On 25th September, H&M kicked off with the natural brand extension for a retailer: To jump from apparel to home textile and accessories.
However, instead of creating “yet another H&M to dress your HoMe” - i.e. ZARA home - they went for a risky brand reinforcement via a pantone-inspired and impressively cool showroom installed in their space in central Stockholm.
Climb upstairs and scan through the planned shows for the season, to you get a metallic palette.
Explore the open space where things are displayed in a art gallery-like manner and stick magnetic colors (one for each item to purchase) to your card.
Sold out item? No magnets left.
Changed your mind? Just leave the no-longer-wanted in the magnet parking.
Craving for more? Address to the color library that contains anything available though not present in the first show.
Don’t forget to drop by… Pay and get your stuff!
Home reflections is the first show called. I agree. There’s a lot to reflect on how this brand new experience of interior design moves a step beyond, from the familiar ikea-like environment, to a creative environment, where the customer becomes both critic and creator of his own oeuvre.
In October 2009 Artek and Comme des Garçons will launch their joint creation, the STANDARD fragrance. The name derives from Artek’s standard thinking, based on Alvar Aalto’s original idea of systems and standards in furniture design.
The unisex fragrance was created in line with Artek STUDIO’s brief on combining synthetic and natural elements. The final scent was developed by Christian Astuguevieille, perfume creator at Comme des Garçons. The result is a blend of Finnish Labrador Tea, Twinflower Linnea Borealis, metal and rust in the base notes and fennel, ginger, lemon, musk, saffron and cedarwood in the top notes. The visual aesthetics of the STANDARD fragrance were developed to stand along with Artek’s ideology and existing products. In line with Artek’s design ideology, the scent is created with the ambition to nourish physical and emotional wellbeing.
The fragrance concept was conceived in the pleasant atmosphere of the first collaboration between Artek and Comme des Garçons in 2007, an Artek exhibition of ’second-cycle’ furniture at Dover Street Market London and Comme des Garçons’ main flagship store in Tokyo. Artek is continuously on the lookout for new and interesting working methods, materials and collaborations. Creating a fragrance with Comme des Garçons was for Artek a great opportunity to work with a company in the forefront of cultural reinvention. The launch of the STANDARD fragrance is one of the key events in Artek’s 75th anniversary celebrations.
”To be trendy has never been an end in itself for Artek. The world of senses is always interesting and that was reason enough for us to get involved in the project. Comme des Garçons and Artek are both exceptional companies that have the audacity to operate in fields that are not necessarily intrinsic parts of their business. The STANDARD fragrance is in itself a unique phenomenon. It communicates a message about what Artek stands for today; being radical,” says Mirkku Kullberg, Managing Director of Artek.
“I guess the greatest similarity between Comme des Garçons and Artek is that we both have a strong vision and belief in creativity that does not lend itself to compromise,” says Adrian Joffe, President of Comme des Garçons Parfum. “We believe such collaborations create a synergy where the result is greater than the sum of its parts.” Comme des Garçons is known for its experimental approach in everything it does, continuously creating things that did not exist before. “We like to question the notion of what is luxury,” concludes Joffe.
STANDARD will be launched in London at Dover Street Market on October 15. The fragrance will be distributed through Artek’s and Comme des Garçons’ own stores as well as Comme des Garçons resellers.
Erik Andersson Architects wins first prize in architectural design competition in Norrköping, Sweden. EAA was invited as one of three teams to design a new bridge over the river Motala Ström in the City of Norrköping. The bridge will be constructed of stainless steel plates, welded together to create a highly polished exterior with no visible seams. The bridge will mirror the river and have an artificial waterfall built into its railings.
Ever dreamed of attending a TED Conference…of being around some of the world’s greatest minds and discussing the best technology, art, architecture, music, film, science, literature, etc? Are you innovative and want to meet with other people like you from around the world? Then apply to the TED Fellows program!
Organizers of the TED Conference are searching for 25 promising Fellows from around the world to participate in TED2010. The TED Fellows program will accept applications for fellowships from through September 25, 2009. The TED Fellows program is a new international fellowship program designed to nurture great ideas and help them spread around the world.
