A fusion of Brazilian funk, Amapiano (South African house), Afrobeat and Latin-influenced rhythms, Juls and Sango’s collaborative track “Angele Ni Fe” marks the first release from Soulection Records this year. This song (alongside “Ritmo Coco”) appears on their joint EP, Fufu & Grits. Vocal and drum samples comprise the track’s foundation, while horns and deeper bass notes are blended in to form a danceable, upbeat tune.
If you’ve got a 3D printer and you’re organizing your home/shop/garage, you could probably use some of these:
The files for these customizable latching tool handle holders have been posted to Thingiverse by Australian engineer and Prusa user Greg Frost. And you can obviously scale things up or down depending on what you intend it to hold. “I have used it for big things like a pool scoop, right down to little things like a pen,” Frost writes.
Some pertinent details:
“It prints as one piece using its own parts for support. Where the hinges join, the model is weakened by leaving a blank layer and minimising the contact so that it can be broken free to actuate the hinge.
“Each hinge is designed to use a metal pin (three needed in total). You can use anything from a screw to a nail to a paperclip or a piece of coat hanger. I have been using nails with 2mm diameter in holes designed to 3mm so they slide in easily.”
Download the files here.
The Lexus Design Award-winning Mettis Rings are the perfect confluence of heritage and the future. Building on the cultural significance of jewelry in India, the Mettis are toe-rings that are state-of-the-art yet culturally relevant. These toe-rings come embedded with the same technology as any fitness wearable, in a package that embraces traditional values. Toe-rings are often given to women as wedding gifts in Indian lore, and are considered to have health benefits that align with Ayurvedic practices… the Mettis builds on that by introducing technology into the rings in a way that makes those health benefits more direct and appealing to younger generations.
Even though they house technology inside, the Mettis rings embrace the persona of jewelry. Built for Titan, a prominent watch and jewelry brand in the country, the rings come with a metallic finish and sit inside one of two sleek, matte black cases – for charging at home and for charging while traveling. Originally toe-rings in the Indian culture come made from silver, which absorbs positive energy from the ground you walk on. The Mettis, however, use sensors that help monitor your health. Whether you’re walking, running, exercising, or even swimming, the rings capture your body temperature and your heart-rate, working just like smartwatches and fitness wearables do. The rings actively track your location, count your steps, monitor sleep patterns, as well as help you keep track of your period cycles… all while strongly echoing the cultural relevance of toe-worn jewelry in Indian customs and traditions.
Designer: Anshuman Kumar for Titan Industries
In Negrar di Valpolicella (located near Verona in northern Italy), archeologists have discovered an ornate, ancient mosaic floor buried beneath the soil of a vineyard. The tiles belong to what’s known as the Roman Villa—a site discovered over a century ago—and have been sitting just a few meters underground since the third century AD. The land-owners, researchers and municipality are working together to find a way to make the valuable find “enjoyable,” as Negrar di Valpolicella Mayor Roberto Grison says, “We believe a cultural site of this value deserves attention and should be enhanced.” Find out more at Smithsonian Magazine.
The final film from Virtual Design Festival’s collaboration with Laura Mark and Jim Stephenson is a meditative look at the Peter Salter-designed Walmer Yard.
Walmer Yard: Architecture for the Senses explores the four Notting Hill townhouses that were crafted by Peter Salter over 13 years.
“This short film is an exploration of the incredible light that passes through the buildings at various times of the day, and of the wider sensory experience they offer,” Stephenson said.
“Laura is the keeper of Walmer Yard and so initially we talked about working together on a set of photographs of the spaces that they could use,” he explained.
“We planned three consecutive days to do the photographs, and as soon as we started working it felt natural to work on some moving image also, partly because we’ve worked together so much on videos before, but partly because Walmer Yard is such a unique set of spaces.”
The film shows the nooks and crannies of the project, from the exterior courtyard to the concrete interiors where details include decorative wood-paneling and black steel staircases.
“The choreography of moving around it, both inside and out, lent itself to small movements of the camera to reveal depth and new views, and the light changes so much throughout the day as well,” Stephenson said.
“There was such a clear narrative there, and film is a wonderful medium for creating contained stories.”
Mark and Stephenson captured everyday life in the houses, showing people preparing food and families sitting down to dinner, as well as tactile impressions of the buildings themselves.
