Visual Reference's Thermal Stool

by Roseanna Roberts

Visual Reference Studio's Swamp Collection takes its inspiration from the depths of the Mississippi marshlands where their studio is located. With the Cypress Stool, Duckweed Lounge and Swamp Bench/Lounge from the collection, design team Nuno Gonçalves Ferreira and Erin Hayne have taken Frank Lloyd Wright's original vision of nature-inspired designs to a whole new level.

The organic shaped thermo-chromatic furniture uses heat sensitive crystals to elicit a color change when touched—kind of like those mood rings and hyper color t-shirts you had back in grade school. Any body part that comes into contact with the seat leaves a negative imprint.

Each piece comes in two color combos; black to blue or red to violet. The stools also act as an in-house thermometer, gaging room temperature and changing the color of the bench as a whole accordingly.

Relaxers beware: Although the imprinted silhouette fades after a matter of seconds, the sitter must be prepared for a tell-tale polarized impression on display directly after departure.

via MoCo Loco

Celestron NexStar 5SE

by Tim Yu

For stargazers bored with looking at common constellations like the Big Dipper and Orion's Belt, Celestron's NexStar 5 SE is a pro-level telescope for amateurs. I got a chance to try it the other night and was blown away with the clarity and ease of use. At 18 lbs. it's highly portable and with 40,000 celestial bodies preprogrammed with coordinates, just type in "Saturn" and you'll be examining its rings in no time. For photographers, the Nexstar also features a camera control that allows you to take a series of timed exposures using your digital SLR camera.

Speaking of astronomy, keep a look out early Tuesday morning (EST), 28 August 2007, for a total Lunar Eclipse.

Available for $800 here.

Two L.A. Boutiques

by Roseanna Roberts

With Los Angeles' recent spate of new boutiques—from East Coast imports Moss and Opening Ceremony to an A.P.C. flagship—the city's getting a major dose of prime retail adding to the few pioneers who were already there. The following are a couple more (located literally around the corner from each other in the popular 3rd Street district) who are doing their part to balance out the terry cloth tracksuits.

All Purpose
The charming Alessandro Tomassetti is the proprietor of this blink-and-you'll-miss-it shop. (Pictured above and at right.) The idea for All Purpose, which was originally to be a showcase of Tomassetti’s own line, Filius, was expanded to include items for the well-rounded, well-traveled man. His own designs consist of well-made jeans, jackets, and shirts which are always evolving. For fall the inspiration is Houdini at the turn of the century (20th, that is). Think exquisite cotton dress shirts with interchangeable collars. Carrying the theme even further, he has commissioned jewelry designer "the Stones," to do a man of mystery-themed collection of rings, bracelets and necklaces. Additionally, a New York milliner has designed a line of magically inspired hats. For the "distinct man," All Purpose offers 4V00, a line of award winning men's skin care products that ranges from maximum renewal moisturizer and rejuvenating under-eye gel to shine reduction powder and lash and brow styling glaze. Also in stock, the fragrance line from Christopher Brosius, CB Perfume, features distinctive names like wild hunt, eternal return and cradle of light. Just imagine what the scents are like.

144 South Flores Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048 map
tel. +1 323 866 1828

Douglas Fir
For the man looking for a more traditional—yet effortless—approach to dressing, Douglas Fir is the place. Consistency is the key here, which is why the store is eight years strong with a devout following. Look for slim cut and exquisitely tailored Martin Margiela suit jackets whose length falls in a more rational place; Steven Alan shirts with stripes in varying directions, inside out or an unusual collar and placket detail; Mason’s stone washed khakis with a hand as soft as pure silk; and other fine labels such as Coast, YMC, Seize Sur Vingt, C. P. company, Paul Smith jeans and Purple Noon. Accessories include wallets handmade in L.A. from recycled hard cover books by Maxine and Dear as well as a great selection of leather belts and sunglasses. Recently opened across the street is DF Shoes, which carries Martin Margiela, Paul Smith, J-shoe and others.

8311 W. 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048 map
tel. +1 323 651 5445

by Michael Kucmeroski

Gordon Chandler

by Josh Rubin

Sculpting industrial cast-offs into iconic Kimono shapes, there's a great basic tension in Gordon Chandler's work that comes from the tactile differences between his materials and subjects. The contrasts are the natural outcome of his Duchampian use of found materials. "I have a very practical bent," he says, "I use things of very little value and elevate them. I study the objects that we decorate our lives with and reconfigure them in my own language."

Austere yet slightly witty (see "Kimono #1887 (kosher blue)" above right), it's a language we like learning. Anna Nathan Gallery represents Chandler in Chicago and the Massachusets-based Ferrin Gallery curated an exhibit of his work (check out the quilts made of metal scraps) that's currently up at Canyon Ranch Lenox.

The Plastic Bag Gallery

by Lost At E Minor

Dust off your digicams and start roaming the streets for plastic bags, folks. The Photographer's Gallery is collecting images of plastic bags around London and elsewhere to illustrate the impact of our disposable culture on the environment. Called "The Plastic Bag Gallery," This passive, aesthetic approach to green is somehow more pervasive than many hard-hitting campaigns we're served these days. And let's face it, who doesn't like a good American Beauty reference?