16w21 Apartments By Zac Posen Get Dolled Up In Their New Ad Campaign.

To promote designer Zac Posen's new residential loft apartments, 16 west 21st street in New York (referred to as 16w21), Imagination NYC created an ad campaign using 12" articulated dolls as the main characters to represent the hip, urban, sophisticated "Model Life."





The five "Model Apartment" videos (all shown later in this post) air in New York taxicabs (but only within a 10 bock radius of the building) and online. The integrated campaign also features print, outdoor and digital ads, also shown in this post.

A smart move given that the apartments are not yet completed (i.e. no sets yet) and that dolls are far less expensive to shoot than models (no residuals!). In addition to the creative cost-cutting techniques, by using Ken and Barbie-like dolls in stop motion animation for the Anthem video and the four other Model Room videos, they attract an edgier, more youthful audience.

The Print Ads:







The Promotional Videos


The Model Apartments Anthem Spot:




The Model Living Room:



The Model Bedroom:



The Model Kitchen:



The Model Bathroom:



   

The amenities, designed by fashion designer Zac Posen.

The Building has: Keyless remote entry with 24 hour offsite monitoring, a part time doorman with virtual doorman services, Spa and Fitness center, refrigerated storage and package room, keyed elevator access, 9 foot high ceilings, oak flooring, solid wood doors and Bosch washers and dryers and a common roof deck. Bathrooms have: Regency Noir Mosiac tile flooring, Siberian white marble wall tiles, Venetian style stucco wall finishes, custom designed mirrored vanity cabinets with double wet style sinks, Zuma Whirlpool and Airbath Tub, Duravit WC, Robern mirrored medicine cabinets with integrated electric outlet and Lefroy Brooks Mackintosh series fixtures in Polished Chrome. Kitchens have: Porcelain enamel cast iron sinks, Lefroy Brooks faucets, Direct vent Meile hoods, Miele gas cooktop, electric oven, dishwasher; Subzero Combination Refrigerator/Freezer, Wine Storage, Trousdale Marble mosaic floor, and Venetian White marble wall tiles, countertops and Tub surrounds.  

The Architect

16W21'S principal architect, Morris Adjmi, is globally renown for realizing visions that both "fit in and stand out" with their respective context. In the instance of his most recent project, Adjmi drew inspiration from the neoclassical limestone and white-washed brick buildings of New York's Ladies Mile Historic District. And then he reimagined the neighborhood's vernacular. By combining contemporary vision, cutting-edge building technologies, and a custom glass facade, cut in Spain by Cricursa, he has produced a residence that is, like ice, whiter than white, reflecting the history of a city and establishing a modern landmark that frames the warmth of the light and vibrancy of the life within. The 14 stories will be divided into 9 units; 1 garden "townhouse," 5 full-floors, 2 duplexes and a triplex penthouse with prices starting in the mid $2 million dollars. below are artist renderings of the Penthouse and Townhouse floor plans (please click to enlarge and see a clearer image):



The building in progress:
 
above: MA’s 16 W 21st Street project, a residential loft building going up in the Ladies Mile Historic District near the famed Flatiron Building, recently topped out at 14 stories. A special topping out ceremony/spiritual offering was hosted by the building owner. When complete, this unique building will boast a facade constructed entirely out of glass (columns, spandrels, cornice, etc.) that will mimic the historic details of the district.

 16w21 

Related links:
Zac Posen MA Imagination

100 Kickin' Kokeshi Dolls By Various Artists.

The Japanese American National Museum in conjunction with the Los Angeles Toy, Doll And Amusements Museum is presently having a showing of artist decorated and designed Kokeshi Dolls. Curated by Christina Conway, the pieces in the show are for sale as well as being on exhibit and are so beautiful, I wanted to show you ALL of them. It's a looong post, so get your coffee, your Red Bull or your Goji berry drink and start scrolling.

First off, what's a Kokeshi Doll?

Kokeshi (こけし, kokeshi?), are Japanese dolls, originally from northern Japan. They are handmade from wood, have a simple trunk and an enlarged head with a few thin, painted lines to define the face. The body has a floral design painted in red, black, and sometimes yellow, and covered with a layer of wax. One characteristic of kokeshi dolls is their lack of arms or legs. The bottom is marked with the signature of the artist.


above: original traditional Kokeshi Dolls

The modern versions of this traditional icon in the exhibit range from surreal to whimsical, from dark to sweet, and from simple to complex. Some are carved, some are painted, some added hair or feathers, and others, crafted in clay or ceramics.


above: some of the custom Kokeshi dolls in the exhibit

The long list of participating artists come from all over the globe and include such talents as Kozydan, Camilla Engman, Edwin Ushiro, Tara McPherson, Chris Sickels (Red Nose Studio), Poketo, Amy Ruppel and Meredith Dittmar. Varied materials and styles make each of these an individual sculpture as well as part of an impressive collection.

Here's 100 of the dolls for you. The few that are not included in this post are because they were merely a color variation or duplicate. Each can be enlarged by clicking on the image:


































Special thanks to the Japanese American National Museum as well as all the artists, and Curator Christina Conway, for the images.

Many of these phenomenal dolls have sold, but some are still available! Go here to see what's left for purchase and which artists create which dolls. The purchased dolls will be delivered after the show's end in October, 2009.


above: my own 'virtual' Kokeshi doll I made at Kokeshi World.

Be sure to check out their interactive Kokeshi World micro site where you can make your own Kokeshi Doll!


For National Museum hours, admission, and directions, please visit janm.org/visit.

If you liked this post, you may want to check out the Russian Dolls painted by Fashion designers here.