Coming Soon: Fashion Week-Themed Video Games

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She travels the globe with a massive library of art books and translates fashion designers’ eclectic seasonal inspirations (“Blade Runner meets Lord Byron!” “Diana Vreeland on safari!”) into influential catwalk makeup, but who knew Pat McGrath was a video game fan? The renowned makeup artist helped to conceptualize Fashion Week Live, a video game franchise now being developed by 505 Games in partnership with entertainment and media company IMG. Slated to debut next year on platforms ranging from the Nintendo Wii to the iPhone, the games will allow players “to enter the world of high fashion at Fashion Week, with a true insider’s point of view,” according to an IMG press release. “Games will feature world-class industry gurus, top models, and the star-studded runways of Fashion Week events worldwide.” And 505 knows something about playing dress-up. Among a new line of games the company developed for the Discovery Kids network is Pony Paradise, which allows kids to “Get stylin’ in the stable! Wash and groom your pet pony—add accessories, too!” Where were innovations like this during our childhood, when we had to try out equine smoky eye and nude lip combos on real ponies?

Alarm

Coca-Colas Video Vending Machine Wins Gold Lion at Cannes

video vending machine.bmpWhile we can’t be sure that our Diet Coke purchasing experience would be significantly improved by a 46-inch LCD touch screen, Flash technology, motion graphics, high-definition video, and Bluetooth capabilities, the thusly enhanced Coca-Cola vending machine (at right) won a Gold Lion in the design/point of sale category at the 2009 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. The souped-up machine, which debuted last year at the Beijing Olympics, was designed by Miami-based Sapient Interactive. Here’s hoping that as the machines are rolled out, they’ll be manufactured in a hue other than the bland, industrial gray we associate with shady ATM machines and old-school Casio graphing calculators. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola also picked up a Gold Lion in the viral advertising category, for the YouTube hit Signs, a short film for Schweppes directed by Patrick Hughes for Publicis Mojo of New Zealand. We’ve posted the charming video, which makes us crave a fresh Sharpie Magnum 44, after the jump.

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Ex Arsenale at Maddalena by Stefano Boeri Architetti

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Italian architects Stefano Boeri Architetti have completed a complex of buildings including a conference centre, exhibition venue and marina in Sardinia. (more…)

A rock and a hard place: the New Acropolis Museum, Athens – Hugh Pearman

Dezeenwire: Sunday Times architecture critic Hugh Pearman has posted his review of Bernard Tschumi’s new Acropolis Museum in Athens on his website – www.hughpearman.com

Kent and London: Sustainable €˜Alphabet Drawers


//Their web site is here//
–> Inhabitat

Tylan Tschopp’s air powered camping devices

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For his senior thesis at OSU, designer Tylan Tschopp conceived of two camping devices that use manual compressed air storage as their energy source. Why? Because assuming your arms still work, it can’t run out of juice, it’s lightweight, and there’s no hazardous fuels or gases you need to carry with you. Crank up the tank and presto, you’ve got a heater/stove and a lantern/flashlight.

Also be sure to check out his wicked Police Cycle Light up on Coroflot.

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Adam Schacter’s small and large vehicle designs

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Check out London-based Adam Schacter’s CarGo Urban Delivery Vehicle concept on Coroflot:

Urban traffic congestion is an increasing problem which affects countless delivery companies every day. The unique “CarGo” concept addresses this issue with its variable track, wheelbase and load carrying configurations.

Primarily designed for small, inner city deliveries, the battery powered CarGo’s innovative design allows the driver to quickly adapt the vehicle to suit both traffic conditions and load volume/type.

On the other end of the size spectrum is his all-terrain Amphibious Rescue Craft:

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The A.R.C. (Amphibious Rescue Craft) is a rugged all terrain vehicle that can be used to deliver vital aid and supplies anywhere required including flooded areas which are inaccessible to most other vehicles. Variable height ground clearance combined with large wheels and all terrain tyres provide excellent off road capabilities, whilst a boat hull and retractable wheels enable the A.R.C to plane at high speeds across water with minimal friction and uncompromised performance.

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J. Howells Werthman: We Are Making Plans

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J. Howells Werthman (JHW), a brooklyn native and co-founding member of the Nuclear Family music collective, recently released his first solo album We Are Making Plans. Taking advantage of Nuclear Family’s “extensive community of music makers and artists, guys we’ve been doing shows with for years,” the carefully crafted album features a curated list of guests that proves hip hop lives on.

Although JHW admits he doesn’t really like “producer albums”—when an individual creates all the beats and gets emcees to rap over them—he comments, “I wanted to make a project that featured everybody, to leave some evidence of all this talent. In the end, that became the theme of the record and led me to the title of the thing, We Are Making Plans.”

A versatile and well-rounded musician, JHW blends a variety of sounds from jazz to old Afro-Brazilian beats, creating a distinct musical amalgam. Of the album’s 17 tracks, he produced them all (with the exception of “Clamato,” produced by Javelin). Most feature guest emcees and some of my favorite tracks have to be the beautifully composed and heavily jazz-influenced instrumental interludes.

The cover art for the record also goes for the highly-produced gold, but takes a DIY approach. To translate the communal nature of the project, a photograph featuring life size print-outs of the 18 collaborative emcees, posed in an abandoned lot on the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, NY, graces the cover. A background mural of the album’s title on a decaying brick wall completes the the living collage. Created by Nuk Fam’s own Tone Tank (also of Scum Life), they did it all without Photoshop tricks.

For more from this producer, who’s been making original music since high school, check out tracks for Iller Than Theirs‘ self-titled debut, as well as his executive production credits on Junk Sciene‘s “Feeding Einstein” and “Gran’dad’s Nerve Tonic.” He also plays with the Brooklyn based band Ro Agents sometimes.

We are Making Plans is available for free download from
Radio Belly
. Be sure to look out for more from the Nuclear Family soon. As always, they are making some plans.

Buzzworthy Deals From Shop Intuition, Benefit Cosmetics, Oak NYC, And More!

imageSince I’ve cut myself off from all forms of shopping (unless it’s for someone else, or food) and therefore need to live vicariously through someone else’s haphazard credit card swiping habits, I bring you today’s Buzzworthy Deals with the hope that you will do sufficient damage. Go forth and spend.

The 304050 end of season sale is on at Oak! Don’t miss their warehouse sale either- in all, lots of fun, edgy pieces are marked down.

Shop Intuition is having a pre-Fourth of July sale, with savings of up to 80% off! Plus, take 20% off regularly priced merchandise with code STARSTYLE, now through midnight July 5th.

Spend $50 at Benefit Cosmetics and get a free high beam (a shimmery pink liquid highlighter for cheekbones) with your purchase! Use code HIGHBEAM at checkout and don’t forget to add the product to your bag!

Love Dolce Vita shoes? Take $25 off your $100 purchase (code 25OFF100), $50 off $200 (code 50OFF200), $80 off $300 (code 80OFF300), or $115 off your $400 purchase (code 115OFF400), now through July 7.