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The Danish word Kile translates into Wedge, and cute wood-painted wedges are the only tools used to secure this clever bookcase by Japanese-born Yukari Hotta. Hotta graduated from the Industrial Design program at Kolding Design School in Denmark in 2007 and designed the Kile last year.
Via Dailytonic.
Have you ever wished you could swap out your cold, hardwood floors for marble, the most luxe material out there? Nuanced, luxurious, very expensive, cold... marble is close to perfect. Well, look no further! German rug company Jan Kath has a gorgeous new collection of Tibetan Highland Wool rugs that look like vast slabs of marble. Each rug is handmade in Nepal from hand-spun Tibetan highland wool,
nettle & silk that's dyed with premium Swiss dye. And let's not
forget that there are no repeating patterns here; every inch of carpet has a unique colour and style. Divine.
From top to bottom: Quartz Beige, Quartz Black, Emerald Brown, Emerald Green. Oh, and there's Haematoid Red and Agate Blue available too, should you desire something a little brighter.
On Monday, Erdem Moralioglu showed the Fall/Winter 2010 collection of his namesake brand Erdem in London and isn't it just stunning? Yes, his work is always beautiful and special and unique, and yes, I've blogged about Erdem before (here and here), but this may be my favorite collection thus far. I'm loving everything from the headbands to the booties and all the silk, lace, and designed-by Erdem patterns in between.
Look at the lovely details; even the seemingly sedate trench has a gorgeous lining that peaks through at the seams! Give 'er a click for a larger view.
Images via Style.com.
As a child of the eighties I fully appreciate and rather love fluorescents. There are tons of reasons to admire Tom Dixon beyond the fact that he also gets flouro. Mostly he's easy to adore because he is a very talented designer, designing beautiful things in abundance. Also, he has dark curly hair.
Dixon has actually worked with fluorescents before; his Fluoro Shade debuted last year, as did the original Offcut Stool in natural wood. The Offcut Stools are shipped flat-packed and easily assembled thanks to a clever design that requires no screws or glues for assembly. Beyond its super-fun hue (Dixon's signature fluoro orange) I find the absence of perfect symmetry fully charming.
If you haven't seen the 2009 Tom Dixon catalog, you must. It's got a ton of gorgeous shots and showcases his stunning work beautifully. Download it here.
Looking through my folders I came across this wonderful image of Jackie O at the American Pavilion, designed by Buckminster Fuller for Expo '67 in Montreal. Isn't it grand?
My last full time gig was working on the web/e-commerce site of a luxury retailer that manufactured and retailed jewellery, including beautiful wares by Marco Bicego. The loveliest stuff we retailed was his Jaipur line. Have a peek at Jaipur and Jaipur Diamonds:
Holy crow, I'm in love. I've just discovered The Hansen Family, a gorgeous capsule collection by Gesa Hansen, a young designer who grew up in a Scandinavian family of carpenters, designers and architects. Successful on her own terms, Hansen studied design at Bauhaus University in Weimar before stints with Jean Nouvel in Paris and NDC in Tokyo. She's now Paris-based with her own design studio as well as the art director of Hans Hansen, the family business that also handcrafts The Hansen Family out of local and sustainable solid oak.
If you love Finn Juhl's Poeten, but don't know what on earth would sit alongside it and flatter it in the way it needs to be flattered, bid welcome to The Baker Sofa. Heavenly proportioned with legs of teak or walnut, the Baker was designed by Juhl in 1951 for Baker Furniture in the US and has now been relaunched by One Collection in Denmark.
Love this new campaign for Louis Vuitton's Spring/Summer collection starring model du jour, Lara Stone. Give 'em a click for a larger, super-stunning image:
One note though, the fox tails shown as insouciant bag accessories, well, they are really truly horrifying. They were featured prominently in the S/S 2010 Collection are are shown here in images 2 and 4. I, for one, much prefer the lively birdies.
Super-talented Marc Jacobs, Patron Saint of Louis Vuitton, take note!
