We don’t go to the movies to admire the theatre, but would it kill
theatre owners to build even one with an edge? Time and time again, we
are disappointed in the new, mega multiplexes that are boring beyond
belief in their sameness and recycled ideas. So, we must admit that
there is not much to celebrate but are seeing little glimmers of hope
and ingenuity once in a while.
One example is the AMC Pacific Place Cinema in Hong Kong refurbished by Hong Kong-based James Law. The entrance areas to the six
auditoriums seating 600 in 1.2-meter wide leather seats plus the a VIP
theatre for 39 offer some unusual eye candy, but we are still wanting
more. If you know of a truly cool movie theatre, please let us know via
the contact page on the bottom of the site. By Tuija Seipell.
Fiat has opened ew London flagship showroom and it is well worth
the visit even if you have no desire to purchase one of the swanky new
500's. The Marylebone store features a heavily chromed interior (look
out for the exhaust pipe clad columns) and is fresh and modern without
being intimidating or overbearing – think Austin Powers
love den meets the science lab of the future.
The space is split over two floors. The first floor is the showroom with a handful
of vehicles, a whole lot of shag pile carpet and a gift shop to boot.
Here you can purchase pretty much anything for the Fiat enthusiast from
cufflinks to handbags to miniature models that open up to become USB
sticks. Yep, Team Fiat has thought of everything. Downstairs is a more
minimalist white multi function space designed for corporate meetings,
fashion shows and art and design exhibitions. This space currently features the 'Fiat Workpop 500' exhibition where prototypes
of Fiat accessories that have been designed by 22 young product
designers are on display. The public can vote for its favourites, and
in a Survivor like contest, the winner's product will go into mass
production and eventually on general sale. Where will you be able to
purchase these you may be asking? In the gift shop of course. By Brendan McKnight
What do you do after becoming one of France's highest-paid male
models? You become a fashion photographer, of course. Or that's what Robert Jaso did, anyways, and by looking at the fruits of his work, we think his change of career was a wise choice.
The Slovakia-born Jaso who moved to France with his family at the
age of five and fell into the fashion world by accident when he was
spotted by a booker This started a successful 10-year stint in front of
the cameras. A decade is a quite some time for a model, so when Jaso
was looking for a change and something with more longevity, photography
seemed like the next obvious step in his career. Having already had
such an amazing first-hand look into how the fashion industry works,
Jaso then spent several years working on and refining his own signature
style that can now be seen in magazines around the world.
Still based in Paris, but being sent to all corners of the globe to
work on various campaigns and shoots, he currently spends most of his
time working for Italian Vogue.
With a passion for creating stories and a keen interest in all
things technical and aesthetic, Jaso creates carefully constructed
images that are strong and beautiful with a hint of quirkiness. By Brendan McKnight.
Gianluca Fallone
is a designer/illustrator based in Argentina and at only 23 years old
has managed to build up an impressive folio that includes working with
clients like MTV, Nike and Cartoon Network.
Fallone's stance is simple 'I love type and design, and particularly
like when both are present' – which is evident in much of his work.
Inspired by Japanese Animation and comic books, which were triggers for
his 'illustration - design rollercoaster', his pieces are beautifully crafted and extremely detailed. Putting a mark on the
Argentinean design world, we are expecting to see great things from this young and amazingly talented artist. By Brendan McKnight
The little brand blurb that accompanies this new range of luxury motorcycle helmets from Ateliers Ruby is “good looks…for everyday heroes and heroines”. Which is just too cute. So is the story behind them.
Parisian designer Jerome Coste drew on Steve McQueen iconography,
old-school racing cars and quite possibly the six separate head traumas
he’s survived when he set about developing the Pavillion range of
motorcycle accessories for Ruby. He also sold his own motorbike to
finance the production of the full carbon fiber shells, the kind used
in Formula One racing. The “inside garnish” (to quote Coste) is a soft
lining of decadent burgundy nappa lambskin, chosen for its comfort and
anti-bacterial properties. Henceforth providing a “reassuring cocoon”.
Clearly a design pedant, Coste has given his helmets a unique signature
quirk – a small crest that runs along the top, as inspired by the
armoury worn by medieval knights.
