Cool Hunting
| Most Recent Entries view all entries from: this week | this month |
Rémy Martin Louis XIII Collaborations
by Karen Day, 20 November 2008
The process of making cognac is a combination of art, science, experience, devotion and genius. In keeping with the passion and vision that goes behind each bottle, cognac connoisseur Rémy Martin has teamed up with visionary artists from the world of art, design, photography and architecture on various projects.
An ideal match for the luxury brand, Rémy Martin asked French industrial designer Christophe Pillet to create a limited-edition set to accompany Louis XIII cognac. The contemporary set includes a silver illuminated serving platter, a crystal glass and candleholder and a display case. A protégé of Philippe Starck, Christophe has worked independently since 1993 designing products for some of the best brands in the world including Capellini, Shu Uemura, Driade and the interior architecture of the Hôtel Sezz in Paris. The set is available upon request on the Louis XIII website.
Another brilliant collaboration, Rémy Martin also recently launched a book by Matthew Rolston, "beautyLIGHT", a showcase of some of Matthew Rolston's best photographs from the past 20 years. Discovered by Andy Warhol at an early age, in addition to Interview Magazine, Matthew has shot iconic covers for numerous publications like Rolling Stone and BlackBook, as well as directed music videos for Madonna, Janet Jackson, Lenny Kravitz and more. Be one of 600 to pick up the collector's edition, which includes a signed print.
You can purchase the collector's edition or the standard form from teNeues.
Hermès x Smart Fortwo: Toile H Edition
by Brian Fichtner, 20 November 2008
The Como group, official distributor of the Smart brand in Paris and Île-de-France, recently celebrated its tenth anniversary at the Grand Palais with a limited edition offering of ten Smart cars produced in ten stunning colors, all specially upholstered by Hermès.
The Fortwo Toile H edition features a saddle-stitched leather steering wheel and gear lever, Toile H covered compartments and coachwork, luxuriously detailed pockets and even sports a rear umbrella stay. At 38,000€ for the coupé, the Toile H edition will cost you roughly four times the 2008 standard edition, but this is Hermès we're talking about.
Check out a host of images at Dezeen.
Mister Freedom: The Last Cruise, Salty Years
by Doug Black, 20 November 2008
The brainchild of LA-based Frenchman Christophe Loiron, Mister Freedom is a denim clothing line produced by Toyo Enterprises (of Sugar Cane and Buzz Rickson fame) that sticks to an overarching Naval theme. Like the first line, the new winter collection imagines the tailored clothing of a merchant Navy sailor as he travels the seven seas. This time around, we find our sailor in the Southern Indian Ocean on his last cruise after 10 years in the service. Now an "old salt" in mariner's parlance, the clothes are weathered and faded by the extremes of sun, ocean water and use.
Titled "The Last Cruise, Salty Years," the collection focuses on extreme weather gear. With cuts and designs from early 20th century military wardrobes, the pieces use durable denim and authentic vintage flourishes. The Denim Pea Coat follows the 1910 Navy pattern and uses 14oz dark indigo selvedge denim made from a 50/50 blend of sugar cane fiber and cotton. The Foul Weather Coat is made of a blue "jungle cloth" used by the Navy from the 1920s to 1950s. A material known for being sturdy and weatherproof, while remaining comfortable to wear. It uses an exact replica of the 1930s "hookless" zipper and is fully lined with a naval wool blanket. Other items include a pair of Modified Type 7161 denim jeans, a wool/cotton sweater, a Denim CPO Overshirt, a Wool Watch Cap, a Jungle Cloth and Chambray Rain Hat and three different t-shirts.
One particularly interesting stylistic touch is the "Liberty Cuff." In the 1920s, it was common for enlisted men to have local tailors add multicolored stitching to the inside of sleeves. That way, it wouldn't be visible to their superiors while on the job, but they could fold up the sleeves to impress the locals while on shore leave. The mermaid design (pictured above) can be found in the Pea Coat and serves as both an attractive design element and interesting historical note.
Mister Freedom can be purchased through CH favorites Self Edge. Kiya Babzani, the San Francisco shop's proprietor, went so far as to call Mister Freedom "maybe the most important line being produced in the world right now." And that's high praise, considering the source.
Zuriick Shoes
by Mike Giles, 20 November 2008
Back in Utah in the summer of 2005 two gents, bored with the look of standard chunkier shoes (i.e. Vans, Chucks, etc.) and looking for something slimmer, lighter weight and just a bit different than what was readily available, decided to start a little company called Zuriick. The Ake was their first design, in which they chose bright colors and a contrasting purple sole to set them apart from anything else being done at that time. That first foray has now expanded into a full line of stylish and affordable men's and women's footwear that yesterday saw the launch of another two colors of their popular Beata model.
