Hasta La Ideas

Our trio of basic accessories for your pocket mainstays

There are a few essentials you never leave home without: your keys, your phone, your wallet. These represent the survivalist accessories of modern life, and they should be carefully considered—after all, they remain the stronghold of minimalism and functionality in a world of excess. The following leather goods are handsomely spare selects that do everything required and nothing else.

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The size of your wallet can say a lot about you—overloaded back-pocket bricks indicate hoarder tendencies, and anything requiring a snap release signals high maintenance. This pliable option has three enclosure slots to keep cash and cards separate and the durable, American-made Korchmar leather is fully tanned with vegetable dyes, resulting in a rich color. The handcrafted wallet is available from Koyono for $129.

Hard Graft Phone Fold Wallet

In a world dominated by cards, it may seem excessive to carry a wallet at all. Besides providing stellar protection for your phone, this case comes with a slot to carry the shortlist of everyday cards along with space for cash. The felt liner is kind against scratch-prone screens while the tough leather outer amps up the heritage look. Made in Italy, the wallet is hand-finished by Florentine craftsmen and can be found at Hard Graft for $89.

Alice Park Lanyard

We’ve always felt that bulky fobs are unnecessary. Lanyards serve as the perfect key accessory, providing ease of access without adding too much weight. Alice Park‘s calfskin option comes in a rainbow of colors to fit your personality. The brass and nickel rings link with a detachable hook to prevent fiddling with key rings, while the generous length allows you to latch onto purse handles and belt loops if you don’t want to rock the drape. The lanyard is available at OK for $45.

Seven new accessories for high-end cameras

As lovers of all things photographic we were excited to see what CES 2012 would offer the DSLR community. We saw a lot of great gear and accessories to enhance photographers’ experience and support them in the field. Below are seven picks of some of our favorite DSLR gear we saw in Vegas this year.

Any pro knows that a camera body is only as good as the glass you attach to it, and anyone with a high-end collection of prime or zoom lenses will understand the need to properly protect their investment. Beta Shell has been making hardcore carrying cases for a while but their new 5 Series presents the lightest, biggest and toughest versions yet. Waterproof and shock resistant, these ABS polymer cases come in a variety of sizes, and now include “Fit & Trim” kits so you can customize the interior to protect anything from a lens to a full camera body. In addition to being impressively tough the cases are also surprisingly affordable. Grab the series from the Beta Shell online store from $59-$88.

The Unleashed D200+ from Foolography marked another CES find. The tiny unit attaches to your camera and can wirelessly link with a GPS receiver to automatically geo-tag the photos from your DSLR. While the current lineup is primarily targeted toward Nikons, we hope to see broader brand coverage in the future. This definitely makes a handy tool to have on the fly to keep track of all the wonderful places you’ll go, especially if you are already shooting outdoors and tend to track your movements via GPS. Check their site for compatibility and to purchase for €167.23

Continuing their line of custom-built camera accessories, which started with the C-Loop, CustomSLR launched the M-Plate, a crowd-funded project to offer users greater functionality for tripod mounting. The M-Plate is a multi-purpose tripod mount that works with both the Manfrotto RC2 and Arca Swiss tripod systems. The piece can also be adapted to fit almost any tripod without requiring you to remove your C-Loop or similar bottom-mounted strap system—freeing you to use both systems simultaneously. The M-Plate is the jumping-off point for what promises to be an entire modular system from CustomSLR that will include other photo and hand-held video accessories. The M-Plate is currently only available to backers of their Kickstarter project, but keep your eyes open for an upcoming public release.

BlackRapid has released the DR-2 double strap, a thinner, lighter version of their original dual camera system. Made from ballistic-quality nylon, the clip-able carrier lets you rock two DSLRs simultaneously, or it can be separated into two different camera straps. Perfect for the on-the-go photographer who doesn’t have time to swap lenses for the perfect shot, this system lets you stay locked and loaded for any situation. Snag the unisex double strap from BlackRapid’s site for $129.95

Remember slides? Many might say no, but we still hold a certain affection for the classic imaging media. On the other hand, figuring out how to digitize them before they get lost or ruined can be a problem. The Slidesnap Pro is a new product that lets you bring your old slides into the digital era with your DSLR camera. The system can snap a photo of a slide every two seconds and claims to process over 14,400 slides in an eight-hour day. For more information and pricing on this speedy converter head to the product website.

For anyone who wants to toy with the life of their DSLR in the spirit of adventure and experimentation, check out the HPQ-2 from Rotor Concept. This four-bladed DSLR helicopter promises to lift up to three pounds off the ground for some soaring aerial video footage. While the package lacks a way to monitor your shots or control focus, it would still be a fun tool to try out with an auto-focus camcorder, or just for some experimental flying footage. Find it at the Rotor Concept site for $1,795.

Another interesting accessory we spotted was Vanguard‘s line of hiking-inspired camera gear. The Kinray series looks like a pretty standard hiking pack, but inside is designed to keep your camera gear safe and organized. An easy way to blend in with the other trail blazers, these bags combine all the internal storage you expect from a solid camera carrier with the handy technical details of your favorite day pack. Check out the variety of sizes and purchase from Vanguard’s online store.

