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With a peculiar sculpture piece based on a system of “Dendroids,” American artist Roxy Paine has created a 130-foot-long by 45-foot-wide stainless-steel sculpture at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Roof Garden. It is an interesting combination of concepts – Paine uses both mechanical means and the innate logic of natural forms to create his “Dendroid” tree-like sculptures. Like in nature, these are a series of vascular networks, tree roots, mushrooms, and fungal mycelia. His meticulous research and observation of a variety of tree species help him to understand the nuances of how a tree grows. Paine has said:

“I’ve processed the idea of a tree and created a system for its form. I take this organic majestic being and break it down into components and rules. The branches are translated into pipe and rod.”

Employing the “language” that he has invented for each of these fictive species, Paine’s trees are “grown” through a laborious process of welding together the cylindrical piping and rods and manifests itself with the green and concrete surroundings of New York.

Maelstrom (2009) is Paine’s largest and most ambitious work to date and is showing now until October 25 at The Metroplitan Museum of Art Rooftop Garden.

Installation images of Roxy Paine on the Roof: Maelstrom

Installation footage of Roxy Paine on the Roof: Maelstrom

[via The Met]

New York now probably has the grandest Wi-Fi hotspot in the country. Yesterday, the New York Public Library opened its elegant Edna Barnes Salomon Room in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building as a reading room specifically for online users. In recent years, the room has been used mostly for special exhibitions and rental space for private engagements.

Built in 1911, the Schwarzman Building houses the library’s research collection. The Beaux-Arts room is decorated in the classical style with 4,500 square foot of rectangular space and boasts dark maple wood floors. It has seating for 128 people on brown leather chairs and custom-made black walnut tables, according to the library.

You can bring your own laptop or borrow one for free starting July 28.

This augments the Library Renaissance trend by offering technology and connectivity in a historical space during times of need.

[via LA Times]

I was having a conversation with a digital strategist at one of the most awesome digital agencies in New York about interactive fashion communities and websites and StyleCaster came to mind.  I have been an active user on Style.com for nearly a decade. Creating a mock website on CSS/HTML sealed the deal with my intimate relationship with the very first fashion 1.0 site. Then came The Fashion Spot, a.k.a. TFS where I would gather over fashion tips and interact with fellow users. No other fashion magazine site or blog has been able to personalize these features.

So what is StyleCaster? Their mantra is “personal style experience uniquely tailored to your fashion DNA”. They describe themselves as the Web’s first truly personalized, integrated fashion channel, where you receive all news on fashion, beauty, breaking news, celebrity, shopping, and community just for you. It’s really an innovative way to receive news about fashion and join an interactive fashion community, aside from blogs and magazine websites. It’s the first venture into fashion web 3.0.

How did they come about? Stylecaster officially launched in February 2009. Last week July 1st, StyleCaster raised $4 million in Series A round of financing from investor Dan Gilbert, QuickenLoans.

Who is StyleCaster? There’s really no one person who is the face of StyleCaster, unless you’ve seen the prelaunch video of Jessica Joffe. It’s called “Transformations” and it’s a montage of Joffe getting up and ready for work, and walking through the streets of SoHo. StyleCaster is twofold: it’s a community and an authority.

You can even get weather and outfit forecasts on the StyleCaster App for the iPhone. “The StyleCaster Daily Look’s application delivers you three fully styled outfits based on your local weather. You can click on the outfit to learn more about it and the style influencers who created it.” What I get from this app is the relevant utility of it. I don’t think women seek to recreate the exact looks they offer, but they can get an idea or two about what to pair with and the local weather forecast. Also, the StyleCaster App features a range of styles to choose from and find its origins. So, when women are just out and about, they can use of the StyleCaster App and find out where to buy the featured item and any local sample sales. It really serves the essence of a mobile app.

StyleCaster App on Facebook

photo credits: StyleCaster

It seems like Nike doesn’t want anyone to know it is going green. The sole of Nike’s new Air Jordan XX3 is made of ground-up pieces of old Nike sneakers. You would think it’s more cost-efficient, right? Not at all. The suggested retail price of the Nike Air Jordan XX3 ranges from $180 to $230. Even though its eco-friendly shoes are cheaper to make, the company perceives its consumers are more interested in design and performance than sustainability. This strategy can make or break the brand, especially among its urban and socially responsible consumers.

