Photographer Alejandro Cartagena Captures Car Poolers In Mexico.

The Car Poolers in Mexico is a project by photographer Alejandro Cartagena that takes a peek into the world of flatbed trucks that carry Mexican workers to their jobs. Shown last week at Kopeikin Gallery's booth at Miami Project (and earlier this summer at the Kopeikin Gallery), the photographs reveal intimate glimpses of laborers in the beds of the trucks, heading to or from the massive, low-quality housing complexes being built close to the country's border with the U.S.


above: The winner of the 2012 International Street Photography Award, Cartagena stands in front of his Car Poolers series the show's exhibit in London. (photo by Maciej Dakowicz)


The images, most of which were taken in Monterrey, have been honored in respected photography competitions for documenting some of the more obscure details in the life of a day laborer.

Below are 14 images from the project:








Prints on photorag cotton, paper edition of 10+4AP.
images courtesy of the photographer.


See all 30 photos from the project at  Kopeikin Gallery.

The photographer's own site.

A Monopoly Makeover By Artist and Designer Matthew Hollet.

Unlike the modernization of the original MONOPOLY board game by Hasbro, MONOPOLY REVOLUTION, ONOPO is a conceptual re-imagining of the iconic American board game by visual artist and web designer Matthew Hollet.


above: The ONOPO board. The visual echo between the three Os in the original game title and the groups of three spaces on the board inspired my design. The original game presented plenty of opportunity for distilling the design down to an iconographic system representing its basic mechanics.

In an attempt to simplify and clarify the game system, he removed the thematic metaphors (such as place names) and other non-essential elements. Inspired by abstract strategy games, he then designed a minimal iconographic system which uses as little language as possible.


above: Property cards from ONOPO. All text on the original cards has been translated into an iconographic system. The symbols for different types of spaces were designed so that each of these cards would have a bisected circle centered at the top.

Matt says "I enjoy designing and working with systems, and this project was an exercise in consistency and constraint." The name is partly a reduction of the original and partly an homage to Oulipo, the "workshop for potential literature."


above: Instructional cards and bills from ONOPO. The instructional cards were the most challenging part of the game to translate visually for Matt. One constraint he gave himself was to using the same size board, cards and bills as the original. He thought of the project as a re-skinning of the game rather than a complete redesign. Leaving certain remnants of the original also makes the project easier to understand at a glance. For that same reason,he used mostly similar colours.

descriptions, images and quotes courtesy of Matthew Hollet 

If you never saw Hasbro's own modern version of the game, below are some images of Monolopy Revolution Edition which is available to purchase:





Buy MONOPOLY Revolution here

A Shoe Lovers' Holiday Fantasy. Red-Soled Christmas Trees For Christian Louboutin Boutiques.

Shoe lovers and Foot Fetishists will delight in these designer Christmas Trees. Studio XAG has created fabulous red-soled Christmas Trees inspired by Christian Louboutin's classic Pigalle spike-heeled pumps that are featured in the windows and interiors of the Christian Louboutin boutiques in Paris and Geneva. As admirers of the brand know, the red sole is an attribute of the luxury label's stunning shoes.



A cast of the brand's classic Pigalle shoe served as the bulk of the design for the trees:








Each red-soled tree is topped with a sparkly Pigalle open-toed pump in various colors as the 'star':



The trees in the windows are set against mirrored backdrops and rotate for the full effect:


photos (some cropped) by Susie Rea, courtesy of Studio XAG

Limited Edition Swarovski Embellished Bond No. 9 Fragrances

Perfume and fragrances always make nice gifts. These limited edition versions of some of the best-selling scents from Bond No. 9 make great gifts. With a price range spanning $350 to $7500, the following limited edition Bond No 9 bottled scents are embellished with Swarovski crystals and elements that will make anyone's eyes sparkle.


New York Musk Emerald Swarovski Shooting Star

For all those collectors and connoisseurs who fell in love with last year’s exquisite, richly textured clear-diamond superstar bottle studded with crystals, the good news is: we’ve done it again—only this time with a network of emerald stars. The scent? Our brand new New York Musk. Consider this bottle just the second in our growing Shooting Stars series
Notes of: grapefruit, black currant, osmanthus flower, green lilies, nutmeg, musk, patchouli, sandalwood and vetiver
100ml — $1,000.00

The Fantasy-Stone Fountain of Peace

This year’s official, unabashed extravaganza gift is our now-perennial 42-ounce spigoted amphora vitrine, filled with the Scent of Peace, its gracefully curvaceous exterior glistening everywhere with a new Swarovski crystal design: a profusion of stones in varying sizes and shapes, carefully pieced together onto a surface as intricate and tactile as an incandescent moon-glow tapestry. True, perfume containers have always had an element of fantasy. But this one is ultimo in every way.
42oz — $7,500.00

The Swarovski Crystallized Amphora

Their outsized 42 oz amphora vitrine, breathtakingly covered with 16,500 hand-applied platinum Swarovski stones. Not to forget the bottle top—an elliptical mirror with honeycomb base. And while they were at it, they added the Bond No. 9 signature and a handy golden spigot. Contents? Your choice among our Bond No. 9 eau de parfum (exclusions apply). This bedazzlement comes in a white patent leather gift case, also adorned with crystals
— $3,500.00

