Vallée Duhamel est le nouveau studio de design et de création cofondé par Julien Vallée et Eve Duhamel. Auteurs de superbes créations, ils ont imaginé cette jolie vidéo promotionnelle pour le lancement de leur studio sur la bande son de Misteur Valaire. A découvrir en vidéo et en images dans la suite de l’article.
by Gavin Lucas With a logo drawn by a tattoo artist and screen-printed directly onto its bottles, new UK beer brand Quaffing Gravy is guaranteed to stand out in the UK’s burgeoning craft beer scene. The…
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Bold patterns based on natural adventures
Aptly named “Nature’s Edge,” the inaugural collection from UK-based label Sara C comprises a range of woven bamboo tops and dresses printed with unique patterns hand-drawn by designer Sara Cohen and produced locally.
Cohen was inspired to leave her demanding job in the advertising world to embrace her passion for print design after attending the Do Lectures. The small-but-mighty annual ideas conference held in West Wales gave her the motivating jolt she needed to embark on a seven-week adventure around England in her family campervan, known fondly as Able Mable. Inspired by the surrounding landscape, Cohen turned the period of reflection into the genesis for her new business and creative venture.
Cohen describes her designs as “graphic natural shapes infused with bright washes of color. The intricate designs harken back to what she saw on her journey, and the world to which she was longing to connect. “Nature tells millions of tiny, perfect stories,” she says, translating those narratives into a vibrant everyday wardrobe that travels as well through the city as the rich flora of Cohen’s far-flung and often remote travels.
The collection’s designs are adapted from photographs and drawings Cohen has amassed along her way, not only in the UK, but also in the more exotic climes of Australia and Mexico. In the creation section on the Sara C site you can find the story and visual evolution behind each design and the natural beauty that inspired it. The line is also available through the designer’s online shop.
Fashion authority Jill Wenger expands into design with a new sister site
What might have been confined as one of Seattle’s best-kept secrets, Totokaelo fortunately grew from a brick-and-mortar shop in the Fremont neighborhood to an online boutique turning out a sharply edited selection of minimalist fashion. Founder and creative director Jill Wenger has honed an impeccable eye for clothing and accessories that balance timeless elegance with a sense of sartorial adventure—the name is Latin for “reach to the edge of the stars”—and since 2003 the beloved site has turned out a mix of alternative high-fashion and up-and-coming designers hand-picked by Wenger. Having become loyal fans in the fashion realm, we were thrilled about the launch of the new sister site, Totokaelo Art—Object, aimed at bringing a similar motif of enduring but cutting-edge style into the home.
Art—Object debuts with collections from a bevy of independently minded designers who bring a strong sense of intelligent perspective to their work, while still aligning themselves with the brand’s overarching aesthetic. Stock includes ceramic bells, bones and jewels from Brooklyn artist Michelle Quan, sculptor Alma Allen‘s turned raw wood stools, minimal wares like Russian stacking dolls and candles from Maison Martin Margiela and polygonal planters by Matthew Cleland of Score & Solder. Wenger identifies her roster of designers as friends, and announced the brand’s new exclusive collaborative furniture line with Joel Kikuchi and Larry Olmstead.
To browse the selection, learn more about the artists and shop—Art—Object shares a shopping cart function with Totokaelo’s fashion site—visit the website.
The new Swedish furniture line bears its own interpretation of Scandinavian design
The Scandinavian obsession with hallmarks of quality, attention to detail and hand-craft is embedded in the psyche of the region’s people. Recent years have seen a return to the core ideals of its design-minded countries—Finland, Denmark and Sweden—as each redevelops its own distinct national identity. For interpretations of its native style, Sweden can now look to Stockholm-based furniture brand Snickeriet, an offshoot of the carpentry workshop of the same name. Much like fellow Swedish company Zweed, the Snickeriet collection aims to bring its designers and craftsman closer together. While the original Snickeriet will continue its existing commission business, the new venture opens up a higher level of craftsmanship to a younger audience with a zesty, provocative visual aesthetic and an unusual stand-alone approach to building a design collection.
“As a designer or woodsman you’re always looking for projects outside your comfort zone,” explains founder Karl-Johan Hjerling. “The workshop is at the center of everything we plan to do with the new enterprise—from concept to production, all kept in the hands of pure craft. We can let each idea develop in a very pure form, seeking solutions as the need arises and solve them in-house.”