The Pavillion range is available in three colours Shibuya (peppermint,
named after the Tokyo Shopping District), Concorde (black) and St
Honore (white) and are accompanied by an equally sweet range of twill
silk scarves in various retro racing car shades.
Again to quote from the branding blurb: “Lady Ruby, your guardian angel wishes you a bon voyage”. Bless. By Sarah Wilson
Creativity has always been at the heart of CHANEL since its very
beginnings; it is the thread that unites Mademoiselle Chanel to Karl
Lagerfeld, a visionary spirit known for his skill in anticipating the
future of his times.
A modern brand, constantly moving forward, cultivating the
extraordinary and its innate sense of the moment, CHANEL is resolutely
open to the world and turning towards the future. It is this propulsion
that incites CHANEL to perpetually create surprise, from one continent
to the next, and to so deeply impact on our collective imaginary
consciousness.
A travelling project, with entry free to all, Mobile Art will circulate
for two years throughout Asia, the United States and Europe.In a
futuristic pavilion created by the architect Zaha Hadid at the request
of Karl Lagerfeld, some twenty international artists will exhibit work
that was inspired by the elements that give the CHANEL bag its
identity. Through this collaboration, resulting from their singular
points of view - poetic, audacious and as yet unseen - the multiple
facets of this mythical bag and its universe are revealed.
Mobile Art is a revolutionary event, uniting one of the greatest
architects of our time, some of our most innovative artists, and an
icon of the fashion world: the quilted bag. Mobile Art is founded in the
continuity of Gabrielle Chanel's strong relationship with the arts, and
reaffirms once more our devotion to creativity and to the avant-garde.
Everybody is going crazy about Mumbai's Blue Frog,
opened earlier this year. It's a 1,000-square-meter complex that
includes a club, restaurant, lounge, sound stage, recording studio and
sound lab, all encased within the massive walls of an old warehouse in
Mumbai's mill district. The Blue Frog Club interior may remind you of
those delirious nights at the end-of-summer Exhibition with its midway
games, roller coasters and dizzy-making rides. Or you may suddenly
start channeling Queen Amidala, addressing the StarWarsian Senate from
her floating pod. Luckily, Blue Frog does its dizzying job in a way
that is totally stylish - not a tacky thing or overdone costume in
sight. And everyone's table is definitely on level ground, although it
does not appear so first.
Designers Chris Lee and Kapil Gupta formerly of Chris Lee Architects and Contemporary Urban, and now of Serie
(London and Mumbai) have managed to create a cohesive yet exciting
space by stripping the visual cues down to a only a few very strong
ones.
The equilibrium-challenging effect is achieved by the clever
surround-millwork that uses a circle as its main form. The
mahogany-paneled millwork circles each round table, forming circular
booths or pods in somewhat varying shapes at various levels,
guaranteeing great sightlines for all. Not wanting to compete with the
lighting or other embellishments of the stage acts, the interior is
dark except for the top surface of the booths.
The glowing back-lit resin surfaces tie the seating area together even
when a stage show is on, and make it a bit easier to gain one's
bearings in the otherwise dark space. Like seating in a Roman
amphitheatre, the pods circle and rise from a stage area that can also
double as standing room or dance floor in a club set-up. Acts from
India and from around the world are starting to make Blue Frog Mumbai's
hottest club. By Tuija Seipell
If it is creative and cool and has an edge that others don’t, we want
to know about it. This time, we are particularly interested in hearing
from the event industry.
Although we now can experience all sorts of “reality” just sitting down
in our own environments, nothing beats a real live experience of an
awesome party. One of our all-time favorites is the breathtakingly cool
Prada VIP do at the Central Market
in Valencia, Spain, to celebrate the America’s Cup. Talk about
awakening all of your senses in one lavish event!
The Spice Girls landed on our doorsteps more than a decade ago with
promises of ‘girl power’ and telling us what we wanted, what we really,
really wanted.
With the pop and fizzle of The Spice Girls’ stunning rise now a distant
memory, the UK is undergoing a second wave of ‘girl power’.
Instead of pre-fabricated, hyper-merchandised glitz, this new crop of
‘girl power’ artists embody lyrical honesty and authenticity.
Where the Spice Girls relied on sass and cleavage and commercial pop
smarts, the UK’s current crop of female singer-songwriters embody
honest self reflection and realness.
Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen led the way with their upfront,
unforgettable reinterpreta-tions of contemporary pop. In the wake
of Winehouse and Allen’s success arrives the next wave of UK female
singer-songwriters.
20 year old Kate Nash
smashed through with her single ‘Foundations’ and won the hearts of the
indie crowd with her cover of the Black Kids’ ‘I’m Not Gonna Teach Your
Boyfriend How To Dance’.
Duffy,
currently sitting at #1 in the UK with her track ‘Mercy’, has a voice
that sits com-fortably between Winehouse and Dusty Springfield and
comes with the promise that her music will last decades.
Adele
too, with her soulful croon and anthemic single Chasing Pavements’, is
cramming the airwaves and poised to take her sound global.
All in all, it’s a welcome arrival. It’s ‘girl power’ you can actually believe in. By Nick Christie
At last...an alternative to jeans for men. NYC company Bonobos has
created a range of great-fitting men's casual trousers that'll take you
from the office to drinks. Available only online, the brand uses
lightweight corduroy, stretch corduroy, twill and tigersharks wool -
all comfy fabrics that hug the body without suffocating it. And that
means across the backside too (if you know what we mean)....so if
you've got it good, flaunt it. By Lisa Evans
People have paddled since time immemorial although the gear today
is much different from what it was in ancient times. Soon we will also
see a new type of rest and overnight shelter specifically for canoeists
that will take advantage of the water as a power source yet retain a
pristine and timeless peacefulness. Finnish architect and artist Sami Rintala,
together with architecture student Janne Saario, has created The Mill,
a modern wilderness hut that will be located in the Halikko river in
south western Finland, near the town of Salo, mid-way between Helsinki
and Turku. The wooden shelter even includes fireplaces and sleeping
platforms and the waterwheel in the middle of the stream produces the
energy for use in the shelter. To be completed in the fall of 2008, The
Mill is part of Halikonlahti Green Art Trilogy, which in turn is part
of an ongoing multi-year "Cross-artistic and Scientific Environmental Event"
The 39-year-old Rintala has created experimental and environmentally
sustainable installations and experimental buildings all over the
world, form the Scandinavian countries to Cuba, Canada, Japan and
Korea. By Tuija Seipell
Most of us have a personal image of an ideal escape or getaway. A
secluded beach shack hidden on an island paradise - a tucked away cabin
built into a snowy mountainside - a private chateaux set on the quiet,
rolling hills of a vineyard - basically anywhere we feel removed from
the mundane normalcy of our own daily lives.
X.Pace, a Sydney/Singapore-based design studio is on the verge of
helping us redefine the ultimate lifestyle solution - the highly
luxurious Hingarae residences and resort located in Lake Taupo on New
Zealand's north island. Hingarae embodies everything one would
expect from 6 star standards - the ideal balance of extreme luxury,
privacy and ultra-modern built form set upon a pristine natural
environment.
The development will offer twenty eight opportunities to own a
fully-furnished Hingarae Module. Each individual Module is 200
square metres set carefully within 1 hectare of natural
landscape. Oversized glazing allows uninterrupted views to the
surrounding forest, green countryside, snow-capped mountains and
crystal blue lake. The interior design is equally rewarding
offering an exceptional imported blend of modern and futuristic
furniture. The main living space sits on a revolving disc floor
that allows orientation toward the exterior or the LCD screen.
Numerous additions to Hingarae Module ownership include an electric car
for all on-site traveling, personal use of Hingarae's premium luxury
4WD vehicles for off-site travel, access to on-call helicopter,
on-going membership to Jack Nicklaus' Kinloch Golf Club, ongoing winter
season's pass to Mount Ruapehu's Whakapapa (New Zealand's largest ski
area), shared use of Hingarae's motor launch and unlimited access to
the 6 Star Hotel Hingarae and all its facilities including a recording
studio. Hingarae also fully manages and maintains each Module and its
individual acreage.
Nearly every aspect of a superior style of living has been taken into
consideration during the conception and development phases of
Hingarae. Unlike anything in the world, this New Zealand
destination will soon embody the ultimate expression of escape for
those of us able to get in - as prices start from US$1.9 million. As
for the rest of us, we can always hope for an invitation from a
generous friend. By Andrew J Wiener.
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