Malmsten x Monocle Magazine: Limited Edition Furniture

by CH Contributor, 9 February 2010

by Richard Prime

Winning his first furniture design award nearly 100 years ago, Malmsten may not have the same name recognition today as Dixon, Newson, Morrison or Starck, but the Swedish woodworker recently received some seriously deserved attention when he teamed up with pedantic design magazine Monocle for a gorgeously simple limited edition table and lamp.

Now run by Carl Malmsten's son Jerk, the classic style, superior craftsmanship and attention to detail still culminate in timeless pieces of design—a reputation so strong Stockholm's top furniture design school bears the name.

Following Acne's sneak peak of its new Malmsten-inspired furniture in Paris last month, this collaboration brings the focus back home. The oak Golvlampa Staken lamp (complete with a patterned shade boasting the Monocle insignia) and Ovalen IV table are on display and up for sale at Monocle's temporary shop.

Also stocking existing Monocle collaborations with equally compelling brands, like Comme des Garcons, Drakes and Porter, the seasonal store is already a requisite for anyone attending the fairs in Stockholm. The Malmsten pieces, adding to the boutique's inventory of carefully edited, well designed objects, just make one more reason to visit.

The Golvlampa Staken lamp and Ovalen IV table retail for £663 and £840 respectively.

Monocle Seasonal Shop
Strandvägen 5
Stockholm, Sweden map
+44 (0) 207 725 4330

Gerlan Jeans Stacked Hat

by Tim Yu, 9 February 2010

London-born but raised in Ohio, Gerlan Marcel made a big splash with her Gerlan Jeans diffusion line during NYC's Fall '09 fashion week by mixing bright colors and bold prints, spicing up an otherwise drab (aka black-and-gray) week.

I was recently reminded of the line when it resurfaced in Beyonce's "Video Phone" music video (pictured in last image) featuring Gaga (which by the way is well worth a look if you haven't seen it already). Gerlan's colors, textile design and illustration all have an amazing neo-'90s look, but I especially like the cleverness of her stacked baseball cap.

Like a modern day Alice-in-Wonderland style mad hatter, Gerlan stacks several baseball caps (featuring a musical clef) on top of one another. Each progressively tilts at an angle to create a slight illusion, as if the hats are in motion.

A bit of a sartorial stretch for most, it's clearly not for playing baseball although it would block the sun no matter where it sat in the sky. We also appreciate the unisex look for those bold enough to wear it. In fact, we think it would probably look best on a tomboy type.

Gerlan admits that the her line, called Peace and Love Inc., was inspired by aliens landing and what would happen if they did. When asked about the hat specifically Gerlan comments, "how do aliens know how many baseball caps to wear."

Taking the all-over print to new heights, be sure to check out the rest of Gerlans stuff on her Gerlan Jeans site.

With Fashion week just around the corner we're looking forward to what she comes up with next, though she won't be showing this time around.

Gerlan Jeans currently sells from Patricia Field stores for now, but her aim is to make them available in malls across America.

Gerlan also founded Prints Please, a NYC based surface design studio specializing in prints "for fashion and the world."

Acne Fall 2010

by CH Contributor, 8 February 2010

by Richard Prime

No other brand could really close Stockholm's fashion week than the city's own home-grown independent super-brand Acne. With recent glimpses of its forthcoming venture into the world of furniture tantalizingly close in Paris, it was time to see what the brand has in store clothing-wise for the chilly months ahead.

Acne based the collection around an aviation theme, citing Amelia Earhart as a central influence. Menswear gave a variety of flight jacket options in different material options. Trousers were cut close and well, as expected from the brand which made its name from its denim options.

An exciting mix of layers and changes of proportion made up womenswear, with a key piece being the shearling jacket. Light and long skirts marked a contrast from recent micro-mini trends, while men's looks had flexibility in the form of long feminine shirting.

In all, the show was a strong way to end the week, which has saw more than a few surprises and comings-of-age from this richly creative part of the world.

See more images after the jump.

Jaime Hayon x Gaia & Gino: Valencia Collection

by Phuong-Cac Nguyen, 8 February 2010

The prolific Spanish designer Jaime Hayon's elegant Valencia collection for luxury label Gaia & Gino applies his talent for refreshing the modern to must-have iterations of classic candlestick and tea-light holders in crystal.

