Click the images to find out more! HAPPY MOTHER's DAY to all the moms out there! And for all the kids- don't forget to call mom.
Tonight i went themed on our roundup for the week ~ top row, unusual frozen goods were trendy on TasteSpotting, from margarita popsicles and frozen eggs to Raw Banana Mango Malted Ice Cream with Agave Caramel... in the middle row, from NOTCOT.org had quite a nice selection of Architecture showing up this week... and finally, from NotCouture here is an assortment of bags, trunks, and 'waterproof backpack reviews'!
Top 25 from each site last week on the next page...
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10 Notes
Fresh 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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What more could we need to kick off a Monday in the making besides waldo hidden in the real world waiting for google maps, designer foosball, books transformed into sculpture, dragon bras, fun dresses and coats, martinis, cupcakes, carbonara, and more? Well here's a selection of things that grabbed me from the last week, and after the jump take a look at the 25 most popular posts from across the NOTCOT Network. Happy Monday! (and as always, click the images to find out more!)
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Nike 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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Click the images to find out more! And as always - TasteSpotting and NotCouture roundups after the jump! Here are the most popular 25 posts over at NOTCOT.org this week! I'm still up in norcal, but theoretically heading back down to LA in a few hours... see some of the deliciousness on tastespotting and notcouture below - the bacon bra is particularly horrifying/fascinating.
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DAMIEN 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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Click the images to find out more! Roundup Time! I just found out tomorrow was a bank holiday... apparently its Caesar Chavez Day? So i guess its a long weekend! (Not that life on the internet really takes weekends.) Anyhow, its been a fun week across the network, with everything from - skulls hidden in black and white line drawings, a hilarious record of a hipster teaching you "how to speak hip", a viral game in the making where you tilt your laptop to drive a motorcycle, a man with the patience to drill insane holes into egg shells, elephants carrying spy cams, backless bras that atatch like a baby carrier, egg filled nest cupcakes, and so much more... see the full roundups after the jump!
...and for TasteSpotting news, the Daring Bakers have just struck again with their latest March Challenge: Dorie's Perfect Party Cake, and the best are popping up as we speak... fascinating to see how all these different people have interpreted the same recipe.
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Click the images to find out more! ~ and being a roundup of roundups, get your quick fix of this weeks fashion and food after the jump as well! (Courtesy of NotCouture and TasteSpotting) Fun to see that a lot of the most popular posts on .org this week seem to be some of the .com posts... and those terribly creeeeeeeeepy Pixeloo renders of Mario and Homer if they were real humans with their cartoon anatomy... freaky stuff! I am scared to see what they take on next...
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1 Notes
The latest from one of our favorite designers, Alissia MT, are these beautiful glass Me-Rors which were produced by Charles & Marie. Coming in two versions, you can view yourself in a floating silhouette, or in a classic oval... either way, it is quite a trip to use a handheld mirror that has your reflection essentially floating as you hold it up to inspect yourself closely... An exciting surprise that showed up at my door last week were one of each of model! I was thrilled to see the packaging on these (and even more excited to share them with you in many pics below)... they come in a pretty simple Charles & Marie branded box, with a magnetic flap you lift and open it, exposing the me-rors embedded in flocked blackness and a playful intro message... take a look below!
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NOTCOT 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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accessories
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On 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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coats
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Wow. 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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art
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This 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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Flipping through the 2008 Incase catalog, these new Nylon Messenger Bags jumped out at me, and upon reading the details (see the catalog pages after the jump) i had to post it out of curiosity and intrigue. In two sizes (medium and large), both have a sleek yet textured look, weather resistant nylon and waterproofed lining, exterior weatherproof pocket and headphone port, topographic print lining, and i like how the edge goes up and around the clips... as well as a mysterious "plush faux-fur lining" (i wonder what that looks/feels like) to protect your goods. In the large model, there is even a removable notebook sleeve, removable hipsack (fanny pack?), interior bike pump tie down, and an "abrasion resistant skateboard attachment with molded skate bumpers". See more details and images after the jump!
It isn't easy finding a good subtle, rugged, stylish, black messenger bag. I've got quite the stash of them (from chrome to ordning & reda to random leather ones to timbuk2 to patagonia...), but it's been a while one has even really caught my attention.
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Click the pics to find out more! Here we have another roundup of roundups ~ a full on best of last week showcasing 24 of the most popular from all of our sites below... and above we have lots of fun art, and a row of green themed foods. Why? Its just what inspired me as i flipped through a few pages this sunday! Oh, and if you haven't checked out Adam's Apple, that's a must! Brilliant illustrations coupled with quite the unexpectedly twisted creation tale.
RANDOMIZER! Also new, we've been working on/tweaking this new feature, and its getting there ~ new buttons are up on all the sites now (see the cute little push pinned polaroid stacks?). I begged dan to make me this one for a while, because with nearly 10,000 posts on NOTCOT.org and TasteSpotting, there is so much incredible stuff, its hard to keep track of everything, so when you just feel like something random and inspiring, perhaps a blast from the past or even something you might have missed... just click the stack! Personally i've lost hours browsing randomly.
