Design Canteen

Dark and Lovely

2011-12-10T07:05:00.001-08:00

In a world of illustrators and artists all vying for attention, Ruben Ireland stands out by fading to black: his quirky, stylish illustrations are at their most striking when favoring the darker end of the scale. Often featuring soulful-eyed, raven-haired gamines wearing masks or equally mask-like dark eyeshadow, there's a quality to his drawings that's as romantic as it is foreboding.

Judging from the stylized imagery and prevalence of swans and rabbits, Ireland may be inspired by equally dark movies like Black Swan and Donnie Darko (although there's definitely a stylized dark version of Uma Thurman from Pulp Fiction). But even if he takes inspirations from them, the resulting imagery is uniquely his own.

I can go on about what I think makes his work so appealing, but methinks it best to just let you marvel at the work and decide for yourself. And you can marvel at Ireland's visions as much as you like by purchasing prints in various sizes, at prices ranging from $18 for 8" x 10" mini prints, to $65 for 27" x 36" gallery prints. From Society 6.

My Seconds Love

2011-12-03T09:10:00.001-08:00

My mainstay go-to brand is Robert Geller, whose clothes I've been wearing since he started his eponymous brand in 2007 (which was covered here first, in my blog), but even before that when I caught a glimpse of his talent back in his days as a partner at Cloak back when I bought near-entire collections in 2003. But while he and I have become friends, it has no bearing on the fact that I love his clothing. I normally just buy from the main line but the secondary line, aptly called Robert Geller Seconds, has beguiled me this past season.

Comprised mostly of basics like tees, tanks and athletic wear, Seconds may look fairly simple but the details are still very much in keeping with the Robert Geller aesthetic. With clean lines but interesting details and fresh proportions, these are wardrobe staples that look fairly nondescript until you put them on. Tank tops are fluid and skim the body in ways that no Hanes garment will, shorts are more like plus fours re-purposed for leisurewear, and interesting details like articulated knees make the track pants equally at home underneath a blazer as they will on a rugby field. I don't like too many logos or tricksy details, but I do like design that enhances and sets clothing apart from the norm, as Geller has done with these not-quite-basics. They're perfect for fashionable layering.

After last year's obsession with prints and patterns, I found myself wanting a new sartorial austerity... blame it on the fact that mainstream fashion caught up to what I was doing, and when I see it on editorials and store mannequins ad nauseum, I'm over it. Whereas last Fall I put together complex outfits involving carefully blended leopard prints, plaids and colors, this year I only wanted solid blacks and neutrals in clean, simple shapes. But that doesn't mean I want to sacrifice good design, and which is why the RG Seconds pieces brought the perfect punctuation to my wardrobe simplification this year. I'm particularly taken by the training pants, which feature complex seams on the knees and a fashion-forward carrot fit. Perfect at the gym, they also provide the ideal casual counterpoint to blazers and sweaters, especially with the popularity of sweatpants as a fashion trend this season.

Try not to go by how these items look on the models some retailers use to show this line, as they take on a more fashion-forward look on lean silhouettes versus the more active body types. The Robert Geller Seconds line is available at many retailers, but Revolve Clothing currently has them on sale, and are priced depending on the pieces. Get the Fall 2011 versions here now before they sell out.

The Bear Minimum

2011-12-02T21:18:00.000-08:00

Talk about minimalist animals (minimanimals?): these wall decorations use what seem to be the fewest possible delineations to suggest a modern trophy head.

The taxidermy theme is apparently still alive and kicking, but cardboard puzzle renditions are no longer as fresh (hey, it's been a few years now, so yeah). Wire furniture has been having a moment lately, and Bend Seating extends their design reach from your floors to your walls. Doubling as decorations and coat hangers, the Geometric Animals line does add a modern twist to the trophy heads trope. I think the Mama Bear and Bear Cub versions are particularly cute, although the water buffalo might work if you have a bit more wall space to fill.

Prices range from $99 - 149, and can be ordered in white, black and orange enamels. Check them out, at Bend Seating (who make very comfortable and compelling wire chairs, also worth perusing).

Toothy Extractors

2011-12-02T16:36:00.001-08:00

Staples are very old world desktop to begin with, so it's fitting that these staple removers look so old school as well, cast as they are in the images of predators baring their fangs - I feel like they belong on some musty old library desk somewhere in a stately home in Massachusettes. But it's exactly that look that makes them so charming, especially in world of modern computer desktops and sleek futuristic surfaces. Actually, it's probably because of modernism that there's been such a reactionary interest in vintage-looking design ranging from hipster taxidermy to moustaches and artisanal clothing. So okay, these are right on trend.

I should have published this before Christmas as they'd make a lovely Christmas present, but methinks they'll make a charming gift anytime, including for oneself. I mean, how fun would it be to remove staples with one of these little critters? Not necessarily cheap at $78, but good, fun design should be worth an investment. Check out the full assortment of staple removers on the Jac Zagoory website here.

A Little Scary

2011-11-29T12:10:00.000-08:00

John Kenn likes drawing scary little one-scene narratives. Little, in the literal sense: apparently he likes to draw them on Post It note sheets. I'm not quite sure what size Post Its he stocks, but these drawings look like they were done at much larger scale, because the level of detail is so incredible, it's almost scary.

Kenn works solely in monochrome, and his inks have an etching-like quality to them. The images are captivating, equal parts freaky, charming and curious. Freaky because his monsters are indeed monstrous, but charming because there's always some element of innocence to balance the picture, often in some oblivious or nonplussed people, usually children. It's like monsters on Sesame Street who were originally portrayed as frightening in some early skits, but in the end no one was actually afraid of them. And curious, because there's an untold story going on, and you feel like you entered in media res; you want to know how you got to that snapshot and where it goes from there. And did I mention these are on Post it Notes? Frighteningly good. Visit his blog, johnkenn.blogspot.com for more of his work.

all images taken from John Kenn's blog, and are ©John Kenn.

Back In The Ring: The Boxer

2011-11-26T15:50:00.000-08:00

It's very 70s, no? I almost feel like I'm in some waiting room in an airlines office somewhere in a third world country.

I'd never heard of Kwok Hoi Chan nor his Boxer Chair before I saw it in an ad in a magazine just today. Originally made in 1971 it's being reissued in 2011 by Steiner Paris.

If anything is old enough that it's look can come back in style, then it suddenly gets hailed as a "Classic". This chair was never as iconic the first time around in 1971 I don't think, but perhaps it's that obscurity coupled with its hallmarks of early 70s design that make it noteworthy now. There's something ugly-good about it, with its bucket seat made pseudo-traditional by tufted upholstery, grafted on to a cantilevered tube structure reminiscent of the much more recognizable Mies Van Der Rohe chairs. It has that look of thrift-store furniture that you would have looked upon with scorn a decade ago, but with it's somewhat clumsy 70s proportions, just looks like it will sell for high prices on 1st Dibs now. So yeah, it's being put back into circulation to fight for your design dollars.

I might sound like I'm insulting it but I'm really not. Once upon a time, Mid-Century Modern 50s Moderne was too recent for people to latch on to, but now it's so standard issue for contemporary homes that perhaps it's time to look for more obscure styles and period pieces... and you may just have found your new lounge chair. It should look fabulous in black leather. Visit Steiner Paris for more information (if you can read French, that is).

Skirting The Issue

2011-11-18T23:18:00.001-08:00

For someone who claims to not like blogging about womenswear, I certainly seem to be doing it a lot of late. But this post is kind of a blend of women's and menswear. Sure the model is a size Nothing so a regular man's shirt will do, but I like the creativity involved in doing it. I myself have done a couple of the looks. With men's skirts having popped up in the zeitgeist again in the past two years, I've been toying with the idea of wearing my old skirt from the early 90s, but have been defaulting in my somewhat staid NY neighborhood by wrapping shirts, scarves and sweaters around my waist to emulate the look without being overly confrontational (New York may be a fashion capital but it isn't necessarily as forward as one would think).

Oh, and if this demo video is intriguing. Olivier Saillard took it to another level at Pitti Uomo in Florence, showing how a range of menswear items could be repurposed into womenswear articles, and showed it on former top runway models from the 80s and early 90s. Style Bubble has a cool article on it.

Pixel Elation

2011-11-18T23:03:00.001-08:00

I first became aware of Japanese fashion brand Anrealage after taking a shine to some wonderfully patterned men's coats clothing on Zozo.jp last Fall. While I didn't purchase them, it put Anrealage on my radar. Anxious to see more of their work this Fall, I came upon this article by Tokyo Telephone on Anrealage's Women's FW 2011/2012, a veritable explosion of pixelated prints that take low rez computer imagery to high fashion. The Japanese have always been more adventurous with mixing their colors and patterns, and this particular women's collection almost looks like it belongs more in Art Basel than at Tokyo fashion week.

If you go through this blog you'll notice I've had a penchant for color and pattern over the last several years, and with pixel patterns in particular. Working as a graphics pro on the computer as I do I'm well aware of the effects of zooming into an image to manipulate the pixels just so, which makes the disconnect with these jaggy prints and outfits even more relevant. The Anrealage AW2011-12 collection is entitled "Low," which I assume refers to low-resolution. But designer Kunihiko Morinaga gets high marks for the very thorough execution of the theme. Beyond the initial wow factor of the 8 bit conceit, what's really special about this collection to me is how Kunihiko has recreated all the major Japanese fashion trends, but in pixelated 8 bit form. Floral, camouflage, polka dot, leopard prints and even cable knit patterns get the pixel treatment. But it's obvious that Morinaga has a special eye for menswear, as items like duffel coats, baseball jackets and even the bleaching pattern on jeans and denim suits (all major mens streetwear themes this season in Japan) look like they've been resized from images with resolutions too low for real life.

Speaking of real life, I'm not one to shy away from a radical look or three in my everyday wardrobe, but how wearable these items are remains to be seen. However, as far as collections go, the visual impact is undeniable.

Images via Tokyo Telephone, designboom and Tokyo Fashion Diaries, which has some amazing closeup and showroom shots on her blog. For more on Anrealage, a quick googling will drum up tons of linkage, but their rather difficult-to-navigate website can be seen here.

Giving Good Head

2011-10-27T14:06:00.001-07:00

Sorry, I couldn't help myself with that title. ;)

David's Cerny's "Metamorphosis" sculpture is a serious head turner in front of the Whitehall Corporate Center in Charlotte, NC. The kinetic sculpture lives up to its name, and then some. Watch the video, nuff said. Via The Style Examiner.

French Fresh: Carven

2011-10-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

Looks from Carven Resort 2012, via Style.com

Looks from Carven Spring Summer 2011, via Style.com

I don't blog about women's fashion very much. I feel the blogosphere is littered enough with fashion opinions from the relevant to the insipid. But the revitalization of venerable Parisian brand Carven at the hands of former Givenchy and Paula Ka designer Guillaume Henry has transformed a nearly fossilized French label into one of the freshest new stars of the fashion firmament, and it's hard to ignore.

My memories of Carven involved it being a noteworthy Parisian label with an illustrious history but apparently no caché even by the late 70s; I had a bottle of Vetiver Carven cologne, and I wondered what the brand was as I had never heard of it before... or for that matter, since. Well, until now.

Looks from Carven Fall Winter 2011, via Style.com and L'Eclaireur

I found myself noticing dresses, headless and photographed for ecommerce, on my Svpply feeds, and thinking, ooh, this is clever. Old school draping given (literally) a new twist, asymmetrical dresses that were simultaneously prim and wanton all at once, full skirts with high waistlines that looked vintage but felt oh-so-now... I took note. But when it happened several times in a row and I found out they were all by Carven, I had to investigate.

This once dusty old brand has been freshened up for right now with fun, creative silhouettes, clever and often subversively quirky design motifs, and details that hark back to classic Parisian ladies' wear. But what Guillaume Henry does is take the stuffiness out of traditionally fussy, fashion flourishes - think full skirts, draping, bows and ruffles - and modernizes them into more approachable looks, often making typical dramatic evening fare into daytime must-haves. Outsized bows adorn flats instead of heels, for example, while tee-shirts pair with flouncy taffeta pouf skirts, and vintage-style draped frocks are re-imagined with the occassional fetishy breast appliqué, but downplayed with high necklines and casually undone hair and makeup. It's an interpretation of Casual Chic that feels very considered, but nevertheless carefree... and distinctly French.

Think of a chic Parisian woman in her twenties raiding her mom's couture closet, retooling the vintage pieces with her own wardrobe basics, just to have espressos on a Saturday afternoon. It's a balance that generations of fashionphiles strive to achieve, and Carven does it effortlessly for right now, conjuring up images that hark back to fussier times yet never looking anything but modern as a result. Even the price points are more accessible.

