Hasta La Ideas

Sruli Recht and Ghostly collaborate on a multi-use cable organizer

Reykjavik-based leather designer and CH mainstay Sruli Recht has had a great 2010 and is set to have an even more exciting 2011. Preparing to launch his first menswear collection at Paris Fashion week next January has been his recent focus, but he also somehow found time to repurpose waste materials left over from a collaboration with record label Ghostly earlier this year.

Taking remnants of the ethically-sourced Icelandic horse leather used in their notebook project, Recht cleverly created simple ties that function as either a multi-purpose keychain or cable organizer.

The package of three ties comes in Ghostly battle green and each is heat-branded on the underside. They ship in a limited-edition fold-out box (perfect for gift giving) and sell exclusively through the Ghostly Web Store for $25.

Creativity and culture collide in Camper’s latest collection of collaborative shoes

With their rounded shapes, commitment to comfort and playful sensibility, the Spanish brand Camper has all but defined a look that you’re as likely to see at a Phish concert as in an architecture studio. So it makes perfect sense that when the footwear label decided to collaborate, they tapped both some of fashion’s and industrial design’s more unconventional leaders for a collection called the Together project that just launched a new crop of colorfully ergonomic shoes for Spring/Summer 2011. While some of the independent designers developing truly contemporary products for Camper are returning for this second season—part of the concept is to contribute over a longer term in favor of capsule collections or hyped-up limited editions—there are also a couple new additions.

Working previously with prolific Spanish designer Jaime Hayon, this new collection marks the beginning of a collaboration with British designer extraordinaire Jasper Morrison, who reinterpreted the first shoe Camper ever sold—the Camaleon. Renamed the Country Trainer, Morrison’s take on the essential Mallorcan working man’s shoe combines naturally-colored cotton and linen with suede leather. Camper’s signature Ideal Stitching Construction guarantees strength and flexibility.

A project Together vet, Bernhard Willhelm updated the Transgressor Sneaker from last season with new colorways, including a muted beige lace-less style. Also under his moniker, Together introduces classic pumps—in gray suede or leather—and a geometric sandal featuring bold colors and Warhol-inspired soles.

While not as well known as Willhelm, young fashion designer Romain Kremer is already developing quite a cult following. His bright, ultra-modern looks are visibly reflected in the sandals he has designed for Camper. Choosing not to use leather, he went for several synthetic materials like EVA, elastic and rubber.

Another fashion designer contributing for the second season, Delvaux‘s art director Veronique Branquinho has designed both men’s and women’s styles, all combining bright colors and neutral tones for an exquisite exercise of sophisticated simplicity.

The Camper Together Spring/Summer 2011 collection will sell from Camper stores around the world.

At Dutch Design Week designer Pepe Heykoop presents a collection of leather lampshades made by underprivileged women in Mumbai.

The shades are made of lambskin and can be collapsed for transportation.

Heykoop set up production of the lamps by working with the Tiny Miracles Foundation initiative, creating work for mothers living in the red light district of Mumbai and funding schooling for their daughters.

Dutch Design Week continues until 31 October.

See all our stories about Pepe Heykoop »

Photographs are by Annemarijne Bax.

The information below is from Heykoop:

Pepe Heykoop launches ‘Leather Lampshades’ in collaboration with the poor

Dutch designer Pepe Heykoop has launched the ‘Leather Lampshade’. The lampshade is fabricated of soft lambskin leather, whilst its shape refers to old industrial lamps. Pepe Heykoop has set up his own production line in collaboration with the Tiny Miracles Foundation in India with the ultimate objective to provide jobs to as many underprivileged people in the process as possible.

‘Leather Lampshades’: brighten up your life and the life of poor women

With its shape referring to old metal industrial lamps, Leather Lampshades are made for the domestic environment. The material has changed into a soft lambskin leather. A fine combination of a sometimes little rough inside with smooth contours on the outside. This leather appearance makes the lampshade lightweight and foldable so therefore easy to transport. The lampshades come in two shapes: ‘horizontal’ and ‘vertical’.

