Tuesday 31 January 2012

The Wiggle Side Chair

Meet the Wiggle Side Chair created by Frank Gehry in 1972. Frank Gehry is well known for his use of unusual materials. With his “Easy Edges” furniture series for Vitra, he succeeded in giving a new aesthetic dimension to cardboard, an unassuming everyday material. Although they look surprisingly simple, the “Easy Edges” pieces have been constructed with an architect’s skill and are exceedingly robust and stable. 

Materials: corrugated cardboard, edges made of hardboard, natural or lacquered. Costs $985.00

The Holga 135 Pan Panorama Camera




Holga just released their own interchangeable, the 135 Pan Panorama Camera ($90). The camera shoots on 35mm film and come stocked with a 55mm f/8 lens and .25mm f/236 pinhole lens.
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Monday 30 January 2012

Yayoi Kusama and Louis Vuitton collaboration in 2012


A collaboration between the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama and Louis Vuitton is set to debut with the New York show, coinciding with artist’s retrospective at Tate Modern Museum in London in February which will then move to the New York’s Whitney Museum in July. While no official images of the collaboration have been made available, the above image of  Marc Jacobs (pre-studliness) holding an LVMH bag customized and signed by Kusama, dating from 2006, perhaps can be seen  as a precursor of what we can expect. Lots of artsy polka dots.
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The 2012 Land Rover Defender Blaser Limited Edition


The 2012 Land Rover Defender Blaser Limited Edition, with only 60 pieces ever made is priced at $64,500.
The things to note in vehicle would include the Keswick green paintjob (exterior and interior stitched leather upholstery) which will be useful for camouflaging in the wild, along with the skid plates, frontier push bars, electric winches, additional lighting system, and also a special rack on the hood of the SUV, accessible by a mini-ladder that comes with it. Since this SUV is meant for uneven paths, there will be special tires which will be apt for the uneven surfaces in the wild, helping extra grip on road. 
The most interesting addition of the lot however, is the lockable gun safe placed at the passenger or rear end of the vehicle. 
This gives space for storage and mounting of 5 long arms along with ammunition. Should wildlife photography be the main interest, there is also the provision of putting up one’s camera on the holder.


 As for the engine goes, there is the Euro-5 compliant 2.2-liter turbo diesel version, which gives 122BHP of power output.
 It also has additional air intake capacity due to the additional capabilities. 
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The iDesk Concept


The Adam Benton iDesk Concept comes along and any electronic intellect you possessed becomes absolutely amateur. 
The iDesk is an insanely creative concept illustrated by the talented graphic designer, that turns a sleek office surface into a massive touchscreen tablet. Benton’s idea would allow you to access the majority of your everyday workspace items as virtual accessories and even sync any iOS device you own just by setting it on top of the table. You could upload different skins to change your decor daily, save all of your files internally, and even set out digital trays to amass documents from other iDesks. 
The features of the futuristic Adam Benton iDesk Concept are endless, and for Apple to eventually bring this genius idea to life would be their coolest consumer-pleasing move yet.
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Sunday 29 January 2012

Jean-Paul Gaultier Spring 2012 Haute Couture


Inspired by the much-admired Amy Winehouse, Jean-Paul Gaultier couture show for Spring 2012, artfully married her pinup edge with his design mastery. Year after year the Gaultier look remains as a stunnning example of a timeless design signature. 
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Chanel Bleu Illusion Nail Polish


The nail polish, called “Bleu Illusion,” featured in Chanel’s Spring 2012 runway presentation was created by Peter Philips, Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup .The Exclusive Collection BLEU ILLUSION will be available at specific points of sales in July 2012.
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The Aquarium Sink

The Aquarium Sink is a unique way to change a boring bathroom fixture into something spectacular. Sold through Opulent Items, this "living aquarium" sink has a top that can be removed for cleaning and rearranging, a filtration system, and two openings on the sides for feeding the fish. A light is found in the back part of the fixture which creates a calming glow. 

The unit can also be transformed into a Zen rock garden or whatever type of display case you prefer. The aquarium currently sells for $4,500.

