Brut for Bond. Bollinger Limited Edition Champagne 002 for 007.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of 007’s appearance on screen in Skyfall and the Bollinger / James Bond partnership, Champagne Bollinger  has launched a limited edition special presentation box of one of their great vintages from the last century, Bollinger La Grande Année 2002.




Champagne Bollinger has been Bond’s champagne of choice since its first appearance on screen in ‘Live and Let Die’ in 1973, when the Brocolli-Wilson family decided that Bollinger best represented Bond’s impeccable taste.

The presentation box, in the shape of a Walther PPK silencer, opens by aligning the three numbers 007 and by clicking on the gun logo button, revealing a bottle of Bollinger La Grande Année 2002, the most exceptional vintage in the last decade, according to Mathieu Kauffmann, Cellar Master at Champagne Bollinger.



The bottle, adorned in shiny black and hot stamped silver, is a collector’s item in itself, an elegant celebration of the 50th anniversary of James Bond on screen. The guilloche pattern on the label and the cap is repeated on the box, a veiled reference to the grip of the pistol. 30,000 bottles of Bollinger’s 002 for 007 have been produced.



Harrods of London was decked out in tribute to 007 for the whole of October. Bollinger aficionados attended a preview launch of the 002 for 007 presentation box.



From escalators to store windows via tasting areas, Bond’s favourite champagne enjoys pride of place in the legendary department store. On display are bottles of Mr Bond’s favourite cuvées –including the mythical Bollinger R.D. and an outsized version of the box dedicated to the latest Bond movie.




The Bollinger 002 for 007 presentation box is now for sale at Harrods.com (£150) and TheWhiskyExchange (£125), Sherry-Lehman ($199), at Zachy's  ($195) and in specialist shops and wine merchants all over the globe. TheWhiskyExchange can ship to most countries in the world (price is excluding shipping costs).

photos © Champagne Bollinger and Harrods

The 2012 ArtPrize Winner Adonna Khare And A Close Look At Her Mural.

above: detail from 'Elephants', the first place winner of the 2012 ArtPrize

ArtPrize has become the world’s largest art competition by combining $560,000 in total prizes with an open call for artists, venues, and critics. This year's first place winner, "Elephants" by Adonna Khare is an illustrated series of life sized Elephants, intertwined with a menagerie of animals. (Links to all the finalists are at the end of this post).


above: Adonna Khare and her winning piece, "Elephants"

The large mural was setup to function as a triptych and engage the viewers in the transformation of the work. The triptych is still a work in progress. Below are many images and details from the piece (courtesy of the both the artist and ArtPrize).

The Full Mural:


Left Panel:


Right Panel:


The Artist and the Center Panel:


Mural in progress from afar:


The Incredible Details

Detail (See No Evil):

Detail (Sleeping Chimp):

Detail (All chimps):

Detail (Chimp and Mini Giraffes)

Detail (Crane and balloon dogs):

Detail (tree):


As exhibited at ArtPrize in Michigan:



Close-ups:






Links to the other ArtPrize finalists and juried awards:

2012 Top Ten
Second Place: "Song of Lift" by Martijn van Wagtendok
Third Place: "Rebirth of Spring" by Frits Hoendervanger
Fourth Place: "Stick-to-it-ive-ness: Unwavering pertinacity; perseverance" by Richard Morse
Fifth Place: "Lights in the Night" by Mark Carpenter and Dan Johnson
Sixth Place: "Life in Wood" by Dan Heffron
Seventh Place: "Origami" by Kumi Yamashita
Eighth Place: "The Chase" by Artistry of Wildlife
Ninth Place: "Return to Eden" by Sandra Bryant
Tenth Place: "City Band" by Chris LaPorte

2012 Juried Awards
Juried Grand Prize: "Displacement (13208 Klinger St)" by Design 99
Urban Space Award: "Flight" by Dale Rogers
2-D Award: "Habitat" by Alois Kronschlager
3-D Award: "More or Less" by ABCD 83
Venue Award: "SITE:LAB" at 54 Jefferson
Time/Performance Award: "Three Phases" by Complex Movements

About the artist:
Adonna Khare has been recognized by The Los Angeles Times, U-Press Telegram, and Edward Goldman on NPR

B.A. in Art from California State University Long Beach
M.F.A in Art from CSULB
2007 Award for Distinguished Acheivement in Creative Activity

Permanent collection of the Long Beach Museum of Art as well as numerous private collections throughout the world. Member of The Drawing Center New York.

Selected works can be obtained from the Lora Schlesinger Gallery at Bergamot Station, Santa Monica.

For a current pricelist please contact Adonna Khare.

