*NOTCOT in wearable -

60’s Frames

image1l.JPG.jpgSweet. I just like them. To look at. Maybe not to wear. I love this image, great color, fun size, timeless look (ok maybe that’s a little of a stretch). Thanks BagLady

*NOTCOT in wearable - 05.11.05 -

Patagonia. Sorry.

48271_459.fpx.jpgI love Patagonia. I love their older model of the Atom Bag. I have always wanted one of their messenger bags. It has just never been perfect enough. And i thought that had ended today…

Enter: the brand new Half-Mass bag… i go to A16 to buy a sleeping bag, and with their extremely personable knowledgable staff, i get shown the brand new line of Patagonia Messenger Bags. WOOHOO, it was gorgeous, (i love that dark chocolate color… their name not mine)… EXTREMELY light for a padded multi-compartmented computer bag… so what could go wrong?

I bought it. 79$ not bad at all… until i tried my computer in it.

TO PAGE 2 of "Patagonia. Sorry."! ----->

*NOTCOT in playful -

SHEEEEEEEP

sheep.jpgesheep-screenshot.gifSheeeeep! from old school pixelized 2d, to playful 3d! Ok back in the days of windows 95, and this little tiny exe that propogated little sheep running around that you could drag around your desktop? Up, down, all over your windows… and the alien would come abduct them now and then? Or they’d take showers? Or fall in love? (i think that’s all they did)

Ok maybe it was just me. But these 3D little “who know’s which you’ll get” boxed figurine series reminded me of that. And the nostalgia alone would have made it worth it to go buy some, but combined with the fun style of them, they are irresistible.

And they have function when you pull off their coats!

This series kinda takes the sealed box experience to the next level - each of these little rams has a different personality - positive or negative. Open a box and see what kind of day you’ll have… or write down the name of someone and put it under the sheep when you sleep. During the night, that sheep will supposedly cause good or bad dreams for that person?!
And on top of all that, you can ‘sheer’ your sheep by peeling off their coats to see a hidden graphic underneath.
10 different characters but you won’t know which one you have until you open the box.


Giant Robot Sheep Dream

*NOTCOT in home+decor -

Katamari Robo-table

crazytable.jpgApparently Keita Takahashi (creator of the awesome game Katamari Damacy) studied sculpting in college. He claims that this is where he first came up with his goal to improve the world by making people happy.

The initial fruits of this ambition are almost as amusing at his recent game.
Witness: this coffee-table/robot. As he says “it can even fly”. Another cute aside is that it takes two people to complete the robot’s transformation, so one must “learn to work with a fellow human to achieve the amusing effects of this piece”.

Kinda reminds me of the new two player mode that has been announced in Katamari Damacy 2, where the players must work together to control the same Katamari.

Click on the image for a bigger view.

*NOTCOT in design -

Katamari Hippo/Goat

hippo-goat.jpg

These are two other creations by Keita Takahashi. The hippo is a tissue box holder, which plays on the word hippo in Japanese, which if I understand correctly sounds like the word for a tissue box holder. The whimsy of the piece comes through clearly even just in the expression on the hippo itself (let alone the colossal size).

My favorite though is the goat planter. While initially it looks like what one might call a “rather normal looking goat shaped planter”, the humor arises once you water the plant. The excess water from the planter drains through the goats udder onto the floor.

Perhaps its my over-active imagination, but this idea of a whimsical artistic creation that achieves humor through interaction seems like a good way of describing his theme both in his physical art and his video game. Whatever the case, I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.

Click on the image above to watch Keita Takahashi’s talk at GDC, where he discusses these art pieces and his path to creating Katamari Damacy (he mentions his art about 40 minutes in).

*NOTCOT in wearable -

Shu-Shu, Baby

lv_shu01b_df.jpg“Shu-Shu, Baby” is what Sinatra inscribed on a make up case for Uemura. This article chronicles the rise of Shu Uemura from the 1962 “My Geisha” to Marilyn Monroe… all the way to the new SF Fillmore store opening on Weds.

Additionally the SF Gate describes the work of Ai Yamaguchi (seen in this image working on the mural) and her relationship with Uemura from her sponsorship of her first solo show in LA after being part of the Murakami Factory…

Surrounded by fog, she’s accompanied by girls with teal manga eyes representing Japan’s seven gods of good luck, all paddling through shallow waters dotted with blossoming lotus plants and reeds, which is what Yamaguchi imagined they would encounter beyond landfall. The journey has transformed them all, and they will undergo more change upon landing in San Francisco, Yamaguchi said.

The characters are apparently on a journey to find strength, and the makeup and brushes in the store will come to further transform them. She also uses shimmering gold swirls to represent changes in time as well as allusions to the gold rush which she “studied in school”. Fascinating read… continue here.

*NOTCOT in wearable - 05.10.05 -

Oh, you pretty things…

av_snake_ring.jpg

Okay, I don’t know why, but I’m suddenly jonesin’ for some jewelry. I think perhaps this A.V.Max ring is to blame for setting off the craving, and the fact that it is backordered for a few more days is making it worse! This ring can be purchased through Girlshop.com.I usually don’t like gold or gold-toned jewelry, but this one is appealing to me anyway. Costing only $18, I wonder what it’s actually made of..?

Some more jewelry I’m lusting after is made by Small Things Designs. They make stuff that’s more like what I usually like: silver and simple. It’s also very elegant, and I like the contemporary symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes.

