On Monday 17 October, we posted an [ interview with Acme Studio ] founders Adrian Olabuenaga and his wife, Lesley Bailey.
To coincide with Martin Scorsese’s documentary on [ George Harrison: Living in the Material World ] for HBO on the 5&6 of October, we give you a sneak peek at the “Beatles Collection” while we finish transcribing our interview. Acme Studio has a licensing agreement with Apple Corps, Ltd. brokered by Live Nation Merchandise, The Beatles North American Licensing Agent, to introduce a limited-edition collection of pens, timepieces, card cases and eyeglass cases featuring iconic imagery inspired by the legendary lads from Liverpool. The collection debuted August at the New York International Gift Fair. The collection will introduce nine individually numbered limited-edition pens commemorating each year that the Beatles were together, beginning with 1962. Two pens will be released every six months, with edition numbering that matches the year depicted on the pen, i.e., 1,962 pieces will be available for 1962. In addition, as part of the initial launch, Acme Studio will introduce “The Beatles,” a set of four pens featuring John, Paul, George and Ringo, in four interchangeable formats (rollerball, felt tip, ballpoint and fountain) in a numbered edition of 600. “Invasion,” a single pen commemorating the year The Beatles arrived in the United States will also be released in a limited edition of 1,964 pieces. For each of the 13 UK albums released by the Beatles, a pen and card case set packaged within miniature album covers will be introduced in editions of 1,000 pieces each. The first set introduced will be “Please Please Me,” followed by “With The Beatles,” and “A Hard Day’s Night.” Three sets will be released every six months. The timepieces will join the collection in November 2011 in limited editions of 1,000 pieces each. Three eyeglass cases will also be introduced in November 2011. “The Beatles Collection, is the most elaborate, most researched, the most comprehensive collection of Beatles products that has ever been produced and the first Beatles products ever to have been accepted into the permanent collection of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. ACME has also written a book about the collection.
brooches by peter shire, necklace by marco zanini, earrings by adrian olabuenaga, earrings by ettore sottsass, broach by beppe caturegli, circa 1986. photo credit | from collection of @DennisZanone
[ About Acme Studio ]
From a pen by Richard Meier or Shigeru Ban to a pair of cuff links by Massimo Vignelli, Acme Studio is a leading manufacturer and distributor of products and accessories designed by the world’s foremost architects, artists and designers. Acme’s first appearance in 1985 consisted of a collection of accessories designed by Peter Shire of the renowned Memphis Group, which changed the face of jewelry just as Memphis changed the face of design. Founded by husband-and-wife Adrian Olabuenaga and Lesley Bailey, and nominated for multiple design awards including the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award. Their product is distributed by leading retailers, museums worldwide. The Ettore Sottsass designed company facilities on the hillside of Haleakala Crater in Maui, speaks for Acme’s long-lasting relationships with their designers and architects. [ acme studio ]
