hipmodern

christmas shopping

2005-12-15T05:30:00.000-08:00

Phillips de Pury & Company is proud to announce the next Saturday@Phillips Sale on Saturday December 17, 2005 at 11am. The Auction will be comprised of Contemporary Art, 20-21st Century Design Art and Photographs. I'm surely going there to watch and feel the air...............

clubbing miami

2005-12-10T20:59:00.000-08:00

time to party, coming from an old school partying generation I decided not to miss tonight's venue at Space Club Miami, Ferry Corsten, I will write the review tomorrow............................

cult design for glamorous interiors

2005-12-09T10:19:00.000-08:00

B&B Italia launched it's second home catalogue, I should say they are really following the new trends with their new marketing strategy: perfect scenes, combinations, images and sections Especially "home gallery", cult design for glamorous interiors part is fascinating.

By the way new athos table design additions are also very eye catchy, functional bench and console are added to the collection with a new cognac finish wood version

download the pdf go to B&B

art basel miami beach containers

2005-12-07T19:28:00.000-08:00

these days my biggest concern is to find a decent prefabric construction unit both for office ans sales office spaces, therefore at the art basel miami beach the trailers converted to art galleries were more then interesting for me, but especially one, mytogallery was excellent, there I found where I could spend at least two months salary...the name of the artists is Ariel Orozco, and the piece that I fell in love is "double consumption" which consists of 120 black and white photographs showing an eraser as a model and at the same time erasing the model creating the next process, brilliant, perfect graphical effect, I just loved it. Please check the website for this young gallery full of shiny artists and pieces.

long time no see

2005-12-07T19:21:00.000-08:00

I'm so sorry, I know that the main rule of a blog is to update it everyday, but imagine yourself moving from a very big city to an island ( by the way I really don't want to give the name because the local people are already too far being friendly, so if I give the name I might not be able to go there again!!!) where internet and phone are a serious luxury, with an only one bookstore and only fedex as speed courier service, anyway now back to Miami for couple of weeks I will try to catch up if I can.......

all about London

2005-10-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I cannot get immediately all the magazines on the island, I know this is nearly the end of october but I just had a chance to read icon's latest issue which is all about London. Actually I'm not a fan of London, I like to go there, enjoy partying but wouldn't prefer to live there. But in icon you can read all british based architects and designers feelings about London like how they started, who was working with who, difficulties, art scene and many other interesting information. Zaha Hadid, Koolhaas, and many other celebrities..........

So here is an interesting conversation:
one day Ron Arad and Citterio were together and looking to the famous Vitra's chair poster.
Citterio said to Arad

-I worked nearly all my lifetime with Vitra and don't have one chair on the poster and you have 6!!!!

enjoy

natural

2005-10-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

Wooden sculptures, furnitures, toys....whatever....these objects are very fashionable and there is a severe competition between companies designing solid wood objects. They call it in the US " solid contemporary furniture", I think they are not like typical furnitures but more like primitive african art, or similar to Nakashima designs, back to basics!!!
here some addresses if you really want to buy one of these objects to create a Donna Karan residence look in your apartment

cappellini mondo collection could be the first option, not much but still they have a couple of solid wood products, very expensive FYI

If you are looking for really small accessories like vases, stools, or wooden plates I suggest extreme origin, Carine Tontini's designs are really cool, she prefer to use exotic fruit wood as material
Then there is Jerome Abel Seguin, you can find his designs in Ralph Pucci stores in the US. He has poetical products: furniture, sculptures, lighting....refined, sleek forms

Hudson furniture Inc has very cool products in the list, especially I would rather go for the tables

rain in new york

2005-10-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

I want, I don't need but I definitely have to have it...this is a typical women histeria about unneeded shopping items, you just try to create reasons to go buy while you have many other items more important in your list. There is a crazy rain in New York since two days, well, I have decided to visit the trench coat master, burberry...it was there, looking at me, shiny, black, with beautiful plisses, baam, I was in love. I also visited Barney's to check Margielas but they really couldn't compete with burberry's night gown looking cool trench.
As seen on the image.................

I am happy You are happy He/She is happy!!!

