Daisy Balloon. Crazy Couture Creations Filled With Air.

Daisy Balloon is balloon artist Rie Hosokai (born 1976) and art director/graphic designer Takashi Kawada (born 1976). Together they have created fashions, hats and more by knitting balloons of various sizes, shapes and colors together. Making the world their stage, this balloon unit travels the globe to exhibit their art.





Below are just a few of my favorite designs of theirs from exhibitions, editorials, websites and various publications.

Sunday Issue
artwork : rie hosokai (daisy balloon)
artdirection : takashi kawada (kotenhits)
photography : hiroshi manaka (tiimu)
head stylist : kunio kohzaki (tron)
make-up : ebara (miyabi)




above photos for Sunday Issue courtesy of antjeverena

For The Daisy Balloon Website
art work : rie hosokai (daisy balloon)
art direction : takashi kawada (kotenhits)
photography: hiroshi manaka (tiimu / nam)
hair-dreesing & make-up : rie suda
stylist : tastuhiko marumoto (eight peace)
photo retouch : yoshiaki sakurai (iino graphic images / nam)
interactive design,technical direction : yusuke oshima
flash : takuya fukuda(tagflug)








Christmas Card for Laforet


Exuviation
Artwork : Daisy Balloon
Production : Atsushi Umezawa
Photography: Satoshi Minakawa
Styling : Kumiko Iijima
Hair&Make-up : Noboru Tomizawa
Model : Ninon Webb




Osaka Takashimaya
Curation : Daisuke Nagamori / Naohito Miyagi / Momoko Yamada
Artwork＋Graphic Design : Daisy Balloon
Photography: Hiroshi Manaka / Photo Retouch : Yoshiaki Sakurai
Make-up : Ken Nakano / Hair : Koji Ichikawa / Stylist : Koji Oyamada



Rich Magazine
art work : rie hosokai (daisy balloon)
art direction : takashi kawada (kotenhits)
photography : shoji uchida
styling : miki aizawa
hair & make-up : hirokazu niwa (maroonbrand)
model : iruka (okazaki models)
photo retouch : makoto harikae



Fiercive Magazine
art work : rie hosokai (daisy balloon)
photography: hiroshi manaka (tiimu / nam)
hair-dreesing & make-up : go utsugi (switch management & produce)
stylist : tastuhiko marumoto (eight peace)
photo retouch : mika yagihashi (pygmalion)
model : gwen (bravo)




Chocolate A-Z exhibition in Hong Kong (Harbour City)
art work : rie hosokai (daisy balloon)
art direction : takashi kawada (kotenhits)
photography: hiroshi manaka (tiimu / nam)
hair-dreesing & make-up : rie suda
stylist : tastuhiko marumoto (eight peace)
photo retouch : yoshiaki sakurai (iino graphic images / nam)


A few random designs of their from over the years:




Balloon Bridal





The Daisy Balloon Book Cover
Artwork : Rie Hosokai / Art Direction : Takashi Kawada
Photography: Hiroshi Manaka / Make-up : Ebara
Hair : Koji Ichikawa / Stylist : Koji Oyamada
Model : Ira Shushiebina / Photo Retouch : Yoshiaki Sakurai
Set Production : Yoshihito Tada
Production : Daisy Balloon / Book Design : Takashi Kawada
Editor : Arata Sasaki / Translator : Saori Hamada
Print : YAMADA PHOTO PROCESS CO.,LTD / Paper : Heiwa Paper Co., Ltd.


images courtesy of Daisy Balloon, Rie Hosokai and Trendland

See More At Daisy Balloon
Tokyo, Japan
info@daisyballoon.com

The Best of Balloon Dog Inspired Items, Housewares and Art. (Sorry, Mr. Koons)

Now that artist Jeff Koons dropped his ridiculous lawsuit against San Francisco boutique and gallery, Park Life, for selling bookends that resembled some of his oversized sculptures, Balloon Dog items are blowing up.

Housewares, lamps, jewelry, cookie cutters, jello molds and more inspired by the dog-shaped balloon animals are now available for purchase - without fear of litigation.

Here's a round up of some of the best available items and some fine art inspired by Balloon Dogs ... and yes, inspired by Jeff Koons, too.


above: one of artists Jeff Koons' giant balloon Dog Sculptures (photo courtesy of New York Times)

above: The IMM living Bookends being sold by Park Life that inspired Mr. Koons' lawsuit

While there are many inexpensive and handmade balloon dog related items on Etsy, Zazzle and other indie art stores, I'm sharing with you some of the mass marketed or more well-designed Balloon Dog-inspired items here.