Looks from Carven Spring Summer 2011, via Style.com

Check them out on their website, or for full collections on Style.com. And if you're ready to buy, L'Eclaireur and Opening Ceremony have good buys.

If I were a woman, I'd definitely be wearing Carven.

Puff Piece

2011-09-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

The name for this product just about sums it up: Smoke Screen. I couldn't have come up with a better pun myself. But the punny name doesn't belie how gorgeous this piece is, with its high contrast printed panels depicting rivulets of white smoke against a solid black ground. It has an proto-goth feel that would feel equally at home in a minimalist setting as it would working with a more eclectic decorating style (especially because of the scalloped tops of the panels, which soften the starkness of its coloring... or lack thereof). I'd certainly want one in my studio, although it's more than prohibitive, price-wise, at just over $4500... and that's before shipping and handling.

So alas, most of us without the disposable income will just have to settle for admiring it from afar, from online. Check it out at Culture Label's website, read its description and fantasize about it. And if the never-to-be-fulfilled yearning should make you well up with tears, perhaps you can say smoke got in your eyes...

One To Grow On

2011-09-27T10:02:00.001-07:00

Nothing makes you feel older than seeing kids grow up. The neighbor's toddlers who used to run around in our building's elevators now have careers and bands. And now my friends are having babies themselves, and they grow so fast. I bought my friend Robbie a little denim top for his newborn daughter a few months back, and she's no doubt outgrown it already. So investing in design-y furniture for your infant seems like a money-losing proposition to me. But parents who worked hard to get their homes curated just so with their designer visions may find it hard to reconcile their decorating tastes with available kids' furniture, which is why I like this Ovo chair from Spanish designers Cul De Sac.

Reminiscent of an Eames shell chair but with the soft-sculpt feeling apropos for kids furniture, the Ovo chair nevertheless has a very adult look to it. It's got all the practical details - washable fabric covers, baby reins, adjustable tray and footrest - without the cutesy kids motifs, so it's furniture parents with a sense of aesthetics won't mind including in their dining rooms. But what's special about it is the removable leg extensions that allow you to shrink the high chair as the child grows, so the seat's life is a little longer than a teething period. Cleverer still is the fact that the practical detail also mimics the contrast-dipped color blocked legs that first caught my eye with with the 1994 Czech Chair, and are now making the design rounds (you know it's a popular motif when West Elm has their own version).

I rather like how it looks with the faux-dipped contrast legs, so I would mourn the fact that you lose this detail as your little rugrat abandons crawling on your around on your Flor tiles (which you cleverly chose for child-ready staining situations, natch). But hopefully, while they may eventually outgrow this chair, hopefully it will be instilled in their subconscious so that your children never outgrow good design. Via the eagle eyes at dezeen.

Shanghai Surprise

2011-09-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

One of the world's new destination cities gives you even more reason to make the trip: The Waterhouse at South Bund in Shanghai is a beautiful new boutique hotel fashioned out of a derelict old building, a former Japanese army headquarters in Shanghai.

I'm a big proponent of mixing vintage and modern design, as the mix creates a feeling that's warmer, familiar, more lived in, and less clinical, and the Waterhouse definitely achieves this. The contrast of the rather dilapidated exterior with the updated interiors make for a great juxtaposition of the old and new, and the wide open spaces filled with carefully curated modern furnishings really impart a sense of luxury that's not imposing. If anything, it's all surprisingly comfortable.

I'm generally not one to wax poetic about the whys and wherefores of architecture and interior design, but I do appreciate a great space, so I'll let the photos do the talking. But if you need more info on the hotel itself, check out their website at waterhouseshanghai.com.

Not To Be Missed: Missoni

2011-08-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Perfectly timed in terms of fashion's current pattern obsession, Missoni for Target drops in a couple of weeks, with an enormous 400+ piece collection encompassing everything from clothing for men, women and children, to home goods and travel accessories. NY Magazine has a slideshow of what they claim is the entire line of goods here. It won't be the high-end quality one expects from this venerable Italian designer brand, but what do you expect, it's a Target collaboration. Expect flame stitch patterns galore! But enough from me, I'll let the rather informative little video do all the show and tell. Via happymundane.

Modern Traditions

2011-08-28T11:59:00.001-07:00

I'm in the middle of redesigning a friend's website, so I'm keenly aware of emerging new trends in website design. Since much of what I have to do is dependent on my limited ability to code in the WYSIWYG program I use, I can't normally imagine new user interface designs since I'm not so aware of what the new programming can do. But with the combination of increased bandwidth and HTML5 being explored more and more, I'm getting a good idea.

Gant isn't a brand we associate with modernism, being a very traditional, heritage-type brand. But their current website is anything but old school. In fact, it's so new school, it's the freshest website I've seen to date. With multiple layers and drawer-opening panels, and the huge photographic imagery I had only recently decided was the way to go (I'm particularly in love with their reversal of the zoom feature for product imagery, turning it into an immense background image), they're miles ahead in forging a brave new path I haven't seen any other retail brand even attempt. I want to find out who designed this site so I can properly get on my knees and bow before them! I won't try to explain it any further - check it out for yourselves at us.gant.com.

A Sofa To Die For

2011-08-23T09:03:00.000-07:00

As featured items go, this one is a bit dead on arrival, in multiple senses of the phrase. The fact that the Heretic Sofa is a converted coffin is one obvious reason for the figure of speech. With it's absolutely gorgeous goth lines, the couch references both traditional and modern design styles, with it's delicate cabriole metal legs and sleek tufted frame. The other reason for my introductory description is that, being a limited edition of 3, this item is no longer available to purchase. Autum, the website that touts this as well as a few other very limited run items, has understandably sold out on these beauties. So consider this an official viewing, so we can pay our respects to a gorgeous and cheeky piece of design work. If you want to find out more about the unavailable, check out the full specs here on Autum's website.

Leg Work

Sharp Reminder

2011-08-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

How appropriate is it to have magnets that look like kitchen knives sticking into your refrigerator? Very much so, I'd say, as things could get ugly in the morning if I forget to buy more coffee. Get them for $9.99 each at Think Geek, although they're sold out at the moment. The Geeks estimate that these rhodium-coated plastic magnets will be back in stock on the 24th of August, so check back then. Wouldn't it be nice to have a knife magnet so you can stick a reminder on your fridge to do so?

Plume Service

2011-07-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

Photographic prints have been a picture-perfect fashion trend in recent seasons, but now you can take the look home. Flor's new Fine Feathers range of photo-printed carpet tiles - imprinted with detailed closeups by photographer François Robert - allow you to feather your nest almost literally. The tiles remind me of the work of the late, great designer AlexanderMcQueen, with his photographic printed fabrics as well as his penchant for feathers. With those references in mind the look is less retro 70s photomural and more modern graphic chic. But because they're so organic-looking, I think they can also be very versatile. They work well in the somewhat rustic setting Flor showed them in (above), but I can see them adding rich texture to any number of rooms, from the more classic all the way to something sleekly minimal and modern. The print technique must cost a bit more, as the tiles are easily double the cost of Flor's cheaper options, but I think the effect is also much more luxe and unexpected. And with Flor's modular conceit, its easy to add as little or as much feathery style as you wish. Get Fine Feathers for $26.99 per tile from Flor.com.

Connect The Dots

2011-07-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

As designer Graphic Nothing (aka Gary Andrew Clarke) says, these prints "make no sense close up. Make every sense from the other side of the room." He's taken the concept of reducing an image to individual spots of color much the way a tiny thumbnail on the web would, deconstructing them to a bare minimum 15 by 10 pixels or so before he blows them right back up. Knowing the names of these iconic originals allows our brains to process these otherwise unrecognizable collections of colors, and the further away you get from the canvases, the more your brain can imagine what the dots represent. Or in other words, you'll be able to connect the dots to the image it's supposed to suggest.

The concept may not be completely new (I have a very similar art piece of my own based on this) but I love the way he reinterprets the pixilation, via perfectly round, even spots of color. Even moreso, now you can display trite visual icons like the Mona Lisa (above) in your home, or even the album cover of Michael Jackson's Thriller (below) because they're so playfully reinvented by this process.

Thriller is particularly funny, because MJ's complexion is reduced to about 5 different shades of skin tone, and knowing how he whitened as he got older, you'd be hard-pressed to say which one is the right one.

Both of these prints and more are available as part of Graphic Nothing's Art and Music Remixed series, available in European A3 (starting at £19) to A1 sizes (£46). Get them at Graphic Nothing's Some Prints website, here.

Rest Assured

2011-07-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

I've been cooking a lot at home, and as I made an impromptu dinner for a visiting friend, I remarked to him how much I loved cooking with tongs. For years before I got a pair I labored with trying to turn a roast with forks, or flip strips of turkey bacon with a spatula, and avoid third degree burns at the same time. But with tongs, you just grab hold and you're good to go, no mess, no fuss.

Well, okay, I take that back - a little mess. I was constantly resting them on the unused burner on top of the stove, or balancing them on top of a container lid, or even leaving a saucer dedicated to the purpose of keeping the drippings on my implement from adding to the mess on the stovetop, and preventing the tongs themselves from being contaminated while I use them on my food. Well not anymore: enter the Dreamfarm Clongs, whose ingenious bend in their arms add almost a literal twist to the classic tong shape, and instantly assure you you can conveniently rest your cooking utensil on any surface.

How simple is that? Love. (and love the 50s homemaker background music - very "Bewitched"!)

Get Dreamfarm's Clongs in various sizes from 9" to 12" from any number of retailers a quick googling can point you to, starting at about $18 a piece..

Booting Up

2011-07-06T12:49:00.000-07:00

Hot on the - wait for it - heels of my last post on Doc Martens is a smaller feature on the brand.

Much smaller.

Now you can boot up in more ways than one with a 2 GB USB Flash Drive in the shape of the iconic Doc Martens boot. It's cute, it's useful, and it's a USB Drive - everyone can use one, right? And at an affordable $25 everyone can. 'Nuff said. Get it from the Doc Martens store.

Flower To The People

2011-07-03T22:22:00.001-07:00

As part of the print-heavy fashion moment we're in, florals were one of the trends that emerged this past spring. Early adopters (i.e. Japanese men) started selling and wearing them almost immediately. I've always been a fan of very trad floral prints myself, especially when worn ironically. And what's more ironic than a pair of Doc Martens boots completely festooned with mumsy English roses?

Once favored by servicemen such as postal workers, policemen and factory workers in the 50s before being adopted by counterculture punks and skinheads in the 1970s, it's pretty safe to say that Doc Martens are a classic symbol of the rougher elements of society. So to try and make them more fashionable by adding hard-edged details like studs or distressed finishes would be uninspired. But a big, grandmotherly floral is just such a fucked up contrast that it makes the ideal counterpoint. And I mean for men. These early Fall Winter 2011 models were made for women, but on a woman these are just way too expected.

Doc Martens released these and a few other shoe shapes in a variety of canvas florals which you can see on their website. And they seem to believe in them so much that they're going forward with even more variations - and for men - in Spring Summer 2012, including a tapestry floral that is just so taking me back to the big tapestry trend of the mid 80s.

If you have a small enough foot size, and considering that the lasts are pretty identical for both genders, you can get a drop on the look by ordering the women's styles now. The black one in particular might be an easy intro to the look. Get them in the US for $130 for the boot styles via the Doc Martens online store here.

Become An Expert Hooker

2011-06-20T22:56:00.000-07:00

No, not that kind of hooker.

Who knew that those ubiquitous hook and eye fastenings on all of those heritage boots could be so zippily secured? I always wondered why those fastenings were different. If this technique is any indication, it's for ease. Design-wise, it all makes sense now. And all this time I was laboring to lace them properly...

Of course, if I were an expert hooker, I would want the speediest way to put my boots on and get out the door! ;)

Pretty Fun

2011-06-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

Taking an unexpectedly playful approach to their promotions, French fashion house Chanel takes a detour from their de rigueur chic with this retro-style stop motion animated ad for their makeup line. I love the art direction in this because there's not any element that isn't part of an actual makeup kit: application pads form clouds, all sorts of wands get turned into robotic parts, and brushes become a flouncy skirt for an abstract 'model' who still has all the right moves (I love how they really worked the counterpoint in her poses). The word "fun" gets unexpectedly added to the long line of positive adjectives that describe this venerable brand. Via SwissMiss

Screening The Weather

2011-06-06T15:06:00.001-07:00

You really should get out more. Leave that computer monitor and go walk the streets of your city, and enjoy the sun and fresh air. Oh wait, is it raining? Or will it? Find out with up-to-date temperature readings and atmospheric conditions on that selfsame monitor via the beautifully designed The Weather, City Edition by Romanian Creative Director Stefan Trifan. Available in versions for major cities across the globe, the pared-down screensaver is an elegant alternative to questionable television forecasters. And if your home turf isn't one of the featured weather zones, contact Stefan directly and he'll customize one for you! Download The Weather, City Edition screensaver for free here. Images courtesy of Stefan Trifan, via Yatzer.

