*notcot - 05.06.08 , 12:17 -

Baxter Packaging

baxterascii.jpgBaxter of California - i’ve been intrigued by their skincare line for men for some time now… and to be honest, the packaging probably had a lot to do with it ~ that vibrant blue and black combo is so enticing? Anyhow, we picked some up the other day, and i suddenly made the connection that the packaging is covered with ASCII ART! The images online of the packaging tend to be so small, i had never really noticed this detail earlier. So took a few close up shots to show you what’s going on. And we’re still testing things out, but so far dan seems to be a fan of the Daily Face Wash and Under Eye Complex. Also unexpected was how soft and smooshy the blue part of the bottle is, with that nice subtly grippy feel - and the gryphon logo on the black cap! This is a packaging post ~ so go see the rest of the pics on the next page!

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*notcot - 05.05.08 , 12:38 -

Target + Newsweek + Terracycle = Bags!

retote.jpgI think this is the most interesting Reusable Bag story yet… Target teams up with Newsweek and Terracycle to create reusable totes out of fused target plastic bags! Finally - a recycled reusable bag that looks like the bags it came from and is replacing! And that’s not all… the Newsweek aspect is fascinating as well - you rip off the cover of the latest “green” issue, and are taught how to tape up the cover into a prepaid envelope that you can put Target plastic bags in, and mail them in for a coupon to get one of the Terracycle $6 ReTotes for free in a Target Store. Basically the bags end up feeling much like those blue/yellow IKEA bags ~ a bit on the crunchy side, and probably waterproof (with the exception of the seam perhaps. See the press release here.

So in usual NOTCOT fashion, we couldn’t help ourselves, and picked up an issue, took a few sneaky shots in Target of the display, and walk you through the whole process in pictures on the next page! I suppose my one biggest question is… these bags made in Vietnam, are they actually out of bags people have recycled? Or did they use new bags to make the first batch of bags to get this whole program rolling?

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*notcot - 04.24.08 , 14:18 -

Swims Rain Review

swimbeach1.jpgI recently told you that i was hunting for rain so that i could do a proper review of the Swims show covers… and previously i showed you the beautiful photographs from their catalog… well yesterday when i went up to Sausalito for a meeting, it was RAINING! Well drizzling, and then got incredibly rainy as i came out of the tunnel… so here is an impromptu photoshoot and walk through of my Swims experience.

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*notcot - 04.22.08 , 16:40 -

Leaving your Footprint on the Earth

footprints1.jpgHAPPY EARTH DAY! Sadly the weather got a bit drearier here where i’m hiding in norcal… BUT the good news is, i’m actually hoping it rains - since i just got a pair of black swims in my size to try out, and i was hoping to get them a bit wet and shoot some silly pics in the rain to try them out and share with you! So *fingers crossed*. (I did consider dancing around in sprinklers, but that just seemed silly.)

Anyhow, not to get all literal on you, but i was thinking about earth day, and reading all over about the footprint we’re leaving… and i was realizing how i loved the trees on the soles of the Ms. Swims… and then i spotted these hilarious bespoke parisian wolf soled shoes, Berluti’s Empeinte du Loup… and i couldn’t resist a post about these awesome footprints you could be leaving everywhere you walk.

Also, you may remember swims with their gorgeous photography from this old post… and previously swims sent over a pair of pink, L sized swims… but i looked a bit ronald mcdonald in them, so pics below of the awesome packaging and shoe bag and the flexibility of the material… but coming soon (when it rains!) will be pics of how it works putting them on, taking them off, etc.

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*notcot - 04.16.08 , 22:49 -

Rich In Craft

antlerbag.jpgFresh from the inbox, Rich In Craft’s new Folie à Deux “represents the quintessential duality of functional feminine artistry,” created by L.A. designers, Tiffani Anne Williams and Parker Todd Brooks. So what is this ruggedly feminine bag exactly? From their site:

The body of the bag is soft and beautiful. It is made of 100% wool with a pure quilted silk lining. It was handsewn by local artisans. The handle symbolizes the sharp element of the wild. The horn shape was handcrafted in a custom mold by the designers themselves using an exclusive amalgam of polyurethane and glass. The aluminum loops that comprise the bag attachment were also specifically created for the project and were brought to fruition by CNC milling. The Folie à Deux is a unique marriage between the craftsman’s hands and tools and the artist’s imagination.Which is why only thirty-six Folie à Deux will ever be made. Each will be presented on a silk pillow in a handmade, cloth-covered box. And each will be marked with its unique identification number. The number will be mirrored on the underside of the wooden label which is sewn inside each Folie à Deux bag.