2005-10-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

finally I found my sofa, close as design to PK31/3 but 5 time cheaper...actually the original image(as seen below) in flexform catalogue doesn't look good. But master of interiors, Italian Elle Decor magazine made such a scene we were in love immediately with Citterio's 2005 design "happy sofa". Luggage brown cuoio leather, two seater without side cushions, just perfect, terrific. So if you buy it you'll see the sofa. It's kind a wired, normally he likes to give people's name to his designs like george, charles, harry, arne etc.. why happy?

modern ceiling fan by boffi

2005-10-12T13:09:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned I'm moving to an island, so what is the biggest accessory in an island residence, yeah, a ridiculous fan. So far that is the best design that I would really enjoy watching turning on my head.......
boffi who celebrated its 20th anniversary couple of weeks ago is a well known design kitchen and bathroom company, if u ask me I would say the best. If you want to get the sleekest ceiling fan.............

I was there!

2005-10-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

I love New York : )

to read more : hintmag

architect of books

2005-10-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

a new book about Le Corbusier

Personally I adore him...and this is not about really his work.
This is an essay which helps to explore him.
As mentioned in Wallpaper, you can make a parallelism between Rem Koolhaas and him (book before work)
He planned to publish over 40 books but couldn't...I would rather name this book: BUILDING A BOOK
amazon

dream mascara

2005-10-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

I m a real picky person about cosmetics, as I mentioned in my earlier posts I have to choose the right product always, I'm not attached to a brand but search the right one within all of them...... Kanebo did the dream mascara, you have to really try it, this is not something like mascara at all. First of all it's waterproof but serious, you can sleep with it, no harm : the only way to get rid of it is to go under 38º hot water...then you just remove it....fantastic....simple and easy to use the brush. No hyper curly bla bla bla bull shit....
I mean it, there is no such product in the market....enjoy.....

serene and the case

2005-10-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

voila, on the 6th of october finally bang and olufsen _ samsung cooperation launched their very first mobile that we were waiting since two years. Thanks to Moco Loco we saw it. The gadget looks quite cool but of course without using it I cannot understand if it's really good as it looks.
But I m not concerned here about the phone, more for the case. If you remember their sleek but failed mp3 player, I'm afraid the end of the phone would be the same, why? So far they needed that Vuitton case even more expensive then mp3 player to be able to sell the product...This new case is cool, I love that leather but you have to hide it inside, and of course if you travel a lot you have to carry one more bag which is unnecessary really, good luck Bang&Olufsen...

moss nyc

2005-10-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

I m in NY for couple of days, so wanted to recover what's going on around since my last visit. I think a store like Moss would surely failed if it wasn't located in NY: very arrogant, good looking but ignorant sales persons who are far from being nice instead making you feel guilty that you are visiting that store; very boring collection with typical postmodernist alessi teapots or georg jensen flatware or stelton cylinda line; nothing special or new; nonsense expensive I mean 20% more then everywhere; an ugly shelving system but exclusively designed for them on the wall; some Zanotta furniture around; etc etc etc etc..........So please tell me, what is this? Art, furniture&design store? I rather go to Moma to watch those things in glass boxes, FYI

go vintage

2005-10-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

Human being is always hungry, never satisfied with what he has, always asks for more, we are all consumers, like to consume in every way...I m bored with everything new, I cannot stand bauhaus classics or italian designs or any space age looking wired stuff anymore. So I decided to create new obsessions: vintage design
in my list I have two items to start with, one is Peacock from Hans Wegner, and the other of course PK31/3 in black leather. No chance right now to buy non of these, so I will grow an ambition and work hard to get them, next, who knows?

island style part 2

2005-09-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

The most difficult thing in the world is to choose furniture for your own house....and if you really know the business it is even worst!! I keep changing my mind every day, I guess I will sit on the floor next couple of months. I saw that armchair 3 years ago I knew Bjorn Dahlström through his sleek casserole designs for Hackman
This beauty as seen above is from cbi design Sweden. I assume it is a sister company of David Design. You also have natural wood option but black is black. Next I will try to get a matching sofa.................................

paris design guide

2005-09-29T01:53:00.000-07:00

I m really surprized to see that still many people doesn't know about it: Intramuros Paris Design Guide vital source for design lovers. where to go, where to shop, where to sleep, where to eat......a long list with stylish cutting edge places. especially for those who thinks that paris is nothing but a Louis Vuitton bag could be a refreshing experience. Intramuros is one of my favorite design magazines, bilingual, too much information.

