Sunday 28 October 2012

Yelo


At the recent World Architecture Day I spotted a man in a great pair of yellow trousers - they really stood out in the sea of black and grey worn by everyone else. Later on I was introduced to Andy Parsons of Yelo Architects and heard that he always wears an item of yellow clothing. By coincidence we met again and he was in one of his yellow shirts - what struck me was, that unlike some architects who wear colour as a moniker, Andy wears his with style.
 I thought it would be interesting to talk to him about his style and relationship with the colour yellow - so I googled yellow architect and found Yelo Architects - easy! And clever - by dropping an l and the w, he's created a great word somewhere between yell and hello, that really reflects the values of the colour. The human eye process yellow before other colours in the spectrum, due to the amount of light reflected and when paired with black, as in Yelo Architects' logo, is the easiest colour to read. We associate yellow with hope cheer and vitality - it is a joyful colour, just like the word Yelo.   
Andy started wearing yellow at college and it has now become an integral part of his professional identity. It is an exact shade of yellow that he chooses, almost Process Yellow, and he's lucky because he can wear it. It is also the Giallo Fly colour from Ferrari - very clean yellow, sharp and fresh.

I have used a similar yellow to highlight the entrance to a building and also reception desks - just like Andy's trousers, it really stands out and attracts our attention from a distance.          

Wednesday 10 October 2012

Navy Blue

 As anyone who knows me will know I love navy blue. So when Sarah from 8th Day Design sent me the link to the Nothing But Navy Shop I was so excited. I got in touch with Gemma Kay Waggett of Nothing But Navy, who said "I decided to start the brand because of my love of the colour navy and my understanding that it is also the favourite colour of many individuals"
These pictures were from their most recent event at Material Lab for London Design Week. The Nothing But Navy brand is a series of pop up shops and the website store - The whole concept is about fabulous navy merchandise - heaven!
Why do I love navy? There are the known associations with reason, trust and competence but its navy's affinity to thought and reason that attract me most. When I look at French Navy - saturated blue with a tint of mauve coming through - my thought processes become energised and this encourages my creativity. Whereas when I look at intense inky or slightly green tinged navy, this evokes a sense of calm in me - the more logical thought. Either way they encourage me to loose myself and dream.