“A lot of the film focuses on small moments – the light, breeze, materials and rain with the idea to help the viewer build an idea in their mind of what the building does to the senses,” the film-maker explained.
“Essentially we were trying to give an audience the tools to build their own cinematic space that represents the experience of being at Walmer Yard,” he added.
Walmer Yard is Salter, of Salter + Collingridge‘s, only completed project in the UK and was designed together with associate designer Fenella Collingridge and executive architects Mole. The project won the RIBA National Award in 2017.
It forms part of the Baylight Foundation, which aims to increase the public understanding of what architecture can do.
Virtual Design Festival, the world’s first digital design festival, runs from 15 April to 30 June 2020 and is sponsored by bathroom and kitchen manufacturer Grohe.
About Laura Mark
Laura Mark is an award-winning architecture critic, curator and designer based in London. She is the Keeper of Walmer Yard and runs the Baylight Foundation, where she curates a number of cultural programmes and projects. She teaches at the Bartlett School of Architecture and the University of Greenwich and was previously a Visiting Lecturer in the BArch programme at the Birmingham School of Architecture and Design.
She has directed a number of films including the documentary Zaha: An Architecture Legacy (2017) which has been shown at festivals in London, Milan, New York and Miami.
About Jim Stephenson
Jim Stephenson is a photographer and film-maker concerned with the documentation of architecture, interiors and the built environment. Trained as an architectural technologist, on graduation Jim worked in the industry for almost ten years on both sides of the Atlantic. During this time he began to take photographs for architectural practices, eventually setting down his pen to document buildings full time.
He has been commissioned to photograph and produces films on projects by a wide range of architects and designers, including BIG; Herzog & de Meuron; Assemble; Zaha Hadid Architects; dRMM; Studio in the Woods / Invisible Studio; and Foster + Partners.
The post Short film Walmer Yard: Architecture for the senses is “an exploration of the incredible light that passes through the buildings” appeared first on Dezeen.
With an emphasis on agility, Gogoro’s Eeyo 1s electric bicycle is a sleek and slim open-frame bike with a smart-pedal-assist system that amplifies the rider’s torque at a natural pace. Rather than relying on a bulky battery-bearing frame, the power hubs are compact and tucked into the hull. The pedal-assisted top speed is 19mph and guarantees a range of 40 miles when fully charged. Plus, at just 26.4 pounds (courtesy of the weight-shedding, Kevlar-lined carbon fiber frame), the Eeyo 1s weighs roughly half as much as most e-bikes, making it a breeze to ride and to carry up and down from your apartment.
Changes in the beauty sector didn’t start with the COVID-19 crisis. If the big players had previously held up a mirror before the crisis struck, the first worry lines would already have been visible. Their financial strength has naturally allowed them to develop innovative products and tools, but young independent brands have outstripped them. And now the stores are closed, brands are forced to communicate more online – and newer brands are performing better. Why? In short, they’re doing a better job of differentiating themselves, standing out with their clear positioning and personal approach. This is what set them apart on the shelves before the pandemic. There’s no reason this won’t continue to work for them after the crisis, when people start going back to brick-and-mortar shops to discover new beauty products and cosmetics. That is unless the established brands learn from these young high-flyers – and their own mistakes.
Let’s take a quick look at the time before the crisis: I would stroll through my local drugstore every Saturday. And on weekdays, I’d check out the most expensive beauty boutiques in the world. This had been my routine for the past two decades, and even now, I can confidently say that beauty has never been this exciting. No matter what price category I’m checking out, I encounter a dozen new products, brands, packaging, sensations, crazy ideas, and a barrage of inspiration every time I go. Suddenly, the coveted eye-level shelf space is occupied by five new brands of hair soap. Testing lipstick has become fun and even practical with augmented reality mirrors.
Creativity and boldness have found their ways back into the beauty industry
And then there are new perfumes. Of course, these niche brands have their price. But at long last, it’s possible to obtain fragrances that don’t just look great in their beautiful packaging, but produce a genuinely unique scent that lingers on the skin. Think Laboratory Perfumes, WienerBlut or Michelle Pfeiffer’s Henry Rose, for example. These perfumes are based around unusual ingredients – components long ignored in mass-market perfumes because of the fear they might polarise opinions. And there are also manufacturers noticeably focusing on quality again: in terms of the harvesting of raw materials, their origin, and skin sensitivity. The results are artistic exhibitions of the very best of the perfumer’s craft: creating sensual experiences that transport people to far-flung places, or memories of beloved destinations. And we all enjoy a little escapism, especially right now.
