What do you get when you cross a touring rock band with a high-end fashion label? You get Clemens en August . Well sort of.
In the hectic world of fashion, often it's all about creating a point of difference to reach a target niche market - and this brand seems to have this down to a fine art.
To create an air of exclusivity, Clemens en August operates outside of the normal fashion schedule by only being available through a touring concept store twice a year for 3 days at a time per city. And if that's still not exclusive enough for you; each piece is produced in limited numbers.
Started by Alexander Brenninkmeijer who belongs to the clan that founded the C&A retail empire, the trunk shows reflect the refined and sharp tailoring of the clothes and are mostly held in galleries, museums, theatres and other lavish locations. The next tour, which takes place this month will stop off in 11 cities including Berlin, London, New York and Zurich. By Brendan McKnight
The owner couple of this beautiful pre-fabricated cabin on the shores
of Lake Simcoe in Ontario, Canada, has been coming to their large
recreational property for a quarter-century. But the big property in a
great recreational location translated into lots of overnight guests
and no privacy for the owners.
They felt they needed a
“getaway,” a place at their own property where they could capture the
peace and serenity of the surrounding four-season nature without
disturbing any of the existing trees or structures. They needed a place
that remembers what the Simcoe cottage-country is all about.
The brilliant, award-winning solution by Toronto-based Taylor Smyth Architects
is the one-room Sunset Cabin, a real cabin with a decidedly
contemporary feel. The wonderful cabin has won several architectural
and design awards and met the clients’ needs perfectly.
It is a
one-room (190 square feet in size), self-contained box that was built
by furniture craftsmen in four weeks in a Toronto parking lot and
installed on site in 10 days.
Three of the exterior walls are
floor-to-ceiling glass and of those, two are encased in horizontal
cedar-screens for privacy, shade and light effects inside. One of the
cedar screens has a large opening providing a direct view of the sunset
from the built-in bed. The rest of the screen has random smaller gaps
to allow various vignettes of the surrounding nature and to create
fantastic light patterns inside. The slats are positioned so that there
is no direct view in from the outside, but at the same time, it the
inside feels almost wall-less.
The untreated cedar of the outer structure will turn silvery grey over
time, helping the cabin blend in with its natural surroundings. In
addition, the roof, visible from the existing main building, is a green
roof planted with native plants of the area, further ensuring that the
building mixes in with the landscape rather than sticks out in it.
All
interior surfaces are unpainted birch veneer plywood, including the
built-in storage cabinets. Doors at both ends of the cabin allow for
cross ventilation. The interior floor extends outside to form a deck
where the rustic feel continues with the screened-off outdoor shower.
The
owners are apparently spending more time at their property than ever
before. They enjoy the cabin year-round, heating it by a wood-burning
stove and, if needed, electric heaters. Most likely, they are not
inviting guests to share the space, so we can join in only by admiring
the images. By Tuija Seipell
To promote the exclusive thrillers and horror films on 13th Street, the toilet of a nightclub in Hamburg was specially prepared. Just after entering the room, the light suddenly goes out and the room is bathed in Black light. And now a bloody crime scene becomes visible on the floor and walls: "See what others don't see. 13TH STREET. The Action and Suspense Channel."
From the founder of the cool hunter comes dear-god.net;
a startlingly new concept of spirituality where people from all over
the planet reveal their innermost hopes and fears in the form of
prayers to god.
Dear God is completely non-demoninational and
the term god is used in the broadest sense – encompassing every
religion’s concept of a higher power; be it a Christian god, a Muslim
god or simply a fluid idea of universal energy.
In its first
week, the site has sparked an organic revolution, with
people all over the world embracing the opportunity to unburden
themselves, to share their hopes and fears with others in an effort
create hope, healing, inner peace and clarity.
From the poignant and the heart-wrenching to even the light-hearted and
the humorous, the posts on dear god cover the gamut of human experience,
providing a powerfully raw and honest insight into our world today.
As
one online site stated "After viewing this website I found it to be so
honest of the world’s reflection and thoughts. See we as believers
probably wonder and ask the same types of questions, but never express
them to anyone. There are a lot of different views about what and who
God is and that is reflected in this site. Try to not view this with a
closed mind….Try not to debate that you know the right answer….Try to
view this as an opportunity to peek into the heart of our world".
The logo and site design were created by London based design agency Something Somewhere - the same firm that created the Artic Monkeys website.
Foals make me jealous. I mean, how embarrassing is it to see these kids blast their way onto the scene with the kind of awe-inspiring, frenetic indie-meets-dance-punk you wished that second Valentinos EP would’ve had? Pretty embarrassing. In the spotlight for less than a year and Foals have already featured on a Kitsuné Maison compilation, inked major deals, and had their drummer pose for Burberry’s Spring/Summer line. Shit, these kids get their record produced by TV On The Radio’s main man Dave Sitek and essentially scrap his mixes in favour of their own. Next thing you know they’ll be ignoring all those MySpace messages from Timbaland. Damn them.
Then they go and rub it in my face with their terrific debut album Antidotes. Look at them…flaunting those nervous guitar lines, those booming drums and fevered vox. Even the horns can’t slow down the raucous second single Cassius, nor the stomp of Heavy Water. By Dave Ruby Howe
Zaha Hadid’s silvery building resembling a sub-surface ferry or a space ship is the winning entry in the competition for the design of the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum in the ancient city of Vilnius, capital and the largest city of the Republic of Lithuania.
