Choccywoccydoodah Chocolatier

by Karen Day

On a recent trip to London we felt the beach calling and headed south to Brighton, where we discovered Choccywoccydoodah. Meandering the streets of the seaside town, we came upon a shop with strange sculptures in the window and it took a minute to sort out that the shining Victorian skull wasn't in fact made of porcelain, it was 100% Belgian chocolate.

Known as the couturiers of chocolate, Choccywoccydoodah creates bespoke wedding cakes using a secret recipe passed down three generations and one-off sculptured fantasies, adorned with chocolate flowers comprised of nothing but chocolate, unlike most places who use fondant or glycerine. For sillier moments, they also make chocolate covered popcorn lollipops and naughty-inspired chocolate bars, perfect for birthday parties or gag gifts—all designed and handmade in their studio in Brighton.

A classy way to experience the chocolate bohemia is at their choccywoccyboudoir, where you can hole up with nine of your friends and intimately gorge yourselves on pure hot chocolate, chocolate cakes, milkshakes, truffles, Turkish delight and more.

What we love most about the free spirited chocolatiers is their commitment to quality and innovation, always seeking out new processes and inspiration in order to keep things exciting in the shop and in your mouth.

Stop by their shop or their bar du chocolate in Brighton, or check out their selection of goodies at Liberty in London.

Asgar/Gabriel: Bucolica Obscura

by Brian Fichtner

Since 2005, the young Vienna-based artists Daryoush Asgar and Elisabeth Gabriel of Asgar/Gabriel, have been collaborating on a radically contemporary form of figurative painting. Drawing upon historical movements such as baroque, pop art, and abstract expressionism, while referencing contemporary developments in graffiti and photo-realism, the duo create intricately layered canvases in which linear narrative falls prey to the chaos of our image saturated times.

The subjects of their paintings, at the hedonistic pinnacle of youth, find themselves classically posed within disconnected scenes, awash in a sea of vibrant hues. Here, within these pseudo-mythological canvases, Asgar/Gabriel reveal the vanity and the absurdity of our search for heroism in the everyday.

Marking their solo debut at Mark Moore Gallery in Santa Monica, CA, Asgar/Gabriel will present Bucolica Obscura, a series of large-scale paintings realized over the past two years. Should you find yourself on the West Coast, we strongly recommend a visit.

Bucolica Obscura
Opening Reception: 10 January 2009, 5-7pm
January-14 February 2009

Mark Moore Gallery
2525 Michigan Avenue, A1
Santa Monica, CA 90404 map
tel +1 310 453 3031

More images after the jump.

Shepard Fairey Inauguration Poster

by CH Contributor

by Ariston Anderson

Yesterday Obama's Presidential Inaugural Committee unveiled street artist Shepard Fairey's design commissioned for the official inaugural poster. While Obama's top volunteers across the country anxiously await their assigned tickets for the swearing-in ceremony, we expect Fairey will be receiving prime seats. Fairey, who came to fame with his Andre the Giant "Obey" posters, papered across the nation, created one of the most iconic symbols of Obama's 2008 presidential campaign with his lighter "Hope" image.

Publicity guru Yosi Sergant is credited with linking Fairey to the Obama effort. After Fairey printed an initial round of posters and posted the image on his website, it soon went viral. Posters and then limited edition prints soon skyrocketed in price, as collectors were eager to get their hands on the campaign memorabilia. A mixed media collage of the image was snatched up by the Smithsonian, making it the first official image of the president to be inducted into the National Portrait Gallery.

Posters are selling for $100 and 1,000 prints, signed and numbered by the artist, go for $500. All proceeds will be put toward much needed Inaugural funding, as the planned events could cost the city up to $50 million with nearly three million people expected to descend on Washington 20 January 2009.

If you won't be around for the festivities, you can pick up your print at the Inaugural website.

Also worth adding to your collection is "Supply & Demand,", a retrospective spanning 17 years of Fairey's career. It's available from Amazon or Powell's.

Newton Motion AW

by Doug Black

Newton's sneakers are as close to running barefoot as a person can get. Much has been made recently of returning to the elemental movement of walking or running. The logic suggests that our bodily structure is best served when motion is as close as possible to its primal state (i.e. running while barefoot). Newton attempts to fulfill this role for casual and professional runners, basing their technology on the suggestion that running on the forefoot more closely mimics the natural state. Through unique design elements and ultralight materials, the shoes aim to increase efficiency while decreasing bodily stress.

The most distinct design feature is a handful of "actuator lugs" on the forefoot, which ensure that they are the first point of contact with the ground. Less surface contact equates to less friction, which in turn cuts down on energy loss. They have specific shoes emphasizing cushioning and stability, with different models for training and race-day. Their latest edition is the Motion AW (pictured above). An amalgamation of the others, it has a more substantial upper that is both wind-resistant and water-repellent.

The switch to forefoot running is dramatic, though, and doesn't happen overnight. To ease into it, Newton recommends starting with low-mileage runs until your body adapts.

Newton shoes range from $155 to $175 and can be ordered through their site or various retail stores.

Lane Marinho Accessories

by Phuong-Cac Nguyen

São Paulo-based Lane Marinho's marvelous eponymous accessories line is a new takes on classic brooches and necklaces. Painstakingly constructed by hand—in some cases taking more than an entire day to finish just one—her Rococo-inspired creations are stunning examples of her close study of sewing and embroidery.

Marinho cites the concept of nature's Golden Ratio as it relates to plants and flowers to explain some pieces that she builds in a progression of size with the end result to "create a harmonic composition," she says. Materials range from linen to other fabrics, all spruced up by metallic finishings, silk thread, cording and sample pieces. Worn with basics, her accessories look like art pieces.

Marinho, who manages a special-designs team for a major international shoe company based in Brazil as her day job, takes orders directly via lanemarinho [at] gmail [dot] com but she also sells at B. Luxo Store in São Paulo.