Cool Hunting
| 12 July 2007view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
Liberty Of London
by SummerSeventySix
An eye for a quirky print, or a knowing nod to the past is a typical Paul Smith trait, and something that Liberty of London has been doing for years. Its massive archive of distinctive prints are used innovatively on pretty much anything you can think of, but it's the signature floral shirts that endure at Liberty's famous London store, as other designers come and go with the seasons. Effortlessly classic.
Hagenglas
by Ami Kealoha
Hagenglas is the studio of Danish glass artist Rikke Hagen. The studio is situated just outside Copenhagen in Hilleroed, near the beautiful Frederiksborg Castle.
Rikke's glass is often dusted with various colored glass dust, lending a unique texture and feel to many of her products. (Click above images for detail.) In addition to crafting flower vases, small boxes, drinking glasses, etc., she also works on art installations and pieces, some which can be seen at the current exhibition, " Glass," at the Danish Museum of Art and Design.
Rikke also runs the design office Copen Hagen where she has done product design for Normann Copenhagen, Holmegaard and others.
by Jens Jensen
Amazon Life x Oestudio
by Phuong-Cac Nguyen
Sustainability comes in all colors and forms these days, but rather than fall for the clever marketing of a product that purportedly saves the environment, Rio de Janeiro’s Amazon Life really hits the heart of sustainability by being aware of the people that can benefit from our consumerism. They just introduced their new line overseen by Brazilian design house Oestudio—a new direction for the company expanding its offerings and extending further its helping hand. The 50-piece collection includes organic cotton shirts with attractive prints inspired by indigenous groups and jewelry.
But the bread and butter of Amazon Life is still in its bags and accessories, created from vegetable leather. Called TreeTap, the patented material (which Amazon Life has an exclusive to use) is made from rubber tapped by 200 families in the Boca do Acre region of the Amazon forest. The association uniting those involved in producing TreeTap receives a small percentage of Amazon Life's profits, which in part gets passed back to the families guaranteeing that the region stays populated. Families leaving makes the region vulnerable to the hands of agriculturists, ranchers or land thieves.
More items, including casual shoes and furniture, are in the works to be produced in partnerships with Rainha and other companies. You can find Amazon Life products in the U.S. at Brasilian Soul in Evanston, IL or at Amazon Life’s Ipanema store in Rio.
Also on Cool Hunting: Oestudio Sneakers
The New Old Tokyo
by Lost At E Minor
The 12 million person metropolis of Tokyo has gone all quiet and traditional. Tiny, obscured bars buried in dark alleyways behind nondescript doors are inviting small numbers of trusted patrons to quiet nights of reserved nightlife where a word of mouth invitation is the hottest ticket in this technology-obsessed city.
Recounted through a fine piece of travel writing, Julia Chaplin of the NY Times strayed far from the well-trodden tourist grid to experience the secretive, whispered nightlife chosen by Tokyo's socialites and party set. Embracing tradition and finding respite from an always-on connected lifestyle, Tokyo's fashionistas, artists and designers are secretively guarding their new-found nightspots to enjoy quiet conversation and quality company in a more homely atmosphere than the more common western-style nightclubs and bars.
