We have been following British photographer Luke Stephenson since our collaboration with him, when we gave a signed and numbered copy of his ‘An Incomplete Dictionary of Show Birds’ as our fourth Curated gift in 2013. In the following years Luke has kept very busy and made a name for himself through his exquisite eye for details which transcends his impeccable imagery, both in free project as on commissions. Recently another series of Luke has caught our attention when he portrayed Des Pawson (and some of his beloved knots, ropes and tools), the founder of the interesting Museum of Knots and Sailors’ Ropes for a feature in the inspirational magazine Hole & Corner. The incredible series by the photographer shows Stephenson's great talent, giving a wonderful and inspirational peek into the fascinating world of nautical ropes and knots guided by Pawson in an utmost aesthetic manner. [ Continue reading ]
News from Berlin, as our friends of The Travel Almanac will release number nine of their inspirational magazine next week. Aesthetically the magazine shows a significant break from the earlier issues, with cover subject Charlotte Gainsbourg fragmented into 9 polaroids instead of the usual intriguing portrait, making the new cover a bold move, which we really like. The new edition - underlining why The Travel Almanac continues one of our favorite magazines - has as one of the key themes the fascination and complexity of self-awareness and self-portraiture, first taken on with the inspirational photographer Collier Schorr and secondly discussed with the main representative of the issue; actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg, who takes the reader on a walk through her childhood neighborhood in Paris and her newly adopted home New York City. With the other fascinating stories in the magazine taking one all over the globe, from Eastern-Europe, the Mediterranean to the United States, The Travel Almanac 09 proves to be another inspirational read, making us want to continue exploring. [ Continue reading ]
Astier de Villatte has been making handmade ceramics in Paris since 1996, following in the tradition of the great 18th century Parisian ceramic studios. The most famous Parisian manufacturer, Pont-aux-Choux, produced thousands of ceramic pieces in the 18th Century, right in the heart of the Latin Quarter, with other ceramic studios subsequently prospering in the Paris region in the 19th century. Successor to these famous manufacturers, Astier de Villatte is now the one and only major studio to keep the tradition of artisanal ceramic production in Paris alive. In 2008 a distinct addition was made to the output of Astier de Villatte in a collaboration with one of Takasago’s star perfumers, Françoise Caron, and her team of young perfumers. The result is a collection of an Eaux de Cologne, hand care products and our favorite: 33 scented vegetable-wax candles, each with a delicate scent that is never overpowering. Delectable both unlit and burning, the candles are encased in effervescent glass pots as well as signature Astier de Villatte white ceramic goblets. In our eyes, this makes Astier de Villatte one of the most interesting modern brands through their extraordinary skill to reinterpret techniques and aesthetics from past. [ Continue reading ]
It are exciting times for cycling enthousiasts like ourselves. Although it is no secret what some of our favorite brands out there are, we are keen to see many new - elegant - initiatives making the field more and more interesting. Where maybe 10 years ago the focus was still solely on performance, many of the new names are finding ways to combine essentials for racing with an appealing aesthetic. One of those new names which we discovered recently is WarsawCycling. The young French brand was brought forth from the union of ex-bike messenger, Sven and designer, Charlotte, who both believe in prioritizing aesthetics and quality in the production of their apparel, by designing eye-catching gear that is crafted to resist the elements. Born from a desire to create garments in which one will feel comfortable and unique when riding -whether it’s in a competition or when commuting - WarsawCycling's designs embrace an alternative approach to cycling culture and sports, inspired by bike messenger life, track bike criteriums, runway fashion and underground culture. [ Continue reading ]
Last November we wrote about the beautiful Art Print Project, which was presented to celebrate the first CITIx60 travel guides by inspirational Hong Kong-based publisher viction:ary and mentioned more guides coming up. Some months later the first new additions are here, with Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Amsterdam being added to the growing catalogue of guides. We were honored to be one of the people to share a favorite for the Amsterdam guide, next to the fact that Tenue de Nîmes has also been mentioned by 100% Halal filmproducer Gijs Determeijer. The aim viction:ary has with their CITIx60 guides is to present a list of handpicked hotspots that illustrate the spirit of the world’s most interesting design hubs. Built on a unique collaboration with local talents all known for their accomplishments from film making, food, advertising to design, the pocket-sized guides are packed with artistic twists and practical info essential for a satisfying trip - presented in playfully designed and illustrated guides. [ Continue reading ]
On the 30th of April, a very special new meeting place for lovers of art, design and food opened its doors in the city of Amsterdam. In a monumental building in between the streets Rokin and Nes, right in the heart of Amsterdam. The initiative of cultural entrepreneur Jessica Voorwinde combines an exhibition space for art and design and a spectacular barroom, which was designed by Lex Pott, resulting in an incredible hybrid for lovers of food and art under one roof. By collaborating with astonishing people of the creative industry Voorwinde created a playground for all art-lovers. A place where people can meet and enjoy various inspiring events and exhibitions, taste some amazing ’culture bites’, have a drink at the marmor bar or buy a design from exquisite designers. Whenever visiting Amsterdam make sure to stop by and be inspired. [ Continue reading ]
We've been a fan of the inspirational work of American photographer Mikael Kennedy for years now. After releasing the incredible Done to Death Projects publication 'California' last year, he has now returned on its own with a sequel to that series named 'New Mexico'. In the same familiar toned down color palette, Kennedy once more takes the spectator on one of his tremendous journeys through wide open landscapes, which he distilled into a collection of 31 color photographs blessed with his signature aesthetic, taken during his stay in the American state last November. Kennedy presents the new project in a tremendous 44-page zine, which was printed in his homebase New York City - limited to 200 copies. We can't get enough of Kennedy's images which evoke somewhat of an escapist and melancholic sentiment within the beauty of the depicted landscapes, making us want to hit to road every time we lay our eyes on them. [ Continue reading ]