255: The Second Coming

by Tim Yu

255 reopens its doors today (for private appointments) thru 11 February 2007 in celebration of the Air Force 1's 25th year anniversary. This time around you have the opportunity to design and purchase the Air Force 1 Supreme or Lux. Beginning 15 February 2007, the studio will reopen for online and referral card appointments with the AF25, Dunk High and Dunk Low.

Once inside you'll have the opportunity to work with 17 different materials, available in white and off white—bringing it back to the classic but with a 255 twist.

Nike iD
255 Elizabeth Street
New York, NY 10012
For appointments visit nikeiD

More exclusive photos and material details after the jump

Trapa Swiss Rhubarb & Aloe Vera White Chocolate Bar

by Evan Orensten

Trapa has been making chocolate in Spain since 1891. One of their latest lines is a range of chocolate bars made with Swiss chocolate (supplier unknown). The range includes orange and lemon infused dark chocolate bars, but the one that caught my eye was the Rhubarb & Aloe Vera white chocolate bar.

I'm not a huge fan of white chocolate, but this was pretty smooth and not overwhelmingly sweet. The rhubarb bits add a bit of crunch and tartness, and the aloe vera appears after the finish, leaving a pleasing and subtle astrigency on the palate.

Available online from Trapa by the case, or in New York at CH fave Despaña.

k-os

by Ami Kealoha

Trying to categorize Canadian native k-os's genre-busting third and latest album, Atlantis: Hymns for Disco will leave you tied in knots. The infectiously catchy album debuted at number one on the Canadian charts in October (it's soon to be released in the U.S.) and is Outkast, Cody Chestnutt, The Beastie Boys, and Gnarls Barkley all rolled into one and then some. Musical styles range from b-boy retro to garage rock. K-os writes, plays piano, guitar, harmonica and more, as well as sings, raps and produces extensively on Atlantis. His songs feel raw and honest. His lyrics are philosophical and introspective. And his blend of rock, pop and hip-hop is original and inspired.

Some tracks on Atlantis are sparse and span the poles of “acoustic,” from a singer-songwriter guitar ballad to a beatbox/mc freestyle. But most are full-blown productions with a live band and rich arrangements. Highlights include “The Rain,” an old-school soul ballad, “Fly Paper,” a poppy party anthem, and “Born to Run,” which sounds like a Police song performed by the Roots. But these far-flung (or far-fetched) sounding hybrids manage to avoid coming off as pretentious. To the contrary, they are natural, fresh (and—at the risk of invoking Kool and the Gang) exciting.

by DJ Scribe

Gharani Strôk Filofax Organiser

by Ami Kealoha

For decades Filofax has been a name synonymous with personal organizers and widely imitated worldwide. Until very recently, Filofax was also known to be pretty conservative—both styles and their product range never seemed to differ significantly from the first specimen produced in the 1920s. But with 2007, a revolution has arrived.

Not only did Filofax recently launch a friendly website named It's a Way Of Life to help people schedule in enough "Me-Time" (you can also do things like feed the ducks and define your entertainment priorities on the site), but it has also released a new stylish catalogue filled with modern line drawings.

But the real news is the renovation of the traditional organizers. Keeping the practical refill system untouched, the new Filofax organizers (for now only available in Europe) bloom with bright colours and floral patterns. The Gharani Strôk Filofax Organiser, a limited edition for 2007, is the queen bee of this floral kingdom, featuring a striking floral print taken from vintage Hawaiian fabric. Launched at last year's London Fashion Week, each of the 500 copies are signed by the successful British high-end design duo. The great attention to details include a soft leather exterior, a supple suede-like lining, pages decorated with personal sketches from Gharani Strôk's Spring/Summer 2007 collection, their list of favorite fashion hangouts in the world's style capitals and the Filofax traditional London tube map (standard in all Filofax). The organizer comes in a gift box with a fabric wrap and can be purchased for £125 from Filofax UK.

by Tacita Vero

Project No. 8

by Ami Kealoha

Elizabeth Beer and Brian Janusiak's new Chinatown venture, Project No. 8, yields a new breed of concept boutique. The eighth of the pair's collaborative endeavors, the store's initial offering includes a wide range of international and local designers, including Boudicca, Tucker, Anuschka Hoevener, RO-BERT, and A Dètacher. Found objects like the "perfect weight pen" from Kaweco, a German pen manufacturer, add an element of discovery to the mix, while Beers and Janusiak's small men's selection featuring shirts and knits from another of their collaborations, Project No. 13, gives the collection a homegrown flavor.

Project No. 6 (Non-verbal communication mittens) are hand-woven variations on classic winter wear (pictured above right) and the first in a series of items from Project No. 8 that CH will be featuring over the next several days. The mittens are $50 each and can be ordered by contacting the store at +01 212 925 5599.

Read more…

U+ Studio Collection: Rolly Desk Accessories

by Evan Orensten

Matt Carr's new Rolly line of desk accessories from the U+ Studio Collection for Umbra features 1950s-inspired forms with roll-top covers in Walnut, adding a classic old school touch to any sleek desk. The line includes storage boxes (large and small), a paper/file box, and a highly original matching "bookworm" bookmark (a few furniture items are also available).

The Rolly line is available from Umbra.