an islander dream

2005-09-25T18:09:00.000-07:00

I wish I could live in a house like that but of course we don't know yet if it is suitable for a hurricane area since the project is still experimental!!!
You have to really see those caribbean island style architecture provincial mixed with colonial.
The native people should hate white men for such taste....
The project came out two weeks ago in Abitare Il Tempo, design fair in Verona, Italy.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, there were quite good attractions, of course not comparable to Salone
check below website or mocoloco to be updated
Benedini House
is designed by Giampaolo Benedini con Bibi Benedini, Camilla Benedini, Francesca Copelli, Ermanno Fusaro, Emanuele Gandellini, Marco Grigoletti, Luciano Mazza, Roberto Motta,
Graphic project: AAPA Architects Associated with 99IC

island style

2005-09-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

I couldn't take care of my blog recently cause I'm moving....this is gonna be a wired experience for a person who used to live in chaotic cities...an island life, humide and tropical...seems like a nightmare...anyway...duty calls...

I decided so far not to send my beloved furniture and look forward to get new ones...can be motivating...here is basket sofa from bouroullec bros for cappellini, very perriand style,retro looking and light...I saw it in domus september edition and fell in love immediately, white metal frame and comfy cushions, of course I can choose another fabric color
www.domusweb.it
www.cappellini.it

the wizard of ozz syndrome: red shoes

2005-08-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

there are too many blogs but few originals...I believe daddytypes.com is one of them..the idea is funny, there is a reason, the whole blog reflects a philosophy. I don't have a children but even for me the site is very interesting because the family concept that we are used to has changed. what we had before was a part of a stupid system. you'll get married, you have a children, a dog, prototype life.
now parents are more conscious and they really enjoy raising a children.
at least some people got the serious idea of having a children, how to manage all responsibilities, to share and respect. this is about real modernism, images are not discussed, only value matters.
kids, especially girls are very concerned about their looks. I really don't want to generalize but mostly by their nature they are addicted to coquette stuff. when I saw the post about red shoe obsession in daddytypes I realized that I still have the red shoe obsession. you can call it wizard of oz psychos but I know what I mean.
2005 spring season costume national redshoes, when I saw them after christmas I was paralyzed... or from 2006 winter collection christian dior red shoes. and I really don't like galliano's designs..pierre hardy style red shoes...I even remember, it was maybe the second season of marc jacobs designing for louis vuitton, I spent all my salary to buy red ballerinas with volants...I don't like to wear too fancy or sexy clothes nor shoes, I just have this specific karma with red shoes. as daddytype says I am a magnet for cool red shoes..

canopy beds and childhood romance.......

2005-08-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

when I was a little girl I saw it for the first time in my mom's best friend's summer residence: it was a super king, victorian style, covered with ugly flower printed textiles canopy bed. I was thrilled and started to dream of having a similar bed for my old ages.
of course it never happened!!! because when you are a children you don't have all kind of psychological
problems that adults have like panic attack, anxiety, claustrophobia etc etc... unless I have a min 50 sqm bedroom I can sleep peacefully in a canopy bed.
but if you want to get one, I suggest you these sleek canopy beds, they are very minimal contrary to my monster looking childhood dreams bed.

francis bed from cappellini designed by wolfgang tolk www.cappellini.it or www.studio-tolk.de

from AC collection designed by antonio citterio
(very humble man!!)
this bed is a typical maxalto product.
www.maxalto.it

the alubed from mdf italia is an another option. but a very similar and of course cheaper version can be found at ikea.
www.mdfitalia.it
www.ikea.com

kate moss rudi gernreich and the it swimsuit

2005-08-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

swimwear is a serious subject: who would like to be identical with pucci or missoni style printed bikinis around st tropez? of course it depends on your point of view, I mean if you want to have a stylish beach look you need a complete collection including all kind of accessories.
but sometimes even on the beach less is more is a sexy and good idea. when I saw kate moss's monokini swimsuit from pirelli2006 calendar I found out that the piece is designed by "rudi gernreich."

