NOTCOT Note: This is the sixth in my series of Ultimate Accessories posts which have been sponsored by the new Infiniti G Sedan! As with any sponsored content ~ these posts are done - my way - my product choices, my content, and they help me keep doing what i love!

I was impressed to see Globe-Trotter partner with J. Crew for an exclusive line of vintage inspired luggage, the Centenary Collection… and the black collection had me swooning… and now they even have a Centenary Ivory color option that is nice and fresh and expected to ship Aug 20th!

I think i’ve waited 25 years for GLOW to happen - i love my beach towns, and Santa Monica is where i grew up, and the first ocean and beach i ever touched… and FINALLY, the City of Santa Monica let go of all their many rules for 12 precious hours (and we went, from 7pm to about 6:30am) - with an incredible first GLOW festival - the pier, with its new crazy uberbright-LED ferris wheel, the whole park overlooking PCH, the neighboring restaurants and shops, the beach, the work out rings and ropes - all packed with people of all sorts and all ages all night long… enjoying various music, techno/eco-art installations, and ultimately just each others company, and how nice it was to have all of this come together so beautifully and so playfully in Santa Monica. So before i get into the specific installations i have to show you video of… here’s an overview post to give you a feel of what an incredibly nice 12 hours it was… highlights are definitely lying on the beach listening to pirate lullabies at 3am, the interactive projection on a HUGE water spray, the computer fan driven upcycled electronic organisms under the pier, and watching people from such varying walks of life coming together for this Santa Monica first. (Oh and for really odd things, in the midst of all of this, we even ended up at Google for drinks, since the bars were just maddness - which led to a finger rocket war through the cubicles.)

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Just noticed over at Acquire that Tumi has given in and joined the polycarbonate suitcase trend ~ which i’ve definitely been quite obsessed with the last few years - there’s just something about that sleek lightweight glossy polycarbonate i can’t resist in black and silver - so far i’ve indulged in a carry-on Hideo Wakamatsu and Zero Halliburton check in… and i’ve lusted after Rimowa and also even checked out the Samsonite Black Label X-Lite Collection… And now to add to the list is the Tumi T-Tech Polycarbonate collection - noteworthy details (see close ups on next page) are the twisted zipper locks and the foot brake.

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When Urban Daddy ~ mentioned that these “luxury teepees in the Yukon” has Solar-Powered DVD Players, i had to look twice. And any location with wifi is immediately flagged for me as somewhere i can work from! But aren’t solar dvd players a bit much? So i had to research more to see what life in a luxury teepee suite are like… (pictures on the next page!). And its looking pretty sweet! They even have outhouses that compost…

These luxury teepees are one of the few options available from Perfect Earth Tours - other options including their spa and log cabins. As for the specifics on the Teepees: “Each of our guest Teepees are furnished with two queen sized luxury beds and bedding. We exclusively use mattresses, bedding’s, linen and accessories from the worlds most luxurious organic suppliers. The rooms also include an individual sitting and reading area, a fireplace center piece, personal dresser, original art, complimentary stocked bar, a variety of non - alcoholic drinks, a vanity table, two DVD players with wireless headsets, satellite radio and wireless internet access. First of all, each teepee has their very own personal “outhouse”. They are state of the art organic composting toilets with absolutely no similarity to the old fashioned “outhouse”. They are odorless and extremely easy to use, just like your your toilet at home.” I’m so intrigued! See more pics on the next page…

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Before i talk about the subject of this post… how fun is that pic above? I think it’s one of my favorites from ICFF this year ~ a kids perspective - laughing/clapping at bright red styrofoam feeling “expanded polypropelene” butts/crotches of ramon ubeda and otto canalda on a tord boontje/nani marquina rug with the jamie hayon showtime chair in the background… ahhhh, icff.

From the Conran Shop’s ROJO party, so far i’ve shown you - Foosball Tables - TAST.ES Catering pieces - Luis Eslava’s velcro pieces… well, since this was one of my favorite events while in NY, just wanted to give you a peek at some of the rest of the pics! So take a look on the next page to see what other red themed spanish designs were present!

