"If Design Were..." with Brooks Hudson Thomas

Blackman Cruz protégé, Brooks Hudson Thomas, breaks out on his own with Specific Merchandise. With a background in art, a fascination for handicraft and the obscure, Brooks curates a collection that is undeniably personal...specific even. According to Brooks, the idea behind this venture was to do a "deliberate mix of high and low things" and to "blur the line between a gallery and a shop." The collection is pretty innovative even for a discerning design enthusiast, with pieces from furniture designer Tim Lewis, Mexican ceramicist German Montalvo (pictured,) and an exclusive lighting collection by Marie Christophe (pictured.)

After visiting with Brooks and really taking in the store, the name Specific Merchandise really sunk in and made sense. I thought it would be interesting to get inside the mind of the man behind the showroom to understand design as he sees it. Let's play, "If Design Were...," with Brooks Hudson Thomas:

SY: If design were... an object?

BHT: "A bottle opener."

SY: ...a person?

BHT: "Donald Judd."

SY: ...a place?

BHT: "Tokyo."

SY: ...a song?

BHT: "Tony's "Something's Coming", West Side Story."

SY: ...a film?

BHT: "Auntie Mame, or Cary Grant in anything."

SY: ...a moment?

BHT: "A first kiss."