An iconic twist on the dolls you may have collected as a child, Bleeding Edge presents the BeGoths dolls, a limited edition series of dolls released once a year in small doses. These freaky little guys are so accurately depicted with goth fashion trends and precise attention to detail with piercings and tattoos. Eight series have been released and each doll is set apart with its own personal details like name, likes and dislikes, favourite pets etc. Take a closer look in their eyes and notice the drawings and symbols and the overall radical take on the subcultures of the 21st century.
The simple things seem to catch our attention in the most striking way. Graphic wall decals from Dezign with a Z do just that, with interesting designs from Europe and the US, creating an easy, affordable and stylish way to decorate the home or office. They resemble hand painted designs and can be customised to suit whatever theme you choose. If you decide to change after a while, the decals are easy to remove and won’t leave any permanent damage. They can even be ordered online, so you can browse through at your own pace. Yes the good folk at Design with a Z have thought of everything.
Grab the nearest iPod touch, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS and anything else starting with I and wrap it up in Novothink´s Solar Surge solar-charging case, equipped with an integrated solar panel that allows for the iDevice to be charged with no added extras. Now you can charge your pod anywhere under the sun whilst walking, running, hiking or biking, beach camping, travelling - and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Plus for those sunless days, you can charge the device via USB. This handy little contraption is officially licensed by Apple so you know it’s the real deal. Make your mark for the environment with this innovative and liberating product.
Clever design makes the world go round and can even speed up to the future with the right amount of vision. Designer Mac Funamizu keeps us in tantalising suspense with a small window device dubbed ´The Looking Glass´ that features a camera/scanner, GPS and internet connectivity and allows you to point, aim and discover a whole wealth of information about the object being observed. Frame anything that you fancy with the Looking Glass - artwork, buildings, monuments - and the image is analysed and searched on any number of sites like Wikipedia, Google or Google Earth to give you rapid answers quite literally at your fingertips. Fancy the decor of a restaurant but not sure about the menu? Zap it with the Magic Window and lo behold, the menu appears. Move over iPhone!
You may recall the Airboard from such programs as the Sydney 2000 Olympic Opening Ceremony or cast your mind back to Marty McFly taking the awesome Hovercraft for a spin in Back to the Future. Well folks, the future is here. This unique and innovative contraption is a gasoline powered personal hovercraft that rides on a cushion of air and can go as fast as 15 mph. Said to have the sensation of steering a skateboard, the reality is that it feels like a cross between skiing and flying. The Airboard is designed to function over concrete, asphalt, grass or shallow wet areas but not with dirt, sand and water (so no hovering over water Jesus style). Just lean to the left, lean to the right and it’s all too easy. Just like riding a bike - if only the bike could fly that is (although I’m sure they’ll think of that next).
We all know there’s nothing like being stuck in an airport without a laptop charger. What to make of this latest craze when the laptop bag charges it for you? This is the thinking behind the Neuber Energy Sun Bag, a solar powered handbag that lets you charge devices with energy from the sun. Equipped with lightweight, tough, waterproof solar panels, the new Generator is capable of producing up to 15 watts, a feat powerful enough to completely charge a standard laptop from just one day of direct sunlight. The bag comes with a battery for those back up moments when the sun is not so plentiful and you can pick a bag from an addictive range of 37 colours. But who needs more than one apart from maybe Bill Gates?
Isn’t it great when we get to look at things we wouldn’t normally have access to? Designer Olga Kalugina has come up with the “EYE” flowerpot which enables you to get up close and personal with the growth and development of your plant. This flower pot is a must for plant lovers and makes a great educational tool for kids as well. You can gaze at length at your plants root system checking its health and progress using visual diagnosis. The pot cleverly maintains an ambient environment of humidity, light and soil conditions and shows them on the display – now that’s flower power!
Fancy adding a bit of sparkle to your next dinner party? Or maybe your next coffee break? If your living room isn’t interactive enough already, the “Ripple interactive LED Coffee Table” will add a playful and distinctive illuminating touch to your home. The coffee table is made of 480 sensors and white LEDs and gently illuminates as soon as an object is placed on it, creating an innovative and unique light to your living room. An on / off switch is discreetly hidden on the underside of the table and plugs into any standard (11OV) household outlet. Prices range from $1,500 to $2,100 depending on size and will certainly make a glorious addition to your home.
Sustainable living for kids (and parents) just got easier thanks to designer Simona Racaite from Lithuania who has created an uber-eco collection of recycling bins for kids called “I do Recycle”. The fun and futuristic designs help kids understand the importance of saving the environment. Not only does it reduce the financial strain on the government it simultaneously performs an important educational role for children. The bins are available in four designs: “I do glass, plastic, paper and bio” and can be attached together with in-built magnets – so good they should be made for adults as well!
Calling all book worms! This chair enables you to power-up your reading lamp while you rock. The eco-innovative rocking chair uses kinetic energy to generate electricity to power its OLED lamp. The Murakami chair was designed by Rochus Jacob from the US and uses the latest nano-dynamo technology to generate the reading lamp. Users can sit and relax in the blissful knowledge that they are not draining energy but creating it, a definite step in the right direction for green living. The chair is currently rocking up a storm amongst senior citizens but has not yet seen production - perhaps one for the wish list for grandma so she can save the planet in the comfort of her own home!
Our trusty Post-it note has just been super-charged with bags more benefits. Designer dream team Pu Tai, Ayda Anlagan & Paul Blease have reinvented the Post-it, and introduce the “Pock-it”. This fantastically simple and clever design can be used at home or in the office to store business cards, money, tickets or anything worth Pocketing. It was coincidently developed whilst working on another project and the designers are now considering making a “Pock-it” big enough to hold a peanut butter and banana sandwich – now that’s design at its very best!
Picture this: You are walking through your local shopping precinct and notice yourself being stretched beyond all proportion on a big screen. Such crazy contortion antics became reality in Liverpool, England as Artist Chris O’Shea toyed with shoppers using an installation of God’s hand on a BBC Big Screen. O’Shea’s inspiration came from David and Goliath and Land of the Giants with a desire to inject an element of mystery and mischief into our busy lives. This project demonstrates how media channels are embracing reality in public places and simultaneously enhancing community spirit. T-Mobile embraced this trend, too, with their successful dance commercials in Liverpool Street Station.
Houses made of bricks are so last season: the latest eco trend is building houses from straw. Straw bale houses are being embraced by eco developers and individuals due to their forgiving effect on the environment and amazing cost benefits. Advances in materials and technology mean houses built now will last longer than ever at a fraction of the price of traditional housing. Straw-bale-houses.com offer step by step workshops from foundations all the way to the roof showing you how to construct each section. The Australian Straw Bale Building Association also has industry professionals on hand sharing advice and inspiration. Straw bale houses have lasted since the 1800s and are still going strong – a great option for green construction on a budget.