Big Bangs For The Buck

2011-05-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of James Roper's pop-culture-informed artwork, since I watch anime and love comics, and Roper's work has elements of both. After attending the opening of his most recent exhibit in NYC, I was even more blown away by his technique after getting to view it up close and personal. It amazes me how precise he is with natural media, getting results akin to computer-generated work in his canvases. I even considered purchasing one of his older pieces. However, after some soul searching and a review of funds and apartment decor (which would have needed some serious revamping to accommodate the large and attention-getting painting) I decided to forbear.

So it's fortunate that he should offer digitally-reproduced versions of his work via INPRNT, a site I've already blogged about in the past. "Inhibitor" and "Standpoint Conversion" are two pieces that work well together almost as a diptych, featuring the classic - if you can say such a young artist already has classic work - Roper leitmotifs of roiling fabric, disjointed body parts and fiery anime-style atmospheric effects all exploding on the canvas. I've already purchased one piece and can assure you that the print quality is phenomenal. The colors all reproduced wonderfully, looking just like they do on my monitor. But maybe the best part is the price. At a mere $80 per 24" square print, you get a lot of exploding, original art for for the money -- more bang for your buck indeed! Check out the James Roper prints on INPRNT here.

Get In Line!

2011-05-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

Guide Guide is so useful, its creator Cameron McEfee named it twice. This is for the web geeks out there like me, who revel in making our Photoshop workflow easier (except when it come to using Bridge - that program I still don't get) but up until now still had to painfully count or use otherwise very analog ways of laying out a webpage and its margins. Frankly, I really need this right now since I'm in the thick of reassessing new web proportions for 2011 (don't get me started on iPad app designs), as I look at all the sites I go to and compare them to the sites I've created, and there's a big optimization discrepancy. It's amazing that someone independent of Adobe had to go and create this because the Adobe peeps didn't think of it first, but you often need an outside perspective to (wait for it) guide you. Get Guideguide free for Adobe Photoshop CS4 and 5 for free from Cameron McAfee's site here.

http://www.cameronmcefee.com/guideguide/

Patterns Emerge, Part 3

2011-04-25T10:41:00.001-07:00

If you needed any confirmation of the pattern trend, there's already a wealth of prints and patterns that have made their way into Spring 2011 menswear editorials and store deliveries, despite the fact that they didn't seem to resonate as much when the SS 2011 fashion shows made their debut last year. Japan is already rife with pattern mixes, such as this luxe tableau from Vogue Homme Japan (above) and any number of selections from American bastions of Nippon style Woolrich Woolen Mills, Engineered Garments and Nepenthes. Botanicals, paisley bandanna prints and camouflage take over for Spring after the surge of Fall Winter's more saturated plaids and leopard prints (which are still a viable choice if mainstream Givenchy is any indication), while rich Navajo prints give way to more earthy and summery ikats. A quick look at some of my favorites on my Svpply page show an almost dizzying selection of print possibilities on sale (below).

Meanwhile one of GQ Style's European editions declares a psychedelic trend (the busier little brother of the Brights trend fostered by Jil Sander, which I'm not terribly into) which advocates pieces from the likes of Paul Smith and the galactic digital stylings of Christopher Kane. Other menswear designers have embraced prints to varying degrees. Always one for interesting looks, Gaultier's monochrome psychedelia (below) makes a notable splash, with a look that's a nice combo of two other strong trends this season, photo prints and denim. Elswhere, Givenchy's leopard tour-de-force of a Spring collection gives mainstream menswear cred to the two year old animal print trend.

Of course, designers may be offering them up but that doesn't mean regular men will be adopting them in droves. The planet's stylemakers, however, had already been sporting colorful, rich mixes well before they showed up in the magazine pages of your local newsagent. For recent real-life inspiration, a click-through scan of Tommy Ton's reportage shots from last Fall's menswear shows in Paris and Milan showed many attending male fashion editors and stylists brandishing prints, patterns and colors to inspiring effect. While much of it was offset with solids and neutral and somber hues, there's no doubt that there's a wealth of patterns being proffered. GQ's site is the host for Tommy Ton's print-happy camera lens, which is ironic in the sense that the styles photographed are much more adventurously mixed than American GQ itself eschews at the moment.

(montages from Tommy Ton's GQ street style slideshow)

From many angles in fashion news, it's pretty clear that a pattern trend is emerging in menswear right now, and the results are - in a very good way, I'd say - quite mixed.

Update On Updates

2011-04-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed, the last written entry on this blog was written originally on February 16th - exactly two months ago. My apologies to any followers who are expecting new articles. I've sorta been preoccupied and while I have 6 entries waiting to be polished off and published, I've been dragging my heels lately. I thank you for your patience (if indeed anyone is even waiting) and hope to get them out very soon.

This Milk is Fresh

2011-04-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

Being lactose intolerant, I don't necessarily have many options when shopping for milk products - I basically take whatever brand is offering the kind of milk I can digest, dodgy packaging notwithstanding. But while shopping the dairy aisle at my local supermarket, it struck me that several new brands of dairy products were vying for attention via fresh-looking package design. Milk cartons were historically famous for featuring missing children, not design-forward graphics. But there they were unmistakeably in the refrigerators, calling to me like a Saul Bass film intro. Perhaps it's because commercial food package design is so particular and expected that these stood out, but they had such a uniquely pared-down retro aesthetic that was... fresh.

Local Milk is all straightforward and down-to-earth, totally appropos for the locavorism that's been sweeping the country of late. It's so retro-cool you could almost see the handlebar moustaches on the young farmers wearing their heritage duds, working the farm before they pick up their guitars at night and head into Brooklyn to play with their alterna-rock bands. (speaking of which, the brand's a bestseller in Brooklyn, I hear). For more on Local Milk, visit their website at fiveacrefarms.biz

Kalona Supernatural has a very friendly graphic design, hand-hewn quality to it, as if the labels were scrawled with a felt pen just minutes before being loaded into the truck. Unusual shades of bright solid colors help differentiate their products from the rest of the products in the milk aisle. The brand makes cheese and yogurts as well as egg products, but I'm focusing on the white stuff for this blog post. If you want to check them all out (and all their consistently cute packaging), go to kalonasupernatural.com.

While technically not dairy milk, 8th Continent's line of soy milk projects the same Good Morning-y wholesomeness of their less vegetarian counterparts, with sunny illustrations that hark back to 60s craft motifs.

This is probably the most realized product line of the three, and I love those torn-paper-like illustrations that carry on to their superbly cute and entertaining website that you should check out here.

Will these brands assert themselves enough to gain a following? And will they last? Or will they expire despite their best aesthetic intentions, like the perishable dairy goods their pretty packages contain? Who knows, but I certainly appreciated their aesthetic efforts. Sadly, I reached for a carton of Skim Plus Lactose Free, since design will certainly please my eye but I needed something that wouldn't irritate my stomach.

Pleasing to the Eyes

2011-03-29T19:01:00.001-07:00

Age has caught up with me, or rather specifically, my eyes. Having never had to wear eyeglasses before, I was stymied by the vast selection of styles and options available, which made me delay getting glasses. Certainly one of the reasons was the fear of becoming dependent on them, but the other was really my inability to commit to just one style, especially one versatile enough to suit my ever-changing sartorial moods. Robert Geller to the rescue!

Being a neophyte eyeglasses wearer, I wasn't certain about these frames when I first tried them on. But they grew on me quickly, especially after I had tried on dozens of others at various lens purveyors throughout the city. Naturally, you need something that fits your face, but it should also complement your style. For me, Robert Geller's Andreas frames rock the ideal mix of nondescript but flattering looks, with a construction that is forward yet not so trendy that they'd be out of vogue by next season. Much like Geller's clothing line, they're distinctive in a way that's not too overt at first glance, becoming more interesting upon further inspection. The rounded frames are a rather directional look right now yet still have a classic feel, and allow them to work with myriad clothing styles. The matte black plastic construction stands out ironically because they're so laid back. Every optician I brought them to commented on the quality of the frames as well as the retro-forward styling. And at $270 for the glasses, they're an investment that is as easy on the wallet as they are to look at... and look through. Nomad in Canada has this shape in several different variations, and you can get them for CAD $255 here. Get the sunglasses version from Stels here.

images from AlwaysNever and Stels.

Patterns Emerge, Part 2

2011-03-29T19:01:00.000-07:00

Continued from Part 1. Japanese fashion is always a couple of years ahead of the trends and despite having better and richer print options, this Fall lots of menswear lines from other areas were in on the game as well. While Americans may be a bit slower to adopt the trends, retailers and designers as disparate as Givenchy (leopard, both in Fall and Spring), Trussardi 1911 (Fair Isle mix and match) and Opening Ceremony (Pendleton and all of the above) were certainly eager to push patterns to the forefront. But for the most part, while Japanese men were sporting layer upon layer of patters in their wildly inventive outfits (well, at least prior to the solemnity that followed the earthquake), men in the US, particularly New York, didn't really explore the look. Sure there were a few souls like myself succumbing to the wiles of Pendleton and the omnipresent plaids, but few on the street level were using a pattern as more than an accent. And frankly, what fun is there in that?

Prouenza Schouler Pre-Fall 2011

Cut to the women's Fall Winter 2011 shows. Fall is always a great time for rich combinations, but this particular season, a lot of elements stood out even moreso. Starting with the beautiful mix of patterns at Prouenza Schouler's Pre-Fall collection to their equally high-clash Fall Winter runway show, to the luxe baroque combinations in Mary Katrantzou's continuing infatuation with digital prints, there's a vibrant case for prints and patterns that Fashion hasn't really seen this strong in the past few decades.

Mary Katranzou Fall 2011

Erdem Fall 2011

Prouenza Schouler Fall 2011

And since I began this discourse about patterns in menswear, what, might you ask, do these women's trends have to do with male sartoria? Basically that whatever trends occur in women's clothing eventually find their way in menswear ins some shape or form, sometimes at the same time, although usually a season or two after. While women's clothing is much more adventurous to begin with, fashion designers and stylists often work with both genders, and trends can filter through. While easier patterns like plaids and fair isle prints have already shown up in men's runways, designers in search of fresher textures have already incorporated ikats and florals in seasons as early as Spring 2011. And if the FW 2011 menswear show attendees were any indication, fashion industry sorts the world over were embracing pattern and color. to be continued...

Who Elsa?

2011-03-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

Elsa Shoes might be unknown to most men's shoe aficionados, but that may not be for long. A collaboration between Belgian designer Els Proost and ex-industry shoe producer Angelo Penazzato - whom I assume are the 'els' and 'a' in the combined namesake brand name - began in Fall Winter 2007-2008 and have been making their own way into the fashion consciousness one stylish step at a time. Proost's pedigree includes time designing accessories for prestigious labels like the always-chic Dries Van Noten and Maison Martin Margiela, while Penazzato's production acumen had been seen in brands like Costume National and Hussein Chalayan. So while you might not have heard of them before, if you follow fashion beyond the common Guccis and Dolce & Gabbanas of the world, it's likely you've admired their work in the past.

I first noticed Elsa because of the uniquely off-beat 10th Anniversary men's shoe designs they did for District in Japan, a country that's always a hotbed of emerging style. While contrast cap toes aren't new, what Elsa got right is the more rounded, almost utilitarian last combined with a quirky sensibility boldly displayed in their painted leather. I was especially taken by the flourescent blue and pink versions, unique to their District collaboration, and a precursor to all the bright colors that pervade such Spring 2011 collections as Jil Sander (The eagle-eyed among you might have noticed the bold toe boxes glowing in my Svpply list from a post in November last year). The leopard print linings of the Fall 2010 soles and insoles add a fun secret design element, and lawd knows I love me some leopard spots nowadays. I have since ordered one of these Japan-only beauties, and amusingly, my Japanese proxy - upon seeing my request to purchase the shoes - exclaimed how Elsa is one of his favorite brands. A good sign.

Elsa continue on with the fun quirkiness in their Spring Summer 2011 collections, using with what appear to be dyes and paints (my suspicion, since they travel from the body of the shoe into the soles and heels) to explore novel spectator effects in fashion colors. For spring 2011, I particularly like the black cap toe brogue detail on a bone body, as well as the more forward flouro-lime details and seams, all done on the very rounded Elsa last, a more fashionable choice over the long and pointed toes that have had their heyday over the past decade.