Along with British designer Mary Quant, Rudi Gernreich was one of the true avatars of 1960s fashion, responsible for thrusting haute couture into the mainstream of popular culture. His most famous--or infamous--contributions were the topless bathing suit (for women) and the no-bra bra.
Riding the crest of mod, psychedelic, and sex-centered fashion, Gernreich pioneered the use of cut-outs, plastics, and unisex styles. The contemporary image of 1960s fashion as symbolized by willowy models wearing brightly colored, vibrantly patterned, and revealing clothing owes much to Gernreich's contributions.

A very political artisan, Gernreich made gorgeous, wearable clothing that not only pointed to the future... they nodded to the past. In a textile that had not been used for bathing suits since the 1920s .

I believe thanks to pirelli 206 calendar next summer rudi gernreich's designs are going to be the most fashionable swimwear around.

hip books: taste pace style values love by gerd bulthaup

2005-08-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

amazing....noncommercial......easy to understand......a book classic........could be a good gift.........

from the book: did you knew about rem koolhaas european union new flag proposal, barcode?

hip vibrator by tom dixon, marc newson and marie oda

2005-08-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

I confess that I watched every single episode of famous sex and the city series and I enjoyed it till sarah Jessica parker started to act as a moron in the last season...it's wired that they never mentioned about these designer's vibrating toys. I discovered them 4 years ago but never attempted to buy one.
exclusively sold on www.myla.com these vibrators are cool. you don't even have to hide them from your cleaning ladies.

"bone" designed by tom dixon has a very interesting shape, like a sculpture unfortunately it is too expensive... "pebble" is an interesting design by marie oda.

"mojo" designed by marc newson is the cheapest one. but if any of you every tried one of these toys please please send me a comment........

joachim jirou- najou: profile and works

2005-08-09T05:15:00.000-07:00

galerie "gilles peyroulet cie" in marais region, paris invested at the beginning of this year on a very young (and he is very cute also) designer:
joachim jirou-najou born in 1980, graduated from ENSAD (ecole nationale superieure desarts decoratifs)has been very lucky to be able to work with "pierre charpin" as his assistant fallowing days.
(Pierre Charpin creates beautifully bold Memphis-style sculptures. His collection for Design Gallery Milano, is called Oggetti Lenti, or Slow Objects )

joachim's school thesis, was exhibited in GPC coinciding with the furniture fair. the name of his collection is "portee"and its elements: including a bench(blue), a consol(red), shelves(yellow and grey) and four storage units, and a chair(black).

maded from folded steel the 10 monumental objects come in string olors and are wall mounted.

"the floor space is then freed up and the wall becomes part of the work opening up endless possibilities" explains young designer in his context accompanying his thesis for the ensad in 2004.

galeriepeyroulet@aol.com

www.intramuros.fr

www.wallpaper.com

why to cover your i pod?

2005-08-09T03:29:00.000-07:00

I saw last year i pod cases exclusively designed by comme des garcons at colette......
then today as you see above there are much more options to cover up your uber designed gadget!!
city magazine has chosen a bunch of idiot i pod case designs: i pod is a very well designed product and some people are buying i pod just to satisfy their design hunger. if you'll cover it with a case then why i pod? there are cheaper versions!! this is like using condoms with your beloved partner!!!
geek louis vuitton case is the worst!!! if you really want to buy something related with louis vuitton then get beosound, at least you wouldn' worry to hide your gadget!!!

you can complain about scratches and other possible damages but my resolution is:

-either you are a heavy i pod user, so whenever apple release a new product you will change yours with the newest version...
-or i pod is a just an accessory for u, so you don't use it that often to damage

hip toys by visionaire, issue 45

2005-08-09T01:29:00.000-07:00

With the success of Issue #44: Toys, Visionaire releases Issue #45:More Toys, featuring a whole new roster of international fashion designers. Never bound to any traditional format, the issue is a collaboration with toy masters Kidrobot and features illustrations by fashion designers silk-screened onto Toys.
10 original Visionaire toys customized into 10 characters by 10 fashion designers.

