In The Making

Linda Batwin and Robin Silvestri have been “making” their business for many years. They’ve designed productions for everything from the National Center for Civil and Human Rights to the Walt Disney Family Museum, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.

In this episode, Linda and Robin share their perspective on what it takes to grow a company that creates multimedia stories in the form of environments, interactive media, theater productions and events. They open up about how emerging technology has changed the design process over the years, and a question that's asked over and over: what it takes to make it in New York.

Brandon Kim and his two twin brothers are the founders of Brevitē, a backpack company for photographers on the go.

In this episode, Brandon takes us through the launch and development of his company. We discuss his first prototype created at RISD, the design blog Core 77 that gave him inspiration, his Kickstarter campaigē, navigating warehouses with a sourcing agent, and referencing other brands for tips and tricks.

We also touch on design, branding, and learn about the research that proves that good design leads to better profits.

Gallery No. 17 is a studio-turned-art-gallery in Bushwick, Brooklyn, with a mission to give a voice to underrepresented artists.

In this episode, Holly gives us a glimpse of the art world, from curation to community. We talk about ways artists can help maintain the neighborhoods they move to through programs like Art Against Displacement and the online Community Engagement Course offered by the University of Michigan.

For those looking to learn more about curation, you can read the book Holly swears by: Ways of Curating by Hans Ulrich Obrist.

When Ashley Platt couldn’t find a simple, modern curtain rod that fit her taste, she made her own out of lucite. A few years later, she has a bustling business making “jewelry for the home.”

In this episode, we cover everything related to the hardware she makes – from construction tips from the Rockler Blog to how the Brooklyn Navy Yard helps their tenants grow.

For those looking for inspiration, you can see some of Lux Holdups' work at the Museum of Ice Cream, in J Lo’s new movie Marry Me, River Spencer interior design, and the popular instagram account Something Navy.

In the inaugural episode of In The Making, our host Katie Steward, chats with the founder of New Label Dogs, Jessica Wong about entrepreneurship.

Jessica is navigating the challenges of building a physical product and bringing it to market. In this episode, you’ll learn about the fashion index, a guide to sourcing the right fabric supplier, as well as Proposition 65, a California law that restricts the sale of fabrics with certain chemicals in them. We’ll also talk about The New York Sewing Center, a resource for those looking to learn about the softgoods industry.