Benefits of the Fellowship include conference admission, round-trip transportation, housing and all meals. Fellows will also participate in a pre-conference with the opportunity to present a short talk for consideration for TED.com, elite skills-building courses taught by world experts, social opportunities and surprise extras. This is not a monetary Fellowship; the benefits are in-kind only.
The program seeks remarkable thinkers and doers who have shown unusual accomplishment, exceptional courage, moral imagination and the potential to increase positive change in their respective fields. The program focuses on innovators in technology, entertainment, design, science, film, art, music, entrepreneurship and the NGO community, among other pursuits.
Hockey is a bit witty Oregon based band that mixes pop, indie and disco into a delightful new experience. It sounds like a mix of Talking Heads, David Bowie’s Lodger and Arctic Monkeys filtered through a tight disco sound.
Their new album Mind Chaos is just released and the songs Too Fake, Learn to Loose and Song away sticks out. The latter produced by ex-Talking Heads guitarist Jerry Harrison. No more words, you have to listen to one of the best records of 2009.
The innovative design company Muuto works with the leading Scandinavian designers to add new chapters to the strong Scandinavian design tradition. With the introduction of Muuto Talent Award, the Scandinavian design company has now called for the next generation of designers to give their perspective on New Nordic design.
In spring 2009, 20 design schools from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland were invited to participate in the contest and with an overwhelming number of participants, the first Muuto Talent Award exceeded the company’s expectations.
The winning design has now been chosen and it was graduating design students from Konstfack in Stockholm, Petter Thörne and Anders Johnsson and their KEEP Table made from leftover wood and waste material who won. The surprising and eco-friendly material choice combined with the simple, yet undeniably Scandinavian design were among the jury’s reasons for choosing Anders and Petter’s table.
“The designers and Muuto have a joint mission to put Scandinavia back on the International design scene so we are thrilled that so many young designers were interested in the Muuto Talent Award” – Kristian Byrge, Director, Muuto.
“The Muuto Talent Award is a great acknowledgement, especially since it is coming from a young and innovative company like Muuto.” – Petter Thörne and Anders Johnsson.
DesignBoost 2009 will take place in Malmö Sweden between October 14 and November 15 under the theme “Design for Life”.
Today Designboost reveals the twelve first Boosters (speakers) at the BoostTalk (lectures) on October 15. As earlier years Designboost has invited Boosters from all over the world which represent the true frontline within design in its broadest context:
Ken Yeang, Architect at Llewelyn Davies Yeang Ilse Crawford, Creative director and Designer at Studio Ilse Richard Hutten, Designer Max Fraser, Director at Spotlight Press Colin Drummond, Director of Cultural & Business Insights at Crispin Porter + Bogusky Ineke Hans, Designer Katarina Graffman and Kristina Börjesson, Anthropologist respectively Researcher sustainable design Magnus Lindqvist, Futurologist at Pattern Recognition Behrang Miri, Rapper, Actor and Teacher Jonas Pinzke and Harry MacNeil, Innovators for the greater good at The Good Guys
Ten more Boosters for the BoostTalk on October 15 will be revealed week 39.
London Design Festival soon kicks off and it has come to involve and engage London’s entire design community, everything from retail to design students. The festival contains exhibitions such as 100% Design, an exhibition that has struggled the last few years with its relevance in the design community, and Tent London that has become more relevant each year. The festival offers a myriad of events and some of last year’s most interesting ones were the Financial Times hosted The Business of Design Talks.
The topics of the seminars this year includes Responsible Design with participators such as Thomas Bergmark from IKEA and Alfonso Albaisa who’s VP of Nissan Design Europe. Emerging Architecture has invited Ricky Burdett, Professor of Architecture and Urbanism at LSE and architect Amanda Levete amongst others. What looks to be a very exciting talk is Design in Adversity, designers Tom Dixon and Jamie Hayon will together with Design Museum London’s director, Deyan Sudjic and Nigel Carrington, Rector of Universtiy of the Arts discuss what design will look like coming out of this economical downturn, will it spark a new movement? Will design be bolder?
Danish company Yakkay has developed a series of bicycle helmets where safety and style are united and equally valued. A very innovative contribution to the rather standardized helmet market. Each helmet consists of a protective base with a cover in different designs according to taste. Recently a couple of new covers were released.
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