See more images after the jump!

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*notcot - 04.13.08 , 04:22 -

Nike 2008 Olympic Footwear

nike008main.jpgNike has designed a whole line of Olympic Footwear… one for every sport in the Beijing 2008 Olympics. And besides the usuals like track and field, basketball, etc… what fascinates me are their designs for things like Gymnastics, Wushu, Kayaking, Wind Surfing, Taekwondo, Equestrian, and Fencing. These were launched at the incredible 2 day press event: The Nike Beijing Innovation Summit (more images here).

View the most interesting designs after the jump ~ with a special feature on the fencing ‘Ballestra’ shoe (for Justine) ~ and just in case you have yet to see Kobe jump over an Aston Martin in the new Hyperdunks, i’ve embedded that as well!

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*notcot - 04.04.08 , 16:14 -

LV’s War on Counterfeiting

murakamifake1.jpgLouis Vuitton is really fighting back against counterfeiting these days. Did you hear about how the IACC (International Anticounterfeiting Coalition), which includes brands like LV, Chanel, Abercrombie, etc, sponsored for-credit college classes on the issue? Where their PR folks were “teaching” alongside some professors? It seems to have caused quite a stir…

How about their little Canal St-eqsue set up outside the Brooklyn Museum of Art for the Murakami exhibit launch party? It is a fake set up of a fake bag seller that sells real bags. The concept itself made me laugh - and i was previously amused by the idea of putting a pop up store INSIDE the exhibit which makes it art, only its also a fully functioning store, but i think this tops it. Thank goodness for the internet allowing me to follow the linktrail from High Snobiety who got the information/pics from SuperTouch who got their pictures from the Flickr of Athlete Director, David Lam… see more of my favorites of his photos below. It is really quite a hilarious set up - notice the hand written labels below the paintings for $6000?

UPDATED - love the WWD article, “Fighting the Fakes: Louis Vuitton and Murakami Make a Show of It” on this as well!

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*notcot - 03.30.08 , 16:08 -

Hirst + Warhol + Levis

hirstlevis.jpgDAMIEN HIRST x WARHOL FACTORY x LEVI’S POP-UP SHOP & BOOK LAUNCH AT FRED SEGAL MAN, Santa Monica on April 3rd, premiering two original Damien Hirst Art Pieces. That invite just popped into my inbox, as well as some sneak peeks into what this hot new pop up shop has in store for us! Take a look below for more pics and to get a glimpse of the silver brick walls, playfully Warhol-esque colors and Hirst’s signature skulls blended with the classic denim from Levis.

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*notcot - 03.20.08 , 10:32 -

Mail Call: Diesel Jeans Chain

hangdiesel1.jpgThis has been a very strange day, and its only 11am. Yes, usually i’m still snoozing at this hour, but was up at 7am, stats broke one of our servers last night! Sorry about that, urgh, but thank goodness for the guys at wiredtree who take such good care of us…. and then had breakfast with Souris Hong-Porretta ~ the woman is incredibly inspiring, add her to the list of people to be like when “grown up”, and hearing about all dot com days reminiscing about things like ChickClick (i never knew Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks was THAT heidi), i can’t help but wish i were a tiny bit older to have been more conscious and active in all that was happening in the 90s… i’m rambling again, sorry, low on sleep, high on energy and ideas… and well, it’s fun to get some perspective and chat with people as buzzing about the intersection of tech/design/gaming/film/art/music/internet/etc.

Moving along, mail call! Came home to a fun surprise from the boys at Diesel’s Fuel For Life Fragrance department in paris… Remember what i thought was a bracelet? Well it turns out i was wrong. And they’ve proved me wrong by sending one over… its a big hefty shiny gold jean’s chain that holds a little vial of Diesel’s Fragrance, and it’s refillable! Also awesome are the giant playing card like info cards that come with a CD of press pics. Gotta love the packaging. Anyhow, lots of pics below to catch you up.

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*ShadeElaine - 03.16.08 , 23:10 -

Jesse Kamm Designs at A+R

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I wandered over to the A+R store in Silverlake to check out the Gen Art New Garde pop-up store, and the clothing by Los Angeles-based designer Jesse Kamm immediately caught my eye. When I was informed that she prints the designs on the fabric by hand herself I was even more impressed. The prints are so adorable and they don’t look “crafty” (if you know what I mean..) in the least. My favorite piece is definitely the dress with bow graphic and apparently it’s her most popular design at the moment.