Staying cool in summer has always been serious business. With this in mind, Dyson have launched the Air Multiplier bladeless fan. The fun and funky design draws in air and amplifies it by 15 times to keep you super cool as summer goes scorchio! The revolutionary design out-shines conventional fans that give a “buffeting” choppy air flow by delivering a smooth direct stream of air. It is also safer and easier to clean than traditional fans. A dazzling host of celebrities attended the Sydney launch including Kerry Anne Kennelly and Charlotte Dawson, presenter of Australia’s Next Top Model. The fans are available from the Dyson online shop and are soon becoming an iconic gadget with a score of over 350,000 hits on You Tube with ‘Our New Dyson Fan’.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could sit back, relax, listen to classical music and rest in the knowledge that the performance of your brain is being enhanced? With an impressive 50 years of research into “audio-guidance” technology, the Monroe Institute has discovered a way to synchronise both hemispheres of your brain by listening to music, or ‘Binaural Beats’ to be exact. The research, known as “Hemi Sync”, shows that by listening to Binaural Beats your brain releases sounds, known as a Binaural Beat which encourages the heightened brain activity. So you can now increase your concentration, productivity and reduce stress simply by listening to audio CDs, ideal for those living a busy and stressed out lifestyle. If you are keen to ride those enhanced brain-waves, “Hemi Sync” products are available to buy online from the Hemi Sync website.
Give your computer an ‘au naturel’ makeover with these gorgeous custom-made USB sticks designed by OOOMS from the Netherlands. The OOOMS gurus fuel each other’s creativity with wit and humour and a down-to-earth attitude making great ideas become a reality. The sticks are available in 1Gb, 2Gb and 4Gb and start from $50 Euros available from Rose & Radish in California, USA and ship worldwide or directly fom OOOMS. They have been specifically designed to stand out from their typical lack-lustre environment of dull and grey computer hardware. All USB sticks have been individually selected for their beautifully unique appeal and hand crafted into your personal eco memory stick.
Eco warrior clothing label Oeuf has just unveiled their wildest collection of children’s clothing yet. The collection is made from 100% Alpaca wool and makes a sensational accompaniment to a ‘Green Halloween’. The beautiful collection includes a grey wolf style, cuddly white bear and green dino-style ensembles. To add to the excitement, Oeuf’s wild clothing co-insides with the long awaited release of the, ‘Where the Wild Things Are” movie. Oeuf’s wild collection has to be the best way to celebrate this treasured children’s book.
It appears that the beverage market is swapping its Red Bull wings for an easy life - well almost. Supercharged energy drinks remain a dynamic player in the drinks market, however we are now witnessing the emergence of a new breed of anti-energy drinks promising a “vacation in a bottle” rather than a hyper intensive caffeine hit. New beverages such as Slow Cow, Malava Relax, and Ex Chill offer consumers natural ingredients such as camomile and melatonin as a way to slow down rather than speed up their hectic lifestyles.
Wallet? Check. Phone? Check. Bike? Check. Mexican designer Victor Aleman has now made it possible to get even your bike into your suitcase. The Eco 7 bike is unique, as unlike other fold-up bikes on the market (that fold to the size of the wheels) Eco 7 has been designed with various hinged points on the wheel enabling it to fold and the spokes to collapse into the rim. Once the bike is disassembled, it is so compact it can be stored in your suitcase.
Danish artist Peter Callesen has created an exquisite collection of paper-cut artworks from a humble A4 piece of paper. Callesen’s designs range from 3D flowers to hummingbirds flying off the page and has even created larger scale pieces such as child-sized castle crafted from billboard sized paper. Callesen says people use A4 paper everyday but rarely notice the “actual materiality of it.”
It is this fragile and delicate side of paper that Callesen aims to capture in his works.
French car-makers Renault have introduced four all-electric concept vehicles at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. Electric cars are silent and emit no CO2, making them an environmentally friendly motor vehicle solution.
The Renault ZE (Zero Emissions) series will be launched from 2011 and the concept range includes the Twizy Z.E., Zoe Z.E., Fluence Z.E. and Kangoo Z.E. The first of the range to be rolled out will be the Twizy – a space buggy style electric vehicle, intended to be alternative to motorbikes or scooters. All four models will have several options for recharging. A standard charge will take four to eight hours and can be done anywhere or a quick charge can be done in 20 minutes at special charging points.
If you are one of those people who hates to leave technology behind when camping here is a cool, environmentally friendly solution. Created by UK communications giant Orange the solar powered tent uses photovoltaic fabric to charge a flexible LCD screen and even wireless Internet! The special fabric is designed to capture the sun’s rays at anytime of the day. It even has a built in pouch to charge up your essential gadgets like phone or Ipod.
“Glo-cation” technology allows campers to find their site via SMS messaging or RFID signal, lighting up the shelter like a beacon and there is even a ground sheet that heats automatically when temperatures fall below a certain level. You definitely won’t be roughing it in this tent.
Do you ever long for the days when you could carry around your toys and books in the basket of your bike? Well some clever folks in Salt Lake City have created an adult model of this concept: the Masden Cargo bike. Fitted with a basket that is able to hold 271 kg, you’ll be able to transport everything from books, groceries, a surfboard or even the kids! You can even have seatbelts installed to keep them strapped in. This is an environmentally friendly way to transport goods around the city.
Here is a mobile home you’re not likely to see in a typical community. Called the Loftcube and created by Berlin-based designer Werner Aisslinger it is a futuristic squared unit designed to sit atop previously existing buildings. Aisslinger believes that the cube is a good fit for cities like Berlin where space is limited, but there are plenty of flat rooftops. This unit aims to remain as open as possible, using translucent sliding panels in lieu of standard walls. There are also windows on all side to allow occupants to enjoy full views. If you can afford it you can also transport the unit by helicopter when you want to move house.
What do you get when you decide to take a blanket and add sleeves? Not a monk costume but Snuggie!
Snuggie - the blanket with sleeves has proved a hit in Australia with one being sold every two minutes this winter. With its thick fleece and oversized sleeves, Snuggie allows wearers to keep warm while being active. The blanket has surpassed all expectations with sales close to seven million since its launch in the US late last year. There are now Snuggie snooker groups, thousands of Facebook fans and even rumours of celebrity Snuggie fashion parades. If that wasn't enough the creators of Snuggie now aim to conquer the pet market with the Snuggie for Dogs!
Google is now the world's most popular home page and few of us think twice about clicking on it when we want to search. Did you know it was possible to save energy while you surf?
You can by using Blackle. Blackle is an energy saving search engine, powered by Google Search. According to research, monitors use more energy to display white screens than dark screens so Heap Media created Blackle to remind us all of the need to take small steps in our everyday lives, to save energy. Blackle came from a blog post in 2007 which suggested that a "Black Google" would be a way to save energy. To date Blackle has saved over 1,400,300.100 mega watts of energy and the counter on their website continues to grow. However small the contribution from each user, Blackle encourages us to remember it all counts in the end and aims to save energy "one click at a time".