Tsovet Ganassi Racing Team Limited Edition Watch


Tsovet is celebrating the 145 wins of the Chip Ganassi Racing Team with a limited edition watch inspired by the team's racing pedigree and signature colors. Limited to 51 pieces worldwide, the watch is housed in a PVD gun metal case with a matte finish with red hits of color on the dial, pusher, and watch strap. Inside is the widely respected Valjoux 7750 movement which will power the watch for 42 hours and backs the day/date and chronograph functionality. Each edition will come in a custom wooden display box which is presented with a book that highlights Chip Ganassi Racing's wins from 1994 to 2011.
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The BRD RedShift MX Electric Bike


The BRD RedShift MX ($15,000) is an electric bike that's designed for MX2/Lites-class racing, yet still manages to be street legal. Features include 40 maximum hp, 12-inch fully adjustable front and rear suspension, a 21-inch front wheel and 19-inch rear, and a top speed of 80 mph.
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Saturday 28 January 2012

The Vittoria Concept Car

Italian designer Umberto Palermo has officially unveiled his Vittoria concept car at the 2012 Qatar Motor Show. The Vittoria is a supercar with a hybrid V8 engine. The concept is shrouded in mystery, with no specific engine details or performance specs given.
What we know about the Vittoria concept car is what we can see, which is actually kind of a lot. 
This concept has a futuristic design that makes it look more like it belongs in the world of “Speed Racer” than in this one. The front grille has an odd look that replaces a single grille with a series of small portholes. The taillights use LEDs and the cabin looks a lot like a cockpit.

High heel and purse Cupcakes

Sugar-hungry fashionistas are sure to get a kick out of these high heel and purse cupcakes from the new book ‘Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh My!’ by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. The celebrated creators of cupcake chic have done it again with this innovative confection cookbook. Packed with stunning cupcake designs and in-depth how-tos, this sweet manual will have you whipping out batches of gorgeous petite cakes like a pro.



These high heel and purse cupcakes are just one example of the kooky cupcake designs found in ‘Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh My!’ Crafty and creative, these stylish cakes are sure to dazzle all your fashion-conscious gal pals. 

The MWE Emperor 200 Workstation


The MWE Emperor 200 is a scorpion-like design that gives a dangerous look to this workstation. It has a leather ergonomic chair that brings comfort to the user. In front of the seat is a touchscreen panel and a mini desk to hold keyboards and computer mice with. At the end of the tail are three 24” LED HD monitors that arches right in front of the person, all of which are adjustable. The Emperor 200 is also motorized, which means anyone can position the chair to their liking without getting up. There’s also THX surround sound and air filtration.
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Magellan’s ‘Magelluna’ Moon watch


Magellan watch’s Magulluna virtually puts the celestial entity on the wrist of the wearers, in what could be a tribute to it.
Featuring a 43.5mm diameter casing, the presentation comes as a simplistic unit created out of refined stainless steel. Unlike some of the bigger brands, there isn’t much use of novel and expensive fabrication, but instead uses a higher grade of the metal to make a watch, which will stand out purely on the finishing and craftsmanship involved. In a dome shaped, sapphire crystal covered dial, lies a black PVD coated, poke marked dial which has a garland of Roman numeral markings on the side which display the hours. In the centre is the most artistic part which we just mentioned, brings forward a very realistic miniature surface rendering of the moon. Even the polished minute and hours hands have been shaped uniquely to work along with round surfacing of the dial. The sharp but eye appealing contrast is the thin red seconds hand which works around the other 2 hands.
Under the hood, or rather the dial is the ETA 2892 movement which powers itself by a self-winding mechanism.
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Friday 27 January 2012

2013 Venom GT Spyder


Meet the 2013 Venom GT Spyder from Hennessey Performance, the open top variant of the Venom GT Coupe. A massive 1,200 bhp (895 kW / 1217 PS) is produced by the Venom GT Spyder’s engine and the model’s weight is stated to be 1,200 kg ( 2,645 lbs ). Pricing for the coupe is set at $950,000 whereas the Spyder will cost $1.1 million. Hennessey states it has already received orders for two of the five Venom GT’s it will build for the 2013 model year.
“With the hardtop in place, the Venom GT offers a very visceral, raw, driving experience”, comments Hennessey CEO, Don Goldman. “With the hardtop removed, the wind and the growl of the twin turbo V8 will offer our clients an even greater driving sensation.”
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Golden Spider Silk at the V&A Museum, London


An astonishing golden outfit made from the silk of spiders has gone on display at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.
It took more than four years to make the four-metre-long hand-woven textile from the silk of 1.2million female golden orb spiders, native to Madagascar.
It was made by Englishman Simon Peers and American Nicholas Godley, both of whom have lived and worked in Madagascar for many years.