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September 4th - 8th in fforest farm, Cardigan, West Wales ~ Howies will host 75 people with free food and accommodations at the DO Lectures

How could anyone say no to that? And what do you have to do in return? Simply DO something ~ with your life, with your abilities, with yourself… all they want is to bring together some brilliant minds, great speakers, musicians, and more for 4 days of pure inspiration while taking in some gorgeous wilderness. I want to go!

We change nothing by just talking and moaning. words need actions. They need Do. Dick Dastardly was right, ‘don’t just stand the, DO something’.

So how do you get into this seemingly life changing experience? Read all the info on the next page, and sent a letter to apply!

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Freshly back from the Veuve Clicquot Los Angeles launch of the Globalight designed by Karim Rashid ~ and many a glass of bubbly later, i’m excited to share some fun pics of the Globalight up close and personal with you! As for the event ~ it was held at the W in Westwood, and it really brought me back to freshman year of college days… it was Thurs, so all the frat parties were in full swing, although driving over, it seems like one had a bit of a disaster quite early, with 3 fire engines and 4 cop cars and a sidewalks’ worth of overdressed college kids anxiously waiting… and when we arrived at the party on the terrace of the W, it seems like much of the same crowd had overflowed… from the girl manning the door list to the many guests we asked about what they thought of the Globalight and the party… the crowd was a very clueless LA mix of so called actors, musicians, real estate agents, male models, and even biochem profs ~ all who seemed taken aback by being asked what they thought of the event, and quickly came to explain that a friend of a friend brought them or fwded them an invite… the best rumor of the night - (heard second/third hand) apparently word from the guy who represented the product - the Globalight will be produced with speakers built in soon, and a special stand, so you can simply tilt the Globalight itself to pour it… i guess we will wait and see!

Also, in the main bar downstairs, we saw a crew setting lights in the backroom in the lounge before popping up to the Veuve party… and stopping by on the way down, we found it was because Sunsilk was shooting a documentary on DJ Tatiana ~ a model turned international DJ, who not only is the music director for Bebe, but also runs her own music studio now…

See pics of all the maddness on the next page, including a youtube vid of DJ Tatiana and her Sunsilk winning vid…

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The Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic will take place on Governors Island (Sat 31 May) and can you believe that this will be the first time Polo will be played in NYC for over 70 years… bringing taste of Hamptons to NYC. Ralph Lauren’s team (Blackwatch) is playing Asprey’s team and Nacho Figueras (the face of Polo Black and best player in the world will be playing)

And guess what? The event is open to the public! So head over to Governor’s Island on Saturday if you are in NY, and let me know how the polo match turns out! Hopefully it will be a beautiful (non rainy) day! More images on the next page…

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What a day its been… my head is spinning, but in that good, dizzying, design is in the air kind of way. Up at 4am, to airport by 5, on a plane by 7, in NY by 3:30, doing biz calls in rush hour taxi ride, check in, grab a bite, jump in another cab, and we’re at the first NY Design Week event already… Matter’s VIP+Press Preview at their SoHo location! So, while i start to crash out now, confused as to whether its 22:33 or 1:33am… check out the pics on the next page for a peek into the madness…

p.s. it was awesome to see the conroy and wilcox thorn ring/cuff in person! So cute.

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ICFF is right around the corner as the last few posts have shown, and with so many things to see and do, its hard to know where to start… so here’s a roundup of resources as well as my personal shortlist that i’m trying to pick between… all you need is on the next page! Perhaps i’ll see you in NY!

p.s. there’s no way i can probably hit everything i want to (especially Monday, since we’re doing a little publishers meet up thing) ~ if you happen to go to some amazing parties/shows/etc, feel free to take incredible pics to share with the rest of us!

