Cool Hunting
| 02 March 2008 - 08 March 2008 week before | next week | view all from this month |
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Nakajima Indigo Dye Works
Like many traditions, the art of indigo dying is fading as global brands demand high paced, volumetric production cycles. The unpredictable tastes of today’s consumer have made it difficult for artisinal producers over the years, but a recent surge in the appreciation of heritage brands is bolstering the handmade artifact. Tsurukichi is the fourth generation in one of Japan’s last remaining indigo dye houses,...
Like many traditions, the art of indigo dying is fading as global brands demand high paced, volumetric production cycles. The unpredictable tastes of today’s consumer have made it difficult for artisinal producers over the years, but a recent surge in the appreciation of heritage brands is bolstering the handmade artifact. Tsurukichi is the fourth generation in one of Japan’s last remaining indigo dye houses,...
Bruxe
After 10 years of designing accessories and garments for major snowboard, streetwear and other youth driven companies Oli and Mer Van Roost, two Belgian-born twins now living in Montreal Canada, have launched a premium brand which is entirely their own. "By having 100% ownership of Bruxe, we are able to make the proper decisions and take the proper risks to make this brand grow...
After 10 years of designing accessories and garments for major snowboard, streetwear and other youth driven companies Oli and Mer Van Roost, two Belgian-born twins now living in Montreal Canada, have launched a premium brand which is entirely their own. "By having 100% ownership of Bruxe, we are able to make the proper decisions and take the proper risks to make this brand grow...
Five Ski Sets
We've had a pretty good snow season this year out on the East Coast compared to recent seasons. With the Winter winding down now, I've had a few good months to research, check out and ponder my next ski set as I'm not so sure how much more my current decks can handle. There was a lot of new equipment released this year but...
We've had a pretty good snow season this year out on the East Coast compared to recent seasons. With the Winter winding down now, I've had a few good months to research, check out and ponder my next ski set as I'm not so sure how much more my current decks can handle. There was a lot of new equipment released this year but...
Rainbow In Your Hand
Created by Japanese art director and copywriter Masashi Kawamura, this Rainbow In Your Hand flip book is a mesmerizing little toy. The 36-page book has an image of the color spectrum against a black background on each page, creating the illusion of an arced rainbow hovering above the pages as the pages flip by. Available from the Japanese Utrecht website. via Swissmiss by way...
Created by Japanese art director and copywriter Masashi Kawamura, this Rainbow In Your Hand flip book is a mesmerizing little toy. The 36-page book has an image of the color spectrum against a black background on each page, creating the illusion of an arced rainbow hovering above the pages as the pages flip by. Available from the Japanese Utrecht website. via Swissmiss by way...
Kluster: Project 72
After only days of existence, the kluster community has already made quite a name for itself. The Vermont-based "crowdsourcing" firm officially launched it's first product this past March 1st, after a frenzied three days of production. The group announced what they dubbed "Project 72" at the TED conference in Monterey, California in February. Renowned as a a meeting of "the World's Greatest Thinkers and...
After only days of existence, the kluster community has already made quite a name for itself. The Vermont-based "crowdsourcing" firm officially launched it's first product this past March 1st, after a frenzied three days of production. The group announced what they dubbed "Project 72" at the TED conference in Monterey, California in February. Renowned as a a meeting of "the World's Greatest Thinkers and...
Blue Print Cleanse
Blue Print Cleanse, a Brooklyn-based juice company that specializes in fruit- and vegetable-based detox programs, is revolutionizing the idea of juice cleanses through ease of use and organization. Incorporating convenient services such as home deliveries and utilizing 100% vegan, raw, mostly organic and completely unprocessed fruits and vegetables, they use a hydraulic press rather than your basic bladed juicer. This means seven tons of...
Blue Print Cleanse, a Brooklyn-based juice company that specializes in fruit- and vegetable-based detox programs, is revolutionizing the idea of juice cleanses through ease of use and organization. Incorporating convenient services such as home deliveries and utilizing 100% vegan, raw, mostly organic and completely unprocessed fruits and vegetables, they use a hydraulic press rather than your basic bladed juicer. This means seven tons of...
Ffffound
by Sara Huston An invitation-based online service, Ffffound allows members to post and share their favorite images—from '70s album covers to contemporary art and outer space nebula— from the web. Like Amazon and Netflix, the site dials up similar images for perusal according each user's tastes and interests. Members save their favorite images, creating an ever-expanding grownup version of a picture book on the...
by Sara Huston An invitation-based online service, Ffffound allows members to post and share their favorite images—from '70s album covers to contemporary art and outer space nebula— from the web. Like Amazon and Netflix, the site dials up similar images for perusal according each user's tastes and interests. Members save their favorite images, creating an ever-expanding grownup version of a picture book on the...