Production is handled by artisans Gunnar Dahl and Karolina Stenfelt, who have already been significantly recognized in Sweden for notable pieces for TAF architects, Byredo perfumes and Note Design’s jawdropping Soot. Rounding out the Snickeriet team are Hjerling and his design partner Karin Wallenbeck, who have cropped up recently with work for the likes of Swedish stalwarts Svenskt Tenn and Acne.
In keeping with the one-off approach to its commission work, Snickeriet will create each piece as a single unit, rather than as part of a series or ongoing collection. “Advanced cabinet-making is often associated with ‘older’ furniture and classical aesthetics. We want to preserve this of course but also develop it and apply it to new forms of expression,” says Dahl.
The initial four pieces—Havet, Frank, Verk and Fä (Sea, Frank, Work and Beast)—make expressive statements in this vein, boasting the kind of workmanship that pays homage to the roots of Swedish craft and exemplary skill while infusing each piece with an exciting, adventurous design narrative.
An undulating, tactile piece, Havet’s dark exterior hides a contrasting, clean inlay demonstrating perfectly Snickeriet’s old-meets-new approach. The hacked, waved exterior is as painterly as it is sculptural.
Frank offers a slightly humorous take on the cupboard, certainly not a piece for the fainthearted but one which, like the brand itself, is not afraid to wear a sleeve of hearts. Laser-cut and etched plexiglass with brass detailing straddles a clean oiled maple frame.
Slim and athletic, the suspended Verk desk plays on proportional form. Poised on sharp steel legs the Verk also shows off a contrasting inlay.
Rounding off the initial offering is Fä, the Beast lamp, which perhaps takes its name from the leather used in its construction. The richly lacquered pendant manages to convey simplicity and opulence at once.
Snickeriet launches 10 May 2012 at Nitty Gritty, which will show the pieces through the end of the month.
Jawbone introduces a big brother to their family of intelligent speakers
Just released as a follow-up to the diminuitive Jambox speaker, Jawbone presents Big Jambox, a scaled-up version of the wireless speaker setup. In part a nod to the boombox speakers that gained popularity in the ’70s, the device delivers full sound in a portable package. The speaker pairs automatically with any bluetooth-enabled device, pumping out beats without the need for any additional cordage.
The design language of Big Jambox is drawn from the original version by Yves Behar, marked by a solid perforated steel grill around the body and high grade rubber on the ends and feet. A few simple controls allow you to pause, skip and adjust volume, though most commands come externally. A clutch feature for any mobile device, a single charge of the lithium-ion battery provides a staggering 15 hours of continuous playback.
While music may be the most apparent use for Big Jambox, the speaker also includes an echo-canceling microphone that can be utilized as a speakerphone through mobile phone calls as well as video conferencing clients like Skype, FaceTime and GoogleTalk. Jawbone is able to connect to two devices at once, and will remember the profiles of up to eight different devices.
Big Jambox is being offered in “Red Dot”, “White Wave” and “Graphite Hex”—each colorway featuring a different embossed pattern. The speaker’s “Live Audio” feature takes advantage of binaural audio to create a 3D listening experience. The heft and solidity of Jambox reduces rattle and vibrations even when blasting at full volume, and a set of precision-tuned drivers and opposing dual passive bass radiators help to deliver fuller sound.
Big Jambox is available for $299 from the Jawbone online store.
Images by James Thorne
Desert boots get the high-tech soles in a new LunarGrand collection
As a follow up to the LunarGrand Wingtip, Cole Haan is launching a line of LunarGrand Chukkas at their SoHo store in NYC this week. The shoes sport a nubuck upper that is paired with Nike‘s Lunarlon sole for a combination of classic style and modern functionality. The ribbed soles are incredibly lightweight, deceptively comfortable and use micro-diamond tread for grip that is a cut above leather soles.
While the wingtips come in suede and leather options, the chukkas are outfitted with a soft nubuck leather. Some nice details set the shoes apart, including the rawhide laces that are fitted with metal tips that must be unscrewed to change out laces. Developed for WWII British soldiers in North Africa and made iconic by the likes of Steve McQueen, the chukka has a rare personality that can transition from dress to casual.
Another curious detail is the welted sole—a construction element practically unheard of in the sneaker world. Cole Haan’s elegant logo is printed on the footbed and can be found on the metal lace tips as well. Three eyelets—as opposed to the traditional two—have been given to the chukkas.
Available in both men’s and women’s styles, the shoes come in eight total colorways. The women’s is equipped with a slightly higher ankle and curvier profile, though the two are otherwise comparable. Simplicity certainly dominates the look, although a small amount of broguing on the tongue reveals contrast leather beneath.
