Enough About Champagne To Make Your Head Spin. And That's Before You Drink It.

The Forbes List of the Best Bubbly with which to ring in the New Year:

Krug don't like their Grand Cuvée being referred to as non-vintage, and you can see their point. The term usually describes inexpensive fizz made from a blend of wines from recent vintages that were not considered good enough to quality for the vintage or prestige cuvées, and that are released shortly after being produced.

The Grand Cuvée couldn't be more different. Yes, it is made from different vintages, but the similarity ends there. More accurately described as a multi-vintage tête du cuvée, it contains wines from six to 10 different years, and it's this high proportion of older, reserve wines, along with an additional six years of aging after the blending, that gives all Krug champagne, and especially their GC, their hallmark deep, rich complexity.
For more information, visit www.krug.com.


Forget the wave of currently trendy Prosecos that are flooding into the U.S. For an inexpensive fizz from Italy, try this wonderful Franciacorta from Lombardy, the impressive result of a project undertaken by Italian wine legend Piero Antinori's three talented daughters. Light in both color and body, it's quite charming and is the ideal inexpensive party fizz.

Even though this is not technically a Champagne, we are including it here because it is a true stand-out among the increasingly excellent California sparkling wines. This Roederer Estates production is pale yellow in color, but boasts a surprising amount of mouth-filling flavor for a light, fruity sparkler. Floral notes can be sensed on the palate and are complemented by a long, lemony-citrus finish.
For more information, visit www.mmdusa.com.


During a recent visit, the waiter at the Pierre Hotel was wearing an impeccable, starched-white jacket and proffering a tray reassuringly well stocked with champagne flutes. Not thinking much about it, I took one expecting some sort of dreary, everyday fizz. What I got, however, was a delicious mouthful of nutty, woody, flavorful champagne.
Anxious to discover the origin of this delightful glass of bubbles, I edged over to the corner, pulled a bottle from the cooler and was not entirely surprised to see the Pol Roger label. This champagne house was almost unknown in the U.S. 25 years ago, but, thanks to the combination of a consistently superior product and the charm and relentless marketing energy of the Director Christian Pol-Roger, it is receiving some much deserved recognition. The 1996 Brut, with its round, open flavor, is one of the few current vintage champagnes that tastes like it's ready to drink today.
For more information, visit www.frederickwildman.com.

A lovely, non-vintage brut, La Française is as light as air--delicate and refined with just a hint of toast at the finish. A fine expression of Taittinger's soft, elegant style, the La Française is the perfect aperitif fizz for when you don't want to break the bank.
For more information, visit www.taittinger.com.

Œnothique is a kind of super Dom Perignon--a prestige prestige cuvée, if you like. It's aged for 14 years sur lees, which is twice as long as regular DP. It's this extended aging process that takes the marquee's trademark creamy-rich complexity of flavors to a whole new level.
For more information, visit www.moet.com.

I am a sucker for Blanc de Blancs--that's a sparkler made from 100% Chardonnay grapes--but, most of them are expensive, prestige cuvées. Happily, the Nicholas Feuillatte is an exception, and I love both the polished elegance of the chardonnay, and its reasonable price.
For more information, please visit www.feuillatte.com.

The Grand Dame is, for many people--myself included--the gold standard, against which other champagnes are measured. Its secret lies in the Grand Cru vineyards from which it comes. All are owned by Veuve Clicquot and are rated 100% under the arcane Champagne rating system. VC is known for its round, full-bodied fizz, but the Grand Dame is something different. It combines its power with an elegance and finesse to produce an awesome, steel-fist-in-a-velvet-glove champagne. Lovely now, the GD will continue improving and developing for the next five years, at least.

I was first recommended this champagne by the manager of Eli's Wine & Spirits on Manhattan's Upper East Side. And, he was right--it's both surprising and impressive. It's unusual to find a vintage champagne this old still on the shelves, and it's even more unusual to find one at this price. But, what really blew me away was how good it was, showing that wonderful, biscuity toastiness, which fine champagne acquires with bottle age. Although the 1990 is becoming rarer, it's still out there. And, if you can't find the 1990, the 1996 is a worthy substitute.
For more information, visit www.broadbent-wines.com/wines/delbeck.html.

Bollinger's distinctive house style--dry and full-bodied with a big-mouth feel--makes it an ideal champagne to enjoy with a meal. This is the result of an unusually high proportion--75%--of black grapes, mostly from grand and premier cru vineyards. For more information, visit www.champagne-bollinger.fr.

Salon is unique among Champagne houses in that some years it doesn't make any fizz at all. Even in good years--which are about half of them--only about 30,000 bottles are produced, which means Salon Champagne is both rare and expensive. Made entirely from grapes grown in the Grand Cru Chardonnay vineyards of the top-rated village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, it is a wonderfully big, full-flavored champagne with the potential for long aging.
For more information, visit www.wilsondaniels.com.

What is so special about these super Champagnes in fancy bottles with high prices?

I'm pretty cynical about the allure of packaging when it comes to champagne, but I have to admit that the PJ Fleur rosé got me. The delicate pink hue of the fizz showing through the clear bottle, which is enameled with the famous PJ anemones, is quite lovely. And, the champagne's not bad, either. Actually, it's delicious. PJs are known for their delicate, elegant fizz, and many people regard this rosé as an aperitif wine. But for me, it has such a huge, plump mouth-feel that I'm happy to drink it with food, as well.
For more information, visit www.perrierjouet.com.

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The Cult of Champagne
Prestige Cuvées: A Guide to Deluxe Champagne
by Edward Guiliano & Louis Charles


You might have heard the terms Cuvée Prestige or Tête de Cuvée before. A non-literal translation of Tête de Cuvée would be "the head of the class"(a more technical explanation follows in this story). In any case, these precious bottles are nothing less than the best of the best the Champagne region of France can produce. They also symbolize the ultimate in luxury, something reserved for kings, czars, British secret service agents and captains of industry. As much as this is true, you, too, can partake in these luxurious offerings.

WHAT ARE THEY?
Champagne has its very own mythology—it's the ultimate, the best, the most festive—and many people don't even associate it with wine. It's Champagne, the golden bubbles from the Champagne region of France.

Affordability dictates that not all that sparkles in wine bottles will be Champagne from France. Indeed, 90 percent will be sparkling wines produced in America or elsewhere. And of the 10 percent that is labeled Champagne, only 10 percent to 15 percent each year are deluxe Champagnes, the best a house knows how to make. Each of the great Champagne houses of France makes a prestige cuvée or (cuvée spéciale), such as Moët's Dom Pérignon, Roederer's Cristal, Perrier Jouët's Flower Bottle, Taittinger's Comtes de Champagne and Veuve Clicquot's La Grande Dame.

First of all, there is nothing else out there in the sparkling wine category that approaches their level of quality. And secondly, there are few products anywhere that have a richer image. We can thank James Bond for some of that. He can be credited with increasing the public's awareness of prestige Champagne as well as building their ne plus ultra image. In the novels by Ian Fleming, Bond's bubbly was invariably Dom Pérignon or Bollinger RD or Veuve Clicquot, usually consumed in the company of an appreciative woman. It was one of the secret agent's trademarks. In the most recent 007 film "Casino Royale," Bollinger is featured. As advertisers, waiters and wine merchants know well, these deluxe wines appeal to our quest for the best. They make a statement about our lifestyle, our self-esteem, our esteem for others, our sophistication and, of course, our pocketbook.

THE FIRSTS

The two prestige cuvée Champagnes first created still dominate the market today, and they have become quintessential emblems in the popular consciousness of the elegance, joie de vivre, quality, mystery, and even romance that Champagne has come to express. Surely it is no surprise that they are Moët's Dom Pérignon and Roederer's Cristal.

Cristal
The House of Roederer created Cristal in 1878 for the Imperial Court of Russia and Czar Alexander II. The special cuvée took its name from the unusual clear crystal bottle that the czar insisted upon. Some say he did this because he was anxious that his courtiers should not doubt they were drinking a special wine not commercially available, while others suggest less charitably that he wanted to insure his health and safety by being able to discretely check on the bottle's contents. It was not until the early 1920s that limited bottles of Cristal were put on the market in France.

Moët& Chandon is by far the largest Champagne producer, and far more Dom Pérignon is produced than any other deluxe Champagne. Nevertheless, DP (as it is sometimes called) or Dom is only a tiny percentage of Moët's total production. The wine was first marketed in 1928, exclusively in England and the United States, and was only made available in France in the 1940s.

Virtually all of the grand Champagne houses have long produced special cuvées for their own private use, but Dom Pérignon's success inspired these houses to expand production and introduce these wines commercially in the 1960s and 1970s. These Champagne producers helped build the exclusive image of these wines by packaging them in special bottles, often replicas of eighteenth-century Champagne bottles and usually visually appealing bottles. It is not difficult to spot a bottle of prestige cuvée Champagne across a crowded room. But what's in the bottle that makes it so special?

IN THE BOTTLE
First of all, the grapes. There are 250 separate villages in Champagne, and the quality of the grapes harvested in each vineyard varies. Since 1911 (with periodic revisions), the villages have been rated and, today, scale from 80 percent to 100 percent. There are a dozen 100 percent villages, or grands crus, and the grapes from these villages have the highest quality and are the most expensive. About 40 villages are rated between 90 percent and 99 percent and are called premiers crus. The great majority of villages are rated at about 85 percent. The grapes that go into prestige cuvée Champagnes are almost exclusively from 100 percent villages and never come from lower than the top level of the premiers crus.

Reims, Champagne
Although the Champagne region is planted with 42 percent Pinot Meunier, 33 percent Pinot Noir and 25 percent Chardonnay vines, and each is integral in the blend of nonvintage Champagnes, the rapidly maturing Pinot Meunier is usually eliminated from the deluxe wines. Chardonnay provides the wine with elegance and lightness, and the long-maturing Pinot Noir gives it body and structure or what the French call La Charpente. Several of the prestige cuvée wines are blanc de blancs, made, of course, from only Chardonnay grapes, and a few are rosé Champagnes, generally made by adding a small percentage of still red wine to the blend.

When describing prestige cuvées, it is difficult to speak in absolutes because there are no laws specifically governing their production. Champagne is the most regulated and strictly controlled wine produced in the world, and the rigid controls for vintage and nonvintage Champagnes are upheld for prestige cuvées (which are almost exclusively vintage Champagnes to start with, meaning they are only produced in years when the grapes are of excellent quality). For the prestige cuvée Champagnes, houses apply even more rigorous standards in pursuit of even greater excellence.

When the grapes are pressed in Champagne, the law permits only three pressings, from 4,000 kilograms of grapes, with a maximum yield of 2,000 liters of grape juice from the first pressing (known as the cuvée) and 333 liters each in the second and third pressings. Only the superior juice from the first pressing is used in prestige Champagnes, and usually only the juice from the first one-third of this pressing is used. That initial and highest-quality juice is known as tête de cuvée (head of the cuvée) and has become synonymous with these wines.

All of the prestige cuvées are brut with a minimum amount of sugar added. The small dosage is possible thanks to the quality of the grapes and the long aging process. All are produced in limited quantities and most only in vintage years, which in Champagne may mean only four or five times in a decade.

The period of aging for prestige cuvée Champagnes further distinguish them from other sparkling wines. By law, a nonvintage wine must be aged at least one year and vintage wines at least three years, though in practice both are regularly aged longer at the finer houses. For deluxe Champagnes, four or five years of aging before dégorgement is common and seven or eight years isn't exceptional. This prolonged aging can add not only to the quality of the wine, but also to the cost of producing it.

There is a remarkable diversity of individuality among prestige cuvée Champagnes. They range in style from the light blanc de blanc of Taittinger's Comtes de Champagne to the full-bodied wines with high percentage of Pinot Noir in their such as Krug's Grande Cuvée. Additionally, because most are vintage wines, they take on characteristics of an individual vintage and differ from previous bottlings.

PRESTIGE AT WHAT PRICE?

Perhaps the most frequently asked question about these super Champagnes is: are they worth the price? For some, cost is part of their appeal. The high prices are justified if you can taste and appreciate the difference between a nonvintage and prestige cuvée Champagne. Many discriminating people can and therefore believe that paying the premium can be worthwhile.

The prestige bottles, however, are not two or three times better than the non vintage, though their price is usually double or triple the non vintage. It is like everything else for sale: if you want the best, you have to pay a price for each increment in quality.

If this might serve as a consolation, all things considered,the best of the best of Champagnes are still an outstanding value. Try comparing them to the best of the best of Burgundy,Bordeaux or even Napa. This alone might turn you into a disciple of this order and steer you to drink more Champagne year around, and possibly push you to try a cuvée prestige now and again.

The top ten lists below are according to Gayot and Novus Vinum.

Consider these additional options:

- Billecart-Salmon: 1990 Grande Cuvée, $125
- Laurent-Perrier: Grand Siècle, $110
- Salon: Blanc de Blancs 1996, $300
- Charles Heidsieck: 1985 Champagne Charlie, $120
- Deutz: 1995 Cuvée William Deutz, $120
- De Venoge: Brut Champagne Millésime, $110
- Lanson: 1995 Noble Cuvée, $120
- Marcel Hemard: Origine 1995 Grand Cru, $130
- Perrier-Jouët: 1999 Fleur de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, $220
- Pol Roger: Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1995, $196
- Pommery: 1995 Cuvée Louise Brut Rosé, $120

And now, a few bottles and gift editions that are so beautiful, you may not even care what's inside.

The Palmes d'Or Grand Cuvée is a work of love for Feuillatte winemakers, as they have selected the best from the vintage. Only truly exceptional years qualify to produce it. A blend of 50% Chardonnay for elegance and finesse and 50% Pinot Noir for body and power. A pale yellow hue with fine delicate bubbles, its complex aromas are dominated by notes of pastry and caramel lifted by subtle touches of fennel, star anise and lemon peel. This smooth and balanced Champagne is beautifully packaged in a matte gold container and black velvet wrap.


"Mixed aromas of toasted grains, caramel and beer. Sweet and doughy with vanilla, malt and tart citrus. Lengthy finish with a mix of brioche, citrus and baked apple."
-Wine News

Buy it here.

Pinel et Pinel for Krug


Above: Krug's Escape Artist in Pinet et Pinel trunk

The Krug Escape Artist Collection is a limited edition of thirty handmade trunks in three styles that celebrate luxury and the partnership of the champagne-maker with bespoke trunk-maker Pinel & Pinel. The blue trunk (left) is "the trunk of the hedonist," and includes a pair of cigar holders, XCAR cigar cutter and a lighter, along with two bottles of Krug 1995. The red trunk (center) has poker cards, casino dice and 200 pro chips, as well as two bottles of Krug Grand Cuvée. The silver trunk (right) represents "style and glamour" and holds a Samsung T9 MP3 video player with Bluetooth, a JBL "On Tour Plus" sound system and two bottles of Krug Rosé. Each trunk costs approximately $17,000.



And a specialty Picnic Trunk for Krug, also by Pinel et Pinel:

The picnic trunk for Krug, an ultimate, eccentric, contemporary and enormous luxury moment. Trunk in wood and, for the first time, in brown leather colt type. Inside red leather. It gets 10 drawers, one is hidden behind the Krug champagne bottles. The drawers contain every accessories you need for an exceptional picnic. Nothing has been forgotten from the unforgettable Thermos bottle to the improbable truffle slicer.
The door hangs and 4 feet appear to install a table.
Size :Height : 37.4 in. – Width : 23.6 in – Depth : 15 in.
Weight : around 88 lbs
Buy it here.

Marc Newson For Dom

Above: Marc Newsom's design for Dom Perignon
This cooler is the first creation of the newly established Dom Pérignon Designers' Studio; Marc Newson reinterpreted the iconic Dom Pérignon bottle.
The monolithic, neon green cooler is more than just a receptacle for champagne, it was made from a special material designed to insulate ice and keep it frozen better than the conventional ice bucket.
This cooler is produced in a numbered, limited edition of 1000 pieces.
price: $1,000.00
Buy it here.


It also comes in brushed aluminum here.

Dom Pérignon's Rosé Guitar Case By Karl Lagerfeld.

The case contains six bottles of some of the rarest Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintages: one bottle Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 1966, two bottles of Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 1986, and three bottles of Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 1996. Each bottle is nestled in lambskin moulded to the iconic shape of the Dom Pérignon bottle.

