After a long hiatus, we’re back with another episode of Building The Brand. Most crucially, this episode is hosted by MAEKAN founders Eugene Kan and Alex Maeland, who talk about the inception of Adam Studios, the creative agency they founded that ties into and supports MAEKAN as a company and independent publication. See the whole episode and transcript over at MAEKAN.com. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

MAEKAN

Building the Brand — Adam Studios

Namu Farm is a quaint two-acre property located an hour and a half outside of San Francisco. In a time when the topic of food and industry generally focuses on scale and size, a visit to the farm is a timely reminder of where our food comes from. The whole operation is overseen by Kristyn Leach, an unexpected representation of the modern-day farmer who aims not only to produce honest, ethical food, but also empowers communities through narratives of food and experience. As a Korean-American adoptee, some of the crops that grace the rows of the farm were not part of her upbringing, but their existence has allowed her to gain a very unique insight into a heritage that was never second nature. Namu Farm exists as a partnership between both Kristyn and Namu Gaji, a brother-run restaurant group that also includes the more casual dining establishment known as Namu Stonepot. The two have been staunch supporters of revisiting what farming means today and willingly absorbing all the challenges that have come along the way. A few hours spent shadowing Kristyn with the bright sun beating down overhead yielded some fascinating insights into the complexities of not only how our food makes its way to the table, but also how food and ethnic culture have some positive externalities that help bring light to the stories of the otherwise voiceless. See the images over at MAEKAN.com. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

Two Acres at a Time — Kristyn Leach of Namu Farm

In a past lifetime, Copenhagen’s Refshaleøen island was far different than today. The massive infrastructure was home to a huge boat building operation. But it has since come to represent the bedrock of some of Copenhagen’s, and Denmark’s, most respected culinary projects. Started only a few years ago, Empirical Spirits is a self-described flavor company. They’re creating new definitions around flavor and while there are plans down the line, they primarily focus on this concept through the vehicle of spirits. On a recent trip to Copenhagen where I met Lars after lunch at Amass, I stopped by the distillery just a stone’s throw away to understand what happens when culinary acumen and scientific method meet under one roof. See the images over at MAEKAN.com. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

Lars Williams — Creating Sense Memories with Empirical Spirts

Comfort. It’s something essential to our lives. The degree of comfort we experience can impact how we view the world around us. Comfort can take shape in a practical sense. Are we dry? Are we able to move freely? Are we confident about how we look? Comfort can also apply psychologically. Are we comfortable with the challenge ahead and the uncertainty of not knowing what’s next? Interview & Photos by Eugene Kan Video by Ralph Sarmo See the full story here: https://maekan.com/article/maekan-byborre-redefining-comfort-celine-pham/ What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the  sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning,  participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level  that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of  creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKAN.com.  You'll unlock all of our stories, be given exclusive member-only-access  to our Slack community, and have the opportunity to participate in our  monthly digital panel discussions. MAEKAN.com Follow Us instagram.com/maekan facebook.com/storiesforthecurious twitter.com/maekan stories@maekan.com  

MAEKAN & BYBORRE — Redefining Comfort: Céline Pham

 502 Bad Gateway is the best life decision Seth Footring has made in  recent years. By day, Seth works in the photo and eCommerce department  of ASOS in London, by night—and in all other spare waking hours—he  focuses his efforts on being the creator and Editor-in-Chief of a brand  new men’s fashion publication. The first issue of 502 Bad Gateway  was released in January this year and contains long articles about  Tender, Olubiyi Thomas, the Massimo Osti Archive, and Sampaix Studio,  plus graphic elements that are decidedly in the opposite direction of  the average glossy fashion mags. After making the decision to start and  complete a personally driven project, Seth’s choices revolved around  bringing to life the type of publication he wanted to read and  indicating that there is a “right” way to operate in the fashion  industry that isn’t talked about sufficiently. Charis Poon spoke with  Seth in London about the necessity for 502 Bad Gateway’s existence and  the trials he underwent to make it happen. Hosted by Charis Poon Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Sebastian Petrovski Design of 502 Bad Gateway by Xuan Phan See the full story here: https://maekan.com/article/502-bad-gateway-an-antidote-to-online-fast-fashion/   What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the  sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning,  participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level  that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of  creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKAN.com.  You'll unlock all of our stories, be given exclusive member-only-access  to our Slack community, and have the opportunity to participate in our  monthly digital panel discussions. MAEKAN.com Follow Us instagram.com/maekan facebook.com/storiesforthecurious twitter.com/maekan stories@maekan.com 

