Dangerously Engaging

Boom-A-Ring

You can't Judge a Book by its Cover...

Book Club

In 2009 French designer Olympia Le-Tan launched

"You can't judge a book by its cover."

A collection consisting of beautifully bound classic literature books

that have been converted into a clutch purse. 

Each clutch is handmade with liberty print lining, felt appliqué, 

silk thread for the embroideries, and a colorful canvas for the base.

Olympia Le Tan's collection is simply irresistible 

a combination of literary cover art and a practical fashion accessory. 

Her novel inspired clutch's definitely fall into

 the category of "must reads."

Despite having a literary cover they unfortunately don't contain pages

 but they do however contain just enough space to

 carry one's personal necessities. 

They offer infinite possibilities for writing one's own fashion story.

“I was thinking there were all these beautiful books around and they were being forgotten with everybody on the Internet, so I made it so that you can carry them around”

Weapon of Beauty

Weapons of mass destruction...Beauty can be deadly
Dior 001 

Say hello to Ted Noten‘s weapon that makes 

all women armed and dangerously beautiful – Dior 001.

The Dior 001 is part of a larger series entitled

7 necessities for a woman to feel like a woman through the eyes of a man.

The piece is an ironic play on vintage spy products, 

whereby a recording device or lock-pick pin were hidden in makeup packages.

Now, the makeup and other modern devices are hidden in the gun.

This dangerous Dior weapon contains eighteen carat gold hardware and 3D printed nylon.

This gun is loaded with a lot of secret sections, typical undercover agent qualities.

 a lip gloss, pill box, antique hairpin, USB stick and 100 gram sterling silver bar. 

The series is intended to celebrate women. 

The title according to artist Ted Noten is mostly sarcastic, 

because men can never really understand women. 

Any woman fully-loaded with a Noten gun surely has a license to kill, not be killed. 

A Smoking Library

Tales to take your breathe away

A habit too good to kick 

The flip-top cigarette pack 

is one of the most successful pieces of packaging design in history. 

TankBooks pay homage to this iconic form by employing it in the service of great literature. 

TankBooks has launched a series of books that are designed to mimic cigarette packs. 

 Not only are they the same size as a pack of cigarettes they're even

packaged in flip-top cartons with silver foil wrapping &

 sealed in cellophane

The titles are by authors of great stature 

classic stories presented in classic packaging; 

objects desirable for both their literary merit and their unique design.
Each story is complete and unabridged – with a type size that’s easy to read. 

"Tank Books are for people on the move, lovers of literature and connoisseurs of design. 

Try one and you'll be addicted." 

As a substitute for smoking, reading really is so much healthier. 

Literacy disguised as nicotine addiction

get carded.

From the Queen of Hearts to the Skull of Spades 

Italian designer Mattia Castiglioni, 
has decided to give the classic playing card a make over.
She's decided to quite literally,

strip them to their bones;

assigning the traditional suites simple shapes and decorating the face of the cards 

with a creepy, yet somehow fashionable skull, 

thus the name barebones

With a skull motif and updated symbols for Diamonds, Spades, Clubs and Hearts, 

Texas Hold ‘Em just became way creepier…and cooler.

Post Apocalyptic Couture.

High Fashion Protection

Don't Hold Your Breathe.

Behold the designer gas masks by Diddo Velema:

Just because the apocalyptic scenario of a bioterror attack is always around the corner, 

or on the off chance you find yourself in the middle of a chemical attack 

don't worry about having to sacrifice fashion for safety.

Outfitted with
           diamonds from Swarovski and fabrics from Louis Vuitton and Gucci, 

the gas masks are unsurprisingly intended for gallery display purposes, rather than practical use. 

But,  they could be a big hit in the Middle East if ever commercially produced for protection purposes.

These conceptual gas masks bring a bit of haute fashion to survival.

"We are in a state of perpetual war – with ourselves and with the eco-system that sustains us. 

