Hasta La Ideas

Automakers, journalists, and designers collaborate on this fall-ready ride

Design-oriented car magazine Intersection got to try their hand at tricking out a new CR-Z in a recent collaboration with Honda. The result of this industry role-reversal is an autumnal, sand-colored body with orange rims by Yorgo Tloupas and matching tires by Marangoni. For the interior, Honda reached out to designer Eley Kishimoto, requesting that the design team incorporate the company’s “eco-flower,” their symbol for hybrid technology. Mark Eley and Wakako Kishimoto are no strangers to collaborations, having designed products for BMW, Incase, and Eastpack to name a few. Known for their signature “flash” print, Eley Kishimoto took their motto “print the world” seriously as they tackled this eco- and design-conscious project.

Intersection Magazine approaches their coverage of automobiles from a unique perspective, judging automobiles “from a more artistic and cultural angle.” According to a company press release, “The CR-Z coupé has been completely re-worked as a contemporary design object.” Intersection seized the opportunity to work with Honda, mentioning their admiration for the automaker’s past work, specifically the Cub 50 and the Z600. While the Honda CRZ Intersection Coupé was a one-off creation, Intersection said they would like to see it work its way into regular production.

Muji’s elegantly designed refillable markers reduce waste

The latest gem we’ve come to love from Muji’s line of elegantly well-designed writing utensils is the refillable dry-erase marker. Perfect for home office inspiration boards to classroom presentations and conference rooms, the dry erase marker writes smoothly, without the squeaky feeling of most pens intended for white boards. (If the standard is a ballpoint, Muji’s is a rollerball.)

The true genius, however, is the refillable ink cartridge. Once the marker runs dry, unscrew it and pop in a new cartridge to reduce unnecessary waste.

Markers come in red, blue and black, and are available for $1.75 each at all NYC Muji locations. Refill cartridges sell online from the MoMA design store.

Form and function meet in a Japanese architect’s beautifully understated housewares

Japanese designer Oji Masanori makes everyday living more comfortable, designing a range of objects in various materials that are as refined as they are functional. Graduating with degree in architecture, Masanori seemingly applies those tactics to building small objects, starting with the foundation and allowing the beauty of its shape to lead the design.

His studio, Oji & Design, works with Japan’s preeminent manufacturers to ensure the quality he instills during the initial design isn’t lost during production. Spanning bottle openers ($40), lighting pendants ($450) and a knife keeper ($300), for his brass objects Masanori collaborated with the metal workers at Futagami in Toyama-Takaoka City, who have over a century of experience with hand-casting objects that will develop a distinctly beautiful patina over time.

The young designer looked to the skilled woodworker Hidetoshi Takahashi to craft the Bagel trivets ($80), who meticulously carved Japanese maple, cherry or walnut into perfectly round trivets with smooth flat bottoms. The bagels are great for their intended purpose or as wall decorations when hung by the attached leather string.

Masanori carries out his concepts to the very last detail, doing all of the graphic work and packaging himself. Oji & Design objects sell at various retailers around Japan, and online at Merchant No. 4 and Mjölk.

Gluten-free pasta alternatives in three tasty varieties

With a cook time of only three minutes, Kobayashi Noodle Company‘s gluten-free noodles are a deliciously filling staple made with 100% Japanese white and brown rices. Using a koshihikari variety of the grain lends delicious texture and taste thanks to being rich in amylase (an enzyme that helps break down sugars).

The wheat-, dairy- and egg-free pasta has even fewer calories, as well as less fat and protein than traditional wheat noodles. Plus, they come in fettucini-style, ramen, and udon noodle varieties to accommodate different culinary preferences.

To help consumers adjust their cooking methods to the noodles’ accelerated cook time, the Kobayashi site offers plenty of helpful cooking tips and presumably delicious recipes. All varieties sell for $4 a pack from the online shop.

For delicious gluten- and guilt-free desserts, check out our guide to gluten free indulgences.

Jeans made to order from the most coveted denim in the world

Founder of both Earnest Sewn and Paper Denim & Cloth, Scott Morrison’s commitment to the raw essence of denim extends down to the brand names of each new project. His latest, 3×1 Made Here, borrows a name from the technique that gives denim its diagonal weave. Shoppers at his new 4,000-square-foot Soho space can customize a pair of ready-to-wear limited edition jeans, order a pair in their denim of choice or make an appointment to work with Morrison from scratch.

As a pioneer of the premium denim phenomenon, it makes sense that Morrison’s next step would be to elevate denim fashion to a level typically reserved for high end men’s suit tailoring. But don’t worry, the project is setup for laymen and elitist denim-heads alike. Morrison says of the shop, “I think some people are drawn to the 65+ selvedge denims they can select from, others are just looking for a great fitting pair of jeans, while others are coming down because they’ve heard about this new store/factory/gallery space in SoHo that makes jeans while you watch.”

The idea began back in September 2010 when Morrison started sewing the first patterns in his apartment. The line has continued to evolve and now includes a ready-for-purchase run of limited-edition styles for men and women, with the in-house production curbed at between eight-24 pieces per model. For these, the customer can still tweak the hemline and buttons, but to take it a step further, a second option is available. Patrons can choose an existing cut and then apply one of the 100+ fabrics on hand, coming from Japanese, American and Italian mills, delivering a tailored pair of jeans without going fully custom. Morrison reflects on his raw denim fascination we discovered during a previous interview, saying, “Thankfully we offer both [washed and untreated], but 3×1 is unique in that it’s a raw denim fanatic’s dream shop. There is simply no better place in the world to find the best selvedge denim than in our shop in SoHo.”

I was invited to check out the studio and worked with Morrison for over an hour to achieve the perfect fit. Deciding to build a pair from the beginning, I chose a gorgeous red cast, 15.5 ounce denim from Collect (the coveted Japanese mill) as my base, adding a white button, silver rivets and two different hues of orange stitching. For the back pockets I went large and low with tight parallel run-off stitching and a fold-over top that gives a hit of selvedge. Two days later I was back in the shop, where the mostly-finished pair was perfectly arranged to my specifications (web visitors, check out the gallery to see the process and finished product). I was so enamored with the experience and the output that I ordered another pair on the spot, leveraging the fact that my specs are now on permanent file. This second, summery pair is made from a lighter weight, linen-cotton blend from another Japanese mill, Kaihara, and feature a rainbow-colored selvedge on a blue-green cast denim.

Curious about Morrison’s own take on the ubiquitous material, we followed up our visit with a few questions about living the denim life. Read more about 3×1 and get some advice from the guru below:

How many pairs of jeans do you have?

I’ve probably got a dozen or two pair at home here in the city, but my denim collection (if you will) is at my house upstate. There are probably 300-400 pair—much of which are from my own labels—but far too many for anyone who’s not in the denim industry to rightfully own.

Do you remember when your love affair with denim began?

My first pair of jeans were Levi’s, but my love affair with denim started with my first pair of Replay jeans—which happened to be a limited edition pair made from Japanese denim (which were pretty rare at the time in the early-to-mid ’90s).

What’s your recommended denim care?

I rarely wash my jeans, but when I am I typically go one of two routes. If it just needs a little fresh air, then I spray with a little Febreze and hang outside. But if it needs a heavier clean, then I’ll hand wash with Woolite Extra Dark (make sure it’s inside out) and then hang dry.

How will the concept grow and evolve over time?

My hope is that the brand will grow slowly and steadily, as we’ve intended, and over the coming seasons we will slowly offer a few limited edition products to a select group of retailers around the world, and eventually add a second and third store for custom made and bespoke customers.

3×1
15 Mercer Street
New York, NY 10013
+1.212.391.6969