Hasta La Ideas

Given the state of the world, we could all do with some levity. That’s where You and Me, The Royal We comes in. Conceived by Brooklyn studio mates Oliver Jeffers, Mac Premo and Aaron Ruff of Digby and Iona (which we featured here), the recently-launched collective’s cheeky sense of humor unites the line of seemingly disconnected products.

Poking a little fun at recent men’s fashion trends, the woodgrain belt and bark buckle ($90) makes an accessoire de rigueur for the aspiring urban lumberjack—naturally, the buckle is real bark. A boxed set of standard No. 2 pencils ($22) comes emblazoned with the phrase, “
This Machine Kills Fascists,” a nod to “This Land is Your Land” legend Woody Guthrie and making a great gift for folksy and literary types alike.

Oliver Jeffers’ hand drawn “Places on Earth” print ($180) comes with a box of 202 push-pins: one red (headquarters), one blue (next target) and 200 black (global domination).

And while we’ve seen letterpress cards make the rounds before (Alison Riley’s Stop Talking cards make a succinct point), the Royal We’s All Occasions cards ($36)—thank you, sorry and fuck you—provide options for, well, all occasions.

by Quincy Moore

U.K.-based makers of luxury Italian-leather holdalls Caracalla Bagaglio fashions their “Commemorative Motorsport Collection” line after the past triumphs of famous race cars and their drivers. The company, owned by motorsports aficionado Simon Jordan, borrows its first name from the Roman emperor whose historic baths were the site of Ferrari’s first victory in 1947 and gets its surname from the word for luggage in Italian.

While only die-hard fans will get the historical relevance of each bag, it takes little more than a simple aesthetic to admire the classic elegance of these weekend getaway companions.

Craftspeople hand make each bag in Italy from fine leather that closely matches the interior color of the car it celebrates. For instance, our favorite variant, the Lotus JPS No. 6 (pictured top), uses stark black with gold stitching, just like the Formula 1 whip Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi drove to victory in the 1972 Italian F1 Grand Prix.

A stamp of the Team Lotus emblem just below the opening of the No. 6 adds to the immaculate detail of the accessory, a design repeated on other models. Features also include a detachable shoulder strap, internal pocket, end-to-end zipper, and metal studs for protection while sitting on the ground.

Each measures 22″ long x 12.5″ wide x 11″ deep, and sells online for just under $445. Pick one up from Bagaglio.

Made from the remnants of Australian cricket balls, Bowling Arm leather bracelets are a colorful wrist accessory that nicely utilize an otherwise purposeless scrap of material. Each one-of-a-kind piece builds character with wear.

The brainchild of Australian industrial designer and fine artist Simone LeAmon, as director of studio O.S. Initiative, LeAmon focuses on creating engaging and sustainably-minded products whose process has a story to tell.

The bracelets come in red, yellow or white and sell online for AUD $44.

An in-depth exploration of jewelry design, “Fashion Jewelry: Catwalk and Couture” focuses on the designers and their working methods for creating distinct accessories for fashion shows and personal collections alike.

Author Maia Adams—a contributing writer for publications such as Vogue, Elle and Wallpaper—highlights 33 designers in all. Each gets their own chapter packed with an informative biography, insightful quotes, and a photo spread of their jewelry and sketches. While the styles and materials run the gamut, Adams chose each highly-skilled designer for their particular impact on the fashion industry and overall influence on 21st century fashion.

From the oft-bizarre ornate pendants by Yoshiko Creation Paris (pictured top right) to the equally subversive sculptural pieces by Florian (pictured above), each accessory’s look is as intriguing as the process for its design.

Designer Natalia Brilli (above left) provides a fuller understanding of the effort that goes into her leather-wrapped necklaces. Taking at times two days to create, the Belgian works hard not only on each piece but on developing the full story, often leading to limited-edition jewelry that entertains both when worn and when on display at home. Also reinterpreting the classics, Australian designer Michelle Jank (above right) explains her dream client would be the Queen of England, for whom she would make “seriously big, elaborate diamond rings.”

Fully defining jewelry envisioned for the runway, designer Naomi Filmer works between art and jewelry to create showstopping multi-dimensional pieces that expose her highly conceptual thought process. From gold-plated shoulder pieces (above left) to her hand manipulation piece (above right), Filmer regards jewelry as “an extension of our identity.”

“Kooky, kitsch and prettily punk” well describes Yazbukey, a collaboration between two sisters using bright colors and unconventional shapes. With a rigorous process of research and an impressive history working with designers Christian Lacroix and Givenchy, Yazbukey creates well-crafted pieces that exude a carefree attitude. Previously highlighted on CH, their works include cartoon shapes of items like hot dogs, telephones, Jackie O and the Jetsons.

Due out next month, sign up online to be alerted about availability.

Wars are cruel and destructive; they shatter lives and take away joy & happiness.