Spiders were collected every morning before silk is extracted from them by trained handlers. They were returned to the wild at the end of each day.
The process is extremely laborious – on average, 23,000 spiders are needed to create about 28 grams of silk, according to the museum.
The last known spider silk textile was made for an exhibition in Paris in 1900 but no examples remain.
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Konstantinos Chaykin Mystery Watch




Konstantin Chaykin ‘Mystery’ Watch goes on display at BaselWorld 2012, in the month of March. 
The Russian horological maestro includes new aesthetics and advanced mechanics in the Mystery watch, which will have its minutes and hours hands suspended on a transparent dial, apparently. Apart from the obvious unknown element of the design, the great finishing and aesthetics are a part of the packaging for this new creation.
With the Mystery watch, one can begin to draw lines on the fact that Chaykin has something for the moon and its movements. 
Featuring a gold case available in rose or white options, there is a transparent dial which features the hours and minute hands on a transparent base, which somehow also conceals the smaller tourbillon movement parts under the bezel, never the less giving the rather different appearance to the timepiece. The Roman numeral digits on the out ring indicate the hours, with the micro-markings in between meant for the minutes. Around the 3 ‘o’clock mark is the Konstantin Chaykin Branded moon phase indicator, which the Russian designer has successfully used even with the previous model.
The mystery seems to have been retained for watch until BaselWorld event in March this year. That’s when further details about the fabrication, pricing, and horological engineering will be revealed.
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The Spa House

 The Spa House was created by Metropolis Design, a team of talented architects with offices in Cape-Town. The fabulous residential project was completed last year. Enjoying the wonderful surroundings of the Hout Bay coastal suburb of Cape Town, the owners of this semi-transparent house desired a contemporary structure that would invite natural mountainside views inside through huge glass windows. Entertaining and relaxation facilities were designed in response to the client’s requests – an oasis of water-related features.



Owners and friends can enjoy the luxurious recreational and spa facilities of the separate Spa House connected to the main building by foot paths. The steel and concrete structure was adorned in a continuous way, to blur the lines between inside and outside. Overlooking the bay and harbor, the modern home is nestled between sandstone formations that encouraged the architects to integrate the building in the surrounding African landscape. With a stunning dining area submerged below water level, the house also benefits from an island-inspired pool deck and an underwater spa, massage rooms, deep and shallow pools, children’s pool and jacuzzi.
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Thursday 26 January 2012

Limited Edition Chanel bags for Bellagio Hotel


In celebration of the re-opening of its store in the Bellagio hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Chanel is offering an exclusive set of bags exclusive to the location. Note the dice! 
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The tea bag cookie


The tea bag cookie as its name suggests is an adorable confection inspired by the tea bag.
Created by Kim of Party Frosting, the tea bag cookie is made out of a simple, but delicious shortbread recipe, which mimics the small, porous bags often used to brew this beverage. Kim then cleverly dips each cookie in chocolate to give the illusion that each of these ‘bags’ are actually filled with tea leaves. Afterwards, she threads cookies with small tags to finish off the resemblance. 
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Cast Shoe in bronze and brass


Cast Shoe is set to debut at the Home Furnishing expo in Paris. This eagerly anticipated exhibit features classic shoes encrusted in bronze and brass.
Each polished piece of the Cast Shoe collection features phenomenal detailing such as worn in lines and creases. The collection is centered on the brogue shoe, which is a classic English shoe, and a staple of most professionals’ wardrobes. The shoes give off an unprecedented shine, and are very enticing to onlookers. Regardless of how impossible it would be to wear these shoes, they would make a great staple as a sculpture in any footwear-lovers living room.
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Svvving Luxury Swings bring fun to fancy homes


