Parisian nightlife is difficult to capture in only one image. A former scientist-type come night photographer, Nyctaloop, aka Julien Taylor has developped the answer. The 29 year-old French artist treats each parameter of the night separately: the people, the attitudes, the light and the colors. Then he puts all the elements together and plays with persectives to achieve astonishing photo-cubism results. But at the end its just his own fiction: "It enables me to tell stories that didn't happened". Warning to all the DIY'ers: his cut/paste method follows strict criteria for coherency. But that's all we can say, because in the end, it's his secret. by Yvan Rodic
When we brought you the strip club ads in Paris last week, we never imagined how far this kind of advertising could go. A piercing shop in Rotterdam has pushed that envelope even further with their 3D advertisement for their studio. This ad is both rich in aesthetics and practical in everyday use, in this case on a basketball court. Knowing what other types of piercings are available out there, it makes you wonder where the next ad is going to appear. by Andy G
Artist Cees Krijnen has collaborated with with Freundenthal/Verhagen, Jason Wallis-Johnson and Oscar Süleyman to create this striking image which is both fantasy based and humorous. The work injects the penile imagery and literally sugar coats it in order for it to compliment its surroundings. This piece tackles the issues of virility and fantasy in a naive manner. by Andy G
Tom Dixon
is a remarkably progressive designer who's work pushes
the traditional boundaries of interior furnishings. His
soft system sofa series (try saying that 3 times quickly) is a
wonderful example of his unique creativity. Available in a corner unit,
one armed sofa, and chair, the range is an upholstery system which
is solely constructed from multi density foam upon a wooden
structure. Space like in its form the soft system sofa is simple in its
visual delivery whilst achieving its desire for maximum comfort. by Andy G
If you rather get wild than wet and your idea of adventure involves a
little more than having your photo taken with a wax version of Paris
Hilton at Madam Tussauds, then this vacation may be a viable option.
The Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle in Thailand offers a
unique trekking holiday with all the jungle trimmings.
Obtainable only by river boat, the destination is nestled deep within
Thailand's exotic bamboo jungles, this holiday adventure offers an
exclusive number of just 15 tented accommodations. When we say tented,
we mean luxury open air cabins, the word tent is used to heighten the
trekking angle of the trip. Described as 'glamorous camping out', the
two and three day adventures offer everything from Elephant trekking
through to chilling out in copper bathtubs el fresco. The surroundings
are exquisite and include the nearby mountains of Laos and the Ruak
River. The Four Seasons offers all the finer aspects of trekking with a
luxury edge. by Billy T
Willy Wonka should sue! 100% chocolate is a remarkable chocolate concept store in Japan's Kyobashi, Chuo-ku.
Offering 56 different flavored chocolates, the store looks more like a
chic cocktail bar then a chocolatorium. Last time we brought you the 31 flavored toothpaste selection from Japan, well keep that information handy, as you may need it after all this chocolate. by Lisa Evans
Traditionally reserved for drug deals and
kidnapping plots, the old lane way is being looked at in a whole new
light thanks to the folks at the St Jerome's Laneway Festival
in Australia. The concept is as simple as it is cool. Find a great lane
way, spread the word and hold a party. Boutique laneway parties have
become the venue de jour as they are temporary and provide a fresh
approach to outdoor parties.
Equally as popular are the Silent Disco
parties. Originally developed in the Netherlands, the concept involves
a DJ, numerous sets of wireless headphones and a huge number of people
who are not afraid to look stupid. The concept is very unique and
pretty funky, however if you happen to not be wearing a headset, you
may think someone spiked your drink as you witness a lot of dancing and
no music. The DJs tunes are broadcast on a particular frequency that
only the party goers headsets can pick up. The company known as
433fm.com, came up with the concept in 2002 and say the aim is for
people "to go off in silence".
If you slept in during Whams 'wake me up before you go go' neon phase, then Neon Disco
(pictured above) in Canada will give you the glo-fix you've been
looking for. Neon is the clubbing brain child of four friends who
had grown tired of the same old styles and approach that clubs had to
offer. Eliminating the standard issue club furnishings, such as
smoke machines and lasers, Neon ties in its interior with the music
from which it is best known for. Housing a great line up of D.J's
and live bands, the clubs future is as bright as the neon lights it
emits.
