Our Story:

We are a brother and sister team pooling our histories and experiences to create design we like. It began with the bandaid ring, a wearable object that felt it was about things other than simply jewelry. 

We see many more objects in our future, not just of ours but of other designers, hence the name “esses.”

What is esses?

In Michelle's words: "When traveling cross-country back to New York with my husband, I found a large, cursive, wooden sign, carved in the shape of our logo in a South Dakota antique shop. "The 'esses' sign has much of what I seek when I try to make sculpture: the instant 'zing' of how an object can undress itself-- plainspoken through material and form. The sign, in its very physicality, sounds itself out. 

'esses' quite literally is defined as '1. the plural of S'; and '2. Something shaped like S.' Because 'esses' was probably a shop sign, we decided it would be a good name for this new venture and represent well our objective of developing other objects of mine, in line with my art practice, and of showcasing design products of other artists that capture the essence of their surroundings in a new form. We are looking for thoughtful design along these lines -- be it human, cultural, or otherwise. I'm fond of the idea of little conceptual objects interloping with culture and commerce and leveling the fields all at once." 

Michelle Lopez, co-founder, designer

Michelle Lopez is a Brooklyn-based artist born in 1970. She works primarily in sculpture and installation. She has had solo exhibitions at Feature Inc., Deitch Projects, LA><Art (LA), Galerie Paule Anglim (SF), Fondazione Trussardi (Milan), Galerie Christophe Gaillard (Paris), and currently is represented by Simon Preston Gallery, NY. www.simonprestongallery.com. She has also shown at PS1/MOMA, OCMA, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Brooklyn Museum, The Public Art Fund, and other art institutions. Michelle Lopez received her B.A. in literature and art history in 1992 at Barnard College, Columbia University, and her M.F.A in 1994 at the School of Visual Arts. She is currently full-time faculty at Yale School of Art in the Sculpture Department.  www.michellelopez.com

Rudy Lopez, co-founder, director

Rudy Lopez is a designer and director with a background in fashion. Rudy Lopez received his B.A. in fashion merchandising in 2003 from Virginia Commonwealth University, and in fashion graphic design in 2005 from Parsons The New School for Design. Past endeavors include marketing and design at Triple 5 Soul in Brooklyn, NY. He also co-founded Henry, a streetwear boutique in Richmond, VA, executing brand direction and concepts. Recently, he worked with Need Supply Co. managing the store and maintaining store identity with marketing and branding. Alongside esses, he currently consults with other start-up design companies.