There are plenty of environmentally-friendly, recyclable shopping bags around but here is one that has been designed especially for parents with young children. Designed by German duo Tisch5, the bag has an extra handle so little ones can still grip on even while Mum and Dad's hands are full of groceries. The “Liebkind” (Nice Kid) bag will mean parents can rest easy while shopping, knowing their little ones are only an arms' length away.
Ever fancied having your own custom made pair of Nike sneakers? Now it is easy to create you’re a one of kind pair through Nike’s website. With plenty of customisable colours, sizes, patterns and styles to choose from, the Nike ID feature is sure to appeal to both athletic and fashion conscious consumers. Need some inspiration? Feel free to browse through other designs created by other shoppers on the website.
Here is a unique take on the classic folding chair. The Pick Chair by designer Dror Benshetrit epitomizes Benshetrit’s vision to bring poetry and functionality together and has nearly unlimited variations of material and surface design. This stylish space saving piece of furniture has already been well received by art and design critics, being featured in the New York Times before its release.
Rooftop gardens aren’t a new concept but thanks to a group of young Victorian business leaders, it looks like “green roofing” is set to take off in Australia. The “Growing Up” program encourages residents to cover every rooftop space in inner urban areas with green foliage.
This trend has already caught on in other parts of the globe but has only gained momentum in Australia, as an attempt to fight the effects of climate change.
Melbourne Water, Sustainability Victoria and the city of Melbourne have already signed on as key partners in the program but let’s hope this positive trend catches on nationwide.
It’s time to get animal cruelty aware with this new app for your Ipod or Iphone. The “Be Nice To Bunnies“, (BNB) app ties into PETA’s own cruelty-free database to provide information on personal care, animal companion and household cruelty free products and a full list of ‘Do’ and ‘Don’t’ test companies. This handy and stylish app will provide you with all the information you need to be an animal friendly consumer, no matter where you are.
Italian architect Romolo Stanco was inspired by Stanley’s Kubrik’s 2001: A Space Odyssey to create this ultra modern futuristic apartment. It has been painted completely white with the only splashes of colour inside coming from the red furniture. When sunlight falls on the white walls, different shapes appear. As you can see, this apartment is not only a unique work of art, but also a highly modern place to live.
reestore have taken the humble bathtub and given it a fresh new twist with this bathtub chaise lounge. Inspired by the Breakfast at Tiffany’s bathtub this piece is created from a vintage cast iron tub and upholstered in your choice of fabric. reestore’s vision is to take everyday waste objects and cheekily turn them into charming yet functional pieces of furniture. “Environmental consideration need not compromise aesthetics and desirability,” says reestores managing director Max McMurdo.
Want to be updated with the latest trends in design, eco and lifestyle?
If you sign in to our newsletter in August you can win a stylish and eco-friendly Bamboo Bowl by Dandi. Etched in the surface of the bowl is a cheeky Willy Wag Tail perched amongst native Grevillia branches.
Dandi is a Sydney-based design house run by a group of leading-edge industrial designers who have a passion for beautiful and functional products.
The winner will be drawn at the end of August and published on our website.
Want to be updated with the latest trends in design, eco and lifestyle?
If you sign in to our newsletter in August you can win a stylish and eco-friendly Bamboo Bowl by Dandi. Etched in the surface of the bowl is a cheeky Willy Wag Tail perched amongst native Grevillia branches.
Dandi is a Sydney-based design house run by a group of leading-edge industrial designers who have a passion for beautiful and functional products.
The winner will be drawn at the end of August and published on our website.
Want to be updated with the latest trends in design, eco and lifestyle?
If you sign in to our newsletter in August you can win a stylish and eco-friendly Bamboo Bowl by Dandi. Etched in the surface of the bowl is a cheeky Willy Wag Tail perched amongst native Grevillia branches.
Dandi is a Sydney-based design house run by a group of leading-edge industrial designers who have a passion for beautiful and functional products.
The winner will be drawn at the end of August and published on our website.
As living spaces get smaller people are looking for a saving space alternative, in order to make life a little less cramped. Karen Babel has come up with the perfect solution – The Book Case Bed. This innovative design consists of a mattress that can stand upright and surround five storage shelves on the wall, which hold the books. When it’s time for sleep, the mattress sections are taken down and slotted together on the floor to make a single or double bed. For her creation, Karen Babel won the prestigious New Designers KBSA Award, and it’s easy to see why.
Local produce is getting a stylish make-over in Hamburg, Germany, with The Deli Garage combining with design agency Korefe to create some gorgeously cool and quirky product packaging. An example of such brilliance is Kraftstoff Vodka, whose flasks feature charmingly endearing designs. The vodka itself is highly unique, with unusual flavours such as melon-mint, ginger-coriander and espresso – no plain old vanilla here! Available from The Deli Garage website, these flavours and their packages are sure to delight for a long time.
Luxury is the name of the game for the designers at Lomme (which stands for Light over Matter Mind Evolution). Their opulent bed comes with every possible feature to ensure a unique, calming and relaxing sleeping environment, such as a light therapy alarm clock, sound system and a mattress with an in-built massage function. Lomme’s mission is to create the most relaxing and natural place for you to restore energy, using light, colour, sound and touch, resulting in complete rejuvenation, making you a healthier person when awake. Though, this bed is so good you’ll probably never want to wake up!
Solar energy is the thing to do, with the Kaohsiung Stadium in Taiwan built around the concept. Built for The World Games 2009, this stadium’s roof boasts 8844 solar panels, generating an impressive 1.14 million kWh of electricity each year, reducing a massive 660 tons in carbon dioxide output. When not in use, surplus energy can be used for up to 80% of the surrounding neighbourhoods when the stadium is not in use. This natural electrical engineering feat was designed by Japanese architect Yoyo Ito, and is sure to be a trend-setter in regards to stadiums and solar energy possibilities.
Being safe as well as stylish is the motto that the Yakkay Bicycle Helmets strive to ensure. Designed to fit you perfectly, with the help of adjustable spaces, all Yakkay Bicycle Helmets come with trendy covers, which are easily slipped on over the helmet, giving the impression that you’re wearing a hat rather than a bulky head gear. The covers come in a range of different styles, ensuring that you can choose the one that most suits your tastes, or have as many as you want. Currently only stocked in Europe, you can check out these cool headpieces online.
For footwear that literally fits like a glove, look no further than Vibram’s FiveFingers, which cater for individual toes. Designed to help you when exercising, playing or just doing normal, everyday activities, these shoes stimulate the muscles in your feet and legs, making you feel like you’re walking on air. A shoe that feels like a second skin, FiveFingers will surely become the new craze in comfortable footwear.
