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STONEFIELD NEWSLETTEr
TALK
Photo taken by: Nick Kennedy in Lake Tahoe, NV
The holidays are over. So, what is there to look forward to but cold weather, ice and snow for the months ahead? Well, there’s actually a lot to look forward to. Winter is a great time to gain weight. Hide yourself under layer after layer of fabric until the time comes to emerge from your cotton cocoon and blossom into a butterfly of Spring once again. If you’re more into sports than packing on the pounds, the Super Bowl, one of the most watched events on television, is just around the corner. If you prefer the Arts, wait another month and you have the Oscars, a celebration of the best films of the year. Or like we all witnessed last year, a celebration of the best slap of the year. And as always, we all have the Stonefield Ski trip in Vermont this February to look forward to. So, when you’re hunkered down at home awaiting the brighter days that lay ahead, wondering to yourself - what is the purpose of this snowy season, remember this is a time for rest. It’s a time for the Earth to sleep and prepare for renewal. Soon enough Spring will be here, and with it, new life. But now is a time for conservation and contentment. Warming by the fire in your cotton cocoon with a nice hot cup of cocoa. And maybe a slice of pie.
winter 2024
TUNES The latest installments of our monthly mixtape series at Stonefield have made their way to Detroit and Salem for Mixtapes 039 & 040. Both playlists have a certain sound about them sure to put a smile on your face. They were the perfect way to close out 2023. The Detroit office had the opportunity to put together a playlist of their own and boy did they not disappoint. This 40song playlist starts off nice and slow with some Chris Stapleton, Maggie Rogers, and the critically acclaimed Noah Kahan. Around minute 24, the folk section of the mixtape takes an upbeat turn with hits from Foster The People, Dayglow, and Empire of the Sun to name a few. After a strong pop portion, the playlist enters its third section. For fans of rock, don’t worry - this one has some songs for you. Steely Dan, The Strokes, 38 Special, and Blue Oyster Cult take listeners on a roller coaster of riffs before Imagine Dragons, John Mayer, and Glass Animals close things out in the fourth leg. You could call this playlist “Indie Heaven,” with hints of rock, pop, and folk. We hope you all enjoyed this one as much as we did! It was all smiles on Mixtape 040 - as you can clearly tell by the faces on the cover. Our Salem office curated a cheerful collection of songs meant to brighten its listeners’ days. Macklemore kicks things off on this playlist with the title track to the mixtape, “NO BAD DAYS.” The Chainsmokers, Noah Kahan once again, and Tame Impala do their part in making sure the playlist lives up to such a title. In addition to the vibrant pop songs, various covers of classic songs are scattered throughout as well to make sure there’s a little something for everybody. The playlist radiates positivity and is sure to keep you engaged, yet relaxed when you’re at work, at home, or on your daily commute. Give this one a listen the next time you’re in need of a pick-me-up. It’s sure to do the trick! As we make our way through year 4 of the Stonefield Mixtape series, we take a look back at just how far we’ve come, and thank you all for participating. What started as an experiment has blossomed into something we can all be a part of, take pride in, and enjoy together. We’ve represented individuals, teams, and entire offices, but at the end of the day, each mixtape represents Stonefield as a whole. 2024 will feature tons of new music so stay tuned. We can’t wait for you to hear we’ve got in store for you all.
winter 2024
STONEFIELD NEWSLETTEr
holiday party recap This year’s holiday party was picturesque to say the least, and that’s not just because of how good all of us looked. The party was held at Laissez Faire, an elegant cocktail lounge inside the historic Beekman Hotel located in the Financial District of Manhattan. For those who attended, you may recall shimmers of light emitting from a honey-comb of hexagon-shaped chandeliers; the glow refracting off a massive disco ball and hundreds of cocktail glasses filled with colorful drinks. The scene was surreal - nothing short of a Salvador Dali painting just before everything begins to melt. This doesn’t even include the private lounge, only accessible through a chainmail curtain doorway. What exactly was going on in there? A jazz band added to the ambience of the cocktail hour before DJ Rhett Bixler (former member of the Chainsmokers) took over and turned the party up a few notches. That was the biggest name performing at a Stonefield event since the Stonefield band blew our minds at Family Feud last Summer. With Stonefielders loosening up ties and taking off heels to bust a move on the dancefloor it was only natural for wine and beer to give way to tequila that flowed until the break of dawn. As the party came to its bittersweet ending, the remaining stragglers started their Saturday mornings off with pizza and praise that there were two days left to recover before returning to work on Monday. Thank you to all who attended and helped make this time of year so special. We’ll see you next year!
