Hasta La Ideas

Our latest Rough Cut video with an innovative Spanish outdoor furniture maker

In the early 60’s, in a Spain still suffering the repercussions of the civil war and a population living under the hard handed rule of Franco, Kettal founder Manuel Alorda took a trip to Germany with his Dutch father in-law to purchase outdoor furniture. Alorda had never seen outdoor furniture before and was immediately struck by the opportunity to bring beach and camping chairs to the Spanish market. A van was purchased, machinery was bought and Alorda began producing the German line of outdoor furniture for Spanish consumption. Ten years later, as Franco’s influence declined and international trade normalized, Alorda began making his own designs and exporting his product throughout Europe. This transition began the recognition of Spanish design excellence in outdoor furniture and cemented the framework of the Kettal Group.

Kettal stands out amongst the many excellent outdoor furniture designers in the Spanish market due to their awesome attention to detail. This ranges from the choice of designers they strive to work with to the time and energy put into finding or constructing raw materials. The focus of Kettal’s design is to fit the needs of modern life creatively, while maintaining a commitment to timelessness.

We had the chance to talk to vice president Alex Alorda about Kettal’s commitment to quality through innovation of custom raw materials, check it out in the rough cut below:

In addition to their innovations in furniture Kettal has also branched out into the art world, the senior Alorda began collecting at a young age. This commitment to the arts led to the founding of the Alorda-Derksen Foundation, a space in Barcelona dedicated to contemporary art and fully funded by Kettal.

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Transformers for adults—jewelry that conceals erotic accessories

When we came across industrial designer Ti Chang’s line of discreet pleasure devices at the Adult Entertainment Expo recently, the assortment of sleekly-designed sex toys far outshone the typically ill-conceived gadgets saturating the market. The second surprise came when we realized that each accessory doubles as a wearable fashion piece, cleverly disguising its true purpose. Some stand outs in her current nine-piece collection include the Droplet Necklace, with silver pendants that also happen to be small vibrators; the seductive Blade Necklace features a dull-edged knife sculpted from hand-cut glass that can be used to stimulate your erogenous zones; the Lash Belt conveniently turns from holding your pants up to keeping your loved one in order; the Leather Handcuffs are a great looking leather double cuff bracelet set that can be used for light restraint.

We followed up with Chang to learn more about the collection and her novel take on the toy industry.

What was your path to starting your own company?

I received my bachelors from Georgia Tech in Industrial Design. I started my career designing personal care products for women, mainly hair brushes. I then went on to design bicycle accessories for Trek Bicycle. I decided to go back to school for my Masters at the Royal College of Art in London. Afterward, I worked as a design consultant on various projects from branding, furniture, to home accessories. During this period I moved around a lot—London, China, New York, and Boston. It was great to experience vastly different projects and cultures which helped me to become a more well-rounded designer. I gained experience working on all aspects of bringing a company/product to life from brand conception to design and production. This gave me the confidence and tools to enable me to eventually start my own company.

How did you evolve to designing intimate accessories?

It was a combination of things. The landscape of the American economy going down hill, so it was very hard to find projects or work. Even if there was work, it wasn’t particularly exciting or well-paid. Also because I care deeply about what I do—I have a hard time working on design projects I am not passionate about. It’s both my blessing and my curse. I made the leap into intimate accessories because it was an area that both fascinated me and to which I felt I had something to contribute.

Considering the interest in intimate accessories, why are so few brands design-oriented in the space?

Culturally the topic of sexuality is taboo. There is a strong cultural stigma with this industry where intimate accessories, adult novelty, toys and porn all get lumped together. So people tend to shy away from this topic. It’s not exactly dinner table conversation and generally people aren’t talking about it openly. The attitude around sexuality is very much an artifact of history—not the nature of sexuality. So people are projecting that historical view and being put off by it instead of embracing it for what it is. I think this stigma is what keeps people from thinking about this space and endeavoring to innovate and make products better.

How did you arrive at the concept of sex toys doubling as jewelry?

I was always disappointed at the lack of aesthetically elegant toys in this space. Why is everything hot pink, purple and rubbery? I wanted to bring a sense of timelessness like a piece of jewelry, something dignifying and beautiful, an object that you would want to keep for a long time. I don’t think it’s necessary to chose just one aspect of the function, why not have it all?

Where does your inspiration come from?

I’m inspired by the material world around me. As an industrial designer, I am drawn to problem solving through design of objects, the tactile experience and the desire to make things a little better.

Tell us about some of your products, like the Handcuff bracelets and Lash Belt.

I think it is interesting that many of the products enable experiences outside the bedroom, and I think I will leave it at that. The leather cuffs and the Lash belt are both fun. The cuffs are more understated, whereas the Lash belt is a stronger fashion/lifestyle statement.

I’m sure you have some great stories to tell, any you want to share?

Working in this industry, there are some great moments. One that comes to mind is the fact that my coworkers and I can go sex toy shopping and it’s totally normal, whereas in other companies, it would probably be an HR violation of some sort.

Any advice for those that want to get something for their partner?