Every swing is assembled to the same model, with a broad and rigid wooden seat, a soft cushion and a set of strong cords that keep it securely fastened to the ceiling. Beyond these compositional criteria, each object assumes a different aesthetic through its type and treatment of wood and its patterned fabric upholstery. Designed specifically for the enjoyment of adults, Svvving Luxury Swings bring focused successful people back in touch with the simple pleasures of childhood.
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Wednesday 25 January 2012

Cakeadoodledoo cupcake sleeve


‘Cakeadoodledoo’ takes the baking to the next level by making you earn some serious bonus points for presentation with these crafty and creative cupcake accessories. Swath your tasty treats in these decorative cupcake sleeves and see how quickly they disappear.
Available in mini and jumbo size, Cakeadoodledoo’s cupcake sleeves with fit all your cup shaped confections big or small. Cakeadoodledoo also offers it customers the opportunity to add a monogram to anyone of the cupcake sleeves, so you can give your desserts a personal touch.



 With so many different designs to choose from, you’ll have no problems locating the perfect cupcake wrapper for any occasion.

The world’s largest cut emerald will auction


Owners of the world’s largest cut emerald – a 57,500-carat natural wonder – will auction off the gem later this month, and the bidding starts at $1 million.
The gem – called Teodora, or gift of God, in Portuguese – was mined in Brazil and sold to an Indian buyer, but little is known of the stone’s origins.
Teodora weighs 11.5 kilograms. It is actually the fifth largest emerald ever found but the biggest that’s been cut with facets.
The gem was never cut into smaller rocks for jewelry because it is opaque and not translucent. So the value resides in the fact it is so big.
The emerald will be sold at Western Star Auctions in Kelowna, British Columbia, on Jan. 28.
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Porsche Panamera Black Bison


The Porsche Panamera Black Bison is a five-door design that is function, fun and elegance wrapped in one luxurious black model.
The Porsche Panamera has even been given a pre-release, testosterone-driven face lift full of upgrades including a body kit by Wald international. According to the Porsche website, the toned-down touring car version has a 0-100km speed of 4.2, and a top track speed of 303kph.

Few people would have attempted to perfect a Porsche, but Wald international’s Porsche Panamera Black Bison blows the competition out of the water. This “dub” edition of the luxury car shows what the perfect mix between luxury and street racing can look like.
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Tuesday 24 January 2012

Starbucks to sell beer and wine soon in selected locations


Starbucks explained that recently removing the word “coffee” from its logo freed up the company to branch out into new products. One of those products appears to be alcohol as the company looks to expand on this offering to new locations in Atlanta and Southern California. They also plan on boozing-up select Chicago locations by the end of 2012.
Starbucks began selling beer and wine in a handful of Seattle-area Starbucks locations starting in 2010.
“As our customers transition from work to home, many are looking for a warm and inviting place to unwind and connect with the people they care about,” Clarice Turner, Starbucks’ senior vice president of U.S. operations, said in a news release.
Starbucks noted that it does not expect to bring beer and wine sales to all of its 11,000 cafes, but it’s clear that they plan on taking the offering nationwide.
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Givenchy Haute Couture Spring 2012


Givenchy gives a hot collection for their Haute Couture Spring 2012 showcase in Paris. Impressive creativity and diversity of every piece including the large head pieces which all fell under the Japanese inspired collection. Ricardo Tisci is definitely leading Givenchy in the right direction.
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The Habtoor Palace project


The Al Habtoor Group, a UAE-based development firm, plans to build a new triple-hotel complex in the heart of the Emirate as part of a $1.3 billion project.
The “Habtoor Palace” formed of two skyscrapers rising from a five-storey podium base, will see over 1,600 rooms added to Dubai‘s hotel scene.
The rest of the complex is designed as a ‘lifestyle experience,’ Al Habtoor says, with a luxury spa and multiple restaurants and banqueting facilities.
The attraction will also include a huge theater, complete with a hydraulic central stage, water features and movable floors.
A designer shopping arcade and sports academy will top off the project, Al Habtoor says, while 37,000 square meters of gardens will also be included.
Although the project isn’t likely to get underway until later this year and won’t be complete until 2015, concerns have already been raised about the effect of the extra rooms on the Dubai hotel scene, where supply already far outstrips demand.
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Monday 23 January 2012