Creativity and boldness have found their way back into the beauty industry, treating consumers to the joy of surprise. Passionate creatives and pioneering experts have returned to a space previously dominated by great icons and industrial conglomerates. And they’re eager to be associated with specific values, each of which speaks to the hearts and minds of their beauty-conscious consumers. Kosas or Act+Acre are examples of brands that challenge the status quo, bringing in new ideas that embody the values of a younger generation. Meanwhile, NOTO and Youth to the People show how brands can advocate inclusion and diversity, in stark contrast to outmoded beauty ideals. And then there are Nécessaire and Wildist, who communicate their consistent efforts to improve the sustainability and skin tolerance of their products. These are but a few examples, but these brands all have something in common: they are a hit among younger consumers. Through their modern approach, they make it easier for young people to identify with their brand, embrace their messages, and ultimately buy their products. They’re seemingly laying waste to the conventions of established beauty giants and growing fast on fertile soil.
Product concepts and communication strategies have been far too general. They addressed anyone and everyone, but at the same time, nobody at all
But is all this really as new and innovative as it first appears? If you analyse every last detail of the formulations and concepts behind these products, you will quickly observe that no-one is actually reinventing the wheel. Almost all these products are based on ones that already existed. And in most cases, these new offerings just have a different look and focus: both the product concepts and their corresponding messages are sharper and more focused.
Herein lies the challenge to established beauty brands. For a long time, their product concepts and communication strategies have been far too general. They addressed anyone and everyone, but at the same time, nobody at all. The goodwill these brands have garnered for their trusted processes, consistent quality of raw materials, elaborate product development and reliable production facilities seem to have lost their relevance. New online companies are able to wow consumers with their flexible production processes and marketing strategies. They take a personal approach. They address their customers on a very individual level. The result is impressive: The market share of new beauty brands increased by 15.7% year on year between 2008 and 2016 – four times as fast as it did for established big players.
TIME FOR A NEW BEAUTY REGIME
As unsettled as the market might currently be, it always pays to understand it and use this knowledge to your advantage. Experts agree – the beauty market will continue to expand. It’s expected to grow by 7% per year, reaching $800 billion by 2025. But what strategy should those brands adopt if they hope to still be dominating the market in five years’ time? There are three essential aspects:
KNOW YOUR DNA
No matter whether yours is a long-established brand or a young startup, you know where the magic of your brand really lies. It doesn’t always have to be something big or grand. The point is rather that you know why people appreciate your brand. You know why people want to be associated with it and you know why they love your products in particular. These are your brand’s roots. Once you know what these roots are, you can play on these in different ways and even place them into new contexts. You can respond to trends, make targeted adjustments to suit different markets, or develop new visuals, and it’s very unlikely that you’ll lose consumers in the process. If your core message remains authentic, you’ll also be culturally credible, so you’ll both build and maintain trust.
LESS IS MORE
Established beauty brands are often fixed on appealing to the lowest common denominator, bombarding consumers with bold claims and details of wonder ingredients or innovative formulas in a bid to reach the largest possible market, and repeating the same promises as their top competitors. It’s time to abandon the idea of jumping on every bandwagon – instead, focus on your own specific messages, and repeat them, where possible, in a very creative and entertaining way.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO EXPERIMENT
It’s hard for a heavyweight to change course quickly. After all, there’s a big difference between being a small and manoeuvrable boat or a tanker with a 5,000-strong crew. But healthy prudence shouldn’t result in visual compromises. How do I please everyone? What’s the best way to appeal to as many people as possible? This way of thinking has led to an aesthetic monoculture among the established brands. Once that big step of launching a product is over with, they’ve tended to want to maintain their success with as much predictability and security as possible – repeating the same strategy.
But this approach no longer works. Our society is undergoing a paradigm shift, and this is having a particularly strong influence on the beauty sector. Consumers are asking what beauty means today, and what it should be. Established ideals are being turned on their heads – evolving into something more individual, imperfect, and diverse than they once were. In tangible terms, people’s desires are changing – they want something new. These have always been the central element of any branding work, and now, it’s about finding the required visual responses and redefining these in a new and different way.