stonefield impact
How Stonefield aims to better the communities we live and work in In an effort to leave a positive impact on the communities we live and work in, Stonefield prides itself in taking on projects that reflect that effort. One of these projects is Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ. It was the state’s first suburban shopping center and helped pave the way for the Borough to become a retail destination. In light of the recent struggles in retail, Stonefield worked in conjunction with the Borough and our client - Garden State Plaza to develop a plan that would benefit both parties and ensure decades of success to come for both Paramus and Garden State Plaza. By diversifying the site’s uses and adding residential, hotel, office, and even more retail-uses throughout the neighborhood, the tax base for the community is being made much more secure. This is on top of the fact that Garden State Plaza already pays one of the top five highest property tax bills in the State! To ensure that these amenities are accessible to all demographics, Stonefield’s plan also provides affordable housing, senior housing, and assisted living to it’s residents. And as a final way to enhance the community, the plan will provide Paramus with a downtown “Main Street” and a “Town Green” as the community currently lacks a place where food festivals, holiday lights, and outdoor concerts can be held.
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STONEFIELD NEWSLETTEr
winter 2024
teams At first glance at this lovely woman, do you find that you are looking at one thing? One lovely, warm, motherly woman? Or maybe something more than that? The Matryoshka doll, or Russian doll as it is sometimes called, is said to have been inspired by eastern Asian culture – the Seven Lucky Gods nesting dolls of Hakone, Kanagawa as an example. In a way, it reminds us structurally of what Stonefield is: one thing defined by the many things that are nested within it. There are different layers to the company as well as layers within our teams, and even layers within ourselves – as individuals. This beautiful, motherly woman on the outside can only be fully understood by discovering what is at her core.
We could simply describe Stonefield as a company, and while on the day-to-day it may seem as simple as that statement, it is also as complex as understanding how 6 Practice Areas, 21 teams, and over 140 individuals are nested within Stonefield after 14 years in business. And some of those numbers may have even changed since the time this was written. Individuals of different and unique personalities nested in teams of different sizes and purposes, nested within a Practice Area of focus, and nested within Stonefield. To truly understand how the company works is to enter a discovery mode, with a curious attitude – willing to explore the various things and products a team creates. The most important questions to consider are “how” a team does what it does and “why” a team does what it does. It is impossible to feed that curiosity without getting to know each nested individual who is contained and embraced within that work of the team.
winter 2024
STONEFIELD NEWSLETTEr
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teams Structurally, what is it that really makes the Russian doll work? Well, without the outermost mother’s ability to split apart, it seems we might not be able to search any deeper. If she were only a shell, empty on the inside, what would the doll tell us? In this case, the shell surrounds another layer, so like an archaeologist – we curiously continue digging deeper to find
the next discovery that will ultimately inspire us to continue looking further, until we finally reach the center. Or does the inspiration come from the next little lady – at the very core, who we can’t help but hold her weight in our hands and smile. One thing can be so many things if we stay curious and keep exploring deeper.
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STONEFIELD NEWSLETTEr
winter 2024
Design Insight A deep dive into the creation of the FW23 collection
The FW23 Collection explores the idea of Stonefield as a generative force in a field of darkness. The imagery depicted on these items is evocative of both spiritual and literal illumination. The dark garments provide an atmospheric backdrop for the glowing yellow to shine its light upon the subject found on each unique piece. Together, the three colors find balance with one another to form the imagery of the season. To further enhance the quality of the releases we deliver, we designed down to the thread. Carhartt Work In Progress garments were carefully selected as the foundation for our design process. From there, we worked through multiple concepts until we landed on the term ‘illumination.’ This word guided us to the realization that enlightenment comes from within and illuminates our environment, not vice versa. Like a star in space, the human produces the light - and like a generator, the human powers its environment. The result of our exploration is a collection of functional pieces that we hope you wear, tear, fade, stain, and rep for many years to come. In support of this limited collection, we recruited the expertise of a professional photographer to capture the essence of each piece in the Rutherford Nest turned photo studio. You’ll probably notice some familiar faces sporting the gear as you look through these photos. A very special thank you to those Stonefielders who agreed to double as our in-house models. Finally, as a victory lap to close out such an exciting and successful year of new merchandise, we’ve catalogued each release of 2023 and displayed them in a printed zine to capture every look. You’ll be able to find copies in an office near you soon!
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GUESS WHO ANSWERS: A1, b2, c5, d4, e3