Elsa is sadly only available in a few stores at present, notably in Antwerp via Elsa's brick and mortar shop (they don't sell online just yet), as well as the aforementioned District in Japan. Gimme Shoes in San Francisco is the only retailer in North America that I know of, and at this writing they have some of the Elsa glitter shoes on clearance, and are awaiting a few select styles for Spring. But if they continue designing and producing such collections such as these, the limited availability of these fabulous shoes may soon be a thing of the past.

UPDATE: I just learned via District's website that Elsa will no longer continue as a brand after this Spring 2011. Sadly, this almost promotional article on this short-lived brand will now be a tribute. Hopefully we will see the Elsa creativity in the future, in one form or another.

For more on Elsa, visit their website at www.elsa-antwerp.be.

Patterns Emerge

2011-03-03T14:02:00.000-08:00

As I wrote back in December 2010, I started loving the idea of mixed messages... as in, mixing it up. It started with a pair of studded leopard print slippers I had acquired in July last year, and I realized it went with none of the things I already owned. But instead of relegating it to merely occasional wear, I decided to make it the pivotal piece in my wardrobe. This past Fall 2010, I abandoned most of my dark and moody pieces (which means just about all of my clothing!) and started putting together a new wardrobe based on prints and patterns: leopard, plaids, Navajo motifs, Fair Isle patterns and stripes, in saturated and deep jewel tones (no muted combinations at all), often mixed in the same outfit.

I remembered and pulled out old tear sheets of an editorial that I really loved and kept for future reference, and the looks felt right again. Well, those, and a few maverick editorials and images in less mainstream magazines and sites that just struck a chord with rich combinations of color, pattern and texture. Odd mixes like the aforementioned prints paired with rustic tweeds, athletic satins, maybe a metallic or two, and saturated and bright tones. Yeah, I was going there.

"Mixed Messages" editorial from Details magazine, Nov 2004
styling by Andrew Davis, photography by Eric Nehr

An editorial image from Asos.com's website, where the total combination
of all the outfits together were inspirational.

It was a bold move on my part, and truthfully one that I wasn't always that comfortable pursuing, because if I was going to do it, there was no doing it half-assed. But I was feeling the change and forged ahead. All the "goth ninja" wear I had championed for years - the draped Julius tops, the asymmetrical Rick Owens silhouettes, the muted and dark layering - felt passé, and lay languishing in my (overstuffed) closets. I remember telling a friend a couple of years ago that I wanted to go back to rich, luxe textures, and it was all about the enthusiastic combos of the late 80s/early 90s again for me. I hadn't seen anything in the 2010 fashion media other than the odd Fair Isle and Pendleton print here and there, and here I was planning on channeling an editorial to an insane degree. I was sure I was going to come across as a complete sartorial idiot. But it just seemed right to go into it full force.

Part of the change was the need to move on from the more monochrome and moody, goth and almost apocalyptic fashions, which had infiltrated mainstream fashion. It was disheartening enough when the look started appearing via fast fashion brands like All Saints and Topman, making the styles available to all and sundry. But when carbon-dated brand Emporio Armani trots off Rick Owens-esque asymmetric funnel neck outwear as it did in its recent FW 2011 show, you know you've heard the look's death knell. What was once a niche aesthetic had become part of the lexicon of global Men's Fashion.

The other part was, well, it had gotten all too somber for me. And not only did I want a change, but I wanted fashion to be fun again. Well, at least my fashion.

It was never anything conscious, but more of an aesthetic instinct that I've learned to trust. It was already seeping into my design life, with previous attempts at a comely clash evident in my gift wrap idea for Christmas in 2009. But this past fall, it just seemed wrong to go back to muted solids, and a pattern emerged. Or I say should, patterns. Because without my knowing it, other fashion sorts were on the trend too. To be continued...

It's Time For Color

2011-02-16T20:24:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, screensavers ruled your desktop. Ranging from the fun and cutesy to the abstract and biomorphic, screensavers were created to prevent monitor wear and tear, especially from getting images burned on the screen (like the image of male model David Gandy that got burned into my desktop because I switched off my sleep and screensaver mode. But that's a story for another time). My go-to screensaver for years has been the Fliqlo retro flip clock, one of the first things I ever blogged about, but London-based designer Jack Hughes has come up with a geek chic contender that just might rival my old fave for... wait for it... screen time.

The Colour Clock visualizes time as a six digit numeral, showing you the exact hour, minutes and seconds of that moment. But here's the geeky part: as web designers know, RGB color values are denoted by 6 digit hexadecimal values, providing the perfect visual equivalents for every single moment by changing the entire screen background to the corresponding color. You can actually just use the screensaver directly from your web browser by logging on to the site then clicking on the full-screen icon on the top right, allowing it to take over your desktop. Plus, if you click on the button below the time the screensaver displays the hex name. Simple, and simply genius. Via the sharp-eyeed minimalist eyes of Minimalissimo. Mac users can download it for free here.

Save Me a Glass

2011-02-12T20:00:00.000-08:00

Gifts of wine are a no-brainer: they're a safe bet as house presents go, they're always welcome (well, so long as the recipients aren't in AA), and unlike other presents, they're so ubiquitous that there's no need to attempt disguising them with boxes and paper. This Life Jacket Wine Bottle Cover, however, may become as much a gift as the wine it'll carry. The vest quilting is a clever enough conceit, but in the vibrant orange and brown color combination (akin to the signature shades of luxury brand Hermés) it could easily be mistaken for a high-end item. But at a perfectly reasonable $12.95, you won't need to drown your sorrows in alcohol. From homewetbar.com.

Shoe Trees

2011-02-02T08:12:00.000-08:00

Margiela's iconic laceless laceup goes unnaturally natural with a wood grain finish, proving that whole grains shouldn't be limited to just your diet. I'm not quite sure how they get that effect, but that's part of the beauty of it - no one else will either. The other part is the appeal of the rather effective finish, which should go well with all manner of sartorial statements while subtly standing out upon closer inspection. In an age where we're all harboring sleek and shiny modern tech, a little faux bois is a fun way to sneak in something more natural. It's enough to give a guy a little wood.

Check them out for $650 at Farfetch, or wherever Margiela shoes are sold.

You Like?

2011-01-24T09:53:00.000-08:00

Express your approval or disapproval in the real world, in the social networking manner to which you've become accustomed. Think Geek once again gets our (ahem) stamp of approval for a product that brings the clever, with their self-inking Like/Dislike stamps. Ah, yet another virtual paradigm can move into your life offline--think of the possibilities! You can show your teacher what you think of your term paper score (Dislike)! Send back that invoice you have no interest in paying (Dislike)! Ink that umpteenth message from your relentless stalker of a client (Dislike)! Express your disdain for that noxious troll who keeps smiling at you at the gym (Dislike)! Disfigure an annoying sibling (Dislike)! (Okay, maybe I'm thinking of the Dislike stamp too much. Anyhow, you get the idea.) Hell, if I had one of those stamps now, I'd stamp the stamp itself (Like). Go, get one for a measly $12.99 (Like!) at Think Geek.

Your Sole Option

2011-01-17T14:34:00.000-08:00

Get a rise out of this: the ubiquitous wedges and platform soles that have permeated women's shoe fashions have finally crept back into men's shoes.

Granted, we're not talking skyline elevations here (well, except for Prada, but more on that later), but in menswear, subtler changes make bigger news. While heels have swung on the fashion pendulum radically over the past decade, wedge and crepe soles haven't been seen so much since the last decade. I personally held on to a pair of Jil Sander crepe-soled wedge shoes from the period when Truzzardi 1911's Milan Vukmirovic was briefly its creative director because I loved the sole. This season, in part because of the ubiquity of Red Wing shoes with their contrast wedge soles (below), in part because it's just the right to revisit since fashion is nothing if not cyclical, crepe soles are noticeably looking both fresh and fun again.

Right now they're just making their way into the fashion mainstream, but you can find introductory salvos everywhere. Rick Owens has used the heavier wedged crepe soles to anchor the bottom-heavy silhouettes he's championed for the past few years. In more mainstream men's fashion, heritage brand Red Wing employ the look in their classic boots and have even reissued their vintage Postman series this past year (above, in chukka and laceup options), a style that more forward Japanese brands had already reprised on their own for several seasons, in lieu of the original . The Japanese have been adding heavier lug soles to pretty much whatever they can get their trendy little hands on, while British footwear brand Grenson has updated their old-school wingtips with fresh Vibram soles (top image). Creepers, edgy classics that they are, have always had the higher crepe sole, and as such can be an easy way to sneak into the trend. And this year, Prada (below) scales new heights with its hyper-emphasized Spring shoe collections, going for f*ed up platforms-cum-woven-espadrille soles at elevations not seen since ravers and club kids used to tower around with them in decades past.

It's hard not to notice the trend when you see so many iterations of the the style permeating the fashion landscape. Take the cue and elevate your own wardrobe with your new sole options.

I Want To Sleep With Hue

2011-01-09T14:52:00.001-08:00

Anyone who's dealt with swatch palettes in Photoshop can appreciate the look and feel of these sheets. CB2's new digi pop bed linens will help you dream in color, quite possibly more color than you imagined. A more affordable alternative to the high end pixel patterns of Cristian Zuzunaga (which, by the way, CB2 also has a version of here), the 250 thread count shams and duvet feature bands of pixillated color swatches strewn across crisp white sheets, for a decidedly modern injection of color that's rich without being overwhelming.

The CB2 stylists pair these bed linens with plain white sheets, but you almost have cart blanche to pick up any of the visible tones to coordinate the color schemes of your bed chamber. I'd mix turquoise and yellow sheets with these, for example, or even add pops of magenta all throughout the room.

A pair of shams will run you $29.95, while duvets start at $129. Check out out on CB2.com here.

Mixed Results

2010-12-17T09:51:00.000-08:00

Decades ago, in awe of Christian Lacroix's adroit juxtapositions of patterns, textures and colors, I came up with the phrase Pattern Fuck. The F word was as extreme a term as I could muster in those days (as opposed to the commonplace everyword that it is today). But it was apt for how viscerally I responded: nobody combined prints, laces and patterns so deftly as Lacroix, and made them work on a runway; or, for that matter, anywhere else.

Fashion influences quite a few things in my life, seeping into my other design endeavors. After years of varying levels of homogeneity (the clean Urban Chic of the late 90s, the colorful, playful Brit sartoria of Paul Smith, the broody goth ninja aesthetic currently reaching its apex, etcetera), my instincts are once again feeling a wild mix. It started over a year ago, when after two decades of hibernation I felt it was right to feature leopard prints again. At that point, leopard prints were the tacky provenance of Roberto Cavalli, but even he abandoned them in recent seasons for a sort of stripped down aesthetic much in keeping with the darker feel of menswear. But that to me signaled a change, that it was right again to feature leopard. Among other things. Many other things.

These gift wraps are a series I did last year for my yearly Christmas gift wrap themes. I do a new theme every year and carry them through with every gift of the season, but last year, I really got into mixing it up: modern pixel prints with classical florals and retro-fab leopard spots glammed up for the season with a smattering of metallics, all for a riot of textures that are a fuck up... that works.

There's something really luxurious and exciting about the mad abandon in these combinations. But there's definitely a method to the madness. A year later, I still love these crazy melanges, and have even started similar effects in my own daily wardrobe, which to me signals that there's a bit more staying power than just a whimsical feeling I had a year ago (and which I may feature in future blog entries). It's not for the faint of heart, but when done right, I think the results are mixed... and marvelous.

The wrapping papers featured here are a mix of Anna Griffin, Cristian Zuzunaga and a few others available at Kate's Paperie during the Holiday 2009.

Unlimited Svpply

2010-11-16T20:47:00.000-08:00

Some of my favorite sites are aggregate sites that, like this blog, just feature interesting and cool products from all over the planet, albeit in much greater volume. In recent times, my two faves have been BLTD (Better Living Through Design) and Svpply. Until recently, Svpply featured products added only by a select group of editors, to pollinate its site with a well-coordinated, curated range of products. I think that tactic helped attract like-minded aesthetes. They just opened up the site to membership and individual profiles, each with their own feed of desirable items that you can then add to your own feeds, creating a social network of lookie-loo shoppers.

With an easy "Buy Later" marklet you can just drag into your browser toolbar to facilitate adding new finds, Svpply has a very spare interface that dispenses with verbose descriptions and lets the captured photos do the talking. It's what I think the site gets really right. With standardized white backgrounds for most ecommerce product shots, the pages take on a very clean front-of-the-book magazine feel. It's very easy to get engrossed in the constant magpie mentality of just adding things you want to an ever-expanding wish list, with cool products just scattered willy-nilly all over your virtual floor.