502 Bad Gateway — An Antidote to Online Fast Fashion

The value of an object is different for everyone. If you’re practical above all else, an object’s function, efficiency, and affordability are probably the most important aspects. If you’re drawn to beautiful things, the way an object looks and fits within an environment are more appealing. If you’re curious how the puzzle pieces of geography, politics, and history fit together, you might find an object’s inspiration, fabrication, and evolution of the most interest. Someone who is a combination of all of the above plus interested in telling the stories of objects to better enable society is Johanna Agerman Ross. Hosted, Narrated, & Text by Charis Poon Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Chris Tang See the full story here: https://maekan.com/article/understanding-our-world-through-objects-johanna-agerman-ross/   What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the  sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning,  participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level  that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of  creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKAN.com.  You'll unlock all of our stories, be given exclusive member-only-access  to our Slack community, and have the opportunity to participate in our  monthly digital panel discussions. MAEKAN.com Follow Us instagram.com/maekan facebook.com/storiesforthecurious twitter.com/maekan stories@maekan.com 

Understanding Our World Through Objects — Johanna Agerman Ross

 Gone before its time, XXX (known popularly as “Triple X”) was a club not  far from the MAEKAN Office that was a hotspot for underground culture  and music on Hong Kong’s Kowloon side. The venue of choice for acts like  OKOKOK, Yeti Out and Eric Lau,  among many others, it closed in late 2018 amid a background of public  noise complaints, sky high rents and lack of official support from the  city. When street culture meccas like this one go down, it deals a  serious blow to the independent community, especially one eking out an  existence in a decidedly creatively inhospitable city like Hong Kong.   Audio by Elphick Wo See the full story here: https://maekan.com/article/remembering-triple-x-hong-kongs-underground-hot-spot/ What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the  sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning,  participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level  that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of  creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKAN.com.  You'll unlock all of our stories, be given exclusive member-only-access  to our Slack community, and have the opportunity to participate in our  monthly digital panel discussions. MAEKAN.com Follow Us instagram.com/maekan facebook.com/storiesforthecurious twitter.com/maekan stories@maekan.com 

Remembering Triple X — Hong Kong's Underground Mecca

Comfort. It’s something essential to our lives. The degree of comfort we experience can impact how we view the world around us. Comfort can take shape in a practical sense. Are we dry? Are we able to move freely? Are we confident about how we look? Comfort can also apply psychologically. Are we comfortable with the challenge ahead and the uncertainty of not knowing what’s next? In abundance, some would say too much of it creates complacency. Too little of it, and you’re unable to settle into a rhythm, because you’re only focused on reducing the discomfort. Interview & Photos by Eugene Kan Video by Ralph Sarmo See the full story here: https://www.maekan.com/article/maekan-byborre-redefining-comfort-rebecca-kelley   What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKAN.com. You'll unlock all of our stories, be given exclusive member-only-access to our Slack community, and have the opportunity to participate in our monthly digital panel discussions. MAEKAN.com Follow Us instagram.com/maekan facebook.com/storiesforthecurious twitter.com/maekan stories@maekan.com  