Tonight, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games launch with what is sure to be an entertaining and moving Opening Ceremony. And as a Canadian and former Vancouverite, I can't even tell you how excited I am about tonight, not to mention the 16 days that follow. I so wish I were there in person!
Here's a look at what you'll be seeing during the event:
The gorgeous medals for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games were designed by Corinne Hunt, and for the first time, every medal is unique; one of a kind. Hunt, a Canadian artist & designer, based in Vancouver and of Komoyue and Tlingit heritage, created two masterworks, one of an orca whale and one of a raven. Each medal is decorated with a crop from one of these two original artworks. The Orca Whale design for the Olympics, the Raven for the Paralympics. More info is available here. Produced by the Royal Canadian Mint, they're among the heaviest medals in Olympic history, weighing in at 500+ grams.
Elegant and somehow very Canadian, the podiums were designed by industrial designer James Lee and Leo Obstbaum, the late design director of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. All the wood used to create the 23 podiums were donated by businesses, communities, First Nations, and individuals. Said to "echo the undulating peaks and ridges of the Coast Mountain Range" the 200+ pieces of carved wood are then topped with a snow-like layer of white acrylic.
Graphic Identity: It's the dynamic energy of Vancouver, Whistler and Canada in general that inspired the imagery that goes along with the Vancouver 2010 Games. Games traditionally have pictograms representing each sport, but these games (I almost wrote our games) also have elaborate representations in the form of graphic illustrations: "Emotive, dynamic athlete imagery captures the heroism and beauty of sport. The Vancouver 2010 imagery is progressive and youthful, conveying Canada’s personality and adventurous spirit."
Meet the Vancouver 2010 Mascots! These most excellent mascots were designed by Meomi, a design trio out of Vancouver. I've proved myself as biased, but has there ever been cuter, more wonderful mascots than Quatchi, Sumi and Miga? Not just vapid beauties, these lil' guys have back stories, rich histories, if I may.
Quatchi is shy, young, comes from the vast and mysterious Canadian forest, and loves exploring new places and meeting new friends. Also: "The sasquatch is a popular figure in local native legends of the Pacific West Coast. The sasquatch reminds us of the mystery and wonder that exist in the natural world, igniting our imagination about the possibility of undiscovered creatures in the great Canadian wilderness."
Then there's little Miga, a young sea bear who lives with her family pod beyond Vancouver Island. Sea bears, of course, are part killer whale and part bear. Look at her adorable haircut. Also: "The sea bear is inspired by the legends of the Pacific Northwest First Nations, tales of orca whales that transform into bears when they arrive on land. The Kermode bear is a rare white or cream-coloured sub-species of the black bear that is unique to the central West Coast of British Columbia. According to First Nations’ legend, Kermode bears – also known as Spirit Bears – were turned white by Raven to remind people of the Ice Age. Orcas are also honoured in the art and stories of West Coast First Nations, as travelers and guardians of the sea."
We musn't forget dear Sumi. Sumi is an animal spirit, who lives in the mountains of British Columbia, and like many Canadians, has a background that's drawn from many places. He flies with the wings of a Thunderbird, runs on the legs of a black bear, and wears the hat of an Orca whale. He's a big fan of the Paralympic Games. Also: "Transformation is a common theme in the art and legend of West Coast First Nations. Transformation represents the connection and kinship between the human, animal and spirit world. Revered animals, such as the orca whale, the bear and the thunderbird, are depicted in transformation through masks, totems and other forms of art. The orca is the traveller and guardian of the sea. The bear often represents strength and friendship. And the thunderbird — which creates thunder by flapping its wings — is one of the most powerful of the supernatural creatures."
There much more information about these three available here. As well as videos, games, and lots more; it'll have you falling in love with them in a hurry. Television and Hollywood-types: I would watch a show or film starring these guys. Just so you know.
And what's a world wide event without a little shopping? Get your fill at the Olympic Store. At CAN$10, these red mittens have been the hit of the Games thus far. They're out of stock at the moment but are sure to be back soon:
I so do hope that you enjoy the Games!