These exclusive cuvées were cellared for between 11 and 41 years before being released. Neither the Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 1966 nor the Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 1986 is available on the market, creating a combination that represents the ultimate in excellence and rarity. The Dom Pérignon Rosé Guitar Case is available by special order only and delivered personally.
For More information, call: +33 (0) 3 26 51 20 00

The Upside Down Champagne from Piper Heiseck in honor of the Viktor Rolf Boutique In Milan which I blogged about last week.

From their surrealist clothes to their rule-breaking runway shows, nothing about Viktor & Rolf designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren is remotely conventional.
Now the Dutch duo has partnered with French Champagne house Piper-Heidsieck to turn the traditional champagne bottle on its head. Literally.

VIKTOR & ROLF ROSÉ SAUVAGE is a mini marvel of engineering – not to mention the chicest hostess gift ever and guaranteed attention-getter at the holiday office party.

Piper-Heidsieck Rosé Sauvage by Viktor & Rolf is available from Wine Shops in Knightsbridge, Dublin, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Leeds as well as Grand tastings in dallas and several other exclusive wine merchants.
More info about it here.
Or buy it online here.
And of course, Veuve Clicquot and Porsche Design Studio's Collaboration


Above: the Vertical Limit, a special temperature contolled chest with 12 individual vintages of Veuve Clicquot. Read the previous blog post about that here.

Also for Veuve Clicquot:

Andree Putnam's La Grande Dame Coffret

Buy it here.

And new this year from Veuve Clicquot:

Each one of the 3,200 limited edition Yellowboam bottles was hand made as a luxurious and artistic tribute to the world renowned Veuve Cliquot Yellow Label. However, a new twist comes in place of its famous label – the classic wording may have disappeared, but in its place is an exquisite Yellow leather demonstrating how Veuve Cliquot is recognized by the color of its label alone.

Above: detail of Ostrich and Galuchat labels

Each Yellowboam features one of three exotic leathers of Ostrich, Alligator or Galuchat (fish skin: skate/ray). Each bottle is sealed with foil covered in real 22.4 carat gold and topped with a collectible 24-carat gold-plated muzzle cap engraved with Madam Cliquot's signature as a hallmark of the finest quality.

The luxurious Yellow lacquered wooden box is a tribute to Yellow with a discreet red Signature laser print on the bottom right of the cover. Inside the wooden box is a modern and ingenuous block that keeps the Yellowboam chilled for two hours.

The Yellowboam features Veuve Cliquot's signature House Style with a blend of 50 to 60 different crus. The 3 liter bottle plays a key role in the wine's development as larger format bottles allow the wine to be conserved for a longer period of time.
Blend: 50 to 55% Pinot Noir, 28 to 33%Chardonnay, 15 to 20% Pinot Meunier

Price: $1,999.00
Buy it here.

Rauschenberg's Champagne bottle design for Taittinger



World renowned champagne producer, Champagne Taittinger, has commissioned the internationally acclaimed contemporary artist, Robert Rauschenberg to produce a limited edition design for their latest collectors bottle.



The 2000 vintage, which is produced using a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, will feature Rauschenberg’s design on both the bottle and display case and is being offered to collectors and connoisseurs.

Commenting on the new Raushenberg masterpiece, Lynn Murray of Hatch Mansfield – UK distributor of Taittinger Champagne, said: “The Taittinger Collection continues to be one of the most eagerly awaited releases from the Taittinger house. Produced in limited quantities they are aimed at collectors, but also make unusual and prestigious gifts’.

Buy it here.

Cheers! And best wishes for a fabulous 2008!

Many of these unusual bottles and gift sets can be purchased here.

photo l.a. 2008: the 17th Annual International Los Angeles Photographic Art Exposition

January 10-13, 2008

Artfairs inc., producer of the highly acclaimed art fairs photo Miami and ART LA, is pleased to announce that photo l.a. 2008, the 17th Annual International Los Angeles Photographic Art Exposition, which will take place January 10-13, 2008.

EXHIBITION HOURS
Friday, January 11 and Saturday, January 12, noon to 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 13, noon to 6:00 p.m.

Tickets are $20 for a one-day pass and $30 for a three-day pass.

The Conversations with Artists series of lectures are co-sponsored with LACMA and are free to the public. The Conversation with Julius Shulman will cost $10, as well a Sunday morning seminar on Book Collecting. Onsite collecting seminars are $80 (includes a three day pass and catalog). Student discounts for lectures and the fair are available with valid I.D.

At the opening night reception scheduled for Thursday, January 10 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., artfairs, inc. will welcome to Los Angeles, and photo l.a. 2008, the new Department Head and Curator of Photography at LACMA, Charlotte Cotton. Renowned architectural photographer Julius Shulman will be honored with photo l.a.’s inaugural lifetime achievement award in association with The Center -- a nonprofit organization that honors, supports and provides opportunity for gifted and committed photographers. Proceeds from the opening night reception will benefit the Photography Department of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Tickets to the opening benefit reception on Thursday, January 10, 2008 are $80 (which includes 1-day pass to the show). To order tickets to the benefit reception, email the Photography Department of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art at photola@lacma.org or contact the event hotline at (323) 932-5846.

All exhibition, lecture and preview reception tickets are available for purchase at the door or in advance. Seminar tickets should be purchased in advance. For additional information on photo l.a. 2008, visit www.artfairsinc.com.

To see a full list of exhibitors, click here.


Some of the photos you will see there:


Balthasar Burkhard
Rio Negro, 2002
Silver gelatin print on barite paper
23,5 x 63 inches
Iron frame
Edition of 7
Courtesy SCALO|GUYE



Balthasar Burkhard
Chicago, 2004
Silver gelatin print on barite paper
49,2 x 70,9 inches
Iron frame
Edition of 7
Courtesy SCALO|GUYE



Balthasar Burkhard
Shanghai, 2005
Silver gelatin print on barite paper
54,7 x 82,7 inches
Iron frame
Edition of 7
Courtesy SCALO|GUYE


Pierre Crocquet
Morning coffee
Silver gelatin hand print
75 x 60 cm
2006
From a series of work entitled EnterExit.
Courtesy of the Photographers Gallery za


Nicola Vinci
Il Beneficio Del Dubbio
Benefit of doubt
Diptych, 1/1
Lightjet on plexiglass
35 x 57 cm
2005
From a series of work entitled, Moonlight.
Courtesy of the Photographers Gallery za


Roger Ballen
Bent back
Silver gelatin hand print
40 x 40 cm
2001
From a series of work entitled, Shadow Chamber.
Courtesy of the Photographers Gallery za


Artist: Lukas Roth
Title: untitled 2007 (station)
Year: 2007
Medium: Lambda print
© Lukas Roth and courtesy Paul Kopeikin Gallery


Artist: Julie Orser
Title: Arrangement
Year: 2007
Medium: Chromogenic print
© Julie Orser and courtesy Paul Kopeikin Gallery

FAIR LOCATION
Barker Hangar
3021 Airport Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90405

BENEFIT RECEPTION
To honor Julius Shulman and
Benefit the Photography Department of the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Thursday, January 10th, 6-9 pm


©J. Paul Getty Trust. Used with permission.
Julius Shulman Photography Archive Research Library at the Getty Research Institute

Click here to download a Benefit Reception Ticket Order Form.
For more information on Benefit Reception tickets please email photola@lacma.org or call 323.936.5846

PUBLIC FAIR HOURS
Friday, January 11th, 12pm - 8pm
Saturday, January 12th, 12pm - 8pm
Sunday, January 13th, 12pm - 6pm

TICKETS
Click here to purchase day passes, seminar or lecture tickets.
$20 1-day pass (includes catalog)
$30 3-day pass (includes catalog)
$10 The Photobook: A Discussion
$10 Conversation with Shulman/DeWit
$80 Benefit Reception (includes a 1-day pass)

Click here to download a Benefit Reception Ticket Order Form.
For more information on Benefit Reception tickets please email photola@lacma.org or call 323.936.5846

Meet A Ceramicist Who Puts Her Head & Heart Into Her Work: Renate Hattinger

In her own words:
After my education at the HTBLA Ortweinplatz in Graz in the department of ceramics, I studied product design for ceramics with Matteo Thun at the University for Applied Arts in Vienna.

As a ceramist I work with different materials in ceramic technology. In the last years, however, I mainly specialized in the production of unique pieces and small series of porcelain.

I consider myself neither an artist in the classical sense nor a designer. I'd rather like to create a connection between the two disciplines. This means that the artistic expression of a product is more important to me than its ergonomic usefulness, I however create small art works which can also be used (e.g. as a box).

The following pieces of hers were exhibited at Blickfang 2007 in Kongresshaus, Zurich:

Think Tank



Material: porcelain, gold plated, luster
Dimension (H/W/D): 15x11x10,5cm
Approx. $173.00 USD
Think Tank in nacre version, pink version and blue version available for purchase here.

Think Tank is part of the series Human Interior. Human Interior are porcelain containers in form of the central human organs, heart and brain. The highly specialized organs heart and brain designed by nature are symbols for life, intelligence, love.

The invisible inside becomes visible and gets a concrete emotional meaning by careful processing and refinement of the object's surface. The objects are not only to be admired on pedestals and in showcases but to be used and filled. This perhaps allows an irreverent, but hopefully humorous usage of my creations.


Golden Heart:


Golden Heart
Material: porcelain, gold plated, luster
Dimension (H/W/D): 13 x 15 x 14 cm
Approx $317.00 USD
Buy it here.

Golden Heart is part of the series Human Interior. Human Interior are porcelain containers in form of the central human organs, heart and brain. The highly specialized organs heart and brain designed by nature are symbols for life, intelligence, love.

Also in White (biscuit):


The heart is also available in biscuit.
Approx $275.00 USD, just order it via Email

You can buy Think Tank and Golden Heart here at Pure Austrian Design's online shop.
Or you can contact the artist directly: renate.hattinger@chello.at

Visit her site to see her other work as well here.

Welcome To Longoland! The Curious Creations of Joshua Ben Longo

Well, there truly is no lack of unique talent to be found out there in cyberspace.
Meet artist/designer Joshua Ben Longo and Welcome to Longoland





I stumbled upon this site (not literally using Stumble Upon, however) and to my delight found some of the most curiously cuddly creations; fun furry monsters - complete with anatomically correct poopers and some radically whimsical furniture and clothing done in brushed woven wool and cashmere.

Apparently many of the items shown here are available for purchase upon inquiry, but Longoland plans to open an online store soon. Yay!

"Brooklyn Designs 07"
To successfully portray the Longoland world, Joshua had to not only make the monsters but design and build an evironment to house them. Everything in the image below was designed and built by Longoland.



Some more images from Longoland at brooklyn Designs 07:






"Monster Skin Rug"



Materials: Brushed Woven Cashmere & Wool, Polymer Clay
Dimensions:
Small: (approx 18in x 26in)
Medium: (approx 36in x 50in)
Large: (approx 50in x 70in)
Price: Available upon request.

"Monster Skin Chair"

Materials: Brushed Woven Wool, Antique Wing Back Chair
Dimensions: Available upon request.
Price: Available upon request.

"Beau"



Materials: Faux Fur, Wool, Polymer Clay, Polymer Stuffing
Dimensions: Approx.15in x 11in x 10in
Price: Available upon request.

"Macho"




Materials: Faux Fur, Wool, Polymer Clay, Polymer Stuffing
Dimensions: Approx.15in x 11in x 10in
Price: Available upon request.

"Grumpus"


Materials: Faux Fur, Wool, Polymer Clay, Medium Density Furniture Foam, Wood
Dimensions: Approx.15in x 11in x 10in
Price: Available upon request

The following fabulous pieces are sold:

"A Dictat on Etiquette"


Materials: Faux Fur, Wool, Polymer Clay, Polymer Stuffing
Dimensions: Approx. 36in x 20in x 20in
Price: Sold

"Mano Efferus"


Materials: Faux Fur, Wool, Polymer Clay, Polymer Stuffing
Dimensions: Approx. 15in x 11in x 18in
Price: Sold

I spoke briefly to Joshua via e-mail and asked him if there was anything else I ought to know about him. Amongst some other information, he had a comment that really stood out.

"I make art and design objects that make noises and speak to there owners. I talk to every piece I produce and when they talk back I know the piece is alive and ready to go their new owner." –Joshua Ben Longo

How wonderful is that?
There's a lot more to see on his fun site, be check out his archive of past work.

Joshua Ben Longo is also an Industrial Design Drawing instructor at the Pratt Institute & NJIT and home design consultant. He has an upcoming exhibition in May of 2008 at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont.

You can reach him here.

G1 GIYA Loudspeakers From Vivid Audio: Expensive & HUGE

and might I add...ugly?

Bizarre speakers by VIVID Audio to be unveiled next week in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show.
Suggested price? $54,000. USD

Maybe this pic below will show you why.


Those suckers are giant!

Press release:
Vivid Audio are proud to announce the G1 GIYA loudspeaker system to be launched during CES 2008 from the penthouse suite at THE MIRAGE HOTEL 7 to 11 January 2008. Please call Jerry Hanna on +1 860 593 3868 or Philip O'Hanlon (USA) +1 310 266 6337 for more information on this exceptional product.

A few 2008 Wall Calendars You Can Commit To

Another year. Another wall calendar.

If you're at all like me, choosing a wall calendar each year is like making a big commitment.
You're going to have to live with it and look at it and certainly, count on it, for the next 12 months. I have take my time and look long and hard for something I won't get sick of.

Or, maybe you got one of those "self-published-by-uploading-your-own-pic" calendars of relatives or dogs, and they just don't look right on your wall.

Here are a few beauties for 2008 that you ought to consider taking a look at:

The 2008 Julius Shulman Calendar

The cover of this elegant 11-by-14-inch portfolio features architectural photography of the 20th century taken by Julius Shulman. An art piece as well as a calendar, it is printed in high-resolution offset lithography with a satin aqueous coating. Individual pages are suitable for framing or for displaying on the wall or a table easel. An ideal gift for everyone from art neophytes to photography and architecture buffs, the calendar may be easily ordered directly from the AMC at 323 857-6501.

Modestly priced at $30, plus tax and shipping, with a ten percent discount for LACMA members, the calendar is also available through the LACMA Store.

Griffith Observatory Architectural Calendar 2008
Photographed by Julius Shulman & Juergen Nogai



Price $35.00 Beautiful images of Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles' award winning cultural icon, have been captured by the world's great photographers. In the spring of 2007, world-renowned architectural photographer, Julius Shulman collaborated with Juergen Nogai to photograph Griffith Observatory.
Twelve of these full-color photographs are presented in an elegant 11-by-14-inch presentation portfolio. Calendar and portfolio are gorgeously printed in high-resolution offset lithography with a satin coating. The portfolio contains twelve individual pages, each one suitable for framing or for displaying on the wall or a table easel.
Buy it here

The Elliot Erwitt 2008 calendar

An elegant calendar featuring Elliott Erwitt's witty photographs.
A month-to-view calendar featuring images by one of the leading photographers of his generation, Elliott Erwitt (b. 1928)
Thirteen carefully-selected images taken from the best of Erwitt’s work are combined here with elegant typography and a practical layout to create a functional, yet charming, piece of stationery for the home and the office. Each image is beautifully printed and featured as a full page, allowing you to cut out and keep your favorite images after the year has passed.

Buy it here.

Michal Kenna's 2008 Wall calendar

Michael Kenna’s intimate, exquisitely crafted black-and-white photographs reflect a sense of refinement, respect for history, and thorough originality. We are pleased to present our twelfth calendar featuring his work. Our 2008 Michael Kenna Wall Calendar is printed on an exclusive, uncoated, natural Japanese paper using “Daido black” ink.

It features both well-known and previously unpublished photographs: Pine Trees, Wolcheon, Gangwando, South Korea, 2007; Twenty One Fence Posts, Shirogane, Hokkaido, Japan, 2004; Graceful Oak, Broughton Castle, Oxfordshire, England, 2007; Motu Nui, Motu Iti and Motu Kao Kao, Easter Island, 2001; Basilica San Marco, Venice, Italy, 2007; Butterfly and Peonies, Kongobuji, Koyasan, Japan, 2006; Morning Clouds, Monument Valley, Utah, USA, 2005; Manhattan Skyline, New York, USA, 2007; Fifty Four Sticks, Calais, France, 1998; Le Desert de Retz, Study 9, France, 1988; Swan Song, Prague, Czechoslovakia, 1990; Early Cloud Cover, Mont St Michel, France, 1994; and Kussharo Lake Tree, Study 4, Kotan, Hokkaido, Japan, 2007. The print run is limited to 2,000 copies for international distribution; as always, early orders are encouraged.