Every brand in the industry now has the opportunity to present its own definition of beauty…. The only requirement: it has to be done well
The COVID-19 crisis has and will continue to increase pressure on the entire economy, including the beauty sector. But all shakeups give brands an opportunity to think anew, reflecting on its past and present performance, and where it wants to be.
The good thing about these modern, fast-moving times – despite the crisis – is that variety and diversity are back and in style. Every brand in the industry now has the opportunity to present its own definition of beauty – with a high chance of market acceptance. The only requirement: it has to be done well.
It’s time to take the path of change – with as much passion and energy as possible. It’s your chance to stand out and thrive.
The Peter Schmidt Group has compiled a consumer insights study based on 750 responses from China, Germany and Japan. The study explores cultural perceptions of beauty, the drivers that inspire consumers to make a purchase, and the key touch points that beauty brands should be focusing on. Email strategie@peter-schmidt-group.de to request an extract; peter-schmidt-group.de.
The post How can global beauty brands compete with newer rivals? appeared first on Creative Review.
A particularly ingenious Redditor called Pyroblock is restoring a 1975 Camaro. Having removed most of the mechanicals, he now needs to strip some paint from the underside and weld new suspension mounts on–both tasks that would be far easier if the car were on its side, as opposed to up on a lift, with the work above you.
Well, here’s how he solved that problem, using some dimensional lumber and plywood:
Video by Pyroblock
Brilliant!
Watch the original video with sound here (we’re having problems embedding it).
James Cliburn est un photographe de paysages qui vit près de Vancouver au Canada. « C’est une belle région du monde, remplie de lacs et montagnes imposantes. (…) J’aime beaucoup explorer le paysage qui m’entoure. Je me sens très détendu dans les montagnes. J’aime aussi les grandes villes regorgeant de gens et de diversités culturelles. (…) Je suis attiré par ces deux opposés, trouvant l’inspiration dans la tranquillité offerte par la nature et l’excitabilité des villes construites par des mains humaines. » nous explique-t-il.
James s’intéresse à l’art et à la photographie depuis qu’il est jeune. « Cela vient très probablement du fait que je suis une personne très visuelle. J’interprète tout à travers des images et la photographie est un moyen pour moi d’exprimer ce que je ressens de mes expériences. » dit-il. Son intérêt pour l’art a commencé avec le skateboard et le graffiti. « Je me suis retrouvé attiré par le design de skateboard de certaines entreprises. J’ai aimé les observer et les comparer. De plus, j’ai beaucoup aimé conduire à travers les villes et regarder les graffitis. Il y a tellement de créativité dans les graffitis et beaucoup d’artistes talentueux. (…) Les graffitis participent définitivement à la culture des villes. » ajoute-il. En vieillissant, ses intérêts se sont étendus au monde des beaux-arts et à un style plus minimaliste.
« La photographie fait partie de ma vie depuis que je suis adolescent. C’était à l’époque où nous n’avions pas de médias sociaux. J’avais à la place beaucoup de photos sur mes murs. Avec le recul, j’ai toujours eu un appareil photo avec moi et j’ai passé beaucoup de temps à analyser mon environnement. Prendre des photos a toujours été un passe-temps, mais ce n’est que quelques années auparavant que j’ai décidé de me concentrer plus intentionnellement sur le développement de mes compétences. Les voyages ont également toujours fait partie de ma vie, il m’a donc semblé naturel de commencer à documenter mes voyages plus en détail. J’adore la photographie parce que le pouvoir des images doit communiquer des sentiments et des émotions. Tout le monde n’est pas bon avec les mots, et souvent les photos peuvent communiquer bien plus qu’un discours bien conçu. Quant à l’analyse de mon métier, je ne sais pas trop quoi dire à part que j’aime simplement documenter ma vie. À mon avis, je me retrouve dans de beaux paysages naturels ou des villes énergisantes qui valent la peine d’être documentées. Je pense que peu importe où vous vous trouvez dans ce monde, il y a quelque chose qui mérite d’être enregistré, et pour moi, c’est ce que je recherche, peu importe où je suis. » nous dit-il. James photographie principalement avec un Fujifilm X sans miroir. « J’aime tout dans le Fujifilm X : la qualité des images, l’esthétique de la caméra et du verre, et la taille compacte. » précise-t-il.