Nike knows going green has various advantages. Surely there are environmental benefits, but going green offers a more cost effective approach in manufacturing of top performance athletic sneakers. It expects to reduce the amount of material it wastes by 17% over the next decade. While companies like Seventh Generation and American Apparel pride themselves over innovation in the eco-conscious changes they are making, Nike is down playing sustainability initiatives. In its latest digital campaign called Nike +/Running, sensors track physical data, find useful tools to train for the marathon, and connect with others in a friend or foe user experience. Nike is all about innovation and hip athletic gear. How is sustainability relevant to the brand? The brand has always been about winning.

Nike came to the same conclusion after a less-than-successful experiment a few years ago. The company launched its first line of environmentally friendly shoes, the Nike Considered, in 2005. Innovative at the time, the walking boot was made of brown hemp fibers that looked obviously earthy. Critics called the $110 shoes “Air Hobbits” because of their forest-dweller look and feel. It really challenged Nike’s design integrity because it detracted from its high-tech image. The boots didn’t sell well, and within a year were taken off the shelves.

Did Nike learn anything from this experience? Green innovations should continue in my opinion. Like the world around us, consumers’ expectations are constantly changing. With a brand like Nike, experimentation with different markets is key. You shouldn’t abandon a strategy simply because it didn’t work three years ago. “We want to do more and say less,” is the way Laurie Vogel, at Nike, puts it. Overcome with ongoing exposure of sweatshop labor in Asian factories, the Nike also has to tread carefully about promoting itself as socially responsible.

Innovation is still key in Nike’s brand strategy. In 2008 Nike debuted the Air Jordan XX3, which was designed so that all the pieces of the shoe fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. The design eliminates any excess plastic. The company also invented a sewing machine that speeds up assembly time thus saving electricity. With a legendary line of 24-years, Nike plugged in the XX3 as the next generation of Air Jordan. The latest edition debuted in January 2009 and has continued with sustainable manufacturing of sneakers.

What are the results? The Air Jordan achieved double-digit growth during the company’s most recent quarter according to Charles D. Denson, Nike’s Brand Chief. This suggests consumers are happy with the shoe’s performance. Sustainability is increasingly playing a key factor in consumers’ purchases, from apparel to spirits and foods, to household products. Nike’s lineup now includes eco-friendly basketball, football, soccer, tennis, and running shoes.

Nike Quietly Goes Green [Businessweek]

photo credit: Nike and Francesco Bongiorni

Wallpaper featured an article on Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller, and it seems he like knows what will tantalize shoppers in London. In the past he has filled Tate Britain with bouquets and organized music concerts in the countryside. Would this work for a temporary in-store display? As I’m about to find out Deller doesn’t take his artistic mission lightly.

Clever indeed the creative strategy behind Louis Vuitton’s garden project is to coincide with their latest store opening in the retail island of Westfield in London’s Shepherds Bush.

Deller produced a temporary urban garden with full-body scarecrows to highlight the store’s opening ceremony. Carefully designed to symbolize sustainability and natural energy – the garden brings life to Louis’s latest luxury giant as well as to the usual synthetic mall environment.

Entrenched in the past year and a half with lawsuits in copyright infringement and fraudulent art, this is an interesting way to build up a luxury giant through a social cause. In parallel with economic responsibility, Deller’s botanical presentation will be donated to the Hammersmith Community Gardens Project. Do you think ‘London’s love for a good garden’ is a philanthropic act that is well suited for Louis Vuitton?

After eight grand collections designed at her namesake boutique on Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue, Sir designer Joanna Baum has opened her third shop in New York. Sir is located in the heart of Williamsburg at 129 Bedford Avenue and is the  designer’s latest exciting venture.

With Kirsten Dunst, Kate Hudson, Kiera Knightley, and Michelle Williams as regular clientele of Sir, the opening of a Williamsburg boutique near Bedford Avenue promises to enhance the cool. Since the beginning, Sir had gained a glamorous following through word of mouth and a simple retail model alone.

The new boutique will exclusively carry Ms. Joanna’s creations while serving a tightly curated showcase for her constant evolving collection of favorite designers. “I like to whip the sewing machine out in the shop, and let people watch if they are around as I stitch things into shape,” explains Joanna. “It’s something I did in my Brooklyn store originally that I also want to try when time permits.”