I personally have a feed of my own, but I'm still wondering how I plan on using this site. One part of me is making it my online wish list, adding all the things I like much like I did with earlier sites like del.icio.us and stumbleupon (does anyone use those sites anymore?), or even this blog. But I'm a bit on the fence with that idea. I spend a lot of time shopping obscure sites, reading tons of blogs and subscribing to dozens and dozens of feeds, all so I can see and edit the offerings to find the latest, greatest and most obscure items, and bring them into my world, literally. So I'm loathe to show links to, say, the Japanese clothing sites I've found, and have everyone buying the stuff I want ahead of me!

But the other part of me wants to find, choose and show the best of the best. These aggregator sites literally encourage you to show off what great taste you have - a common enough attitude on the net (lookbook.nu, for example, is all about showing people how great your outfits are). Svpply allows other users to 'follow' your feed and add things you find to their own lists. There's an element of bragging rights for users who've got the best-looking hoard. Everyone's a tastemaker, and now you have a stash to prove it. It's yet another new facet of the Me generation that the internet has spawned.

Of course, these are just my musings. You may just want to look at lots and lots of shiny stuff! And you certainly can, in what seems to be an... unlimited supply. Check it out at svpply.com.

Vulgar Consumerism

2010-10-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

By now we're all over the "This is not a plastic bag" conceits and have moved on to just using canvas or reusable bags as a matter of course. I see them in my neighborhood, green citizens toting their carryalls to the supermarkets and packing their groceries themselves as they discreetly announce their eco-friendly beliefs. Well, the time is ripe for a bit more of a statement, and I think this green (in more ways than one) bag speaks for itself.

Eco-friendly and wallet-friendly at a mere $17.99. Maybe not so kid friendly. Get it from the Cafe Press "What the fuck should I make for dinner store."

C'est Kawaii

2010-10-25T08:22:00.001-07:00

In a move that is the epitome of the perfect f*cked up mix of high and low, Takashi Murakami, arguably the most important pop artist today, holds a retrospective of his anime-themed ouevre at none other than über haughty French landmark, the Place des Versailles. Genius.

Murakami is the originator of the term superflat, a word he coined to describe the blending of high and low art, specifically (according to Wikipedia) to various flattened forms in Japanese graphic art, animation, pop culture and fine arts, as well as the "shallow emptiness of Japanese consumer culture." Murakami often refers to Japanese anime art, where story lines can often be as two dimensional as the artwork that tells them (which is not to say they aren't complicated, but they tend to have their recurring, rather facile themes... but that's a whole other article), and elevates them by his re-appropriation. But this aspect of it is what makes the Versailles exhibition so perfect. It would be one thing to show these pieces in a white-walled museum, but the jarring quality of the pop art themes set against the height of excessive baroque French regalia is just an irony too delicious to overlook.

images all from chateauversailles.fr.

Murakami at Versailles is open only until December 12, 2010. I'd say turn off that video of Naruto and contact Air France now.

Dark Art

2010-10-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

Kate MccGwire's work isn't the usual sort that I blog about, because there's an almost sinister quality to her sculptures, contrary to the often happy, colorful subjects my bloggery tends to revel in. But that's precisely what I find so fascinating.

There's such an other-worldliness to her pieces, which are simultaneously beautiful and unsettling. Covered completely in what look to be thousands upon thousands of feathers, her silently dynamic sculptures evoke huge collective masses, like migratory flocks of birds, or perhaps schools of fish, moving as one to create gestalt forms. Coiled volumes of plumage roil and disappear within themselves, like a pit of serpents eating each other; or they may spill out of walls like invading armies of rats. Needless to say I find the effects equal parts amazing and horrifying.

The luxurious iridescent sheen from the feathers she uses add an element of life to her sculptures, albeit one that is more than a touch macabre. But because of the absence of the animals that once possessed them, there's a strong, equal element of death.

There's also another grim overtone to her work, one of imprisonment. Encased in glass cases as some of them are, her forms seem trapped, like captive swarms writhing inside their proper museum cases forever in search of freedom. Even when MccGwire installs her work in sitio, they erupt from holes in the walls of decrepit rooms, cascading in torrents as if tasting their first breaths of freedom, only to gasp their last, ending up lifeless on the floors.

It's not easy to explain why work this dark appeals to me, yet I can't deny how much I'm drawn to it. Truth to tell, this blog entry took a long time to write because while my appreciation for the work was immediate, trying to explain why forced me to rewrite this entry more than any other that I've written for this blog. I may as well try to explain one's fascination with horror movies, or watching documentaries about how animals prey on one another, yet like those more mundane there are elements of attraction and fear that appeals to us. Hmm. Perhaps that's all the explanation I need.

For more on KateMccGwire, visit http://www.allvisualarts.org.

edit: Yatzer did an article on Kate MccGwire. Check it out for more on her amazing work.

Gimme A Hand with Lunch

2010-09-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

Or more precisely, a hand and a... uh... mitten?

I know why this cutlery intrigues me. When I was younger, I had a Japanese lunchbox that had individual compartments for hot food, cold drinks and an all-purpose compartment - those clever Japanese have a way with making things fit neatly together. But since everything was so tightly fitted together, there wasn't room for a full place setting of cutlery. Instead - and this is what I loved most about it - there was a spork that came with it. A combination spoon and fork, the spork was essentially a bowled piece of flatware like a spoon, but with tines at the end. I loved the innovation of the spork, and looked forward to using it every time I had lunch.

This flatware set reminds me of that spork , but split up. Neither completely bowled nor flatly tined, the fork and spoon look like mutant versions of each other at varying stages of development. But the Japanese up the kawaii factor by making them your pair of helping hands at the dinner table. And really, there's nothing much else to it. But if you can add a bit of fun quirkiness to your meals, why not? Life's too short to be serious all the time. Check it out, and see if you can purchase it, IF you can read Japanese, via the Mitsubai website.

So Longo

2010-09-06T11:40:00.001-07:00

Robert Longo is a major influence on my artwork. I have a tendency to draw figures for their forms only, with completely blank white backgrounds, specifically because when I was growing up, I was enchanted with the purity of Longo's Men In The Cities series. Cut to several decades later and others are revisiting his pivotal work. My friend Robert Geller used Longo's artwork as the inspiration for his Fall Winter 2010 collection shoot, and now Bottega Veneta's Tomas Maier brings Longo himself in to shoot the luxury brand's current campaign. YouTube's videos are no longer so small as to fit into my Blogger template here, so feel free to doubleclick on the video and watch it directly on the YouTube site.

Mode-ify

2010-09-05T21:18:00.000-07:00

"Classic with a twist" is such an overused phrase, but there's no denying the appeal of something familiar that's been tweaked with a clever modification to be just ever-so-desirably different. These Chuck Taylors are a prime example, with two familiar designs merged to make one fresh new one. Just in time for Fall~Winter, the classic sneaker gets fashionably autumnal by subbing brown tweed for the usual canvas, and adding duffel coat toggle closures. Get into Fall mode by slipping into a pair of these, although you might have to figure out how to nab a pair, since as far as I know they're available only in Japan at the moment. But considering they're a fairly reasonable $80 or so, it might be worth it to find someone who speaks Japanese to help you with their online store. Get it from Converse Japan.

Out Of The Picture

2010-07-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

Nicholas Bartle has a curator's eye. His minimalist photography work takes extraneous details out of the picture so that your focus is squarely on the subject matter at hand, be it something so humble as the pages of a notebook, the handle of a valise or other equally mundane items. Whether shot on completely open blank space or laid against a cleverly contrasting background, his subjects quietly leap out of the page at the viewer. The quality of his photos is so clean that there's a museum-like reverence imparted on whatever he shoots, elevating it to a form brought to your attention like some artifact deserving of intense contemplation.

One could argue it's a style typical of product photography often used in ecommerce or stock photos, but Bartle's work separates itself from those genres by adding an extra level of technique to his process. Common household items seem to float in space without any shadows, leaving just their form devoid of function, so much so that we suddenly take notice of them. Or items may be set against backgrounds that make parts of them disappear, while other sections spring to attention. It's a point of view that isn't uncommon, but Bartle succeeds in ways that you don't see everyday by his choices of what to include as much as what he omits, often providing very little or very specific context. The subjects he chooses are taken out of everyday life, and suddenly, by the way he photographs them, are no longer quite so mundane.

For more on Nicholas Bartle's work, visit his website at http://www.nicholasbartle.com. You can also purchase some of his work on Etsy.

Service Orient-ation

2010-07-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

Several references come to mind when you consider the look of the Irezumi dishware: Japanese body tattoo artwork, blue and white Delftware and the traditional blue and white Chinese porcelain. It's that clever dance of reminding you of something traditional while subverting the overall resemblance that makes its design witty fun. Well, that, and the fact that the 'inkwork' is applied on to the various surfaces in a very au courant graphic manner, with off-center placement and cropped images that eschew the more traditional centered layouts seen in porcelain and mimic the wrap-around quality of tattoos on a body.

The designs are so pleasing that I see them almost like collectibles to display (not unlike the Chinese antiques that they reference) destined to be admired on a shelf but never placed in the dishwasher to rinse off a crust of dried tomato sauce. Of course it's that quality of storied preciousness that will make serving lunch on these plates and vessels all the more fun, although I wonder if the designs will compete with whatever food you place on them since the use of negative space is an integral part of the layouts. Get them at various retailers near you, from about $14 for a mug to $22 for a dinner plate. Go to Ink Dish for stockists.

Pussy Galore

2010-07-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

Leopard print is a hard one for men to pull off. It's a strong statement, and one that can definitely have cheesy connotations, perhaps because it's a pattern that occurs often enough in women's wear at all price points (read: tacky lingerie). But make no mistake, it's a big trend that started developing over a year ago, and it hits its peak this Fall 2010. And while I was eager to adopt the look last year (to have at least two years to wear it out) the market didn't support it with strong enough products. Last fall, Marc Jacobs and Agnes B. both tried to quietly pick up the look by doing the print on gray tones on a sweater and hat respectively, while Paul Smith sold diaphanous cashmere scarves translucently printed with the pattern. Taking a brash trend and toning it done kinda defeats the purpose for me. At that point, why bother?

This season, more designers have picked up a big cat print or two, and the trend has headed downward... to your feet. The pattern is busy, so shoes are a good place to feature it, enough to make an impression while keeping them from overwhelming an outfit. Leopard printed shoes have really hit their stride this season, and with a print this bold, there's just... dare I say it... no pussyfooting around it. Here are my top picks of this season's offerings:

Christian Louboutin's Rantus Orlato Leopard sneakers are brash, over the top, and total statement shoes. And they're also just shy of $1000. This is a prime example of go big or go home. What's cool about them is the dizzying printed haircalf mix blends together in a common enough high top shape, making them casual and luxe at the same time. My only complaints are the logo that he stuck on the side of the shoe (thankfully located on the interior side of your feet) and the metallic gold leather piping, but that's fairly minimal so I can overlook it. Louboutin also has a slipper style in a similar material that he's then overlaid with brass studs for a kind of dominatrix charm in an Upper East Sider's shoe, but the studs kind of obscure the print so it's cool, but not perfect. Available at Barneys New York in store for $945, as well as Christian Louboutin stores worldwide. For stockists, check out christianlouboutin.com.

Giacomorelli Studded Leopard loafers are reminiscent of Louboutin's own all-over studded version, but I think this young Milanese brand mixed the combination better by separating the two elements of print and punk, all on this very classic gentleman's slipper shape. I own a pair, and while the shape is genteel, both the print and the studs screw with your style perception. And lord knows fashion loves a mix. Mind you, they're also very painful - be warned that crossing your legs while wearing these can result in bleeding ankles. Suffer for fashion, indeed! Definitely a very, very twisted classic. Get if for about $650 from Luisa Via Roma.

Meanwhile, Philip Lim's Fall 2010 runway show featured more than a couple of leopard print kicks, my favorite of which is above. He's working a similar mix to Christian Louboutin's high tops, but added even more design flourishes like the belted kiltie detail as well as side zip access (hey, with all that's going on in the instep, you'd want to... ahem... side step that entry too). I called the 3.1 Philip Lim store in Soho and they informed me that these shoes would be around $450, not quite cheap but certainly half the price of Louboutin's. For stockists, check out 31philiplim.com.

Writefully Yours

2010-06-25T21:31:00.001-07:00

In this digital age of email and texts, here's a way for people to... ahem... read your writes.