Leather Lampshades have been manufactured using only leather of skins that are a byproduct and tanned with as many natural materials as possible. The lampshades are handmade in a production that Pepe has setup himself in Mumbai, India.

Pepe puts high value to an ethical and right production process. In which he engages as many underprivileged people in the process as possible. Key for the assembly of the lampshades are 20 mothers living in pavement dwellings in the red light area of Mumbai. He met them through the Tiny Miracles Foundation, set up by his cousin Laurien Meuter. This foundation brightens up the life of street children. Next to creating work for their mothers, for every lampshade sold, the equivalent of 1 month of school fees is donated to send their daughters to private English school. So with the purchase of the Leather Lampshade you brighten up your life and theirs also. This is what we say to the mothers and their daughters: Go forth and set the world on fire!

Dutch designer Pepe Heykoop

Pepe Heykoop’s work is often about subtle fragility. Using alternative materials and sometimes technical structures to tell his stories.
He graduated at the prestigious Design Academy in Eindhoven in 2008 with amongst others ’A Restless Chairacter’: an archetype rubber bendable chair, looking like a simple old chair whilst having the ability at the joints (1st prize at the imm d3 contest Cologne 2009). Recently he presented ‘Brickseries’: design furniture made of children’s playing blocks (nominated during the imm cologne 2010). ’Brickseries’ will be part of Cappellini’s new collection 2011.

He has been nominated during DMY Berlin 2010. In 2009, Pepe Heykoop has joined Dutch designers collective ‘Dutch Invertuals’, a collaboration of talented graduates of the Design Academy Eindhoven.

Tiny Miracles Foundation

The Tiny Miracles Foundation is an initiative of two Dutch girls Laurien Meuter and Florentine Slingeland. The foundation works mainly around the red light area in Mumbai. Needless to say, this area imposes high risks on young girls living on the street. Next to this, parents mostly see more value in these girls providing income by working than being educated. Tiny Miracles has identified young girls in this area who they support with private English education. At the same time, they provide their unemployed mothers with work, enabling them to substantially increase household income. Part of the profits of the products made by the mothers are donated to the foundation to be allocated towards education. The objective is to create a circle: to provide enough work to the mothers so that the school fees for all their daughters can be indirectly paid by their working mothers through the Tiny Miracles Foundation.

The foundation also provides for a host of other educative sessions including health awareness, HIV prevention, and vocational courses.

See also:

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Design With Conscience by Artecnica	Dolls made by Sri Lankan women	Toys made by tribe in Tanzania

Lightweight leather bags designed for modern hairstylists with style

Designed specifically for hairstylist needs, these leather holsters from Austrian brand Caleas come equipped with padded interior pockets for scissors, razors and combs, and an adjustable band for keeping them all conveniently within reach at your waist.

At less than a pound, the handmade Caleas case allows stylists to tote their tools from salon to photo shoots with ease, efficiency and style. The utility belt also keeps pricey shears completely protected from falling out of a pocket or getting damaged while on the go with specially-designed slots, and side zippers open the bag up for quick cleaning and hair removal.

The hip-huggers come in various styles and colors of leather—including alligator and patent. Both sizes hold two razors, but the large case has room for five pairs of scissors, while just four fit in the smaller pouch. They sell online from €187 to €327.

The handsewn driving gloves from legendary leather purveyor Dunhill make the perfect accessory for a Sunday afternoon drive this spring.

Steeped in history, Dunhill came about over 100 years ago when Alfred Dunhill took over his father’s saddle business in London. The rise of the early automobile led Dunhill to create a line of accessories called Dunhill’s Motorities under the slogan “Everything But The Motor.”

Known for its refined sense of adventure, the luxury brand’s beige driving gloves epitomize that spirit. They sell online from Dunhill for $250.