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I’ve been a bit baffled as to what to make of this 120th Anniversary Eiffel Tower Observation Deck designed by Serero that will go up next year as i came across images on all the blogs (i.e. Core77, Gizmodo, etc)… see my favorites of the architectural diagrams and renders after the jump. In celebration of the 120th birthday of the tower, the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel decided to restructure the public reception and access areas of the tower, and the result will be a temporary horizontal extension of the 3rd floor of the tower. Serero’s design is built out of carbon kevlar, steel connectors, and metal mesh. What was most intriguing to me was Serero’s discussion of the generative design:

Generative Design: The design is based on a generative script, creating branches out of the primary structure of the tower. Inspired by the structural concept of Eiffel of three-dimensional cross bracing beams, the script unfolds along curved lines the “DNA” of the tower. The script used the existing structure at the top of the tower ( a 10 by 10 meters cube) to generate 3 structural weaves, which are interconnected. These layers are combined to create a woven complex, which is based on the redundancy and the non-repetition of patterns to increase its structural performance. In opposition with modern engineering (based on the concept of repetition and optimization), the project for the Eiffel tower extension is based on an alternative model of high performance.

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NOTCOT Note: Here’s another post from Justine (rugenius) ~ and her adventures in the UK!

Like Fru and Gu, Sheffield’s Winter Gardens are something I’d come across earlier in my tenure over here in England, but never had the chance to really explore. I came across them when staying at the Mercure hotel in Sheffield, which is itself indulgently modern. I admired them from the hotel, whose Champagne bar and restaurant flank the gardens, but never actually spent time in the space. On my recent return, the gardens themselves are more than noteworthy.

The Winter Garden is a temperate haven. With its high, sweeping wooden arches and use of natural light, it transforms what is an often gray and dreary South Yorkshire day into a world bathed in soft light. Unlike the heat and humidity we often associated with greenhouses, the interior is cool and dry (and I must admit, reminds me of home!). And the high ceilings provide excellent acoustics, creating a reverential atmosphere and sense of calm (thats right, no reverberating screams of children!). See many beautiful pictures of the interior of this incredible space after the jump!

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NOTCOT Note: Here’s another article from Anna Corpron of Sub-Studio!

I came across a flickr set today with some amazing pictures of an abandoned housing complex called San Zhi outside of Taipei, Taiwan. A google search didn’t bring up much information, but from what I can gather, it was apparently built in the early 1980s as a series of vacation homes marketed towards affluent Taipei residents seeking to get out of the city.

The speculation about why the site was abandoned varies, with the most interesting being that a series of fatal accidents occurred during construction, causing locals to believe the site was haunted, and therefore instigating the developer’s decision to stop construction (and also putting a stop to any future redevelopment). A more mundane reason listed for the abandonment was the developer running out of money, but I’ll go with the first reason, thank you!

Architecturally speaking the houses are super cool, being very futuristic for the 80’s (even by today’s standards) with the cantilevered, modular pods houses (think Archigram). Check out more amazing photos from two flickr sets after the jump!

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Passport Cards ~ primarily for “border resident communities” since you can use it only for travel by land and sea between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region, and Bermuda, according to the State Department. I guess this will be the new must-have for all the socal kids hopping down to TJ now. Applications for these cards start Feb 1 (tomorrow!). “The card will have the same validity period as a passport book: 10 years for an adult, five for children 15 and younger. For adults who already have a passport book, they may apply for the card as a passport renewal and pay only $20. First-time applicants will pay $45 for adult cards and $35 for children. To facilitate the frequent travel of U.S. citizens living in border communities and to meet DHS’s operational needs at land borders, the passport card will contain a vicinity-read radio frequency identification (RFID) chip. This chip will link the card to a stored record in secure government databases. There will be no personal information written to the RFID chip itself.” I’m not sure how i feel about this… also note that the back of the card says “Your passport card should be kept in its protective sleeve when not in use.” So it doesn’t just go in your wallet? It has a special sleeve?

Louis Vuitton puts out an annual set of City Guides, this year it is saffron yellow - a rigid box set containing 9 soft back booklets printed on bible paper… they have been doing it since 1998, and somehow i have yet to actually flip through some! So after much unfruitful internet hunting, i’m turning to you, readers, to see if anyone has a set, and what you think of them… are they better than wallpaper guides? Are the illustrations by Ruber Toledo enough to justify the near 100$ price tag for the set? Closest i’ve found to images of the interior is a tiny picture on a japanese website (see after the jump!)… Thanks! [To find it on the Louis Vuitton site, just search for city guide when in the store.]

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