Over The Shoulder Boulder Holders Get Their Own Travel Case. The CupCase.

CupCases are a pretty nifty invention for those women who want to keep their bras in a place where they won't get smushed, torn or misshapen when traveling short (like the gym) or long (like across the ocean) distances.




With the price of brassieres these days, and how hard it is to find one you love, it's nice to have something to keep them from getting squished in one's suitcase or travel bag (or God forbid, the bottom of your purse).







CupCases come in the following styles:


A CupCase is not only a storage case for your bras; it can also hold jewelry, hair-ties & other small accessories while you travel!


• Durable
• Portable
• Stylish
• Protect bras from crimping, crushing and creasing
• Carry as a purse


A video showing you how they work:


Support Finding A Cure during October:



CupCases

Heat Things Up With Art. Electric Radiators With Decorative Glass Panels from Novellini Design Feature 38 Different Images.

Novellini Design of Italy has come up with a way to make wall mounted radiators do double duty as artwork. Their SOLE series of panel electric glass radiators feature illustrations and photography as well as keep you warm.



You can choose from 38 images in four categories; Design, Lifestyle, Nature and Zen, allowing you to find the right art for whichever style and room in which you put your radiator. Kitchen, bath or livingroom, the radiators can feature famous paintings by the likes of Gauguin and Mondrian, photos of food, cities or architecture or be customized for hotels.






Novellini also makes decorative glass enclosures for the shower that feature the same image options. The photos below show bathrooms with both the decorative glass electric radiators and shower enclosures:




Sizes and wattage (thermostats are not included):
Dim.: 600 x 1250 Power: 1000 Watt
Dim.: 600 x 1500 Power: 1200 Watt
Dim.: 400 x 1000 Power: 350 Watt
Dim.: 500 x 1000 Power: 500 Watt
Dim.: 600 x 1050 Power: 800 Watt


Browse the selections here.

NOVELLINI S.p.A.
Via della Stazione, 2
46030 Romanore di Borgoforte (MN) | Italy
Tel.: 0376/6421
Fax: 0376/642250

Absolut Exposure Puts Model Lydia Hearst Shot by Johan Renck On 3 Bottles In A Unique Traveler’s Exclusive Limited Edition.

above: image of Lydia Hearst by Johan Renck, courtesy of her twitter feed

The press release:
A unique Traveler’s Exclusive limited edition flavor celebrating the arts of photography and illusion, in creative collaboration with visionary artist Johan Renck.

On the eve of 22 October it was introduced for the first time at a glamorous sneak preview cocktail at Restaurant New York New York in Cannes — ABSOLUT EXPOSURE, the new eagerly anticipated and sensational Traveler’s Exclusive limited edition flavor from the world’s leading premium vodka brand.



ABSOLUT has pioneered the market with its previous Traveler’s Exclusive limited edition launches. ABSOLUT EXPOSURE crosses new boundaries. A new-generation flavor crafted with honey melon and lemongrass, ABSOLUT EXPOSURE is presented in a bottle with an innovative and groundbreaking technique of incorporating photography — for the first time — in bottle printing, with stunning result.



”We’re thrilled about the ABSOLUT EXPOSURE launch,” says Anders Olsson, Director of The Absolut Company Global Travel Retail. ”Both the product itself, the packaging and the campaign represents some of our core brand values — premiumness, innovation and cutting edge creativity. For a frontline brand as ABSOLUT, it’s all about constantly pushing boundaries. This launch is also yet another tribute to the brand building qualities of our global duty free/travel retail market and a proud successor of our previous groundbreaking Traveler’s Exclusive launches.”

Visionary Swedish director, photographer and artist Johan Renck has photographed actress and supermodel Lydia Hearst guised in a number of different ”personas”. Three of these characters — called Carter, Trojan and Dimitty — were selected to illustrate the multifaceted nature of every individual, adding diversity to the product offer as well as an intriguing illusory effect to store displays. By purchasing all three bottles, the consumer acquires an instant ABSOLUT limited edition collection. In addition to the images of Lydia Hearst, the bottle décor also features a bowler hat (a trademark of Johan Renck) and hands ”holding” the image, symbolizing the dual role of the artist — powerful in presence yet invisible in the work of art itself.


above: Instagram image courtesy of Lydia Hearst (that's Johan Renck with the bowler on)

”That’s the complex and schizophrenic nature of the photographic medium — being the observer, a voyeur, yet ultimately commanding the position of deciding what reality or perception of reality to project,” says Johan Renck.

ABSOLUT EXPOSURE will be launched throughout the global duty free/travel retail market in January 2013. ABSOLUT EXPOSURE will be supported by a powerful and innovative marketing campaign in all available media, including unique in-store brand installations.