The issue is released as two sets of five toys; each set contains photos of all ten characters in an accordian-fold catalog along with a set of accessories including a toy cell phone, martini, flower, and camera that the characters can hold.

set includes toys by gucci, vivienne westwood, rei kawakubo for comme des garcons, christian lacroix for pucci, and maison martin margiela. the blue set includes toys by john galliano, helmut lang, jean paul gaultier, stefano pilati for yves saint laurent and giorgio armani.

www.visionaireworld.com

hip food: brasserie national antwerp

2005-08-08T21:31:00.000-07:00

it's time for winter shopping, if you go to antwerp I suggest you to stop by at "brasserie national" designed and furnished by "vincent van duysen" architects. if you want to buy the chairs call b&b italia...
delicious foie gras frais with apricot sauce can kill you, one of the best around the world.

yedidia blonder and his lines....

2005-08-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

wallpaper* discovered him last year, others thanks to the cologne 2005 design exhibition. I think that recenty he started the production of his bookshelf units. they are minimal, black, monumental, but of course you have to display in your best looking design books, or u will ruin the whole idea!!! yedidia.blonder@fitfrance.com

a new office system by vitra: level 34

2005-08-08T16:21:00.000-07:00

maybe you are thinking that I'm promoting vitra a lot in my blog but this is not the case: the owner of vitra, rolf fehlbaum is our century's design guru. ask everyone, if you are a good designer you have to work with him. I will tell you in another post why....

level 34 was designed by werner aisslinger and it is in production now. system has a minimal number of parts, so you wouldn't freaked out while designing one. the base stands 34cm high therefore the name is level 34. to read more check www.vitra.com

barcelona chair

2005-08-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

I will never forget, when I started to work as a sales person many years ago in a well known design furniture showroom I had a very rich customer who was hanging out (please no offense) with a beautiful russian model. she wanted to buy a barcelona chair. and as usual I started to tell about the story: mies van der rohe designed it especially for the king and queen of spain, bla bla bla.... my customer was very excited, he said to his girlfriend:

-you are my queen and I'm the king, we are definitely buying this chair!!!!

anyway, among its reputation barcelona is a very beautiful chair but not comfortable!!!
if you are planning to sit on it don't buy. best use areas are receptions, if you insist you can put it somewhere in your apartment as a sculpture.

knoll is the official manufacturer for barcelona chair. please, please do not buy the knock offs. knoll has a leather company division, spinnyback, there you'll find the suitable material regarding your budget: for example knoll has some in stock spinneyback leather grades, black, white, burgundy etc. then you can buy your chair 10% less...

I suggest to use special suede colors on it, looks gorgeous and no knock offs...

green fields................

2005-08-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

I'm not a really color person....but I'm obsessed with various green shades...this summer's burberry sunglasses have major color shades, plastic, big and funky...I tried it but I guess I'm not the type for colorful stuff...if you like it buy it...................

applause for aquascutum

2005-08-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

no comment.......no comment.........no comment............no comment...........no comment............no comment

top ten cosmetics

2005-08-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

I'm a little obsessed with my appearence. I prefer a natural look and not really into makeover. below listed products are my favorites, all approved, if u ask why send a comment I will reply..

cleansing: shu uemura essential cleansing oil

skin refiner: idealist by estee lauder

make up base: clinique pore minimizer

eye: la prairie eye serum with caviar extract

cheek blush: origins pinch your cheeks
moisturizer: shu uemura dep sea enriched gel cream
body scrub: clarins relax body exfoliant
lips: helena rubinstein lip sculptor
hands: l'occitane shea butter mini hand cream

hair: kerastase products all of them!!!!

cool outdoors 3 special products

2005-08-08T05:06:00.000-07:00

coro italia is also an eye-catching outdoor furniture company. they have sophisticated designs with light weighted materials.
loop chair designed by british designer gala wright is a stunning lounge chair, stainless steel frame with plasticized fabric mesh in white or black.

director's cut!!! their recent design, fellini chair has also various finishings among mesh: leather, pony skin etc. with steel frame. www.coroitalia.com

tim derhaag's outdoor 45 lamp collection from www.flos.com with wood finish option is quite original with its industrial warm effect.

striped collection by www.magisdesign.com a "bouroullec brothers" interpration for cool outdoors.

chair rocking

2005-08-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

jean marie massaud is a well known french designer active not only in luxurious market but also in mass production. I knew him through his designs for italian company cappellini, www.cappellini.it.

for massaud 2005 has been a good year in terms of productivity, he made several designs for B&B Italia, porro, cassina and poltrona frau.