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Flipping through the Feb 2008 Vanity Fair, i couldn't resist tearing out this Spring Nordstrom ad... much like the Prada and James Jean campaign for spring, Nordstrom has teamed up with Ruben Toledo who painted 20-by-30 foot walls to serve as a backdrop for the models which were shot by fashion photographer Ruven Afanador... in fact, Toledo even got to paint ON the models for the campaign. Lovely to see the contrast of the perfectly style colorful models in designer dresses and shoes popping off of the playful black and white paintings... see all of the scans after the jump, and you can even click them to see larger.
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Two things happened when the gorgeous lingerie of The Lake & Stars showed up on NotCouture... i wandered to their site, and fell for, perhaps simultaneously, the photography of Tim Zaragoza and their trench coats. While at the moment i'm not sure which one i'm more in love with, or if perhaps the combination is irresistible, i'll let you know when i finally meet one of the coats in person, or find images of it alone. Brooklyn photographer, Zaragoza, has found the perfectly moody, mysterious, dramatic look for these ladies in the trenches with their felty looking shades... and The Lake & Stars have mastered the classic combo of beautiful lingerie, trench coats, and heels. See after the jump for more images i've dug up so far.
p.s. What better name for a trench than - Opportunity?
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Roundup time! Trying something new again ~ i LOVE the roundups, i think its such a nice way to get a condensed speedy overview of what's been going on across the curated user submissions sites (NOTCOT.org, TasteSpotting, and NotCouture), but i've been finding myself quite torn. I just don't love the look of NOTCOT.com being cluttered with so many roundups on the front page at one time... yet there is so much awesome stuff on all the sites, i can't bear to pick one of the three... anyhow, so here's the new idea. Above you see three rows of 5 of my favorites across the sites! And after the jump you can see the top 24 from the last week of all three sites! So as always: Click the pics to find out more! and yes TasteSpotting's row is themed for people who might need some Valentine's inspiration.
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blu_ray ~ the latest collection from CARGO Cosmetics. And yes, that blu_ray. If the beauty industry has anything to say about it, it looks like blu_ray really is winning the war on HD DVD. The CARGO site says "blu-ray, CARGOs revolutionary new collection originally created for make-up artists filiming in high-definition, is designed to provide flawless results while maintaining a perfectly natural look. Because life happens in High-Definition..." So i guess anyone can be ready for their closeup in microscopic high-definition when viewed from a blu_ray dvd? I'm surprised that the 59$ (valued at $130) complete set doesn't come with a blu_ray disc to help give buyers an extra push towards a ps3/blu_ray player... also i'm surprised to not see examples of with/without the magical blu_ray makeup as would be seen in high-definition. See the full collection after the jump!
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Valentine's Day is around the corner, so here's a little something for the men ~ this kind of feels very Hugh Hefner channeling his inner Samurai on a Sunday morning, in a classic designer black. This is "Shogun", the cotton terry robe for Swedish terry brand Pellevävare designed by Form Us With Love. The press release states:
“Shogun” is the name of the collaboration between young, innovative design studio Form Us With Love and prestige manufacturer of cotton terry, Pellevävare. The result is a limited edition of 30 exclusive robes of terry strategically reinforced with cotton canvas. “The inspiration derives from the Japanese medieval warriors and their protective outfits. We wanted the user to feel like a general, stepping out of bed, putting on his weekend uniform and start plotting strategies for the day.”
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cotton
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Prada. They've been grabbing my attention in every magazine lately with these illustration heavy images... (remember NotCouture #1478?) and while i'm still debating and mixed on the illustration on leather bag concept, i'm still loving the illustrations! So while checking out all of the Spring/Summer 08 collections and campaign, i couldn't help but share this incredible (HUGE like 17' x 200') wallpaper they have. Entitled Florid ~ Prada says it "represents the somewhat perverse intersection between Hieronymus Bosch and Aubrey Beardsley. The image depicts an intense landscape of man-eating flowers, dragons, hybrid creatures and eerie fairies." Above is one of my favorite sections of it... the full wallpaper, closeups, and images from the print campaign are after the jump!
UPDATE: Apologies for missing that this was the collaboration work of local LA artist James Jean, and that this wallpaper is hanging right in the Beverly Hills and Soho Epicenter stores sized at 17 x 200 feet! In my cold meds induced haze and excitement while being illustration/prada giddy, i'm terribly embarrassed for the slip up and really should know better than early morning posting! Forgive me? Also take a look at the second wallpaper on his site that isn't on Prada's.
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Blinged out faux-designer weaponry were all the rage at 
Louis Vuitton is really fighting back against counterfeiting these days. Did you hear about how the 
Click the tiny pics to find out more! Here is this weeks roundup full of roundups ~ showing you some of the most popular posts across 
Click the images to find out more! 25 popular posts across 