Hasta La Ideas

A sustainable body waxing concept by NYC design firm The Way We See The World

by Jack Shaw

What the Hella?, a set of sustainable hair-removal products by New York design studio The Way We See the World, combines sustainability and aromatherapy in one DIY concept.

The tongue-and-cheek name comes from designer
Hella Jongerius’ experiments using sustainable chicle latex for The Nature Conservancy’s Design for a Living World exhibition. “I really don’t know what to do with this material,” Jongerius explained in a video related to the project. “It was really nice to have an alien in the house. You know, how often to you find a material which is still a secret?”

Their interest piqued, before long the TWWSTW team had their hands on and industrial-sized block of chicle, donated by Glee Gum. After a good deal of experimentation and a few singed fingers they developed an effective and sustainable home-epilation system.

The
award-winning prototype includes a chicle body wax, chicle and copal aromatherapy incense, and a sapodilla fruit-scented soap and oil to moisturize and remove excess wax. Each product is designed with its own porcelain vessel.

Veuve Cliquot paints Milan yellow with an origami bucket, a mobile shop and more

During Milan’s recent Design Week, it was hard not to miss Veuve Clicquot’s presence in the city. Dubbing their project the Yellow Circuit, the revered champagne producers splashed their signature color in showrooms, exhibits and even on a trolley. Strategic partnerships included 20 hotels, lounges and bars around Milan, as well as design spaces like Comprex, Edra, Kartell, MDF Italia and Moroso.

Ubiquitous at all the venues was Clicq’d Up, a foldable champagne bucket designed by young Belgian designer Mathias van de Walle that was also the subject of most of the media buzz. Debuting as part of the design festivities, van de Walle based his innovative object on the idea of creating an origami structure full of ice—a combination of form, function and fun. The reusable bucket packs flat, making it easily transported, set up and stored.

A constant mobile presence as it made its rounds through the city, Clicquot On The Move turned a classic Milanese trolley into a roaming boutique, designed in partnership with ATM, the city’s public transport company. With stops in the center area between Piazza Castello and Piazza Fontana, passengers had the chance to enjoy sights alongside a Veuve Clicquot personal shopper.

Blow your top with chocolates designed to mimic volcanoes

If you’re looking for an unusual chocolate experience look no further than Icelandic product designer Brynhildur Pálsdóttir’s Chocolate Mountains. Brynhildur created the molds and worked with Iceland’s premier chocolatier Hafliði Ragnarsson to develop and produce the complex confections. Each of the four multi-layered mountains is an edible model of a real geological structure, which Pálsdóttir details in adorably informative graphics.

The Jökull chocolate represents Iceland’s glaciers with white chocolate coating a dark chocolate and is filled with caramel “magma” and white coconut chocolate. Another oozing confection, the Eldborg milk chocolate (pictured at top) made with almonds, nut biscuit and caramel, is modeled after a lava ring crater that is “very rare outside of Iceland.”

Drangar dark chocolate (below) is deliciously comprised of macadamia nuts and sugar-roasted coffee beans. Pálsdóttir explains that the stacks form when a cape erodes, and then over time they disappear as well—just like the chocolate once you have a bite.

Filed with pistachio cream, pistachios and Icelandic tonka pepper, the Stapi dark chocolate is covered in white chocolate at the top, symbolizing its distinct volcano form.

A chocolate this great deserves equally impressive packaging. Brynhildur designed these triangular boxes, which are similar in concept to the Microchips— box, another Icelandic product— that unfolds to reveal local information and drawings.

The chocolate mountains currently sell from Mosfellsbakarí shops in Reykjavik and nearby Mosfellsbær. You can also contact Brynhildur directly, brynhildurp [at] simnet.is.

Natural materials in modern forms standout at Iceland’s premier design fair

Iceland’s annual DesignMarch exhibition always impresses with its internationally renowned veterans as well as the next generation of influential designers. Now in its third year, the 2011 showcase introduced a range of furniture and product innovations. Below are a few of our favorites that stand out for their use of locally-sourced, natural materials.

Stáss Ornaments‘ colorful tables (above left) lend a cheerful ambiance to any room, and their flat-pack design allows for eco-friendly shipping.

Young product designer Ragnheiður Ösp hand embroiders wooden stools (above right) by drilling holes into the smooth surface and weaving locally-sourced wool directly through it. The beautiful patterns add texture and create an utterly unique aesthetic.

Ólöf Jakobína’s stackable Lísa candlestick holders (above left) are handmade from Icelandic porcelain. We love the flexibility of a row of candles with a single holder, or a group of candles with varying stacks for a multi-height display.

One of the best examples of form and function we saw was the Wood/Wood/Wood paper towel holder designed by Ingibjörg Hanna Bjarnad and Halla Björk Kristánsdóttir (above right). The aptly named product is made entirely of native wood and comes in multiple color combinations.

Made of 100% Icelandic wool, Kúlan (above left) is a playful solution to acoustic problems. These colorful little orbs improve issues with echos, standing waves and volume isolation by both diffusing and absorbing sound waves.

A sturdy wooden frame combined with a minimalist approach, the Fengr coat rack is a great example of functional elegance. Fanney Long Einarsd&#243ttir’s sculptural design incorporates multiple surfaces to hang your heavy coat and a dish for keys or loose change (above right).

Birgisson Design displays ingenuity with this interesting take on the traditional teacup (above left). The studio breathes new life into the once discarded by using reclaimed teacups found at local flea markets.

Longstanding admirers of his work, we were excited to see Sruli Recht‘s latest innovation—a metal record stand that puts a music collection on display rather than hidden in an unsightly stack.

Epal, Reykjavik’s most prominent design shop, is likely to carry many of these items (hopefully soon!).

Jimmyjane’s third in a collaborative series of high-design pleasure providers

A collaborative series with a magic touch, Pleasure to the People sees industrial designer Yves Behar team up with Jimmyjane founder Ethan Imboden on a collection of waterproof vibrators. Behar—whose designs “seek to put the human experience first”—and Imboden just launched the third and final toy in the group, Form 4, which combines a souped-up motor with a realistic, flexible shape designed for internal stimulation.

Like all the Pleasure to the People vibes, the Form 4 recharges on an included petite base—a feature that requires a little extra dedication over battery-powered vibrators, but that rewards the committed with significantly more powerful stimulation. With five levels of intensity and four vibration patterns, as well as being completely waterproof, the tiny device offers a lot of options for creative play.

While small (just 3.25″ x 2″), its specifically-contoured size can “reach the G-spot” and it’s made from a silicone that has just enough give to adapt to your body. With its highly-engineered materials, emphasis on function (it even lasts seven hours on a single charge) and adorably-shaped forms in contemporary colors, Pleasure to the People range are sex toys firmly for this generation.

Pick up the seductive Form 4 online from Jimmyjane for $145 in either pink or slate.