poltrona frau has been bought recently by one of the biggest italian group, ferrari, who also included in its collection thonet, cappellini and cassina, similar to fashion business mergers.
www.cassina.it www.poltronafrau.it www.bebitalia.it www.thonet.com

"don'do" rocking chair by massaud for poltrona frau is candidate to be our century's new classic design. aged walnut finish with special leather upholstery, adjustable headrest cushion....

comments on philip starck's latest "chez d'oeuvre" for flos

2005-08-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

I wanted to mention about this article because I love designers gossiping for their colleagues. you should know that the biggest event for the industry is salone del mobile in milan. so even if you don't buy regularly below listed magazines I suggest you to grab april editions and all related ads.
interni, italian elle decor, domus, casa da abitare.

everybody knows about him, he is a star as I told in my first post, design freak. personally I don't like his designs, but I admit without him design world would be a little boring.

his latest lamp series, guns for www.flos.it have shaken design news one more time. but at the cover page of domus magazine, there is especially one comment which made me really leaf.

Vito Acconci newyork based artist gave him some list of advises, and asked him to repeat...here is a short list, to read more check the link...

I can play with design but I will never take a vacation from design (Repeat: I will neverÂ);
I will never resort to doing art about design (Repeat: I will neverÂ);
I will never fall back on a stock response (Repeat: I will neverÂ);
I will never grow up but I will never remain a spoiled child (Repeat: I will neverÂ);
I can try to do everything but I will never think that I can just do anything (Repeat: I will neverÂ);
I will never treat my users as my audience (Repeat: I will neverÂ).....................

prada is black helmut lang please come back!!!!!

2005-08-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

prada 2000 top left last minimalist season

prada 2004, no comment!!

prada 2005 top right what happened?

black is back uttered vogue!!!!

ooops, there is a little mistake, black was never gone away so how it can be back again? if you want to be respected in this world you have to stick to your principles.

now above there are 3 images, please pay carefully attention for 2 minutes....

can u imagine john galliano designing for christian dior a collection similar to comme des garcons's? without j'adore dior marks or any marks? that would be the apocalypse for dior fans.

when miuccia declared that minimalism is dead, we didn't switch our wardrobe style from minimal to clowny. thanks to our generation designers like margiela, ghesquiere, victor&rolf, preen, costume national, demeulemeester, kawakubo and many others who did not agree with madame prada's opinion we continued to shop for the same style.

modernism in fashion doesn't mean image: function and innovation matters. we shouldn't dress ourselves without personal identity just to have a fashionable look decided for that season by the biggest fashion authorities like vogue or similar commercial stuff. red is the season's color so let's all look like tomatoes. or go to mango and zara to become copycats.

An entire culture of prestige denim was born from Lang's low-rise jeans with intricate washes, for which he dared to charge close to $200 in the 1990's http:www.centredaily.com/mld/charlotte/living/11875829.htm?source=rss&channel=charlotte_living

low rise, slim fit helmut lang jeans are unfortunately unique, also his classic white shirts. he use to launch every season the same classic pieces among the avantguard ones to make our life easier. if something looks good on you, you look forward to find the same product again. I know people who could spend more then 200$ today just to find the right shaped pair of jeans. every piece he created has a meaning, they are all piece of arts.

I don't want to give a long disclosure here about fashion cartels like eric wilson did on his article because this is not the same case. yes, the idea to unite with prada was a mistake. he shouldn't sell his soul to the devil. I wonder what will happen to raf simmons with jil sander!!!!

if you read the article written from last summer's "self service" www.selfservicemagazine.com you can understand helmut lang. since then I knew that he was dying to get rid of prada and people with prada minded.