Perpetual war breeds perpetual fear. 

In the present context, this fear stems from our extreme desire for

 authenticity and manifests itself in our collectively insatiable culture of consumption.

Deep down, we are afraid we may never be satisfied. 

An expanding archive of branded myths and icons feeds this fear. 

                                            Designer Gas Masks is an attempt to visualize this state of mind. 

Because it is only by first acknowledging and then challenging fear that we will all be able to breathe a little easier."

Techno File: Cocoon

Immersive Cocoon
         Designer Tino Schaedler

                         Technology genius John Underkoffler

                                                                            &&&

                                                       design-and-ad firm NAU have together created 

The Immersive Cocoon.

This carbon fiber shell provides a space for you that's programmed to the high-tech gills 

with motion capture cameras, motion-sensing floor panels, 3D surround sound, 

360-degrees of interior display space and even air conditioning.

  Users that dare enter can

 navigate the virtual spaces on the display through body motions allowing users to

move objects through hand and arm gestures or alternative speech commands.

The applications for the Immersive Cocoon are numerous. 

Explore the ancient Pyramids of Giza. Travel to distant galaxies or enter your own virtual gym at home

Gamers will walk through a space instead of clicking on their keyboard

Want to read a book? Virtually grab a book in space instead of having to click on it. 

Petting Zoo

Animal Kingdom

            Louis Vuitton

The Louis Vuitton flagship store on 5th Avenue has time and again 
      impressed us with their efforts to speak the language of

 artists and designers, of art, of culture, through their displays 

all with the same passion we see in their range of luxury accessories.

 

for the launch of the Louis Vuitton 

"My Monogram Service" on Small Leather Goods" 

asked British Artist Billie Achilleos to work on

 4 animals made of Louis Vuitton Small Leather Goods.

These new critters were designed for the launch of 

Louis Vuitton’s Mon Monogram service for small leather goods. 

Each animal highlights an element in the design of the products.

The Armadillo was to highlight the soft yet durable quality of the leather. 

The Chameleon displays the variety of colour. 

The Grasshopper is constructed from products with zips and poppers 

that make satisfying noises like that of the musically gifted insect.

The Beaver, who’s functionality chops wood, builds dams…and provides

 cleaver ways of organizing ones life in men’s bags and wallets".

A video was made to show more about the creation and construction of these gorgeous Louis Vuitton animals. 

HeadCASE

When Prada re-introduced the world to turbans

 in the labels' SS  2007 collection it was indeed a statement. 

“Turbans traditionally represent power and beauty and once epiomized glamour in Hollywood."

While yes, turbans and head-wraps existed before its induction 

into the fashion strata commenced when Miuccia Prada's army of models 

paraded them down the runway.

 

And this 2011, the trend continues to spread

like wildfire on the streets and runways.

Turbans have always had a way of

creeping into the hearts and closets of the fashion savvy. 

Not only are they a “bad hair” saviour

but a turban is the ultimate symbol of chic and hollywood glamour.

Classic Hollywood, circa the 1950s 

 couldn't get get enough of them.

The biggest difference between this trend between now and then? 

The diversity of its wearers

Today, our icons couldn't be more diverse,

rightfully so since this trend is a cultural token for men and women

often made from 

 silk, satin with rich colors and festooned with some bauble

 this accessory is best suited for the summer and for that resort like lifestyle.

 In appropriate fabrics, it can be used in the winter as well. 

Cassette Craze

   Mixed Tape

 Chanel Cassette Clutch

Karl Lagerfeld is keeping the retro chick alive with his 

vintage design of the classic cassette clutch.

                      Even though our generation has moved on to modern technology

like CD's, Ipods, and Mp3 players

 Lagerfeld has reminded us of the simpler times and has translated the brands enthusiasm for 

classics into the 21st century with musical technology.

 

Channeling the days of manual 

"fast-forward","rewind","pause",and "play"

 Karl has memorialized those days in his classic cassette design