Truth and Lies: A Poster Series by Justin Barber

Little white lies turned into sixteen different minimalist graphic art posters by Justin Barber.

"This humorous poster series takes some of the most common, everyday lies we tell ourselves and hear from others, and bluntly translates them into the unequivocal truth. By visually representing the difference in what we often say but secretly mean, Truth and Lies uncovers the inane conversational nuances that reveal paradoxical dichotomies in our otherwise ordinary life. In other words, this is what you say, but (this is what you mean) - and we all know it." - Justin Barber


















About the artist:
Justin Barber was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan - but is currently located in Savannah, Georgia. Justin Barber is a freelance graphic designer who specializes in branding and identity. His work has been recognized by Apple, Behance and International Designers Network, among others.

Freelance Graphic Designer
Location: Savannah, GA, USA
URL: http://jstnbrbr.com

Sophie Harris-Greenslade Nails it For Dior At Harrods And Offers Manicures To Match The Fashions.

DIOR's month-long takeover of Harrods has as much to offer beauty fans as it does fashion, with the department store's hallowed beauty hall playing host to exciting events, treatments and limited-edition products.




A series of nail art designs inspired by the fashions created by Raf Simons for the Christian Dior spring/summer 2013 collection is now available as part of Dior's Harrods takeover.







Until April 16, nail artist Sophie Harris-Greenslade, also known as The Illustrated Nail, will be treating customers to exclusive nail designs based on Raf Simons' spring/summer 2013 creations for Dior.


above: Nail artist Sophie Harris-Greenslade of The Illustrated Nail (photo courtesy of Look At Me)

Two limited-edition Dior Vernis nail colours have also been created especially for the event - the pale pink Diorling and the metallic grey Windsor.



The designs take their cue from Simons' dreamy florals, clashing hues and clean lines. Impressively, appointment fees are redeemable against the purchase of two Dior products - so you can save your funds for something decadent from the pop-up Dior at Harrods café (or indeed from the fashion section) instead.

Appointments with Sophie herself are available every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Dior at Harrods until April 14. Call 0207 754 0444 to book.



You can shop for Dior beauty exclusives online at Harrods here

A look at the Dior takeover of Harrod's:

Slimane Continues Rocking For Saint Laurent With Marilyn Manson, Courtney Love, Kim Gordon and Ariel Pink.

Creative Director and photographer Hedi Slimane's latest print advertising campaign for Saint Laurent features rockers Courtney Love, Marilyn Manson, Kim Gordon and Ariel Pink. Slimane is continuing the edgy rock n'roll look he created for the recently renamed brand (changed from YSL to Saint Laurent last summer) that he began with ads featuring Christopher Owens (shown at the end of this post) last fall.

A Radical Resource For Lovers of Letterpress. A New Site, The Beauty Of Letterpress, Is the First Of Its Kind.

Whether you are looking to get ideas, inspiration or actual facts about paper and types of letterpressing, the newly launched website, the Beauty of Letterpress, is eye candy and education for anyone who appreciates the art of letterpress design. Wedding invitations, business cards, promotional pieces and more artfully debossed into fine paper stock that beg not only to be seen, but to be touched.



It's a website that celebrates letterpress printing and its creators with the first virtual, community-based gallery of modern letterpress samples and resources, brought to you be Neenah paper.


above: Coasters such as these by 2 Hat Design populate the site

The Beauty of Letterpress site includes their first of monthly issues, a gallery to which anyone can submit their work, a list of printers, the history of letterpress, and several other resources.


above: The site has many Wedding invitations and Save The Date cards like this one to inspire

The gallery presents letterpress work from notable letterpress printers, designers, and artisans from around the country including Rohner Letterpress, Studio on Fire, Two Paperdolls, and Mama’s Sauce. Projects include all the necessary info for you including: Paper, Paper Weight, Paper Color, Inks, Printer and the Artist/Agency.

The site features selections from a new curator each month like this first one by Jennifer James of twopaperdolls.com:


Letterpress history, context, educational information, community connections and a list of letterpress printers round out the site.


above: beautiful notecards like this one are all over the site

Letterpress printing continues its renaissance in the digital age because of its extraordinary beauty and tactility. “When art or type is pressed into sumptuous paper, it creates a physical impression that simply begs to be touched,” said Tom Wright, senior director of advertising and design for Neenah Paper. “ We believe the extraordinary, communicative power of letterpress printing and the community of people who make it happen deserve a special place— The Beauty of Letterpress celebrates and honors the modernity of this 500-year old craft.”


above: The site is a great place for the newly engaged to get ideas for their wedding invitations like the fun one shown above


above: plentiful creative and unique business cards, like this one above for Rabbit Hole, can be found on the site

While developing this virtual letterpress home for the 21 st century, the creators could not help but consider the physical move of Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum (woodtype.org) the landmark institution preserving the rich history and assets of letterpress dating to the birth of letterpress in the 15th century.



The Beauty of Letterpress launches with a Neenah Paper, Inc. initiative to help raise $30,000 in funds for the Museum’s move through matching donations and gifts of limited edition prints to designers, letterpress printers and admirers of this craft.



In addition to featuring the work of artists, The Beauty of Letterpress highlights CRANE Papers and Neenah Paper and offers paper samples, videos and many community resources. Letterpress printers, designers, lovers and aficionados are invited to submit work to The Beauty of Letterpress, subscribe to the RSS to see new work in real-time, and join its dedicated online communities on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, @BoLetterPress.



