Cool Hunting
| 03 February 2009view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
Matt & Nat Vegan Handbags
by Karen Day
When people picture a vegan handbag the last thing they think of is something with a luxurious feel or look. Thanks to Matt & Nat, the stigma of vegan products only being suitable for hippies and environmentalists is quickly dissipating with their designer handbags each made from up to 55 recycled plastic bottles.
Started in 1995 by Inder Bedi, Matt & Nat were producing fashionable vegan goods before being green was fashionable. The company maintains a realistic point of view and more importantly understands human nature—although making accessories admittedly produces greenhouse gases their philosophy is that people will continue to buy bags, so better to provide an option that's better for the environment. Bedi personally visits all the factories four times a year to inspect working conditions. In addition to all that good work, Matt & Nat cooperate with Dress for Success to ensure old bags are recycled and put to use by those less fortunate.
The accessories are geared towards both women and men, and include a range of evening clutches, shoulder bags, laptop bags and messenger bags. They are available for purchase at high-end stores such as Fred Segal, Holt Renfrew, Saks, Nordstrom and online at Matt & Nat starting at $80 and topping out at around $300. Check out the rest of their extensive line at Matt & Nat .
Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada: Expectation
by CH Contributor
by Ariston Anderson
Obama art swept the nation, but his support among the art community wasn't just limited to the states. Renown culture jammer Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada, created a 2.5 acre sand painting of Obama in Barcelona, Spain. Named "Expectation," the piece is made of 650 tons of sand and gravel and was revealed on the eve of Election Day.
"People from all walks of life came together to make Expectation a reality," says the artist. "We struggled against a tight production schedule, zero budget and four consecutive days of torrential rain." If nothing else, the project reveals the global impact of Obama's election.
An edition of 250, there are two different prints of the project available for €250 from artjammer. Also, be sure to check out his past work, including, the Identity series—larger than life charcoal portraits of neighborhood residents on the sides of local buildings.
I LEGO NY by Christoph Niemann
by Tim Yu
The most emailed article from the NY Times today, I LEGO N.Y is an imaginative look at New York and the facets of the city's everyday life. The apparently homesick artist, Christoph Niemann comments, "During the cold and dark Berlin winter days, I spend a lot of time with my boys in their room. And as I look at the toys scattered on the floor, my mind inevitably wanders back to New York."
Outside of children, the tendency with Legos is to go big or incredibly detailed, but this projects simplicity and humor is what got us most excited. It's another example that more isn't always better.
Be sure to follow Niemann's Abstract City Blog in the future. A CH favorite, his entries are always thoughtful and well executed.
More images of some of our favorites after the jump and the full collection is on the NY Times.
Work Lamp by Form Us With Love
by Brian Fichtner
Design House Stockholm, a multi-faceted brand specializing in contemporary Scandinavian design, exhibited a few new pieces alongside its existing collection at this year's New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF). One piece which caught my eye was the Work Lamp by the Swedish trio Form Us With Love.
An elegant chromed or gold-plated reappraisal of the classic workshop task lamp, the Work Lamp serves as a reminder that oftentimes the most perfect forms are in plain sight, just waiting for a tweak from the design-minded eye.
Although there was little excitement at this year's NYIGF, it was encouraging to find so many vendors braving this economic tundra in hopes of bolstering flagging sales.
Penelope Dullaghan
by Lost At E Minor
Maybe it's because I'm regularly checking in on her profoundly candid blog, or because her work speaks to me in some uncanny way, but I've always felt a powerfully calming and comforting relation to the work of illustrator, Penelope Dullaghan. With a complete lack of pretense, Dullaghan creates softly textured images that amazingly manage to feel as if they're a piece of the artist's state of mind. She makes you feel as if she'd rather draw nothing more than bubblegum and desk lamps, and that's just fine with us.