OZOlife Gift Pack
by Karen Day, 20 November 2008
As the holiday decor and requisite complaints about it begin, it's also time to turn to resources like the good people at OZOlife, the online magazine and daily email about smart, sustainable living, who are offering a gift pack that will be sure to please even the fussiest friend.
Each gift pack includes seven essential items designed to ease your eco-conscience, daily life and wallet—from the classic Sigg bottle to a toothbrush made from recycled plastic yogurt containers.
At $105, you can purchase the gift pack today from OZOlife. Keep an eye out for it along with other great gift options in the Cool Hunting gift guide come Thanksgiving or check out last year's to get a jump start on the brainstorming.
Le Petit Larousse Illustré 2009
by Karen Day, 20 November 2008
Ever the fashion pundits, the French have extended their obsession for what is très chic by asking design legend and man behind the house of Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, to design the 2009 issue of "Le Petit Larousse Illustrè." Translated in English as "Larousse Small Illustrated Dictionary," besides lending his artistic talents, Lagerfeld himself is included in the book's encyclopedia of proper names along with the likes of Brad Pitt and acclaimed French actress Marion Cotillard.
A realistic sketch of Lagerfeld graces the limited-edition box cover, next to the phrase habillé par Karl Lagerfeld (or "dressed by Karl Lagerfeld") and on the dictionary's front cover itself, La Semeuse blows the seeds of knowledge wearing nothing but blue evening gloves.
Released earlier this month, the book is available for €50 on French Amazon.
Freehands: Now Shipping
by Josh Rubin, 19 November 2008
I announced Freehands a little over a month ago and am happy to post an update that our inventory is now in and orders are being filled! In case you missed the previous post, Freehands, the gloves that let you keep in touch, feature fold-back thumb and index finger tips to expose the fingers you need to use a touch screen, keyboard, MP3 player, PSP or simply to pull something out of your wallet. Small magnets keep the folded back tips from flopping around when they're folded back.
For our first season we wanted to keep things simple. We created three unisex styles: Fleece, Stretch and Leather available in sizes extra small to extra large. We decided to only make them in one color: black. Perhaps the best part, they're $20 (Fleece), $30 (Stretch) and $40 (Leather).
Buy before Saturday and enter the promotion code COOLHUNTING at checkout to get a 20% discount.
Herbert Baglione:Two Broken Knees
by CH Contributor, 19 November 2008
Herbert Baglione is one of Brazil's most provocative exports, currently bringing his humanistic paintings to a new show in London. Baglione got his start as a street artist, painting huge figures onto the sidewalks and intersections of São Paulo throughout the '90s, but has since taken only to the galleries drawing on his street background.
His latest work, "Two Broken Knees," projects extreme human figures in a style influenced by cave paintings. The show is comprised of twenty paintings that bring to life urban textures and typography in the medium of acrylics and enamel. To Baglione, the show is a ritual in search of lost faith in urban settings throughout the world. Check out a video of Balione at work, below.
Two Broken Knees
21 November-20 December 2008
Lazarides Gallery
8 Greek Street
Soho, London
England
map
tel. +44 (0)203 214 0055
| Always More view all entries from: this week | this month | NEXT PAGE |
from tatorandtots (19 Nov 2008): May I introduce you to my ride? And to the one I will hopefully soon be stepping out on her with.. The heir and the spare, so to speak... I put up pictures of both. The Tornado Tre and the Naked 1130. purrrrr..... Yes. I do need two. One for the track. Bite your tongue. If you have a clever little "aww, look, a wee little leprechaun bike for a wee little Irish girl" cracks, put your mouth to better use. I've heard them. All of them. Ha ha and ha. Say it louder, please. At 155 mph it's hard for me to hear your wittiness. There is nothing "wee" about these beasts. I was leaning towards an MV Augusta (wouldn't have been a bad lean- great bikes) and then nearly swayed after a visit to the Ducati factory in Borgo Panigale last year to slide over that way.... but then I met the Benelli. Oh. My. God. I was in love. It was a bright and cloudless day. My mood was, as usual, volatile with just a touch of narcissism and an underlying base of genetically encoded guilt. I was moseying to my car when suddenly... god I still smile when I think of it... a Benelli pulled in next to me. I know a bit about bikes. I even go to bike shows with all the shiny, happy new models. And have always been prone to the Italian stallions. But I had never, ever seen a Benelli. The gentleman who owned it was kind enough to let me fondle it unabashedly. Had there been a side table, I would have left some money on it when I walked away. I really, really loved that bike. And it turns out that I'm not the only one who gets hot and bothered around them. Fast forward a bit and now it is my baby who gets manhandled when people see it. It's a truly stunning bike in person and very rare to see on the road. So if you're in the market for something to free your mind and let your soul have a bit of fun, give Benellis a look. ________________________ From the site: The Benelli Tornado Tre was first seen in 1999, and heralded the revival of the Benelli superbike. One of the most striking features of the Benelli Tornado is its futuristic design. Including stacked headlights, flush mounted indicatiors, aggressive side panels, and angular seat unit with an under-seat mounted radiator with fans visible from the rear. Powering the Benelli Tornado Tre is an inline three-cylinder engine producing 140 horsepower. This is mounted in a chrome-moly steel tube and cast aluminium frame.
