Cool Hunting
| 27 November 2006view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
ELVS
by Ami Kealoha
ELVS (or Enhanced Light Visibility System) is a new line of tees by the New York brand Laek House. Hand-printed with reflective ink, the tees look pretty much like any other screen print (pictured, above left) until placed in direct light they light up with a brilliant white glow (pictured, above right) that's visible at least from 100 feet away. Using the same retro-reflective inks found on safety vests, backpacks and sneakers, the glowing properties won't fade like glow-in-the-dark, work even when wet and are otherwise pretty much indistinguishable by look and touch from other inks.
Laek House founder Ethan Benton, a bicyclist and Manhattan resident, silkscreens his original designs himself onto American Apparel tees and sweatshirts in his East Village studio. Benton bases his imagery on New York bike culture, like the shield-based design of 212 that plays on a type of Reynolds steel coveted by bicyclists. Proto, a bike coat-of-arms, references the Olympics and The Five Boroughs of New York is a map featuring NYC. All designs are pictured here and feature a rear argyle pattern across the shoulders. Tees start at $26 and you can get them from Laek House.
Refinery29: Liborius, Reykjavik
by Josh Rubin
When the impossibly stylish creatures of Reykjavic need something new and natty to wear, the sharpest of them are now heading to the just-opened Liborius. Designer Jòn Sæundur is famous locally for his Dead clothing line—a dark, vicious collection with a fan base that includes members of Metallica and Placebo—and now his new boutique is following suit. Taking a turn toward the light, Sæundur's space is breezy but sharp (think white walls-meets-taxidermy), and he's stocked it with selections by Pierre-Henri Mattout, Velour, and Yoshiko Creations among others. In addition to serving as a fashion feeding ground, Liborius functions as a stage for in-store performances by some of Sæundur's favorite local bands.
Voxtrot Winners
by Josh Rubin
Congratulations to Kaveh G, Ryan V, Joshua H, Tahnee U and Erik J—winners of our Voxtrot giveaway. The question was: what Voxtrot singer Ramesh Srivastava dressed up as for Halloween this year and the answer was: a groom.
You will each receive a copy of the new Voxtrot 7" maxi-single "Your Biggest Fan" which is a preview of a single from the much anticipated full-length release, which is being produced by a yet-to-be-announced "big name."
4Wall Production Lines
by SummerSeventySix
Londoner Sam Stubbings never really set out to give artists a helping hand, but he came away frustrated after seeing an exhibition by art collective Black Convoy last year, so he decided to set up 4Wall.
Sam seems to work a bit like an art agent with online and real-world gallery spaces, allowing people who want to pay up to tap into the talent the sometimes-sprawling collectives contain. That could mean commercial interests wanting help with a campaign or punters like you and me wanting something pretty to hang up. Oh, and live painting on something they call "The Wall" (see the mural above) is also a speciality.
Next week sees the start of Production Lines, an umbrella term for 4Wall's biggest, multi-faceted show to date. At the Fashion & Textile Museum in Bermondsey, South London, expect to see artists like D-Fuse and Daisy De Villeneuve creating new work, live before your eyes. There'll also be a chance to own a picture by people like artist Tracey Emin or London Mayor Ken Livingstone during the Bargain Bin Art Fair. Also, as a reaction to big beer brands muscling in on the art world, there's something they're calling Beer Futures...
Intrigued? Production Lines runs through 10 December 2006.
Fashion & Textile Museum83 Bermondsey Street
London SE1 3XF
United Kingdom
Timothy Neve
by Lost At E Minor
A National Institude of Dramatic Arts graduate, renowned for theatre set and costume design, Timothy Neve creates identity with flair. Taking branding from "inception to unique advertising aesthetics," the Newcastle-based designer channels his creative graphic design concepts through to feature advertisements, chic interiors and tailored costumes, creating a flourishing identity throughout all aspects of branding. With artwork featured in Australia's Vogue and Hong Kong's IdN, both his peers and loyal client base hold his designs in high esteem.
