Cool Hunting
| 11 April 2008view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
Woolrich Woolen Mills Spring/Summer 08
by Tim Yu
Founded in 1830 and one of the OGs in American outerwear, Woolrich recently released more modern, urban friendly designs with Woolrich Woolen Mills Spring/Summer 2008 collection.
Since 2006 design director Daiki Suzuzki has been working to update the aesthetic and direction for what previously was often seen as a dated brand. The new line incorporates high quality materials and an excessive attention to detail to create functional and handsome outerwear. Available at Barneys, you can check out the full line at Woolrich.
via Honeyee
Nike Zoom Victory Spike and Precool Vest
by Ami Kealoha
Continuing to push the limits of sportswear innovation, the Zoom Victory Spike and Precool vest are two Nike products that impressed us when introduced at their media summit earlier this week.
The Zoom Victory spike takes its design inspiration from the engineering of a suspension bridge, lending strength with minimal use of materials. (We think it looks a lot like a Calatrava, pictured via Lost at E Minor.) Embroidering the crisscrossing Vectran threads (stronger than Kevlar) into the fabric, a feature they've dubbed "Flywire," results in extraordinary support At a mere 93 grams, the shoes break all previous records for weight. They'll be out this July, followed by the Hyperdunk (overheard at the summit "It's so a Huarache.") which employs the same technology.
While the Precool vest, an accessory that cools an athlete's core temperature improving performance, won't be available to the public, we think it's worth checking out for looks alone. Drawing on '60s fashion's use of pailettes as a way to hug the contours of the body, the vest uses insulated triangle-shaped pods filled with water, which when frozen, cools the body. Pods vary in size according to their positioning on the body, minimizing the overall weight. The Burning Man aesthetic comes from aluminum coating designed to reflect heat.
Help Remedies
by Wendy Dembo
Richard Fine, one of the founders behind the new Help Remedies that you may have noticed around recently, stopped by our office this morning to give us some of the first samples of his reinvented bandages and acetaminophen. The well-designed, eco-packages look as good in person as they do in photos and the un-boxing was a delight, with text and design accents revealing themselves step by step. We particularly love the "help" imprinted on the tablet and the stretch of the bandages, made from hydrocolloid (the same material used in hospitals), outperforms any others we've tried. The cheeky text, printed on reverse of the packaging and on the inside, also sets the brand apart from others. (See after the jump for images.)
In fact what compelled Richard to come up with the products was a desire for exactly opposite of what's already out there. After experiencing a headache and visiting a store in search of something to get rid of it, the fluorescent lights and the terrible packaging screaming weird things like "dual action formula" and "now with extra powerful relief" only made his headache worse. Richard, whose parents are both doctors, says that, "our goal was to make real medicine a bit more approachable and understandable."
The Help line is available from the Help site at $6 a pop, but watch out for them at boutique hotels and design stores.
Joseph Conforti
by Brian Fichtner
Joseph Conforti is a master of repetition. A raku ceramicist based in New York City, he creates hypnotic wall sculptures comprised of individual panels, each of which contains hundreds of ceramic pieces. Raku, for those unversed in ceramic speak, is a traditional form of Japanese pottery dating back to the 16th Century. It involves low temperature kiln firing, followed by a combustible immersion that gives the pieces their crackled surface and characteristic carbon-black quality. Because the process is so unpredictable, atmospheric conditions from day to day can produce amazingly different results.
Looking at Conforti's work induces a state of intoxicating calm. The Zen-like nature of his production and assembly, no doubt comes through in the completed works. Panels can be composed of alternating glazed and bisque pieces, in haunting black, imperial gold, earthy hues or vibrant colors. Examples of the sculpture can be seen and purchased through Desiron in New York. Check out some more images after the jump.