Pilot Handwriting is a website/app created by the makers of the Pilot brand of felt pens that will allow you to create a font loosely based on your penmanship. I say loosely because the way they get your hand-drawn alphabet is based on you filling in individual letters, and we all know no one really writes that way (well, except maybe for you people who hand-print every individual letter separately, but you guys are either preschoolers or just weird). The ease with which they allow you to scan in your fonts is ridiculously facile, since they ask you to fill in their printed sheet with letters then hold it up to your web cam. Of course, since this will likely lead to imperfect letterforms (or at least, imperfect for you), your cam-scanned type is rendered editable online for tweaking. This is where I think this system may fail, as I think people who are not typographers (and even those who are) may tend to work their letters into perfectly stylized letterforms as opposed to what is naturally their handwriting, which arguably may occur even at the input stage. But still, the concept is there, and once uploaded, your handwriting is available for sending missives in your now-customized font. Granted, the messages you send seem limited to those sent via the Pilot website, but this is still a cool idea for extending the brand of an analog writing instrument online. Check it out at pilothandwriting.com.

Video sizes have increased since I started this blog, and the default embedding code for YouTube seems to have increased to 640 x 480 px now. The above video may be cut off so feel free to click on the expand link at the bottom right, or just click through to YouTube itself to watch the video in full. Or for that matter, watch it on the PilotHandwriting site, duh!

Knit Wit

2010-06-25T21:25:00.000-07:00

Perhaps this is more of craft than design, but I do like the idea of repairing your moth-eaten, unintentionally airy sweaters and knitwear in a way that's so obvious, it becomes part of the reinvigorated aesthetic; it kind of reminds me of the vintage patchwork looks of Comme des Garçons. Find a hole in a favorite cardigan? It's Woolfiller to the rescue, with a result that's very 'loving hands at home,' yet so much in step with the modern world's renewed interest in craftsy-ness. Having professional reweavers repair small holes in your knits and woolens can easily cost as much as $100 and up here in NYC, and in today's economy you'd do well to consider making those repairs yourself. Plus, it's oh-so-very green. Or red. Or gray. Or brown (hmm, how many colors of wool do they supply you with?).

To find out more about Woolfiller, check out their website here.

Via Swissmiss

Qool Design

2010-06-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

Summer in New York City can be scorching, what with all that concrete re-radiating the heat back at its hapless denizens, so thoughts go to ways to make the weather more tolerable. While bladeless fans are all the rage on the blogs lately, I'm a... ahem... fan of more classic design, albeit with a designer twist. I've always liked the letter Q's form, and the Stadler Form Q-Fan design by Swiss artist and designer Carlo Borer turns this ubiquitous appliance into an objet in and of itself, making it something you'll be proud to have in full view. With it's pared down form and brushed stainless finish, you'll be waiting for the mercury to hit its high notes just to put it to use.

The only drawback I see is the fact that its stationary form will generate air currents only in one stream, since it lacks rotational capabilities (well, that, and it's hefty €149.00 price tag, approximately $188 before VAT is removed). But when something looks this cool, you'll probably want to be in front of it all day anyhow. Get it online from Connox.com.

Strike That

2010-05-29T18:54:00.001-07:00

I'm a sucker for a bright patch of color, especially a primary yellow. But couple it with a clean design sensibility and practical use, then I'm all over it. This trio of modern candle holders not only keep your candles in place, but also have storage for a stash of non-safety matches, which you can strike on the bright yellow fields that are actually sandpaper surfaces. A set of all three would make a modern candelabra for your dining table, but I also see them being particularly useful in the kitchen (I always light a candle while frying with strong aromatics like garlic, since scents do linger in small Manhattan apartments); or in the bathroom (similar to the kitchen use, and better than some cloying air freshener). Designed by Simon Donald out of oak, brass (presumably to hold the candle in place, not shown) and sandpaper, you can get them for about $23 each online from Goodd.

Pixel Perfection

2010-05-12T15:24:00.000-07:00

Patrick Jean's animated short about 80s video game iconography come to life is nothing short of amazing! Between the high quality CGI work and the sheer nostalgia of pixilated forms, this is a must-see for anyone who's ever played a video game in the last two decades. Enough talk: watch, rinse, repeat.

I Shopped The Serif

2010-05-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

This little tote bag will be of interest to the graphic designers among us. It's a subtle typographical reference for those who can appreciate a serif, sans letterform. Actually, it's so subtle that if you don't know it's supposed to be a serifed type stem, you'd just wonder what the hell it was. But even without the serif idea, I like the fact that it's a super simple assymetrical design, and that it doesn't say something trite like how it's "not a plastic bag." Perfect for making a quick shopping jaunt to the local grocery or drugstore, or carrying home that stash of design reference magazines (presumably filled with more completely rendered typography) from the news agent.

I saw the actual designer touting (pun intended) this and the rest of her wares at Design Boom at the the recent ICFF and it was nice to see this in person. But if you weren't there, you can buy it online from Little Factory here for $24.

How Accurate Are Hue?

2010-05-02T09:32:00.001-07:00

Age claims all of us, and my eyes aren't what they used to be. I'm having a hard time even seeing the television set from my favorite seat in my apartment! But while details may get blurry, my sense of color is still very much intact, and I can see a ratio of CMYK (or RGB, depending on the final vehicle) pretty damn accurately, I think. And now there's proof! See if you can line up the hues in their proper order as they graduate from one color to the other. Who knew one would want to score a perfect zero one day? I didn't. Oh, and I did. :)

Try this Hue test!

Stamp of Approval

2010-05-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

Remember when the only punctuation mark you could use to register your pleasure or displeasure was the difference between an exclamation point and period at the end of a sentence? Once upon a time, the most we worried about was proper grammar. Well, some don't even bother with grammar nowadays (okay, maybe most). But texting and online posting have necessitated finding new ways of expression, and no one seems to have taken to that more seriously - or creatively, as the case may be - than the Japanese. When the only face you see is the screen of your cellphone, resourcefulness takes over to add that extra bit of expression.

While there are universal emoticons for smileys and frowns that take two, maybe three symbols to create, it seems that some aren't satisfied unless the images evoke the feelings as adroitly as possible. "Kaoiro" means "face expression" in Japanese, and that's just what this retro-new stamp does, in the kawaii style that the Japanese seem to favor. With parentheses adding the appropriate rounded facial borders, the insides take on wildly varied symbols for eyes, noses and whatever else. I love that the old-school library tool gets repurposed for a current day meme, as I always loved the process of a due date being stamped diligently in those tiny spaces at the back of your books, a process likely to disappear in this age of Kindles and iPads. Well, with the Kaoiro, you can put a smile on that book, or anything else that you can't just text message. Get it from (naturally) Japan Trend Shop for $51, which isn't that cheap but understandable considering they're hand-made.

Fluid Forms

2010-04-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

I just recently discovered The Block magazine's website, and two videos posted on their front page had completely different looks but similar concepts, specifically morphing physical forms. Each was fascinating for completely different reasons.

Sébastien Tellier - Look

Sébastien Tellier - Look from Record Makers on Vimeo.

I'm not familiar with Sébastien Tellier's music, but this video had me mesmerized. As a gay man fascinated by eroticism and its subtle powers over sexual beings of either gender, I absolutely loved this video's concept and execution. The slow realization of the woman's form and how her derriere morphs into view gives you just enough to imagine, and just enough time to imagine all sorts of things (especially if you're a straight male). "Look" indeed, as the naively rendered object of fascination walks away, always seemingly out of reach but tantalizing you with promises of pleasure, as well as an ever shifting shape, outfits and backgrounds.

I would post this on Facebook but I'm not sure that it would get past the FB police. This is a prime example of how suggestion, to me, is much more powerful than outright exhibition, a subtlety seeming lost in today's world of instant pornographic gratification.

Midnight Juggernauts - Vital Signs

Vital Signs - Midnight Juggernauts from midnight juggernauts on Vimeo.

This is my first ever exposure to this electropop Aussie band's music, and this video is quite the introduction. The hazy, liquefied matter in their video - backgrounds, props, people - is so well done that it's almost something out of a sci-fi movie. For years I've imagined scenes in comics like X-men, where mutant villains like Proteus, with the power to warp reality, render adversaries liquid and transform matter into whatever shape or form they want, with just the comic artist's attempt at rendering the effect on a flat page. Not anymore. While we've seen morphing happen in movies, this takes the fluid form to that transitional step, and just leaves it there and focuses on it. Everything swirls in furl, like they're about to go down a drain but never do. It's just mesmerizing to watch, and it goes so well with the band's very airy, futuristic and kind of epic sound.

For more on Midnight Juggernauts, visit their MySpace page to take a listen to their brand of atmospheric electropop, here.

Men-age a Trois

2010-04-19T16:53:00.000-07:00

Images © by Emilio Tini/Fujiwara.

In today's digital realm, how you compose a photo is so open to one's imagination that often it can cross over into the realm of illustration. These editorial images from Giuliano Fujiwara's 2009 campaign are just so slick in their composition that despite being from a year ago, I just had to repost them after coming upon them again recently. Shot by Emilio Tini, I love how seamlessly the figures and outfits of model Josh Beech blend. The poses are simultaneously serene but dynamic, and the compositions bump the energy up even further, yet still keeping it calm (if that makes any sense). If memory serves, Fujiwara's an older brand from the mid 80s that's been reinvented in the past few seasons, and imagery like this certainly makes a compelling argument for considering the revitalized clothing line. For more on the brand (though not necessarily of this year old campaign and clothing) visit giulianofujiwara.com. You can see more of Emilio Tini's impressive photography work here.

Aaaaaaand

2010-04-19T05:48:00.000-07:00

... that's a whole lotta ampersands.

I've been busy revamping our laser printing books at work, so while surfing the 'net yesterday, I found myself on Veer's website staring at over 400 variations on my favorite symbol, the ampersand, in their ampersand collecton, the aptly named Coming Together. For a mere $20 you get more ands than you will probably ever need in your lifetime, which is a bargain if you're designing wedding invitations and suites. Some of the letterforms are so well-crafted that they'd make a great poster or tee motif in and of themselves (others, not so much). So many posibilities! My mind is kind of racing: I could do this, and this, and this, and...

But even more importantly, this is a collaborative collection from participants from all over the world, to benefit Doctors Without Borders in their work in stricken Haiti. Veer writes:

In response to the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the Society of Typographic Aficionados issued a call to action to the typographic and design communities to participate in Font Aid IV. The result was Coming Together, an OpenType font that contains over 400 ampersand glyphs designed by participants from around the world. All proceeds from the sale of the typeface go to Doctors Without Borders, in support of continuing relief efforts in Haiti.

Close to 400 people from 37 countries submitted an ampersand design to this font. A full list of contributors is available on the The Society of Typographic Aficionados website: http://www.typesociety.org/fontaid.html

So they're pretty, useful & charitable! Get the set from Veer.com. Via Brown Sugar Design.

Miscast

2010-04-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

I look around my apartment, and it's pretty obvious I like me some irony and silly thinking: my furnishings are an eclectic mix of trendy, comfortable style ( a little MCM, a little industrial, a little Hollywood Regency, a little modern design) littered with silly items. Parakeet portraits? Check. Porcelain bunny and lingerie pin-up girl? Check. Painting of a devil wearing a blue dress? Check. So visitors will get that perfect touch of surreal silly with these deceptive nylon coasters designed to look like mismatched shadows, to make it look like there's something extra wrong in this apartment.

Choose from a coffee mug with handle or a soda can with a straw, and make sure to serve them with completely different containers (I'm thinking wine goblets). Get the Shadow Coaster from Mollaspace for $10 per set of 4 coasters.

Such A Pretty Kitty

2010-04-07T18:48:00.000-07:00

It may be the year of the Tiger, but when you appreciate the absurd, it's always gonna be time for a print of a large, dangerous carnivore sporting a stupid, girly hairdo. I do love me some stupid.

And if you've been to my apartment, you'll also know I'm so into an almost primary yellow (Pantone 109 to be exact) that this is right up my alley. Couple that with the graphic simplicity and the expert, detailed pencil rendering, and you can bet I'm online entering my credit card information even as I write this. And as if that wasn't enough, you can buy the print in a range of three sizes, for relatively cheap (17" x 23" for $31.50, 21"x28" for $36.40, up to a ginormous 28"x38" for 57.20) and in archival quality K3 Epson inks, so really, it's just all kinds of Yes. "Rock Candy" (don't know what the title means, but do we really care?) by Studio Valistika is super sick, and in my mind, a must-have. Get it here from Urban Outfitters or directly from Studio 6.

Serves You Right

2010-04-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

In the realm of New York apartment living, space-saving furnishings are king, so items that multitask are high on my list. A deceptively simple-looking item, this serving dish from Eva Solo is thrice as convenient as it goes from kitchen to table side to tabletop with a flip of its metal handles. From stovetop to service with the flip of its handles, then on to your dinner table without marring the surface because of the slight lift of the handles, effectively acting as a trivet. It's a generous size at 14" long by 11" wide, so the $113 price tag isn't cheap but still seems reasonable. I rather like its clean form, which will go with more contemporary china and flatware, but with just enough of a modern edge. It kinda looks like a porcelain basket, but Red Riding Hood should be so chic toting one of these around in the forest to grandma's house (hell, it would have been more effective had she had it to smash over the wolf's head, but I digress...). Get it for online from the A+R online store. Seen via BLTD.