The long-loved mini bar has gotten a makeover, with Urbancase’s Melli Compact Lounge. This small and user-friendly design is easily mountable on the wall, with a drop down door serving as a small table for mixing drinks of your choice. This amazing invention has storage space for bottle, glassware and all the tools you could possibly need to get your own mini bar up and running. Start your pub today, with this slim-line bar beauty.
Toilet-training toddlers around the globe have no reason to fear the bathroom again, with the arrival of Pee&Poo. These cute and cuddly characters are the genius of Swedish graphic designer Emma Megitt, as part of her Masters Degree program. Her award-winning logo has spawned a number of different creations, including wallpapers, temporary tattoos, shirts and undies, and even keychains. By making these once embarrassing bodily functions into fluffy toys, life for parents of potty-trainers has become a little bit easier.
We’ve already had stereo speakers that look like normal headphones, and now there’s stereo megaphones. Phono by Lima de Lezando, is an adjustable stereo that can change directions, allowing the sound of music to be re-directed to wherever you want. Available in different colours to suit your own tastes, this creative speaker could be just what your room needs to have that little bit of extra atmosphere.
A world without waste is the aim of the future, and SunChips are paving the way. These delightfully tasty snacks are made with the help of solar energy, with 30% less fat than regular potato chips, meaning they make a healthier you and a healthier planet. Even better, SunChips packets are made with renewable plant based materials, which are completely compostable after about 14 weeks, and are available from 2010. It’s all part of SunChips plans to help the environment, which includes The Green Effect competition, with people able to vote for their favourite earth saving idea in July.
When we hear the words ‘self service’ we either cringe at the possibility of fumbling around helplessly or delight in the challenge of self autonomy. eSoles have developed custom footbeds where you scan your sole and it produces a complex 3D scan of your foot, creating within minutes an eFit footbed. Using a touchscreen and doing all kinds of walking, jogging and standing, it’s incredibly user-friendly and easy to use. Plus eSoles have also created insoles, a device that allows you to use your phone to see how much pressure you are applying in 11 different zones. Their motto is ‘Perform Better, Feel Better’ - sounds good to us.
It was only a matter of time before the fast food industry realised the potential in joining the sustainable food phenomena. Now the old favourites like McDonalds USA have strict hen laying and antibiotics guidelines that are better than the average guidelines for the food industry. Burgerville follows suit by supplying customers with local, seasonal and organic food options. Leading the way in an industry so often looked down on by organic health purists, Burgerville is setting an impeccable example by using 100% local wind power and recycling thousands of gallons of canola oil into biodiesel. Just reading all this is enough to start a fast food craving...
You know that feeling when you just want to lie down with your laptop and watch the latest Kanye West videos on youtube? But as soon as you try, the laptop heats up and it’s uncomfortable? Well it makes sense then that manufacturers are now producing the lapdesk – a little cushion desk for the laptop that comes with handy features like built-in cup holders. They can be used virtually anywhere, making your laptop truly portable as well funky and stylish. The Paris Lap Desk from perpetual kid has a pleasing aesthetic design and even Ikea has jumped on the bandwagon. Our favourite is the Logitech comfort lapdesk. Feel that cushiony goodnes
Let’s face it. The world is heating up and although a bit of sun never hurt anyone, too much exposure and you may be dealing with more than a red face. So take the shade with you wherever you go with sun umbrellas. Not only are they the wiser, healthier option, it’s now also the more fashionable alternative with parasols like that of Tuuci who specialise in designs that are architecturally developed to not only look good but also withstand the harshest global environments. Or try Waikiki on for size and get maximum coverage as the umbrella handle pivots to suit your position. There are many more new and innovative designs - the hardest part is choosing just one!
Every now and again a great idea is formed somewhere, in some brain, in some community, and blossoms into a phenomenon. This is the work of One Block off the Grid or 1BOG as it has affectionately come to be known. A metaphorically named organisation, the aim is to create a community-based program that gets a group of keen locals together, interested in investing in solar power and organising a discount for every household involved. There’s more power and more knowledge in numbers and in times of financial strife, we could all use a discount for a worthy cause. So far the program is active in the United States, but if the program has continued success, these kids could go global - ticking one block off at a time.
´I don’t give a twitter if someone is looking at olives on isle four third shelf up.´ - Anonymous
Apparently Kanye West doesn´t like Twitter. The outspoken rapper mentioned on his blog that the micro blogging site allows users to set up accounts under fake names, thus impersonating celebrities. But Tim O´Reilly, Web 2.0 and computer technology expert, loves Twitter, he even wrote an article about it. ´Twitter has grown up to become a critical business tool´. The logic is that it is simple to use, you can stay connected with family and friends, it puts you closer to your favourite celebrities (maybe too close) and works the way people do. So "Stalkernomics" refers to online stalking but is not limited to stalking for personal use because businesses do it, too. If you want to stalk someone in real life, it might take some guts and some dark sunnies and maybe even a fake moustache, but thanks to some social networking sites, anyone can be a stalker!
Just when you thought you had the green trend totally figured out, along comes a clothing item we all know, love and covet a staple in every closet - the perfect pair of jeans. Jumping on the bandwagon of all that is pure and green and proving that you don’t have to look daggy to be environmentally aware, some of the most famous designer jean brands are promoting ´98% Organic, 100% Hollywood´ like Easy Rider Jeans for example. Among these established and well known designer brands we also have Nudie Jeans from Sweden, Kuyichi from the Netherlands and Aoki jeans from the USA. The key selling point is no longer about which celebrities are sporting their threads but which brands have more sustainable materials, from organic cotton, to spare denim, linen, soya, lenpur, potato starch and pre-reduced indigo. No chemical stuff allowed. Who said it wasn’t cool to be green?
Is it from the Sixties? Is it worth $60? Is it 60 years old? The answer is no. The 60 Bag gets its name from being a biodegradable carrier bag made out of flax-viscose non-woven fabric that only takes 60 days to decompose naturally. Thanks to the flax fiber industrial waste material, the bag doesn’t use up natural resources and takes up minimal energy during production. Fast, effective and in a variety of designs, styles and sizes to rival your average Woolies green bag among others (which are produced with polypropylene material). This Polish product is anticipated to inspire others in the design of their eco-friendly products.
What fancy invention could be hailed by Steve Jobs as ´bigger than the PC´ and quite possibly also ´bigger than the internet´?
The aptly named Segway is a kind of self balancing scooter created by Dean Kamen and it will take you anywhere you want to go. It’s designed to mimic the human body's ability to maintain its balance and is predicted to replace cars and other forms of transport. Riding around for one full day will only set you back 00.5 USD, taking up minimal electricity, however to buy a Segway you may need to sell an organ, at $6000 USD per piece.
Naturally there is controversy because it seems to replace walking and tries to imitate the human mind as well as encourage laziness. But at the same time the Segway is gaining popularity and more and more people are expressing interest in buying something that is fun, different and practical. It’s only a matter of time before we start seeing ad campaigns pleading that we ´don’t drink and Segway´.