MAEKAN & BYBORRE — Redefining Comfort: Rebecca Kelley

“Looking back at it, it feels like I’m jumping around a lot, but all  of the different types of work, whether it’s an installation or in the  architecture studio that I have, they’re all in service of the same  goal—which is to take our everyday experience, things that we know, and,  sort of, make them do things or make them act in ways we don’t expect.  And that subtle shift outside of our everyday experience is a kind of  invitation to explore that region outside of our everyday.” A rack of sixteen Spalding basketballs—except they’re made of pink  selenite crystal with gaping erosions in their forms. A Los Angeles  Lakers bomber jacket with logo stitching across the front—except it’s  unwearable, made of pyrite and ash, the crystals emerging from erosions  on the shoulder and sides. What appears to be the hydrostone likenesses  of Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, and Big Bird hanging out together, but  they’re wrapped in cloth and tied with rope, ready for delivery or  perhaps for unwrapping—immediately familiar and uncomfortably unfamiliar  at the same time. Issues of National Geographic, Vogue, Life Magazine, and Sports Illustrated from the year 3018—the year that, apparently, the Cleveland Browns win the Super Bowl. Story & Photos by Charis Poon Audio by Elphick Wo See the full story here: https://www.maekan.com/article/floating-in-time-daniel-arsham-brings-us-static-mythologies What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKAN.com. You'll unlock all of our stories, be given exclusive member-only-access to our Slack community, and have the opportunity to participate in our monthly digital panel discussions. MAEKAN.com Follow Us instagram.com/maekan facebook.com/storiesforthecurious twitter.com/maekan stories@maekan.com 

Floating in Time — Daniel Arsham Brings Us Static Mythologies

The growth of social media gives off the perception that the world’s smaller and more connected, but conversely, this doesn’t necessarily make the world easier to understand. In our MAEKAN Session titled The Need for Criticism, we focused on the concept of critique in a social-media dominated creative landscape. This session was our most globally expansive to date, with a panel dialing in from Australia, Asia, and America. The panel members originally met through a WhatsApp group centered around film photography. Through this connection, the speakers often spoke about critique and how that has changed in relation to a social media-driven environment. How does critique affect the creative landscape of 2018, and how can we grow more accustomed to the ways in which we receive critique? Text by Alek Rose Moderated by Eugene Kan Panelists featuring Sean Marc Lee, Young Kim, Jovell Rennie, James Bailey, and Donnel Barroso See the full story here: https://www.maekan.com/article/maekan-session-the-need-for-criticism What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKAN.com. You'll unlock all of our stories, be given exclusive member-only-access to our Slack community, and have the opportunity to participate in our monthly digital panel discussions. MAEKAN.com Follow Us instagram.com/maekan facebook.com/storiesforthecurious twitter.com/maekan stories@maekan.com 

MAEKAN Session — The Need for Criticism

Studies suggest that mental illness just may be the new normal—with an overwhelming amount of the population suffering from depression, anxiety, or a deep rooted sadness at one point or another in their lives. While some may attempt to ignore symptoms, it’s important we don’t isolate ourselves and these feelings, but rather, remove the stigma attached to mental health by speaking openly. Mike Shinoda wants to promote this narrative, and ensure that we are checking in with ourselves, and others. Interview, Narration, and Text by Samantha Goretski Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Christina Choi See the full story here: https://www.maekan.com/article/to-be-a-member-of-a-club-you-never-wanted-to-join-conversing-with-mike-shinoda What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKAN.com. You'll unlock all of our stories, be given exclusive member-only-access to our Slack community, and have the opportunity to participate in our monthly digital panel discussions. MAEKAN.com Follow Us instagram.com/maekan facebook.com/storiesforthecurious twitter.com/maekan stories@maekan.com

To Be a Member of a Club You Never Wanted to Join — Conversing with Mike Shinoda

In this Building the Brand, Eugene sits down with Scott to talk about the role of community governance in a brand strategy. It's never been easier to start and build a brand today, but a side effect of this is building loyalty has become that much harder. Instead of freely providing what the brand has to offer up front—or even simply dictating it to your audience—how about building a community that has some say in how things are run? Hosted by Eugene Kan & Scott Mascek Text & Transcript by Nate Kan Audio by Elphick Wo See the full story here: https://www.maekan.com/article/building-the-brand-community-governance What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKAN.com. You'll unlock all of our stories, be given exclusive member-only-access to our Slack community, and have the opportunity to participate in our monthly digital panel discussions. MAEKAN.com Follow Us instagram.com/maekan facebook.com/storiesforthecurious twitter.com/maekan stories@maekan.com

