Settle

November. Almost December. The month of the full moon, the scatter and the wild. Party season. I like party season. I like the sense of arms flung wide, give yourself up, release. I like the empty space that becomes the throb and beat of the party. The heat-wave-shimmer rising from bodies closed in on each other, necks arched, hot panting. When 9pm becomes 6am and you’re wild eyed awake.

I like the Zaror House by Jaime Bendersky Arquitectos. I like the rise of the massive concrete and wood elements that float in balance with the surrounds but that are begging for some damp to be thrown against, and then a cool cheek to be rest down hours later.

58m of windows and glass facing Santiago City, resting against the southern slops of the foothills de Manquehue. Watching the world crawl slowly below, but then opening out to capitalize on the Northern sun, creeping through timber slats, telling you it time. Sense check and listen to this song while you look at the pictures. Crystal Castles "Through the Hosiery"

Architects: Jaime Benderesky Architects
Location: Santiago, Chile
Year Completed: 2009
Area: 8869 square feet
Materials: Concrete, aluminum, glass and wood
Photos: Pablo Henriquez Palma

'em wacky kids

Those cats in Japan sure do have their thinking caps on. I often write about the gorgeous and different products that they release which are so "why didn't I think of that!" amazing. And given Christmas is just around the corner, these MicroWorks! products are on the list of possibles for gift giving.

MicroWorks! is the major works of 20-something designer Shunsuke Umiyama who began designing and making products when he was still a student. Including everything from product, furniture and accessory design, with wide varieties of materials and genres, Umiyama's products are all committed to the ethos of NO HUMOR NO DESIGN!! His manifesto?

MicroWorks design will stimulate a little but new found notice in your mind. The notice might make those ordinary things begin to look different. The notice may make ordinary behavior more enjoyable. The notice could change the ordinary view to a whole new world. Through MicroWorks design, you will find a little but new found glory in your everyday life.

Book Box: book shape holes make the organization puzzle fun, while you express your creativity too.

Mirror Vase: a standing hand mirror with beautiful vases silhouette

Adaptor Rangers: Little troops, equipped with the lifeline to restore your battery, charge it up!

Butterfly Magnets: make art on your fridge.

Musical Salt and Pepper Shakers: adds extra relish to your dish. Each hole plays a different musical note as you shake.

Tail Umbrella: Forget a boring umbrella strap. A little creature shakes it's tail as you walk.

Slowly closing

I like Facebook as much as the next person. It is truly depressing though, when those funny photos and witty status' go to waste in the ethos of online.

I love the idea, thought up by DDB Paris for French telecommunications company Bouygues Télécom, which lets you take your profile offline and have it bound for eternity coffee-table book style.

Using the simple insight (while people may share their most treasured memories and photographs via Facebook, the constantly changing nature of the site means that they can quickly be forgotten) the app was set up so that people could pick 10 of their friends and a time frame to make a hard cover book. The limited edition books - all 1000 of them - were snapped up within an hour. (I'd say that makes the campaign a success!)

Time to Vogue

Trust me when I say this, but Daria Werbowy, shot by Mikael Jansson, wearing jewellery by Louis Vuitton and a little underwear by Agent Provocateur for the Vogue Paris 2011 Calendar, might just be the hottest thing you see this year, and next. It's the liberated luxe, celebration of smouldering sex, and creative free reign that makes me want to move there. The whole year in advance.

le calendrier

janvier

fevrier

mars

avril

mai

juin

juillet

aout

septembre

octobre

novembre

decembre

and counting

I'm not going to lie. I love Jonsi. I wrote about how beautiful the Sigur Rós lead singer's music was, especially when used with the inspirational Dulux "Let's Colour" campaign, and seeing him play live was a massive pleasure. BUT between that, the Temper Traps "Sweet Disposition" and The Cinematic Orchestra's "To Build a Home" us agency folk seem to be slim for the pickings when it comes to tracks used to support awesome creative.

All three of those tracks still give me goose bumps, thinking about the beautiful crescendo in To Build a Home, lined up with when the slow motion balloons burst for Schweppes is a spine tingling moment, and the new Photoplay spot for FOXTELS "100 Days of Summer" campaign is gorgeous and does makes me think about my bleached out summer days, making me nostalgic for when I was a child, covered in salt water, eating hot chip sandwiches, sitting on a fraying towel in the grass. Or now, shimmying in an outdoor breeze with my beautiful bronzed girlfriends. I buy it. But I wish that they'd considered the Joan of Arc remix of Gypsy and the Cats "Time to Wander"!

FOUND: Diplo & DJ Benzi Present Mansions on the Moon "Paradise Falls"

Hello Friday. Thank you for dropping this into my lap. It's like angels in a soundcloud mix. Tempranillo mixer win. Listen if you feel like slipping into the weekend with a touch of ease.

Diplo & DJ Benzi Present: Mansions on the Moon - Paradise Falls by Mansions on the Moon

Friday Breath

Once upon a time, over a hill and just up from a beach, was a little yellow house.

