Fort Makers Opens an Yves Klein–Inspired Shop on the Lower East Side

In keeping with the recent theme of New York designers opening their own showrooms and shops, Fort Makers this week opened its own permanent space at 38 Orchard on the Lower East Side, just down the street from Coming Soon. The space will transform every six to eight weeks with an installation curated by Fort Makers creative director Nana Spears; its first iteration takes inspiration from Yves Klein in an installation called The Blue Room, featuring hand-painted upholstery by Fort Makers founder Naomi Clark, cobalt glassware by artists Jason Bauer and Romina Gonzales, earrings by Jane D’Arenbourg, the collective’s best-selling Line Lights by Noah Spencer, and more. Serving as a backdrop to the objects is a massive geometric bookcase Fort Makers actually created for Sight Unseen back at Collective Design a few years back (memories!). Says Spears: “We created Fort Makers under the Bauhaus model—a core group of artists focusing on crafts and useable art. After ten successful years of studio practice, we’re excited to open a store downtown, and join the creative community around the Lower East Side.”