Publisher: Nazraeli Press
Size: 14 x 18"

Buy it here.

The Miss Tuning World 2008 Calendar
This one will surprise you...but if you know someone who simply must have a cheesy slutty girl+vehicle calendar, there's a limited edition one of Miss Tuning 2008 on the market that's actually nicely shot and produced!



Lake Constance, the home of the TUNING WORLD BODENSEE, provided the scenery for the photographs for the 2008 Miss Tuning calendar. Austrian lifestyle photographer Christian Holzknecht who has recently worked for Playboy, put the new Miss Tuning, Silvia Hauten, in scenes (Only half with fabulous vehicles) for 12 calendar pictures.


Further information at www.tuningworldbodensee.de.
or buy it here- Europe and Australia only.

If nature is more your thing, photographer and digital artist, Jan Stary, has a limited edition Water wall calendar that is both striking and original.

12 months 13"x19" wall calendar with a spiral binding on top, each month on a separate page with a beautiful 10"x13" color photograph.
Order by email from Jan Stary,or by phone (206)850-6029.
price; $29.95 + $9 domestic Priority Mail shipping
2008 Calendar - WATER, Limited Edition

Or Franz Lanting LIFE, 2008.

Wire-spiral bound 19.7 x 27.6 in., 28 pages, Stunning nature photography, nicely produced by Taschen.
$29.99
Buy it here

If you must do a desk calendar, this is a great option:
Colour Calendar 2008 by Moritz Zwimpfer


Following the huge success of the Colour Calendar 2007, here is the Colour Calendar 2008 – and every day once again gets its own special color from Switzerland’s design genius, Moritz Swimpfer. This appealing, spiral-bound desk calendar is a bit like a Pantone book with room for notes; each day’s color brings its own scent, taste and sound, the implications of memory, the possibilities of the future. A beautiful little object, impeccably printed, for the desk or attaché case of a design aficionado, promising enjoyment long after 2008 is history. The appendix includes a calendar overview for 2008-2009, Pantone codes for the 365 colors, and blank pages for memos.
September 2007, English & German text
Softcover with spiral binding
382 pp, 43/4 x 6 inches
Retail Price: $28.00
Buy it here.

Above: A shot From the 2008 Pirelli calendar with its' Shanghai theme.

Of course, if you can get your hands on this years' Pirelli calendar, shot by Patrick Demarchelier or Lavazza's 2008 calendar shot by Finlay Mackay, consider yourself lucky. Those are not available to the public and getting one can only be a result of 'who you know'.

Above: the cover of this years' Lavazza calendar celebrating "MajesticWomen"

Now, if photos and illustration simply do not appeal to you, you cannot go wrong with the two following design classics, the Stendig and the Pentagram calendar.


NOTE: like many a designer, I buy a Stendig or Pentagram calendar that I can write upon in addition to a wall calendar. Maybe you should consider doing the same.

The 2008 Pentagram Typography calendar


Kit Hinrichs has designed Pentagram’s 2008 Classic Typographic Calendar using twelve typefaces designed by typographer Matthew Carter including Walker (originally designed in 1995 for the Walker Art Center), Snell Roundhand (a 1966 revival of 17th century English writing master Charles Snell) and Galliard (a 1978 anthology of Roman and Italian styles of French punch-cutter Robert Granjon). “I wanted to bring a new awareness of typographic design through this calendar,” said Hinrichs. “Typefaces are pervasive in our daily lives in everything we read and see around us and yet most people are oblivious of them or the circumstances in which they were created. We can gain a new perspective on our world by studying the origin of typefaces. I hope the calendar will encourage a new sensitivity to the importance of typeface usage and the work of Matthew Carter.”

The calendar is available in two sizes, a supersize 33-by-22 inch version suitable for wall hanging and a smaller 18-by-12 inch version appropriate for desk use. Both versions are available in the US and UK at kenknight.com. The price of the supersize calendar is $36 and the smaller desk and wall calendar is $22. (Prices do not include shipping.)

The 2008 Stendig Wall calendar


Massimo Vignelli has designed a lot of things but few of his designs are as pervasive or recognizable as his Stendig calendar. the Stendig calendar was designed in 1966 and is a classic. it graces the walls of architects and designers the world over, over forty years after it was designed, and these people know what looks good.


Dimensions: 4 feet by 3 feet makes the stendig; a richly sized, functional and affordable art-piece, ready to charm your home office and executive walls.
Buy either the Stendig or the Pentagram Calendars for 2008 here.

Letterpress & Indie Artist Calendars

Above: two examples of many of the letterpress desk calendars available at Etsy.com

There are also tons of beautiful letter pressed and independent artists' calendars for 2008 .
No blogger did a better job of rounding up these indie art calendars than Holly Becker's Decor8 two part series of calendars.
See Part One. And Part Two.

Be sure to check out etsy.com for many, many lovely options. of smaller desk calendars and calendar posters. Or my list of stationers and card shops in my side bar. all of whom make lovely calendars.

Pop Some Bubbly, Make A Chair. It's That Time Of Year Again.

To inspire you, last year's winners are shown below:


1. Grand Prize: Cantilever Block by Adam Weisberger of Louisville, Kentucky
2. Second Prize: Kleeko Chair by Stacie Matrka of Columbus, Ohio
3. Most Popular Award: Chair Squared by Edward Cristman of San Rafael, California
Click here to see last year's finalists.

Timeline:

• All entries must be sent to champagnechair@dwr.com by Monday, January 7, 2007, 5pm PT.
• Fifty (50) chosen finalists will be notified, via email, by January 9, 2008 and must send their chairs to the DWR office (225 Bush Street, 20th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104; attn: Champagne Chair Contest) by Friday, January 18, 2008.
• Online voting will take place during the week of January 28–February 1, 2008.
• Winners will be announced online on or around February 4, 2007.

Judging criteria:
Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

• Craftsmanship
• Creativity
• Character
• Innovative use of materials

Prizes:

• Grand Prize: One Grand Prize winner will receive a $1,000 DWR Gift Card and be featured on DWR's homepage.
• DWR Staff Favorite: One Staff Favorite winner will be selected by DWR employees and will receive a $500 DWR Gift Card.
• Popular Vote: One Popular Vote winner will receive a $500 DWR Gift Card. Winner of this award will be selected by an online poll.
• Fifty (50) contest finalists will be featured on our website and will be included in a traveling exhibition . showcased in DWR Studios across the country.

Click here for details.

Chris Sickels of Red Nose Studio's Look Book

I'm a big fan of Red Nose Studio. And have been for several years, since I first saw their work in the Sunday NY Times magazine editorials. I'm so enamored of the look and genre, that I have attempted to sell their work to several of my clients who, for whatever reason- some stated it was too dark--, have opted to decline.

Their loss.

Because Red Nose Studio, which is really just one super talented man named Chris Sickels, is about to become a household name, well...at least a design studio name. His work is a combination of puppetry, stop motion animation, art and soul. His stories are full of whimsy and tenderness and his characters are sweet, silly and a little strange.

Just last September, Chris released a beautiful new book for both adults and children alike,that makes use of his 3D characters that Red Nose Studio is known for.

The Look Book by Chris Sickels:


As siblings Ian and Ann try to keep themselves entertained during a long and boring summer day, they learn that the world around them is more exciting than it first appears. After they leave the house on a quest for amusement, they come across an unusual array of characters and scenarios that make them see the world in surprising new ways. From exercising priest to priests exorcising, and kitchen sinks to sinking kitchens, everything depends on how you look at it. Creative word plays grace every spread and teach the duo that there’s plenty to see if you open your eyes to the world around you.

The book measures 8"x 8″and has 64 color illustrations. The cover is die-cut so you can see through the spectacle ‘lenses’ to Ian and Ann on the inside.




Below are two spreads from the interior (click on them to enlarge and see them as you should):





$17.99 (Can $21.99)
ISBN 978-1-58180-940-4
You can buy the book at F+W Bookstore here.
Or buy it for less at Amazon here.
or for even less at Buy.com here.

Chris' own blog shares some wonderful background and sketches for the book.

In his own words:
"here are two sketches that were in the first group of roughs that started it all taken from a sketch book while flying out to NY to meet with a publisher. the idea got some laughs but nothing serious came from it. the sketches got filed away back in the studio and from time to time i would sit down and make myself laugh coming up with sketches and word pairs. several months later i get a call from Megan Patrick an editor with HOW books that asked about any ideas i might have for ‘fun’ books. after a phone conversation where i run through several ideas and getting not much of a response, the one idea about a twin sister and brother that see the same thing in their own way written with homonyms, was the one that she liked and asked that i work on some more. after going through hundreds of homonyms we weeded it down to a resonable (sic) list that i started doing sketches from. out of those about 10% made the cut and that was how the book started."

And as of recently, these 2 characters, Ian and Ann are making a big appearance, literally, in Indiana's Mass Avenue Cultural District . This past summer The Arts Council Indianapolis asked Chris to submit concepts and sketches for a 26×9 foot outdoor lightbox as part of the Public Art Indianapolis project. The piece they chose is titled See Saw.

Chris describes it as :
"In this scenario Ian sees what Ann saw, hence the title See Saw. You, the viewer, can't exactly see what they see, but my intention is that you will be encouraged to take the time to look at things differently and also enjoy the varying viewpoints of others."

The piece was installed on October 2nd and will be up for 12 months.
Below are shots of the installation.

Check out the work of Chris Sickels here.
And sometimes his art and actual puppets are for sale.

His animation is amazing and he has produced several sort films, like the Red Thread Project below, so please be sure to check out the quicktime movies on his site.

Above left: A poster for his short film "The Red Thread Project"

Above right: A framed print of "Temptation"

You can inquire about these and more by contacting him at chris@rednosestudio.com

He is represented in LA by Magnet Reps.

A Twisted Christmas by Rob Sheridan

Above: Presents Opening Children, by Rob Sheridan.

22" x 15", signed and numbered. $70 USD. Buy it here.

Original photo of Indie by Monika Hummer.

Funky Find Of The Week: Porcelain Airsickness Bag Vases

Disposal Series

Air-sickness bags were the inspiration for a series of vases and dishes designed by Hedwig Rotter for Mano Designs.

The silk-screens are old designs of asian airlines, india airlines and thai airlines.
This project is part of a continuous work themed material 'transformations'.
Each piece tells a story allowing different associations - a humorous look at a common object.
And yes, they are available for purchase. (see link below).

Material: porcelain, screenprint
Dimension (H/W/D): big vase: 19 cm x 10,5 cm x 8 cm, small vase: 13 cm x 14 cm x 7 cm, bowl: 27,5 cm x 10 cm x 6,5 cm
Weight: big vase: 850 g, small vase: 520 g, bowl: 500 g

Buy them here (under accessories)

My 15 Minutes of Fame

Above: the photo by Jay Clendening, accompanying the article in the LA Times

In todays' Los Angeles Times, reporter Alana Semuels did a story on social shopping networks for which I was interviewed. Imagine my pleasant surprise at the color 5" x 7" photo of myself (and my dog, Indie) accompanying the article, smack on the back page of the business section!

Here is the article:

By Alana Semuels, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
December 24, 2007

Laura Sweet may be the Internet's Oprah Winfrey -- for objects shaped like guns, that is.

Just as millions look to the billionaire talk show host for tips on books, health and beauty, hundreds turn to Sweet's "gun-shaped stuff" page on www.thisnext.com for hair dryers, television remotes and vases with the contours of firearms.

Sweet, who trolls the Internet every day for cool and wacky things that might be worth acquiring, has recommended 1,590 products on the Los Angeles-based website. "It has kind of pointed me out as a design maven," the 42-year-old Beverly Hills resident said as the holiday gift-buying season entered its final days.

So-called social shopping websites like ThisNext are uniting people the world over through their love of conspicuous consumption. By mentioning a product, a self-appointed authority can convert it from unknown junk to a must-have in moments. That's made superstars like Sweet popular with manufacturers trying to spread the word about their products.

So far, ThisNext has recorded more than 155,000 clicks on items based on Sweet's recommendations alone.

On Kaboodle, another social shopping site, members can check out recommendations from "featured Kaboodlers," who have lists of things they want, including "things for my cat" and "accessories and jewelry." The site had 4 million unique visitors in November, up from 1 million in June, and has sold ad space to major brands such as Crest and Visa.

"We're drawing on the wisdom of the crowds," said Manish Chandra, Kaboodle's founder and chief executive.

The crowds have eclectic tastes. Among the products made popular by online advocates: Walkie Bits, which are little turtles that move across tabletops; a faucet that changes colors based on the temperature of the water coming out of it; and a $50 watch that says NOW on its face instead of giving the time.

Morgan Bennett, creator of the watch, said sales spiked after the public relations director of ThisNext persuaded him to post the watch on the site. It hadn't been advertised anywhere else.

"One guy picked it, and then boom, some guy from Norway was looking at it," Bennett said. "Now they're pretty much sold out."

Although the sites provide links to places online where shoppers can buy the products listed, many members use them for getting ideas rather than shopping. When they intend to buy something, nearly 70% of U.S. consumers start their online shopping at a specific merchant's website, and only 0.08% start at Kaboodle, according to research firm EMarketer Inc.

For those who post on such sites, the lure of being known by peers as a person of impeccable taste is irresistible. Emily Boss, a member of ThisNext, said it's an ego boost when people e-mail you to compliment you on your fashion sense or mark your review as funny. She's part of the new ThisNext Maven program, selected by the company's staff as one of the site's more prominent tastemakers.

"There's definitely a feeling of being influential in a community that has a celebrity aspect to it," she said.

The sites have even made shopping celebrities out of fictional characters. Lizzie Nichols, a character in a series of novels by Meg Cabot, has a ThisNext fashion-and-beauty-favorites list, which includes underwear and fake eyelashes. (Fake shoppers, apparently, need fake eyelashes.)

Cabot's own list doesn't tell people to buy her book, but she is one of many people on the sites who have products for sale. Boss, the ThisNext Maven, works for an e-commerce company and sometimes recommends things her company sells.

Indeed, it can be difficult to tell whether an expert who suggests a purchase has a special interest in promoting it. Most of the websites try to block companies from posting -- rather than advertising -- their products.

But such companies as L.A.-based Marketingworks, which sells word-of-mouth marketing services, sends its "brand ambassadors" to various websites, including social shopping sites, where they set up profiles and talk about products the company is promoting.

Brand ambassadors "don't just go in there and converse," said Marketingworks Chief Executive Chas Salmore, "they have a loose, structured script to use to talk about the value of a particular promotion."

For Classic Media's "The Original Christmas Classics DVD Box Set," for instance, brand ambassadors were told it might be effective to say something along the lines of: "What's your favorite Christmas Classic? A lot of people really love 'The Little Drummer Boy.' 7 Christmas Classics are together in one DVD Set called 'The Original Christmas Classics.' I have the inside scoop because I work for them."

Salmore said the company wasn't spamming, but rather providing useful tips and inside information about things like upcoming sales and sweepstakes.

Many members and recommenders on social shopping sites say they don't care if someone has a vested interest in a product as long as he or she is honest about ties with the company.

As a popular recommender on ThisNext, Sweet gets lots of offers of swag and has accepted a free gift from a company she later reviewed. But she said her word-of-mouth couldn't be bought.

"I'm very particular about what I post," she said. "I'm not shilling for anyone. I'm just talking about things I like and admire."

alana.semuels@latimes.com

And congrats to Matt Condron, David Buckingham and Thisnext!!!

Since this nice little bit of press, I've been fortunate enough to receive some more wonderful mentions. For more recent press or an If It's Hip, It's Here press kit, please contact me.


Thanks so much!

Ego Lifestyle's New Galaxy Collection. Another Addition To the Luxury Notebook Line

Mention luxury and laptop and most people think Tulip's Ego Lifestyle Notebooks. As they should. Portable laptops with built-in chrome handles covered in exotic skins and lacquers, as well as studded with diamonds. But now, they've come out with yet another luxe edition, the Swarovski crystal-studded Galaxy Collection.

