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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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 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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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 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 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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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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