FLOS, azienda italiana leader nel settore dell’illuminazione, è lieta di annunciare l’apertura di due nuovi spazi retail sulla West Coast degli Stati Uniti: a Los Angeles e San Francisco.

Il negozio di Los Angeles, situato al n. 303 dello storico Robertson Blvd, fa parte del Gruppo Diva, meta frequentatissima per la ricerca di prodotti moderni e contemporanei di arredamento e illuminazione di fascia alta. Il negozio è stato inaugurato ufficialmente il 29 novembre. Il Presidente e AD di FLOS, Piero Gandini, è intervenutoall’evento di apertura, insieme a un ospite d’eccezione, il designer Ron Gilad.Nello showroom sono esposte le icone più conosciute di FLOS, come Arco, Taraxacum and Toio dei fratelli Castiglioni;insieme a novità più recenti, tra cui la spettacolare Wallpiercing, le semplicissime ed eleganti Lightspring e La Linea, l’originale lampada da tavolo Miniteca, tutte disegnate da Gilad; e ancora, Ktribe di Philippe Starck, Glo-Ball di Jasper Morrison, le due sospensioni Skygarden e Zeppelin di Marcel Wanders, e tanti altri prodotti.

Los Angeles

Lo shop in shop di San Francisco è collocato invece all’interno dello showroom Dzine, nel design district. L’area di vendita è stata inaugurata ufficialmente il 30 novembre, nel corso di un evento esclusivo al quale sono intervenuti lostesso Presidente e AD di FLOS e il designer Ron Gilad. I prodotti di illuminazione di Flos qui sono esposti in uno spaziodedicato all’interno del negozio e in una vetrina centrale, il cui allestimento sarà curato a rotazione ogni tre mesi daun diverso designer locale di San Francisco. La vetrina inaugurale è un progetto di Nicole Hollis.In aggiunta a un’ampia gamma di lampade decorative, Dzine ha voluto includere nell’esposizione diverse soluzioniinnovative per il contract e il settore hospitality. La collezione Soft Architecture di FLOS propone un’illuminazione chesi fonde in modo naturale con l’architettura che la circonda. Creata grazie a un composito materiale innovativo(tecnologia Under-Cover) che unisce leggerezza ad elevata resistenza, è in grado di assicurare performance edurabilità nel tempo, donando ad ogni ambiente una fisionomia unica. Inoltre risponde alle più recenti normativeinternazionali in tema di sicurezza ed eco compatibilità.

San Francisco

Images: Iwan Baan

Urban farming is a fast growing phenomenon where the typically rural practice of agriculture is brought into the city. The picNYC table goes one step further and brings the rural experience of picnicking not just in the city, but into the residence. The folded lightweight aluminum table top and legs form a stiff framework for the grass, soil and stones (needed for drainage). The picNYC table creates a surreal experience of nature in the city that literally transforms dining. Suddenly spilling water becomes a necessity instead of a problem and wine glasses need coasters not to prevent ring stains but to avoid tumbling. Included in the rural experience is the maintenance of the grass. No table grass mower yet exists and the grass therefore needs to be cut by hand.

Depending on the number of cuts, maintenance, usage, sunlight and season, the PicNYC table responds with a variety of colors to the conditions set by the owner. However, the color can always be reset to bright green since fresh sod is available year round. Based on the concept of transposing natural experiences to the residence, endless alterations are possible with flowers, herbs or even vegetables. Depending on the needs and green thumbs of the owner, the PicNYC table brings various degrees and qualities of the rural experience into the urban residence. As a consequence, the PicNYC table transforms dining into a feast at a new intersection of nature and city.

pics & elaboration by Francesca Trevisan

Francesca Trevisan is 20 years old, currently living in Padova, Italy, but has travelled all over the world. Her works are full of contrasts between hard and soft, photography and geometry, order and chaos.

For the couple behind Jamin Puech handbags, vintage fuels inspiration.

Stylist and text by Matias Errazuriz
Photography by Fabien Lemaire.