As their own press release reads:
"Glitter and Glamour. The Ego-Galaxy collection has a glittering appearance as it is embedded with hundreds of Swarovski crystals. The leather on the skins originates from Italy and has been treated with a special laser technique, resulting in a unique decorative pattern. The Ego-Galaxy collection contains four samples: orphine (set with transparent-, opal- and champagne-coloured Swarovski crystals), cosmos (with green-, purple- and emerald-tinted Swarovski crystals), celestial (with the spring colours of 2008, yellow-, opal- and sea green-coloured Swarovski crystals) and aura (white and purple tinted cow skin, with deep purple coloured Swarovski crystals)."


Above: One of the new Swarovski-studded paisley leather Galaxy Collection notebooks by Tulip Ego. Sold exclusively through www.ego-lifestyle.com



About us (in their own words)
The company, established in 2003, is engaged in the design, production, distribution and marketing of luxury lifestyle products. To that end, Ego Lifestyle works closely together with leading international companies and organisations in the fashion, luxury and lifestyle sectors.



We came up with a totally simple idea a few years ago: a notebook that you can carry like a bag. The idea was transformed into a full-scale and unique project and after years of research and development we are proud to present 'ego': the world's most luxurious notebook and portable dvd player in one.

Cornerstones
The Ego brand has been built around three main cornerstones, (1) Easy Going (easiness of use), (2) Luxury and Design and (3) Mobility. These cornerstones form the basic elements around which each Ego product is build.




Focusing on optimal user experience, Ego concentrates on keeping close control on all of its activities. Therefore, each Ego is handmade in their own European Ego ateliers from the finest handpicked and superior quality materials.

Heritage
Ego has strong roots in development and marketing of electronic technology. Ego Lifestyle B.V. originated from Tulip Distribution and International Holding that was entitled to the exclusive rights of the Tulip brand from Tulip N.V., Europe’s leading computer manufacturer in the 70’s. Tulip N.V. still holds the first European license of Microsoft Corporation.

Building on this past technology know how, Ego started developing independent activities in 2002. Founded by Huub van den Boogaard, the Ego concept engendered immense press attention from all over the globe as turning the market around.

Completely breaking with traditional design and use of computers, Ego became the first to integrate luxury materials and groundbreaking design into highly functional handmade luxury electronics.

Each Ego is a unique handmade lifestyle piece of electronic jewellery equipped with the latest proven technology.



Handmade
Every ego is manufactured at our high-quality atelier using dedicated craftsmanship to make sure that every ego is unique and features unsurpassed excellent product quality and finishing. Completely personalised to match your desires, it could be your ego.

Changeable skins
The notebook's changeable skins mean you can always make it match your successful contemporary lifestyle by simply changing the outer skin using the clever locking mechanism. The skins are available separately in leather or with a lacquer finish.

Our design team selects only the finest quality materials to ensure every ego meets the highest standards of excellence.

Truly personal
The current world of mass production triggers the desire for exclusivity and personalisation. Ego enables fulfilment of this desire by offering a large selection of choices in finishing, artwork, fabrics and the finest quality leather. Unique, because every ego is handmade at our own high-quality atelier.

Ego Lifestyle B.V. is located in an historical building in ’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands.


Above: their least expensive cover.

Above: a special diamond studded cover that sold for $30,000.

Below are just some of their exotic skins and leathers (click on pic to enlarge):





Diamond and Platinum Collection



Ego Diamond & Ego Platinum, a remarkable lifestyle piece of electronic jewellery equipped with the latest proven technology.

The skins of the Ego Diamond & Ego Platinum are made of superior quality leathers. Ego features a broad selection of leathers that can be selected to create the ultimate personal luxury experience. All skins are set with gold ornaments set with sparkling diamonds.

Based on the Ego Signature, the Ego Diamond and Ego Platinum provide you with the ultimate personal experience. Like an haute jewellery piece, both the Ego Diamond and Ego Platinum can be tailor made to your specific desires. Use of materials like 18 carat white gold, polished platinum, and Top Wesselton V.V.S. 1 quality diamonds make the Ego Diamond and Ego Platinum articulate luxury statements.

Truly unique, as the skins can be encrusted with a gold or platinum logo, letter or initial set with diamonds. The Ego Diamond carries your personal signature on the inside on the spacebar.





Limited Editions

Monique Colligon


An exclusive fusion of unique fashionable design and ultimate functionality.
Ego MC, when haute couture meets technology.

Following its roots, Ego joined forces with famous Dutch Couturier Monique Collignon to establish the ultimate link to fashion. This cooperation resulted in the Ego MC, a completely personalised electronic fashion statement.

With outer skins specially designed by Monique Collignon with the Collignon logo embossed in four different colours and leathers, the signature of Monique Collignon on the keyboard, the special limited edition number and name engraved in two 18 carat white gold ornaments and the personalised handwritten card by Monique, the Ego MC is a fusion between haute couture and luxury electronics.




Jan des Bouvrie
Ego by Jan, the premium luxury notebook designed to embody your expressive style.
A fusion of two revolutionary brand synergised into a unique cooperation ego by jan.
Dedicated attention has been given by jan des bouvrie to add functional design to the already revolutionary design of the ego notebook.




Special handpainted/ airbrushed and signed Spiderman edition by artist Andy Davis:



Please visit their site for technical specs and additional information.

I will be posting their newest and latest notebooks on Tuesday, May 27th, 2008, so come back to the blog then to see a bunch of wonderful new addition to their collections!

Buy any of the above ego notebooks here.

Update: Their newest Ego for Bentley:




available in various colored leathers, learn more here.


And then you've got to check out their hip versions with sayings and more here.

Ego Lifestyle B.V.
Parade 15
5211 KL 's-Hertogenbosch
The Netherlands
T +31 (0)73 692 95 00
F +31 (0)73 692 95 09
E question@ego-lifestyle.com

Kudos To Some of My Fave Artists: Karin Jurick, David Buckingham & Scott Rench

Karin Jurick
Congratulations to my dear friend and talented painter, Karin Jurick on her being chosen as a finalist in the competition for "People & Figures" by International Artist Magazine Competition.

Her painting "Strictly Pedestrian" was chosen as one of the featured pieces in the Dec/Jan issue.


Above: Karin Juricks' Strictly Pedestrian

Visit Karin's site here.

David Buckingham
Congratulations to another good friend and talented metal artist, David Buckingham of Buckingham Studio, Los Angeles. Some of his fabulous wall-mounted 3D soldered metal letter art was commissioned for the masthead of William Safire's column in today's New York Times Magazine !


Above: screen grab from NY Times Magazine online

Of course, the online version screws up the colors, but in the actual magazine they look great and more like the original seen here:



Visit David's site here.

Scott Rench
One of my favorite multi-talented artists is Scott Rench whose work finds it's way into and onto some of the most interesting shows and collaborations. Right now he has many pieces in the fabulous Fragiles Porcelain show at Design Miami as well as a T-Shirt for sale at the ultra hip Threadless and he has even created one of the now sold out everywhere limited edition bottles of Bong Spirit Vodka.





Above: Some of Scott's pieces in the Fragiles Show

Above left: Scott's Threadless T.
Buy the t-shirt here.

Above right: Scott's artwork on the Bong Spirit Vodka Bottle

Visit Scott's Site here.

Viktor & Rolf Turn Fashion On Its Head

My friend Betsy Wills asked me if I'd ever been to the Viktor & Rolf boutique in Milan. I told her I hadn't and asked her why. She told me that her husband, a talented builder, was going to be creating an upside down room in their new home, like that in the Viktor & Rolf boutique in Italy.

So, I had to check it out, of course.
Wow. If you've never been to the Dutch designers' Viktor & Rolf Boutique in Italy, it's quite unusual. The entire store is designed upside-down.

That's right, the floor is on the ceiling, the ceiling on the floor.

The outside window displays have chandelier's sprouting from the floor and even their store signage on the windows is upside-down.

The only thing right side up are the clothes and prices, of course.

It's really amazing as you'll witness by the following photos. Just looking at them makes me a little sick to my stomach, but not as much as the prices for their clothes do.











So, if you find yourself in Milan, toss back a few Dramamine and go on in to see this unsual example of visual merchandising,architecture and interior design.

More Viktor & Rolf

Check out this video about A Year In the Making Of A Fashion House

Viktor & Rolf: Because We're Worth It.
A film called FASHION DISSECTION, Narrated by Tilda Swinson.

Tilda Swinton explains that Viktor & Rolf are like scientists who are not disturbed by surface or sensation but rather calmly dissect and deduce fashion organisms.



Buy the dvd here.

Other Viktor & Rolf Posts to enjoy:

•Viktor & Rolf Say "NO" To Fashion


•Viktor & Rolf's Barbican Exhibit With Side By Side Comparisons of the Dolls & Fashions With The Runway Models

Pirelli Makes More Than Tires: Pirelli Films, Calendars, Clothes & Watches

When you think of Pirelli, you probably think tires. Or Tyres, depending upon your country of origin.
But there's more to Pirelli, the company and the brand than just some cool 20" dubs.




Pirelli has chosen film via Internet to promote its brand and business activities.

After the successful first edition, the new Pirelli short film, Mission Zero , will star Uma Thurman and be directed by Kathryn Bigelow of Strange Days and Point Break fame.

The Call was the first short film by PirelliFilm, directed by Antoine Fuqua, (King Arthur and Training Day), features John Malkovich and Naomi Campbell.


Watch The Call here.

The new short film Mission Zero is based on hair-raising chase scenes, but only the final scene of the clever plot will reveal the solution to a series of unexplainable events that happen to the star. Director Kathryn Bigelow gave a realistic interpretation of the script and added great emotional and psychological tension to the action scenes.


See Mission Zero here.
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Now, About That Pirelli Calendar

Those of you familiar with the annual Pirelli calendars should know that the 2008 one, shot by Patrick Demarchelier is out and can be seen here.

The 2008 Pirelli Calendar
The thirty-fifth edition of "The Cal", the first ever realized in Asia, is an exceptional visiting card to bring the world of Pirelli to the public of the Orient.



The 2008 Calendar is set entirely in Shanghai: the picturesque streets of the old French Concession, the splendid gardens of the former British Legation, the mysterious and sensual atmosphere of forbidden China, the convulsive Nanjing Road and the characteristic tea houses constitute the background for the camera shots that will grace the coming months.

Theme
The twenty-three intense portraits recount the pomp of ancient China, with its splendour and the colours in which the Oriental myth of female beauty “perfection, purity, grace - is searched out. "Very often I find Western people seem to go for the more cliché Chinese faces: long hair, slanted eyes. All that has changed I think. Many Chinese women are graceful; I think we have an inner grace that's more rare than you find in the West," affirmed Maggie Cheung, the well-known Chinese actress.

The Photographer
Patrick Demarchelier, the influential maestro of portrait photography, who for the second time authors the celebrated almanac (his first Pirelli Calendar was shot in 2005 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) said: "The casting was a fascinating mix between the West and the Orient: an interesting group of faces."

How the Pirelli calendars began:
The Pirelli Calendar testifies how our group has always been able to compete effectively with the world's leading industries in the area of communications.
The Cal dates back to 1964, when the Marketing Department of Pirelli Ltd in the UK decided to issue a Calendar for their top U.K. customers as a gift for the closing year. In fact, the Pirelli Calendar project had been born one year earlier, in 1963, with Terence Donovan but it was never published.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wish you could see all the past Pirelli Calendars? Now you can.
Rizzoli has just issued a beautiful book of Pirelli's calendars.



The Complete Pirelli Calendars
1964-2007
Written by Edmondo Berselli, Contribution by Francesco Negri Arnoldi
Pub Date: March 2008
Format: Hardcover
Category: Photography
US Price: $85.00
CAN Price: $110.00
ISBN: 978-0-8478-3007-7 (0-8478-3007-1)
Publisher: Rizzoli
Trim Size: 11 x 11

My gift to you? This awesome deal:
At Overstock, they are pre-selling it now for only $50.00 and shipping is only $2.95! And that's 5% less than on Amazon.

about the book
The extraordinary history of the Pirelli calendars began in 1963 when the Pirelli tire company created a calendar featuring pin-up models as a promotional piece to send to its top customers as a gift for the closing year. Every year since, the company has called upon world-renowned photographers such as Richard Avedon, Mario Testino, Herb Ritts, Norman Parkinson, Bruce Weber, and Annie Leibovitz to photograph the world’s most beautiful women, including Iman, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Sophia Loren, Naomi Watts, and Penelope Cruz. It has continued to generate publicity for its exclusivity; a huge public clamors for the calendar, but it is only available to a very privileged list of corporate customers and VIPs.
A product of the cultural revolution of the 1960’s, the Pirelli calendar has shaken the world with the audacity, sensuality, and innovation of its content. The images stretch the parameters of sensual fantasy and fabulous photography, but their subtlety and quality also establish the calendar as a paradigm of its genre and a coveted collector’s item.
This book contains all the photographs of the calendars from 1964-2007, the never-published calendar of 1963, as well as intimate behind-the-scene photographs. The stunning imagery is accompanied by a comprehensive text, which traces not only the evolution of the calendar but also the history of photography in the past forty years.

About the Author
Italo Zannier is Professor of History of Photography in Venice and author of numerous books.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
And it doesn't stop there.


PZero is a line of clothing and accessories for men and women from Pirelli.

Their own press release:
Pirelli enters the world of clothing design with the PZero project.
Leaving aside fashion formulae and seasonal tendencies, in two years of research a group of experts has come up with a selection of unique styles. Archetypes successively developed in variations of colour and materials, in order to concentrate the functions of several items and accessories into a single piece.


PZERO: CUSTOM-BUILT DRESSING
The name of each model has the suffix PZero: code name of the Pirelli tyres of the same name, invented in 1987 for the Ferrari F40 saloon. This was a real first, developed from Formula One radials for use on ordinary roads.
The “custom-made” Pirelli quality is constant in any area. In fact, the description Pirelli gives its tyres, “highest performance coverings” will cover this clothing design project perfectly too.


One of the most fun items is their line of watches for both men and women. The band emulates a tire (tyre).
Take a look at a few of them:



Water-proof diving watches,, chrono, analog, date.... many styles for both men and women:



They even have them with diamonds for bling loving motor enthusiasts or ballers.

Shop for pirelli clothes, watches and more for men and women here.

More about Pirelli

Bandages For The Heart. And Finger. Alyssa Dee Kraus' unusual jewelry.

Thanks to my hip friends over at NOTCOT, I can share with you some very unusual jewelry designed by Alyssa dee Kraus. Below are her "Bandages For The Heart". Made in 18k yellow gold or sterling silver, each has a genuine deep red garnet on the backside representing a drop of blood.
A portion of each sale of the "Bandages For The Heart is donated to a charitable cause.


Please click on the text below to enlarge and read more about her concept.



In addition to the bandages, she makes Wedding Band(aid)s in 18k yellow gold and sterling silver.
Each is also punctuated with a deep red garnet representing a drop of blood like the bandages.


Very cool, huh?
Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so, both rings are already sold out.
However, you can still buy the bandages from her site.

In addition to these, her jewelry designs are both unusual and stunning.
To learn more about Alyssa and her work, check out her site here.

Design That Takes The Cake:Meet Cakegirls of Chicago

If you're lucky enough to live in Chicago you have access to one of the most imaginative and talented cake makers (bakers?) around. Cakegirls are sisters Mary and Brenda Maher. Originally from Detroit, now located in Chicago, they create edible art for everything from Brides to Babies. Boys to Business.


Above: the girls behind the cakes; talented sisters Mary & Brenda Maher

Unfortunately, they don't ship their cakes. Yet. But I'm hoping they do sometime soon! Take a look at the some of their "hard-to-believe-they're-edible" creations!

Click on all the cake images to enlarge for details

Holiday cakes:



Stunning Wedding Cakes, of course:





Hip Tech cakes:




Adorable Kid's cakes:




Cakes for the Bride to be:




Their Signature Purse cakes:


Baby Cakes For the Mommy to be:




Cakes fit for a King:





Just Fabulous cakes:



Not only delicious looking, but from the sound of their menu, delicious tasting. Click on the image below to enlarge:



Where are they?

See their site here.

Moss Introduces Studio Job's Robber Baron Series at Design Miami

For those of you who are not familiar with the work of Studio Job, they are best known, at least here in the US, for their collection of stark white edgy porcelain dishes and containers designed for royal tichelaar makkum in 2006.


