If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives)

Supermodels Battle The Forces Of Evil: Heidi Klum Is The Kluminator

Not quite sure how I missed this, but if you did too, then at least you can catch it here. The goofy, over the top series of videos was directed by Douglas Keeve, the fashion documentarian who directed Unzipped. The four series webisodes were designed for Fashion Week in NY and feature Heidi Klum and Coco Rochas a supermodel superheroes.

Synopsis: Klum aka ‘The Kluminator,’ and her stylish sidekick Coco “The Girl Wonder” Rocha battle the evil Dr. Faux Pas who is plotting to destroy Fashion Week. The heroines employ all sorts of tools in their arsenal, from blow-dryer guns to old-fashioned fist fights, in order to thwart Dr. Faux Pas’ dastardly plans. The Kluminator and Girl Wonder avoid a chain of fashion disasters in their efforts to neutralize an evil death ray that threatens to vaporize the entire community of fashionistas gathered in Bryant Park.

SPIKED HEEL: Supermodels Battle the Forces of Evil is directed by fashion documentarian Doug Keeve (Unzipped, Seamless). It began shooting as a lark during September Fashion Week last year and evolved into SPIKED HEEL over the next several weeks. SPIKED HEEL features guest appearances by the fashionably devoted Michael Kors, Leighton Meester, Mel B and Christian Siriano.

Here's episode 1 for you:

See the rest of the series exclusively on modelinia.com

Modelinia is the first video centric entertainment brand dedicated to the life of the Supermodel, beyond the pages of fashion magazines and far off the catwalks of New York, Paris and Milan.

Fitness Gets Funky: Beautifully Designed Dumbbells

You can finally throw away those gross velcro ankle and wrist weights, those toe breaking heavy steel dumbbells that sit on your floor, or god forbid, the ones whose spongey coating is peeling off, in favor of any of these. These hand weights or dumbbells look so great, that even when not in use, they can be left out as sculpture or a conversation piece.

Philippe Starck's ergonomically designed Dumbbells come in silver aluminum with metal inserts or in an anodised gold finish . The gold set weighs 2 kilos, the silver set weighs 3. Both are fabulous and come in a nice XO starck designed case.

Buy them here.

Another great looking set of dumbbells are the stainless steel magnetic dumbells designed by Henriette Melchiorsen. Each way a kilo and are as stunning as a sculpture.

buy them here.

Another pair of sculptural dumbbells are the Vita stainless steel hand weights

buy them here.

This set of polished “Zimbabwe” granite dumbbells on solid oak stand by Big-Game was made in a limited edition specifically for 20ltd.com. No. of editions 15. Price: £2,700.00

buy them here.

The design firm, Greece Is For Lovers, makes these fun all brass dumbbells called Build your Myth in the shape of Greek columns. They come in weights of 1.5 and 3 kgr.

buy them here.

Even Chanel makes a pair of hand weights, available in pink or yellow, they are made of neoprene and cost $760.00 bucks a pair.

Inquire about them here.

Spotted on Yanko Design are these Orrefors crystal dumbbells designed by Alex Undall. Unfortunately, as far as I know, these are a concept and not available for purchase:

The Wellness Rack is an innovative, yet stylish, weight rack for strength training. Contains eight 2kg discs, eight half kg discs and two high-tech handles with a unique locking mechanism, all contained within a clear acrylic container. Maximum load per handle is 12kg.

buy it here.

Don't want to work out with weights? Dumbbells and free weights aren't the only workout gear to get a modern makeover. Jumping ropes or skipping ropes are fast becoming fashionable as well.

Two beautiful examples are the Seletti leather skipping rope with gold handles and the Philippi Vita skipping rope with nickel plated handles:

buy The Seletti skipping rope here.
buy The Philippa skipping rope here.

Hellish Furniture: La Divina Commedia & The Fall Of The Damned

La Divina Commedia Chaise and light
La Divina Commedia by Dutch designers Niels van Eijk and Miriam van der Lubbe is part of a new series of products where old images meet high tech production techniques and in which ancient crafts are combined with contemporary materials.

Above: Gustave Doré engraving for The Divine Comedy

In the project La Divina Commedia of Van Eijk & van der Lubbe, The Old illustrations of Gustav Doré, drawn in 1860 (known as the visuals of La Divina commedia of Dante) have been reproduced in a high tech way by laser engraving on a contemporary material, polypropylene, and after that, partially carved by craftsmen.

above left: Doré illustration, and right, carved into the furniture

details of the carving:

Another one of Gustav Doré's illustrations for La Divina Commedia:

In continuation of the project Godogan, (shown below) designed for Friedman Gallery New York and Droog Design, Van Eijk & van der Lubbe designed a new series of products where old images meet high tech production techniques and in which ancient crafts are combined with contemporary materials.

Beginning of the 14th century, Dante Alighieri wrote the well known epic poem La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy) which is considered to be one of the greatest works of world literature. In this epic poem, Dante describes the Christian life after death, and this story can be seen as the medieval worldview of the western church. Although this might seem only a Christian story, Dante integrated the political struggles of that time. Still, the story of La Divina Commedia can be read as a nowadays critic on politics and translated into problems of society nowadays.

Date: 2008
Material: polypropylene
Hotspot: 60 x 60 x 235 cm
Chaise Longue: 90 x 50 x 70 cm
Technique: laser engraving, hand carving
Images (adapted): Gustave Doré

Victoria & Albert Museum, London will be showing LA DIVINA COMMEDIA from 14 July - 18 October 2009 as part of their Telling Tales exhibit.

The Fall Of The Damned Pendant Lamp

If furniture about heaven and hell or damnation is your thing, check out Materialise's - 'damned' lamp by Luc Merx for the mgx 'private collection'.

This lampshade appears as a hovering mass of ornaments, opulent and bombastic. when viewed more closely it dissolves into single bodies, which are twisted in fear and seem to be frozen in mid-fall. The fleshy parts of the bodies, legs and stomachs reflect the light. Because of the shadows the bodies cast on themselves, only parts of them appear in the foreground. The association with the fall of the damned, a metaphor for guilt and punishment, this lamp undermines several taboos imposed on design in the 20th century: it is figurative, ornamental and narrative.