And up the giggle inducing, belt-loop dragging driveway, and inside the white door overgrown with vines, and past a lounge room strewn with decks and Rhodes and days old wet washing, stayed a happy little two.

And in their room, that once had a wall mural of clouds but was painted over with steel-blue outdoor paint, were trinkets collected on trips and travels before the two knew (and while).
A vibrant purple imperial orchard in a square, white ceramic vase. A years old amp that taught the two about Kraftwerk and passes and tickets from gigs where fun times were shared. And another white door, that opened onto a damp, rain forest wonderland. Like another world that only the two could sneak into.

It was in the candle lit room, on a winter night, in a winey haze, lying back-to-front on white sheets as they often did, that the boy said 'i love you' for the very first time and the girl knew that he was the right one. Facing each other, looking straight in the eye, the moment was impossibly right.

This Venice Beach house, shot by The Selby reminds me of that time.

Good Goot!!

My love for all things Josh Goot runs deep. And every season I melt on the inside when I see the incredibleness of his designs and prints and those CUTS! Holy! He is the king of complex simplicity. An organic-sentiment of single elements that work together in a holistic way. I place him in my mind bucket with the Zawanda / Annie Trust Fun! Islander Bags (prettiness based on fractal derivatives).

These latest shots from his diffusion line Look Book made me gasp a little. Colour blocking, graffiti hits like paint, lady-like knee length skirts. This is modern dressing at its finest. The freshest of whites are what Summer 10/11 should be so head into Goot Paddington and snap these pieces up before they disappear. (Josh Goot 104 Glenmore Rd, Paddington P: 9356 2233)

* NOTE: As if you needed anymore convincing - the Goot shop girl is the NICEST person in Sydney (I'm not even joking). Chatting with her is even worth the trip in there!

French Fingering

Bringing luxury to the masses without damaging the value of your brand is no mean feat (case in point, Louis Vuitton rip offs and Paris Hilton wearing all-pink-mini-monogram tracksuit/hat/trainers...)

However gorgeous Frenchies Hermès seem to do it no problem with the release of this skate viral featuring their products set up like an urban environment. It's simple, and easy to watch. And a much better way to keep your brand niche than many who have gone before have done.

HERMÈS FINGERBOARD SKATE VIRAL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0JbqXM_HFM

Mix it up ma' shizzle

5, 4, 3, 2, 1....

I really wish we could mix things up a bit with THIS. That would be funny. A little light in a pool of darkness... even if it made me smile. Buck a trend, take a risk, loose your shit a little, and push people out of their comfort zone. Trust me. At some point in their lives, they're gonna thank you for it.

Gansta Lorem Ipsum. http://www.lorizzle.nl/?feed=1

Forced

Trust me when I say, 9 out of 10 times I get forced into a corner. And subtle changes make so much difference. It's refreshing to see creative where people don't get bogged down in showing something to make a statement. Think Volkswagen and their tried and tested "Small is Powerful" campaign that continues to win.

I love this work from Publicis Conseil (Paris, France) for alternative surf wear label Soöruz, which bucks the trend in the fashion (and many other) industries that brands support their products by always showing them in action. Showing the team riders living and breathing the tag line ‘No Guts No Glory’ presents a much more powerful personality for the brand than a look book-style-print-ad could.

It's not a new technique but God, life would be a Godsend if others followed a similar train of thought...

Advertising Agency: Publicis Conseil, Paris, France
Art Director: Charles Guillemant, Faustin Claverie, Thomas Chatenay
Créative Director: Frédéric Royer
Photographer: Felix Lharer
Retoucher: Adrien Bénard

Fraternal

Two brilliant DJ forces have agree to bring their mixing prowess together in an effort to ensure happiness to the club kids of the world.

French amazinaires Brodinski & Yuksek have teamed up to form The Krays - launching themselves last night at the Abracada Launch Party along with The Aikiu (Live), Pilooski, Villa, The Magician, Mikix The Cat, Mustang and special guests, Renaissance Man.

If you like it a little forward then these "get in the mood" mp3s are yours to be had.

The Krays ‘We’re Ready When You Are’ (DJ Medhi Remix)
The Krays - We're Ready When You Are -Dj Medhi Remix by extramusicnew

The Aikiu ‘Just Can’t Sleep’ (Egyptrixx Remix)
The Aikiu - Just Can't Sleep - Egyptrixx Remix by extramusicnew

am Ritual

Wake up. Wide eyed. Look around. Close eyes. Open eyes. Look around. Think. Wardrobe. Close eyes. Stylist Andrea Liebrerman's A.L.C line takes dressing to a whole new level. Simple.

The breathtaking collection was developed for the girl that loves Alaïa, and pieces together modern design and polished detail in an undemanding and simply put-together way. It's about basics that are designed and cut in the best fabrics and in a traditional artisan style - a throw back likely because of Lieberman's history that started with a Fashion degree from Parsons, NYC.

A smattering of sex appeal in the Resort 2011 collection, mixed up with the simple colour palette keeps it fresh and functional. Effortlessly chic and easy, I think this is what a wardrobe should look like.