Feels Fresh

2010-03-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

Here's something you don't see everyday: a novel treatment for one of the most mundane things in our daily lives, so mundane we probably never give it a second thought. The China Toilet Roll Holder (is it even made in China?) dumps the whole function of the hollow core, instead using the roll's weight to keep it cradled in the dish, dispensing paper through a slit in the bottom. I don't know why it amuses me so much design-wise but it does, perhaps because it's exactly something you don't really pay attention to. I think the loose, open approach makes it just such a fresh take. And I love me some new ideas.

Of course, it might not exactly be a perfect solution. If you're like me, it might become a problem if you use toilet paper to blow your nose a lot, and attempting to dispense too abruptly might send the whole roll flying off its ledge... quite possibly into the toilet itself. But I'm just speculating. Still, it's a clean new concept for may be... ahem... a not-so-fresh subject matter. Get it online from Manufactum, for about $28.

All A Board

2010-03-11T06:59:00.000-08:00

At cocktail parties where you may have room to wander about, carrying both your drinks and whatever was passed or taken from the buffet table can prove to be an effort for party goers who may struggle to carry their eats and drinks while trying to socialize. The Puzzleboard modular cutting-board-cum-serving-tray solves that problem with wit and clever design. The shape alone makes it both familiar and playful, since it looks both like a chopping board as well as a jigsaw puzzle piece. But purchase several modules to extend the length and it becomes a fun interactive experience. I imagine a party where the host can start using it as a cutting board for serving tableside, then disassembling it right at that moment into the individual pieces to be taken away by guests. Beyond the fact that the Puzzleboard provides a convenient place for carrying a goblet and some vittles, its transformation will probably be a great conversation starter. It's a design that's really greater than just the sum of its parts. Get it online here at www.oooms.nl for about $27 a segment.

Low Rez, High Style

2010-02-25T05:06:00.001-08:00

We've become an overtly digital society, with our dependence on personal computers and now more than ever, personal hand-held devices - remember when they were called palmtops? No? Mobile phones then, although I find we use them more for texting and surfing the web and app-tapping, so "phones" might become an obsolete name sometime soon...

Well it's with post-modern appropriate irony and wit that Cristian Zuzunaga appropriated the more-than-ever familiar low resolution pixilization of screen visuals and applied it to the 3-D stuff of daily life. He first came to my attention with his upholstery for furniture with companies like Moroso, pictured here at an exhibit I snapped at über trade show Maison et Object in Paris last year:

Notice that there are icons stating no photography allowed, but hey, I was Press. We gots us some perks.

Looking for all the world like low-rez renderings of actual furniture, the familiarity and irony of the pattern are what make these really simple prints so appealing. With my small NY apartment, I haven't the space for yet another chair much less a whole couch, so I thought I'd have to satisfy myself with photos of the items. Imagine my elation then when I discovered that the enterprising Mr.Zuzunaga had applied his signature pixels to a line of gift wrap. Now I didn’t have to buy an entire living room set but could get my color blocked fix applied to gifts, notebooks or whatever I wanted to swathe in color swatches. I quickly coerced the buyer at Kate’s Paperie to add the line to their offerings, and already used this paper as my signature wrap for the holidays.

You can purchase the Pixel gift wrap from Kate's Paperie. Click here for stores or search under "pixel" on katespaperie.com.

Of course, if gift wrap doesn't do it for you, Mr. Zuzunaga has a cotton tote bag at The Tate... a Tate Tote if you would. An analog accessory with a digital look, it's made from what is undoubtedly an extensive length of fabric so the pixel pattern you'll receive when you order will vary. But for a approximately $45, it's not a bad statement, especially with Spring fashion's usual influx of color. Get it from the Tate Online Shop.

For more on designer Cristian Zuzunaga, visit his website here.

R.I.P. Alexander McQueen

2010-02-11T16:45:00.000-08:00

The world lost a true visionary today when it was discovered that Alexander McQueen, the brightest and brashest British designer of his generation, had apparently taken his own life.

Undressed Success

2010-02-05T08:21:00.000-08:00

Few websites seem really clever enough to get my attention nowadays, but Wrangler Europe's specially-shot content featuring super-hottie Tony Ward (an acquired taste, to be sure, but I'll lick my chops) available for you to undress and knock about on the page. It reminds me of my days designing CD-Rom "interactive' content that was very 'choose-your-own-adventure', albeit in a more limited, fashion way. Check it out here. Via The Zephyr Files.

Flight Bulb

2010-01-29T05:19:00.001-08:00

With retro-fab Edison bulbs so much in style right now, bare bulbs have been quite the trend. Here's another way to have the bulb barely bare, but to take your design aesthetic... ahem... a little higher. With a laser-cut set of wings and a tail, this should not only create an interesting play of shadows on your walls, but it makes the bare bulb a mobile in and of itself (think of adding several on some simple wire and socket fixturing and have yourself a small flock). Of course, with the other trend towards eliminating incandescent bulbs altogether, this might look a bit strange on one of the new compact fluorescents, although you never know... it might look like a strangely appealing puffy bird. Available in gold and silver for about $63 before shipping, get them here.

Memories Like An Elephant

2010-01-28T05:03:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe that 1960 is now officially 50 years ago. I got to realize that when I was out at my brother's place for Christmas, and all their talk was about cholesterol and maintaining failing health in middle age, and I realized that my siblings had reached the 50+ mark. With people on Facebook dredging up the past for dredging's sake, you get so much nostalgia for the years one grew up brought to fore. While I can't really remember the 60s, it doesn't seem so far away as 50 years ago.

There's something perfectly thematic about this poster by Mark Weaver, whose collage work is very now yet also rather retro. He's totally captured some trappings of the 60s period: the suit, the predilection towards spy stories, the world theme - even the font looks appropos, even if it's a little more late 50s in a modern way. It kinda reminds me of things like the Ipcress File, which was a game my family had that I never played, based on a movie that I never saw. He also seems to sell his hand-screened posters quite well, as many are sold out. This one has a cool look that will work well with all the retro nostalgia. I imagine he's got no concept of what the 60s were like either, but he's priced it at $60, for a limited edition of 50. Get them here for a pretty reminder of the time you probably never had...

iPad. Nuff Said.

2010-01-27T12:23:00.000-08:00

Late as I am in updating this blog with the first post of the year, I thought that this was worth delaying for.

Despite not being much more than a souped up iPhone, this is probably going to be yet another industry gamechanger. Within the last two decades, no company has shaped the face of technology (and frankly, of our culture) like Apple has, from the iMac to the Cinema Displays, to the iPod, iPhone and now, the iPad. Theoretically I shouldn't want it as much as I do, but I do.

Shiny.

Get the details at Apple.

Mine, All Mine

2009-12-31T09:18:00.000-08:00

Nothing says you own something like a red hot brand perma-seared into a surface... not that you would, of course, but for a measly $20, now you have the option! Serve dinner party meats with your very own logo etched into the side with this lovely, DIY branding kit. Don't want anyone touching that chicken breast? Brand it! Show your love for that wooden side table? TSSS! Jealous that your uber-hot significant other may have roaming eyes? Okay, maybe that might go a bit too far, but you get the picture. Upload your own logo and for $20, a specially-made metal cap for just about any lighter will be wending its way to you in just a few weeks, and then you can show the world just how zealously protective you are of your things! Lighter not included. From shapeways, via BLTD.

Is it me, or have I been focusing too much on heated items of late?

That's Really Hot

2009-12-29T20:43:00.000-08:00

I normally don't post things I can't find a retailer for, but this is definitely one for the wish list.

It's the height (or is that depth?) of the winter cold and everything is freezing. When the mercury dips below ice-making levels like it has today, I'll often sacrifice sleek looks for warmth. I must confess, my pre-war building's heating isn't coping well with the current 18∘F chill (which is likely feeling more like single digits with the wind) and even indoors it's a bit on the frosty side. But the tray-like items pictured above are the coolest solution I've ever seen for all the cold. Dubbed Bag Portable Space Heaters because of the minimal handle grip configuration, not only will they provide necessary heat when central heating doesn't quite warm up your tootsies, but they'll look amazing with any modern interior. Slim, portable and available in six different wood finishes, they're designed in Italy by Enzo Berti and distributed by i-radium. When I saw this written up in Elle Decoration UK, I couldn't wait to find out where to get me one. Unfortunately their website doesn't explain whether or not these are readily available and where, but with something that looks as hot as these do, it's only a matter of time before I get my hands (and feet, and the rest of my chilled bod) on one. Find out more here at i-radium.com.

Candle-Wit

2009-12-22T08:41:00.001-08:00

It's the Christmas season and thoughts can turn to Christmas stories of happiness and death, as epitomized by The Little Match Girl. Who the hell thought that that story was uplifting? She fricking died in the dead of winter. Hell, she was selling matches! What kind of living can you make by peddling something you can get for free at the local deli? Methinks if she sold these witty candlebooks by Poketo, that sad waif would have made more money off those design aficionados.

I first saw these matchbook candles by Poketo at either the Gift Show or the ICFF, and thought they were really fun, but wasn't sure what to apply them towards, but who can resist the clever idea? They'd make a great instant birthday celebration. Of course, you'll need a real book of matches to get them lit, so you may want to ferret out some poor waif on the street (or better yet, pass by the deli or news stand and get them free). You can get 4 packs of these candles for $6 at Yanko Design store, though!

Bit Hot

2009-12-02T21:35:00.000-08:00

8 Bit, to be precise.

This winter season sees many of us enjoying the pleasures of baked goods - whether making or consuming them (likely the latter). I haven't baked in years, unless you count microwaving things I pulled out of a box. Still, microwaved t.v. dinners come out pretty hot from the oven, especially when you're bringing the tray to the computer monitor to watch videos online (I've revealed my normal mode of dinner by myself... so sad). So this mitt should come in... ahem... handy. For that matter, it's also quite apt, given my choice of online viewing entertainment. Conveniently, the next time I'm chewing on Lean Cuisine in front of Hulu, I can shop for protective, ironic oven mitts from Think Geek. Those nerdy rascals think of everything. Buy it here for just under $25.

Image Application

2009-12-02T20:48:00.000-08:00

So they finally found a way to make those Photoshopped image changes stick in real life.

These refrigerator magnets rock my world, and not only because I know these palette windows so well (it's been over 15 years since I first started using Photoshop). I love them because they're so inherently geeky and post-modern, anyone who's clone-stamped a zit off their Facebook profile pic has got to appreciate these analog renditions of the Photoshop tool set. And with these holding a slew of photos on to your fridge door, it brings new meaning to the command "Paste Into" (okay, so maybe that was a bit to insider~geeky, but so am I). Get them for $25 from those clever monkeys over at ThinkGeek.

Take Your Happy Pills

2009-11-21T23:19:00.000-08:00

Take them with you wherever you go, that is, with these bright and cheery enamel pill keychains from Jonathan Adler. If you must drag dosages around (and frankly, whether from lactose intolerance to swine flu, we're bound to be popping pills for different reasons at all points of the year) why not make it convenient and pretty? So portable, and you'll hardly forget them since they're stuck to your keys. And since they're shaped like big ol' pill capsules too, you'll be reminded that you need to take your medicine (recreational or otherwise) just by looking at them. Get them for $19.50 at Jonathan Adler, in four color combinations that are so high-spirited, they're bound to make you feel better.

Mirror, Mirror, On The Walls.

2009-10-23T09:36:00.001-07:00

Usually you just have to deal with one wall for mounting a mirror, right?

The corner possibilities for this piece are intriguing - the design adds a completely different dimension to decorating, and I'm really curious about what the views are like when you put multiples of them on one corner. I'm definitely getting at least one of these. The websites also tout it for use as a mirror and a shelf (and a little more improbably, as a shaving mirror so you can see underneath your chin at the same time. Personally, I think they're reaching with that one). It certainly has a similar appeal to the mirrored dish shelf I posted a while back, and I liked that one enough to buy it and mount in my foyer. Not shipping til the end of November, but you can pre-order it from Mollaspace. Via BLTD.

Bed Bugs

2009-10-01T05:14:00.001-07:00

When you get ready for the new Fall season, the last thing you want to find is moths in your abode (as I recently discovered with my Rick Owens pants that are now Swiss cheese) but in this case you may want to make an exception.