Go beneath the surface and you’ll find more than Granny style pants and uncomfortable bra support. Green lingerie is sexy without trying too hard, using completely natural fabrics that are free of toxins so your skin (and your partner) will love you for it. The latest trend is not only about re-using beautiful fabrics that already exist, but also considering the environment with soft, sustainable fabrics like natural silk, bamboo and organic cotton. Designers like Stella McCartney are now leading the trend and although their prices might set you back a bit, the results are gorgeous, earth-friendly keepsakes that can be handed down for generations. If you don’t believe us when we say how sexy they are, check out the likes of Enamore with their raunchy Jezebelle range and other brands like Urban Fox and the Oko Box.
They’re a great household item to have but TV’s can sometimes look like eyesores if they’re big and chunky. Ox-Home has found a way to fix this dilemma, with their multi-functioning TV/Mirror. A LCD television when it’s switched on, this cutting-edge creation turns into a reflective mirror when in stand-by mode, providing an aesthetic harmony in the house whether it’s on or off. This innovative idea, which is also technologically advanced, is sure to prove popular in the future.
Equality between the sexes is reaching new heights, with unisex fashion hitting the streets. For instance, for the girl who wishes to be comfortable there are the so-called boyfriend jeans, seen on women around the world. Clothes aren’t the only fashionable items going unisex however, with accessories like STORM Unisex watches and Ray-Ban’s aviator sunglasses, or fragrances such as Calvin Klein’s popular CK ONE, also going the one for all way. Sharing seems to definitely be the new fad.
Re-usable eco-friendly water bottles are the newest way that you can help the environment’s future. Hygienic, durable and leak-proof, these 100% recyclable bottles are perfect for all types of beverages, whether it be water, juice or soft drink. Companies such as SIGG and Klean Kanteen have created the non-toxic and dishwasher-safe containers. A number of designs are available, as well as bottles for kids, so the whole family can get on board. The future of the environment depends on us, so help by grabbing one of these cool and classy canteens.
The nineties are definitely back, with the so-called anti-fashion movement of the period, grunge, featuring on catwalks around the globe. Flannels, leather and liberty prints are back on the market, and blazers have also risen again. Known for the overlapping of clothes featuring contradictory trends, grunge is being re-vitalized by people such as British model Jamie Burke, as well as appearing in designer Alexander Wang’s latest Fall/Winter collection. It seems the nineties are back for good.
Brighten up your work desk and day, and be technologically fashionable, with a quirkily designed USB stick. The idea is taking the technological world by storm, with a number of cute and appealing designs existing and featuring on websites such as Yanko Design. by amt has taken the idea beyond everyday products, with designs featuring the style of Victorian keys, whilst Vicky Wei has created a Memory Loop USB, with more memory space provided. It seems technology and fashionable designs are the way of the future.
Bright colours, patterns and fringe shoes are dominating the catwalks, with ethnic inspired shoes making a strong appearance. Louis Vuitton has particularly embraced this trend with a ‘spicy shoe’ collection inspired from Africa. The key to getting these outrageous animal print patterns to work is wearing a bold, killer attitude to match. The more beads and woven trinkets involved the better textural contrast you have as a result. This latest trend for spring/summer 09 really demonstrates how one accessory can make all the difference!
Marumushi understands how reading the news can be a strenuous affair. There are sections to browse through, categories to find, Paris Hilton entertainment articles to avoid. So to make it just that little bit easier, Marumushi has come up with Newsmap, an application that works like a tree map – storing all information gathered by the Google news aggregator onto one single page. It’s a great tool to divide information up in a visually stimulating way that is easy and less time consuming. And when presented together, it’s easier to see the patterns in news reporting across different cultures. The best part is it doesn’t claim to be unbiased – instead it highlights the irony of how biased our news can be.
You can see from their website that Igloo Zoo is all about being ultra cool. Being Australia’s first culture bar means the pressure is on to make a good impression. We like our yoghurt to be all-natural, super-chilled – the real stuff, 99.4 percent fat-free. Some antioxidants would be nice. And so Igloo Zoo ticks all the right boxes but goes one step further, allowing you to create your own personalised dish or choose from unique flavours like pomegranate and green tea. Then there’s the critically acclaimed decor with a glossy white epoxy floor that looks so appetising it may as well have been poured from the yoghurt machine. So go on, treat yourself to this healthy alternative snack! (You can even add them here on Facebook if you need a regular Igloo Zoo fix).
Eyewear fashion just got a little more interesting, with the creation of the one-lens sunglasses. Designers such as Mackdaddy and Maison Martin Margiela are leading the way for this new trend, with their own specific design lines that feature the exclusive eyewear. These futuristic shades are sure to set the fashion world alight, with fashion-forward celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Bjork already sporting the innovative sunnies. The future of eyewear is here.
You know you’re on to a good thing when a highly sought after wedding planner agency like LA Style Unveiled jumps on the eco bandwagon with an Eco-chic Wedding page - 101 ways to cut down on your 'carbon stiletto-print'. Not only are these tips an absolute joy to read, LA Style Unveiled also goes one step further by donating a portion of their site proceeds to Conservation International. You can send them your own eco-wedding stories or simply enjoy their creative and ingenious advice like going barefoot, arriving to the wedding reception in a hybrid or smart car or my personal favourite: Give each guest an 11-watt compact fluorescent bulb as a favour (and just imagine the look on their faces!)
Coconut water is the ultimate way to re-hydrate, lowering the risk of heart disease whilst raising metabolism. Men’s Health recommends coconut water after a workout for a fast recovery and coconut health drinks are now proving popular, such as Zico Pure Coconut Water. This Brazilian drink provides more potassium than a banana, perfect for getting your body back on track after exercise. Similar brands are Vita Coconut Water and O.N.E. Coconut Water. Increasing awareness of the benefits of coconut water, books are even being published. This tropical fruit is well on its way to being a must in everyone’s diet.
The past is proving popular, with mosaic designs once again featuring prominently in bedrooms, bathrooms, living and dining rooms. Featured in quite a lifestyle bibles, these exquisite constructions decorate fireplaces, bathtubs and feature walls, adding unimaginable beauty to a house. Many companies specialise in these intricate wonders, with Bisazza, New Ravenna and Mosaic Design Company just a few. Hakatai uses recycled glass tiles and Mosaic Marble promises to transform any design into mosaic, whilst SICIS provides amazing floor to ceiling flower pot designs. Mosaics are definitely back in architectural fashion!
A free, social networking application may already sound familiar to you but before you roll your eyes at another possible internet addiction, hear us out. It’s a short and sweet ‘micro blog’ where you send ‘tweets’ - a maximum of 140 characters, to friends and family, outlining what you’re doing. Twitter is being considered as the logical evolution to blogging in that it allows you to stay connected to friends and family, have them know what you’re doing at all times or just step back and take a break from the information overload with some Twitter quiet time. You can also subscribe to your friends and become their ‘followers’. This could be the next best thing to sms-ing and Twitter is growing in popularity, taking the world by storm with one simple question ‘What are you doing?’