Nine Inch Nails: Ghosts I-IV
Following in the footsteps of Radiohead and their game-changing release of In Rainbows, Nine Inch Nails have done something similar with their latest, Ghosts I-IV, by offering DRM-free download of the album at NIN. Ghosts I-IV is an all-instrumental album that Trent Reznor describes as "the result of working from a very visual perspective—dressing imagined locations and scenarios with sound and texture; a soundtrack...
Following in the footsteps of Radiohead and their game-changing release of In Rainbows, Nine Inch Nails have done something similar with their latest, Ghosts I-IV, by offering DRM-free download of the album at NIN. Ghosts I-IV is an all-instrumental album that Trent Reznor describes as "the result of working from a very visual perspective—dressing imagined locations and scenarios with sound and texture; a soundtrack...
Iran do Espirito Santo: En Passant
Brazilian artist Iran do Espirito Santo has always worked with the theme of how viewers experience art. His latest show, "En Passant," continues his exploration of the subject, even rising to criticize how art is digested — too fast and without any depth, he points out. Inside Galeria Fortes Vilaça, where "En Passant" is on show, vertical and horizontal shades of gray progress from...
Brazilian artist Iran do Espirito Santo has always worked with the theme of how viewers experience art. His latest show, "En Passant," continues his exploration of the subject, even rising to criticize how art is digested — too fast and without any depth, he points out. Inside Galeria Fortes Vilaça, where "En Passant" is on show, vertical and horizontal shades of gray progress from...
Asa
by Sheena SoodSinger-songwriter Asa (pronounced "Asha") was born in Paris and raised in Lagos. "Lagos is the New York of Nigeria. If you want to get anywhere in music, that's where you'll find the best opportunities, as well as the worst pitfalls," she writes. In her twenties Asa returned to Paris and pursued a career an as artist. Bringing together the best of Western...
by Sheena SoodSinger-songwriter Asa (pronounced "Asha") was born in Paris and raised in Lagos. "Lagos is the New York of Nigeria. If you want to get anywhere in music, that's where you'll find the best opportunities, as well as the worst pitfalls," she writes. In her twenties Asa returned to Paris and pursued a career an as artist. Bringing together the best of Western...
Friends With You Mimobots
The second crop of Friends With You Mimobots drops today and the collaboration between the character-themed thumb drive maker and the rainbow-splashed art collective couldn't be a better match. Adding three Malfis (smiling, the original, and super) as well as Mr. TTT (pictured above from L-R and in detail after the jump), the diminutive guys will store either 1GB, 2GB and 4GB your data....
The second crop of Friends With You Mimobots drops today and the collaboration between the character-themed thumb drive maker and the rainbow-splashed art collective couldn't be a better match. Adding three Malfis (smiling, the original, and super) as well as Mr. TTT (pictured above from L-R and in detail after the jump), the diminutive guys will store either 1GB, 2GB and 4GB your data....
Korona K1 Prototype by Stepan Sarpaneva
Helsinki watchmaker, Stepan Sarpaneva, nephew of the famed Finnish mid-century designer Timo Sarpaneva, has produced yet another stellar timepiece, the Korona K1. Following the success of his very limited and sold-out Supernova series (featured on Watchismo), Stepan is quickly forming a significant body of work.At 44mm wide and 9.6mm tall, the nearly full-Finnish production is made entirely of stainless steel including the dial, date...
Helsinki watchmaker, Stepan Sarpaneva, nephew of the famed Finnish mid-century designer Timo Sarpaneva, has produced yet another stellar timepiece, the Korona K1. Following the success of his very limited and sold-out Supernova series (featured on Watchismo), Stepan is quickly forming a significant body of work.At 44mm wide and 9.6mm tall, the nearly full-Finnish production is made entirely of stainless steel including the dial, date...
Thomas Heatherwick East Beach Cafe
We cannot claim to be experts on beach cafe architecture, but one look at Thomas Heatherwick's East Beach Cafe and one can't help but think that this is a woefully under-explored area of building design. Surely it's rife with exciting and innovative possibilities, but then that's the British designer's great talent, creating unexpected forms in unexpected places which, on sight, make you reevaluate all...
We cannot claim to be experts on beach cafe architecture, but one look at Thomas Heatherwick's East Beach Cafe and one can't help but think that this is a woefully under-explored area of building design. Surely it's rife with exciting and innovative possibilities, but then that's the British designer's great talent, creating unexpected forms in unexpected places which, on sight, make you reevaluate all...
