Launched in 2010, the Christian Lacroix “Papier” range of stationary included notebooks, sketch pads, correspondence, and greeting and birthday cards. The newest collection, which applies fresh new graphics and techniques that are truly Lacroix, includes desk boxes, a butterfly paperweight (with its own colorful box), notebooks with stunning endpapers, notecards, and even an animal jigsaw puzzle.
The latest news from the Japanese design firm Nendo is a line of reading and computer glasses made of light, pliable polycarbonate resin. The folded “temples” of the glasses snap directly onto the nose piece, and they can then be easily removed so that users can play around with different color combinations. The glasses’ cloth case is cylindrical so that they can be inserted from either end, and the glasses and case are then locked into place by snapping on the temples. These items are sold exclusively at Seibu department stores in Japan. Photos by Akihiro Yoshida
It’s finally summer (I will never talk bad about you again dear, warm summer), and KnollTextiles has released their latest nail polish color just in time for beach season. Blueprint, a bright summer blue that will look sharp at the beach or the studio, was inspired by the KnollTextiles Tower Grid upholstery in the color Blueprint and by Dazzling Blue, a Pantone Color Trend for 2014. Blueprint joins a family of other textile-inspired polishes including Knoll Red, Tryst (silver), Cato (pink), Groovy (dark pink), Firebird (orange), and Driftwood (a light, natural color). The polishes are used by KnollTextiles sales reps as give aways, but you can win one now with their Instagram contest. Just share a pic of your favorite blue-hued @KnollTextile on Instagram with the hashtag #knolltextilesblue. KnollTextiles will be selecting winners on 6/27. Good luck!
Launched last month during the Wanted Design exhibition during NYCxDesign, Inception is a dish rack/desk organizer designed by Luca Nichetto for the Italian brand Seletti. Named after the mind-bending 2010 movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and inspired by the folding cities in the movie, Inception’s silicone buildings slightly bend with the weight of the objects. The organizer comes in pink, blue, or gray (shown below).
Dutch designer Derk Reilink has a reason to be in a good mood. Having just exceeded his Kickstarter campaign goal by a thousand euros, Reilink will finally see his dream of bringing his ClickTape tape dispenser concept to market — a process that first began back in 2006 — with production starting at the beginning of August. Retailing for $14 (including the tape) ClickTape has reduced the dispenser to its bare essentials. A flexible plastic ring, made of 12 grams of plastic, allows a role of tape to be easily clicked into the dispenser, eliminating the need of a plastic roller used in traditional tape dispensers. A durable stainless steel blade matches the curvature of the ring shape of the dispenser and a special indent above the blade makes it easy to grab the end of the tape (something that is tricky for young kids and those with disabilities to do). ClickTape will come in black, blue, turquoise, and green and is sleek enough to earn a coveted space on even the most minimal of desks. All images courtesy …
Sometimes when I see a new product design I think to myself, “damn, that’s exactly what I imagined the future would be like.” Well, the future of exercise equipment is closer than you think, and it looks like something Sandra Bullock would use in her next sci-fi movie. The TERA fitness mat by LUNAR Europe is the latest concept from the design firm to join a family of interactive objects including the VELA cycle trainer and the NOVA climbing wall. Made of eco-friendly shear wool by Kvadrat, TERA is a carpet with an intelligent surface that recognizes movement patterns and activates a specially developed TERA app. The circular shape of the mat is designed to accommodate the natural radius of human motion during exercise, and the app guides users through training units of different disciplines like Yoga, Pilates, or Thai Bo, all with varying degrees of difficulty. Sensors register any pressure exerted on the mat, enabling accurate detection of the user’s body and weight shifts. An innovative LED lighting system shows how to perform the …