With its exposed bricks walls, faded furniture and quirky kitchen, Isabelle Puech and Benoit Jamin’s atelier is a textbook example of the power of vintage style. ‘We are collectors, and our finds inspire the way we live and work’, says Isabelle.The space is a cornucopia of collections, some created by the couple’s artist friends. most bought from Parisiam flea markets.

It is both edgy and nostalgic, yet very welcoming.
The couple-who met in the late Eighties and designed accesories for the likes of Chloe, Chanel and Balmain, before concentrating on their own label- fell in love with the space back in 2000. Set at the end of courtyard in Pari’s 9th arrondissement, within spitting distance of the grands magasins, its central location was perfect.

“We bought the ground floor and basement which, at the time, was a repair workshop for meery-go rounds”, says Benoit. “We installed a loft-style living space at the back for us, and turned the rest into our atelier and offices. As the label grew, we managed to buy the first and second floor of the building”.

It’s not surprising that the couple’s atelier is constantly evolving-they’ve always bucked trends, creating exquisite, intricate designs that draw inspiration from a wealth of eras and cultures.

The handful of Jamin Puech shops continue in the same vein. At the London boutique, vast chandeliers mae from wooden clothes pegs preside over the latest collection-a quirky, eloquent reminder of the Jamin Puech ethos of finding beauty in the most unexpected places.

Find Jamin Puech at 54 Ledbury road
W11 2AJ London
+44(0)207 221 30 59

14 Prince street
10012 New York
+1(212)431 5200

26, rue Cambon
75001 Paris
+33(0)1 40 20 40 28

Via Solferino, 3
20121 Milano
+39 02 92 87 05 84

Tips of Vintage style for Isabelle Puech and Benoit Jamin

1 It inspires our work “W’ve built up huge collection of bits and pieces from Clignancourt market that we display in apothecary jars’, says Isabelle.The couple use the jars as visual inspiration, and delve into the contents to trim and decorate their handbags.’We never stop looking for new materials and ways to work whith them’.

2 It packs a punch “We like watching people’s reactions when they see this huge letter’, says Benoit.’It came from a neon sign on a department store.It illuminates the first- floor leading,along with the chandelier created with sculptor Patrick Bailly.The wall was stripped back to bare brick when the couple renovated two years ago.’We liked its rough, indistrial feel, so didn’t replaster.

3 It pulls together all kinds of cultures ‘We use mood boards with images gleaned from the past, from artist as well as from Western,African and Asian cultures,’ says Isabelle.Part of their new collection was inspired by images from photogtapher and filmmaker Erwin olaf ‘, We loved these sed yet sublime characters.’

4 its ecofriendly ‘We chose vintage table and units to crate a cosy and homely vibe in the kitchen,’ says Benoit. The couple sourced the units,cupboards and shelves from flea markets,and added a worktop in polished concrete for modern contrast.

5 its worksin a variety of spaces ‘ The poster in our reception makes people do a double take.
we found the napoleon lll sofa in a garden,photographed it and now use it as our emblem.The tripod lamp came from the old BBC studios,’it’s perfect for creating a sense of theatre.’

6 It has a sense of humour “Buying a vintage piece gives you licence to have fun with it, “says Benoit. “I added the chalk message to our flea market bath when it was photographed for our New Year’s greetings card. It was filled with plastic ducks and large glitter ball.

7It appeals to a magpie spirit “We love mixing unexpected pieces -a vintage sewing machine chair with a new bespoke desk”, says Benoit. Antique storage boxes storeever-growing collections.A healthy amount of clutter-invites ideas,to-do list-adds a creative,informal vibe.

Si è conclusa la scorsa settimana il primo weekend della Design Week Veneziana, giunta alla sua seconda edizione.

Sabato 1 ottobre sono saliti in cattedra Tommaso Cora di Cibic workshop e Claudio Germak, docente del Politecnico di Torino, moderati da Clara Mantica, fondatrice di Best Up, con un viaggio all’interno di uno dei temi che tiene più banco al momento, ovvero la sostenibiltà.

Tra le varie domande che sono state poste, sono emerse in particolare quelle riguardanti a quanto fino ad oggi è stato fatto e quanto ci sarà da fare per lo sviluppo della sostenbilità, sia in Italia che altrove.

