Jony Ive, Marc Newson interviewed by Vanity Fair
Earlier in the week, TUAW featured a post about a special, one-of-a-kind Leica M camera that was designed by Apple's Jony Ive and his close friend, designer Marc Newson. The camera was created for Product (Red) and a charity auction that's scheduled for November 23 at Sotheby's in New York. Vanity Fair's Paul Goldberger interviewed the two designers about design, the auction and their friendship, revealing some fascinating stories and facts.
Ive and Newson have been good friends for years; their families actually spend time together each July at Britain's Goodwood Festival of Speed. While Ive has become well-known as the designer of Apple's mass-market products, Newson is best known for some of his more rare and handcrafted works like 1986's "Lockheed Lounge." One single example of this rare (10 were made) chaise lounge sold at auction in 2009 for US$1.6 million.
The two designers share a passion for understanding the materials of which their products are crafted; in the Vanity Fair post, Ive highlighted that passion by saying that "We are both fanatical in terms of care and attention to things people don't see immediately. It's like finishing the back of a drawer. Nobody's going to see it, but you do it anyway." Newson concurred, replying that "You discover that very few people have the level of perfection we do. It is actually very sick. It is neurotic."
As for the co-designed Leica M camera and the other items selected (and in some cases modified) by Ive and Newson for the Product (Red) auction, it should be a big moneymaker for the charity. U2 frontman Bono, who co-founded the charity in 2006, has his own idea as to who will walk away with the camera: "Jony and Marc are so excited about this, that I think what will really happen is that they are going to outbid each other to see who gets the Leica."
Mocoloco also reports that Ive and Newson have designed a one-of-a-kind aluminum desk for the Product (Red) auction.