*NOTCOT in playful -

Kigurumania

kigiruman61.gifMUST WATCH VIDEOS… dancing 2” little toys that stick on bottle caps and react to noise. From the flash: Kigurumix are very cute dancers. Please watch their dance when you are depressed or hard. You will surely very happy feeling

While that quote says it so well, you really need to watch the three videos below too fully appreciate the joy these little guys can bring. ShadeElaine just got the blue chick from GRSF and made a little video for me to watch, and the addiction has begun… i think i might need the skull one who has a coin operated panda (see the many images after jump)
ShadeElaine’s Vid

Two Dancing
Skull Dancing

Here are the main links to check out: Even if you don’t know japanese, explore like crazy… each page is worthwhile, and filled with amusement.
Tomy Kigurumix (animals) + Tomy Kigurumiman (people) + CollectionDX

TO PAGE 2 of "Kigurumania"! ----->

*NOTCOT in wearable -

French Veggies…

les_champions_04.jpgFor the “french vegetarian” in my life Not to mention this cute shirt is on sale for 14$ at the moment (and it comes in green as well). There is also a great GRRR sound of music-esque shirt and an “i love tofu” one that could be cute. OOOH the Les Champions Vegetarian print also comes on a hoody. Menu Design Found via Insurgent Muse

*NOTCOT in design - 05.09.05 -

Magazine Age

calimag.pngThe war on filtration has begun. We’ve fought for freedom, property, access… there were newspapers, radio, tv, and now internet. There’s always the next big thing that puts fear in the established and creates opportunity for the next big thing. Well, it looks like the war on filtration of information in a time of a new problem of instant access to too great a wealth of information and misinformation is on.

Here is the newest campaign by the Magazine Publishers of America… on why the Age of the Magazine is coming.

Magazines Engage: In this age of interruption and advertising avoidance, consumers invite magazines into their lives.

That’s what they say anyhow, they also claim that mags provide accountability. Question everything… more imagery after.

TO PAGE 2 of "Magazine Age"! ----->

*NOTCOT in food+drink -

100% Chocolate

07.jpg100% Chocolate basically says it all… The Japanese interior design group Wonderwall created this amazing space in Tokyo in collaboration with the Groovisions (remember those screensavers from nissan in the start of notcot?)…

The theme is “Chef’s Table in the Kitchen.” The entire establishment is rendered as a chocolate kitchen, with a table placed within to accommodate invited guests. Covering one of the walls are 56 different types of chocolate blocks, tastefully placed in glass showcases.

This exquisite boutique food experience looks like quite the indulgence for all your senses. Wallpaper discussed its role in the evolution of choclatiers, and the new trend moving towards innovation in packaging, presentation, and “product development”… catering to a more design-literate audience. With a combination of idiosyncratic flavors (green tea? gin and tonic?) and ceilings of enormous cubes of imitation chocolate… and Groovisions clean funky graphics… who can’t help but forget their woes for a few divine moments?

more images following… this post inspired by a need for some bliss, preferably in the form of quality dark chocolate mixed with playful classy visuals to tease my senses into oblivion.

TO PAGE 2 of "100% Chocolate"! ----->

*NOTCOT in wearable - 05.07.05 -

Screw Ring

195094] Ring corkscrew.jpg This stimulates me visually. That is the only reason i am posting it (well that and my recent thing for bottle openers and corkscrews of unique design). It doesn’t seem too practical. Or have a cool way of storing/hanging. Reminds me of those IUD’s from sex ed.

*NOTCOT in wearable -

Aspirin Link

13-1022.jpgIT OPENS! Can’t you see being in a meeting? or a horrible dinner? or a mind blowing concert where you happen to be in a shirt shirt that needed cufflinks? Anyhow, they are so subtle yet detailed. If they didn’t open and hold pills or whatever you want to hide inside, it wouldn’t be nearly as fascinating an idea.

*NOTCOT in home+decor -

Plant Lamp

Lampel.jpgLamp + Plant = Lampel. It’s such a simple idea really, i don’t know why i haven’t discovered such a combination earlier… although it does make one wonder about whether you need to worry about the plant catching fire, or overheating it causing damage to its growth? But pretty none-the-less.

*NOTCOT in home+decor -

Wine Chandelier

glasklasen.jpgThere’s lighting, art, storage combining into a gorgeous functional piece here. Basically, you place your own glasses into this elaborate rack, and flip the switch to let the two bulbs within illuminate the full structure. So many ideas on how you could come up with variations on your own, or using different shaped/colored glasses. The structure comes fitted for 16, 40, or 75 glasses.

Storklasen (the Glass Cluster) is a chandelier and at the same time a repository for drinking-glasses with stems, either with all glasses alike or of various combinations and colours. With two clear bulbs, e.g. a carbon-filament lamps with two pendulums/electric fittings, Storklasen will provide a pleasant lighting where reflections from the 76 glasses creates lights and patterns on surrounding surfaces in the room. Storklasen is a genuine product of Swedish art industry, designed by a team of two architects - Gunnar Cedervall and Björn Stillefors - and an industrial designer - Jörgen Pudeck. The manufacturing takes place in Sweden, at a smithy dating from 1840. The glasses in the chandelier are meant to be used and then replaced in the chandelier after being washed. Storklasen, including standard length pendulum, is adapted to fit over a dining table in a room with a height of 2.40 m. The Storklasen can be found only one surface treatments black lacquered. If you have a room of different height, or want to hang the chandelier in a different way, there are pendulums of different length made to order. Glasses is not included

Its a fascinating idea really… except for the dust and spiders that might enjoy all the crevices if you dont use those glasses frequently enough? And the price from 98 pounds up to 1,032 pounds with no glasses included, i kind of wonder if we could design our own?

More after the jump…

TO PAGE 2 of "Wine Chandelier"! ----->

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