Cool Hunting
| 26 March 2007view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
20 Ltd.
by Ami Kealoha
The first online retailer to offer exclusive limited-edition collaborations with a rotating group of hand-picked luxury brands, 20 Ltd. is a new concept both on and offline. Launching 2 April 2007 to the general public, a select few already have access and 20 Ltd. is hooking up Cool Hunting readers with advance acccess here.
Editions of items, like an op-art Pucci rug, an Opus foosball table (pitting good vs. evil with players like Gandhi and Hitler) and a Solange pot leaf-shaped ring, are each limited to different quantities. When they sell out a new product takes its place, with the total number of products available never being more than 20 at any given time. A section on the site called the "Next 20" allows shoppers to view future products.
With a commitment to good design and an aim to create heirloom-quality pieces, co-founder Jolyon Fenwick explains, "we wanted to be a bit like walking into a museum but where you can actually buy the stuff." Using a product-centric model, 20 Ltd. keeps the focus on authenticity, genuine enthusiasm and passion for items "created because someone wanted to create it not just to sell it." Defining a "new luxury, the approach makes for products that avoid trends and flashiness and are available to anyone with an internet connection.
Fontifier Personal Font
by Evan Orensten
Fontifier offers a simple (write and scan) and inexpensive ($9) method to create a personalized font based on your handwriting.
The seven step process requires a printer and scanner. You can create your font with up to four templates, allowing for different weights, italics, doodles, etc. Once you've uploaded it you can preview it prior to purchasing it. Each template or version costs $9. Fontifier produces a TrueType font which can be installed on both Mac and PC, and can easily be edited using FontLab or TypeTool.
Azimuth Round 1 Bi-Retrograde Watch
by Watchismo
The new Azimuth Round 1 Bi-Retrograde watch is inspired by the dashboard of a Formula 1 race car. The top bi-retrograde indicator displays minutes while the bottom arc indicates the hour. Both feature hands that snap back to their starting positions after reaching the ends of their respective cycles. An automatic watch, it features a modified ETA 2836-2 mechanical movement encased in stainless steel. The dial is available in black and orange, and it comes with a perforated leather strap.
More info on this and other Azimuth watches here
Ellsworth: The Ride
by Tim Yu
Better known for their mountain bikes, Ellworth's The Ride is a new kind of street bicycle and the first to use the revolutionary NuVinci hub (originally developed by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1490). Instead of the complicated, hard-to-maintain derailleur systems, which drop chains, skip gears, and jolt your knees and lower back, the NuVinci continuously variable planetary (CVP) transmission utilizes tilting spheres to allow seamless pedaling gradients. The rest of the bike is designed with the same idea of producing a smoother, more comfortable and stylish ride. Dual adjusting handle bars allow a more customizable fit while the wide low profile wheels offer more traction and stability.
Made of an ultra lightweight aluminum frame, the limited "Signature" series (only 500 made) comes equipped with a useful headlight and and is available for $4000. Reserve yours here.
Body Volume Index Machine and Clinical Research Study
by Evan Orensten
Body Volume Index, a U.K.-based company, has developed a new method of measuring body fat. The method and company name are the same, or BVI for short. Patients step into an enclosed area where they are subjected to non-invasive, non-radioactive light technology; in less than seven seconds their bodies have been scanned.
Currently undergoing a two year clinical research study in the U.K. (details at Body Benchmark) the methodology hopes to prove that BVI is a more accurate reflection of body fat than BMI or other current techniques.
Via Towleroad
