Happy Socks Holiday Cards

by Maggie York-Worth, 19 November 2009

by Maggie York-Worth

The free-spirited Swedish label Happy Socks teamed up with six promising artists to add even more joy to the holiday season, collaborating on a series of cards starring their quirky socks in various settings. Riffing on the brand's design ethos, punchy graphics and playful approach, the irreverent images also allow each artist's particular aesthetic to shine through.

The line-up of artists consists of Marok, Fanny Boström and Bill Gentle, Giorgio Camuffo, James Jarvis, Liselotte Watkins and Jérôme “Cream” Degive. (Click on any image for expanded view.)

In one of the most entertaining, by creative team Boström and Gentle, two sock puppets lock one another in a prolonged "romantic" embrace (pictured top left). Yet another sock, by Belgian artist Jérôme "Cream" Degive, this one with a large red nose, wishes you the biggest merry Christmas that can possibly fit on the card (above left).

The cards will be given away at key retail locations in poster and postcard packs throughout Europe, cheerfully reminding recipients to stay warm and creative this season.

Renato D'Agostin: Tokyo Untitled

by Jacob Resneck, 19 November 2009

Venice-born photographer Renato D'Agostin recently spent time in the world's largest city capturing the abstract side of its urban landscape. The resulting monograph "Tokyo Untitled" was released this month and is the subject of concurrent exhibitions in Paris, Tokyo and now Manhattan's Leica Gallery.

D'Agostin's unconventional narrative of his Tokyo journey makes for a series of images imbued with a language made up of dislocated objects that—divorced from their ordinary context—create new meanings in themselves.

Already the 88-page book (his third published work) is being lauded by critics and artists alike.

"'Tokyo Untitled' photographs bring me back to the destroyed Tokyo as it appeared right after the war ended," writes Japanese photographer Eikoh Hosoe. "It may be totally impossible for young Renato to imagine that his 'Tokyo Untitled' reminds me of such tragic images as Tokyo's air raid attack which happened 64 years ago."

After completing a run in the Leica Gallery in New York that opened yesterday, D'Agostin's exhibition will move next February to his native Italy for a stint at the MC2 Gallery in Milan.

In the meantime, the book sells from Amazon and the limited edition version (available by contacting D'Agostin) makes a great gift for photographers and Tokyo fans alike.

Check out more images after the jump.

Tokyo Untitled
Through 9 January 2010
Leica Gallery
670 Broadway
New York, NY 10012 map
tel. +1 212 777 3051

Sartoria Vico

by CH Contributor, 19 November 2009

by Paolo Ferrarini of Future Concept Lab

Sartoria Vico joins together the worlds of fashion and product design with a small series of essentially functional clothes and accessories, focused more on use than aesthetic.

The brand is one of the projects by the creative collective Dissociate, comprised of Benedetta de Bartolomeis, Monica Battistella, Stefania Casacci and Cristina del Buono—four girls who met while studying industrial design at the Politecnico di Milano.

Like other emerging Italian labels, Sartoria Vico tends to shy away from the traditional concept of seasonal collections in favor of changing materials or adding new designs, products and projects as they are ready, while reinvigorating and improved existing items as they reconceive them.

Since the very beginning, Sartoria Vico’s core research aimed to reinvent Made in Italy, knitwear and knitted accessories for the winter, which still characterize the heart of the collection. Their most notable styles include the Maglione Pancia (a sweater which extends to cover the legs while crouching), Vestito Manicotto (a mini dress with round neck and sleeves that can extend and cover the hands) and Collo (a composition of two collars, one narrow and one wider to wrap around décolleté or shoulders).

The color palette consists of basic colors like black, gray and navy blue, combined with more vibrant colors such as green and dusty mustard. An industrial design focus lends a versatility and functionality to the clothing—each piece comes packed with a set of detailed instructions on the various ways it can be worn.

See more images after the jump.

This Is Plot Jewelery

by Craig Kanarick, 18 November 2009

Brainchild of a strategist and an art director, This Is Plot's necklaces illustrate the subtle beauty of economics, turning one of the most classic data visualizations into a physical object. The London-based duo (both of ad agency Wieden+Kennedy) handcraft the accessories, which use gold, silver, oil and lead to graph the materials' market performance. Celebrating the "stories of exact facts," each necklace plots the course of its corresponding commodity over the span of thirty years for an elegant representation of its highs and lows.

Strategist Lisa Prince, one of the two behind This Is Plot, came up with the side project while daydreaming in meetings. Thanks to W+K's remarkable ability to embrace creativity, the line now involves several players making it not only the first accessory that we know of to plot data, but also the first collaboration between a strategist, writer, graphic designer, art director, jeweler and ad agency.

Another collection is already in the works, but the current collection sells now from This Is Plot with prices ranging from £94-240 depending on material.

Edited by Craig Kanarick, EXP looks at the ways innovative brands express themselves in the digital age.

Galaxy Reclining Armchair

by Brian Fichtner, 18 November 2009

Spotted at this year's Habitat Valencia, the Galaxy Reclining Armchair by Spanish manufacturer CasaDesús blends space age style with suburban functionality.

The sleek chair, designed by company founder Jaime Casadesús, puts to shame every La-Z-Boy in existence with minimal lines, luxurious upholstery options and automated articulations.

Just now making inroads into the American market—currently available through Moura Starr—CasaDesús produces an opulent range of furnishings quite similar in style to Italian brands Molteni & C or Poltrona Frau, but with a Spanish flair.

Expect to see more from this brand in the coming years.

Kamal Patel: Mini Wrapping Paper

by CH Contributor, 18 November 2009

by Stephanie Miles

Whether given as a gift or used to wrap them up, Kamal Patel's couture paper goods exist in a league of their own. To go along with her popular collections of letter-pressed cards and recycled coasters, Kamal recently debuted an all-new collection of custom-designed "mini wrap" gift wrapping, just in time for the busy holiday season.

Smaller than a standard roll of wrapping paper, Kamal's mini wraps measure just 16-23 inches and come in four unique colors and designs. Each wrap includes two sheets and two tissues. For baby showers, birthday presents, or just special gifts to celebrate the ones you love, they add an extra touch of whimsy and fun.

Born in London, raised in New Jersey, and currently residing in Richmond, Virginia, Kamal graduated from the Pratt Institute and worked as a graphic designer in New York before branching out and starting a company of her own. Although Kamal's paper goods now sell in 16 stores across the country, as well as online, she says she still creates each design herself and has them printed up in a nearby factory to assure quality and eco-friendliness.

Prices for Kamal paper goods range from $6.50 for mini wraps to $16 for an eight-pack of recycled chipboard coasters. Uniquely designed letterpress cards start at $4.50 (for individual cards) to $20 (for sets of six). The entire line sells online from the Kamal website or at select retailers across the country.

Ideal Woman: Necklace

by Karen Day, 18 November 2009

Making a statement about supreme perfection, Allie Pohl's Ideal Woman: Necklace tangibly expresses her concerns about the ability to create overly ideal images through modern technology.

Created using a cookie-cutter pattern, the necklace reflects Pohl's belief that women are becoming obsessed with the image of the perfect woman and in turn all look exactly the same.

Ideal Woman: Necklace is available in a variety of colors and either a short or long chain, with prices spanning $20-55. To purchase the necklace, contact Allie Pohl through her website.