Sir’s specialty are its bias-cut silk pieces creating a great fit and a “well-loved feel.” She honed her skills at the world-renowned Rhode Island School of Design. Experimenting with different techniques, she washes her silks by hand (consisting of both chiffon and charmeuse) to give the luxurious pieces a “pretty, but roughed-up look.”

Featured at all Sir locations are this season’s fall dresses, artisian jackets, and an assortment of one-of-a-kind hand-dye Sir signature silk and jersey dresses that are perfect for taking you from the office to a night out in Manhattan.

Sir

129 Bedford Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11211

Tel: 718-384-0700

Email: sirbrooklyn@hotmail.com

Hours: Tu-Sa 1-7:30pm, Su 1-7pm, Mon Closed

all photos courtesy of CoolHunt Inc.

Tagged: bedford, brooklyn, charmeuse, chiffon, joanna baum, sir, williamsburg ]]> http://momokomashups.wordpress.com/2009/02/03/putting-the-sir-in-williamsburg/feed/ 0 janice momoko new_sto_sir_0810_03 new_sto_sir_0810_05 new_sto_sir_0810_02 http://momokomashups.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/gastronomic-eats-at-manicomio-gutter-lane/ http://momokomashups.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/gastronomic-eats-at-manicomio-gutter-lane/#comments Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:51:27 +0000 janice momoko http://momokomashups.wordpress.com/?p=182 ]]>

Take a stroll down Gutter Lane in London and you will find Chelsea’s Manicomio has opened an offshoot, creating a gastronomic emporium and filling three floors of the striking Sir Norman Foster-designed building. The Italian destination hosts a ground floor café-bar and beautiful terrace open for breakfast along with a custom take-out menu, lunch, and a full bar in the evening. The first floor à la carte restaurant boasts generous leather seats and a comprehensive selection of 100 wines, ranging from £15 – £200 per bottle. And it sure does compliment the fare created by executive chef Tom Salt and his team.

The chef’s philosophy on cooking is simple – based on quality and seasonality of produce and the meat is free range and organic. Italian ingredients include salumi, cheeses, olive oil, and balsamic vinegars are all imported through the renowned Italian importer, Machiavelli™.  From fillet sandwiches and Black Gold beef fillet, the fish are line caught and the food is artisan based to ensure the authentic origins of fresh produce.

Waltz up to the top floor and the Roundhouse Bar offers exquisite dining inspired by the original site’s heritage. The cocktail lounge is supplied with a complete selection of Juleps, tall drinks, and premium Italian wines by the glass, or a bottle of Prosecco–whatever if it suits your mood.

Manicomio
Gutter Lane
London EC2V 7AD

Tel.: 020 7726 5010
gutterlane@manicomio.co.uk

Ralph Lauren’s lavish new three-level hôtel particulier on Avenue Montaigne is so Parisian chic it is easy to forget the American brand’s casual heritage. With almost 6,500 square feet, this is the largest Ralph Lauren store in the world devoted exclusively to women’s wear and the first opening in Paris since Ralph Lauren set up shop on the Place de la Madeleine in 1986.

“Paris has long inspired me for its timeless beauty and rich history. Avenue Montaigne is one of the world’s great shopping streets and the perfect location to showcase our women’s collection,” says Ralph Lauren. The mannequin in the window dressed in sleek black leggings, a soigné blanket plaid blouson and beret pierced with a dramatically long feather are trademark pieces of the store.

The 18th-century building was once the home and atelier of the 1920s couturier Madeleine Vionnet. The design team worked extensively with local artisans for the French limestone floor studded with cabochons, molded plaster detailing, and a sweeping staircase. Original art and crystal chandeliers greet you at the entrance and reinforce the Parisian home feeling.

The store’s ground floor is devoted to accessories, including the “Ricky” bag, which is offered exclusively to order here in 15 shades of crocodile, and the second floor is a showcase for collection pieces including an opulent evening-wear salon.

Ralph Lauren

52 Avenue Montaigne
75008 Paris
33.1.44.77.28.00

Hours
Mon 11-7
Tues-Sat 10-7
Sun Closed