Like His Clothes, James Perse Furniture Is Cool, Comfy And Californian.

James Perse, a native Californian whose father is the man behind the enduring celeb-chic Los Angeles boutique, Maxfield, began his own fashion career designing T-shirts. His understanding of the blend of luxe and casual has made him into one of today's hottest clothing designers for men and women. He launched his first retail store in 2003 and has now has over 12 boutiques nationwide.


above: designer James Perse

What I didn't know is that he now has a furniture collection that looks as cozy and comfy as his clothes. The collection consists of 4 different lines- all blending that 'California Casual' look and feel with clean and elegant styling.

The text describing each collection below is taken directly from their site and the images are courtesy of James Perse.


above: the flagship store in Malibu, CA.


The James Perse Furniture collection is a seamless extension of the brand. It embodies the same philosophy as the clothing; classic, simple, and timeless, the essence of a casual way of living. The furniture appeals to a broad cross-section of homes from traditional to modern. The collection is not limited to only the indoors as it also extends to outdoor environments. Currently, four collections define the James Perse Furniture Line.

Malibu Collection

- Classic outdoor pieces that have been updated and refined. Included in the collection are the Director's chair, Colony Chair, Chaise and side tables. All of these pieces are made of top quality Teak, grown in an environmentally safe and friendly farm, and are upholstered with Sunbrella fabrics ensuring they're sustainable for lasting outdoor use.






Los Angeles Collection

- Inspired from true craftsmanship, this collection has a rustic feel while maintaining clean lines. These pieces are available in Yellow Balau for the outdoors and Rough Sawn White Oak for the indoors.






Nor Cal Collection
- These upholstered pieces embody the refined yet relaxed feeling of the James Perse aesthetic; modern yet timeless. Fabrics are a cotton and linen blend, made of fine Belgium linens and Italian basket weave. These pieces express a casual lived in and laundered look.






Brentwood Collection

- Includes a dining room table, desk and console. Different dimensions are available for a custom fit. The collection is sleek and sophisticated lending itself to limitless décors. It is classic yet mixes well with casual environments.




Cost? I don't know but given that a white men's cotton V-neck by James Perse retails for $50.00, I'm guessing the furniture is pretty pricey.


above: Short Sleeve V-Neck Tee by James Perse, $50.00
100% Cotton. Lightweight jersey v-neck., Style: MLJ3143

The James Perse Furniture Collection is made in the USA and is sold exclusively at James Perse Boutiques. For more information, please contact a boutique near you.

Also worth noting is his limited edition Custom Built Beach Style Cruiser, also cool and Californian. And available in 4 colors; matte back, khaki green, dark orange and antique white:


Features include: Hydroform steel frame, billet aluminum stem, hand-aged leather seat and grips, triple-clamp fork, extra large aluminum sprocket, extra wide 2" rims and 2.125" tires, 1 speed coaster brake hub and a limited edition serial number tag. Available exclusively at James Perse boutiques.

James Perse

May The Force Help Us Find A Cure For Breast Cancer

While scanning through this years' Comic-Con exclusives, I came across this wonderful find.



A PINK Darth Vader bust created by Gentle Giant Studios, with permission from Lucasfilms, with 10% of each sale going to the Susan G.Komen organization in an effort to find a cure for breast cancer! Looks like Darth is leaving the Dark Side for a worthy cause.



The Pink Darth Vader bust, shown above, is limited to a production of 1,644, stands 8" tall and will ONLY be available at SDCC.

For every pink Darth Vader helmet sold from July 1 - July 26, 2009, Gentle Giant Ltd. will donate 10% of the retail sales price to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® with a minimum guaranteed donation of $5,000, in support of Komen's promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever. This donation will go towards research as well as education in hopes that a cure can be found.

This item is currently available for pre-order and pick up in person with valid ID, only at the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2009. In other words, if you're not going to Comic-Con July 23-26, you cannot order it. If you have any questions please contact customer service @ 818.504.3555 for assistance


For more information, or to find out more ways to help go to: www.komen.org

Audi Design Strikes A Chord With A Bosendorfer Concert Grand Piano

In the past, I wrote about the unusual and amazing pianos of Schimmel and Bosendorfer.


Now, Bosendorfer and Audi Design have collaborated to bring us a modern sleek and beautiful Concert Grand (this is not the first time the Austrian company has worked with a car design studio, they also teamed up with Porsche Design a few years ago). At a price of approximately 100,000 euros, ($139,027.90 USD), the piano will be unveiled July 16th at the celebration of Audi's centenary.

from the press release:

The Audi Design Studio team in Munich decided to tackle the task of housing a concert grand piano in an Audi "outer skin".

The question was: where to start? How could Audi’s design philosophy be interpreted for a grand piano – an instrument with a closely defined form and function? An active process began, during which the designers came up with a surprising number of design approaches.