Building the Brand — Community Governance

Joan Wong worked at Penguin Random House in New York for the past five years as a book cover designer. Her more well-known work includes the paperback covers of the Crazy Rich Asians series by Kevin Kwan, Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s We Should All Be Feminists. She could easily have stayed at her job indefinitely and followed a fairly predictable path of success as a designer. However, in evaluating her next steps, this plan sounded a little too safe. She decided to leave her full time job in order to embark on a year long trip around the world that began in October 2017. This second conversation between myself, Charis, and Joan took place near the end of her trip, but looks back at the second third of her journey. Hosted & Narration by Charis Poon Audio by Elphick Wo Illustration by Joan Wong See the full story here: https://www.maekan.com/article/observations-abroad-with-joan-wong-part-ii What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKAN.com. You'll unlock all of our stories, be given exclusive member-only-access to our Slack community, and have the opportunity to participate in our monthly digital panel discussions. MAEKAN.com Follow Us instagram.com/maekan facebook.com/storiesforthecurious twitter.com/maekan stories@maekan.com

Observations Abroad with Joan Wong — Part II

I have a trick for when I meet new people in order to get more quickly into a substantiative conversation. I resist, for the entire meeting if possible, asking the person that I’ve just met what they do for a living. I’m not always able to swerve clear of what’s considered small talk—I still tend to talk about the weather more than is advisable—but I try to be honest and ask open questions that leave room for the conversation to develop in many possible ways. The artist David Choe, in his 45-minute session on stage at the Unexpected Connections conference, said that he would begin by telling the 450 people in the audience the thing he least wanted to share. Think what our interactions with each other would look like if we adopted that practice in our daily lives. That’s what happened, in a scaled-back way, throughout the day in Long Beach during the conference hosted by Imprint and ourselves in early November. People in attendance were open with each other immediately, in the kind of way that typically takes being on a third date or having had a second pint. Conversations started where you’d typically get to 30 minutes in rather than at square one. Long Beach wound up being important as a location, more so than just being the neighborhood Imprint and InterTrend are located in (InterTrend and Imprint Venture Lab are both managed by Julia Huang, the mastermind behind the conference) though it was important to us that we show support for local culture. What wound up making Long Beach appropriate was its removal from downtown LA—the people present really thought about being there and made a commitment to stay at the conference for an extended period of time. Rather than people floating in for the specific talk they were interested in and then coasting out again, there was a dedicated group of people prepared for deep engagement. People would recognize each other and conversations that were started in the morning continued on to the afternoon and then flowed into drinks at the Long Beach Museum of Art. Speakers being present for more than just their appointed slot of time also demonstrated commitment to availability and the sharing of knowledge. Text by Charis Poon Photos by Christina Choi See the full recap here: https://www.maekan.com/article/celebrating-and-evaluating-a-recap-of-unexpected-connections What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKAN.com. You'll unlock all of our stories, be given exclusive member-only-access to our Slack community, and have the opportunity to participate in our monthly digital panel discussions. MAEKAN.com Follow Us instagram.com/maekan facebook.com/storiesforthecurious twitter.com/maekan stories@maekan.com

Celebrating and Evaluating — A Recap of Unexpected Connections

An eternal summer on a coast of smooth white sand represented in ceramics. Liam Kaczmar set out to make what he couldn’t find elsewhere when he dreamed up Summerland. His one-man operation in San Francisco has allowed him to escape the dissatisfaction he found in: having to put in 70-hour weeks for bosses, having to settle for poorly designed bongs, having to put his design and art direction skills to work making other brands look better. Summerland as Liam envisions it brings access to imagining something better for those firmly engrained in stoner culture and those who are intrigued by the idea for the first time when they come across one of his bongs on the shelf of a clothing boutique. Hosted by Alex Maeland Text, Narration & Transcript by Alek Rose Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Carmen Chan See the full story here: https://www.maekan.com/article/good-earth-for-good-herb-summerland-and-the-perfect-ceramic-bong What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKAN.com. You'll unlock all of our stories, be given exclusive member-only-access to our Slack community, and have the opportunity to participate in our monthly digital panel discussions. MAEKAN.com Follow Us instagram.com/maekan facebook.com/storiesforthecurious twitter.com/maekan stories@maekan.com

Good Earth for Good Herb — Summerland and the Perfect Ceramic Bong

MAEKAN is a publisher and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about creative accountability, participation, and culture within a broader global community. MAEKAN's focused on equipping creators with the tangible and intangible tools to succeed and define the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking.

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