Above: some pieces from Studio Job's collection for Royal Tichelaar Makkum, 2006

This makes their new collection, recently unveiled at Design Miami, in stark contrast, literally, to their previous work. Read on.

Source: Dezeen Magazine, December 9th, 2007

Design Miami 07: Studio Job present new pieces from their Robber Baron series at Moss during Design Miami.

The five monumental pieces, cast in bronze, combine stylized elements from famous landmarks around the world and represent industrial power, wealth and corruption.

Details from Moss follow:

Robber Baron~tales of power, corruption, art, and industry, cast in bronze,by Studio Job

Conceived in 2006, Robber Baron is an important suite of five cast-bronze furnishings, consisting of a Cabinet, Mantel Clock, Table, Standing Lamp, and Jewel Safe, each to be offered in a limited edition of five, exclusive to Moss.

Magnificent in scale, exceptionally finely modeled, detailed, and cast, with precision mechanical movements where required, incorporating deeply carved iconographic reliefs, with areas highly polished, gilded, or patinated, these works are guild-like in their master craftsmanship.

Their mirror finish reflecting the outrageous excesses of America’s 19th century tycoons and Russia’s new oligarchs, these surreal, highly-expressive furnishings, each a complex composition of multiple visual elements depicting a narrative - much like a cathedral’s stained glass windows or its majestic bronze front doors - represent an interior belonging to a powerful industrial leader or his heirs. With clouds of pollution belching from towering smoke stacks, and missiles, falcons, gas masks, warplanes, and wrenches adorning golden surfaces, Robber Baron celebrates and shames both Art and Industry.

Cabinet
A polished bronze cabinet with black patinated “bomb crater” and gilded reliefs, inspired by a 17th century armoire by André-Charles Boulle, in the Wallace Collection, London. The heavy doors are fully functional because of a ball bearing mechanism.

Polished, patinated and gilded cast bronze
approximate dimensions: 46” x 20”, height 69”
approximate weight: 2,200 lbs.

Jewel Safe
A patined bronze ‘safe’ with a ‘Jack-in-the-Box’ popping up out of the craggy top. The polished bronze head is colored with oil-based pigments, highlighting the collar, nose and other features. The lock mechanism is operated by turning the clown’s nose, and the door hinge employs a ball bearing mechanism.

Polished, patinated and painted cast bronze
approximate dimensions: 20” x 20”; height 48”
approximate weight: 550 lbs.

Mantel Clock
A patinated bronze pedestal clock supported by gilded oil barrels atop a model of the Florentine Galleria degli Uffizi, with Robber Baron reliefs. The dial of the clock is inspired by London’s Big Ben, circled by a futile railway running endless circles on a rocky land-scape. The clock face can be shut with cast bronze stable doors. On top of the clock sits a Neo-Classical ‘dream house’, partially shrouded by a cloud.

Polished, patinated and gilded cast bronze; mechanical clockwork
approximate dimensions: 26” x 20”, height 42”
approximate weight: 550 lbs.

Standing Lamp
A patinated bronze floor lamp in which three important icons of architecture – the Parthenon, the Empire State Building and Saint Peter’s Basilica - merge into one. The Zeppelin docked at the pinnacle symbolizes technological failure, and references the Empire State Building, whose top spire was originally intended as a mooring for Zeppelin airships. When illuminated, the hundreds of windows glow, diffused by a hand-blown frosted glass interior. The light bulbs can be changed by lifting the polished bronze ‘cloud’.

polished and patinated cast bronze; glass; electrical components
approximate dimensions: 24” x 20”, height 63”
approximate weight: 990 lbs

Table
A patinated bronze “factory”, whose architecture is derived from interpretations of various early 20th century works, including the AEG factory of Peter Behrens and the Battersea Power Station in London. The four chimneys produce a “polluted cloud” of polished bronze, which becomes the open-work tabletop.

polished and patinated cast bronze
approximate dimensions: 72” x 36”, height 30”
approximate weight: 770 lbs

Relevant Links:
Moss
Design Miami
Studio Job

Cement Made Charming: Pull + Push Products

In the last couple of weeks, designer Nobuhiro Satou has made quite an impression amongst design bloggers and community product sites.


Above: designer Nobuhiro Satou with one of his cube planters.

For those of you not yet familiar with Pull + Push, let me introduce you to their charming, industrial-looking cement tabletop product line, all of which are available for purchase.
Coasters, planters, incense burners, ashtrays, lamps and more, Pull Push products are hand-crafted and all of designed by Nobuhiro Satou.
And they are reasonably priced ranging from $7.50 - $120. USD, especially for items made by hand.

The Coasters:

Above: the simple cement coaster, in 2 sizes with protective underside


Above: The corner coaster (4 pack). buy it here.

Above: the Corner coaster is also sold as a single. buy it here.

Above: One of three cement coasters that integrate a map. buy it here.

The Incense Burners:

Above: the House pot

Above: The Cottage Pot (also available with colored glass windows)

Buy the $ 56 Cottage Pot incense burner here.

Above: the Tou incense burner. buy it here.

The Planters:


Above: the cube planter ($80. USD), also available with colored glass windows (see below):

Buy the cube planter here.

Above: the Dan flower vase, buy it here.


Above: The Haisui planter ($48. USD) Buy it here.

Above: the Hei planter buy it here.

Above: the Truss Planter ($48 USD) Buy it here.

Above: The Pipe Planter ($48. USD) Buy it here


Above: the Mansion planter ($120 USD). Buy it here.

The Ashtrays:

Above: the cement ashtray buy it here.

Above: the Kiso ashtray ($48 USD). Buy it here.

Above: the Foot ashtray ($50. USD) Buy it here.


Above: the Ash Block buy it here.

Miscellaneous products

Above: the Building Lamp buy it here.


Above: Their cement pushpins ($7.50 USD) Buy them here.

The products are small in scale, adding to their charm:


They've also created several products in conjunction with other companies:





A bit about the designer, Nobuhiro Sato:
1999: Graduated from The Kyoto Seika College fine arts department design subject construction field.
1999-02: Joined Modeling production company in Kyoto.
2002: Established PULL+PUSH PRODUCTS with the concept of “Doors” to pull and push new ideas in and out. Every item is personally handmade. Every product is Nobuhiro Sato’s style to convert things we take for granted into inspiring new ideas Sato has endless ideas on incorporating architectural buildings into our lifestyle interior goods. Utilizing his expertise in cement modeling, he created a whole line of unique products that are not only decorative, but also functional.

You can buy all their products at their site by clicking here.
Or find many of them here.here.
Or here.
Or here.

Colette's Cool Collaborations

One of my favorite stores' websites is that of Colette, whose physical store has been located at 213 Rue Saint Honoré since opening in march of 1997. The french cyber home to Cap and Pep (Capperino and Peperone, the two adorable dog 'mascots' created by designers Kuntzel + Deygas) and all things cool when it comes to art, fashion, style, music and design.



The site design is a delight, an engaging interface accompanied by hip music you can opt to turn off, down or up. And the site is very deep, you can spend hours on it.



Because the site is all flash, several surfers have missed out on Colette because it doesn't show up when you 'google' something.

They have so many wonderful projects in the works, images to see, exhibitions to attend, I wish I could tell you about them all, but instead I've chosen to focus on some of their recent collaborations between artists and designers. So, be sure to settle in when you have some time and surf their site: http://www.colette.fr

Never a stranger to collaboration, Colette has premiered many limited editions of fabulous items in conjunction with Medicom's Be@rbricks, Kid Robot's Dunny Series, Absolut Vokda, Disney, and Goyard to name but a few. Go to their site and look at archived issues of their newsletter or look under their 'design' section and you'll find a million things to write home about.

But today I'm talking about four of their most recent collaborations.

1. Famous japanese label Comme des Garçons meets artist KAWS for a series of limited edition products: leather wallets, men & women t-shirts, wool bags & fragrance sets. This amazing collaboration should make many people happy. Starting November 15th at colette and on colette.fr, then from November 24th at Comme des Garçons, Dover Street Market, OriginalFake.




Buy the Comme Des Garcons and Kaws Products here.


2.Longchamp and Paris DJ Michel Gaubert have collaborated to come up with the MG collection. A mini-collection that address creative, practical and technical needs. From ipod cases to high tech bags. Below are some pieces from the collection:






Buy the MG collection here.

3.Sexy & scorching hot, the colette Sex candle (they named it, I didn't) is back in a Purple magazine's Olivier Zahm designed box, with Terry Richardson pictures (the photographer who shot the controversial Tom Ford Cologne ads I blogged about) & an unseen print from artist André.




Buy the SEX candle here.

4.In 2005 Finé Japon decided to launch it's project for new bottle designs. Finé Japon plans to make people more aware of the connection between aesthetics and functionality of products. For its first new bottle design, Finé asked Karim Rashid to collaborate after having admired his bottle and packaging designs for clients such as Issey Miyake, Kenzo, Shiseido and Prada. After 2 years of work with Karim, Finé is pleased to be able to finally offer you its new, limited edition bottle "that captures the fluidity and purity of thermal artesian water". Worldwide premiere at Colette.

the current bottle:


Karim's New Bottle for 2008:

Finé Japon Water

Limited Edition Beck Sticker Poster For "The Information" CD

Beck
The artwork for Beck's most recent album, 'The Information', took the form of a collaboration between 20 leading graphic artists curated by London design team Big Active and Beck himself. The album package is sold featuring a blank cover, each CD containing one of four different sticker sheets encouraging the listener to create their own unique artwork in a way that is highly reflective of Beck's idiosyncratic approach to his music. To celebrate this collection of talent we've produced this unique piece of sticker art memorabilia including work by Jody Barton, Estelle & Simon, David Foldvari, Genevieve Gauckler, Michael Gillette, Jasper Goodall, Han Lee, Mat Maitland, Will Sweeney, Kam Tang, Kensei Yabuno and Vania Zouravliov.



details of poster:





"The Information" £150 + Delivery
(Approx USD300 / EUR220 + Delivery)

"The Information"
Art lithography & foil on kiss cut semi gloss sticker sheet stock.
Sheet size: 37x59.5cms
Limited to an edition of 200
Signed by Beck and hand numbered (see signature and number detail above):


Buy the poster here.

Christmas Cards Worth Framing

Barbican Estate Christmas Cards by Stefi Orazi & Wallpaper Magazine's Bespoke Christmas Cards

Stefi Orazi's New Christmas Cards

The sharp angular lines found amidst the Modernist architecture of London’s Barbican may not convey the most obvious inspiration for seasonal tidings. But appreciators of all things abstract can now send their Christmas greetings in one of Stefi Orazi’s Special Edition Barbican Estate Christmas cards.




Click here to see more Of Stefi's cards

Earlier this year Wallpaper Magazine was elated with Orazi’s first foray into card design, which again drew inspiration from her Barbican setting. With such a strong affiliation for her local architecture, the London-based graphic designer has swung into the festive spirit, transforming her beloved muse into a geometric winter wonderland.

Fans of Orazi will have to be quick off the mark though, as she is only producing the range in 100 Special Edition packs, each containing eight contemporary illustrated cards and envelopes. However, the designer’s Barbican passion shows no sign of abating as she has recreated her illustrations on a larger scale in collaboration with fashion company Chris Tibor.

visit the artists' site and purchase cards here
_______________________________________________________________________________________

W* Bespoke Christmas Cards

To celebrate the festive season in our usual style-conscious manner we have enlisted the creative talents of some of our most cherished designers from the year gone by. The four chosen designers, who range from intricate illustrators to graphic artists, have crafted their own homage to Christmas in the form of a bespoke card designed exclusively for Wallpaper* that are to be produced as 250 limited edition sets.

Card 1: Körner Union
In 1999, art students Sami Benhadj, Tarik Hayward and Guy Meldem formed Körner Union. Through the sharing of ideas and tools they aimed to promote and enhance the development of their individual production as well as create collective works. Through taking on various artistic experiments, Körner Union have flourished within different mediums of design, from photography to illustration, and have now applied their never bashful humor to the festive season.

Card 2: Ahonen & Lamberg
After a stint studying graphic design in both Helsinki and Paris, Anna Ahonen & Katariina Lamberg decided to pool their creative talents and set up shop. Since opening the Ahonen & Lamberg design studio in the autumn of 2006, the Finnish design duo have been trying their hand at art direction, graphic design, and illustration ever since.

Card 3: Parra
Parra is something of an underground star in his hometown of Amsterdam, where his club posters and flyers are treasured by a generation of design fanatics. Almost entirely self-taught, Parra employs a minimal color palette, beautifully hand drawn typography and esoteric characters, all of which hark back to the screen posters of the 1960s and 1970s. Only taking on a few commercial design jobs each year, the designer prefers to devote his attentions on the posters through which he has found success.

Card 4: Supermundane
London-based designer Supermundane isn’t unfamiliar with collaboration, having previously worked with the likes of Orange, New York Times and actress-turned-songstress Juliet Lewis. In fact, it was his work with SleazeNation and Good For Nothing magazines that first took his pared down, hand-produced aesthetic to a wider audience. Although Supermundane has become known as an illustrator, typographer and art director, it is his graphic art, which depicts a Utopian world of organic shapes and beasts displaying hope, melancholy and beauty that has inspired the design for his W* Bespoke Christmas Card.

SOURCE: Wallpaper magazine

Walter Martin & Paloma Munoz: Wonderfully Wicked Winter Wonderland

The Cerealart Project Room Presents Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz



Cerealart is proud to present an exhibition of photographs by Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz,
November 16, 2007 - January 25, 2008.

Like fairy tales or dreams Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz construct trancelike, metaphorical panoramic photographs and snow globes. The collaborative team, which have been working together since 1993, draw from art historical references ranging from Goya and Persian miniatures to literary references from William Blake to Zadie Smith.

The photographs are also influenced by pictorial Chinese landscape painting which use negative space as atmosphere and small figures in wide expanses. The images tell expressive tales of lonesome travelers in the frozen wilderness that contain an arctic topography of snow-clad hills, boulders and dead trees where one or more tiny sculpted people are passing through or stranded. The result is a stage everyone is bound to enter when life has lost its warmth and promise, at which point finding a new way becomes desperately urgent.


A Winter Walk, 2006, C-Print mounted on Plexiglas,
39 x 65 inches, Edition of 6


Wish and Weight, 2007, C-Print mounted on Plexiglas, 26 x 60 inches, Edition of 6.


The Mail Boat, 2007, C-Print mounted on Plexiglas,
38 x 100 inches, Edition of 7.


Traveler 170 at Night, 2005, C-Print mounted on Plexiglas, 33 x 40 inches, Edition of 5.

Below are some more images of c-prints taken from their site. I do not know if these are not included in the Cerealart exhibit.

(click on image to enlarge)









Be sure to go here to see all of their recent work for this project.

Cerealart will also be exhibiting three snow globe multiples from Martin & Munoz's "Traveler" series which were recently published in hand-signed edition of 250 of each (shown below with links to purchase).



If you'd like to have the actual snowdomes by these artists, they are for sale


ITEM NO: 12166
SIZE: Globe diameter: 4.75” / 12.1cm, Overall: 6” / 15.24cm
MATERIAL: See description
EDITION: Edition of 250, hand signed and numbered.

$750.00 Buy it here.


ITEM NO: 12167
SIZE: Globe diameter: 4.75” / 12.1cm, Overall: 6” / 15.24cm
MATERIAL: See description
EDITION: Edition of 250, hand signed and numbered.


$750.00 Buy it here.


ITEM NO: 12168
SIZE: Globe diameter: 4.75” / 12.1cm, Overall: 6” / 15.24cm
MATERIAL: See description
EDITION: Edition of 250, hand signed and numbered.

$750.00 Buy it here.

You can also buy the Traveler Snowdomes here at Unica Home.


Above: Installation at the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki



Be sure to see all the other snowdomes and snow dome photographs (C-prints) from this series on their website.

Walter Martin and Paloma Muñoz
Travelers, 2000-2006
Snow Globes
Mixed Media
9 x 6 x 6 inches each
(from the ongoing "Traveler" series, 2001-2007)

Present exhibitions:
Secrets Sleep in Winter Clothes
Mario Mauroner Contemporary Art, Vienna, Austria
Open November 15, 2007 through January 10, 2008
Photographs
Cerealart, Project Room, Philadelphia, PA
Open November 16, 2007 through January 25, 2008
PULSE MIAMI Comtemporary Art Fair
PPOW Gallery
Open December 5, 2007 through December 9, 2007
Islands
PPOW Gallery, New York, NY
Open January 10, 2008 through February 9, 2008

Raising The Next Hadid, Rashid or DaVinci? 6 Educational Designer Toys for Kids

There are many things my generation played with as children that were both educational and formative. Memory games, blocks, colorforms.

