me once to do a special edition perfume bottle. They came to me with a presentation and a mood board and so on. They wanted me to really know the perfume I would design for. I should listen to all of it and design for that; but I ignored it later. I wanted to do the first perfume bottle that is designed for the iPhone generation. WO: Not sure if I like it… Hmm, don’t you need to have a big hand? RA: No, not really. WO: So what kind of stuff are you doing right now mostly? RA: We are doing a lot of Architecture.