The Haas Brothers, design wunderkinds Simon and Nikolai Haas, talk over one another as only close siblings can, in a conversation style which clearly fuels each others’ creativity. Raised in Austin but acculturated in Los Angeles by a veritable army of influencers such as Laura Dern and Vincent Gallo, the fraternal twin brothers fled from day jobs and half-started creative careers two years ago to leap head-first into the design world.
In only two years’ time, the duo has turned design principles on their head and spread their legs open wide with a humorous, animalistic, and unapologetically sexualized approach to decor. Simon and Niki operate out of a studio in Downtown Los Angeles. Their mantra: do what feels right, free of all inhibitions. Easier said than done for most, but with a bond as strong as these two, taking risks is easy.
With each leap of faith, opportunity follows. Alex Calderwood, the late great proprietor of the Ace Hotel Group, commissioned the brothers to sketch a mischievous mural showcasing LA’s showbiz history in the lobby of their Downtown Los Angeles location. They collaborated with the inimitable Donatella Versace on last year’s Versace Home collection. In June, their “Sex Room,” a voyeuristic room modeled after porn shops, where viewers are invited to explore their sensuality individually, debuted at Design Miami/Basel. Their work has appeared in the pages of Vanity Fair, W Magazine, and PIN-UP Magazine—and now in their first book, The Haas Brothers Volume 1 from R & Company.
On November 4, the Haas Brothers will unleash their first New York exhibition, Cool World, at R & Company Gallery in Tribeca. The show’s name references the 1992 film Cool World, starring Brad Pitt, Kim Basinger, and Gabriel Byrne, which follows a cartoonist who falls into a sordid animated world of his own creation. The Haas Brothers couldn’t say much more about the film because to this day they have not seen it. The PG-13-rated film was strictly off-limits to them as children, but its taboo subject matter and fantasy, panned by critics and neglected at the box office, remains a source of inspiration. Their gallery show will present artifacts from their own world, including the infamous “Sex Room” installation.
We were fortunate enough to grab a few minutes two-on-one with the Haas Brothers at their book signing at MOCA Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, where the twins raced through a stream of consciousness that hit upon their upcoming exhibition, their new book, and their “Uncle Terry”—that’s Terrence Malick to the rest of us.
NOAH ADLER: Tell us a little bit about your show Cool World.
SIMON HAAS: We wanted to explore the human and cartoon dynamic, where cartoons are the pieces that you can’t really express as a human.
NIKI HAAS: When we were kids, anybody of our generation wasn’t allowed to see [Cool World]. We never saw it. What was so intriguing was the sex and drugs… I think? That’s what’s in the trailer.
SH: And we had loved Roger Rabbit too, so we wanted more than anything to see this movie. I remember Niki had it on his calendar and was counting the days for months and then we couldn’t go. Now, it represents a memory. We’ve dealt with a lot of sexual issues in
In only two years’ time, the duo has turned design principles on their head and spread their legs open wide with a humorous, animalistic, and unapologetically sexualized approach to decor. Simon and Niki operate out of a studio in Downtown Los Angeles. Their mantra: do what feels right, free of all inhibitions. Easier said than done for most, but with a bond as strong as these two, taking risks is easy.
With each leap of faith, opportunity follows. Alex Calderwood, the late great proprietor of the Ace Hotel Group, commissioned the brothers to sketch a mischievous mural showcasing LA’s showbiz history in the lobby of their Downtown Los Angeles location. They collaborated with the inimitable Donatella Versace on last year’s Versace Home collection. In June, their “Sex Room,” a voyeuristic room modeled after porn shops, where viewers are invited to explore their sensuality individually, debuted at Design Miami/Basel. Their work has appeared in the pages of Vanity Fair, W Magazine, and PIN-UP Magazine—and now in their first book, The Haas Brothers Volume 1 from R & Company.
On November 4, the Haas Brothers will unleash their first New York exhibition, Cool World, at R & Company Gallery in Tribeca. The show’s name references the 1992 film Cool World, starring Brad Pitt, Kim Basinger, and Gabriel Byrne, which follows a cartoonist who falls into a sordid animated world of his own creation. The Haas Brothers couldn’t say much more about the film because to this day they have not seen it. The PG-13-rated film was strictly off-limits to them as children, but its taboo subject matter and fantasy, panned by critics and neglected at the box office, remains a source of inspiration. Their gallery show will present artifacts from their own world, including the infamous “Sex Room” installation.
We were fortunate enough to grab a few minutes two-on-one with the Haas Brothers at their book signing at MOCA Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, where the twins raced through a stream of consciousness that hit upon their upcoming exhibition, their new book, and their “Uncle Terry”—that’s Terrence Malick to the rest of us.
NOAH ADLER: Tell us a little bit about your show Cool World.
SIMON HAAS: We wanted to explore the human and cartoon dynamic, where cartoons are the pieces that you can’t really express as a human.
NIKI HAAS: When we were kids, anybody of our generation wasn’t allowed to see [Cool World]. We never saw it. What was so intriguing was the sex and drugs… I think? That’s what’s in the trailer.
SH: And we had loved Roger Rabbit too, so we wanted more than anything to see this movie. I remember Niki had it on his calendar and was counting the days for months and then we couldn’t go. Now, it represents a memory. We’ve dealt with a lot of sexual issues in