from tatorandtots (19 Nov 2008): If you thought keeping your arse upright on one wheel was challenge enough, let me tell you a little something- there are actual humans out there who not only have accomplished that but have taken it outside the circus tent and into the mountains. That's right- mountain unicyclists. They must be descended from the same cavemen (or cavewomen) who first looked at a rock and had the chutzpah, skill and patience to whittle it into a wheel. Then ride it. A different breed, I tell ya. I sought out the help of Wikipedia to find out what, exactly, differentiates a unicycle from its badass mountain cousin and found this: "unicycles typically lack a gear system, preventing the user from coasting or reaching high speeds. Mountain unicycling usually takes place on specially designed unicycles, which are equipped with strong hubs, large, knobby tires, and rugged frames." Ok. That still won't help me keep my nose out of the gravel. Sigh.
from tatorandtots (19 Nov 2008): I bet this is what Superman would put in HIS house.... Take a look at the desk. Purrr.... via Born Rich: Motoart is not the only company that turns vintage aviation parts into fixtures for the home and office. Giancarlo De Astis is a Los Angeles based designer who picks airplane parts dumped in Arizona junkyards and turns them into stylish furniture. During this inventive process, flaps, wings, canopies, turbines and other parts of aircrafts are reborn as distinct and functional furniture — desks, tables, credenzas, cabinets, and lamps. Some of his most amazing creations are the Latro Primo desk, the Lo Squalo club chair, and the Sole conference table. The Latro Primo ($5,500- $8,900) is made from the rear stabilizer of a Beechcraft 18/C-45. The Lo Squalo club chair ($5,000- $8,500) is made from the air cooling engine scoop of a DC6/7. The II Sole conference table ($10,000) has been inducted in The Smithsonian Institute’s National Air Space Museum and is made from the first stage of a Pratt & Whitney JT8D jet engine case fan. Customers can even customize these fixtures to suit their liking. Giancarlo precisely selects each airplane part that beams the brilliance of its engineered design. The kind of aeronautical art Giancarlo De Astis creates is sure enough to amaze the observers.
from Anteism (19 Nov 2008): Two years in the makin, two years on the shelf and now the entire Finding Joy comic is in print. Finding Joy is a book of comics and art by Luke Ramsey. Half the book is a comic about finding inner peace. The other half ia a collection of photographs, comics and drawings about a hare character prominent in Luke's work from 2004-2007. 1st edition is hand numbered with an original drawing on the back cover by the artist. The first edition also comes with a signed screenprint.
from tatorandtots (19 Nov 2008): From Born Rich: If you can’t get enough of over-the-top and highly expensive loudspeakers, here is another one. Arvus Loudspeakers, a New Zealand-based company, has launched their exclusive loudspeakers, “The Prerenaissance.” The speakers are aesthetically designed and look grand and stylish. The technical part of the loudspeakers is quite unmatched too. Each pair of the loudspeakers has taken hundreds of man hours each and the result is of course extravagant and almost artistic. The speakers come in wood, painted, carbon fiber, and stainless steel finish options. The loudspeakers also have 6 channels of amplification, which make up a total of 3000 watts RMS. This could very well be the ultimate statement of luxury and decadence. Each pair of The Prerenaissance loudspeakers costs $140,000.
from miss_framboesa (19 Nov 2008): She explores "the idea of jewelry taking different roles other than simply ornamentation(...), suggesting garment, jewelry taking over the body of the wearer, and jewelry breaking out of the traditional role of adornment. The shift in SCALE and the use of nontraditional material in jewelry making allowed me to challenge these ideas." I am overwhelmed.
