Hasta La Ideas

Zaha Hadid Architects have unveiled their design for a new performing arts centre in Amman, the capital of Jordan. (more…)

Some excellent work from the London-based designer, specializing in book covers. This one caught my eye a few weeks ago, and after contacting him I was able to get some of his latest to share (see below).

He’s been designing since 1998; first at Bloomsbury Publishing, later at Penguin, and currently freelances out of a shared studio with a ping pong table in North London. Sounds good to me! Check out his site for more.

The first device for playing outdoors as well as inside, Swinxs provides hours of recreational use with lights and a built-in voice that explains games, recognizes players and serves as a referee.

Announced in 2008, launched in Europe last year, and now making its U.S. debut, the portable, screen-free device accommodates up to 10 players and features 26 games broken down into three categories—active, educational and adventurous. It includes classics like charades, hide-and-seek, and tag, along with new options such as Flyswatter, which sharpens fine motor skills, and Swinxsball, a mash-up of dodge ball and critical listening.

The games themselves encourage good old-fashioned fun and social interaction, while computer connectivity keeps things fresh and makes the accessory relevant to today’s wired youth. Kids can download more games (for free), exchange tips and experiences, and keep track of personal scores. With a pretty robust dev tool set, the brand clearly hopes that others will likewise start making new games. Interactive books (already available in Europe) will also soon come available once the rights get sorted out.

Designed for ages four and above, Swinxs sells online for $150 and includes the console, four wristbands, a USB cable, an adapter and 10 pre-installed games. Check out the video for a full look at Swinxs’ many capabilities.

With acclaimed Greek fashion designer Sophia Kokosalaki at the helm, the Diesel Black Gold Autumn/Winter 2010 collection maintains its defining rock ‘n’ roll attitude but updates it with the newly-appointed designer’s characteristically intricate details.

To set its pieces apart from their world-renowned denim, the Italian label’s high-end line uses better fabrics and elaborate embellishments, like this season’s metal embroidery. Kokosalaki seemed to embrace a heavy Americana streak for her debut collection, with a Harley-inspired vibe ironically lending clothes a look that would fit right in at a county fair in the early ’90s. This knit quilted motorcycle jacket featured impressive technical specs, while denim and leather jackets boasted airbrushed graphics on the back.

For the denim itself, Kokosalaki explained how she treated the denim as if it were yarn. Her technique involves such elaborate approaches as combining three layers of yarn to achieve a true vintage effect and spending nearly six months developing one type of denim.

Extremely slim silhouettes cater to a set that likely doesn’t share body types with the bikers they emulate, and feminine components—such as lace outlining denim hot pants, sheer tulle over denim jumpsuits, crystal studded belts cinching mono-shoulder leather mini-dresses, and soft mohair tops layered over black leather shorts—add another twist to the concept.

Wanting to “keep the Black Gold DNA” an obvious element, Kokosalaki successfully integrated her own elegant aesthetic without taking away from the label’s edgy nature for a cohesive collection.

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pJust wanted to make sure you didn’t miss this awesome stop motion from Maya Rota Klein and Diego Lorenzo Zanitti, made as an entry to the AdobeYouGC competition./p

pemThanks, Becky!/em/pa href=”http://www.core77.com/blog/videos/photoshop_can_cook_16017.asp”(more…)/a
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