Although Vilnius is one of Europe's smallest capitals, it has a long, strong and culturally rich history, beautifully reflected in its well-preserved Old Town with cathedrals dating back to the 12th century. The Pritzker prize-winning architect Hadid’s futuristic building will be an arts centre and a museum, housing selected collections of both the New York’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the St. Petersburg- based State Hermitage Museum.
The jury selected Hadid’s (Zaha Hadid Architects) design over those of equally famous architects Daniel Libeskind (Studio Daniel Libeskind) and Massimiliano Fuksas (Studio Fuksas).
A feasibility study, commissioned by the recently established Jonas Mekas Visual Arts Centre in Vilnius, is expected to be completed by mid-June 2008. Depending on its outcome, the museum could open as early as in 2011. By Tuija Seipell
Remember when Joey and Chandler from Friends started a foosball craze in the 90s? This new product could well mark a revival of the game and attract a league of new players and also be a hit with those who are already passionate about a bit of table football with the gang.
'11' is a new table designed by GRO design and developed by TIM model makers. It is due to be exhibited for the first time at Milan Design Week later this month
The thought behind the design was to reflect the many football stadiums built in recent years that are architecturally stunning, have become landmarks and represent the spirit and passion of the game. If the stadiums are becoming so spectacular, then why shouldn't the foosball tables?
Much thought and care has gone into the craftsmanship and concept. The 22 players are finished in bright silver chrome that represents footballers' status in sport and society. The lighting effects and the software controlling the game add further excitement to the atmosphere and to the experience of playing the game.
And now that we have whet your appetite and you have your credit cards ready, we must give you the bad news. For now, only one prototype model exists . However, it will not surprise us if they end up being manufactured very, very soon by the hundreds. By Brendan McKnight
If you carry a Blackberry, iPod or iPhone, do you have to look like you
have no style at all? Cute accessory bags are fine for weekend hiking
trips, just like boring “businesslike” cases are fine for, well, boring
people, but for the power lunch with the merger guys or cocktails in
high places, you’ll want this bag made of gold python-print Italian
leather.
Grab you platinum credit cards, a few large bills, your well-travelled
passport, and your ever-present favourite device/s — there’s a slot for
each in this baby — and you are set. The bags are hand-made in Spain,
the internal lining is satin and the colour options are gold and black.
Oh, and you need to decide if you’d prefer python or rattler. Of
course, you could choose the chic creamy-soft lamb but isn’t that a bit
too tame? The gold python Blackberry Purse is available exclusively
through the cool hunter. How much you ask? Price: £195.00. Order through
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By Tuija Seipell
Here is a selection of images straight from the portfolio of the sought-after illustrator Steven Wilson. Because Steven’s impressive client list includes everyone from Coke to Nike, BBC and MTV, it is likely that you have already come across one of his beautiful works.
Steven is inspired by circus imagery, tribal art and 70s rock posters among other things, and he can often be found sifting through flea market stalls looking for obscure books to use as reference. All of this ensures that his work stands out. There is no question that his pieces define and represent a new wave of illustrated art. He has a particular passion for working on albums covers. By Brendan McKnight
Diane von Fürstenberg Studio’s
new headquarters fits perfectly in New York City’s fashionable
Meatpacking District, also known as the Gansevoort Market Historic
District. The new, six-story building is wedged between two historical,
landmarked facades that resemble the wall props in Cirque du Soleil’s
La Nouba. One corner of the structure is topped by a Olot, Spain-made
faceted glass sphere that is part of the penthouse suite and seems like
a gigantic diamond fallen from the sky.
In the design, New York-based WORK Architecture managed
to combine old and new, light and dark, openness and enclosure,
artistry and practicality. The building houses DVF’s flagship store, a
5,000-square-foot showroom and event space, offices and studios for a
120 people, an executive suite, and a penthouse apartment.
Inside the building, the chief feature is the “stairdelier,” a wide
stairway that connects the floors and distributes light throughout the
building. Flexibility characterizes all of the public areas. Pivoting
walls and built-in unfolding “steamer-trunk” structures allow for a
wide use of the space for fashion shows, photo shoots, events and
parties.
WORK was founded in 2002 by Beirut, Lebanon-born Amale Andraos and
Rhode Island native Dan Wood. Many of their projects are in New York,
but their work includes everything from a master plan of an Icelandic
town to a theatre stage set, from low-income housing towers in New York
to a luxury residence in Panama, plus retail, office and residential
projects around the world. WORK is also designing 14 DVF stores in 11
countries.
Diane von Fürstenberg was born in Brussels, Belgium, 61 years ago. She
started her fashion designer career in 1970. Famous for her wrap
dresses, which she started creating in 1973, she has become a veritable
fashion icon. She is also the current president of the Council of
Fashion Designers of America, the non-profit association of America’s
fashion heavy-weights. By Tuija Seipell
These cleverly playful (and let's be honest a little creepy) images are part of a print and poster campaign that has recently been launched to promote the new Ice Station Antarctica experience at London's Natural History Museum.
The family friendly exhibition is designed for children aged seven and over and enlists them as ice cadets to brave a variety of challenges including facing a stinking penguin colony, coping in sub-zero temperatures and surviving a snowmobile ride.
The portraits are by London based photographer Paul Thompson and recently won three Association of Photographers awards. By Brendan McKnight.
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