....but not to what some retailers now acknowledge, that Lang's dedication to minimalism was absolute even as consumer tastes evolved.(eric wilson's article)

no no no!!!! contemporary not minimalist!!!!!

minimalist prada as seen on the right, contemporary, helmut lang below

Look at Dolce & Gabbana, Cavalli, Dior and Chloe," said Carla Sozzani, the owner of 10 Corso Como, an influential store in Milan, where Prada is based. "That has nothing to do with Helmut Lang. The whole concept of minimalism was very good in the early '90s, but then for the past several years, people were not interested in that look." (eric wilson's article)

what do you expect? helmut lang designing leopard patterns ornamented with swarowski crystals? corso como is a multibrand store and has to address everybody including cavalli and gabbana lovers like colette in paris. on the other hand "louise" in antwerp has a design philosophy and would never ever add in its collection "les grandes marques".

there are lots of thoughts on this subject but you know "less is more". I hope helmut lang has future plans, he is a designer, an artist, he has to create in order to live.

cool outdoors 2

2005-08-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

another groovy brand for cool outdoors is extremis from belgium. they have very good designs, innovative materials and of course timeless designs like "picnic" or "gargantua".
ex-tempore collection is the best wood-steel combination product in the market at the moment. ecologically well designed, the wood used in the collection is not teak but jatoba. barbecue linked to the table is genius.

a tip: you can use eames plastic chairs with outdoor safe varnished frame around ex-tempore dining table, it is cheaper and and looks perfect.

icecub is a party decoration element to keep your drinks cool all night long. I would ask to denny venlet, its designer, why he did it!!

design classics in the garden: bertoia diamond and side chair collection from www.knoll.com

if you choose a powder coated version and vinyl seat pad, with extra care you can use these products for your outdoors, they are not really confortable unless you have fully covered versions. (not in production for outdoor use)

rattan, abaca, bamboo and more.....

gervasoni, pierantonio bonacina and vittorio bonacina. if you are looking for a product made with above mentioned materials you should check these 3 companies.

www.bonacinavittorio.it

www.bonacinapierantonio.it

www.gervasoni1882.com

super elastica by marco zanuso jr& giuseppe raboni launched this year in salone del mobile milan from vittorio bonacina is my favorite among them

cool outdoors 1

2005-08-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

same problem every summer.
what to buy for patios, pool sides, gardens? what is suitable for heavy winters? what can I use in my summer residence's livingroom?
even though outdoor furniture league seems crowded I can list in here only a few really good, tested and approved products:

the classic of all classics, a timeless design
by richard schultz: ligh weight materials, good design, 1966 collection is my favorite.
unfortunately there is a limitation design wise!!!! chaiselounge, low tables and lounge chairs are ok. when it comes to dining tables we have a problem with the sizes. also the chairs are too wide.

useful info: for usa www.richardschultz.com for europe www.bebitalia.it .

on the other hand, paola lenti is a refreshing breath in furniture business: avantguard lady who started to run her company with felt material carpets and sofas added recently very nice outdoor stuff to the collection. materials and colors are not boring, chic, timeless and original. www.paolalenti.it

top, wave chaise lounge

left, sad armchair

right, hilo folding chair

balenciaga? forget about the bags, it's time for jeans

2005-08-05T17:54:00.000-07:00

I believe after all that trashy jeans brands (like seven, humanity, rogan, habituel or all u can find in a typical american department store's better sportswear section) only "dior homme" by hedi slimane's jean designs were interesting and to die for.

have you seen the new numbered jean series of balenciaga?

cigarette shaped dark denim beauties complemented with fine knitwears embroidered with a cute "b" sign on.
the shop assistant in newyork was so proud of this collection, you could even doubt that he might created it!!! my favorite is francisco in balenciaga paris on avenue georges V, he is really cute and kind.

why they have to do it? I mean this collection is a mean trap for fashion victims who would probably say "I have to have it"!!!

ask yourself.........................

www.balenciaga.com

lieu commun by matali crasset, laurent garnier and ron orb

2005-08-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

paris is a stunning city...unfortunately american people assume that paris is consisted of "hermes bag" and "christian dior" (if you watch the movie "le divorce" you would understand what I mean, terrible)
I wonder how ignorant these people can be, unbelievable!!!

anyway, paris is a real design city, you could never find so many specialty design stores in no place around the world including newyork.
I learned today that again in marais region a very interesting shopping spot is opened by famous dj laurent garnier (5years ago I partied with him in istanbul, oh la la!!!), famous designer matali crasset (I love her hair style, very french!!!) and fashion stylist ron orb. I guess these trio were already experienced by working together in "hi hotel" project, nice. www.hi-hotel.net

name of the store is " lieu commun", means common place...they found a common place to display their creations, it makes sense.