Gli autori hanno fornito esempi di best practices attive, evidenzando anche le lacune che ancora sussistono in un percorso ancora lungo per trovare la sostenibilità perfetta.

la Venice Design Week ha incontrato tra gli altri Giuseppe Finocchio, della Palermo Design Week e Marta Mandolini, della Firenze Design Week.

Tra le attività proposte anche l’esposizione LIQUidiSEGNI, che ha visto progetti provenienti da Europa, Asia e America Latina e la presentazione dei progetti partecipanti al concorso.
Domenica 2 ottobre, nella splendida cornice della Serra dei Giardini si sono svolti i primi laboratori: bimbi e adulti sono stati coinvolti in una riscoperta degli oggetti di scarto, in primis le bottiglie e i tappi di plastica, per dare loro nuova vita: insomma, con il design non si butta via niente. I laboratori saranno riproposti domenica prossima, sempre alle 15 alla serra dei giardini.

(per info e iscrizioni: 3298740881 // laboratori@designweek.it).

Per ulteriori informazioni sulla design week veneziana potete trovare qui tutte le informazioni.

Roses, jasmines, opened field, placidness and serenity like that is the country house of the designer Paula Cahen d Anvers and Federico Álvarez Castillo.

In the immensity of the pampas in argentine, a white palisade warns the visitor on having be crossed by a path of avenue of young poplars, crosses the distance up to the house.There are two covered constructions of ivy in its entirety, his architecture remembers to the old English railway stations, the park is a merit of Paula and Federico who planted more quantity of trees and shrubs, roses, jasmines in abundance and a lawn that looks like a carpet that gets lost in the infinite of the landscape.

Entering to the living room the decoration is very simple with sophisticated touches, the curtains are of sky blue organza, all the flowery and Scotch pillows are of the collections of clothes of when Paula was designing, the furniture were realized by carpenters of the zone ” we had many furniture and objects guarded with the wait to finish the house and be able to locate them, though Federico and I are not architects knew from a beginning the style of house that we wanted for the field, The idea was to open the landscape for the house that the exteriors were entering to the place Paula remembers “, and the windows look like pictures when the enormous park tries to deposit the living to the quarters and up to in the baths that possess large windows as big as in other environments of the house.

All the environments are easily identifiable for some objects that this identifies, in the kitchen the ancient chandelier on the table, the furniture was designed by Federico his husband, imitating the kitchens of the old country houses.

The quarters are very simple but exquisite the principal was painted of colour soft rose, it have a chimney to ignite in the fresh nights and a curious collection of pictures with motives of roses, Also it possesses a dressing room and a wide bath that looks like a picture of epoch all the decoration in the bathroom is antique the floor, the curtains, and the elements for using there is one third construction that is a new house, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms and one play room for the childrens of Paula and Federico.

This zone has a great meaning for my, they were the fields where I spend part of my childhood, paula remembers.

The great living is a wide environment that does not go unnoticed for the visitor has a very high roof and this one filled from the floor(flat) to the roof of pictures with ancient photos, engravings, and drawings of epoch, is called the attention the great large window of iron that goes from wall to wall, covered by curtains of blue sky organza.

Besides a simple dining room this the sector of the home where a great chimney dominates the sights this one framed with recycled wood the same material used for the armchairs, the coffee table, the furniture, and the game of dining room, the floor is in white draught-board and black recycling and in excellent condition another detail to stand out is the stairs that raises the entrepiso with an ancient railing.

“Though Federico and I are not architects we knew from a beginning the style of house that we wanted for the field, the idea was to open the landscape for the house, which the exteriors were entering (approaching) to the place Paula remembers” We had many furniture and objects guarded to the wait to finish the house and be able to locate them, the house was arming itself alone as we saw that furniture was remaining better in every sector”

With Paula and Federico ran of the time they constructed the second modul Principal bedroom with dressing room and a great bath, the idea was to give him a feminine and soft touch because of it I look for this pale pink color in the walls, and all tha landscape around the building is fantastico like a english countryside.

