Hasta La Ideas

If you live in Los Angeles and have a penchant for ping pong, free beer, and design for humanity, come on out to design nonprofit Project H’s debut of their LA chapter’s Abject Object initiative next Thursday, April 9th. The event will officially debut the line of four garments and accessories designed by Project H product designers and residents of the Downtown Women’s Center homeless shelter. The products (including a purse that turns into a hammock), are made from reclaimed textiles, and were developed to be produced by homeless individuals, teaching valuable skills through a profitable enterprise. Join Project H at the GOOD Magazine headquarters from 7-10 pm to see the products, meet the chapter, donate to the project, and of course for the ping pong, free beer, and Project H raffle.

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Do you, like us, live somewhere other than Southern California? Then now’s the time to take advantage of all those spooky-cheap cross-country airfares, because Los Angeles Art Weekend is back. After a wildly successful launch year, L.A. Art Weekend’s 2009 incarnation kicks off Thursday with an impressive line-up of special events, public programs, and exhibitions that allow you to experience the best of L.A. art, architecture, design, and film communities in one action-packed four-day weekend.

Where to begin? On Thursday evening, artist Kehinde Wiley will be speaking at the Getty Center, perhaps providing insight into why the world can’t resist his Old Masters-meets-hoodie sweatshirts approach. Alternatively, as if you needed another reason to visit the local Taschen emporium, fashion designer and documentary subject Valentino will be on hand to sign copies of his new book Valentino: A Grand Italian Epic (should you need to make small talk, focus on pugs rather than our friend Alessandra Facchinetti, recently deposed designer at the house of V). The fun continues well into the night with an L.A. Art Weekend kickoff bash at the Hollywood Standard (watch out for chlorine clouds!) featuring a Mike Mills book signing and a post-Punk soundtrack by DJ Michael Stock of Part Time Punks fame. And that’s just Thursday. Click here for the full schedule. And remember, whoever consumes the most culture wins.

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Last day to purchase tickets to Thursday’s PSFK Conference in New York City, where speakers such as Kevin Slavin, Bart Haney, and Marc & Sara Schiller will be taking the stage. See you there!

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Bo Rudler Studio will launch their Slow White furniture line next month as a part of the Tuttobene exhibition:

We tend to present nature in a controlled way: branches simplified into repetitive patterns, majestic trees trimmed into squared beams, flowers flattened into graphic motifs. Nature’s complexity, randomness and rawness is tamed. We lost our connection with nature and our surroundings. This century will be about renewing this connection.

For this collection, I left my computer behind and ventured into the woods. I gathered fallen wood to transform into furniture. I started building again with my own hands, knowing everything that went into the process, working consciously, smelling the wood, feeling the structure, composing. The branches were carefully selected for their distinguishing imperfections and curves. Following these shapes led me to the designs: the individual branches were numbered and the pieces are composed using the most beautiful combination of branches. These forms give personality to each piece which will always be different due to the randomness of each branch. All products are hand made.

More pictures after the jump!

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It’s going to be a BUSY week! The stitch show comes down today and preparation for the Treehouse show begins, the Jen11 book is shipping, there’s a huge Eclectonote order to fulfill… not to mention a First Thursday and the release of issue one of UPPERCASE’s magazine! {this image is from my Tumblr Scrapbook, via Glen Mullaly‘s photostream}