Cool Hunting
| 21 August 2006view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
Tattooed Steel
by Ami Kealoha
Founded by a Los Angeles-based artist/engineer, Jared Van Orman, Tattooed Steel's line of artist-designed jewelry is a way for the tattoo-shy or wearable art-obsessed to get more images on their body. Designs by Rose Hardy are modern takes on more traditional designs (like those by her father, Ed) and range from angels to surreal images, like a flower and eye (pictured left). Other images include tribal designs and abstract tessellations, like Van Orman's "Mirage" (pictured right). Cuffs (available in different sizes) and dog tags start at $60 from Tattooed Steel.
CH Video iMix
by Josh Rubin
If you've been watching Cool Hunting Video you may have also tuned in to our soundtracks. For each episode we select music from young and innovative artists that fit the story we're reporting. m ss ng p eces producer Ari Kuschnir has been curating music since 2003 under his Nugroove title and brings that wealth of experience to making these selections. Some of the artists are rather obscure, but many of them are available in iTunes and listed for purchase in the new Cool Hunting Video iMix
Celebrity Weighing Scales
by Ami Kealoha
The number of pounds you weigh is pretty much arbitrary unless you are a pro boxer, but the folks at Angry understand that "nobody wants to weigh a plain old number these days." The Celebrity Weighing Scale helps you see how you compare to your fave celebs, historical figures, and made-up characters. Settings that range from Baby Jesus to King Kong, and include Chuck Norris and Goldie Hawn replace unhealthy obsessions with clever similes. €35 plus shipping from Angry.
by Letizia Rossi
Studio Visit: Ting
by SummerSeventySix
A few weeks back, we posted a round-up of the bags for guys we most liked the look of, and at the very top of the list were those from London-based Ting. As a result, founding designer Inghua Ting got in touch and invite us round to her West End atelier for a visit.
Tucked away behind Savile Row, the studio is stuffed full of raw materials and works in progress. Old belts, whether vintage ones that were worn around the waist or the safety kind usually seen in a car, share the space with the satchels, wallets and cushions they will eventually be crafted into.
A couple of large worktops are strewn with brightly-colored off-cuts, inspirational pictures or sketches for new products. One which has got off the drawing board and will soon be in production are Ting's seatbelt bags. Surplus gray safety belts from cars are combined with vibrant ones usually found in emergency vehicles and woven into pillows, cubes, a hammock and now bags.
We love what she's doing, and are happy to see her use recycled materials in some of her designs. You can buy products online or check the site for retailers.
Product photos after the jump
ThisNext
by Josh Rubin
My friends over at ThisNext have just taken their site out of private beta. Shopping these days is all about curated consumption—looking to friends or idols for guidance on what to buy and where to find it. ThisNext facilitates online shopping with community functions that help you find and share products. It's very easy and fun to use—within moments I created a list called in my bag that includes all the essentials I schlep around NYC on my back everyday.
In addition to the standard Web 2.0 features of profiles, lists, tagging, commenting and trackbacks they've introduced the notion of Shopcasting which is basically a broadcast of product lists that can be added to any web site. Jean Aw from NotCot, for example, is running a community Shopcast on the sidebars of her site which lists items anyone has tagged notcot.
Kudos also to The Groop for the front end design of ThisNext—stellar work!
