Bold and Bizarre In Black & White - The 2014 SS Collection from Japan's ANREALAGE.

The newest collection from ANREALAGE just debuted at Tokyo Fashion Week. The 2014 Spring Summer collection takes classic black and white patterns like buffalo check, herringbone, stripes, plaids and pinstripes and plays with scale. Enlarging and minimizing the familiar designs in stark black and white (with a little pale yellow, light blue and ecru), they are paired with crisp white blouses and sheers. The layered fashions include lots of knee-length pants, long dresses and jackets, both long and short. Belted Jackets and buttoned dresses are shown along with Pagliacci clown-like blouses, but it's the bizarre accessories that made this collection stand out on the runway: cage-like face masks and inflatable shoes that look like hospital booties from the front.
























WWD reports that "the real drama came midway through the show, when three models in shapeless black dresses were raised above the runway on an elevated platform, at which point their garments seemed to magically gather and shrink into minidresses. (It’s still unclear just how Morinaga pulled it off.) This trick was then repeated on several more looks, turning a black jersey sack into a chicly draped and ruched dress and oversize nightshirtlike pieces into minidresses with asymmetric gathers."





The video of the runway show:


About the brand:
ANREALAGE is a combination of words of "A REAL(daily), UNREAL(unordinary) and AGE(an era)."  Designer Kunihiko Morinaga was born in Tokyo in 1980 and is a Graduate of the Waseda University and Vantan Design Academy. He pursues the values in making clothes under the concept of "God is in the details". In 2003, he launched his own brand "ANREALAGE."

In 2005, Kunihiko Morinaga won the Avan-Garde Grand Prix at Gen Art in New York, a contest held in NewYork for new young designers. In 2006, he presented the first runway collection at the large observation platform in Tokyo Tower with the brand of Keisuke Kanda. In 2009 the brand presented a collection uner the theme of ''○△□'', conversion of the most basic symbols into clothes. Soon, ANREALAGE found its own characteristics and followed with the collections'"凹凸" "Silhouette" "wideshortslimlong" "LOW" (a low resolution pixelated collection) and "SHELL."

In 2011, They opened its flagship store in Harajuku, Tokyo. Morinaga also won The 29th of Mainichi Fashion Grand Prix for the best new designer and the Shiseido incentive award.

images courtesy of fashionsnap

Scary Good Job. Benjamin Moore Terrifies Some Unsuspecting Contractors To Sell Paint.

To promote Benjamin Moore's Ultra Spec® 500 paint, the Martin Agency and director Jason Zada came up with a Halloween stunt and hired some unsuspecting interior painters for the "Scariest Job In The World."



They asked them to paint the interior of a dilapidated hotel late at night. Greeted by a creepy butler who told them that "years ago people with mineral diseases were kept here for a period of time" the painters began their work, only to be exposed to creaking chairs, the sound of chains, flickering lights, swaying chandeliers and finally a ghostly apparition of a woman scary enough to make the most macho of men wet their pants.




The teaser video is followed up by a 'testimonial' video for the heavy marketing, shown below:


Dedicated website: ScaryGoodJob


Credits:
Agency: The Martin Agency
Client: Benjamin Moore
CMO: David Melancon
CCO: Joe Alexander
CD: Vanessa Fortier
CD/CW: Dave Gibson
ACD/AD: Mauricio Mazzariol
Agency Executive Broadcast Producer: Christina Cairo
Agency Junior Producer: Ross Skinner
Director of Digital Production: Darren Himebrook
Digital Producer: Mary Dunn
Associate Director: Josh Corliss
Associate Director: Chris Fullman
Technical Lead: Jeremy Misavage
Developer: Robert Lavoie
Technical Lead: Kevin Power
Quality Assurance: Andy Bupp
Prod. Co.: Tool
Director: Jason Zada
DOP: Lyle Vincent
EP: Danielle Peretz
Line Producer: Shai Kedem
Editorial Company: CosmoStreet
Editor: Jeff Grippe
Motion Graphics: William Tiki
Original Score: Robert Di Pietro
Original Score: Paul Robb

Handcrafted Eco-Friendly Font Puzzles For Typophiles Hand Made in Italy.

above image is cropped

Fan of fonts? These beautifully designed and crafted painted plywood puzzles from Looodus are laser cut and hand-finished in the hills of Trivero in Piemonte, approximately two hour’s drive from Milan, Italy.



