Hasta La Ideas

This handmade mermaid baby sleeping bag by the Miniature Knit Shop made me laugh too…(Read…)

From the open road…

…to the open roll

I love hearing about the various paths people take to become product designers, particularly the more unusual ones.

Last year Mike Bratcher rolled out of L.A. on his motorcycle, a Honda dual-sport XR650L loaded up with traveling gear. In his rearview mirror was the job he’d recently quit at the Parts division of a major auto manufacturer. During his five-year stint he’d risen to Sales Manager and learned a lot about business, before ultimately deciding the demands of a career in sales were not for him.

But Mike wasn’t fleeing L.A.; he was taking time off to see America. Nearly four months later, he rolled back into town with 17,048 more miles on his bike and the URL for a Tumblr page where he’d photo documented the trip. “The United States is much bigger and beautiful than I could have ever imagined,” he concluded. “Three-and-a-half months is not nearly enough time to soak up this country, but it was a good overview at the least.” Perhaps most amazingly, he’d not spent a single night of the trip in a hotel or motel, but instead carried everything he’d need for life on the road.

You can see a detailed breakdown of the insane amount of things he had to carry here, but there is one item in particular that’s most relevant to this entry:

That’s a simple tool roll Mike made for himself. “There’s a lot of tool rolls out there, for like 10 or 15 bucks, but none of them were exactly right for me,” he explains. “They were all way too generalized, so I just made my own.” Bratcher had been making things for himself since growing up on a farm in Indiana. By junior high his classmates were surreptitiously making bong parts in shop class; Mike, more interested in chess than weed, made himself a chess board and the 32 playing pieces to populate it. “It wasn’t easy,” he laughs, remembering. “Sixteen pawns, four knights, four rooks….”

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Frank Gehry designs a holistic health and fitness center tucked below NYC’s Plaza Hotel

If one thinks of the body as a temple, the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle and strong physique becomes a matter of good design. With integrative health at the core of its mission, La Palestra wellness centers have pioneered a special hybrid of proper medical care and fitness in upscale gyms built to reflect the indigenous elements of their respective locations. The latest outpost lands in the subterranean base floor of the NYC’s Plaza Hotel, tucked away behind the Todd English Food Hall and pink-splashed shrine to Eloise.

Designed by Frank Gehry, La Palestra at the Plaza serves as a holistic haven of wellness, encompassing a main floor with a set of medical exam rooms and a small area with treadmills and activity mats open to hotel guests, and a members-only gym below, accessed by a signature—and stunning—Gehry staircase of bright white steel. What’s perhaps most striking about the facility is that despite a definite opulent feel to the space, at the core it’s still a functional, classic gym. Ropes hang from the ceiling at the center of the room, while the circle-shaped La Palestra logo on dark activity mats seem vaguely reminiscent of wrestling rings.

This is far from your high school gymnasium, however. La Palestra founder Pat Manocchia created his concept of fitness and health with the safety and security of the human body as his main priority. “Design-wise, we wanted to represent what we believe,” he says. As a result, the same sense of respect is applied to each space they design. Below the Plaza, the medical suites reveal exposed subway tile, while the downstairs members’ gym—once the storage room for the hotel’s coal in the old days—is dotted with weathered tiled columns. “Culturally, from an exercise perspective, people are made to believe that the idea of beauty is that it’s flawless,” says Manocchia in pointing out an interesting parallel, “but it’s the exact opposite. The flaws are what makes something beautiful.”

For the Plaza space, Gehry, Manocchia and the team were faced with certain architectural challenges. Variations in ceiling height were exploited to create alcoves of light that aid in one of Manocchia’s central ideas, which is privacy. The placement of cardio equipment and room-dividing medicine ball and dumbbell racks is carefully considered to create what he believes is the right environment for optimal performance. “If you feel like you’re being observed or judged, or if you feel like you’re on top of someone else, you’re just going to feel self-conscious,” he says. “We keep the focus off aesthetic completely, so you’re focused on what you’re doing and not how you look.” Particularly shy gym-goers would be pleased with the absence of a locker room, the junior-high vibe of which Manocchia feels is “one of the biggest barriers to exercise.” Each individual bathroom (complete with shower) and dressing room has a wardrobe built into the door to serve double-duty as a space-saving solution and augment the same sense of privacy from the outset.