If you are considering a gift from the Incoqnito collection, try to understand the taste and style of your partner. For the more adventurous couples, I would recommend the Razor for sensation play. For the those who like jewelry and edgy accessories, the Leather cuffs and the Droplet necklace are classic accessories that have a sexy twist that you both can enjoy!

LED eyelashes, wearable displays and biofeedback accessories in Dr. Sabine Seymour’s latest book

Featuring a woven fabric cover embossed with a scannable QR code, Sabine Seymour‘s new book “Functional Aesthetics: Visions In Fashionable Technology” immediately offers a simple proof that textile can be interface. In Seymour’s second book on the subject, the professor and innovator defines fashionable wearables as “designed garments, accessories or jewelry that combine aesthetics and style with functional technology.”

Seymour takes a more analog approach to the discussion on fashionable technology with eight chapters that break down the various forms of functional aesthetics and major examples of each, spanning Soomi Park‘s LED Eyelashes (filed under The “Garment as Amplifier of Fantasy”) to CuteCircuit‘s Galaxy Dress (“The Epidermis as Metaphor”). The chapter “Woven Interface” shows how innovations in textiles and the weaving process enable new practices or an extra layer of personalization, while “Scientific Couture” demonstrates how biological advances can lead to a more sustainable world.

From current fashions to exploratory prototypes, “Functional Aesthetics” covers every aspect of the subject in an easily digestible format. Additionally, Seymour offers the section “Kits & DIY” for those looking to experiment as well as “Inspirations”—a list of websites, blogs, books and creatives that best tackle the fashionable technology topic.

“Functional Aesthetics: Visions In Fashionable Technology” sells online from Amazon.

Elegance, power and sustainability combined in Jaguar’s 75th anniversary concept car

First debuted at the Paris Auto Show and more recently presented in LA, Jaguar’s C-X75 concept car is a celebration of design, innovation and class. Loosely based on the classic XJ13 concept the C-X75 exhibits the power and elegance of a supercar while showcasing cutting edge technology that makes it super efficient and environmentally friendly.

Each wheel on the C-X75 is driven by an individual 145kW electric motor which are all powered by one large 19.6kWh lithium ion battery. This system delivers all wheel drive and promises to provide extra control and traction as well as intense torque (0-62 in 3.4 seconds). On a single charge, which takes 6 hours from a conventional household plug to achieve, the C-X75 can travel up to 68 miles with zero emissions.

For extended range Jaguar has utilized some fantastic aeronautical engineering technology by equipping the vehicle with two 70kW gas powered micro turbines. The turbines can used to quickly recharge the internal battery or can be used in conjunction with the battery to achieve the cars top speed of 205 mph. If you plan on taking a more leisurely drive the turbine charged batteries provide the car with a theoretical range of 560 miles.

The vehicle has an complex ventilation system incorporated into the exterior design to cool the micro turbines. There are no side-view mirrors, instead cameras built into the back feed directly to a screen inside the cabin. The beautiful angles highlight the slick hyper aerodynamic look and are complimented by the beautiful 21 and 22 inch aluminum wheels. Up to 50% of the the light weight aluminum used in constructing the car is recycled and increases the performance and economy.

As with previous Jaguar models the interior is designed completely around the driver. The seats are fixed into the frame so upon entering the vehicle a flip of a switch brings the entire steering wheel, instrument panel and pedal box toward the driver for optimal positioning. The aeronautical theme is continued in the cabin, the started switch is positioned on an overhead control panel and the gear shift is modeled after the throttle control from a fighter jet. The information panels are also air craft inspired with a 3D simulated heads up display. Never to be out classed Jaguar added a nice analog detail, a custom designed watch from Bremont that mounts into the center console and is wound by the stopping and starting movements of the car.

Concrete-fabric hybrid offers instant, secure and lasting shelter

U.K.-based company Concrete Canvas recently added a new product to their line of concrete/fabric based utilities, the Concrete Canvas Shelter. Based on the same concept as the company’s first product Concrete Cloth, the shelter uses the concrete/fabric hybrid that, when activated with water, can be molded into a desirable shape before it hardens.

To get the right shape, the refuge comes with a prefab system designed to incorporate the Concrete Cloth into a quick heavy-duty shelter in lieu of tents. Their CCS25 model can be set up by two people (with no training) in less than an hour and, after drenching it with water, the structure expands, giving you a hardcore shelter ready to go within 24 hours.

The special fabric transforms from a pliable, easy-to-store bundle into a fireproof, waterproof and potentially bulletproof shelter. Designed specifically to fit into natural surroundings, it can be covered with earth, sand or snow to offer insulation and extra protection from the elements or enemies. Once hardened, the shelters also have lockable doors, providing a higher level of security than traditional fabric structures.

Since these units are semi-permanent (a minimum design life of 10 years) and essentially instant, the applications are great for both industrial and military organizations. They provide quick secure housing or storage for personnel and, due to they modular design, easily link together to create larger spaces. For housing staff after a natural disaster or establishing a quick, sturdy medical center, this product could be life saving.

Currently the largest models offer 54 square meters of operating space and are only available by email order.