The puzzles are a true collaboration between designer and artisan, exploring the possibilities of computer aided design and hand finished products. A marriage of new technologies and pride in a craft handed down from father to son. Each puzzle goes through numerous checks to ensure a product which is precise and modern while being unmistakably artisanal.




Extreme care has been taken by Looodus to use a manufacturer who shares their values with attention to craft and quality while ensuring that the product is as environmentally friendly as possible. The process begins with the selection of wood used to create this beautiful piece. All the plywood is FSC (Forestal Stewardship Council) certified Poplar from the surrounding Padana Plane. This is where the majority of Poplar is grown for Italian paper and the carpentry sectors.




The concept for the Puzzle, like many of Looodus’ products, is born from observing the designer's baby daughter and her real life experience of being a first time parent. The Fonts were selected to be appropriate for their shape and size but also have a special place in the world of design. The colours have been checked and tested to offer a harmonious range across Green, Blue and Red.




“There are opportunities which arise every day to be creative and make quick fun toys for her, using the most rudimentary materials and sometimes these mini prototypes can become more refined products,” explains Kurt Stapelfeldt, Co-founder and Looodus Chief Designer.

NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER THREE YEARS OLD



buy them here

Infiniti Q50s Get Fashion Makeovers by Thom Browne and Zac Posen To Be Sold On Gilt.com

Two of the hottest designers in the high-fashion world, Zac Posen (who some of you may know from his red carpet gowns and/or his role on Project Runway) and Thom Browne, The New York fashion designer and recipient of the 2013 CDFA Menswear Designer Of The Year award, have each designed a special 2014 Infiniti Q50. The specially outfitted (pardon the pun) cars will be available in December via the online luxury site Gilt.com (if you don't belong, click here for an invite code ) where the two buyers will also receive a $10,000 Gilt.com shopping credit, as well as a style consultation. The cars will be priced at $75,000 each.



The Zac Posen Infiniti Q50:











The Thom Browne Infiniti Q50:













the press release:
The Infiniti Q50 had a new look revealed in New York City, thanks to two of the hottest designers in the high-fashion world. The cars were unveiled to media at the Infiniti of Manhattan dealership located in the city's famed Hell's Kitchen area.

"I was totally blown away when I saw it; the ombré-effect that we created [with the exterior paint], and set out to create, really worked as an object. That emphasized the movement and the shape of the car, which is what was most important to me," said Zac Posen, fashion designer.

Posen dresses some of today's hottest celebrities. He and his contemporary, Thom Browne, each took a turn at outfitting the newest addition to the Infiniti lineup. These custom-tailored cars feature elements exclusive to each designer's aesthetics.

"In talking to Infiniti at the beginning and really learning their design philosophy, and that being very individual, very secure and confident in being an individual, that was how I approached this initially, and wanted to do something as conceptual as possible for making sure the customer saw something that was really unique and individual," said Browne.

The Thom Browne 2014 Infiniti Q50 exterior features a chrome finish. The vehicle is accented with his signature red, white and blue stripe throughout, from the seats to the floor mats, and stitching on the steering wheel. There's also Browne's hallmark sterling silver ring encircling the gear-shift handle.

With a more feminine flair, Posen's creation displays a unique paint application that evokes the back of a glamorous silk gown. The interior's inspiration?

"Then I opened the door and got into what I call the red-carpet interior. Working with very luxurious materials, the shagreen handle, the shagreen stick, it's all piped in leather that contrasts it. And playing with tonality of reds," said Posen.

Gilt.com joined with Infiniti to offer these luxury sports sedans; both brands say the partnership just made sense.

"Gilt and Infiniti have very similar customers. They are very fashion savvy, tech savvy, they like new things and we think this is a great partnership," said Kelly MacDonald, Infiniti Marketing.

The two buyers of these 2014 Infinitis will also receive a $10,000 Gilt.com shopping credit, as well as a style consultation.

"From here the cars are going to five events focused around Gilt City shopping events. We'll have Thom- and Zac-designed concept rooms to house their cars in five cities. So next week it goes to Dallas, then Chicago, then New York, Miami and L.A., from now until December. We have a chance to bring the cars to life so people can see them in person," said Clara Pang, business development, Gilt.

These Infiniti Q50 packages will be sold for $75,000 each on gilt.com in December with a portion of the proceeds benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

To learn more, visit here

images and info courtesy of Infiniti