Cool Hunting
| 06 July 2008 - 12 July 2008 week before | next week | view all from this month |
Advertisement
Radio Silence: A Selected Visual History of American Hardcore Music
Much like John Cusak’s character in High Fidelity, we at CH constantly wrestle with the proper way to organize our records. Alphabetical? Chronological? Emotional significance? "Radio Silence," a forthcoming book from MTV Press/Powerhouse Books, takes a clever approach to the classic dilemma. An unprecedented documentation of the American hardcore scene from 1978-1994, the book includes all sorts of memorabilia. But it's the collection of hardcore...
Much like John Cusak’s character in High Fidelity, we at CH constantly wrestle with the proper way to organize our records. Alphabetical? Chronological? Emotional significance? "Radio Silence," a forthcoming book from MTV Press/Powerhouse Books, takes a clever approach to the classic dilemma. An unprecedented documentation of the American hardcore scene from 1978-1994, the book includes all sorts of memorabilia. But it's the collection of hardcore...
Ferrari: Formula Uomo
Soon after a report in the June edition of Wired that talks of spying and sabotage against Ferrari causing a Formula One fiasco, I was understandably a little surprised to be invited to Ferrari's Maranello, Italy headquarters to celebrate the latest installment to Formula Uomo, a program started in 1997 aimed at holistic and continuous improvement of the company. After watching test cars roll...
Soon after a report in the June edition of Wired that talks of spying and sabotage against Ferrari causing a Formula One fiasco, I was understandably a little surprised to be invited to Ferrari's Maranello, Italy headquarters to celebrate the latest installment to Formula Uomo, a program started in 1997 aimed at holistic and continuous improvement of the company. After watching test cars roll...
Gin and Titonic Ice Cube Molds
Nothing shakes up a cocktail party like talk of tragedy, and there may never be a classier catastrophe than the Titanic. With that in mind, the clever folk at Fred & Friends designed the perfect conversation piece with Gin & Titonic. It's an ice cube mold shaped to depict miniature Titanics and icebergs. When sunk into your drink, they form a dramatic diorama befitting...
Nothing shakes up a cocktail party like talk of tragedy, and there may never be a classier catastrophe than the Titanic. With that in mind, the clever folk at Fred & Friends designed the perfect conversation piece with Gin & Titonic. It's an ice cube mold shaped to depict miniature Titanics and icebergs. When sunk into your drink, they form a dramatic diorama befitting...
Keen Ventura Canvas
Dubbed "Hybrid Footwear," Keen's shoe line has a clear emphasis on sustainability. The Ventura Canvas reflects this philosophy, while maintaining a classic, casual sneaker design. Their first completely vegan shoe, the canvas upper uses organic cotton and recycled aluminum eyelets. Like the rest of Keen's line, the Ventura makes comfort a high priority. The removable metatomical footbed—made from jute, cork and natural latex—helps mold...
Dubbed "Hybrid Footwear," Keen's shoe line has a clear emphasis on sustainability. The Ventura Canvas reflects this philosophy, while maintaining a classic, casual sneaker design. Their first completely vegan shoe, the canvas upper uses organic cotton and recycled aluminum eyelets. Like the rest of Keen's line, the Ventura makes comfort a high priority. The removable metatomical footbed—made from jute, cork and natural latex—helps mold...
Zipcar's Low-Car Diet
With gas prices at a record high and public transit a cost-effective and greener option, now's a good time to ditch your car. Zipcar is trying to ease the transition with the "Low-Car Diet." Beginning 21 July 2008, they're challenging North Americans to go car-free for a full 30 days. They will replace participants' car keys with a complimentary transit pass, a free one-year...
With gas prices at a record high and public transit a cost-effective and greener option, now's a good time to ditch your car. Zipcar is trying to ease the transition with the "Low-Car Diet." Beginning 21 July 2008, they're challenging North Americans to go car-free for a full 30 days. They will replace participants' car keys with a complimentary transit pass, a free one-year...
Melissa Summer '09 and Online Shop
The reigning queen of plastic injected shoes, Melissa, is now set out to conquer the world with more designer collaborations and a global push. While the sneak peek at their summer 2009 line will get hearts beating with excitement, the bigger news is that it's making a push to capture more female suitors by pushing Melissa as a global brand with a soon-to-come online...