Need something to make a room appear bright and welcoming? Try this idea and add excitement to your old and dusty book collection. Re-organise your bookshelf by colour and create a sort of book case installation. By simply dividing your books into separate colours, grouping them from lighter to darker shades, and arranging on the shelf by hue, you can add a new, uplifting and artistic feature to a room without the expense. Relax, read and enjoy!
Living walls are now all the rage it seems, with various buildings around the world completely adorned in vegetation. This kind of urban gardening not only breathes life into cities dominated by concrete slabs and exhaust fumes, but also appears somewhat artistic and beautiful against the gray backdrop. Irrigation systems and vegetation are attached to the wall or supporting structure and can be seen anywhere from Paris to Toronto. Living walls are also means for water re-use and make for a surprising breath of fresh air in these days of loud traffic and unrelenting pollution. You can thank Patrick Blanc for pioneering this wonderful trend.
What if littering could be a means of planting? This is the question Nghiem Charlie, a 5th year industrial design student poses with a project that could completely revolutionise the way we view recycling. Her work is called SEED which stands for Sustainable Eating/ Earth Development. The action of littering becomes a responsible act; with chewing gum that acts as a plant seed and a slogan that goes a little something like ‘chew, blow, plant’. This action also becomes a step against massive deforestation. It might take a country like Singapore (which bans chewing gum) a while to get used to the concept but for those who litter like no one’s watching, it’ll be just as natural as learning how to walk.
* Trendspotting does not condone littering outside of this project.
Sail away on a pink sea of smoked salmon or discover rural fields of pasta, a pine nut wall, mozzarella clouds, trees of chillies and a parmesan village in the distance. Where are you? You’re in the wonderful world of Carl Warner’s imagination, translated into still life photography, whole landscapes made entirely of food. Carl says 'Foodscapes' were partly inspired by healthy eating campaigns and he particularly likes how smaller aspects of nature resemble larger ones, which is evident in his work. Take a journey on a road paved with cumin, peas hanging from broccoli trees and cauliflower clouds among mountaineous loaves of bread in the foreground. How scenically delicious!
If you’ve ever fancied a wine cellar but just cannot fathom where in the house you could squeeze one in, then fear not because Spiral Cellars specialise in creating highly functional and visually dazzling spiral staircase wine cellars. Basically they dig a hole in the room of your choosing and fill it with a staircase that works as a wine cellar. Cool air is piped in and warm air is piped out, constantly keeping party beverages cool and fresh while taking up a limited amount of space in your home. Not to mention all the various designs which can either blend in with your current decor or stand out in a funky and alternative way – and all in a seamless transition.
Prefabricated architecture just got more interesting with the emergence of container homes. New Jersey architect Adam Kalkin is taking charge of this new arena, building economical, adaptable and recyclable houses out of six shipping containers in three months. Two of Kalkin’s designs, in particular, are stirring up a lot of interest – Bunny Lane, made with a nineteenth century styled cottage inside a hanger, and Push Buttonhouse, which unfolds from a container. These innovative architectural masterpieces are a signal that the housing market could be dominated by containers very soon.
It’s the time old adage of bottled water versus tap water. But with more awareness over reducing our energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and more concern over the future of our environment, people are starting to pay attention to researchers who are discovering that bottled water uses 2000 times more energy than tap water. Particularly of concern is how bottled water requires long-distance transportation, this requiring more energy than bottled water which is produced locally. So rather than leave a huge ecological footprint on the environment, think twice before you reach for that heavily packaged six pack bottle of water and think of the soothing sounds of water running from a tap.
Barbie’s 50th birthday celebrations are taking over the world, with the recent opening of the first Barbie store in Shanghai. This six floor shop is dedicated to Barbie, with toys, clothing and books. There are display cases with dolls in unique dresses, showcase dolls from the past 50 years, which are available as exact replicas, and customer designed dolls as well. There’s also a hair and nail salon, a gelato bar and a top floor restaurant, promising to become a popular nightspot in Shanghai. With more superstores planned, Barbie is making sure that she’ll be around for a long time.
There’s nothing quite as relaxing as a good bath, a fact that German manufacturer Käsch cater for with their array of different bathtubs. Designed to instill a serene and spiritual bathing experience, the company offers a variety of choices, including free stand tubs carved from stone. A more unique design is that of their built in bathtubs, which overflow and then direct the water back into the tub, embracing the illusion of bathing under a waterfall and connecting you with nature without leaving your own bathroom. What could be more relaxing than that?
Political gardening is growing in popularity with more and more ordinary citizens taking up non violent direct action in many countries. These so-called guerrilla activists are making cities greener by carrying out their actions at night, planting new vegetable patches or flower gardens in abandoned pieces of land which they do not own. By doing so, they are making a huge statement, as most guerrilla gardeners believe in reclaiming land that has been neglected and misused and giving it a new purpose. So if you see people clad in camouflage clothing, wheeling large wheelbarrows and yielding pitchforks, don’t be alarmed. They’re like the Ghostbusters of the environmental world. So maybe start humming the theme song as they fight the filth with forks and flowers!
For a fun, quirky and cutting-edge clubbing experience, try silent disco. Instead of dancing to booming tunes, people dance with their own set of headphones, enabling them to control what they listen to. This fresh new way of clubbing has taken off all around the globe, including Australia, Germany, Indonesia, India, The Netherlands and The UK, and is proving a growing phenomenon, perhaps because of the ability to run well into the early hours of morning, avoiding late night sound restrictions. Intimate and fun, silent disco could prove to be the future for disco clubbing everywhere.
Capes are the newest fashion trend to re-emerge this coming winter, with leading Australian designers incorporating the classy garment into their 2009 collections. Brands such as the Sydney based Lover the Label include stylishly cut capes as must-haves for this winter season, replacing the traditional coat. These classic fashion statements are making a comeback, and are typically designed to fasten at the neck, leaving the front partially exposed. Consider this winter accessory as your new winter fashion statement.
They sound like something straight out of the sixties or an Elton John comeback special. But with a little ingenuity, Salvadorian designer Eugenio Menjivar has turned what can originally be described as showing local artisans how to reuse materials for profit, into a passion creating lights made from egg cartons. The model shown ‘Dancer’ gets its name because it sits on an angle which allows the lights to dance, bumping along with colour. Made with a recycled iron base and held in place with recycled iron rods, you can pick your own Dancer in three different colours including violet, lime and black and take up a trend that is both ethical, economical and quite possibly all the rage of the next generation.
Splurging on a 20″ iMac has never been so fun. The Sonic Chair has been revamped to include an attached iMac so you feel like you’re sitting in a giant speaker chair. Cables are hidden away in the metal base and there’s an MP3 jack as well, so the German designers have truly got all the tech-savvy appliances covered. The chair comes in 35 different colours so you can sit in your own little creative and stylish space with not a care in the world. Do try and come out every once in a while though.