The handmade pieces make an apt addition to the Turkish design studio's line of "affordable yet rare" products. Sandblasting each holder by hand, each incorporates a pattern mixing shapes and clefts designed to maximize light's refractive capabilities and demonstrate crystal's captivating chemical structure.

The interchangeable bases allow for assembly in a variety of arrangements while the varying heights add to the collection's playfully sophisticated tenor.

The candlestick and tea-light holders in the Valencia collection span $55-200 and debut in stores May 2010.

Steve Powers: A Love Letter For You Book and Tours

by Wendy Dembo, 8 February 2010

This Valentine's Day, celebrate love in all forms with a trip to Philadelphia to tour Steve Powers' ongoing graffiti mural project and the source of his latest book “A Love Letter for You.” Over the summer of 2009 Powers (aka ESPO) painted 50 murals on 20 blocks of Market Street as a love letter to and from West Philadelphia in a project dubbed "Love Letters." (Click on images for expanded view.)

Documenting the process and installation of the "Love Letters" adventure, the book explores Powers' fascination with using graffiti to tell a story. To mark the book launch, Philadelphia will play host to a weekend of fun-filled events, including "Oldhead," a gallery exhibit showcasing the project's process and inspiration, a book signing (get a personalized copy for your sweetheart), and a privately-chartered, slow-speed elevated train tour of the murals guided by the man himself, Steve Powers, as your conductor. Tickets for the tour run $40 per person or $75 for two.

If a Philly vacation isn't in your plans, the book makes a good romantic subsititute. As Powers explains, "The love letter book is designed so you can dedicate the book to your loved one. Just fill in the blanks with your name and theirs and let the sweet cement sentiments seal the deal." Order it from Free News Projects.

See more images and tour info after the jump.

Vans and the Places Where They Were

by Maggie York-Worth, 8 February 2010

Evoking memories of pot-soaked Saturdays or long drives on the highway, filmmaker and photographer Joe Stevens' side project " Vans and the Places Where They Were" documents the glory of the classic seventies van in an ongoing photo essay dating back to 1996.

Formatted horizontally rather than vertically, Stevens makes scrolling through the images akin to watching a lime green and candy paint parade of Econolines and Chevys travel across the screen.

With an approach that looks not just to the evolving social and economic implications of his subject, Stevens describes how the project surveys "surviving custom and conversion vans across the West and examines the dialogue which exists between a van's design aesthetic and that of its surrounding environment.”

Photographed in and around the L.A. area, the landscape enhances the retrograde effect by hinting at the bygone era of Southern California hippie culture. Palm trees and sixties bungalows add to the mystique of pictures like "Black Tradesman with Orange Stripe" and "Dodge with Duct Tape."

The fleeting quality of these old vehicles, some on their last legs, extends to the medium itself (specifically in this case, 120 film). Says Stevens, "film photography as a visual medium has also begun its slow death. Consequently the goal of the project is to one day shoot the last remaining van on the final frame of photographic film in existence. Then the project will be finished."

Generation Love Organic Tees

by Karen Day, 8 February 2010

Generation Love, a collaboration between two friends determined to create a range of fashion-forward tees while doing "the right thing," joins the new wave of design with a conscience. The resulting collection of eco-friendly clothing also taps the current casually glam look for an effortlessly hip aesthetic.

Designers Roni Hirshberg and Audrey Bressa-Valcourt share in the design process, each adding their distinctive personalities while creating a cohesive collection. Using organic cotton and recycled polyester alongside other sustainable fabrics such as Tencel and micro modal, the duo aims to always choose materials that don't leave such a heavy environmental footprint and hope that one day this will be the norm for every label.

Their brand philosophy also includes supporting NYC's rapidly disappearing garment district, where each Generation Love tee is produced and embellished by hand.

With an interest in mixing fabrics and textures, the spring collection includes organic denim and plaids sourced from Japan and France, while fall explores faux fur and leather detailing.

Stocked in specialty stores like Barneys and Scoop and Intermix, Generation Love will sell direct on their website by the end of February 2010. In the meantime, email Audrey (audrey [at] generationlovelothing [dot] com) to order.