Cool Hunting
| 09 August 2005view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
The Henk
by Evan Orensten
My fantasy savings account was started for a Chuck Close commission. Then it was a jet share. Now it's for a Henk. Having logged several hundred thousand miles and several hundred hours traveling, you can't help but design your perfect suitcase. The mysterious Mr. Henk did, and it is an object to behold. It's a lightweight carry-on that you can sit on. Fully retractable handle and wheels easily maneuver any airport or airplane. It opens from the sides like a pilot's case. The integrated briefcase can sit inside or outside the case, which is fully customizable and adjustable. Made from carbon fiber, titanium, magnesium and aluminum and finished to your specs with premium wood veneer and horse hair. Genius details include compartments on the top for your small items, a cord for securing the case to your seat, the oversized wheels that ensure stability, roll silently and are large enough that when pulling the Henk they cannot run into you from behind. Truly no detail has been overlooked in this exquisitely crafted jet set accessory.
Only 3,000 will be made per year, with the first orders being delivered this fall. Oh yeah, prices start at £15,620 (around US$28,000). Some of you may be thinking hey, I can buy a tricked out Mini Cooper Sport, or about 280 pair of limited edition sneaks. But there's nothing like traveling in style...
Vital Statistics
by Ami Kealoha
Vital Statistics is the new Trivial Pursuit. Full of offbeat facts, the layout uses varying fonts in different sizes, color, and capsules to organize information into a format that's as highly thumbable as it is good-looking. Like the obviously ironic title indicates, the figures and tidbits aren't really need-to-know items, but nearly every entry fascinates (like that the largest diamond in the universe is a 10 billion trillion trillion carat rock, 50 light-years away, and in the constellation Cetaurus), some are surprising (City with the the highest number of plastic surgeons per capita: San Francisco), others amuse (Percentage of people who've ended a romantic relationship because of their cat: 11), and some seem pseudo-insightful (Wisconsin has the highest binge drinking rate of any state). Authored by Paul Grobman, a lawyer by trade, the book was born out of a collection of newspaper clippings and scraps of paper.
Available at Amazon.
Spell It Out
by Parker Hutchinson
The craft-loving ReadyMade, a magazine once described to me as "Martha Stewart Living for hipsters," is offering a few great items from the lesser-known retail side of their operation. The customizable "Make-A-Sign" is a cheap and fun way to bring classic diner charm into the home. The menu board, available in 5x7" and 8x10", comes with a set of ever-rearrangeable letters that, in the spirit of the publication, provides an opportunity for a little hands-on creativity. They're available for $22 and $32, respectively, from the mag's online store.
