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
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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

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.

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