Hasta La Ideas

Does the thought of a traditional calendar leave you feeling oppressed and anxious? Do you long for a highly creative way to keep track of passing days and in a more enduring format? Then toss that “Epic Sunsets 2011″ wall calendar and “Kittens! Kittens! Kittens!” desk diary in favor of The Open Daybook (Mark Batty Publisher), a new hardcover book of days that can function as a perpetual calendar, chunky desk planner, sketchbook, journal, or just a fun addition to your coffee table. Over the course of a year, editor David P. Earle gave 371 creative people—including Leanne Shapton, David Rakoff, Miranda July, and Tim Barber—24 hours to come up with a piece of art for a particular day of the year. Their contributions are artfully arranged on 365 pages that feature the month and day (in a range of fonts, languages, and formats) along with ample white space for your own jottings, doodles, or pressing engagements. “Curating this book was a bit like making a mix tape,” writes Earle in the book’s introduction. “I wanted each month to have a rhythm composed of similarities and differences….A wide variety of artists and styles seemed to be the best way to evoke the multiplicity of moods, impressions, and associations that make up the experience of a single year.” And with The Open Daybook by your side, there’s no telling what 2011 (or any year!) might bring. We’re already looking forward to May 19, which features Sara Strahan‘s photograph of legumes assembled into letters that spell “Today is an auspicious day for lentils.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Stocking stuffer alert! Dutch designer Marcel Wanders has brought his witty brand of antique futurism to cosmetics in a collaboration with M·A·C. The Estée Lauder-owned brand recently introduced M·A·C and Marcel Wanders, a limited-edition collection that includes mascara, lip glosses, lipsticks, and makeup brushes in high-gloss black casings that echo the balusterial curves Wanders has deployed in interior design projects such as Miami’s Mondrian South Beach. Those who favor his faceted pieces for Kartell will want to snap up a mirrored compact of “sheer mystery powder” (pictured at right), whose scrollwork flourishes are echoed in a glam tapestry clutch that ties with silk ribbons. Meanwhile, we hear that the collection’s top seller is a $30 wearable metal pendant that flips open to reveal a solid version of M·A·C’s sweetened floral scent, Air of Style.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Macy’s has officially confirmed our exclusive report of an imminent collaboration between designer Karl Lagerfeld and the national retailer. “Karl Lagerfeld holds a unique place in the world of fashion, an icon who is the ultimate modernist,” said Terry J. Lundgren, chairman, president, and CEO of Macy’s, Inc. “Through the decades, his style and vision have marked the history of design. It is a tremendous honor to bring his inimitable perspective to our fashion customer.” The collection will debut in approximately 250 Macy’s stores and on macys.com in September 2011. According to a report in today’s issue of WWD that credits UnBeige with breaking news of the deal, the Lagerfeld line is part of a new designer initiative that Macy’s will launch in February. Other designers and brands slated to create capsule collections for the national retailer include London-based Kinder Aggugini, Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith, Calvin Klein, and Versace.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

(Courtesy PUBLIC and James Mueller Photography)

Since resolving its brand identity crisis, Gap has been busy expanding its horizons. In recent weeks, the mega-retailer has opened its first wholly-owned stores in China (two in Beijing, two in Shanghai) and Italy (on Milan’s Corso Vittorio Emanuele) and announced plans to enter South America next fall. But the Gap store we’re most excited about is a temporary outlet right down the road from the company’s San Francisco HQ. It’s a seasonal pop-up shop (above) that features the covetable steel-framed bikes and gear of PUBLIC, the enterprise started in May by Design Within Reach founder Rob Forbes.

“I’ve been watching the growth of city bikes in Europe for almost ten years and seeing the changes here, such as the Bloomberg initiatives in New York,” Forbes told us. “I’m passionate about urban design and mobility, and want to help us get over our car addiction.” And so PUBLIC was born. The San Francisco-based company specializes in practical bikes designed for cities. Its classically styled models come in a growing range of gorgeous hues—a tangerine inspired by the ’68 Vespa that is a fixture in the PUBLIC offices, a pale blue purloined from a vintage Porsche—and boast frames that are guaranteed for life and “ride like butter.”

Word of snazzy urban bikes travels fast in the Bay Area, so it was only a matter of time before Gap came calling. “Their team visited our South Park space, liked our vibe, and asked if we’d work with them on the pop-up,” explained Forbes. “They are developing a bike share program with their staff also, and we align with their internal mission.” The deal was sealed by PUBLIC’s new more affordable models (the recently launched Public A7 and J7 each sell for $495, compared to the $550 to $890 price range of other models) and its quirky assortment of non-bike merchandise, including pretty air pumps, art, antimicrobial striped socks, and wooden deer heads.
continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

We challenge you to browse the stunning (and beautifully photographed) objects on offer at Wright‘s upcoming Scandinavian Design sale and not consider acquiring a lifestyle for which you’ll have regular use—not to mention ample space—for a sleek teak colony of Arne Jacobsen ant chairs. The November 18 auction, 223 lots strong, features an array of classics from established masters along with a few surprises. “I continue to be drawn to Scandinavian design,” says Richard Wright, director of the Chicago-based auction house. “It represents great value to me. I think it’s underappreciated in the market. I think there’s an honesty and directness to the material that is refreshing.” After seriously considering building an UnBeige steam room to properly accommodate the Antti Nurmesniemi sauna stool, we headed straight for the Poul (Henningsen and Kjaerholm). We think Hr. Henningsen’s got the sale’s real stunner: this PH 22 Piano lamp. Designed for Louis Poulsen in the early 1930s, the swoop of bronze, Bakelite, and glass is the flowery and attentive cousin of Henningsen’s iconic Artichoke lamp. Wright estimates that it will sell for between $20,000 and $30,000. And it likely will—if the healthy results of the house’s first Scandinavian Design sale (in which 90% of the lots sold) are any guide. Stay tuned for more. Noted Wright, “We want to continue doing the Scandinavian Design series, because there’s a lot of material to explore.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.