Cool Hunting
| 22 December 2008view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
Rödel Latin America
by Phuong-Cac Nguyen
Helen Rödel is positively masterful at knitwear. The crocheted dresses made under her signature Rödel Latin America line are carefully constructed by hand, with no help or finishes done by a sewing machine whatsoever. This obvious dedication to quality that is only surpassed by the design of the dresses themselves is what makes her one of the most promising underground designers in Brazil I've seen so far this year.
Hailing from busy Porto Alegre in the south but actually born in the countryside, the pretty, sweet-mannered designer—who also models her own pieces on the brand's site—blurs the lines between urban and rural environments, making her collection ideal for a woman who easily flits between the two. Actually, this is today's very definition of a Brazilian woman, but it's a concept translated into apparel that has potential to jump borders.
Her 2008/2009 summer collection "Astro" channels the sun for energy in the light baby-doll dresses and inventive knit patterns. Her husband-slash-Rödel LA collaborator shot the vintage-looking photos, which add to the forever-classic aesthetic of the clothes (check the old-school poster for her previous collection).
The label's looking to be carried in stores outside of Brazil, but in the meantime, you can buy directly from Rödel LA through its online store or stop by B. Luxo's boutique in São Paulo.
Portal by James Clar
by Tim Yu
A new solo exhibition by James Clar in conjunction with the Festival of Light, "Portal" is an installation on display at the Roger Tator Galerie in Lyon, France.
Portal consists of a diffuser screen that acts as an abstract doorway with lines of light that travel back and forth through it, bouncing around the room. As a doorway represents the transition from one space to another, Portal visually displays this moment of change as a 2D plane using the diffuser screen.
Additionally, a sensor at the doorway of the gallery space triggers the lasers to change color as people enter also signifying their transition from the outside space to the inside gallery.
Portal
Through 28 February 2009
Roger Tator Galerie
36 Rue D' Anvers
69007 Lyon map
tel. + 33 4 78 58 83 12
B.Luxo Store
by Phuong-Cac Nguyen
Adding to the list of São Paulo's top 2008 success stories, the duo behind the Freakstyle street fashion blog and sought-after B.Luxo Vintage store have just opened another boutique, this time under a strictly conceptual guise. The idea is that they pick out only a handful of national apparel and accessories designers—like Rödel LA and Andre Lacerdo—who aren't selling in any other stores, as well as use it to launch their own '80s-glam-club-inspired collection. The premise guarantees them exclusivity and means the designers they feature are wonderfully fresh-faced; in fact, most of the designers have been selling to just friends and acquaintances while keeping 9-to-5 jobs.
The tiny store's black, minimal-is-more aesthetics make it look like it was taken straight from the shopping districts of Berlin. The top floor is dedicated to a changing room and hangout space, plastered with photos from their blog, to give customers a feeling that they're dressing up to go out to a party.
Stay tuned for profiles of a few of these hot designers in the coming weeks.
B.Luxo Store
Rua Augusta, 2633, no. 18
Jardins
São Paulo, Brazil map
tel. +55 (11) 30621978
Illustrator Lisa Evans
by Lost At E Minor
It was such a thrill stumbling across the blog of U.K. illustrator Lisa Evans. I was in the Nordstrom department store with my mom over Thanksgiving, admiring the annual Christmas displays, as I do every year. Nordstrom has always had a fantastic tradition of using wonderful illustrators more often than not. And this year I was loving the cute bird theme that kept popping up in various forms throughout the store. Lo and behold, as I recently discovered, they were Lisa Evan's.
Aside from the Nordstrom holiday birds, the rest of Evan's work is simply beautiful. So even if you're not one to get so excited over department store holiday displays, I certainly recommend paying a visit to Evan's site to soak up her whimsical illustrations.
