izola *
these guys have a major buzz around them these days and seem to be in every publication i open, so i thought i'd open this up to you guys. ac can attest to the fact that i sort of have a thing against clear plastic shower curtains, but i actually like some of these designs. i don't know what it is about plastic curtains, but they remind me of college dorms of something. but izola, a new york based design studio, released a collection of 15 clear shower curtain designs that are getting rave reviews. i personally like the feather design (it's simple and clean) but can't get past the clear thing. i just don't like seeing the inside of my shower all the time (even when it IS clean). they're priced at $35 a piece and include black and white photographs of iconic images like the brooklyn bridge and the colosseum in rome, as well as patterns like bamboo, feathers and sake cases. i'm not entirely sold, but what do you guys think? [share your 2 cents below]
Labels: accessories
posted by design*sponge @ 8.2.06
15 Comments:
hmmm. not sure what i think either. i enjoy the photographer's curtain and the artist drawing above. but they're still a little boring if you ask me.
Hey D*S,
Actually, this post is really well timed. I agree with you that clear shower curtains leave something to be desired. However, I have a small bathroom in my bedroom with a stall shower. There's not much light in the bathroom (and no window), so I have to get a clear shower curtain in order to keep things from getting too dark.
-Alex
i can't get excited about these. at all. and i'm a claustrophobe who needs a clear shower curtain to prevent my falling over in a panic and drowning. i don't find these any more creative or special than the novelty shower curtains you used to be able to buy at urban outfitters when i was in college. personally, i finally settled on a combination of totally clear shower curtain and funky tile. and this arrangement does have the added bonus of making things a lot lighter and more open in my wee bathroom.
You can always line the curtain in a solid color.
1. you get the opacity you are after.
2. you protecct your nice shower curtain from soap scum, etc.
3. you could experiment with different colors. Change them out with the seasons, etc..
What a sexy, quirky idea, feathers that don't stick to you eventhough you are all wet and soupy. Great Idea. And you know what I would like to see... The guys who thought up this wild idea standing behind the feathers in their birthday suits.
Seems a bit underwhelming. I would love to see a beautifully designed clear/frosted/opaque curtain that allows light to pass through and keeps small bathrooms feeling a bit more open while concealing a bit and breaking up the space witht he frosted/opaque areas...
I'm a bit of a claustrophobe myself, but I recently managed to make the jump to a fabric curtain with minor difficulty. I have to say when I originally saw these I fell in love with the "Studio 54" curtain. If I hadn't already made the switch to fabric I would probably buy it. I'm still considering buying it to use as a liner. No-one would know but me, not even my partner who can't see a thing without his glasses.
as a shower curtain designer myself i too have dabbled in these full panel photo prints. they are not our best sellers by any means
people seem to prefer patterns & graphics. and our clear curtains definately sell less.
the latest technology is to print photos onto textile curtains so if izola could use this technique that would enable them to capture the market that doesnt like transparency.
These comments are awesome - especially the one about the "birthday suits". Neil and I (the owners of Izola) didn't even know of this blog until yesterday when someone from Nylon Mag mentioned it.
We'd love any more suggestions for new images, patterns, themes, materials, etc. We are growing the collection because it's done so well. We are literally selling out of everything and want to grow the business into different markets. We are about to launch a collection of printed hemp curtains and experimenting with a raincoat material (for outdoor curtains) and PEVA, a matt yet transparent material.
Patterns do sell, but our images sell out - namely because there's nothing like them out there.
Everyone's bathroom and needs are different. Some want a curtain that's transparent for lightess while other have kids (who often don't knock) and want more 'privacy.'
Thank you everyone for the feedback! Check us out on the Target.com Red Hot Shop starting 2.26.06 and also look out for the feature article in USA Today in three weeks!
And Bowiestyle - I'd love to see your work!
wow, someone from nylon reads me?
that made my day, thanks izola :)
d*s
psst: you can check out an article with d*s in new york magazine next week...
I like the designs, especially the feather, venice and bamboo.
I have a think against shower curtains that are clear or too busy. That being said I can see that these monotone shower curtains would go well in our classic/retro pink and grey bathroom and not much does. (Disclaimer: the pink and grey tile is not by choice).
The only natural light my bathroom gets is from the tiny window in the shower, so I like clear or transparent shower curtains that transmit light. The feathers one is the only design I could live with; I think the photographic ones are too much and I'd get bored of seeing the same specific scenery every day - whereas I'd really like a clean and uncluttered abstract or dot pattern. Again, with a tiny New York City apartment bathroom, I want to see openness, not overwhelming image...
I actually prefer the clear vinyl shower curtain, but I've always liked my bathroom to give off a bit of whimsy to wake up with in the morning. I pair it with a second curtain/liner of a different colour that provides not only an accent colour, but some privacy.
These have a nice combination of being fun without landing in the realm of first college flat t-bone steak shower curtains. I'm not quite as into the location photos as they would, I think, make my already tiny bathroom look even smaller, but if you had a massive bathroom I could see them being nice.
Photo shower curtains rock, however, I want to use one of my photos. I'm a documentary photographer and think this would be a great way to display a favorite photo. Does anyone know of a company who will print on a vinyl shower curtain?
Printing a photo on a vinyl shower curtain? I read about this somewhere but cannot find this company. Does anyone know?? Please respond!
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