Berlin. This incredible city, stage of new forms of creativity, platform for plenny of young artists will hold from the 19th to the 21st August a unique event, where participating will be a whole new experience.
Julia Veldman, a 22 year old graduated student from Design Academy Eindhoven gathered a group of young dutch designers bringing to the berliners a 72 hour event ‘gesamtkuntswerk’ about the overload of choices crippling our lives.
The event is called multiple choices, and as you might wonder, is not just an event, but exhibition, grastronomical event and a club night, too.
The location is in Neukolln, one of those district that are becoming popular and affordable for young artists, in the gallery Sameheads.
Sameheads is owned by three brothers—Nathan, Leo and Harry—all of whom visited Berlin years ago and knew they needed to stay.
After returning home to their native England in order to save money, they returned to Berlin as soon as they were able and started Sameheads, their store where fashion, music and art meet.

The public will be provoqued finding in front of him multiple choices.
This, to resemble that quarterlife crisis, the state of mental paralysis and unjust depression that nowadays a lot of people in their twenties seem to experience.
It is caused by the overload of choices and the boundless freedom we have. Everything you want to be is within reach, as long as you try hard enough. If you missed out, if you fail, it is your own fault. Because it was all there laid out for you.
But what the hell to choose?

No answers so far, but to respond to the wish of trying to get the best of all but end up with a hideous uneatable sandwich floating in a fatty sauce, this young collective
of designers and artists decided to solve this with design or at least to point in some direction.To exclaim new ideals.

So,72 hours to cure an entire generation and they’ll make the most out of it.

PROGRAMME:

19th august
performance dinner with live music

20th august
opening with lectures, activities, performance and party

21st august
breakfast and the beginning of your life

The exhibition will feature:

Works by thalia de jong

Works by Julia Veldman

Works by Michael Kluver

food by Tobias Jansen

Works by Maaike fransen

Works by Goof van Beek

Works by Hendrik-jan grievink

more info and updates about the programme are to be found here

Brittney Hollinger is a recent undergraduate of Ringling College of Art and Design, with a BFA in Fine Arts. Hollinger’s most recent project, En Vill Hest, is a series of photographic silk-screen prints, printed on various materials. En Vill Hest is a direct response to an on-going exploration, which includes documenting and archiving three years worth of parties.

Design Week Milan 2011 – Around the City with an Iphone

Milano, Via Goito, Liceo Parini, Violetta è in classe. Segue la lezione ma la sua testa è a poche centinaia di metri da li’… Nei suoi pensieri Cavalli e Nastri, il negozio Vintage di Via Brera. Suona la campanella. Come tutti i giorni dopo la scuola, prima di tornare a casa, Violetta, si fermerà dalla signora Claudia, e passerà nel suo negozio un’oretta, girovagando tra i manichini, toccando quei tessuti, sognando di diventare una stilista.

Novembre 2010, è passato qualche anno e Violetta, dopo un’importante esperienza lavorativa presso il settore giacche e cappotti di Prada, mette da parte sciarpe e guanti, e decide di salutare l’ennesimo inverno milanese e di partire per una lunga vacanza alle Hawaii. Arriva a Oahu e dopo 4 giorni a Honolulu, la sua vacanza è già finita.
Girando per le isole, scopre i tessuti vintage stampati barkcloth (tessuto di cotone spugnoso utilizzato per tende e divani) e comincia ad acquistarne scampoli qua e là. Sulla spiaggia, matita alla mano e con il pensiero ai capi che la facevano sognare da ragazzina, butta giù una trentina di schizzi ispirati al viaggio e alla libertà, alla vita degli hippies, agli artisti e ai surfisti locali. Il risultato sarà Postcards Wearable Project, una collezione di vestitini a portafoglio, uno diverso dall’altro, con scolli, sbracci e nastri che rimandano alle atmosfere dei film hawaiani di Elvis, ai barbecue sulla spiaggia, al suono dell’ukulele. Venti pezzi unici, ottimamente made in Italy, realizzati con tessuti unici che la signora Claudia Jesi di Cavalli e Nastri ha deciso di presentare durante il Milano Design Week 2011, trasformando con un colpo di bacchetta magica il sogno di Violetta in realtà e il suo negozio in un angolo di Hawaii.