a very good combination: music, fashion and design

cool stuff for hip babies

2005-08-04T00:47:00.000-07:00

baby bed by horm

lately designers and manufacturers discovered a niche market in the business: modern design for kids. many of them restarted the production of old stuff designed for children like eames collection by vitra.
on the other side belgium designers have created very cute and upscale fashion brands for trendy kids.
these products are very functional both for parents and kids: beds, chairs, fine textiles all combining extra
fine quality, durability and of course design.
above baby bed by horm, italian furniture company specialized in wood work.
stokke, german company specialized on ergonomic children and baby furniture offers the best designed baby chair ever: trip trap, adjustable, comfortable, ask parents!!! as seen below right. www.stokke.com
for new born baby I suggest "album di famiglia", italian company using 100% natural materials like wool and felt, adorable colors , sleek design.

albumdifamiglia@libero.it

another baby collection comes from a german designer who created "amelia". very special materials in form of dresses, underwear, accessories.

www.ameliamilano.it

"hut up" berlin based design company specialized with felt material has funny hats and other accessories for winter babies. www.hutup.de

belgian power: maan, max&lola, quincy, ma muse and many more..............
while searching kids design websites I was surprised by the descriptions made for above mentioned designers: fine european individuals and not big corporations!!!! hellooo, these people are belgian, different sense of style, you cannot compare them to any typical european designer. this is like dolce&gabbana versus martin margiela.

max&lola funky, devilish, colorful. when you see a tiny boy's sweat produced with de-reconstructivist technique you realize why it is so expensive. if you ever go to brussells you'll find the best kidstore on the flashy "antoine dansaert" avenue, kat en muis, very good selection. maan's style is less guerilla but more elegant. collection gives you many different options to combine, mix and match. www.maankids.be/www.zeroperzero.be
the sister company, zeroperzero produce sleepwear for babies and kids.

toys toys toys

like a bike is a genius wooden toy, helps to restore balance without pedals.

and we shouldn't skip of course "playsam" s classical 20th century designs, wooden miracles for boys.... www.playsam.com

I would so far admit that the best kid's design store is located in paris: founded by marlene pallicci in north marais region, calesta is one of a kind around the world.

so here are rest of the world

www.modernseed.com

www.sparkability.com

www.fragile.com

www.estella-nyc.com

www.kidonyc.com

if you want to get in to the business

www.pittiimagine.com

pitti bimbo is the best fair for children's clothing and accessories. you should especially visit the "new view" section in order to find contemporary designers.

www.bff.be

design freak

2005-08-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

designer clothing* designer hotel* designer food* designer furniture* designer music* design magazine* e-zine* and much more, a glossary for design victims.

since I have started to work in this field I witnessed its evolution. now we have celebrity designers, antidesign designers, italian school, french school, belgium all different and with a distinctive taste.

"image is everything"
I believe the image question is not very recent. every epoch had its own image problem. today it is very fashionable to buy even for classic minded people a pair of eyeglasses designed by french celeb designer philip starck. people are much concerned today about their appearance then before.
a very famous italian architect told me once that every time he creates a star product he opens a new bank account namesake with the product. also called as "my baby" one of his accounts created 10 years ago has in present millions of euros because of loyalty commissions.

lately not only me but also the biggest manufacturers are realized a new trend in the business: upcoming young designer generation who claim support antidesign act are creating trendy, userfriendly, inexpensive designs. they don't appreciate commercial point of view of older designers. they simply want to create, perform their art, I can give konstantin grcic's name as an example www.konstantin-grcic.com

my point of view is we shouldn't blame old school designers like citterio, starck and others because of being that commercial. thanks to them more new people are joining to the design world even though they don't really digest the philosophy of modern design at the first sight. I believe with a little time and knowledge they will realize the meaning of modern design, buying an object not for its form only but also for its function.
I would like to finish this introduction post with a definition of design made by vitra. www.vitra.com

Design is the process by which almost all objects in our surroundings are instilled with a specific design and function - from cars to paper clips, from clothing to chairs. And design does not just mean giving things a shape. Design creates the basis which enables things to function in the desired manner. It is a process in which complementary but often mutually contradictory requirements have to be met (comfort, technology, ergonomics, ecology, economics, aesthetics...). Design can be successful only when the balance of all these factors is attained.

feedster

2005-08-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

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