Second Place
A confluence of commercial fashion photography and fine art persuasions clearly informs Jody Fausett's new book, "Second Place," which is itself a subversive examination of suburban living. Set against the backdrop of shag carpeting, wood paneled walls, and drop ceilings, Fausett choreographs unsettling scenes where, for example, a young woman is doused with baby powder, a stuffed fawn lies perched on a sofa or...
A confluence of commercial fashion photography and fine art persuasions clearly informs Jody Fausett's new book, "Second Place," which is itself a subversive examination of suburban living. Set against the backdrop of shag carpeting, wood paneled walls, and drop ceilings, Fausett choreographs unsettling scenes where, for example, a young woman is doused with baby powder, a stuffed fawn lies perched on a sofa or...
Beautiful/Decay x Furni Magazine Rack
Our friends at the Montreal-based design company Furni recently collaborated with our friends at Beautiful/Decay magazine to create this hand-made magazine rack. The acrylic basket bears a scripted Beautiful/Decay logo and connects to a Russian plywood frame. The rack holds six to 10 magazines and comes in your choice of natural or chocolate brown-stained wood. An internet exclusive, it will not be available in...
Our friends at the Montreal-based design company Furni recently collaborated with our friends at Beautiful/Decay magazine to create this hand-made magazine rack. The acrylic basket bears a scripted Beautiful/Decay logo and connects to a Russian plywood frame. The rack holds six to 10 magazines and comes in your choice of natural or chocolate brown-stained wood. An internet exclusive, it will not be available in...
Crackery Tableware
A sad fate awaits cracked china. With no real value on the secondhand market, most is relegated to the garbage. That is, unless Brazilian/Israeli designer Joana Meroz gets a hold of it. Based in the Netherlands, Meroz reclaims broken cups and dishes, which she transforms into her Crackery Tableware line for the Ornamented Life. Instead of trashing them, she chooses to "celebrate their imperfections"...
A sad fate awaits cracked china. With no real value on the secondhand market, most is relegated to the garbage. That is, unless Brazilian/Israeli designer Joana Meroz gets a hold of it. Based in the Netherlands, Meroz reclaims broken cups and dishes, which she transforms into her Crackery Tableware line for the Ornamented Life. Instead of trashing them, she chooses to "celebrate their imperfections"...
Jimenez Lai
A simple description of Jimenez Lai's work is difficult. Taking architectural plans and renderings, the Ohio-based artist brings them into the world of comics, drawings and models in two- and three-dimensions. The juxtaposition exposes the absurdity of CAD in comics and comics in CAD. (Click image for detail.) This isn't the first time Jimenez Lai has been written up but now he's breaking through...
A simple description of Jimenez Lai's work is difficult. Taking architectural plans and renderings, the Ohio-based artist brings them into the world of comics, drawings and models in two- and three-dimensions. The juxtaposition exposes the absurdity of CAD in comics and comics in CAD. (Click image for detail.) This isn't the first time Jimenez Lai has been written up but now he's breaking through...
Harrisons
A crackling assault of guitars and drums, lyrics that bristle with indignation. Sheffield's Harrisons are for our era what The Clash were for theirs: a voice of rebellion, masked in four minute pop gems. We spoke recently to drummer Mark White. Aside from Harrisons and Joe Cocker, what else should we know about the creative scene in Sheffield? The best band from Sheffield by...
A crackling assault of guitars and drums, lyrics that bristle with indignation. Sheffield's Harrisons are for our era what The Clash were for theirs: a voice of rebellion, masked in four minute pop gems. We spoke recently to drummer Mark White. Aside from Harrisons and Joe Cocker, what else should we know about the creative scene in Sheffield? The best band from Sheffield by...
Nature Wallpaper
Swedish designer Camilla Diedrich aims to add uniquely natural elements into her mass-produced products. Her goal for Nature Wallpaper was to inject an intrinsic luminance using a single color. Or as she succinctly explains, "I have been searching for light without light." Her efforts resulted in repeating patterns of vaguely organic forms, which are cast in vibrant hues and resemble some sort of luminous...
Swedish designer Camilla Diedrich aims to add uniquely natural elements into her mass-produced products. Her goal for Nature Wallpaper was to inject an intrinsic luminance using a single color. Or as she succinctly explains, "I have been searching for light without light." Her efforts resulted in repeating patterns of vaguely organic forms, which are cast in vibrant hues and resemble some sort of luminous...
More Wants For Sale
New York artists Christine Santora and Justin Gignac are at it again, launching another series on their “Wants For Sale” website. Justin dropped us a line with a few teaser images from their new collection launching today at noon, stating “We're pretty excited because we think these are the best paintings yet. We have "To Get Into MoMA" (pictured on right) which is the...