Well, now there are amazingly beautiful renditions of these same classic toys and games but they are imbued with mid-century modern or contemporary design, making them not only fun but also collectible for both children and adults.

Here are six good gifts for the prepubescent designer/artist/architect in your life.

1. Alexander Girard Alphabet Blocks:



These functionally playful alphabet blocks bring an unobtrusively quiet distinctiveness to any well-appointed living room while affording hours of educational and aesthetic pleasure for young design sophisticates. Created by House Industries in a collaboration with the estate of reknowned mid-century designer Alexander Girard, the 28 wood blocks feature alphabets based on the forthcoming Alexander Girard font collection and a cleverly-adapted House Industries factory logo puzzle.
On sale now for $75.00
Click here for the deal. Offer expires January 1, 2008.

2. Binth Matching Game:



The first BINTH game is here! Original designs filled with imagination, fantasy and humor. Discover our modern take on this classic matching game. A beautiful sliding box holds 48 sturdy tiles (24 pairs) The tiles and box are made from recycled materials. Tiles are screen printed using our hand mixed water-based inks. The colors used are lemon yellow, licorice black and lavender. All tiles are 3" squares laminated for protection and have rounded corners. Recommended for ages 3 and older.
Sliding Box with 48 tiles ( 24 Pairs)
12" x 3.5" x 2"
Made in the USA from recycled materials.
$44.00
Buy it here.

3. Maharam Matching Tile Memory Game


Maharam, a pioneer in commercial fabric designs since 1902, offers stunning patterned materials to the trade. For those of us who long for Maharam designs but don't plan to reupholster the apartment, Maharam patterns are now available through the Maharam Memory Game. Like the classic memory game, players turn over two cards at a time and try to match the patterns. Consisting of 72 cards on heavy stock, richly colored and printed in Germany, the game features 36 different patterns, everything from "I Morosi Alla Finestra" by Gio Ponti (1930) to "Optik" by Verner Panton (1969).
$36.00 (and free shipping now)
Buy it here.

4. Classic Colorforms from MOMA


Colorforms was developed in New York in 1951 by two art students experimenting with a new flexible vinyl material. It was one of the first toys to be advertised on television, has been nominated as a "Top Toy of the 20th Century" and been considered for the permanent collection at MoMA. This replica of the original set contains 350 brightly colored pieces in a spiral-bound book as well as a instruction design booklet. For ages 3+.
12-1/2'w X 14"l
$37.50
Buy it here.

5. Eames House of Cards


The Eames Office actually produced five different sets of the House of Cards: the small house of cards is the original, made in 1952. It actually had two decks, the Picture deck and the Pattern deck. It is the picture deck that we manufacture today in conjunction with MOMA. From that, a medium House of Cards was made that is a set of selections from the Pattern and Picture deck. That, too, is still available. ..The images are of what Eameses called "good stuff", chosen to celebrate "familiar and nostalgic objects from the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms." The six slots on each card enable the player to interlock the cards so as to build structures of myriad shapes and sizes. There was also a Giant House of Cards (1953), a Computer House of Cards (1970) and a Newton House of Cards for the 1974 Nobel Laureates..

Buy any of the 5 different sets here.

6. Oli Blocks
Building blocks have certainly come a long way since I was a kid. Oli blocks makes some of the most fun shaped, colored (transulcent and solid) building blocks for kids of any age.




Oliblocks were created by Daniel R. Oakley, Architect & Toy maker.
The idea for Oliblock came from Daniel Oakley's desire to create a toy that would encourage children to think about building things in a new way. He envisioned a toy that would introduce a way to challenge, teach and stimulate a child's mind, yet be fun and appealing at the same time. The result was the development of Oliblock, an architecturally inspired set of 4 shapes, "building blocks" unusual in their interaction with each other and organic in shape.

Oliblock fit together with an interlocking connection on one end and a magnetic connection on the other. Organically shaped pieces and vibrant colors differentiate Oliblock from its more linear, classic building blocks predecessors. The unique design and architectural sensibilities of Oliblock flow directly from Daniel Oakley's architectural and design background. The serendipitous blend of Oakley's vision of a new breed of building blocks and his distinguished background in architecture resulted in the founding of Oliblock. Oakley's professional association with renowned architect Zaha Hadid has influenced and shaped his design and architectural sensibilities and philosophy.
Buy Oli blocks here.

Want to see more? Go to my list of 60+ modern items for kids here.

Other toy companies that make beautifully designed toys for children and worth checking out are:
Naef
Danese Milano
Zolo Toys
Playsam
Vilac

Some stores that carry wonderful selection of designer toys for children:
Spunky Sprout
Nova 68
Growmodern
Unica Home
Baby Geared

Also, look at my side bar for my listings for shopping for the hip baby. Lots of stores there too!

Product Pick Of The Week:Tylo's Felicity Premium Shower

Tylö Felicity Premium multi shower.
One look at Felicity Premium and the exclusive teak panelling in the front column and seat says it all. This really is something out of the ordinary.

Tylö Felicity Premium has a built-in steam generator for relaxing steam baths, a cloudburst function, thermostatically controlled mixer tap, hand-held shower and comfort-able fold-down seat that converts in the twinkling of an eye into a shower bench for two. In addition, this model has a waterfall and six adjustable massage nozzles, four on the back and two on the front, to provide soothing massage for stiff and aching muscles.

Size: 1060 x 1060 mm, exterior height 2205 mm, interior height 2010 mm.


EQUIPMENT – TYLÖ FELICITY PREMIUM:
Ceiling shower with light and rain function • Hand shower • Steam generator • Floor tray • Roof • Doors and walls in 6 mm tempered safety glass • Front column in teak with chrome trim


• Illuminated water cascade (yes, it lights up)

• 4 massage nozzles for your back and 2 in front

• Folding seat with backrest/bench


Visit The Tylo site here.

2 minutes & 28 seconds of Women in Film (with a few glaring omissions)

This one's for my mom:

I'm not a big fan of 'morphing', so I'm not sharing this video with you for the production quality. Instead, I'm sharing it with you because it's 2 minutes and 28 seconds of talented and beautiful women who have graced the silver screen nicely compiled by Philip Scott Johnson of St. Louis (aka eggman913@gmail.com). I had no idea is existed until my dear and beautiful friend (and celebrity manicurist), Jenna shared it with me.

Not a fan of old movies? Or born after 1980?
Probably don't know who many of those fabulous actresses are then.

Here's some help, in the proper order:

Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish, Gloria Swanson, Marlene Dietrich, Norma Shearer, Ruth Chatterton, Jean Harlow, Katharine Hepburn, Carole Lombard, Bette Davis, Greta Garbo, Barbara Stanwyck, Vivien Leigh, Greer Garson, Hedy Lamarr, Rita Hayworth, Gene Tierney, Olivia de Havilland, Ingrid Bergman, Joan Crawford, Ginger Rogers, Loretta Young, Deborah Kerr, Judy Garland, Anne Baxter, Lauren Bacall, Susan Hayward, Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Lana Turner, Elizabeth Taylor, Kim Novak, Audrey Hepburn, Dorothy Dandridge, Shirley MacLaine, Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno, Janet Leigh, Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Ann Margret, Julie Andrews, Raquel Welch, Tuesday Weld, Jane Fonda, Julie Christie, Faye Dunaway, Catherine Deneuve, Jacqueline Bisset, Candice Bergen, Isabella Rossellini, Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, Susan Sarandon, Jessica Lange, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sigourney Weaver, Kathleen Turner, Holly Hunter, Jodie Foster, Angela Bassett, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts, Salma Hayek, Sandra Bullock, Julianne Moore, Diane Lane, Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Angelina Jolie, Charlize Theron, Reese Witherspoon, Halle Berry

Who's Missing? Excellent list there Philip... but.... there are several other deserving actresses who didn't make the cut, so to speak. Rather than start naming all the contemporary actresses who ought to be listed (because there are several... can you say jennifer jason leigh? lilli taylor? any of the Redgraves? )

However, I'd rather point out the Femme Fatales from the days of the Silver Screen (many who were academy award winners to boot) who were no doubt, inadvertently left out. Like: Myrna Loy, Rosalind Russell, Celeste Holm, Doris Day, Esther Williams, Veronica Lake, Jane Russell and Debbie Reynolds.


Above left: Myrna Loy Above right: Rosalind Russell


Above left: Celeste Holm Above right: Jane Russell


Above left: Doris Day Above right: Esther Williams


Above left: Debbie Reynolds Above right: Veronica Lake

Beautiful score, right?
That's Bach's Prelude from Suite for Solo Cello No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 performed by Yo-Yo Ma

The Latest On Holiday Shopping & Spending

Amazon.com, EBay Shares Fall as Online Shopping Slows
By Joseph Galante

Dec. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Amazon.com Inc., EBay Inc. and other retailers fell in U.S. trading as cash-strapped consumers limited their Internet holiday purchases of leather coats and high-definition televisions while waiting for better bargains.

Internet sales from Nov. 1 through Dec. 11 increased 19 percent to $20.5 billion, Reston, Virginia-based ComScore Inc. said late yesterday. Online purchases in November and December may advance 20 percent, a record low for the industry, and slower than the 26 percent pace of a year earlier.

U.S. retailers may see the worst sales growth this holiday season since 2002 as shoppers grapple with $3-a-gallon gasoline and consumer prices that rose the most in more than two years in November. Target Corp., Kohl's Corp. and J.C. Penney Co. have responded with discounts of 50 percent or more to lure customers.

``It could be challenging for our ecommerce companies to outperform expectations'' this quarter, Robert Peck, an analyst at Bear Stearns Cos. in New York, said in a note today.

U.S. retailers' shares have dropped during the holiday season, with the Standard & Poor's 500 Retailing Index falling 11 percent since the start of November, compared with a 5.3 percent decline on the S&P 500.



Amazon.com, the world's largest online retailer, decreased $3.32, or 3.6 percent, to $89.08 at 4 p.m. in Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading. EBay, the largest global auctioneer, dropped $1.39, or 4.1 percent, to $32.70, and Circuit City Stores Inc. fell 59 cents, or 8 percent, to $6.82.

Internet Sales

Internet sales, which make up more than 3 percent of total retail sales, may be the fastest-growing retail channel this holiday season. Online sales may increase to $29.5 billion in November and December from $24.6 billion a year ago, ComScore predicted.

``In a rapidly growing market like ecommerce, very high growth rates become more difficult to sustain as the market gets bigger,'' ComScore spokesman Andrew Lipsman said in an e- mail. ``It doesn't mean the growth rate this year is necessarily a sign of weakness.''

The slowdown contrasts with government data that showed U.S. retail sales in November rose at twice the rate anticipated by economists.

Retail sales increased 1.2 percent in November, the Commerce Department said in Washington yesterday. That followed a 0.2 percent gain in October, the U.S. agency said.



Shopper Visits

Sales fell 2.7 percent in the seven days through Dec. 8, following a 4.4 percent decline a week earlier, Chicago-based research firm ShopperTrak RCT Corp. said this week. About 12 percent fewer shoppers visited stores last week, compared with the same period a year ago, ShopperTrak said.

Consumers are completing their holiday shopping later than usual, and they're trimming purchases to pay more for food and fuel. The National Retail Federation in Washington forecast a 4 percent increase in holiday sales this year.

While the Monday after Thanksgiving is promoted as Cyber Monday because of a pattern of higher online shopping, days closer to Christmas had purchases totaling more.

Last year, Cyber Monday was the 12th-heaviest online shopping day, while Dec. 13 had the biggest sales, according to data from ComScore.



Profit Margins

Stores may further reduce prices, hurting profit margins, to lure customers seeking bargains. Target, the second-largest U.S. discount chain, and J.C. Penney, the nation's third- biggest department-store company, missed analysts' sales estimates for November. CompUSA, the 23-year-old computer retailer, said Dec. 7 it will shut down after the holidays.

Office Depot Inc., the world's second-largest office- supplies chain, forecast ``continued erosion'' of sales and earnings in the current quarter because of declining demand from corporate customers.

Purchases at Office Depot and Staples Inc., its larger rival, have slowed as small businesses and consumers buy fewer copiers and furniture during the worst housing slump since 1991.

U.S. consumer prices increased 0.8 percent in November, up from 0.3 percent the previous month, on higher food and energy costs, the Labor Department said today in Washington.

To contact the reporter on this story: Joseph Galante in New York at jgalante3@bloomberg.net .
Last Updated: December 14, 2007 16:16 EST

Eichler Homes: Real. Imagined. And For Sale.

Above: One of the original logos for Eichler Homes

As an architecture lover and a modern design maven, I was fortunate enough to grow up in Northern California, an area where many Eichler homes were built. I had friends who grew up in them, I attended 'keggers' in many of them and sneaked cigarettes while parked in cars in front of them.




I've been familiar with them for over 30 years and since I didn't really know the history behind them, I assumed most people were. Of course, now that I'm older- and a wee bit wiser (I no longer sneak cigarettes in parked cars)-- I realize that with the resurgence of mid-century modern, many people from outside California have no idea what an Eichler Home is.

What exactly is an "Eichler" home?
Joseph Eichler founded Eichler Homes, Inc. in 1949 and pursued his vision of creating modern homes with architecturally distinct elements for the average family (and average income!).



Some classic examples of Eichler architecture:





Who was Eichler anyway?

above left: Joseph Eichler at work and right; in 1972

JOSEPH EICHLER: Developer who made a difference
Mary Jo Bowling, Special to The Chronicle
Saturday, August 26, 2006


Joseph Eichler was a developer with a plan: He wanted to make high-style, modern home design affordable for the masses. The idea reportedly came to him while he was living in a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Hillsborough.

"Developing homes was a second career for him," said architect Paul Adamson, who, with Marty Arbunich of the Eichler Network, wrote a book about Eichler homes. "He wanted to bring some of the same features of that house, such as indoor-outdoor living, to the middle class."

In 1950, after experimenting with some prefab projects, Eichler hired the Bay Area architecture firm of Anshen and Allen (later he also worked with architects A. Quincy Jones and Frederick E. Emmons) to create an affordable modern home.

At the time, it was unprecedented. No other developer wanted to spend the money to have tract homes designed by architects. "The firm came up with houses that had an open plan, post and beam construction, whole walls of glass, and radiant heating," said Adamson. "Those were the kinds of things you might find in an expensive, custom-built home at the time, but certainly not in a house for the masses."


Above: A 1950 advertisement in the Daily Palo Alto Times newspaper for Eichler homes. Price was $9,400.

Adding features such as sliding glass doors and skylights to the suburban homes springing up all over the country contradicted the ideas most developers had about how to make a profit.


Above: The back side and interior of an Eichler home in Terra Linda, CA.

Through careful refinement, Eichler was able to hone his manufacturing process to produce the homes in a cost-efficient way. "It was like an assembly-line process," said Adamson. "He had the home parts constructed at a central location and then shipped to the building site. He also made use of standard building materials in a creative way."

Eichler launched an aggressive and sophisticated marketing campaign to introduce his houses to the American public. To many people, accustomed to more traditional houses, the flat-roofed homes must have looked unusual.

Advertisements featuring the photography of Ernest Braun (see his photos, available for purchase, later on in this post) helped demonstrate how the houses worked by showing models posing as homeowners in the house. "No one had ever done that before," said Adamson, whose book, "Eichler: Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream," features many Braun photographs. "Most architectural photography was stark and cold. These ads made the homes look warm, livable and desirable."


Above: Eichler: Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream by Paul Adamson and Marty Arbunich, 2002,
Buy the book, Eichler: Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream

Although the homes were never popular on a wide scale, they were a smash with a certain audience. "An interesting subset of people -- engineers, architects, and modern art and design lovers -- were intrigued by the homes," said Adamson. "They found their streamlined look and the way they expand into the garden appealing."

Like most home styles, Eichlers have fallen in and out of favor. Today, with the current obsession with modern design, they appear to be more popular than ever. It's the original ideas that have stood the test of time: open-plan living with living room, dining room and kitchen connected; the blurring of the lines between indoors and outdoors with atriums, window walls, skylights and sliding glass doors; and leaving the construction visible -- i.e. the ceiling beams and boards. The classic Eichler materials have even come back into vogue: Radiant heating, cork floors, wood paneling and vinyl tile have all experienced a recent surge in popularity.