The reigning queen of plastic injected shoes, Melissa, is now set out to conquer the world with more designer collaborations and a global push. While the sneak peek at their summer 2009 line will get hearts beating with excitement, the bigger news is that it's making a push to capture more female suitors by pushing Melissa as a global brand with a soon-to-come online...
The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company
For anyone who's ever wondered what to do with all of their excess elephant poop, there's finally an answer: turn it in to paper. The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company has been converting dung into a wide variety of paper products since 2002 and their business practice is refreshingly sustainable. They start by collecting the abundant poo from various conservation parks, converting it...
For anyone who's ever wondered what to do with all of their excess elephant poop, there's finally an answer: turn it in to paper. The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company has been converting dung into a wide variety of paper products since 2002 and their business practice is refreshingly sustainable. They start by collecting the abundant poo from various conservation parks, converting it...
Pulse: An Emotion Visualization Organism
Pulse is a live visualization project by Berlin-based artist Markus Kison. It's based around a shapeshifting, heart-like object that reacts to the emotions expressed by the authors of private weblogs on blogger.com. A program aggregates words in blogs' text and scans for synonyms that correlate with the emotional concepts in Robert Plutchik's three-dimensional circumplex model describing the psychoevolutionary theory of emotion. The more one...
Pulse is a live visualization project by Berlin-based artist Markus Kison. It's based around a shapeshifting, heart-like object that reacts to the emotions expressed by the authors of private weblogs on blogger.com. A program aggregates words in blogs' text and scans for synonyms that correlate with the emotional concepts in Robert Plutchik's three-dimensional circumplex model describing the psychoevolutionary theory of emotion. The more one...
Zillion Kimono Fabric Streetwear
Using the traditional patterns of Japanese kimonos, Tokyo-based French designer David Guarino's line Zillion reinvents the fabric by making caps, belts, shoelaces, hoodies and other modern staples out of the delicate material. The resulting contemporary shapes contrasted with detailed graphics quickly became some of our favorite accessories. We particularly like the shoelaces and belts for the subtle style they add to basics. In addition...
Using the traditional patterns of Japanese kimonos, Tokyo-based French designer David Guarino's line Zillion reinvents the fabric by making caps, belts, shoelaces, hoodies and other modern staples out of the delicate material. The resulting contemporary shapes contrasted with detailed graphics quickly became some of our favorite accessories. We particularly like the shoelaces and belts for the subtle style they add to basics. In addition...
Parrworld: Objects and Postcards
Known for his images of colorful and humor-filled worlds, legendary British photographer Martin Parr recently released a luscious two-volume set entitled "Parrworld: Objects and Postcards." While Parr has been widely recognized for his vast collection of photography books, these particular volumes depict him as an obsessive collector of postcards and themed objects—all presented with the typical Parr sense of humor. The first volume features...
Known for his images of colorful and humor-filled worlds, legendary British photographer Martin Parr recently released a luscious two-volume set entitled "Parrworld: Objects and Postcards." While Parr has been widely recognized for his vast collection of photography books, these particular volumes depict him as an obsessive collector of postcards and themed objects—all presented with the typical Parr sense of humor. The first volume features...
Sharp Plasmacluster Air Purifier with Humidfier
After using Sharp's combination air purifier/humidifier, the Plasmacluster, for a couple months now, we're fans (no pun intended). While it's a little on the larger side for a tiny Manhattan apartment, with a true HEPA filter, a state-of-the-art ionization system and some choice extra features, we think it's worth it.Using technology that automatically senses the air quality and adjusts fans, humidification and the degree...
After using Sharp's combination air purifier/humidifier, the Plasmacluster, for a couple months now, we're fans (no pun intended). While it's a little on the larger side for a tiny Manhattan apartment, with a true HEPA filter, a state-of-the-art ionization system and some choice extra features, we think it's worth it.Using technology that automatically senses the air quality and adjusts fans, humidification and the degree...
S/S Friends Summer Collection
After years spent toiling behind closed doors in their Cobble Hill home, Brooklyn's S/S Friends released their inaugural clothing line this summer. The term "clothing line" itself may be limiting, however. Founded by a designer and musician, S/S Friends makes a point to pair their garments with other media, namely music. Take their Original Trunks (pictured at right) for example. The classic cotton shorts...
