Hasta La Ideas

Paris’ secret renegade picnic takes its all-white affair to NYC

Good weather in Paris always brings out an army of picnickers carrying folding chairs and baskets. But when Parisians-in-the-know descended on the Louvre courtyard last week, they were actually participating in an annual dining event that’s some 20 years old. Known as “Le Dîner en Blanc, the city’s clandestine dinner party attracts a crowd dressed entirely in white that comes together at an undisclosed location through a word-of-mouth campaign.

The steadily-growing outdoor festivity makes a point to be as equally refined as it is fun, with guests dining on white linen at candle-lit tables, using cutlery brought from home. Live bands play in the background to crowds of over 8,000, who often end up dancing with sparklers in hand around the public space.

After successful picnics in Amsterdam, Berlin, Montreal and elsewhere, this year Le Dîner en Blanc is hitting NYC on 25 August 2011. Seating is limited to 1,000 guests—register for the wait list online and see more info at Le Dîner en Blanc’s New York Facebook page.

It’s going to be a gorgeous Saturday in New York City so jump on your bike and head to the ferrys for a free trip to historic Governor’s Island! If you haven’t experienced this hidden gem, RECESS New York will be the perfect opportunity. Come out and cheer on team Core77 as we face off against 32 of New York’s most creative agencies, restaurants, hotels and brands (and smash the competition!). And if that wasn’t enough, Brooklyn Brewery will be hosting a beer garden with snacks provided by Grandaisy Bakery and non-beer hydration by Vita Coco. If you don’t have your own set of wheels, Bowery Lane Bicycles will loan you theirs to tour around the island.

RECESS New York
Saturday, June 18th
Noon-5PM
Governor’s Island (Colonel’s Row)
Ferry Schedule

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Tonight, Core77 welcomes Stefan Andren, Portland-based designer to our bi-weekly creative speaker series: The Hand-Eye Supply Curiosity Club hosted at the Hand-Eye Supply store in Portland, OR. Come early and check out our space or check in with us online for the live broadcast!

Tuesday, June 14th
6PM PST
Hand-Eye Supply
23 NW 4th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

About Stefan Andren

Stefan Andren is a multidisciplinary designer with significant global experience having worked with some of the largest companies and brands in the world. His work has received international recognition, and has been featured in numerous publications including Business Week, ID Magazine, Wired, Dwell Magazine, Design Interior, and FORM. Stefan’s work has been awarded multiple IDEA, ID Magazine, and Red Dot design awards.

Stefan’s Portland-based Krown Lab has grown from a self serving product idea to a thriving business driven by design with a strong emphasis on local sourcing. The talk will offer an insight into how a small Portland based company found a niche in a growing market and how products are taken from initial idea to market introduction.

In an increasingly digital and virtual world where products can be created remotely, Krown Lab prefers to have a strong physical connection to their products throughout the creative process. Sourcing products within the region supports the local economy, forges close-knit working relationships with outside partners, and provides strong foundations for their business.

Krown Lab is interested in the long term, in timelessness and simplicity and getting it right the first time. A belief that “less really is more” is at the core of every creation. All their products have been distilled to their essence, with every detail of every part justified.

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This week is San Francisco Design Week. One of the best parts of this annual design explosion is the extensive lists of studio open houses, which will be happening tonight and tomorrow night. They are a great chance to see the different creative environments of some of the top firms, chat with designers, and of course, they all have open bars.

Click HERE for a full schedule.

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We really wish we’d told you about this yesterday, but fortunately there are a few more Mondays left between now and early August. Late last week, Los Angeles’ Museum of Contemporary Art announced that famous street artist, and included exhibitionist, Banksy, has sponsored free admission to the museum every Monday for the duration of its controversial street art exhibit, Art in the Streets. Like we sort of halfheartedly apologized for above, you missed yesterday, but if you want to catch the show and don’t want to pay for it, you have until August 8th, when it closes up shop and prepares for how it will terrorize Brooklyn next spring. Here’s a bit:

“I don’t think you should have to pay to look at graffiti. You should only pay if you want to get rid of it,” said Banksy. “MOCA is very grateful to Banksy for his unprecedented gesture,” said MOCA Director and exhibition co-curator Jeffrey Deitch. “Art in the Streets is drawing record attendance, and opening it up to everyone will have a lasting impact on communities in Los Angeles, many of whom have not been to the museum before.”

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