Every time I walk through the West Elm store in Chelsea (I use it as a path to get home when I'm in Flatiron), there's always something I find myself wanting. This is a good thing for West Elm, as their design team is amazing at always creating consumer desire for new stuff. These new vintage butterfly duvet covers and shams have a very John Derian look and passed muster even upon closer inspection. Never mind the fact that they call them butterflies when they're actually mostly moths (and the big one looks like it might be a Cecropia Moth that they left out the antenna feathers on, but I can't be sure if it's a totally different species from what I'm thinking or just the female. Sue me - I love biology). Sadly, the material isn't the softest at the touted 250 thread count, but if you know your sheets you'll know that thread count isn't the way to go when determining fabric softness anyhow. Still, these are a snoozefest in the most ironically positive sense of the phrase, because as decorative items go, they're pretty spry. There's something about making a statement with your sheets, and this one has great big honking graphics.

If they don't go with your bedroom scheme, you could consider them as throw pillows for your couch too. West Elm likes to blow out a good design into different categories, so you could literally buy into a look quite heavily and your apartment could look very matchy-matchy (don't do that). Check them out on West Elm's site.

Hogg Wild

2009-09-27T10:01:00.001-07:00

I'm wild about these prints from from British illustrator Richard Hogg. There's such a joy in his Brick-O-Fly print that it makes me smile soOOoo much! (I can hear that brick giggling in my head as it flaps away) And his Flatpack Sexbot is both sexual deviance and childlike innocence all at once. At £40 -£45 they're not exactly cheap prints when you factor in the dollar exchange, but for original art it can be considered a bargain for so much Superflat exuberance. Besides, when was the last time something made you smile just by looking at it? It's like visual Prozac. All art should be so effective. Get them direct from the (oh-so-talented) artist, on his website www.h099.com.

Safari, So Good

2009-09-19T07:15:00.000-07:00

The taxidermy trend is definitely yesterday's news (although still a valid goth-y accent to an eclectic home, I'll concede) but you can still indulge your inner huntsman in a more modern, Peta-friendly way. Argentinean illustrator Nacho Gil's wild animal portraits series, The Animals look like a cross between origami and wall trophies, making them especially trendy. The whole paper geometries thing lives in these very glossy, CAD-looking illustrations, but the way Gil renders his subject matter still makes them appealing - despite the glossy finish of his illustrations, the animals show loads of personality...ahem... head on. Frankly, I want to buy the whole series and frame them, but there isn't much information on acquiring these as prints on Nacho Gil's website. There are 8 'portraits' all in all, and you can check them (and not much else) out on nacho-gil.com.

Morning Splash

2009-08-30T08:31:00.001-07:00

Hello, Kitty

2009-08-26T14:46:00.001-07:00

USB Flash drives are the adult toys of the personal computing age. From Mimobots to Legos, their easy functionality allow product manufacturers to play (pun intended) with exactly how they would look. In the case of this Ravage Transformer Flash Drive, it's quite literally an adult toy. So perfectly true to the original cartoon character it emulates, it starts off disguised as one thing but transforms into another. And okay, so it's a paltry 2 GB by today's standards, but how many other flash drives have articulated legs and a tail? The only thing missing is a way to attach it to a keychain or some other carrying convenience, but I suppose you can't have everything. Get it for just under $43 from Yahobby.com.

Make Your Markkit

2009-08-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

So, that little highlighter icon up there? If you're on Firefox or Safari, that's a new Markkit web 2.0 text highlighter. It will allow you to click on any text and highlight it just like you would with a real marker, Just click on it and, if you're on a compatible browser, you will be able to highlight any text on the page. Look here for a short video on how it's done. Why you would want to? Well, hey that will depend on you, but it's kinda cool. Plus, I like yellow, so sue me.

Don't Forget Your Key

2009-08-09T19:33:00.001-07:00

When you're thinking of the key to enter your home, you're not necessarily thinking of a keyboard key. But it's that kind of out-of-the-box thinking that makes this recycled rubber doormat so clever and geeky cool. Nuff said. Get it from Kikkerland, for a very reasonable $30.

The Ties That Blind

2009-08-04T06:59:00.001-07:00

People who know me know I have a thing for hot pink - beyond the fact that it's an in color nowadays, I've always loved it. Just look at this site, for goodness sake! But I know that there's only so much of it one can have in their lives without risking retinal damage (okay, me more than other people, but I have an affinity for it) so it's good to get it in small doses, especially in everyday usage that could benefit from a pop of unusual color. Take these rubber bands, or gummis, as they're called in Berlin premium stationers, RSVP, for example. Why settle for the usual earth-tones when you can have a hot flash of 80s 'shocking pink" as my mom used to say, wrapping your roll of paper, or that stalk of broccoli? If you can understand German (or if you're comfy enough that they're following the usual ecommerce standards) get them from RSVP for €2.60.

Yes We Cam!

2009-08-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

This video from the Japanese group Sour was filmed completely on webcams, and the simplicity of the concept coupled with the complexity of the coordination, not to mention the super cute (kawaii!) tricks just makes this a really entertaining and memorable video. But don't take my word for it - the vid's right here, go on and watch it!

Books Can Be Deceiving

2009-08-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

There have been a few trompe l'oeil covered furniture lines out there in the past, but these ones make you appear decidedly more well-read. Covered with faux libraries, what I like about them is that the designers, Front, didn't skimp on the visuals, and made a distinct 'cover' image for each shelving size. Recently shown in Milan just this year, they were created for new Italian home furnishings brand Skitsch, which itself debuted at Salon de Mobile this year. I think they're the perfect hiding places for anything, but wouldn't it be ironic to open them up and find them filled with... books?

Not yet available in the US, but we can dream. In the meantime, indulge your furniture importation fantasies and find out more info and pricing from Skitsch's website. Via Apartment Therapy.

Enough Said

2009-08-01T07:52:00.001-07:00

It's nice when design does exactly what it's supposed to - and in the case of the Poketo bottle opener, it also says so quite plainly. And with that said, is there anything else to say about it? It's $16 each from Poketo.com (plus about 4 bucks in shipping) and you can get it here.

Fall Wrapped Up

2009-07-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

You can certainly blame Rick Owens for starting the high-top sneaker craze that had been sweeping fashion, especially since other designer brands like Lanvin made it more accessible with cleaner looks after Rick's lead. At this point in the sartorial landscape every designer on the planet has vouchsafed their own version of a fashion-forward pair of kicks.

But after seeing one too many derivative Owens or Lanvin styles, it's nice to see a company take a bit more original approach. Brazilian brand Osklen isn't well-known in the US just yet, but if Out magazine's fashion stylist is to be heeded, their version is the only high-top worth featuring in a retail environment full of cheap knock-offs (I'm looking at you, Diesel Black Gold!). Frankly, I'm inclined to agree. A bit post-apocalyptic and somewhat bedraggled-looking, Osklen's styling takes the sporty right out of the equation and transports you to Mad Max territory (of course, the look of the editorial helps with the visual) by wrapping the otherwise ordinary sneaker with a loose, strappy spat you you could make neater or drapey depending on your energy in the morning. It should accent plain jeans and a tee really well, but doesn't look like it would look out of place if you're part of the designer goth ninja set either. Available in leather and what looks like suede versions (check with the stores for exact availability) they're set to step into stores in Fall. You can inquire about their arrival at your local Osklen store.

FloaTable

2009-07-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

Continuing the dining theme I seem to have been on of late, I present the Ovangkol Table from Reiko Kaneko. A great mix of classic and modern, warm and futuristic, natural and synthetic - it's a simple concept really, but lovely execution built on interesting contrasts. A clean silhouette from Ovangkol wood (don't know what that is but the grain looks quite nice) gets a twist from too-short wooden legs lengthened invisibly by the fact that they're embedded in clear resin, giving the impression that the table is floating a few inches above the floor. It's a playful visual, and ultimately a detail that won't seem so tricksy over time because the rest of the table is so classically beautiful. Only recently shown this past April at the Milan Salon Satellite, there isn't any pricing just yet, but if it... ahem... floats your boat, you can inquire at the UK site Reiko Kaneko.

Hot Off The Stove

2009-07-15T08:55:00.000-07:00

When entertaining in a New York apartment, serving bowls and platters are great fun for showing off, but the cleanup in your tiny Manhattan kitchen? Not so much. So if your pans and casseroles are pretty enough to serve directly from, then you might indulge in a little trivet pursuit, for design-y ways to prevent scorching your precious mid-century modern wooden table. I love the idea of this Voila trivet by Eric Janssen: heat-proofing for your table but with the look of the stove it just came from. Clever, modern, useful, and just $40 from Greener Grass Design, who are just full of the fun stuff these days.

Just The One, Dear

2009-07-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

There's something really poignant - and maybe really appropos for NYC apartments - about this tablecloth. Called "Alone," it features a dotted outline for a single place setting in the entire cloth. While browsing through the website that featured it, I thought it was gonna be a placemat but the cloth idea really does emphasis the loneliness of its name, although the image doesn't tell you where the setting might be printed on the approx. 55 x 70" cloth. So apparently people have been leaving it alone, because it's on sale for $40 down from $72, a discount of over 40% off. Go ahead - give it some company and take it home. From Greener Grass Design.

Don't Have Time

2009-07-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

Denis Julia Reytan's Timepeace is a bracelet you literally barely have time for. Modeled (I assume) after 80s Casio watches, they are all retro form without function, a mere skeleton of a watch-cum-objet. I'm obviously drawn to this by the very graphic nature of the design, but also because of the irony - a watch that isn't really a watch. I'm already a big fan and proud owner of Natalia Brilli's leather-covered watch, so it's already a given I like the cleverly non-practical. Available in limited editions of 50 and in various finishes, you can inquire about them from the designer herself here.

Skin Treatment

2009-06-30T06:41:00.000-07:00

Over a decade ago, I worked with the creative director of the then-new skincare division of a major luxury brand (begins with a "P" and ends with an "A") who developed, among other things, a line of logo-branded medicated strips. Of course, I couldn't wait for those medicinal plaster labels to be produced, because I thought it was the most genius branding idea. Sadly, they were too costly to go forward with, and my dreams of luxury-branding my wounds went pfft.
Well, today, I've discovered something even better. The very experimental and highly conceptual designer Scott Amron offers a similarly designer-y but subtler look, with black leather band-aids. I. LOVE. THEM. I mean, seriously, how chic is that? You'll be "hiding" your wounds in more ways than one (hide, get it? Cowhide? Okay, fine, groan.). At $15 for 3, they're certainly not cheap, but quite possibly a luxury worth getting hurt for. You might want to risk facial scarring just so you can prominently display your bandage of choice right smack on your cheek or forehead. Buy them right now from Amron Experimental.

Also on his site is a similar band-aid splattered with the logo pattern of a certain very popular luxury group, which for many reasons I'm sure he can't advertise. But go look - and if you can acquire those, be prepared to be assaulted by every Japanese tourist who will be just dying to know where you bought them.

Pleats Be Seated

2009-06-18T12:43:00.000-07:00

At the last ICFF, one of the most memorable pieces for me was also one of the subtlest: the 25 seat from Bocci. A modern, minimalist frame was given just the right amount of distinction by unevenly pleated upholstery. It's the kind of thoughtful but pared-down design idea I love seeing in clothing ( the overused but apt phrase "classic with a twist" comes to mind ) so you can imagine how much I liked it in a piece of furniture. What was even more enjoyable was the fact that it was comfortable. Find out more on bocci.ca.

I'm All Chalked Up

2009-05-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

Firekites - AUTUMN STORY - chalk animation from Lucinda Schreiber on Vimeo.
Stop animation is simple but painstaking work, and when done in such everyday materials as chalk, it takes on a very relatable appeal. We probably all know the process of drawing on a chalkboard, which will probably come rushing back into your head with memories of cleaning out the erasers and possible asthma attacks. But Lucinda Schreiber's whimsical video for Aussie band Firekites allows you to live out the creative possibilities of elementary chalk drawings, with all the naive, child-like wonder... minus all the dust.

A Fan Of A Chair

2009-05-28T21:42:00.001-07:00

We had one in our house when I was growing up in the seventies: that ubiquitous rattan Queen Fan Chair that seemed to be in pretty much everyone else's home (not to mention Filipiñana souvenir shops throughout Manila), often accompanied by spider plants suspended above it in macrame potholders. So it's with a bit of gleeful nostalgia that I look upon Patricia Urquiola's Crinoline Chair, a modern re-interpretation of this now-classic warm weather seating. The solid-toned high-back version's silhouette (top) evokes the original, but the pared-down weave and open base are 100% modern, for a juxtaposition that appeals to both your new and old sensibilities.

The asymmetrically-detailed style (above) definitely channels the decorative woven details from the original 70s versions, but scale of the patterns keeps it fresh. I consider it something of an outdoor, summery version of a wingback chair, so that reference alone would make me love it. If I had a yard and the space, this would be perfect for holding court outside in a summer: a rather cool chair for those hot days.