Cool Club Concepts is an area which will be featured in
the upcoming Cool Hunter T.V show. If you know of a new club or great
club concept, let us know. It could be an underground club that is
pushing the clubbing boundaries, or a concept that has never been
seen before. Unleash your cool hunting skills and let us know. By Billy T
What we most love about all things Japanese is that they vary so radically from intelligent design to the completely wacky. The most recent work from New York based designers Arakawa and Gin is a wonderful example of the latter.
The creative duo have unveiled a small and most unusual apartment block based in Mitaka, Tokyo. Reversible Destiny Lofts are eye-catching brightly painted lofts that look like a McDonald's play ground through the eyes of someone on LSD. The architecture looks like the aftermath of a size 3 earthquake, a little shaken and lopsided. There is a method behind the designers madness however.
Arakawa believes that comfort makes you grow old quick, and that residents, in particular elderly ones, need to be kept on their toes by having their interiors physically challenge them. Lopsided floors force the resident to maintain a good sense of balance , strangely located light switches insist we feel around for the light, whilst small veranda doors will ask you to crawl and bend to enter.
How much does this physical challenge cost? Priced at US$750,000 each, the houses are three times more expensive than other apartments in the same neighborhood. It looks funky and the concept is challenging, however we can't help but wanting to stick the designer in there when he is 93 years old and see how he copes. by Lisa Evans
Collecting sneakers is a rapidly growing popular
culture trend that has resulted in sneaker books, collectible stores,
ebay price wars and even sneaker museums. Sold Out
is an online store which specializes (and obsesses) in limited
edition and small run sneakers ranges. Carrying all the hip brands
from Nike through to Sold Out is essentially a buyers paradise which
doubles as an online sneaker exhibition, allowing you to peruse through
a random collection or shop by brand. Sneakers are now considered
limited edition works of art. To the eye of the beholder, the design
elements in each shoe is held in the same regard as an artists
brush strokes. With prices ranging from 100 through to 300 Euros,
sneakers are easily one of the more affordable types of 'art' to
collect. by Billy T
Themed room hotels are becoming increasingly
popular throughout Europe. The concept of decorating each room on
individual artists works and varied themes has elevated the concept of
the hip hotel to new heights.
Berlin's Propeller Island City Lodge is
the latest offering in the art room hotel genre. Unlike many other art
hotels, PICL is very reasonably priced whilst maintaining a very high
room standard. The 30 rooms vary dramatically in their style. From the
Forest room, where your mattress floats on a series of logs surrounded
by red walls through to the Gruft room, where your two separate beds
are white coffins. The variety within the hotel is what makes it so
appealing. Where other hotels focus more on the work of individual
artists by way of reproducing their two dimensional art, PICL's
direction is very much more based on art installations. The result is a
wonderfully unique hotel, in a league of it's own. by Billy T
"Simon, Tahiti sounds nice! ". At first sight, it
reminds you of the Imperial Leather T.V ad from the early 80's, where
the family (along with a baby duck) are bathing in their spa on a jet.
This is about fifty times cooler!
The new Seaside from Italian Spa maestros Teuco
takes the indoor spa to a whole new level. What is great about the
Seaside is not only the way it looks, but the ideology behind it. Named
after the four elements, the Seaside's features are as follows. Water: The illuminated waterfall flows in a ribbon of light Air: The delicate blower disperses millions of tiny bubbles Earth: The seating area is raised and enjoys a gentle intrusion of subtle waves Fire: The underwater light and temperature controlled heater keeps the spa cosy in colder climates.
Aside
from these fundamental elements, you would be hard pressed finding a
spa that is more seamless in its design and more luxurious in its form.
Come on in, the water is fine! by Lisa Evans
Ditch your tired old roller blades, chuck out
your skis. Extreme sports have taken a new direction and its
encapsulating, literally. The Zorb
is here and it's rolling out the fun. Zorbing involves jumping inside
the giant inflatable (and durable) bubble and letting gravity do the
rest. Usually set in an open space with a slight decline or on water,
Zorbing is the ultimate adrenaline rush. Devised by inventors and
extreme sports enthusiasts Andrew Akers and Dwane Van der Sluis,
the New Zealand based project is taking the world by storm. This has to
be seen in action to be totally appreciated, check out the video online (quicktime, also check out Bossaballfrom Belgium and Rio's bike bus by Billy T
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