First off, the resin Balloon Dog Bookends (actually named Big Top Bookends) by IMM Living that inspired the lawsuit...

Balloon Dog Bookends:


Above: resin bookends in orange or purple. Available for purchase here, or here and even cheaper here.

Life Sized Balloon Dog:

above: A life-sized balloon dog made from. To be used for decorative purposes only, not to sit on. Polyresin h50cm : w48cm : d57cm Buy it here

Large Balloon Dog Banks (Money Boxes):


above: Ototo Design of Israel makes ceramic Balloon Dog banks glazed in either silver or gold.

Small Balloon Dog Banks (Money Boxes):



above: Smaller high polish metal Balloon Dog banks in four colors are also available from a different manufacturer. Buy them here or here

Balloon Dog Salt & Pepper Shakers:




Balloon Dog Serving Plate:




Balloon Dog Christmas Ornaments:


Buy the above four here

Or buy the new colors above here: 2011 Balloon Dog Ornaments

Balloon Dog Pillow:

above: Balloon Dog cushion. A reversible feather filled cushion with an image of a balloon dog on one side and a smaller one in the corner on the reverse.
100% polyester, feather filled. Buy it here.

Balloon Dog Cushions and Blankie:



Above: Balloon Dog Cushions and Blanket by Cheeky Sod. Available here.

Balloon Dog Pendants, Rings and Cuff Links:

above: Sterling Silver Balloon Dog pendant by Liat Waldman. Buy it here.

above: Balloon Dog pendants by Art With A Twist, available here.

above: enamel and metal Balloon Dog Rings by Gali Bardy. Buy them here.

above: Gold-tone Balloon Dog ring by Bijoux Delou. Buy it here
above: laser cut acrylic Balloon Dog pins by Felipe K. Buy them here.

above: Silver tone Balloon Dog Cuff Links. Buy them here

above: Ted Baker Balloon Dog Cufflinks in various colors. (seem to be sold out everywhere).

Balloon Dog Chew Toy

above: all natural latex chew toy for dogs by Charming, in small or large.


Mini Vinyl Balloon Dog (blind boxed):


above: one in a series of blind boxed toys from KidRobot's POP! Supershiny Mini Series. (images courtesy of Jeremy Riad)
Buy them here

Balloon Dog Lamp:



above: The GummiDog Lamps by Jellio are made of rubber, powered by batteries and come in eight different colors. Buy them here

Balloon Dog Ties

above: three different Balloon Dog/Animal ties available on Zazzle. Left to right: by Fidosign, by Harrihu and by SoLoveTheWorld

Balloon Dog Jelly (Gelatin) Mold:


buy it here or here or even cheaper here

Balloon Dog Cookie Cutter:

above: large copper Balloon Dog cookie cutter,5.25 x 4.75 inches. buy it here.

Balloon Dog Rubber Stamps:
Measures 1 and 3/4" x 1 and 3/4":
Buy it here.

above: hand carved rubber Balloon Dog stamp. buy it here.

Fine Art, other than that by Jeff Koons, which has been inspired by Balloon Dogs:

Robert C. Jackson:

above: "Pop," 2011, oil on linen, 40 x 30", $12,000

above: "Tip Toe Through the Tack Tips," 2009, oil on linen, 24 x 18", $5000
Both paintings above available through Arden Gallery

Aakash Nihalani:


above: Aakash Nihalani- Untitled (Dog), 2010, Powder-coated steel (images courtesy of the artist)

Ni Tsai-chin (倪再沁):



above: What Is Happiness, 2007 and 2008 by Ni Tsai-chin (倪再沁), (images courtesy of Moca Tapei)

Harold Hoy:

above: Erector Set Balloon Dog, Galvanized Steel, 12h x 23l x 10d inches (image courtesy of Gallery IMA)

Jason Freeny:

above: Jason Freeny's Pneumatica Anatomica Ultrachrome Print, Printed on 100% cotton rag, acid free Fine Art paper, 13” X 14.5”, Signed and Embossed buy it here.

And, of course, kits and book for the traditional art of animal balloon making:


Take that, Jeff.