That said, La Palestra skips any dramatic, theatrical faux-flattering lighting and floor-to-ceiling mirrors. Mirrors are intentionally situated away from the wall to prevent the feeling of being boxed in, while lights are designed to shine with very specific variants to reflect times of day and year. “Since we’re underground, it was important you didn’t feel like you’re in a casino in Vegas,” says Manocchia.

Manocchia’s thoughtful balance of practicality—his number one priority in the lighting scheme, he says, was installing bulbs that could be easily changed—and intuition seems well suited for exercise. In stocking the space with the highest-quality equipment, from top-of-the-line Woodway and Cybex treadmills to artisan-made vaulting boxes Manocchia seeks to support the most important design element in fitness—the human body. “When it comes to innovation in the field, it’s not about reinventing the wheel or inventing something new, it’s about how good design is re-engineered to support the human body,” he says. “You have to understand how the body works so you can utilize equipment that fits into movement patterns and provides a broad toolbox. Dumbbells can be used for all sorts of things, and are you going to make something better? No. We’re interested in the best-made version.”

The breadth and depth of La Palestra’s medical and training attention—which comes at corresponding prices around $8,800 annually—makes it the logical choice for those with health concerns or injuries, or anyone looking for a superior level of care integrated into their fitness routine. A training session comes accompanied with the message that techniques and routines should be learned, and are designed for members to take away and practice on their own.

La Palestra is located in the Plaza Hotel, with gym access and a la carte training services (extra charge) available to hotel guests, and a full-service health and fitness center available for members only. For La Palestra’s other NYC locations, and to learn more about the company, visit the website.

Images by Amy Barkow courtesy of La Palestra

Eight ways to hydrate your skin for a year-round glow

The days of “hydrating” skin with deep tanning oil while baking in the sun are over. In today’s educated world, a high-powered sunscreen is only the foundation for maintaining healthy skin and avoiding damage. Anyone spending time outside in the summer months, whether relaxing on the beach or doing a little urban farming, should counterbalance exposure to UV rays even after the sun goes down. From gels to serums, here are eight ways to keep your skin glowing year round.

SMN Aloe Vera Face and Body Gel

The Santa Maria Novella Aloe Vera Face and Body Gel glides smoothly across skin and is easily absorbed, with a consistency more like a light lotion than a gel, and great for everyday use. Not surprisingly, the gel from this legendary Florentine perfumery packs a pleasant floral fragrance that you won’t mind applying to your face and body. The aloe vera gel sells online and in SMN stores for $40 per 250ml bottle.

Mario Badescu After Sun Cooling Gel

From one of NYC’s most loved spas is the Mario Badescu After Sun Cooling Gel, a water-based moisturizer that calms skin with ingredients like rose extract, aloe, sorbitol and menthol. While non-greasy, the toner-like consistency of the gel lays on the skin slightly before absorbing—perfect for when your body is need of some serious hydration. Store it in the fridge for optimal cooling effect. Pick up the gel online or in person at their New York location for $14 per 6-oz bottle.

Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Gelly

With a traditional aloe vera gel texture, the Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Gelly is like the kind you slathered on as a kid, but made with better ingredients. The organic topical really aids the skin’s healing process, cooling it down with aloe and soothing it with vitamins A, E and C. The gel sells in-store at Whole Foods, Life Thyme Market and other health markets or online from Amazonfor $9 per 8-oz tube.

Aesop Petitgrain Hydrating Body Gel

Aesop one-ups the classic aloe vera gel by adding petitgrain—an essential oil made from the leaves of orange trees—as well as Witch Hazel, grapefruit and lemon peel oils for the most in healing power. The mix, which feels best after time spent in the refrigerator, spreads easily on the skin and absorbs quickly. The hydrating body gel sells online or from Aesop stores around the world for $33 per 4.1oz tube or $95 for a large 16.9fl oz bottle.

Organix Body Wash Tea Tree Peppermint

Ideal for daily use, Organix’s Tea Tree Peppermint body wash is great for permanent beach bums or anyone with dry skin. The slightly tingly mint cools skin while the silica from the bamboo extract relieves irritation and helps the body absorb the essential teatree oils more easily. Pick it up from Amazon for $8 per 13-oz bottle.