Japanese company Nendo has one major mission: to uncover those small ‘!’ moments. The socket deer is an innovative example of all that is ‘!’. It’s a simple add on cover for electrical outlets, so you can place your mobile phone on the wall while it charges, eliminating the annoying, stray-phone-getting-in-the-way-of-everything syndrome. Not only will things be neat and tidy but you’ll always know where your phone is (not after your mate has stepped on it). The Socket-deer is comprised of tough urethane rubber that holds the handsets tightly while also protecting the antlers from breakage for those awkward moments when you bump into them. Socket-deer can also be used to decorate light switches or as a hook for keys or accessories. Plus your wall will look stylish with some deer antlers.
Farms and nurseries are going to love this earth friendly project from Catherine Bourdon. Germoir packaging consists of an envelope that doubles as a plant protector. It follows and assists the plant throughout its various stages of life and finishes up as a germinator. So basically it’s an envelope with dirt and the plant’s seeds and once the plant has started to grow, the envelope continues to provide the plant with life, disintegrating for years afterwards. So who said envelopes won’t get a good work out in their second afterlife? It’s a zero waste packaging system and we can guarantee it’ll be a hit at dinner parties and post offices everywhere.
Only in London could you find mosaic floors made entirely from leather belts. Ting London has come up with the concept of using their recycled leather belts as a way of tiling floors. Originally the concept was a mat with the same recycled belts but the concept has since evolved to bigger and brighter ambitions. Check out the latest modular floor tiles, fabricated with vintage leather, it provides a sleek, alternative look with no two tiles ever looking the same. It’s a unique way to decorate a floor, with each reincarnated belt telling a different story...
Marvel in the architectural genius of Office dA, a Boston based architecture firm with innovative designs. Chief partners of the firm Monica Ponce de Leon and Nader Tehrani strive for restaurant design that is both edgy and urban. They specialise in urban design and infrastructure, architecture, interior and furniture design. Our personal favourite is this restaurant here. It’s a guarantee that you’ll spend more time admiring your surroundings than all that other unimportant stuff that people do in restaurants (like eating).
You might scoff at the idea of natural and biodegradable graffiti. Well UK designer Anna Garforth is here to take you by surprise with ‘Mossenger’ – living, breathing, sustainable art. How? Simply take a common moss that thrives on brick walls, mix it up with a quote from poet Eleanor Stevens, carve the moss, glue the moss to a wall (preferably a pretty wall and do so with a mixture of biodegradable ingredients of course) and there you have planet friendly graffiti with a purpose. Best of all, the moss will grow and spread and the words will literally spread themselves across the wall until maybe cities are engulfed with the words of the poets. How lovely.
Relax. Your bed is like a cloud. Private Cloud may resemble a giant rocking chair but the good news is it’s really your own private rocking bed! Designed by German Manuel Kloker, this cloud bed sways when you touch it and with two back plates that maintain the tilted angle, owners of the Private Cloud can well and truly profit from this unique bedding experience. It takes up a bit more space than a normal bed, but surely a bit of space is worth the sacrifice to revolutionise the way you sleep (among other things).
For a brand that aims to provoke people into paying attention to the meaning and value of what they buy, take a look at This is. Intent on conveying a straightforward idea of the product that also aligns with the brand, This is lends its name to various interesting and thought provoking designs of necklaces, bangles, badges, and even hot plates. The brand name forms a part of each product’s name, such as This is a Trivet, providing them with a unique and honest identity. With a high quality environmental and sustainable design, these products will definitely draw attention.
Traditional paper is out. Electrophoretic Screens are in. Researchers have managed to print flexible displays onto long, thin rolls of special plastic. Although not yet available commercially, these screens are already popular, with the US Army likely to use them as electronic maps, replacing the bulkier technology that currently hinders soldiers. Unlike LCD’s, the images presented on these screens do not need backlighting, and consume less energy. The user relies on reflected light, just as they would if they were reading normal paper. As thin as paper, electrophoretic screens are sure to be the way of the future.
The post often brings surprises, especially if you use the World’s Smallest Postal Service. This tiny transcription service sends short but sweet messages to wherever and whoever you want. Based in San Francisco, Lea Redmond sets up her small mobile office where people can stop and have a message written in extremely tiny writing. The letter is then sealed with a miniature wax seal complete with the sender’s initials, before being packaged normally, complete with a magnifying glass. Requests for letters can also be made via the WSPS’s website. Add some excitement to your mail with this charming service.
The classic rubber ducky has long been a mainstay at bath time for many families. The Newspaper Drain Stopper takes the concept of the classic bath toy, and updates it with a little modern flair. Made of durable PVC and able to fit most drains, this stopper is shaped as a dinghy and adds a bit of sophistication to your daily wash. If you’ve always wanted a boat but can’t afford one, here’s a way to make your dreams come true – in a much smaller and cost-effective way. So relax and take a ride on your miniature dinghy. Anchors away!
In a world where the environment is an increasingly precious part of life, the Living Moss Carpet allows you to be intimate with nature and welcome it into your home. Be at one with the outdoors and wiggle your toes freely in the moss carpet after a refreshing shower. Designer Nguyen la Chanh’s creation thrives in humid conditions, making it perfectly suited as your bathroom mat. There is little maintenance required for this lush green lawn, comprised of three different types of moss and decay-free foam.
There’s a very cute way of sharing your travels for loved ones. The Stitchable Map Postcard. A product of The Curiosity Shoppe, this adorable card is available as a World, Europe or US map, and comes with a needle and thread. You could choose to keep the card all to yourself to track your own travels or plan your next trip. The Curiosity Shoppe houses other similar quirkily creative items, and hopes to inspire you to allow your inner creative persona to come alive. Check out some of their other hand-crafted stock to see what takes your creative fancy.
French graphic artist and designer Miss Julia is renowned for exploring the many possibilities offered by recycled paper products and cardboard as an art form. Her cardboard Design Cubes are the latest offering of functional cardboard design. This funky design is useful for storing DVDs, CDs and books, or simply as an interesting household object. The Marseille based designer has created some very fun and intriguing products using cardboard, all of which are stunningly designed whilst remaining practical. Who knew cardboard could be so versatile? Miss Julia, that’s who.
Everyone knows that karaoke is that shameful secret you keep behind closed doors, that guilty pleasure you partake in on a crazy night out with friends and no one knows this more than the creators of karaoke bar Lucky Voice, a Soho establishment in London’s Poland Street. This enterprise has catapulted into success, opening up more private party rooms in several locations. Now you can do it all for free in your living room (singing karaoke that is). Create the ultimate playlist with a branded karaoke party planning website and cute accompanying equipment. You’ll have access to more than 6300 songs, 1000 of them for free. Play them on the big screen, add more to your playlist and don’t forget to raise your voice to the rooftops. Product comes with a tone deaf guarantee.
