Cool Hunting
| 22 February 2006view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
Thomas Pink Commuter Tie
by SummerSeventySix
Don't imagine we're going crazy for neckwear or anything, after posting about skull ties only a few days ago - but this needs to be seen, if only because it's an outrageous example of getting on the iPod bandwagon. Created by British shirt-maker, Thomas Pink it's officially called the "commuter tie" and has a pocket sewn on the reverse to hold an iPod Nano. The 100% silk tie also has an extra loop to keep your earphone wire tidy. If you want one, they're £49 - just don't carry anything heavier than a Nano in it, or you'll lose the James Bond effect and strangle yourself...
Sandclean
by Ami Kealoha
Made from thin ribbons of fine-grit sandpaper, the Sandclean scrubber (written-up by Oliver Schwaner-Albright and photographed by Jens Mortensen for the New York Times here) out-performs sponges and steel wool alike by removing tea and coffee stains, cleaning vegetables, and getting tough on grills, stovetops, ovens, bathtubs, sinks, and more. Also, the biodegradable design won't rust, needs less detergent than its bacteria-collecting counterparts, and makes washing-up at least look more fun. Starts at $7.50 from Korin Trading Company.
I Heart Guts
by Ami Kealoha
The latest from the Los-Angeles-based label I Heart Guts (covered over in Spear-land earlier this month) is "Don't Lose Your Lunch" (baby style pictured). Like the rest of the I Heart Guts line (the brainchild of a designer/former teacher with a penchant for Japanese pop art), this tee anthropomorphizes organs and pairs them with puns in both English and Japanese. The upshot is a collection of bizarre, giggle-inducing designs. Available in gray for adults, the stomach themed shirts (as well as all I Heart Guts tees) are printed exclusively on American Apparel, and start at $18.
MacBook Pro Packaging
by Josh Rubin
MacBook Pro deliveries started happening in the last few days—I got mine yesterday. In between data migration and device lust, I couldn't help but admire the packaging. Some have noted how slim and minimal the box is, while others have appreciated the streamlined set of accessories and documents. I was most impressed with the protective materials that safely suspended the MacBook. With clear reference to Eva Zeisel (left, after the jump) and Erwin Hauer (right, after the jump), the molded styrofoam is beautiful to look at and respectable for its reduction in overall material usage.
Games for Women, Games by Women
by Carol T Chung
The Women in Games International held a half day event this past Saturday entitled Games for Women, Games by Women at the Fort Mason Convention Center. The event was composed primarily of panelist discussions about the types of games currently played by women and the types of games that appeal to women. Although no standard profile of the female gamer was determined (probably for the best really), some of the common game characteristics drawn from that which they play show that they prefer games that are easy to learn yet hard to master; they prefer games that start and stop with relative ease; and they seek games that are mentally rewarding rather than just the kill-kill-kill motivation. However even these game characteristics are not always the rule. More after the jump...
Lemon Magazine
by Ami Kealoha
From the creative duo of Kevin Grady and Colin Metcalf, the team behind the lauded multi-format Gum Magazine, comes the bi-annual Lemon magazine. They call their second art-, culture-, and design-obsessed publication with a food-related title, "pop culture with a twist" and envision it as something like LIFE Magazine's little bro. If their debut "Supernatural" issue is any indication, it's a winning combination for many reasons, not the least of which is their indie ethos and for-us-by-us approach—the upshot feels like two creative types spent a year calling all their favorite artists, reinventing magazine concepts and layout, and drinking too much coffee.
Featuring a bug-eyed model on a cover printed with a transparent fleur-de-lys-type pattern, the premiere includes interviews with heavyweights like artist Jeff Koons and designer Rick Valicenti and a fanciful comic book-style spread on Aesop Rock, Annie, and Fischerspooner. Most of the issue keeps to the theme, especially Bill Armstrong's ghostly images, the results of Grady and Metcalf's project that tasked designers with illustrating Tarot cards, and a loosely-narrated column by the controversial author JT Leroy. Interspersed with full-bleed 60s Op-Art and lemon-scented inserts, the new magazine is a playful and sophisticated way to get a dose of culture in a just-unconventional-enough format.