Of course, Kathleen Haley, whose first-person essay "Unhappy With Eichler'' (Home&Garden, July 29) touched off a flurry of protest letters and blogs, is not alone in her complaints. Conventional (and some would say misguided) wisdom claims that flat roofs leak, dark walls (many Eichlers have mahogany paneling) make rooms dark, and the houses are too small. Among the answers Eichler devotees have is a simple one: maintenance. "These houses were constructed with inexpensive materials over 30 years ago," said Adamson. "Almost any material will wear out over time."

"Flat roofs need to be maintained if you don't want them to leak," said Loni Nagwani, an Eichler owner and real estate agent specialist. "If you don't take care of them and clean out the downspouts, they will leak sooner or later." Nagwani also advises her clients who want more light to add skylights.

Tom Borsellino, a San Jose Eichler owner, has a more basic solution: Keep the greenery trimmed. "A lot of people allow plants and trees to grow over the big windows," he said. "Of course, then it will be dark. The answer is to keep things pruned."

Adamson also points out that remodeling or updating an Eichler gives a homeowner a chance to add more energy-efficient glass and insulation.

What would Eichler think if he could see his homes today? Adamson believes that the developer believed that his work was important and would be happy to see people still devoted to his ideas, although he might not be so happy about some of the color and material choices. "There's a story I've heard that said Eichler was driving around one day when he spotted someone repainting one of his houses," said Adamson. "He supposedly got out of the car and told him to stop ruining the house."

Want to just see some Eichler homes? Try going here.


And of course, The Eichler Network where you can learn much about Eichler homes, history, renovation and more.

Ernest Braun's original photos of early Eichler homes:
(Please click on the images below to enlarge)






Photographer Ernie Braun's black and white photos shown above of Eichler homes are available for purchase, either online here, or send order with check or money order payable for $285 plus $7 postage & handling, and 8.5% CA sales tax, if applicable, for each print to:

Eichler Network Sales
P.O. Box 22635
San Francisco, CA 94122

Each order includes exquisite printing & framing, 16"x20" custom print, 2-inch matt with French line, black wood frame, plexi-glass. (Allow three weeks delivery.)

Where can you buy an actual Eichler home?
Eichler Homes for Sale:




Find Eichler Homes For Sale in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Fernando Valley here.

Eichler Homes in Marin County


Eichler Homes in San Francisco and Northern California


Renee Adelmann, Realtor + Eichler Owner, Marin Modern Real Estate / Keller Williams Realty, SF Properties, Phone: 1-415-EICHLER (342-4537)
www.MarinModern.com and www.EichlerforSale.com



EICHLER HOME PAINTINGS


If you can't afford an actual Eichler home, perhaps Danny Heller's paintings and studies of them would be just the thing. A Southern California artist, Danny is known for his fabulous paintings of suburbia. He has a special series of Eichler Home paintings and studies that are simply wonderful and surprisingly affordable.


above: Danny Heller, Eichler House With Motorcycle, o/c, 22x42," 2008, $3,400


See Danny's Eichler paintings at Terrence Rogers Fine Art Gallery


Above: An example of one of Danny Heller's Suburbia paintings


In the artist's own words:
My latest body of work focuses on the Modernist tract homes created by California-based architect Joseph Eichler (1900-1974). This visionary architect pioneered suburban planned communities, thus changing not only the California lifestyle, but also the California aesthetic. These homes featured open floor plans, post-and-beam construction, and spacious atriums, amongst other innovative designs, that defined exclusive tracts in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.


above: Eichler Neighborhood, o/c, 36x72," 2008

above: Eichler Carport Interior #1, o/c, 36x48," 2008

above: Eichler With House Automobiles, o/c, 19x38," 2008, $3,000

In addition to his paintings, Danny sells these fabulous "studies":


Above: Close-up of Study #6

Danny Heller's paintings have been exhibited in solo and group shows throughout California, spanning from Santa Barbara to San Diego, and most recently at Hollywood’s La Luz De Jesus Gallery. The variety of collectors who have sought out his work are a testament to the artist’s success. Some have purchased work featuring familiar locations, while others collect purely for the artwork’s inherent formal qualities. In either case, many will admire Danny Heller’s upcoming “Suburbia” series that captures the quirky, mid-century tract housing of the San Fernando Valley.
Go to Danny's Site and see his wonderful paintings for yourself here.


Vintage Eichler Brochures:




You may be able to find some vintage Eichler brochures for sale on ebay or at Popluxe books.

Books On Eichler Homes:


Buy these and other Eichler books here

Machine Girl: Sneak Peek At Iguchi's Gorefest

Noboru Iguchi's MACHINE GIRL
(KATAUDE MASHIN GÂRU)

Noboru Iguchi's Machine Girl (Kataude mashin gâru) trailer has been floating around You Tube and Facebook. Some think it's real, others a spoof. It was my friend Greg who first sent me the trailer. I couldn't just let it be and had to do some research.



Oh, it's real. It's gory. And it's hilarious.

Here's some info for you:
•The screenplay for Machine Girl was written and directed by Noburo Iguchi.

•Yoshihiro Nishimura is responsible for the movie's special effects, special make-up effects, and molds.

•Yûji Shimomura is its action choreographer. (Shimomura himself directed Death Trance.)

The movie stars Yashiro Minase as Ami:




•Here's a synopsis for Machine Girl from the Fangoria article "Fever Dreams returns to Japan for MACHINE GIRL":

"Machine Girl is about a teenager named Ami who sets out for revenge on a gang of bullies who tortured her little brother to death. She winds up losing an arm along the way, and replaces it with a high-powered gun [see the pre-production still below], à la Rose McGowan in Grindhouse.

But she doesn't stop at one limb; Ami continues to lose body parts and replace them with more weapons (and tempura!) including the drill bra (doriru bura) seen in the pre-production still (prior to making the actual working props) below. (courtesy of Yoshihiro Nishimura.]"



Here are some newly release stills from the film which releases in 2008.





Production Company: Fever Dreams
Distributor: Nikkatsu (2007) (Non-USA) (all media) (sales)
Special Effects: Nishimura Motion Picture Model Makers Group

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Marc Newson's New Watches for IKEPOD Unveiled.

Ikepod brand watches, unveiled their newest collection by designer Marc Newson (above) at Design Miami just this past week.
The new collection consists of three lines. The Horizon, the Hemipode and the Megapode.

The following descriptions and information were provided by Ikepod.

Horizon Collection




The Horizon wristwatch forgoes all complications in favor of pure design. The unique dial creates the optical illusion of appearing convex, thereby emphasizing the three dimensional volume of the IKEPOD case. This new collection works as an elegant dress watch in platinum for men, and in solid rose gold for women.


The Horizon wristwatch makes reference to the “event horizon” in astrophysics, literally meaning the edge of a “black hole” – the moment when gravity becomes infinite, when both time and space disappear. The timeless beauty and simplicity of this wristwatch, juxtaposed with its reference to the mathematical end of time and space, underscore the poetry and fleeting nature of timekeeping itself.

Hemipode Dual Time Collection


The iconic hemispheric shape of the IKEPOD watch is the inspiration for the name of this classic Marc Newson chronograph. The Hemipode embodies all the essential values of the IKEPOD philosophy: design integrity as well as technical functionality. Most chronographs offer a stopwatch function to time a lap around the racetrack or a jog around the park; this model also offers a second time zone function controlled by an eccentric off-center pusher.


The watch is designed for someone on the move who reads what time it is in Tokyo, but also needs to see what time it is back in Paris. The Hemipode is the epitome of how IKEPOD redefines the classic wristwatch, a design which will look even better in twenty years than it does today. Where as a design or fashion watch is destined to lose its allure, to choose the Hemipode is proof that one is attuned to an avantgarde statement of sophisticated taste.

Megapode Chronograph Collection


The largest and most technical of the IKEPOD Collection, the titanium Megapode provides the time, the day, a chronograph function, as well as a unique circular slide rule for complicated calculations. This is a watch that can compute fuel consumption for an aircraft or a way point for a pilot who needs to calculate range and distance.

A rugged and sturdy sport watch, this is the timepiece one would wish to have during an offshore passage at sea or a helicopter flight over the Alps. The unique and highly technical dial is the result of calculated and deliberate design. This wristwatch is a visual tour de force; never has so much information fit onto a watch dial without clutter, the result is a perfect balance of function and design.

Conceived by revolutionary industrial designer Marc Newson, the IKEPOD wristwatch banishes all that is unnecessary in order to reunite man and machine with the design authority and organic power of the ultimate surfboard, a classic sport car, or a racing multi-hull. IKEPOD combines economy of gesture, pinnacle technology, and sensuality of materials in ways that challenge connoisseurs to embrace not only a singular timepiece but also a bold set of values.

Foremost among these is independence from the conventions of traditional wristwatch design. Hewing to the great modernist principles of ‘truth to materials,’ and unity of form and function, IKEPOD rejects gratuitous ornamentation in order to highlight simplicity of form. It transforms what has previously been a strictly two-dimensional object into an organic, sculptural volume that functions in all three dimensions. By deliberately blurring old distinctions between front and back, it achieves a new level of harmony with the body of its wearer. Thus, while traditional watches employ “lugs” to attach a watchband to a case, the IKEPOD case and band join together in a single uninterrupted whole. By forgoing clasps and cumbersome articulated buckles in favor of a single discreet nipple, IKEPOD offers intimate fit, fluidity, and ideal balance on the wrist. Nothing superfluous comes between wearer and watch.

The IKEPOD approach is weighted with integrity. When the design process strips away all excess, what remains? Unrivaled quality and purpose. And so IKEPOD employs only inspectiongrade platinum, red gold, and titanium, sculpted to the highest standards possible by Swiss craftsmen. The dials provide information without pretension or conceit. And the IKEPOD band, unlike any other, is molded from a soft and flexible scented rubber, thereby defying the traditional definitions of sport and dress watch. In its startling difference, IKEPOD demands intelligence and daring from its wearer, and declares individuality the most exclusive form of luxury.


Visit their site.

Find an Ikepod retailer near you.

Shatner/Hasselhoff '08. Brilliant.

Wanna support them? Buy T-shirts in various styles, colors and sizes here.

The Lavazza 2008 Calendar: A Most Majestic Experience

If you didn't know, Lavazza of Italy produces a calendar that celebrates their brand and their product (espresso) every year. And it's no ordinary 'corporate calendar'. This is always a piece of stunning photographic art. Every year.

They've used an impressive stable of photographers. Coincidentally, the past three years happen to have used three of my personal favorites; Eugenio Recuenco, Erwin Olaf and Ellen Von Unwerth, which is how I even discovered Lavazza and their calendars in the first place. The infamous Helmut Newton shot the first calendar in 1993 for them. And well-known photographers David LaChapelle and Albert Watson have also shot the Lavazza calendar in the past.



This year's calendar theme is "The Most Majestic Experience". Models posing as aristocratic regal "queens' amongst luxury and animals. Shot by Finlay Mackay


Above: Photographer Finlay Mackay


The 2008 Calendar:

Above: the Cover, January~February


Above: March~April

Above: May~June

Above: July~August

Above: September~October

Above: November~December

In addition to creating a pretty piece of functional art, Lavazza's flash site for this year's calendar is a sight to see- and hear. Beautifully designed and easy to navigate, it's filled with goodies. Both a written and narrated story introduces you to each of the "queens" in the calendar:



And you get peek at the actual shoot, both in stills (as seen below) and a video (seen at the end of this post).





And they even have an online contest, Majestic Mahong, you can play and be automatically entered to win a 2008 Calendar or more.

So be sure to check it out when you have some time, because there's so much to see on their site.

In Lavazza's own words, The 16th edition of the Lavazza Calendar, is dedicated to important, aristocratic and determined women, women who feel like queens - in other words, all women. It shows an enchanted and precious world in which queens are surrounded by jewellery, silk, velvet and freely roaming animals proudly reign.

See the new 2008 calendar for yourself here.

Below is Finlay Mackays's tv spot for Lavazza 2008. Please be patient while it loads.



The Most Majestic Experience.
I want to credit all the right people for this wonderful work, and luckily for me, the fabulous client director at Armando Testa has furnished me with a list of the talented people involved on this project.

CREDITS 2008 LAVAZZA CALENDAR / THE MOST MAJESTIC ESPRESSO EXPERIENCE

Supervision & coordination: Luigi Lavazza S.p.A.
Creative project: Armando Testa
Creative directors: Michele Mariani, Germán Silva, Haitz Mendibil, Ekhi Mendibil
Art director: Andrea Lantelme
Copywriter: Cristiano Nardò
Photographer: Finlay MacKay
Assistant photographer: Christopher George, Alick Crossley
Agent: Marco Santucci Photography
Production Company: The Box Films
Set designer: Robin Brown
Costume designer: Moritz Junge
Stylist: Hannah Teare
Hair stylist: James Rowe
Make-up artist: Hiromi Ueda
Post production: Core Digital
Models/animals/etc:
Cover: Sofie Nielander
Queen Vanalika II: Maria Dvirnik
Davidina (Monkey, trained by Daniel Berquinì)
Queen Bao: Xiuli Gao (Queen)
Katsuya Tatsumoto (Painter)
Queen Sophie Margot: Sofie Nielander (Queen)
Massimo Viafora, Fabio Zerba (Servants)
Evija Petuhova (Harlequin)
Queen Yasmine: Anna Sjoberg (Queen)
Men: Silvio Biolcati, Luca Andolfo, Attila Fernec Csiszler
Women: Evija Petuhova, Paula Ludwig
Queen Kuk Grethel: Cicely Telman (Queen)
Falcon from Zoo Grunwalt s.r.l.
Queen Melissa III: Awoi Mac Bullen Geu (Queen)
Men: Luca Andolfo, Attila Fernec Csiszler, Niklas Erik Daniel Crlsson, Andrew Demarsh, Morgan Pieter, Augustin Grunefeld Lance Brolin Wuchterl, Trevor Pedrowski, Milan Gogora, Silvio Biolcati, Manuele Barbaglio, Fabio Rizzo, Giovanni Fortunato
Giorgio Colnaghi, Daniele D’Andrea
Special thanks to: Damiani jewels & Vivienne Westwood

You can see all the past years' calendars by going here.

To buy a calendar, you'll have to check ebay- they don't sell them to the public!

The Porsche of Kitchens. Literally.

Porsche Design Group and Poggenpohl Möbelwerke GmbH present their first co-designed kitchen P’7340. The kitchen is distinguished for its innovative framework, purist styling and high-quality materials. Kitchen appliances maker Miele & Cie. KG will be the exclusive supplier of all fitted electric appliances.



Back in October 2005, Porsche Design and Poggenpohl signed a co-operation agreement for the purpose. Says Roland Heiler, Managing Director of the Porsche Design Studio in Zell am See: “Our studio already had long-standing experience in designing kitchen and home appliances as well as furniture. In Poggenpohl we have found a partner capable of implementing our idea of what a modern kitchen should look like.”



With their new kitchen, both companies intend to live up to the trend that shows an increasing number of men displaying an interest in ‘kitchen and cuisine’. “In recent years, kitchens have turned into event and representation areas frequently equipped with audio systems”, explains Elmar Duffner, Managing Director of Poggenpohl. “Our co-operation with Porsche Design enabled us to design a kitchen whose sleek and functional design language specifically addresses male customers.”

The new kitchen will be on display as a show kitchen and sold in Poggenpohl studios around the world as of spring 2008. It will be available in the USA as of summer 2008. Aluminum profiles of different sizes, which permit individual styling, constitute the basic framework of the new kitchen. Within the aluminum frames, customers can position cabinet elements any way they like. The result is a modular, spacious and extremely versatile system of frames and carcasses that deliberately integrates clear spaces into the overall design concept.


Above: the Cooktop

The use of aluminum, a material typically used by Porsche Design, gives the kitchen an innovative and technical look as the material lends a high degree of originality to the surfaces of both the furniture carcasses and the frames. The frames come with integrated lights that directly and diffusely illuminate the worktop and the surroundings, respectively. Another material used is glass, which – painted unobtrusively on the rear side and available in a satin or glossy finish – embellishes the front surfaces or fills the frames. Using aluminum and glass for yet another product, Porsche Design once again adheres to its philosophy of combining sleek design language with the finest materials.