The Beauty Of Letterpress

The Beauty of Letterpress is a sister site to The Beauty of Engraving launched by Neenah Paper last year. Both initiatives were developed in partnership with Two Paperdolls and feature CRANE® Papers. CRANE’S LETTRA® Papers, CRANE’S CREST® Papers and CRANE’S BOND® Papers are marketed and sold by Neenah Paper.

Punking People Perfectly On April Fool's Day: Virgin Atlantic and Lelo.

On April 1st, otherwise known as April Fool's Day, several brands decided to participate in the fun of pulling one over on their audiences by offering faux products. Two of the best were the Glass-Bottom Plane by Virgin Atlantic and The IKEA-like Vibrator, the GASM, from Lelo.

The World's First Glass-Bottom Plane from Virgin Atlantic

On April 1st, Virgin Atlantic announced on their site and blog that they are now offering flights to Scotland aboard the world's first plane with a transparent glass bottom.



The blog featured a first-person announcement from Mr. Branson of the new technology:
"I’m thrilled to announce that Virgin has created another world-first with the introduction of the technology required to produce the world’s first glass-bottomed plane. This technological innovation coincides with the start of Virgin Atlantic Airways’ first ever domestic service to Scotland.



In 1984 we started the wonderful airline that is Virgin Atlantic. I am incredibly proud of yet another aviation breakthrough which has been years in the making. I can’t wait to experience the first flight for myself with my family and other natural born explorers.



2012 was a year of celebrating what is brilliant about Great Britain and I’m excited that in 2013 we are continuing this uplifting spirit by developing an experience that will enable Little Red passengers to appreciate the beauty of the British landscape. And with an unrivalled view of Scotland I hope this gives Scottish tourism an even bigger boost.

We hope to trial the glass bottom technology with other Virgin airlines in time and have asked other Virgin companies to support this innovative trial and launch our new domestic Scottish route. This really is a team effort from all corners of Virgin." -- By Richard Branson. Founder of Virgin Group

They even phonied up partnerships for the supposed plane

The UK Mirror's broke the news that the announcement was a joke in a 3pm update of their own article about the plane.

The GASM Personal Vibrator from Lelo


Lelo took their own Swedish heritage into consideration when offering customers the Gasm, their latest green, flat-packed personal vibrator via their site and blog. The hilarious mock product included an instructive video, packaging, line art and instructions perfectly in keeping with the look and tone of the Swedish products offered by IKEA.





Our latest vibrator has a number of exciting features that include:
● Easy self-assembly in as little as 1 minute: put together your own pleasure, and save on production costs!
● On-call LELO representatives available to advise on proper assembly and use of your GӒSM – totally free, 24 hours a day!
● For a greener peace of mind, GӒSM is made from 100% recycled materials like compressed wood pulp and recycled rubber – in a lush shade of forest green!
● GӒSM is powered by a long-lasting battery fully rechargeable with manual hand-crank technology (Allen key included)
● Arrives in new flat-packaging solution for even more savings and reduced environmental impact
● Savings on assembly, shipping and storage go directly to customers, who can get GӒSM for USD 179.99





The announcement ended with the following:
"GӒSM is available from LELO.com and selected retailers starting within the coming week– visit us again soon and discover how helping the planet can be a pleasure! For any further inquiries or request an opportunity to interview the designers, please contact pr@lelo.com"

Lelo's was so successful that people continue to request the Gasm from the brand.

Kudos to both brands for a great sense of humor and imagination.

The Self-Sustaining Isoleé House Barely Impacts Its Environment At All.

The Isolée house is an eco-friendly and modern home described as a self-sufficient residence by Frank Tjepkema and Agustina Cociffi. The tiny structure is essentially a 'smart house' which incorporates a unique, solar tree-like device into the functional aspect, meaning very little to no fuel is required. That tree protrudes from the home's roof, containing circular photovoltaic panels which generate energy from the sun into the residence.




The exterior is comprised of long, thick shutters which are controlled by electric motors that are monitored by a computer system run on solar power. They can be opened or closed given the homeowner's preference, but they allow for natural light and can automatically close when a storm is approaching.





A wood burning stove helps to heat the residence while LED lights utilize rechargeable batteries. The designer states "Isolée is anchored to the landscape on just four points, as would a cabinet. The Isolée creates permanence, but with an engineered beauty that is aesthetically inspired by nature and harmonizes mankind's relationship with the world."



Three levels make up the interior, connected by a diagonal staircase. A living room encompasses the first level, while the kitchen area is on the second floor. The bedroom is located on the third story along with a bathroom and terrace.







This house is a new architectural design delivering an ecologically friendly retreat from the modern world. Combining intelligent technology with elegant sophistication, this design creates a habitat that barely impacts its environment.



With massive opening shutters spanning the length of the building, an intelligent heating system integrated within the structure of the house and topped by a solar tree, this home ensures minimal fuel reliance. Applying a minimalized product design ethos, Isolée is anchored to the landscape on just four points, as would a cabinet.



The Isolée creates permanence, but with an engineered beauty that is aesthetically inspired by nature and harmonizes mankind’s relationship with the world.

"On seeing the house, you're bound to be captivated by the design language. 'My approach was the same as if I were making making a piece of furniture,' Frank Tjepkema says. 'Rather than a solid block of concrete for the foundation, for instance, I set the house on an elegant four-legged base, as if it were a cabinet. Minimal footprint.'"



Design team: Agustina Cociffi, Frank Tjepkema

Tjep