The team from Design naturally cooperated closely with the specialists at Bösendorfer, since Audi itself is clearly not in a position to build grand pianos.

Bösendorfer, on the other hand, has stood for excellent quality and correspondingly good acoustics since 1828. For Audi, the top priority was not to exert any adverse influence on the instrument's sound.

In the end, the Audi designers walked this tightrope with success. Although various elements directly associated with the case of the piano were modified, the acoustics were unaffected. But the Audi Design grand piano is certainly "different", even at first glance. "Generous surface areas ensure formal clarity; there are no decorative applications, the edges and lines are sharply drawn, the joints logically positioned. All these are important aspects of the Audi design," says Designer Philip Schlesinger, who implemented the project at the Concept Design Studio in Munich. One of the most striking features is the lid, which extends without a break down to the base – an Audi innovation that yields a large, one-piece surface.

See for yourself:



From above, the lid is seen to be recessed into the main case. In the side view, the elegant curve of the treble side is not interrupted by a joint line. The underside of the case is allowed to rise moderately at the rear, away from the performer. This is an optical device: "It draws the observer's attention subtly to the pianist," Schlesinger explains. To reduce the sense of weight on the treble side, a slim aluminium-look leg is used. The same simple style with its hint of the technical world is applied to the pedal lyre.





The keyboard has no wings at the ends. In the same spirit of purist design, the designers have concealed the hinges in the lid above the keyboard. The lid itself can be opened at an unobtrusively integrated handle.




Another Audi idea is to be found directly beneath the keyboard – one that does away with the risk of bruised or scratched knees: "The lower front edge of the keyboard housing and the beam used to make it more rigid have been rounded off. This new outline is distinctly better from an ergonomic point of view: it protects the pianist's knees," says Schlesinger.



When the main lid has been raised and secured with the two-position metal prop, the interior catches the eye immediately.



Whereas the classic piano black finish predominates on the outside, the designers have chosen typical Audi colours for the interior. The cast frame is in grey instead of the usual bronze colour, and the felt damper strips in natural white instead of wine red.



The Audi Design signet has been greatly reduced in emphasis to harmonize with the instrument's overall appearance: it appears on the right front edge of the keyboard lid as a precisely formed, polished stainless steel inlay. As on all pianos from this Vienna manufacturer, the Bösendorfer name is displayed above the center of the keyboard.




The decision to design an Audi concert grand piano is a logical consequence of many years of cultural involvement by the brand with the four-ring emblem. This includes the high-quality jazz meetings at the Audi Forum in Ingolstadt where the Audi Design grand piano will in future be seen and heard.

The Audi Design grand piano will have its world premiere at a major ceremony held on July 16, 2009 in the Audi Forum Ingolstadt to celebrate Audi's centenary. The new instrument can be ordered via the Internet at audi@bosendorfer.com.

All images courtesy of Audi Design.

See more amazing pianos here.

1 Cup Sugar, 2 Cups Talent. Bake To Perfection. The Threadcakes Contest.

above top: Darkside of The Garden T-shirt at Threadless; bottom: A cake baked on the design

Everyone likes t-shirts. And cake. So what a great idea it was for Chris Cardinal to start Threadcakes in 2007, an online cake competition in conjunction with the user generated design t-shirt site, Threadless.com.

The contest turns art into edible art. The premise is straightforward, interpret (not replicate, per se) the image on any of the PRINTED t-shirts at Threadless into an actual baked and edible cake.

No contest was run in 2008, but they've brought it back with a vengeance this year. The contest began on June 15th and runs through August 3rd. It's not too late to enter. You can read more about the competition and the rules here.

The contest has two categories, 2D and 3D and there are already many drool-worthy entries into each. The contest runs for a few more weeks, so you cake bakers still have plenty of time to give it a try.

There are already so many incredible and impressive cakes entered, it was very hard to narrow it down to just a few to inspire you (or to light a flambé under your butt). But here are some incredible entries side by side with the t-shirt art that inspired the cakes.

T-shirt Art on the left, Cakes on the right:

above: Children Under The Bed (3D) by Jessi Wilbanks

above: Catburger (3D) by Jessica Dell

above: A Banana Slipping on a Banana Peel (3D) by burton wills

above: Beauty before Death (3D) by Monique Presley

above: The Apple (3D) by Judy Steiner

above: Water, Just Water (3D) by Catherine Hofler

above: She Doesnt Even Realize (3D) by Nicole Jeans

above: True Love Will Find You In The End (2D) by Katie Eickhoff

above: Long Journey (3D) by Midori Sickel

above: Invasion (2D) by Amanda Noll


To learn more or to view all the entries thus far, go here.

Visit Threadless T-shirts here.

The MJ Memorial Photos You Really Want To See: The Coffin, The Brochure, The Kids, The Hearse & More

It's over. The funeral and the memorial service for the King Of The Pop have occurred and the Jackson family is now having their own private luncheon at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.