Fulfil those childhood fantasies of swinging from the trees in a tent! The introduction of the Treepee will have the most timid adventurer keen to hook a hanging tent or two from the trees. The advantages of this all weather tent include keeping distance from the bugs and insects of the ground, swaying closer to the rhythm of nature, plus pockets are installed on the inside of the tent for storage. The fabric is fire retardant, water repellent and PU Coated and has a UV protection factor of 50+. There’s also a bag on a pulley which allows essential supplies to be hauled up into the ‘den’. And to keep bugs from creeping in, there are bug nets on the windows. So sweet dreams camper!
The Baobab Loveseat is the newest creation to come from young Mexican Industrial Designer Christian Vivanco. Modelled on the idea of the giant Baobab trees, which store water inside their swollen trunks to endure drought, this sofa welcomes you with its protective shell, promising to envelop you in comfort. This lounge practically begs you to lie down and take the place of water in the Baobab. It is a result from Vivanco’s experiments with surfaces and rhythm, and is a continuous development of the value of mass and volume. Feel at one with nature and peacefulness with this particular chair.
You needn’t worry about forgetting an important date with this Countdown Clock from Sega Toys. This little digital clock not only tells the current date and time as per usual, but it also counts down the number of days, or minutes, left until a big day. So whether you need to keep track of how fast a wedding, birthday, anniversary or exam is approaching, this clock will make sure you remember to use your time wisely.
Ever wanted a place to escape, to just meander about with your thoughts, sit at a cafe or gallery and simply ponder the direction the world is headed in environmentally? Well keep an eye out for an Australian first in Melbourne with Greenhouse by Joost – a self-sustaining temporary event venue at Federation Square. The clever little twist is that the venue is constructed entirely from recycled or recyclable materials. Dine in style on the rooftop garden and enjoy this exclusive gig with the in-crowd – the crowd that cares about sustaining the environment, of course.
If you’ve ever wanted to make and sell your own designs then Ponoko is for you. Not only can you specially request something made uniquely for you by a designer, you can also create something yourself, and then go one stop further by putting it up for sale on the site with their web commerce and make-on-demand service. The first online shop for individualised goods, Ponoko was created with the desire of allowing its customers to shop for or create completely original things in the greenest way possible. Check out Ponoko’s range of quirky products today.
Indie films are reaching new popularity levels, with the new website Indieroad offering a platform for independent filmmakers to display their work. Dedicated to exhibiting and distributing films from contemporary independent filmmakers, the website’s crew consists of entertainment professionals committed to the enhancement of independent films. Visitors to the website can stream and download films directly, for only a small fee. The website even has its own youtube channel, aiming to bring as much attention as possible to the brilliance of independent films.
Going natural is all the rage at the moment and this extends to looking after our skin. Naturopath and Herbalist Barbara Filokostas created the Botani line of skin products, intent on enabling people the pleasure of continuous skin health. These products utilize premium natural ingredients to restore balance and overall skin health, enhancing your natural beauty. There are a variety of skin products available, such as hand creams, exfoliating scrubs and general healthy skin packs, all in environmentally friendly packaging. Treat your skin and try Botani.
Almost anything can be turned into something new and fabulous these days. Milk crates are proving no exception, with numerous re-imaginings of the plastic boxes existing as various home furniture pieces that maximize storage space and also look great. The Milk Crate Stool is Tasmanian Simon Ancher’s design, with the addition of a simple wooden top creating a comfortable seat. Naty Moskovich’s Box Life line is dedicated to re-using milk crate boxes for furniture and MADE has even created a block style chandelier. Clever, cool and a cheap alternative, there’s no limit to what these boxes can be made into.
It’s an undeniable fact that men love their cars. Australian James Corbett loves them so much that he turns old car parts into various pieces of sculpture. Discovering his love of design whilst running a car recycling business, James’ work includes astonishingly life like models of cars, bikes, animals and birds created from old and interesting car parts, all of which are kept in their original shape. He has been sculpting since 1999 and featured in the Brisbane International Motor Show for three consecutive years. This is one man who has made car loving an art form.
Recently the number of eco-friendly restaurants has rapidly risen, with numerous ways that restaurants can simultaneously save money and the environment. Focused entirely on green living, The Green Table Australia Scheme intends to recognize the restaurants, cafés and caterers who are working to reduce their CO2 emissions. Businesses must meet minimum requirements in water and energy saving, waste management and supplies in a way that ensures that many of the industry’s small businesses can participate. The scheme is just one of the many coming into fruition with the aim of making the world a healthier place to live in.
Nobody tackles furniture quite like Nobody and Co. By turning the handle of their Scroll Table, seven different motifs roll under the crystal surface, adding a beautiful touch to your dining experience. The Comfort Table has distinctive caved in spaces to serve as armrests. Reading has never been so easy with the Bibliochaise, a chair built into book shelves. There’s even something for the quirky cook, with the Il Buddino, a single dose pudding mould that’s shaped like a sitting Buddha. With Nobody and Co furniture, your house is sure to be the most unique and stylish on the block.
The must-see film of the summer captivating critics and audiences around the world is Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire. Based on the book Q and A by Vikas Swarup and filmed in India, this modern fairytale tells the story of Jamal, a young street beggar whose appearance on the Hindi version of game show Who wants to be a Millionaire? creates suspicion of cheating after he exceeds everyone’s expectations. The film has been nominated for various prestigious awards, including the Golden Globes and Screen Actor’s Guild Awards. If you’re going to see any film this summer, see this one.
Israeli company Oree is in the process of creating an LED light so tiny it can fit into your wallet and light up a room at the same time. More effective than the standard LED light bulbs, as well as emitting less heat and consuming less energy, this could be the next big thing to light up your life – as well as your LCD displays. Oree's flat LEDs can also be molded into shapes - a quality that could reduce the production cost of electronics using the technology. The good news is, this Israeli company has inspired many other companies to start lowering the cost of LED, to make way for more revolutionary ideas.
Are you in need of some mental stimulation? Try Sam Loyd’s puzzles. These puzzles have enthralled millions of people around the world for over one hundred and thirty years. Puzzle author Sam Loyd created these original brain trainers intending to exercise the brain in a way that was both fun and creative. His puzzles have since sold millions, and kept people’s minds razor-sharp. The company’s interactive website is a further spin on Loyd’s motto of creatively entertaining. Here you can learn about Loyd himself, try particular puzzles, order online and generally just uncover the delightful world of puzzles.
Being caught in the rain can be dreary and depressing, but not any more with designer Sang-Kyun Park’s LightDrops Umbrella. This particular umbrella absorbs the rain drops falling on top of it and converts them into electrical energy, powering the LED lights embedded in the material. The more heavily it rains, the brighter the light will be to help you see where you’re going. With this umbrella, the wet weather will never get you down again.
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