Bruxe Spring 2009 Giveaway

by Mike Giles

Premium soft goods manufacturer Bruxe recently released their Spring '09 collection to select retailers across the globe and for those fortunate to have internet access but not a means to get to a local retailer, you can now get goods directly from their newly launched online shop. Oli, one half of the company's Belgium-born founders, gave us a quick intro to their newest developments.

What's new for Spring '09?
Color is the main addition! Our first collection was monochrome black, but Spring offers monochrome ocean blue and cement grey colorways in the original laser cut patent and robust canvas fabrics. We've also introduced the Sylvestre Courier bag to the collection, which adds diversity to the line.

The online shop is a new addition, what’s the reason behind that?
We opened the shop because we are getting so many visits to our website and emails from people who do not have access to our product in their region. Basically, when we get emails from potential customers and have nowhere to send them, it's very frustrating. We want our brand to be accessible. Whether you are in the U.S., Canada, Europe, etc. The online shop allows us to do that.

How has the response been to the collection?

The response has been amazing. The unique fabrics, colorways and attention to detail have set us apart from other soft good manufacturers and it gives a reason for people to get excited about bags. We couldn’t be happier about the support we have received from media and industry. It’s nice to know that a boutique brand can still get attention in a land of megacorps.

What's in store for the near future?
Fall '09 will introduce pocket accessories, women's bags and new fabrics in many styles. Our K-Way colab will hit stores very soon and has already generated a lot of interest. We've got a couple more colabs to drop in the following months. For 2010 we will expand our packs and bags collections as well as continue to introduce new product categories. We've also got plans to work on capsule collections with some key brands in the future. Things are looking great!

For a chance to win a free "Johnston" bag (winner's color choice, one lucky person will be selected at random), answer the following: Bruxe's new Spring '09 line incorporates two new colorways in addition to the original line's color. Can you name the three Spring '09 colorways? To enter follow the contact link at the bottom of the page, select "Bruxe Spring 09 Giveaway" from the pull-down menu and submit your answer by Friday, 1 May 2009, 11:59pm EST.

View the full collection at Bruxe's site.

Creative Recreation: The Collection-Made In Italy

by Bailee Wolfson

Creative Recreation is going above and beyond with their new high-end line called "The Collection-Made In Italy." Consisting of stylish, tailored shoes made with Italy's finest materials and quality craftsmanship, the line offers competition to brands such as Common Projects. Staying true to their reputation for edgy design, The Collection brings a fresh style with bold colors, patent and suede leathers, hand stitching, exposed zippers and hidden laces.

Rich Cofinco and Robert Nand, the pair responsible for the design of both The Collection and Creative Recreation, channeled their passion for traveling and Italian culture to come up with the new looks. While it's their love of footwear that shows through in both lines, The Collection caters to a more sophisticated and fashion-forward part of the market.

Naturally prices (ranging from $300-$400) follow suit, but with superior materials, manufacturing and design, the shoes are worth the money. Available in August, The Collection will be sold in high-end boutiques like Barneys NY, Liberty, Harvey Nichols, Woodley and Bunny, Carve, Petra Teufel and online at Oki-Ni.

More images after the jump.

Rachael Cole Pillows

by Lost At E Minor

These Village Pillows by Brooklyn illustrator Rachael Cole are a set of cushions that work like a puzzle to build a country town, including houses, trees, a car, a horse, a dog and a duck. They paint a beautiful picture as a group and work just as nicely as individual pieces.

What I like about the Village Pillows is that they're playful yet mature, youthful yet elegant and well-designed yet simple. They’re hand-screen printed in limited edition batches, wrapped in cotton duck cloth and available as a full set of nine pillows or individually.

Contact Rachael at mail [at] rachaelcole [dot] net to order.

Milan Design Week 2009 Recap: Makkum

by Brian Fichtner

Every year during the Salone del Mobile, the Netherlands' oldest company, Royal Tichelaar Makkum, mounts a quiet exhibition of its latest projects in a humble, sun-drenched space off of Via dell'Orso in the city center. The space is noteworthy because it speaks to Makkum's intent with these unusual projects. Guided by tradition and fueled with an intellectual regard for the ceramic crafts, Makkum's exhibitions are for those willing to slow the frenetic pace of design week and marvel at the continued innovations of mankind's oldest industry.

In a departure from last year's exuberant Pyramids of Makkum, this year saw the company showcasing two rather modest projects that focused on the material quality of ceramics. Atelier NL's project, the Fundamentals of Makkum (top image), is a beautiful investigation into regional specificity in product design. Using clay sourced from several different locations in the Netherlands, the designers worked with Makkum to create a dinner service of plates and bowls. Though each clay would be used for the same molds, each location yielded a unique color and post-firing size due to the mineral content of the clay.

Dick van Hoff, who worked with Makkum on the Work desktop collection several years ago, this year translated his concrete wood burning stove into an elegant, and artful, expression using ceramic tiles (right). Produced in two sizes, I found the green glaze most breathtaking of the four colorways of wood burning stoves shown.

Naturally, as Jan Tichelaar explained, these projects aren't for everyone (when was the last time you saw a wood burning stove in the United States?), but he quickly reasserted his position that his company must engage in these experimental enterprises. With four hundred years of history behind him, one can imagine why.

Check out the slideshow above for installation views.