The Scent of Peace Incandescent Shooting Super Star

The Scent of Peace is likewise the eau de parfum chosen for the classic Bond No. 9 superstar bottle that’s been decked out all over with those Swarovski fanci-crystals—the moonlit exterior emphasizing the preciousness of the contents. Even the oval cap and the keepsake silver-toned presentation box are studded with stones.
Notes: Grapefruit, black currant, lily of the valley, musk
100ml — $1,000.00

Central Park West Limited Edition with Swarovksi

For gardenia devotees with a sense of fashion elegance, this is the ultimate gift of gifts: A 100 ml. limited-edition bottle of Central Park West whose houndstooth surface has been rendered with 2,500 sparkling Swarovski gems, its edges bordered in vivid lime green, its cap encircled with tiny stones.
580 — $580.00

Nuits de Noho Chandelier

This downtown beauty goes out A LOT. So they’ve given it a wardrobe change. A lacquer-smooth, basic-black-for-the holiday’s bottle, accented with Bond No. 9‘s new chandelier treatment: See through prism necklace and matching jaunty cap
Notes: Jasmin, creamy vanilla, sheer patchouli
100ml — $380.00

Astor Place Swarovski Limited-Edition

Our Mesmerizing New Eau de Parfum, Inspired by New York’s Most Vibrant Arts-and-Style Intersection.
Notes: Violet Leaf, Mandarin Zest, Freesia, Red poppy buds, Orris (iris root), teakwood, Musk and Amber
100ml — $300.00

The Swarovski All-Stars

They’ve gone overboard and embellished three more of their most coveted scents with the tiniest and most reflective of all the Swarovski stones—five thousand of them per 50ml bottle. The pearlized milk glass Eau de New York bottle (citruses-cyclamen-jasmine-vetiver) is studded with diamond-colored aurora borealis stones. Chelsea Flowers (peonies-magnolia-rose) is decked with emerald-colored stones. Chinatown (peach-gardenia-tuberose-sandalwood) features ruby-colored stones.
Eau de New York - 50ml — $650.00
Chelsea Flowers - 50ml — $650.00
Chinatown - 50ml — $650.00

Shop for these and more here.

Goodnight iPad, A Parody Of The Children's Classic For The Gadget Loving Generation.

The classic children's book, Goodnight Moon, has been more parodied a few times, one of my favorites being Goodnight Keith Moon. The latest to turn the illustrated children's tale "Goodnight Moon," written by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd and first published in 1947, into a version that resonates with our contemporary world, is Goodnight iPad. Written by Ann Droyd (a pseudonym) with charming illustrations by David Milgrim, the book is a version for today's generation, living modern-day lives filled with products we power up.




Modern life is abuzz. There are huge LCD WiFi HD TVs and Facebook requests and thumbs tapping texts and new viral clips of cats doing flips. Wouldn't it be nice to say goodnight to all that? Like the rest of us who cannot resist just a few more scrolls and clicks, you may find yourself ready for bed while still clinging to your electronics long after dark.





This book, which is made of paper, is a reminder for the child in all of us to power down at the end of the day. This hilarious parody not only pokes loving fun at the bygone quiet of the original classic, but also at our modern plugged-in lives. It will make you laugh, and it will also help you put yourself and your machines to sleep. Don't worry, though. Your gadgets will be waiting for you, fully charged, in the morning.



The book has received excellent press by many reputable critics (see some here)

About the author:
Ann Droyd is the pseudonym for an IRA/CBC Children's Choice winner who has written and illustrated over twenty picture books for young readers. Droyd's work is known for its sense of narrative, humor, and visual playfulness. Ann Droyd, who studied graphic design at Parsons, lives in Massachusetts.

Product details:
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Hardcover: 30 pages
Publisher: Blue Rider Press (October 27, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399158561
ISBN-13: 978-0399158568
Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 0.3 inches



The original Goodnight Moon:


Other parodies of the book available to purchase:

Goodnight Goon: A Petrifying Parody
Goodnight Bush: A Parody
Goodnight Husband, Goodnight Wife
Goodnight Keith Moon: A Parody!

The Most Fashionable Christmas Tree For A Couture Christmas.

This is the prelit 5' Christmas tree designed for those who have an interest in fashion. Exclusively from Hammacher Schlemmer (but sadly, sold out already), this tree eschews the geometric lines of typical conifers, taking its shape instead from a classic couturier's dress form.



The high collar, long sleeves, wasp waist, and hoop skirt are clad with faux pine needles, creating a topiary effect. The tree is pre-strung with 150 warm white LEDs that enhance without overpowering its silhouette and the dress comes accessorized with eight removable iridescent red globe ornaments. Topped with a matte-finish metal star, the sturdy metal frame rests atop a filigreed base, while the dress' 15" hem leaves ample clearance for gifts.



Assembly required. Plugs into AC with 6' cord. 60" H x 23 1/4" W x 12 3/4" D. (9 lbs.)

Price $249.95

Sorry, but this item is no longer available from Hammacher Schlemmer.

Spicy, Pricey And A Little Icy. I.D. Sarrieri Luxury Lingerie Embellished With Swarovski Crystals and Elements.

The breathtakingly beautiful lingerie label I.D. SARRIERI merges classic, romantic, retro, a little dominatrix and some 'ice' for a unique style of intimate fashions. Haute couture materials from France and Italy embellished with Swarovski Crystallized Elements, Swarovski silver studs, silk and fine lace define the collection’s identity of elegance. Bustiers, push-up bras, merry widows, garters, slips, panties and more are renowned for the impeccable details, quality and craftsmanship.