Organic shapes of sterling silver by a Barcelona-based designer

The delicate sterling silver pieces by Barcelona-based jewelry designer Nathalie Jaggi, from slender leaves and flower petals to tiny spherical beads and geometric striped plates, find inspiration from a surprising and far-flung range of sources across several continents. “I have always collected, and been smitten by, vintage objects,” says Jaggi. “My house and studio are filled with unusual items…I find inspiration in their details, using the patterns and shapes to reinvent them into jewelry pieces.” For her line, Dasshen Jewelry, whose name is meant to signify a spirited sense of style, Jaggi has gradually expanded her influence, exhibiting at street fairs throughout Europe.

In her quest to keep up “that playful touch,” Daggi combines her innate sense of whimsy with a talent for translating such objects as old tractors strewn among the green hills of upstate New York, and mid-century heaters found at junk shops in Barcelona’s Old Quarter. Dasshen’s understated feminine character lies in its impeccable detail, like the unique necklace clasps designed to highlight the distinct silhouette of a woman’s neckline.

Men should take note: Jaggi tells us she’s got a line for you coming soon. The pieces are available through Dasshen’s online store, with prices ranging between €26-€97

Our top picks for jetsetters, wanderlusters and well-heeled vagabonds

For the tireless explorers in your life, the best gift is something that turns the art of travel into something of seamless style. The Cool Hunting Holiday Gift Guide is loaded with options, but find below a few of our favorite items that are sure to outfit the most rugged or well-heeled travelers on your list.

Proenza Schouler PS1 Travel Bag

The wildly coveted series from Proenza Schouler now includes a super luxe travel bag. Made of Italian leather with a wealth of pouches and compartments for storage, this spendy gift is for the lucky someone at the very top of Santa’s nice list.

YOUniverse DIY Globe

Help your kid imagine their future vacations with the YOUniverse do-it-yourself kit. The set allows them to create their very own globe and customize it with 35 travel design elements and 30 travel routes along with their own personal photos.

Apolis Survival Bundle

Channeling the most elemental necessities of the global citizen, this survival pack from Apolis has all the basics down. The bundle includes a swiss-made Sigg water bottle, Imco lighter, Maglite flashlight, journal and gravity-defying space pen.

Eshu Road Warrior Travel Pack

This skin-care trio from Australian brand Eshu delivers optimum protection without the fuss. Helping to protect skin from dry and harsh climates, the shaving gel, face wash and moisturizer in this pack has you covered throughout the winter.

Bicycle Travel Journal

Nigel Peake’s illustrations have long graced the catalogs at Hermès, and this travel journal comprises a selection of the talented artist’s personal sketches. Designed with the cycling enthusiast in mind, the journal features 20 illustrations with sections divided by countryside, mountain and city rides.

Richards’ Secretary Trunk

For the jet-setting romanticist, this replication of an early 20th-century English travelers’ trunk will color their study with a bit of antique charm when they actually are home. As functional as it is luxurious, the trunk has enough storages pace to fit an office or boudoir and bears the name of Tom Richards, the long-forgotten owner of the original specimen after which this reproduction was designed.

Goruck Field Pockets

These military-grade rucksacks provide a durable, efficient storage system on the fly. With the freedom to be snapped together for contiguous use or employed as standalone packs, they have your operational requirements in mind.

Juice Pack Air for iPhone

The best of the current crop of external batteries, the Juice Pack Air is an ultra-thin battery case for your iPhone. With a 1500 mAh capacity, it virtually doubles the phone’s charge time and comes in red, white and black colorways.

Lisbon-based designers take global inspiration for simple designs
By Miranda Ward

Annett Bourquin and Kerstin Greve founded the Lisbon-based label ANVE as a small but carefully curated collection of accessories, bags and home goods. According to the pair, the goal is simple: “We aim to make objects that stay with their owners and become more beautiful with life.”

Aside from the inspiration behind the neighborhoods and landscape of their adopted city, Bourquin and Greve gather ideas from the many places they’ve lived and visited in the past, from Berlin, Basel and Vienna to Cape Town and Tokyo. While the approach is derived from this rich heritage, their products are delightfully simple, often almost minimalist.

The Laboratorio Lamp comprises a borosilicate laboratory flask hung from a black cloth-covered wire. Their Sacos de Papel (“paper bags” in Spanish), meanwhile, mimic the structure of a plain paper bag but are constructed from rich suede, lambskin, goatskin or polished leather, in colors like antique gold and ocean green. The bags feature a snap closure but have no other embellishments.

Every ANVE product is created in small batches, either in-studio or by local manufacturers, so the range evolves regularly. Sometimes pieces are one of a kind—”If we are inspired by, let’s say, a beautiful piece of vintage leather we buy it, even if it’s only enough for one little bag,” they outline on their website.

All products are available online and can be shipped worldwide. Prices start at €19 for a pocket notebook.