Today I attended a press event celebrating 50 years in business for acoustic and speaker giant Bose Corporation. Held on the west side of Manhattan, the event centered around a timeline showcasing actual Bose products from their first loudspeaker (1966) to their just-introduced QuietComfort 25 headphones. An interesting fact: When Bose founder Dr. Amar Bose died last year, he left the majority of company stock to MIT. Here are some shots from the event.
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!
I spotted these watches from Japanese brand Q&Q during NYCxDesign at the SightUnseen Offsite exhibition downtown. Q&Q (Quest & Quality) is a new line of solar-powered watches for the U.S. marketplace. At just $40, the waterproof watches never require a battery replacement. Around the large watch face is a thin band of photovoltaics that recharges the watch for up to three and a half months after a single charge. I’ve been testing out a free watch given out during the show, and I find it lightweight and modern, though the all-white band picks up dirt easily (this is why I don’t wear white pants). If you want to see the watch in action, you can check out Katy Perry wearing it in her new Birthday music video. The watch also tries to give back. For every purchase, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Table for Two, a non-profit that helps deliver school meals to children in Africa and Asia.
Ever wonder what kind of tattoos sexy robots will wear in the future? Look no further, because the Swiss brand Tattyoo has launched five new designs that will give you a pretty good idea. Designed by Mélanie Raetz and Simone Korbati, the new temporary tatts range from a lacy, feminine butterfly and faux diamond designs to digital abstractions that would not look out of place on the wrist of an alien race. And at about six euros a pop, they are an affordable (and painless) way to try out a modern design before committing to something a lot more permanent.
For his first collaboration with Adidas, British design icon Tom Dixon created a collection of clothing and accessories intended to double as a “survival kit” while you are traveling the road for business or pleasure. Called The Capsule, the unisex collection centers around two types of luggage (one hard and one soft) that each unzip to reveal layers of clothes and accessories for a seven day stay. Included are pants, shirts, jackets (including a parka that turns into a sleeping bag) and three types of shoes, all with lovely details such as copper shoelace tabs and bag zips. Good news for the shorties out there like me: hemlines on the pants and shirts can be cut to size and do not require further sewing or tailoring.
