Ala Champ
 
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MUNI

A Leading Dining Destination In Adelaide's Rural Township of Willunga

THE ROTHKO CHAPEL

Artist Mark Rothko's Sanctuary For Contemplation, Congregation & Humanity

ART BIOTOP WATER GARDEN

Engineering Nature: Junya Ishigami's Architectural Wonder

KHAITE MERCER ST

Steel & Glass Dominate This Minimalist Flagship Retail Interior

SHIROIYA HOTEL

24 Hours In One of Japan’s Best Art & Design Hotel Destinations

Messner Mountain Museum

The ZHA-Designed Museum Dedicated to the Mountains and its Climbers

KOICHI IO

A Tokyo Studio Visit to the Third-Generation Metalsmith & Contemporary Artist

ISSEY MIYAKE SPRING SUMMER 2023

Kondo's Tribute Through The Power of Sculpture: “Enveloping The Body, Liberating The Mind.”

NoMad London

A Former Magistrates Court Is Transformed Into One Of London's Best New Hotels

Downtown L.A. Proper Hotel

Where the Creative Jetset Stay and Locals Hangout in Downtown Los Angeles

PARKHOTEL MONDSCHEIN

A Rich Cultural History Combined with a Refined Design Aesthetic at this Modern Luxe Hotel

FUFU KYOTO

An Intimate Luxury Hotel that Entwines Traditional Japanese Dining, Architecture and Hospitality with Modern Elegance

JACQUEMUS PARIS

A Pure Interior Led By Playfulness and Surprise

A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE / KYOTO

Designer Tokujin Yoshioka Renovates A 200-Year-Old Machiya, Balancing Heritage With Innovation

The Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre

The Charred-Brick 'Black Box' Presenting The Beauty Of Theatre & Performance

GAIA

British Artist Luke Jerram’s Explores The Vastness of Our Earth

BUILDING BLOCK

Functional Minimalism By Los Angeles-Based Sister-Duo Kimberly & Nancy Wu

June, 2017
Nancy & Kimberly Wu, Building Block, Los Angeles (2016) © Photo: Adri Law for Ala Champ 'Champion Womens Edition'

Los Angeles-based sister duo Kimberly and Nancy Wu have created one of the worlds most recognisable and desirable line of leather bags and accessories, Building Block; the tangible manifestation of their combined minimalist vision in design and style.

Building Block is an LA-based studio, and fast becoming a global staple known for exceptional quality and fashionable simplicity in design. Built with attentiveness to details and craftsmanship, Building Block stand out amongst the rapid, fast-paced fashion industry and its millions of compromised products.

The two siblings both bring their own experience in industrial design to the table; Nancy was formerly at NIKE as a footwear designer, and Kimberly previously at Japanese automotive company HONDA, in design. Now as founders, owners and designers of Building Block, they approach each design conceptually; referencing geometry and architecture, and even implementing thinking based on ergonomics and usability.

Creating timeless forms, the brand now includes footwear and offers a physical footprint; a flagship store and HQ in Chinatown, Los Angeles. We personally love their brand identity and website designed by the excellent Folder Studio, and their library of visual inspiration found on their website here. Timeless, indeed.

Building Block was featured in Ala Champ Issue 10 ‘Champion Womens Edition’ 2016
Photography: Adri Law for Ala Champ
Words: Rae Elliman & Joanna Kawecki

Building Block, Los Angeles (2016) © Photo: Adri Law for Ala Champ 'Champion Womens Edition'
Nancy & Kimberly Wu, Building Block, Los Angeles (2016) © Photo: Adri Law for Ala Champ 'Champion Womens Edition'
Building Block, Los Angeles (2016) © Photo: Adri Law for Ala Champ 'Champion Womens Edition'
Building Block, Los Angeles (2016) © Photo: Adri Law for Ala Champ 'Champion Womens Edition'
Building Block, Los Angeles (2016) © Photo: Adri Law for Ala Champ 'Champion Womens Edition'
Building Block, Los Angeles (2016) © Photo: Adri Law for Ala Champ 'Champion Womens Edition'
Building Block, Los Angeles (2016) © Photo: Adri Law for Ala Champ 'Champion Womens Edition'
Building Block, Los Angeles (2016) © Photo: Adri Law for Ala Champ 'Champion Womens Edition'
Building Block, Los Angeles (2016) © Photo: Adri Law for Ala Champ 'Champion Womens Edition'
Building Block, Los Angeles (2016) © Photo: Adri Law for Ala Champ 'Champion Womens Edition'
June, 2017