After years spent toiling behind closed doors in their Cobble Hill home, Brooklyn's S/S Friends released their inaugural clothing line this summer. The term "clothing line" itself may be limiting, however. Founded by a designer and musician, S/S Friends makes a point to pair their garments with other media, namely music. Take their Original Trunks (pictured at right) for example. The classic cotton shorts...
Domison Furniture Boutique
Domison is a modern furniture boutique that opened just over a month ago in Montreal's Plateau district. The brainchild of brother and sister design team Thien and My Ta Trung, their aim is to offer well-designed aesthetically-pleasing home furnishing to design-savvy consumers. I had a chance to sit down with My recently to ask her a few questions about the store and its concept....
Domison is a modern furniture boutique that opened just over a month ago in Montreal's Plateau district. The brainchild of brother and sister design team Thien and My Ta Trung, their aim is to offer well-designed aesthetically-pleasing home furnishing to design-savvy consumers. I had a chance to sit down with My recently to ask her a few questions about the store and its concept....
Duende Collective: La Part des Anges
Duende Collective, a French design studio based in Paris, was recently commissioned by La Cuisine, an alimentary arts center in Nègrepelisse near the Midi-Pyrénées region, for a forthcoming exhibition examining the early relationship between mother and child. The exhibition, which will open this coming September, will focus on the prenatal role of the placenta and the post-natal role of mother's milk, both as means...
Duende Collective, a French design studio based in Paris, was recently commissioned by La Cuisine, an alimentary arts center in Nègrepelisse near the Midi-Pyrénées region, for a forthcoming exhibition examining the early relationship between mother and child. The exhibition, which will open this coming September, will focus on the prenatal role of the placenta and the post-natal role of mother's milk, both as means...
Sony TG3E HD Video Camera
Sony's new titanium HD cam is the epitome of consumer-friendly. Besides the fact that it's the size of a stuffed wallet (it's the smallest HD camera in the world), it includes a button labeled "easy," making great HD video attainable for anyone. The button allows the shooter to simply point and shoot without any concern for settings. While a great feature for most, utilizing...
Sony's new titanium HD cam is the epitome of consumer-friendly. Besides the fact that it's the size of a stuffed wallet (it's the smallest HD camera in the world), it includes a button labeled "easy," making great HD video attainable for anyone. The button allows the shooter to simply point and shoot without any concern for settings. While a great feature for most, utilizing...
F3 Design: Guywire Jewelry Collection
F3 Design's Guywire collection proves that most any material can be manipulated in the service of creative expression. Combining industrial stainless steel wire of varying thicknesses and copper sleeves, the design studio makes unisex jewelry befitting both boutique and hardware store alike. Currently the collection consists of a series of bracelets and earrings (pictured), though there's clearly opportunity to expand into necklaces, rings and...
F3 Design's Guywire collection proves that most any material can be manipulated in the service of creative expression. Combining industrial stainless steel wire of varying thicknesses and copper sleeves, the design studio makes unisex jewelry befitting both boutique and hardware store alike. Currently the collection consists of a series of bracelets and earrings (pictured), though there's clearly opportunity to expand into necklaces, rings and...
BMW Kinetic Sculpture
One particularly stunning highlight from the 125 exhibits packed into the newly-renovated BMW Welt in Munich is a mechatronic installation by ART+COM, the Berlin-based interactive media company. The project uses 714 metal balls that are individually suspended one barely visible strings, creating an seemingly weightless, amorphous mass. Each ball lowers and retracts independently, which allows them to approximate almost any form. The installation moves...
One particularly stunning highlight from the 125 exhibits packed into the newly-renovated BMW Welt in Munich is a mechatronic installation by ART+COM, the Berlin-based interactive media company. The project uses 714 metal balls that are individually suspended one barely visible strings, creating an seemingly weightless, amorphous mass. Each ball lowers and retracts independently, which allows them to approximate almost any form. The installation moves...
Curse of the Multiples Posters
Who doesn't like a well-designed super-affordable poster in these times of economic crisis? Lucky for us, Montreal based designer Evan Melnyk recently quit working for "the man" and decided to go it alone as a freelance graphic designer under the moniker "Curse of the Multiples." In addition to designing for select private clients, he's also decided to put his money where his mouth is...
Who doesn't like a well-designed super-affordable poster in these times of economic crisis? Lucky for us, Montreal based designer Evan Melnyk recently quit working for "the man" and decided to go it alone as a freelance graphic designer under the moniker "Curse of the Multiples." In addition to designing for select private clients, he's also decided to put his money where his mouth is...
