GoodStorm T-Shirt Wizard

by Ami Kealoha

Photo tees are always a hit when it comes time for gift-giving, but the lead time means last-minute shoppers are out of luck unless they opt for GoodStorm's new T-Shirt Wizard Gift Package. An instant gift at $25, Goodstorm sends the recipient an e-card with a link that takes them to a site where they can create their own t-shirt with photos, graphics and text. The flash-based interface is straightforward enough for even those with basic web skills and their new t-shirt will arrive in 10-12 business days.

GM Design

by Ami Kealoha

Earlier this month, CH visited Los Angeles to check out the 100th anniversary of the Los Angeles International Auto Show courtesy of GM. The world's largest car manufacturer, GM is making major moves to revitalize the brand and invited us out to get a first-hand look at their innovations in design and greener technologies. The Hummer 02 (pictured), their winning entry in the Los Angeles Auto Show's 2006 Design challenge (this was the second year in a row they won), is a standout example of what GM's capable of when given the room to experiment. The vehicle has a positive impact on the environment by using photosynthesizing panels that turn carbon dioxide into oxygen.

At the Interior Design salon, we met with the designers in charge of revamping the part of cars that's often overlooked in favor of exterior flash, but a factor that sets the eventual beaters apart from future classics. At the candid meeting, GM's designers explained the recent corporate edict that granted them the freedom to explore new approaches to interiors and walked us through the changes they're making.

With an approach that considers the general feeling of being in a space and the specifics like ambient lighting, David Rand, the GM Design's Executive Director, compared their ideas about interiors to great architecture and the way it can be both thrilling and comforting. Looking at the ways people use their cars and at the ways other manufacturers have shifted their interior design strategy, their aim is to create a driving experience that's both functional and simplified, while also connecting with drivers on an emotional level.

These goals—what GM calls their holistic thinking—translate into an overall more luxurious feel with a few unconventional choices. Most notably, their designers have taken risks when it comes to color, for example adding orange hues and contrast stitching. Controls become more integrated into the car and in general internal components, like steering wheels, shifters and key fobs (the high-touch interfaces) have a touchability and qualities like thickness and material that reinforce each brand of automobile.

Joris Laarman's Bone Chair

by Ami Kealoha

Debuted earlier this month during the Art Basel Miami Beach events, Joris Laarman's Bone chair takes its inspiration from the efficient way that bones grow (adding material where strength is needed and taking away material where it's unnecessary). Made using a digital tool developed by GM that copies these methods of construction, Laarman says the ironic result of his biomimetic technique is "an almost historic elegancy" that is "far more efficient compared to modern geometric shapes."

Gorillaz Giveaway

by Ami Kealoha

Like the concept itself, Gorillaz: Rise of the Ogre is a part fictional, part real account of the band's rise to fame. Faux interviews and Jamie Hewlett's illustrations, as well as a few real photos, make up the hardcover book, bringing out both imagined and true-to-life details. Highlights include track-by-track "making of" stories, British humor and, overall, behind-the-scenes insight into one of the most innovative and successful creative projects of recent years.

Though Gorillaz: Rise of the Ogre has been out since last month, CH has three copies to give away to three readers, who will also get a poster and a full set of the Kid Robot Gorillaz CMYK toys (pictured left). We'll award these prizes to the first three readers who tell us what mode of transportation the Gorillaz guitarist Noodle arrived in when they were first forming the band, according to Rise of the Ogre.

To enter, follow the contact link at the bottom of the page, select "Gorillaz contest" from the pull down menu and send us your answers before this Thursday, 21 December 2006, 11:59pm EST.

Art Basel Miami Beach 2006, Part One

by m ss ng p eces

For CH's second annual video series about the series of art fairs, parties and events that take place around Art Basel Miami Beach for a week in early December, we go from the literal fringes (artist-designed blimps on the beach) to Basel itself. This first of two parts is a glimpse at the many sculptures, paintings and installations that fill buildings and tents (and beaches) throughout Miami during these few days, including the growing ancillary fairs NADA (New Art Dealer's Alliance) and Scope. With a few quotes from artists Paper Rad, James Rosenquist and others, as wells as collector Marvin Friedman and gallerist Rudiger Lange, this episode is mostly a visual collage of CH's experience earlier this month in Miami. Next week, check out Part Two for a more in-depth look at Art Basel Miami Beach and the art world as told by Rosenquist, Friedman and the director of NADA.