Ed Ruscha for Every Day
Though it's made a killing on its cheery slogan notebooks ("Bliss List," "Be Happy," et al), and its Fashion Week Diary has been snapped up by a number of New York / Milan / Paris...
Though it’s made a killing on its cheery slogan notebooks (“Bliss List,” “Be Happy,” et al), and its Fashion Week Diary has been snapped up by a number of New York / Milan / Paris types, Smythson of Bond Street has something a little moodier — and more philanthropic — up its leather-bound sleeve for fall: A limited-edition set of Art Diaries, the entire proceeds of which are earmarked for charity.
Featuring original works by two Brits (Gary Hume and Rachel Whiteread) and two Americans (John Baldessari and Ed Ruscha), it’s a hands-across-the-water kind of affair. And that’s reflected in the various causes the artists have selected to benefit, too. Hume’s pick, The Kids Company, provides support to vulnerable inner-city children and is based in the U.K. Ruscha, whose cheeky works are pictured here, chose The Bill Foundation, which rescues pooches from the L.A. shelter system and places them in permanent homes. Available in two portable sizes (the 5.5″ x 7.5″ Mayfair, $810, and the 3.5″ x 5.5″ Panama, $630), the Diaries will hit Smythson’s New York and Beverly Hills stores mid-October.