REN Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk

REN’s Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk reduces redness first and foremost, but like all REN products, the ultra-fortifying face and body wash contains a high amount of bioactive ingredients to really heal dehydrated skin. Omegas 3 and 7 reduce inflammation, calendula treats radiation burn with its anti-viral properties and fennel seed helps ward off impending environmental factors—from driving away mosquitos to eliminating the common cold. The cleansing milk sells from REN for $32 per 150ml bottle.

Glo Therapeutics 15% Vitamin C Serum

High in anti-oxidants, Glo Therapeutics’ 15% Vitamin C Serum is a lot like spreading orange juice all over your face. The somewhat sticky serum effectively works to strengthen skin cells and reduce the aging effects the sun and other free radicals impart. Pick up the serum online for $95 per 1 fl oz bottle.

Håkansson Vitamin Spray Passion Fruit

Witch Hazel, aloe vera juice, absorbic acid, tea tree oil and more make up Håkansson’s Passion Fruit vitamin spray, which not only helps heal irritated skin, but also feels fresh and light going on. The spray is a great way to keep your skin hydrated on the go, or keep it in your desk drawer for a quick revival when feeling the effects of dry office air. Buy it directly from Håkansson for $33 per 3.8-oz bottle.

Always curious to give a new backpack a try in my quest to find the perfect bag, I didn’t think twice about agreeing to review Booq‘s “Mamba Shift” when they reached out to us several months ago. Only afterward did it occur to me that there are actually two kinds of perfect bag: the go-to, everyday pack that becomes an extension of one’s body, and those that fill—or rather, can be filled to serve—a specific need, patiently awaiting their intermittent calling, at which point they will humbly fulfill their duty (i.e. a frame pack). Read on to find out if the Mamba Shift proved itself worthy of that elusive upper echelon of faithful utility.

My first impression of the Mamba Shift was that it looked pretty slick—judging a Booq by it’s cover, perhaps—with its unconventional vertical detailing on the front, which is bisected by a seam that runs the length of the panel. A pop color peeks out from the top half of the split, concealing the functional pleat of the expandable front pocket. The pocket is big but the zipper is a little awkward, as it runs along one of the two slightly curved seams along either side of the centerline; it’s also hard to see what’s in there. (Similarly, diagonal stitching conceals a slash pocket on either side, their openings limned by red piping.) The general aesthetic is minimal but still a little overdesigned for my taste.

The front pocket is also lined with the pop color

Personal preferences aside, the materials and construction exude ‘premium product’: the 1680 denier nylon feels largely impervious to the elements and the Mamba Shift feels entirely sturdy, albeit a bit heavy at three pounds. The Mamba Shift boasts substantial padding throughout, and the Nylex-lined laptop pocket, in particular, accounts for some of the weight: it’s incorporated between the main compartment and the back of the bag, like a giant laptop sleeve (indeed, a separate sleeve would be overkill). A foam pad between the laptop pocket and the breathable Airmesh padding adds a bit of structure to the backpack. No complaints here: it’s easily accessible and feels safe, even cozy.

The turtle shell-like exterior of the bag belies its highly partitioned interior: the main compartment is divided into no less than ten pockets, plus a removable nylon pouch. Lest it seem like that Booq design team has lined the inside of the Mamba Shift with as many pockets as they possibly could, each one is a slightly different size, material or dimension. While it’s at the consumer’s discretion as to what, if anything, goes in each one, the sheer number of permutations—nylon or mesh lining, velcro or elastic enclosure—seems a tad superfluous.

The slash pockets are split into four, with the dedicated pen and business card slots at left; the opposite face of the compartment (bottom of the picture) has the other five pockets

The abundance of pockets certainly presents a variety comfortable homes for cords, tablets and other periperhals, but bulkier objects pose a problem: a DSLR fit best at the bottom of the main compartment, which can be difficult to reach when you’ve loaded up the upper pockets (I was also baffled by the decision to put dedicated business card and pen slots near the bottom). Nevertheless, the zipper runs along a full three-quarters of the Mamba Shift, enabling easy access when completely open—flaps of nylon prevent stuff from spilling out the sides—but the usable volume is limited by the stiff exterior panels, which offer extra protection at the expense of capacity.

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