The two wood varieties available for the front surface design provide an eye-catching contrast with these cool materials. Customers can choose between Driftwood, a heavily brushed type of pine that feels quite natural to the touch, and Dark Oak, a finely brushed type of dark oak. The unsealed, textured wood surfaces create a very natural and cozy atmosphere, enhancing the precision of the technical materials – glass and metal – even further.



Thin worktops crafted from satin-finished glass or black granite convey an impression of elegance and lightness, which is rounded off by their alignment with the carcass.


Above: automatic coffee maker

A special highlight of the Poggenpohl Porsche Design kitchen is the fact that all cabinets can be opened without handles: A gentle touch of the finger, and pull-out elements and drawers will open magically thanks to built-in high-precision systems, while a light push suffices to make them all withdraw and, over the final centimeters, go back automatically into their original position. An innovative mechanism enables the graceful movement of doors and flaps: Gently touching the front face will activate a spacer pin that mechanically moves a door or a flap a few centimeters forward. The absence of handles further emphasizes the uncompromising, purist and aesthetic appeal of the furniture. However, for completeness’ sake and as an alternative to the handleless solution, functional bar-handles crafted from brushed aluminum are also available.


Above: the audio visual system

In addition to multi-functional lighting systems harmoniously integrated into the sleek overall concept, the kitchen also boasts a high-tech audio-video system. The module has a purist appeal thanks to the aluminum-titanium colored, anodized aluminum frame with its ultra-glossy surfaces in back-painted glass. The electronics of the built-in LCD module are installed behind glass to protect these delicate components against dirt and splashing water. The module itself does not require a ventilation system and features an innovative, extremely small sound system whose plug-and-play solution offers options for both analogue and digital connections.

As all electric appliances and furniture elements in the Poggenpohl Porsche Design kitchen form a unified whole, kitchen appliances maker Miele & Cie. KG will be the exclusive supplier of all appliances – from ovens to steam cookers to dishwashers. In design and styling, all appliances are made to match that of the materials used in the kitchen. The electric appliances are operated via sensor keys instead of buttons and feature user-friendly dialogue displays.
source:architonic

Poggenpohl
Germany
Phone +49-(0)5221/381-0

A Purse With Prestige? Leiber, Hermes & Prada Top The List

Want to impress someone this holiday season?
Then clearly the way to do it is by giving (or sporting) a Judith Leiber, Hermes or Prada handbag.
Can't afford those? Well then there are 23 others on the list. Read on...

NEW YORK, NY--(source: Marketwire) -

High net-worth consumers rated Leiber the most prestigious handbag brand in the 2007 Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey from the independent New York-based Luxury Institute (www.LuxuryInstitute.com).




Leiber's handcrafted bejeweled creations --a few of which are shown above (click pn them to enlarge)-- were praised by respondents as perfect show-stopping accessories for that special occasion. The brand scored highly with women over age 45 and those with net worth in excess of $5 million. Hermes and Prada handbags were ranked second and third, respectively.

One of my personal favorites of Leibers' this season: The Karma Buddha Crystal handbag:

Above: Karma Buddah in multi colored Austrian crystals with gold accents. Includes matching satin gold coin purse and double sided mirror. Length: 4.6", Height: 5.4", Depth: 2.6". Imported.
JU-M28541
* Ships within 1 business day (M-F 9-10)
* Made in USA
price: $3895.00
Buy it here.

"Handbags have evolved from utilitarian accessories to coveted collectables. Not only do today's wealthy women want to communicate their sense of style and sophistication, but also their individuality. By carrying a handcrafted handbag, they show they can afford to be uniquely exclusive," said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute.

One of the classic and most prestigious handbags of all time is the Hermes Birkin Bag:



Looking for an authentic Hermes Birkin Bag? Look here.
Or at Hermes, of course.

"Individualization and customization is a trend that is popping up in a range of diverse categories and serves to separate the mass-class from the truly wealthy," Pedraza added. "Our 'voice of the high net-worth consumer' surveys from the impartial Luxury Institute provide important endorsements for luxury brands and the consumers they serve."

Following are the 26 handbag brands that were rated in alphabetical order (with links to their sites):
1. Bottega Veneta
2. Brighton
3. Burberry
4. Chanel
5. Chloe
6. Coach
7. Cole Haan
8. Dior
9. Dolce & Gabbana
10. Dooney & Bourke
11. Fendi
12. Ferragamo
13. Furla
14. Gucci
15. Hermes
16. Kate Spade
17. L.A.M.B.
18. Leiber
19. Longchamp
20. Louis Vuitton
21. Marc Jacobs
22. Michael Kors
23. Miu Miu
24. Prada
25. Ralph Lauren
26. Yves Saint Laurent

The proprietary Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey is the only measure of the prestige of leading brands among wealthy Americans. A national sample of 783 wealthy American consumers, with an average income of $305K and average net worth of $2.2 million, was surveyed online. Survey results are weighted to match demographic and net worth profiles of the same audience according to the latest Survey of Consumer Finances from The Federal Reserve.

About the Luxury Institute
The Luxury Institute is the uniquely independent and impartial ratings, reviews and research institution that is the trusted and respected voice of the high net-worth consumer. The Institute provides a portfolio of proprietary publications and research that guides and educates high net-worth individuals and the companies that cater to them on leading edge trends, high net-worth consumer rankings and ratings of luxury brands, and best practices. The Luxury Institute also operates the Luxury Board (www.luxuryboard.com), the world's first global, membership-based online community for luxury goods and services executives, professionals and entrepreneurs. To reach the Luxury Institute, please call 646-792-2669 or go to www.luxuryinstitute.com.

Where to get some of these fabulous handbags without paying full retail?

Try these:
Ebay, of course.
Bluefly
eluxury
Karen Kooper
Euro Bella Collections
Good Cost
am pm fashion
Unusual Threads
smart bargains
Rodeo Drive Resale
efashionhouse

Can afford them even at a discount?
Then rent one here at Bag Borrow or Steal.

Funky Find Of The Week: Banpresto's Face Bank

The Banpresto Facebank is a delight for kids and grown-ups alike.
A little tabletop bank that actually 'eats' pennies.
Don't believe me?
I have video proof:



Available in red, blue or grey.

So, where can you get this cute little guy?
Yes, he's made in japan but he's available to purchase for only $30 bucks here.

Luxury Gadgets For The Design Geek

Mikimoto-Beans ' all new 2007 iTheaterV
Price: $379.99

Mikimoto-Beans Japan introduces the all new 2007 iTheaterV, high quality and stylish video glasses for iPod video or other devices with AV outputs. Featuring 2 high resolution TFT displays with improved VGA resolution of 640 x 480 (increased from the previous model of 320 x 240 pixels). Experience watching a 65" high resolution TV from just 2.5 meters away with the new iTheaterV (previous model is equivalent to a 50" TV). iTheaterV also has 2 built-in earphones, so when the user is watching a movie through iTheaterV, the sound is produced to stereo audio. iTheaterV is light weight and it stays comfortable around the head. Includes a unique converter that allows i-Theater to work on other devices through AV connection. Designed with a sleek outfit; the new red stripe gives it a futuristic look. Up to 5 hours of playback time using batteries. Smaller and lighter than the previous model. A great gift idea for friends and family or just an excellent travel companion for those long flights (in style, with privacy too).

Mikimoto-Beans' iTheaterV is a friendly i-Pod accessory and also an one-of-a-kind device for iPod Video. Available in silver only.
Buy it here.

Segatoys HomeStar Pro 21st Century Home Planetarium
Price: $289.99

Segatoys announced a new and improved version of HomeStar Home Planetarium. The high quality "HomeStar Pro" is the 21st Century Home Planetarium. It features high brightness white LEDs that is 3 times brighter than HomeStar. HomeStar Pro can rotate the plates in slow motion and show shooting stars. With a full dark environment, HomeStar Pro allows you to focus and project sharper images. Adopts an adjustable stand for variety of shooting angles. It comes with a Full Moon sidereal original plates, one of the unique plates that only comes with HomeStar Pro. A great gift and present for friends and families to enjoy a clear night view right at home. Available 2 stylish colors.

NOTE: This product is a Japanese import. Packaging and instruction manual are in Japanese. However, operation is very straight forward and does not require the knowledge of Japanese.
Buy it here.

Amadana PT-108 Wireless Telephone Clad in Leather
Price: $399.99

PT-108 is Amadana's all new classic yet futuristic wireless telephone. Features genuine leather, a natural material, on the handle part of the receiver. In both red and brown, the leather gives the feel of warmth and comfort. Designed with a compact body size to reduce space use. Amadana PT-108 introduces 4 special ring tones for better and enjoyable sound to the ears. Available in black and white.
Specifications: Rated voltage 100V
Dimension:-Telephone receiver: W43.5 x D30.5 x H180 mm
-Cradle: W107 x D117.5 x H59 mm

Buy it here.

Zyken NightCove
Price: $2,500

One of the few designer sleep aides that doesn't come in a pill form, Zyken's NightCove alarm clock lulls high-octane executives to sleep with scientifically-calibrated lights and sounds designed to improve sleep quality.
Five years in the making, the futuristic-looking clock was developed in partnership with Damien Léger, president of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Sleep and Alertness in France, and leading international light and chronobiology expert Dr. Claude Gronfie.
The NightCove uses a patented sleep system with 20 pre-loaded programs combining sound and light of varying color, wavelength and intensity that's tailored to improve sleep cycles and regulate the body's melatonin levels. Simply set the alarm, press the sleep button and the gizmo strategically rotates through purple, red, blue and other hues to help the body fall asleep faster, sleep more deeply and awake rested. Consider it the gift that keeps giving.
Buy it here.

Les Paul Robot Guitar Price:$2,500

Jamming with tech moguls like Roger McNamee -- the co-founder of Silicon Valley's Elevation Partners who also performs with the semi-pro band Moonalice -- requires more than talent. It demands the Les Paul Robot Guitar, a high-tech guitar with an automatic tuning button.
The limited edition robot guitar eliminates the hassle of lowering the pitch of every string by hand, and then strumming and tweaking. Produced by Gibson Guitar, the instrument arrives programmed with several popular open tunings such as Open G and Open D, as well as tunings for six classic hits including Led Zeppelin's "Going to California" and "Voodoo Child" by Jimi Hendrix. It can also be programmed with customized tunings.
Buy it here.

ZMP Miuro iPod Speaker
Price: $1,299.99

Introducing "Miuro" from ZMP, the all new one-of-a-kind iPod boom-box in the market. It is special designed with an egg shape and built-in with multiple high quality sensors. ZMP's Miuro is not an ordinary speaker; it is categorized in the Robot section because it actually follows the user around the house while playing music. It comes with a private joystick that allows the user to control and adjust the motion and audio. Miuro adopts a 4ch digital power amplifier with multi-channel drive, producing crystal clear sound and superb bass. It corresponds with 4th Generation iPods. Miuro can also become a wireless speaker for PC. With a high resolution VFD screen to display the text and the title. Designed with a simple yet unique outfit, Miuro is stylish for the 21st century world. A friendly iPod accessory. Available in 4 different colors.


NOTE: This is a Japanese product and user manual and software are in Japanese.
Buy it here.

Robovie-M V3 (Big-Max) Humanoid Robot Kit (and he's gold)
Price: $2,699.99

Robovie-M V3 is the current hottest Humanoid Robot in the market for research institutes and the battlebot world. It is designed with a strong and well-balanced body kit. Robovie-M V3 has a total of 22 joint angular sensors, it is capable of doing basic moments, throwing objects, punching, somersaulting, doing handstands, side stepping, and playing soccer with other Robovie-M V3s. When it falls, it automatically pushes itself back up to a standing position. It comes in 2 stylish colors and a full metal body outfit. It includes 70 predefined programs.
Buy it here.

Mod Mickeys:The Modernization of Disney's Mickey Mouse

Above: the very first Mickey Mouse in 1928's SteamBoat Willie


Above: The Mickey Mouse most of us grew up with

"For at least a half-century Mickey Mouse, ears and all, has served as one of the most potent icons in contemporary visual culture. The poster boy for everything from cinematic innovation to American cultural 'imperialism,' the animated rodent is freighted with a veritable encyclopedia of inference. Not surprisingly, artists the world over -- and especially Mickey's countrymen and -women -- have fixated on the simply, distinctively drawn figure. But however much that (deceptively) ingenuous face and unique silhouette turn up in Pop paintings, social-commentary cartoons, and even abstract sculpture, writers and historians have let Mickey's ubiquity pass without substantial comment. Until now. Defying the perils of post-modernist close reading, pop-culture fetishism, and the fabled wrath of Disney Corp., Holly Crawford proffers an exhaustive documentation, classification, and analysis of Mickey's many appearances in the visual art of our time. Her study fills a gap in the critical history of recent art, not to mention in Mouseology."
—Peter Frank, Critic and Curator


Above: Andy Warhol's Mickey Mouse was one of the first modern interpretation of Mickey that those of us born before 1980 experienced


Above: Gottfried Helnwein : Midnight Mickey, 2001, 200 cm x 300 cm
oil and acrylic on canvas

The above painting is one of the modern interpretations of Disney's Mickey Mouse in Holly Crawford's book, Attached to The Mouse.

ATTACHED TO THE MOUSE, DISNEY AND CONTEMPORARY ART
Those who have used the same or multiple forms of the image many times over many years include Lichtenstein, Helnwein, Oldenburg, Pensato, Ospina, and Chagoya. The facade of Disney and America in the guise of the Mouse is one of the things that Helnwein and others present to us. Claes Oldenburg took the facade to its literal extreme when he proposed a flat Mouse's image for a facade to Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art, and produced a flat Mouse sculpture. Helnwein, Oldenburg and others are using the Mouse to make social and cultural comments about our society, in the broadest sense, but with humor.
Paperback: 194 pages. University Press of America (July 28, 2006)
Buy the book here.



This past summer, Disney & Wa-Qu, A Japanese Design Firm teamed up for an exhibit that incorporated Mickey into interior lifestyle elements such as wallpaper, chopsticks, lacquer dishes and more.



Above: Wall coverings incorporating the famous mickey outline for Wa-Qu's Disney exhibit.
The exhibit has ended but you can see some of it online here.
More Exhibit info here

Some other unusual and collectible modern interpretations of Mickey are shown below.With links to purchase.

Artist David Flores' Mickey:

Above: David Flores Mickey Mouse, Vinyl Collectable Doll (VCD) by Medicom.
Stands 14 CM's tall. Due for release late December. Japan Import.
pre-order/buy it here

Three new "modern" Mickeys are available, manufactured by Tomy for Disney of Japan. Released a few months ago,The Punk, Pass Da M.I.C., and Take Off sell for approximately $45 USD each:



Buy the Punk Mickey Here.
Buy Take off Mickey here.
Buy Pass DA MIC Mickey here.



The iRiver MPlayer is also known as the Mickey Mouse player. The gadget is now available for pre-order in Japan and is scheduled to ship on the November first. The MPlayer does not have display screen. It connects via USB and comes in 1GB capacity. The iRiver MPlayer will be available in five different colors for $87.
Buy it here.

Runaway Brain Mickey:

Above: This version of Mickey Mouse was featured in the animated short, Runaway Brain, is a super hot collectible vinyl figure for any Mickey Mouse fan. Produced by Medicom.4 inches tall
Buy it here

Clash Mickey - a tribute to The Clash London Calling album Cover(also called Guitar Mickey):


Designed by ROEN, and produced by Medicom Toy, this is the new VCD (Vinyl Collectible Dolls) series Clash Mickey, released exclusively in Japan. Clash Mickey plays as a cool tribute to the Clash, based on their famous 'London Calling' album cover. Standing 6 inches tall, Medicom Toy's Clash Mickey also comes packed in a neat collectors window box.
Buy it here.

BIRD IS THE WORD - White Munky King exclusive
by Frank Kozik. White. Vinyl. 16 inches tall. Only 50 produced.
The infamous founder of Communist China sporting the symbol of America's cultural imperialism...Mickey Mouse ears?

Frank Kozik's controversial reinterpretation of Chairman Mao stands 16 inches tall in white, reminescent of the plaster of paris busts of yesteryear but this is pure rotocast vinyl. Comes packaged in a beautiful red box with gold foil printing
Buy it here.