Pics from the pop-up store after the jump!

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*ShadeElaine - 03.15.08 , 00:59 -

LOVA at REVOLVE Clothing pop-up store

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Last Wednesday night we checked out the new men’s clothing line LOVA (pronounced like Lo-vah, not Luvah) at REVOLVE Clothing’s pop-up store on Melrose in LA which is open March 13-16 and will re-open in August(?) for real as their flagship store.

I feel like there’s sort of an empty spot in the fashion landscape for guys who want to dress well but still want to look young and not like their dads. I’m excited by the continuing menswear trend that seems to be tackling this problem by creating a look that’s modern but timeless at the same time. LOVA is the latest contender in this trend and was definitely impressed by the quality of their stuff. Giuseppe Valentini, co-founder and designer of the line, says “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” and I couldn’t agree more, so it’s no wonder that I love their look because it’s the simplicity that gives it that timeless quality.

More pics after the jump!

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*Sub-Studio - 03.13.08 , 00:39 -

Rahee Yoon

0312yoon1.jpgNOTCOT Note: Here’s another article from Anna Corpron of Sub-Studio!

Rahee Yoon is sticking it to the old adage that bigger is better. Rather than going for the largest carat, Rahee has created what she calls “the world’s thinnest ring” - out of a single sheet of paper. She designed two books around these rings - one with 25 different ring designs, and the other describing the processes to cut the rings out of the book. The result is conceptual, ephemeral jewelry. See more of her rings after the jump!

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*notcot - 03.12.08 , 11:31 -

Gryphon Timeless Trench Coat

gryphon.jpgOn fun tempting things i’m currently debating… i’m quite drawn to this Gryphon Timeless Trench Coat in Grey - “Dove double-breasted cotton trench with gold mirrored leather griffin buckle fastening. Gryphon trench has epaulettes on shoulder, button fastenings and a pocket on each hip. This Gryphon style comes with two belts, a traditional self-tie style and a glamorous gold style for evening. An essential in every fashion savvy urbanite’s wardrobe” Isn’t it adorable? More images below.

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*notcot - 03.06.08 , 02:07 -

Fendi ‘Paint-Your-Own’ Artist Baguette

fendidiy1.jpgWow. Fendi. “Artist Baguette”, freshly launched for a mere $1300, a new stark white version of their classic - designed by Silvia Venturini Fendi in 1997 - in coated canvas? And it comes with 10 Pantone Universe markers! It sure looks like they are taking a page from the current trends with the vinyl toy blanks… or coloring books/placemats/other children oriented goodies. And in fact quite a few purse sites seem a bit appalled by the whole thing (Purse Blog, Bag Snob, etc)…

Anyhow, putting the pricetag aside, lets think about this from an arts perspective… there is a LOT of collaboration potential here. Can you imagine getting a few of these into the hands of some talented artists and toy designers, and letting them have their way with them? The potential to merge a fashionable classic accessory with art could have some very interesting results (which could also be a way to increase that initial investment, not to mention actually create an even more unique one of a kind designer clutch). So i must admit i’m tempted, although i might have to hold out till i can draw on my own Birkin… See many more images after the jump!

p.s.
It seems like this is one of those situations where packaging makes a world of difference… if it were presented as a gorgeous new white clutch and nothing more, would anyone dare take a sharpie to it? Or would the die hard fashionistas complain about the ridiculousness? And it’s not *just* a white canvas bag, it still has all the detailed stylings of a classic Baguette, and additionally has a playfully multicolored cartoon-like lining!

UPDATE 03.13.08 - i walked by a Fendi store, and couldn’t help myself, so went in and bothered them to show me the bag… that box is FAR bigger than i expected, and the bag is quite hideous… not nice to the touch at all… the coated canvas reminded me more of random art school creations than a designer bag.

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*notcot - 03.05.08 , 14:00 -

Ben Sherman Pacman Blinky

benshermanpac.jpgThis is an odd silly post, i know, but i couldn’t resist. These Ben Sherman slip ons are super cheap ($40 on sale!)… and they were just so cute, they made me laugh when i saw them. They are Ben Sherman. They are black and white (with the ONE red ghosty). They are covered in Pacman Blinkies! (or is it Blinkys?). And some silly part of me half wants them. They are just too cute and silly. More pics below.

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