Outre ses photographies personnelles, James a lancé il y a quelques années un magazine en ligne appelé « Stade Magazine ». « L’idée de Stade Magazine a en fait commencé lorsque j’essayais de convaincre un de mes amis photographes de créer son propre magazine. Plutôt que de dire quoi faire à quelqu’un d’autre, j’ai réalisé que je pouvais essayer moi-même, alors avec l’aide de quelques autres, je me suis lancé dans ce projet. J’ai toujours eu un intérêt à entendre et à observer comment les gens passent le temps et ce qui les fait continuer. C’est pourquoi Stade Magazine me permet de combiner deux de mes choses préférées : rencontrer de nouvelles personnes et entendre leurs histoires, et aussi travailler avec l’art et la photographie. » dit-il. Un premier numéro imprimé de Stade Magazine paraîtra plus tard cette année. Son objectif ? « Offrir une œuvre d’art tangible qui partage les histoires des gens pour le plaisir de tous. » nous dit-il.
« La photographie est un moyen pour moi de ralentir et de réfléchir à ma vie. Je vis souvent à un rythme rapide ou du moins mon esprit est toujours en course. Les photos que j’ai prises me ramènent à un moment et à un endroit précis où je peux m’arrêter et me concentrer sur ce moment. Je ne le fais pas souvent dans le présent, donc regarder des photos m’aide à réfléchir à ce que j’ai fait et à ce qui s’est passé dans ma vie. (…) J’espère qu’en partageant mes photos cela inspirera les autres à passer du temps dans la nature et/ou à parcourir les grandes rues de la ville. » nous dit-il enfin. Découvrons ci-dessous quelques-uns de ces jolis clichés revigorants à souhait…
New York studio WORKac has inserted a white perforated steel staircase into this three-storey Brooklyn apartment as part of a renovation designed to brighten its dark interiors.
Wyckoff Street Residence was designed for a family looking to bring more natural light into the upper levels of its home. The 2,550-square-foot (236-square-metre) space comprises three levels, each with a unique floor plan.
For the renovation, WORKac introduced a number of decorative elements including bold coloured furnishings and patterned wallpapers to create an “eclectic, yet cohesive, air”.
To draw light into the dark areas the studio installed steel-framed windows and a perforated steel staircase. The curving staircase is painted white and its surrounding walls are covered with wallpaper patterned with bees.
“The tension between the refined stair and the overscaled wallpaper gives the apartment a thoroughly eclectic, yet cohesive, air,” WORKac said.
“That tension between brightness and clarity, depth of colour and restraint, and humour and seriousness produce a vibrant and evolving combination of eclecticism and cohesion that continues throughout the house.”
The steps extend from the basement level where the master bedroom is located up to the main living area and then on to the children’s bedrooms located on the top floor.
“The sculptural form of the staircase becomes a constant on each level, weaving the disparate floors together and orienting the eye to create visual connections,” the studio added.
An exposed brick wall that nods to the building’s industrial past spans across the length of the spacious living room. A blackened steel fireplace with a trumpeted opening contrasts against the brick walls.
WORKac custom made the sculptural piece for the project in collaboration with C+D Fireplace Design. Its curved shape rests on top of a granite platform that doubles as a storage cubby for firewood logs.
In the kitchen the custom made wood cabinets and open shelves are constructed using slabs of blue stain pine wood. The variety of colours in the wood are picked up by the white bas relief porcelain backsplash, marble counters and stainless steel appliances.
A semi-circular arch filled with a floral wallpaper from British textile designer William Morris is surrounded by the deep purple feature wall in the master bedroom. Decorative porcelain tiles cover the walls and a portion of the walls in the adjoining bathroom.
Other details in the residence include a series of custom-built walnut shelves, a pair of teal sofas and a sculptural chandelier designed by David Weeks.
WORKac was founded by Amale Andraos and Dan Wood and is based in Manhattan. Its other residential projects in the city include adding a jagged metal roof to the top of a historic building in Tribeca.
Photography is by Bruce Damonte.
Project credits:
Structural engineer: Robert Silman Associates (RSA)
MEP engineer: Plus Group Consulting Engineering, pllc
Lighting consultant: Tillotson Design Associates
General contractor: Boum Design
Wood: Torzo Sustainable Surfaces
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This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
