Contrary to the "No-Time" slogans that emblazon her work, Karin Spitzer has got time. Plenty of it. At least for important things, like her friends and art. But the 25-year-old New York City-based artist is making a business out of everyone else's lack of time management, with her bracelets, pins and tattoos that announce to the world such things like there's "no time to sleep" and "no time for boys." What started out five years ago as an art project has become a line of fashion accessories sought after worldwide. We stole a moment to ask Spitzer a few questions about the art-project-turned-fashion-statement and her stance on the hours in the day.

sari sari: How / When did this project begin?
karin spitzer: This project began in 1996 when I designed a bus shelter poster in downtown Providence, RI. Composed of 33 lines such as "no time to flirt," "no time to rock," "no time to chew," and "no time to sleep."

For the opening of this exhibit I made companion bracelets with the same text to give out to the sleep-deprived commuters. A year later, Colette, a famed Parisian boutique spotted the bracelets in a holiday show at Printed Matter, NYC. Since then I have been selling bracelets, matchboxes, tattoos and pins at Colette and several other stores around the world (including my own web-shop).

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ss: The pins and bracelets are the ultimate fashion statement -- literally. Are you more interested in the fashion (artistic) or the statement (political)?
ks: I am definitely interested in both the artistic and political aspects of this project. I don't think you can separate the two. My motivation was certainly political but my background is artistic. I am not surprised that the look of the no-time collection carries a fashion statement with it. It's interesting to see how an art project evolved into a fashion must-have.

ss: Who inspires you?
ks: My friends.

ss: What's next?
ks: "no time for boys" T-shirts at a store near you!

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ss: Do you own a watch?
ks: Yes. Sometimes I take it off when I sleep. The ticking is very loud.

ss: Are you a morning or a night person?
ks: Night person. I like the quiet.

ss: If you could go back in time, what period would you choose to visit and why?
ks: I often think that I should have been living during the 60s. There might be a struggling hippie in me. If not the 60s, then way at the beginning of human evolution.

ss: If you only had 24 hours to live, what would you do?
ks: Do you know the song, "If you had 24 hours to live...what would you do...who would you screw...and who would you notify...or would your ass deny that your ass about to die...?" (MASE: "24 hours to live")

I would get on a plane and go somewhere with lots of trees, sun and water.

ss: If you could add hours to the day, how many would you add and why?
ks: I don't think adding hours to the day will solve the no-time problem.

I prefer to manage time and priorities a little bit better than the expected demands of the modern world. If there were more hours to a day everyone would work even longer hours and sleep for a shorter amount.