moment design: 'and a', clothing store japan

'and a' is a clothing store which recently opened in japan. the interiors by moment design
use the color scheme of red and black which were one of the most important elements
in their design. the shop is divided into the three zones with the theme, 'future,' 'past,'
and 'present', where each zone is color coded relating to the themes. this concept leads
to 'the mixed culture,' which is one of the features of 'and a'.




image courtesy moment design



image courtesy moment design


image courtesy moment design


image courtesy moment design


image courtesy moment design


image courtesy moment design


image courtesy moment design

Cheap diamond USB watch necklaces raises question of fashionable multifunction

Fake diamonds + watch + USB drive make up this blinged out necklace marketed towards ladies who might want to carry their data around their necks. At $22 for 2 gigs, it's most definitely cheaper than buying each separately. But can Multifunction really = High Fashion? With the rare exception, I'm inclined to say no. Of course, this could change as our aesthetic tastes evolve over time.

Link [via Gizmodiva]

Touch-Sensitive Hoodie Lights Up, Plays Tunes

Leah Buechley designed this hoodie at the MIT Media Lab using a LilyPad Arduino, power supply, LEDs, tiny speaker and iron conductive fabric.*

I've looked at a ton of light up garments, El Wire, etc. This is one of the most tastefully- and artfully-done articles of clothing I've seen as of late. Instead of hiding the electronics, the graphic on the back integrates, even highlights the main board. Really well done, imho.

The how-to up on Instructables is thorough and straightforward. Considering a handmade touch-sensitive hoodie can fetch $6 300 (not kidding!), you really should try going for it on your own.

*Here's a good assessment of various types of conductive thread.

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Lighting collection by 7Gods

"Alan" table lamp

7Gods is a London based Interior Architectural company that have been creating innovative work for clients large and small in Commercial Office design, Retail design, Residential Interior and Branding design.
Over the years 7Gods have created lighting solution on most projects they have worked on which  have now become a small collection.

7Gods recently moved to new studio and they marked the occasion by  putting their collection with few new designs on display for the opening night. The event was a huge success, with much demand for the lights. 7Gods are now looking for manufacturing partner to develop these and many more designs.

All the lighting designs are handmade using paper, plastic or veneer, they are all available on limited edition."

We have made a selection of some of our favorite models from that collection, but if you want more...then you should visit 7Gods official website by clicking here

 "Alan" table lamp (side view)

"Arnold" ceiling light

"Maki" ceiling light

"Jinko" ceiling light

"Suzanne" ceiling light

"Tazu" ceiling light

"Sara" ceiling light

"Rob" ceiling light

sources: 7Gods

mathieu lehanneur: le laboratoire

paris-based designer mathieu lehanneur created a unique actuated display system for the paris shop
le laboratoire. the store is a bookshop by day and a restaurant by night, and thus required a unique design
to fit its flexible nature. lehanneur borrowed from coal miner’s dressing rooms to create a series of shelving
unit which descend from the ceiling. when closed the unit provides light for the space and display space
when open. this allows the bookshop to display items during the day and floor space for guests sampling
food from foodlab in the basement at night. the design makes the most of the shop’s small footprint and
gives it a unique identity at the same time.

http://www.mathieulehanneur.com

Steampunk Flash Drive

Beautiful, and one of a kind! And $165. [Etsy via CrunchGear]

I LOHAS

Last month Coca Cola Japan unveiled I LOHAS, a new brand of bottled water, in response to mounting criticism towards the environmental impact of the luxurious practice. They claim that their 12g PET bottle is the lightest to be ever manufactured in Japan, therefore reducing the environmental impact. I don’t know… a plastic bottle is still a plastic bottle, right? But I must say, nice packaging and identity design by graphic designer Yuji Tokuda. Clever usage as leaf/windmill logo to give it that eco-friendly twist.

reusable wasara plates

Since I last wrote about them, Wasara has added quite a few products to their originally limited line, including 2 combo sets. Ever since they debuted about 1 year ago the reaction abroad has been quite substantial. I’ve had numerous people contact me about obtaining the beautiful line of disposable tableware.

But there’s also been a fair amount of criticism, mainly circling around the fact that in the end – eco-friendly or not – disposable plates are wasteful. A valid point. So here’s an alternative. You can actually go straight to the original designer, Shinichiro Ogata, who was hired to design the wasara line and buy some very similar ceramic products. You can enter his studio website HERE.

Rob Ryan for Afternoon Tea

My wife just found these achingly adorable toddler ponchos and umbrellas designed by UK artist Rob Ryan for Afternoon Tea – perhaps the equivalent to Dean & Deluca in Japan? Is that a fair comparison? Rob Ryan is popular in Japan – probably thanks to his tie-up with Paul Smith.

I’m totally scoring a set for little huey, who loves a rainy day as much as cats love sunbathing.

michihiro matsuoka's biomechaloid

I went to a fair called 'creators market' in Nagoya.
it was held at port messe nagoya hall 3, it was a place for over 3000 amateur and professional designers exhibiting and selling their creations. it was ranged from hand-made art, crafts, interior design and fashion items.

and while i was there, there are few booth that are really stands out from the rest, one of the most eye-catching was owned by Michihiro Katsuoka-san. who work on a clay then make a mold out of it, and finally he fill the mold with a resin and paint it like a copper.

feels like i've found my favourite design direction, his biomechaloid style really blew me up!combination of organic lines with mechanical touch on certain parts as its trying to show a great combination and harmony between nature-made creature and technology.

scott amron: endo clip

scott amron simplified the magnet clip into a single piece capable of holding up to one pound. the endo clip
is a solid mass of neodymium, silicone and steel that attaches to a magnetic surface. the clip’s unique form
allows it to have a springy action without any mechanical parts, springs or coils. simply pushing on the clip
opens it up to hold up to one pound and sticks through 20 pieces of paper. the design is angled such that it
acts as a fulcrum making it easy to open, yet strong enough to hold things down. the simple design has won
numerous design and innovation awards and comes in six different colours.

scott amron will also be participating in designboom's kitchen ecology exhibition this month.

http://www.amronexperimental.com

chloe ruchon: 'barbie foot' at DMY berlin design festival 09

'barbie foot' by chloe ruchon
image © designboom

'barbiefoot' by french design chloe ruchon combines the iconic doll with table football.
on one side it uses barbie's pink, frilly world and on the other its uses the predominantly
male world of table soccer, the one that is traditionally called 'babyfoot' in france.
barbie became a symbol of ideal femininity, with exacerbated body proportions
and a vast landscape of fantasies surrounding this cliche.

by bringing the two worlds together 'barbiefoot' wishes to stimulate thoughts
about different mentalities and the pre- digested everyday ideas we commonly face.

the product was created in partnership with mattel brands consumer products
and babyfoot bonzini.

'barbiefoot' was part of the DMY youngsters exhibition at DMY berlin design festival 09.


'barbie foot'
image © designboom


'barbie foot'
image © designboom

via designboom

Good Design Company

Some drool-worthy paper products for your Thursday afternoon. From Good Design Company.

best looking paper bag in a long time!