Meet the Judges

Human connection is at the heart of the Block Shop brand. The more you learn about their values and processes—from their annual profit donations and their reverence for craftsmanship to the twice-yearly health care camps they coordinate for their work teams in Jaipur—the more you’ll feel enveloped in a hug that stretches around the globe. Even their prints and patterns evoke community, featuring harmonious dots, concentric circles, and gently intersecting shapes. The human connection is real—we felt it when we first slipped our arms into one of their bestselling robes, and again when we stepped into their light-filled LA studio to discuss being judges for the Booktique Awards—an invitation they accepted not once but twice, in both 2023 and 2024. Thank you, Hopie & Grier!

Of all the books you judged, which one really spoke to you and why? [2024] Capturing Nature was the clear winner for us this year. We were of course very drawn to the nature prints, particularly of the ferns (!) which inspired us so much that we’ve decided to make a fern Block Shop print. [2023] We all loved Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History. Studying any artistic/musical/historical movement through something small & specific (a brooch! a vessel!) can sometimes be the most engrossing way to learn about the subject. The point Ice Cold makes so well is that, more than vibe, jewelry in hip-hop is a phenomenon that reflects the cultural and social dynamics within which the genre of hip-hop operates. Textiles (that's what we do, btw) function similarly. They're something to behold, sure, but they also encapsulate social histories.  

Was there a specific page, or image, or section of any of the six books that you’d like to point out to our readers? A favorite part from any of the books that you don’t want them to miss? In The Space Shuttle, don't miss the literal galaxy-brain photography captured by the Hubble Space Telescope during the third Hubble Repair Mission. Incredible. 

Did being a judge (and/or did a specific book you judged) spark new creative connections or inspire new ideas you’d like to explore in your life or work? The tropical modernism of some of the dreamy houses in Kinfolk Islands really got my wheels spinning. I went down a rabbit hole on renowned Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa (1919–2003), the "father of tropical modernism," after reading about him. His distinctive style was flexible and climate efficient. It made me think about how architecture and materials will shift profoundly in response to climate change and how Block Shop will shift with it.

What’s your favorite thing about coffee table books, and/or your favorite type of coffee table book? People are very intentional about the coffee table books they put out, so I always take the time to study them. It's sort of like "welcome to my point of view." I was in an artist's house recently whose work confounds me and as soon as I saw his coffee table books—all books of other artists—it actually placed his work for me. It was like, "So THIS is what you're doing. Got it." I'm like him—I love coffee table books of artists' works so I can really take my time with the work and study it up close. 

At Booktique, we say “Read Beautifully” and we invite our community to define it however they choose. What comes to mind when you think “Read Beautifully”? A place? A favorite person? A time of day? A color? A certain type of imagery? A specific book? When I hear “read beautifully” I think about the way my brain loosens and my nervous system relaxes when I'm absorbed in a book I love. It's the experience of words washing over me... That's what I define as a "beautiful" reading experience. It requires being present, physically comfortable, and not pressed for time. 

What’s on your coffee table right now, book or otherwise? Books on artists Sonia Delaunay and [Ettore] Sottsass, Russian Textiles: Printed Cloth for the Bazaars of Central Asia, Racquet Magazine, and Esprit: The Comprehensive Design Principle to name a few! 

If you had to choose...

Words or pictures? Words. Matte or glossy? Glossy. Serif or sans? Serif. Brights or greige? Brights!!! Marble or terrazzo? Marble. Music or silence? Music! Sweet or savory? Savory. Coffee or cocktails? Coffee. Movie theater or museum? Museum. Tulips or Bird of Paradise? Bird of Paradise. Grand Canyon or Central Park? Central Park. Order or chaos? Chaos.