Willow Dinnerware For Video Game Lovers by Olly Moss.

Olly Moss, a designer of whose work I am a giant fan, created these during some downtime. He re-imagined the classic China Willow pattern as dinnerware gamers would eat up.





Olly Moss

Whacked Out Willow China By Sweden's Nille Svensson. Fake China Dinnerware.

Adding his own narrative to what at first glance looks like classic Willow Pattern China (a style of dinnerware which originated in England in the early 1800s), designer Nille Svensson has created "Fake China."



The blue and white bone china plates measuring 12.3 inches in diameter were originally created for an exhibition in Stockholm on the theme of identity. The Fake China is a cultural twist on the original Chinaware, adding contemporary elements like planes, boats, factories and automobiles. At the end of this post is a detailed explanation about the plate designs in the designer's own words.












ABOUT FAKE CHINA (by Nille Svensson):

On the 12th of September 1745, the sailing ship Götheborg, part of the Swedish East India Company fleet, returned to Sweden from Canton after more than 30 months at sea. It is believed that over 35 members of the crew died during the journey. Only 900 meters from its home harbour in Gothenburg, the ship ran aground and sank. The cargo of several thousand pieces of china was lost and the sailors who did not survive the journey had died for nothing. This story of the harsh reality of commerce has always fascinated me.

When I was asked to create something on the theme of »identity« for the Notch exhibition in 2009, I first thought a lot about how contemporary China, at least from a Western perspective, is generally regarded as a place were things are produced but not designed. China's design identity is also associated with the issue of plagiarism and fake products. I then came to think about the sad fate of Götheborg, and the extremely high demand of Chinese ceramics in Europe at that time. A high demand created out of the fact that the knowledge of how to manufacture ceramics of such quality was not locally available.

As the understanding of production techniques spread, manufacturing of chinaware started in Europe as well. In many cases featuring designs that looked »Chinese«, or were direct copies of Chinese originals. The design was made with the main purpose to add a quality of authenticity to what was basically product piracy. The most famous of these designs is perhaps the »Willow design« made around 1790. The company behind this plate even invented a fake Chinese legend based on the motif just to further promote the authenticity of the product. The motif and the legend has in turn been copied and spread widely ever since. There is even an animated Disney film based on the willow tree legend. From the early plagiarism, the designs grew and permuted and became the starting point of the British and Dutch porcelain-tradition as we know it.

Contemporary designers and artists even relates to the Willow-motif as a kind of starting point. The copy has grown to become an original and as such carries cultural integrity in its own right as it has transformed through the states of copy - original - culture - tradition. What we today may regard as a highly valuable (collectable) item was originally created as a simple copy.

It is a healthy reminder of how cultural influenses and values shift and change over time. Not only geographically, but economically and demographically, the general presumption that the Western world is where things are designed and originated, whilst the East is where they get produced and copied will not prevail forever.

With all this in mind I went to the Museum of Eastern Antiquities in Stockholm, stole designs and design elements from plates in the collection, and created my own »fake china« plates, while convinced that nobody can copy anything without adding something to the story.

The result is a small step of cultural evolution. -- Nille Svensson, designer

Where To Buy Fake China


FAKE-CHINA is included in the Röhsska Museet permantent design collection.

In Stockholm, Sweden FAKE-CHINA are available at Svenskt Tenn

For US sales and retail, please contact Jennifer Garcia

For general questions regarding FAKE-CHINA, please email: inquiries@fake-china.com

Noon Solar Fashion: Bags That Take Charge

Noon Solar creates bags for people who are equally conscious of style and sustainability. Their bags combine durable solar power charging capability with sustainable design and American based, socially responsible manufacturing.

Their previous collection (which is sold out):



.... and a sneak peek at some of the new, soon to hit the market, styles (courtesy of Goldarths):




Noon carefully chooses materials for their sustainability, longevity, and beauty, to design and create the next generation of totes and satchels. Using natural pigments, we hand-dye our hemp and cotton fabrics in house and feature only chrome-free leathers which have also been naturally dyed and tanned. Because natural dyes can vary from dye bath to dye bath, each bag is one-of-a-kind.

Their Noon Solar line integrates a flexible solar panel into the body of each bag, allowing it to charge your cell phone or iPod. By integrating solar panels into our bags, we offer not only the convenience of portable power, but also a means to incorporate renewable energy into your daily life.

As stated above, the following styles are all sold out, however, their new 2008 Spring Collection is supposedly available any day now and you can sign up to be alerted as to when, by signing up on their website.

The Cortland:
available in black (shown below) or chocolate



The Willow:
available in steel (shown below) and chocolate



The Logan:
available in chocolate (shown below) or black and chocolate



Solar power:
On the outside of your bag, there is a paper thin, flexible solar panel. This solar panel charges a battery pack located inside the bag to supply power for your cell phone or iPod, day or night. Simply place the solar panel in the bag towards the sun to collect usable energy.



Put it in your window at work, home, car, or on the train; face it towards the sun at a café; or walk/bike around town with the panel exposed. Even on cloudy or rainy days, energy is collected through the UV light of the sun.

On a bright, sunny day the battery should be fully charged in 6-8 hours. On a cloudy day the battery will require a bit more time. The battery pack will hold the sun’s energy for several days.



Included with each Noon Solar bag is a user manual explaining the specifics of solar energy and how to access and use it.

Specs:


Power Bank
* Selectable output voltage of DC 5.2V, 6.2V, 7.2V. Max output current is 1.8A, working current is 1.1A.
* Internal battery is 3.6V, 3600mAH.
* The battery box will change to power saver mode to conserve the battery while the output cable is NOT plugged in. If the output cable is plugged in, the battery box will change to work mode and will drain the battery even if your device is not plugged in.
* The Power Bank has overload and short circuit protection.
* FCC certified and CE approved.

Solar Panel
* Output is 7.2v, 300mA.
* The solar panel is completely water and weather proofed, and will continue to work even if it wears with age.
* You will not be harmed if the solar panel gets wet.

Precautions
* Do not damage the battery box or solar panel
* Do not burn or expose the battery box or solar panel to fire
* Please recycle the battery box, dispose of it properly, or mail it to us for recycling
* Do not open or dismantle the box

In addition to the solar bags, they plan on launching a collection simply called "Noon" this coming fall that offers the bags without the solar panels. Find out all about Noon Solar here.