Omega Seamaster James Bond Limited Edition

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the James Bond film series, Omega is set to release a version of their Seamaster watch updated with details dedicated to the classic franchise. For instance, the watch uses a “007″ theme on the black lacquer dial with an emphasis on the number “50″ on the outer bezel. Less apparent details are the way in which the winding rotor is constructed in a bullet shape, a tasteful homage that does not compromise the Seamaster’s original beauty. The timepiece will be offered by the Swiss company in a limited edition of 11,007 pieces.
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Bodum Bistro Pour Over Coffee Machine


Bodum Bistro Pour Over Coffee Machine ($250) aims to replicate the tedious yet tasty pour over process. It uses a spiral heating element to get the water as close to boiling as possible before transporting it over to the fine-mesh, titanium-plated coffee filter. It then passes though a shower head to ensure even distribution, while the filter lets through all the flavor and none of the grit. Finally, the double-walled thermos ensures the stuff stays warm, yet still opens with a simple press of a button. 
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Alienware X51




Alienware is slimming down in hopes of getting into your living room. The console-sized Alienware X51 ($700) is the company's smallest gaming PC yet, offering a 1080p high-def and 3D gaming experience with 7.1 surround-sound audio and an optional Blu-Ray drive. Sporting a matte black finish and dual-orientation chassis, the X51 packs in 2nd generation Intel Core i processors, NVIDIA GeForce GT or optional GTX graphics cards, Wi-Fi, HDMI, two SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports, 4GB of RAM, 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 graphics, and a 1TB hard drive. 
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Sunday 22 January 2012

Montblanc Princesse Grace de Monaco Collection


Montblanc Princesse Grace de Monaco Collection is dedicated to Grace Kelly from the designer brand, through a series of special edition pieces of jewelry, writing instruments, and artistically crafted watches. With the close association of the luxury brand and the Principality of Monaco, this special collection indeed stands a true tribute to the Princess, and the principality’s taste for aesthetic jewellery.




This collection would include pieces of jewelry like bracelets, ear-rings, pendants and rings. Some of the main highlights of this collection include the specially carved white and rose gold shaping which depict the petals of a rose, and the sensual grace of the princess. Other than that, there the drop-cut sapphires which intervene perfectly well with the theme of the collection, highlighting the feminine beauty of her royal highness, Princess Grace.
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Bakerella

Bakerella is one of the food world’s most celebrated bloggers and the indisputable queen of Cake Pops. Her astounding fondant skills never cease to amaze and thanks to her creative spark, her wildly popular site is always full of clever ideas and one-of-a-kind designs. Bakerella’s bubbly personality and infectious optimism also makes her blog one playful and energetic read.
The perfect place to chase your blues away, Bakerella’s darling confections never fail to put a smile on her reader’s faces. From nostalgic Muppet cake pops to sweet lovestruck cupcakes, there is no end to the volumes of fun recipes and craft projects Bakerella has to offer. Her simple step-by-step instruction leaves no one behind, so even the clumsiest of bakers are sure to turn out with a captivating result.
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Noir 50 by Sit


Noir 50 by Sit is like a literal interpretation of the comfortable Croc Clogs that have weaseled their way into the hearts of many. For all those animal rights activist out there, however, it has to be noted that these heels are not made out of real crocodiles, no matter how frighteningly realistic they look.
Created for the Hybrid Thinking exhibit currently being held at Jonahton Levine Gallery in New York, Noir 50 by Sit explores “the troubled relationship between mankind and the animal kingdom” and the concept “of instinct, identity and metamorphoses,” as put by the art gallery. 
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Saturday 21 January 2012

Creative Pillow at Kima Zabete


“I don’t get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day” Linda Evangelista’s famous quote was spotted in a SoHo (New York) boutique Kirna Zabete, on an embroidered pillow. Created by a home designer Jonathan Adler, it is on sale for $60.
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Diet Coke Get Glam editions


Pop cans have never been more fashionable than the Diet Coke Get Glam editions. This stylish campaign centres around three can designs: each one has a silhouette of a woman’s face filled with either a floral, zebra or houndstooth print. Although specifically targeting consumers in the UK and across Europe, the Diet Coke Get Glam ad campaign will surely capture the attention of women around the world.
Created in collaboration with Benefit Cosmetics, the Diet Coke Get Glam campaign entices women with a five pound coupon for Benefit purchases over 20 pounds. 
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