David Ryan
I first fell for David Ryan's work after seeing a couple of small pieces in Mark Moore's booth at Scope New York last year. Now Ryan is back with a solo show in his signature style at Mark Moore Gallery in Santa Monica. (Click images for detail.) Ryan creates his very sculptural paintings by intricately stacking together brightly-painted pieces of MDF (medium-density fibreboard). I...
I first fell for David Ryan's work after seeing a couple of small pieces in Mark Moore's booth at Scope New York last year. Now Ryan is back with a solo show in his signature style at Mark Moore Gallery in Santa Monica. (Click images for detail.) Ryan creates his very sculptural paintings by intricately stacking together brightly-painted pieces of MDF (medium-density fibreboard). I...
Joy Division Zune Giveaway
Zune continues to innovate with custom device designs and inventive packaging, this time upping the ante with a black version in homage to Joy Division. Since the launch of the Zune originals series, we've been impressed with Zune's willingness to let users customize the look and feel of their device and this latest release takes this marketing concept to its next logical step: a...
Zune continues to innovate with custom device designs and inventive packaging, this time upping the ante with a black version in homage to Joy Division. Since the launch of the Zune originals series, we've been impressed with Zune's willingness to let users customize the look and feel of their device and this latest release takes this marketing concept to its next logical step: a...
Weekend Warrior
Most commonly known as weekend getaway for the West Coast elite, Ojai, California is also the location for a month-long art exhibition opening this Saturday. Curated by Beautiful/Decay, "Weekend Warrior" features the work of eight diverse artists who work in a wide variety of media. Some highlights are Case Simmons and Andrew Burke, whose super-detailed digital landscapes employ thousands of images taken off the...
Most commonly known as weekend getaway for the West Coast elite, Ojai, California is also the location for a month-long art exhibition opening this Saturday. Curated by Beautiful/Decay, "Weekend Warrior" features the work of eight diverse artists who work in a wide variety of media. Some highlights are Case Simmons and Andrew Burke, whose super-detailed digital landscapes employ thousands of images taken off the...
Rei Sato
Discovered by Takashi Murakami when he staged the first GESAI art fair in 2002, Rei Sato has become part of the Kaikai Kiki roster of emerging Japanese talents that includes Chinatsu Ban, Aya Takano, and Chiho Aoshima, each of whom was included in the 2005 exhibit "Little Boy," Murakami's sweeping survey of contemporary Japanese pop art. Only born in 1984, the young Sato is...
Discovered by Takashi Murakami when he staged the first GESAI art fair in 2002, Rei Sato has become part of the Kaikai Kiki roster of emerging Japanese talents that includes Chinatsu Ban, Aya Takano, and Chiho Aoshima, each of whom was included in the 2005 exhibit "Little Boy," Murakami's sweeping survey of contemporary Japanese pop art. Only born in 1984, the young Sato is...
Bubble Calendars
Our friend Stephen Turbek, an experience designer, stopped by CH HQ to show us his new project, the Bubble Calendar. Based on the universal premise that everyone likes to pop bubbles, memories of Advent calendars, interesting ways of marking time's progression and needing to know what day it is, Stephen came up with the Bubble Calendar. After much development and working through production issues...
Our friend Stephen Turbek, an experience designer, stopped by CH HQ to show us his new project, the Bubble Calendar. Based on the universal premise that everyone likes to pop bubbles, memories of Advent calendars, interesting ways of marking time's progression and needing to know what day it is, Stephen came up with the Bubble Calendar. After much development and working through production issues...
June Taylor Ketchup
We've been fans of June's conserves and other specialties for seven years. We finally got around to visiting her Berkeley, CA Still Room, where we shot an upcoming episode of Cool Hunting Video. It was then that she dropped the bomb on us: she's started to make ketchup. And just like her jam isn't just jam, her ketchup isn't just ketchup. Made from Early...
We've been fans of June's conserves and other specialties for seven years. We finally got around to visiting her Berkeley, CA Still Room, where we shot an upcoming episode of Cool Hunting Video. It was then that she dropped the bomb on us: she's started to make ketchup. And just like her jam isn't just jam, her ketchup isn't just ketchup. Made from Early...
| July 6, 2008 - July 12, 2008 week before | next week | view all from this month |
Advertisement