New York artists Christine Santora and Justin Gignac are at it again, launching another series on their “Wants For Sale” website. Justin dropped us a line with a few teaser images from their new collection launching today at noon, stating “We're pretty excited because we think these are the best paintings yet. We have "To Get Into MoMA" (pictured on right) which is the...
Arlene Gottfried: Sometimes Overwhelming
These days, there's no shortage of people glorifying the rougher New York City of yesteryear. But if anyone needs proof of the grit and grime with a dash of wit, there's "Sometimes Overwhelming", the third book by photographer Arlene Gottfried. The native New Yorker documents her hometown in the 1970s and '80s, an era before rising prices and relative security forced out the more...
These days, there's no shortage of people glorifying the rougher New York City of yesteryear. But if anyone needs proof of the grit and grime with a dash of wit, there's "Sometimes Overwhelming", the third book by photographer Arlene Gottfried. The native New Yorker documents her hometown in the 1970s and '80s, an era before rising prices and relative security forced out the more...
Cassette Tie
What better way to express woe over loss of the mix tape art form that with a 100% silk handmade tie? Playing on prepster versions with whales or turtles, the Cassette Tie from Los Angeles-based label House of Cassette makes for perennial mourning. The skinny black tie features a subtle pattern depicting a sad-faced cassette tape (click image for detail). Available from House of...
What better way to express woe over loss of the mix tape art form that with a 100% silk handmade tie? Playing on prepster versions with whales or turtles, the Cassette Tie from Los Angeles-based label House of Cassette makes for perennial mourning. The skinny black tie features a subtle pattern depicting a sad-faced cassette tape (click image for detail). Available from House of...
Nau NYC Warehouse Sale
On this Thursday, 6 March 2008, Nau's setting up shop in Manhattan to sell items from their Fall/Winter collection at discounts from 40%-75%. As longtime supporters of the outdoor wear brand, we're proud to be sponsors of the event. Anyone who's already a fan will be happy to find some deals and, for those who aren't yet converts, it's the perfect opportunity to join...
On this Thursday, 6 March 2008, Nau's setting up shop in Manhattan to sell items from their Fall/Winter collection at discounts from 40%-75%. As longtime supporters of the outdoor wear brand, we're proud to be sponsors of the event. Anyone who's already a fan will be happy to find some deals and, for those who aren't yet converts, it's the perfect opportunity to join...
Soul of a Nation
“Soul of a nation” is an ongoing project by the Icelandic designer Gudrun Lilja Gunnlaugsdottir, a partner in the firm Studiobility. From objects as varied as a chair, a cabinet, a coffin, a broom, or a lamp, “Soul of a nation” gives three-dimensional weight to the personalities of fellow Icelanders Gudrun has grown to know. The project began in 2004 with “Visual inner structure,”...
“Soul of a nation” is an ongoing project by the Icelandic designer Gudrun Lilja Gunnlaugsdottir, a partner in the firm Studiobility. From objects as varied as a chair, a cabinet, a coffin, a broom, or a lamp, “Soul of a nation” gives three-dimensional weight to the personalities of fellow Icelanders Gudrun has grown to know. The project began in 2004 with “Visual inner structure,”...
William Fitzsimmons
His name echoes those of colonels and soldiers who fought in the American civil war. But far from that, William Fitzsimmons is actually an obscure songwriter from Jackson, Illinois, building a fan base through Myspace and, would you believe it, the TV show "Grey's Anatomy." When I hear his song, "It's Not True," I think of bleached wood, smoky red wine, and the great...
His name echoes those of colonels and soldiers who fought in the American civil war. But far from that, William Fitzsimmons is actually an obscure songwriter from Jackson, Illinois, building a fan base through Myspace and, would you believe it, the TV show "Grey's Anatomy." When I hear his song, "It's Not True," I think of bleached wood, smoky red wine, and the great...
Pebble Carpet and Long Life Light
Generally, I resent being tricked by household objects masquerading as something they're not. That said, I'm hard pressed to get mad at this unassuming pile of stones. What appears to be solid rock is actually a cushioned wool rug. Each "stone" of the Pebble Carpet is hand-crafted of merino wool and attached with an internal cord. Designed by Ronel Jordaan in Johannesberg, South Africa,...
Generally, I resent being tricked by household objects masquerading as something they're not. That said, I'm hard pressed to get mad at this unassuming pile of stones. What appears to be solid rock is actually a cushioned wool rug. Each "stone" of the Pebble Carpet is hand-crafted of merino wool and attached with an internal cord. Designed by Ronel Jordaan in Johannesberg, South Africa,...
| March 2, 2008 - March 8, 2008 week before | next week | view all from this month |
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