The LunarGrand Chukka sells for $298 at Cole Haan Soho beginning Thursday, 3 May 2012. While currently unavailable online, we expect them to follow in the path of the wingtip predecessors and make it to the LunarGrand section of Cole Haan’s online shop.
Cole Haan Soho
128 Prince Street
New York, NY 10012
Cardboard cameras document a retrospective line from IKEA
During Salone del Mobile, Ikea took the opportunity to unveil the new PS 2012 collection in the emerging space from Ventura Lambrate. All the designers involved in the project were asked to go through the history of the company, reinventing old pieces and styles. The result is a colorful and clever series of objects, carpets, furniture and textiles.
Some of the products focus on sustainability, like a bowl designed by Marcus Arvonen which comes in either PET recycled plastic or WPC, a special combination of plastic and wood fiber.
Jon Karlsson took inspiration from teak tables of the ’50s, upgrading them with more resilient, faster-growing bamboo.
Green design for the home is another key touchstone in this collection. The vertical pedestal designed by Nicolas Cortolezzis can hold up to three vases, and Henrik Preutz has thought up a series of small tables, whose common thread is a bamboo structure with surfaces for plants.
The real surprise with the exhibition was Knäppa, a cardboard digital camera designed by Jesper Kouthoofd for the launch of PS 2012.
Of course we seized the chance to use the camera, following the instructions uploaded onto the camera itself, along with a sample photo. Taking pictures is very simple, although the sensor needs full light and a firm hand to take acceptable photographs.
Instead of a viewfinder the camera features just a simple square hole. It’s a surprising throwback experience, recalling the very first digital cameras—eight seconds are necessary for each image to be fully captured. While the quality of the images is slightly blurry and shady, it reveals a Hipstamatic-like aesthetic.
Starting in May, customers will be asked to take pictures of their Ikea PS pieces and share them on a dedicated website. So far, the company has uploaded pictures of six Swedish homes, but in the future it will be possible to see private environments from all over the world, shot with the Knäppa, with browsing available by product, country, most liked and recently uploaded pictures.
Iconic British menswear label opens its first London flagship
Two hundred and fifty-seven years after launching, British menswear brand Wolsey opened the doors last night to their first flagship store in London. Located on Brewer Street in the heart of Soho, the store’s aesthetics mirrors the brand’s ethos: contemporary styling of iconic classics. Brushed steel beams, exposed brick walls, aged wooden tables and original draper’s cabinets combine to create the perfect backdrop for the range of quality menswear.
Drawing inspiration from Wolsey’s original Leicester factory (now the location of its brand operations), the store also features a wealth of salvaged, prismatic pendants, 1940s industrial light fixtures and Persian rugs. Down a small flight of stairs and located just outside the exposed brick changing rooms are two vintage leather armchairs separated by a reclaimed-wood table housing men’s fashion titles. Adorning the walls of both floors are framed prints of original Wolsey adverts, old and new campaigns, inscribed wooden boards telling its history and images of some of the explorers and pioneers who helped build its identity.
“We’re very proud of the heritage the brand has,” says Brand Director Stephen Reed. “While we are steering the brand in a new direction with the design of the latest collections, we’re making sure we keep the classic heritage and attention to detail
that has fueled Wolsey’s longevity.”
Attention to detail is key to the success Wolsey has achieved, and it’s a thread sewn throughout the latest collection. Classic woolen jumpers and cotton gilets are injected with modernity through wider necklines and narrower silhouettes. Double-breasted navy blazers—complete with nautical gold buttons at the cuff—and plaid cotton shirts transform a traditional tailored look into today’s casually refined aesthetic. Leather accessories have been designed with today’s technological devices in mind, and the classic urban hoodie has been tweaked with chunky herringbone draw cords, 320gm heavy cotton and ribbed cuffs.
“Our designs are modern and fresh while also being classic and iconic. It’s the choice of material or the details in a button that gives each piece its individuality,” says Reed. “The Wolsey guy is cool and subtly stylish. He takes the classic staples we create and puts his own twist on them.”
Wolsey
83a Brewer Street
London, W1F 9ZN
Retour sur le lancement et l’impressionnant événement à l’occasion de la sortie de la nouvelle paire de Nike Jordan Melo M8. Un procédé produit par W+K en face d’une foule de 2 500 personnes à New-York, avec une projection sur l’eau et ses différentes explosions.
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