“Enthusiasm is excitement
with inspiration,
motivation,
and a pinch of creativity.”

— Bo Bennett

A bizarre and dark movie by Wonderland, Dior Homme and Verso featuring the new collection of Dior Homme by Kris Van Assche: ‘The Ritual Of Dress’ is filmed on location in Camber Sands on a very cold autumnal day… not a nice post for a day in early spring, but I like it!

This would definitely be my favorite toy when I was 8. ‘PlayShapes by Miller Goodman is a modular set of 74 geometric wooden shapes which can be endlessly arranged or stacked to produce hundreds of 3D creations. The smooth shapes, with flashes of colour are pleasingly crafted in rubberwood which can also be used as drawing templates. The intrinsic simplicity of the product and clarity of design, freely allows children and adults alike to fully engage in the wonderment and joy of the creative process.
The set of shapes come in a box along with a printed, unbleached cotton drawstring bag and a set of illustrations.’
And we are very proud to announce the PlayShapes are now available at Anothershop! Start playing >

A few weeks ago Samuel pointed me on this Japanese brand called Arts & Science. I’t hart to find out what they’re doing, but I do like this brand with its Tokyo based shop. A great collection in a terrific style! Thank you Samuel for sharing.

A new book by Viviane Sassen, Sol & Luna, was made on assignment and initiative from Our Legacy and Libraryman. Viviane Sassen has completed a specially made and well-built series of imagery with androgyny and beauty as the key principle. A beautiful 32 pages hardcover book, printed in an edition of 300 numbered copies is now available at Anothershop.

Last week Bas shared this fantastic work with me and just wanted to share it with the rest of the world. Anna Atkins (16 March 1799 – 9 June 1871), the English botanist and photographer, is considered the first person to publish a book illustrated with photographic images and the first female photographer as well. We really love these (photo)graphic pages taken from “Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions”…

‘IkebanaMedulla’ by Benjamin Graindorge is the result of shi six-months residence at the villa Kujoyama where he transformed his line sketches into a real vase.
“When I began designing the IkebanaMedulla vases two things were foremost in my mind. The first was practical – design a vase that would be inhabited even when there were no flowers in it. The second was to think out a project whose form would bring together complete calm with a wild – almost animal – tension. I’m exploring the idea of natural savagery, and the IkebanaMedulla vases are my first attempt at a resolution.” — Benjamin Graindorge
From 24 to 28 March 2010 the ‘IkebanaMedulla’ vase will be represented by YMER&MALTA gallery at the Pavillon des Arts et du Design 2010. Find more information at Duende

Not new, but definitely note worthy: Three years ago the French artist Julien Berthier create this piece of art. An abandoned 6.5 metre yacht cut in half to create a permanent wrecked ship to ’sail’ the world. ‘The image, and metaphor of the sinking ship is an iconic one – it signifies death, lost hope and sinking dreams. Berthier’s Love-Love freezes those sentiments permanently both celebrating and overturning them.’ (More about Love Love on Allsopp Contemporary) And be sure you’ll check his fine little pen drawings as well!

On the birthday of car racer, heart-throb and King of Cool Steve McQueen Nowness published some exclusive photos and an interview with Neile Adams. Adams kept over 40 personal scrapbooks documenting her life with McQueen, now sharing just a little bit with us… Enjoy!

I want to ride this one: The AMA Land Speed Record Holder of 1969, the Triumph Trident T150 750cc from Tom Mellor. What a beautiful monster! Read an indepth article on Tom Mellor and his bike at Motorcycle Classics…

Very much like these series of images of the horse tracks by Copenhagen based graphic designer and photographer Emil Hartvig.

Mark Robinson at The189 did an interview with Tenue de Nîmes and published it today. Have a look at the interview here, and make sure to keep an eye on his site on a daily basis. We took the opportunity to shoot some new interior images for Tenue de Nîmes. Have a look at it after the click > Read the rest of this entry »

Dutch online design magazine Fontanel published an extensive, custom designed article on Kenya Hara’s book Designing Design. Japanese graphic designer Kenya Hara wrote a personal introduction addressed to Fontanel’s readers;

[...] I wrote this book out of a desire to communicate my approach and feelings to people around the world. Specifically, I envisaged the reader as being a Dutch woman designer aged about 27. Someone who no longer feels stimulated by brand marketing methods or advanced designs articulated by new media, and who is beginning to think about what sort of design is important for real people with bodies and feelings. [...]

The book is a lovely composition of his shared thoughts, philosophy, commercial work and expositions. Muji’s design and communication advisor wrote among others a delicate chapter on the beauties of white, an oath to the sensibility of all things paper and a refreshing final chapter on the history of design.
Read the review (Dutch only) on Fontanel and be sure to buy Designing Design.

Hansel From Basel just released their spring summer 2010 collection of colorful socks. ‘It is a delightfully colorful collection inspired by cotton candy, antique merry-go-rounds, marching bands, and good-hearted fun!’ Nicholas Haggard did a great job shooting the collection! (Check his other work here>)

Right after the opening of the Burj Khalifa my brother Iwan Baan went to Dubai to capture this absurd and beautiful needle, the tallest building in the world. Yesterday Nowness featured his images. Today we share some more. Read the rest of this entry »

A Smile In The Mind feature about TONG Magazine, a publication dedicated to wine with the current issue focusing on Champagne.
‘Wine… a beverage so unique and rich in flavours, aroma’s and history that I feel a bit ashamed of that I know so less about its beautiful existence. But that will change, because I have received the first two beautiful issues of a new publication ‘TONG‘ that will transmit all the knowledge about wine.’
Continue reading at A Smile In The Mind >

I always wanted to paddle the lakes of Canada, enjoying the wilderness. And if I will go there, I’ll definitely buy some goods at Frost River. A little tent, the Camp Kitchen Pack and probably the Canoe Thwart Bag to carry all my stuff along the river… But meanwhile, far away from the wilderness, I’m thinking about the Overland Garment Bag and maybe one of the Bike Bags while enjoying the nicely illustrated goods on their website.

Really love the series of pictures in the new issue of Waterfall Magazine, Japan Taxi Driver by the Austrian photographer Daniel Gebhart de Koekkoek. And the rest of the magazine is worth a visit as well!

The second issue of Lay Flat, Meta, is edited by Shane Lavalette with guest editor Michael Bühler-Rose. The book brings together a great selection of contemporary photographers. Amongst them are Semâ Bekirovic, Lucas Blalock, Anne Collier, Lisa Oppenheim, James Welling and many more…

Just received an email from the Amsterdam born Koen Tossijn a.k.a. Moos, Tailored Basics, to introduce his made to measure jeans. Started with the dream to make something for the people around him he create the ‘tailored basics’ all from a 14 oz selvage natural dyed indigo denim from the Kuroki mill in Okayama, Japan. At this moment he is working on two outfits based on post war essentials, a men and a woman. What is more beautiful than real, small and engaged craftsmanship?! And the best thing? You can simply buy an item with money, or make something which you believe is of equal value… (PS. Be sure you’ll check his picture blog as well)