Straight from a guy who obviously looooves moustaches, the Emergency Moustache Corkscrew is both funny and useful. While we love the quirky design which lends itself to great dinner party discussions, the shape itself seems perfect for it's use. Available through Mr Moustache Man.
As you may well know by now, we have a weakness for bags ranging from sturdy luggage to the more refined everyday bag. So you can imagine how excited we were to discover New York designer Emma Allen and her company Kehpri who specialize in making one of a kind recycled clothing and accessories which includes some of the greatest and most unique bags we have come across lately. Repurposing and reinventing found fabrics, leather jackets, and in this case, Hudson Bay blankets into great totes really caught our attention. While we struggled a bit with trying to narrow down our choice to showcase here, being Canadian we couldn't pass up the Hudson Weekender and the resurrected iconic blanket. Peruse the vast array of bags as well as the many other unique vintage finds here.
We'll be the first to admit that what drew us to Scotch wasn't the fact that it is the premier brand of eco friendly polish or the appealing colour of the moment but actually the branding itself. We really love the simplicity of the packaging, the classic font and the styling of the bottle itself. In an industry that isn't exactly known for subtlety and evert-lasting design, you have to appreciate what Scotch are doing. Available here.
Although we liked Lupe's last effort on Lasers, we're very happy to see him back to his Food and Liquor form. This is off of his forthcoming LP, Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album. We have some pretty high expectations, but when you've released albums as good as the original Food & Liquor, and The Cool, you've brought high expectations on yourself.
A couple of months ago we posted the trailer to Oliver Stone's latest bloodbath of a film titled Savages, which you can see here. But did you know that it was a book first...and not that we are doubting Stone's prowess as a film maker, but the book is always better than the film adaptation...and hence our endorsement of the above pictured piece of literature. Also, if you find yourself enjoying the read, author Don Winslow has also written a prequel, titled Kings of Cool. Both are available at book retailers everywhere.
If we may take a moment to satisfy our bag fetish...we give you the Everlane Weekender. At $95, we doubt you'll be able to find a getaway bag this cool for less. The only downside is the wait list to join the site, but stick with it, it takes a couple weeks at the most. Available in an assortment of colours. Available here.
Nike Skateboarding and legendary denim maker Levi's have joined forces to make a practical and fashionable collaboration for the skater, but we can't see why it would be limited to that. Pairing the Nike Dri-Fit tech that wicks sweat away from your body, and the fit of a classic pair of 511's, or the denim trucker jacket, both manufactured with denim from the famous Cone Mills, this collar will prove to be both fashionable and functional. We're told that it'll be dropping August 1st.
There are plenty of weather based apps available for the iPhone...but this is the only one that uses famed industrial designer Dieter Rams' 10 Principles of Good Design. Minimal, useful, slick and beautiful are all apt descriptors for it, and we think that the $0.99 price will end up being the best buck you've spent in a while.
We would watch, and listen like our life depended on it, to Anthony Bourdain read the instructions to hemorrhoid cream. He rarely makes a misstep in his assessment of food, directing you to great local fare overseas, and makes poetry out of the foodie culture that is so popular with the kids these days. Fortunately he flirts with more literary works other than treatment to anal sores, and we therefore don't have to put ourselves through that. Stepping out of his literary box of editorial contributions to both periodicals and dailies and of course his ridiculously good TV show "No Reservations", Bourdain has written a comic book, which for us is marrying two loves. The best words we've read that both concisely hint at the plot lines and give a brief review are from Comic Bulletin, which says: "Get Jiro! is pretty good. It's a funny, violent little satire that mixes foodies and celebrity chef culture with Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo (or Dashiell Hammett's Red Harvest, depending on how you look at it), and spices it up with obsessive sushi culture." Out July 3rd and fine book retailers everywhere.
A slick remix of the Justice track New Lands...available on the 5 song EP aptly titled "New Lands EP", which also features the original track and 3 other remixes. We posted the A-Trak remix because it rocks the hardest...but we're not going to shy away from A-Trak being a fellow Canuck. You gotta support your local talent.
We need another pair of kicks like we need a hole in our head...but alas, here we are lusting after yet another pair. Designed for Missoni's Spring/Summer 2013 runway show, there's no word yet on availability, but if it's anything like the Missoni All-Stars that Converse has dropped the last two years, you can expect to find these at fine sneaker purveyors everywhere...purveyors like Livestock.
We have given a name to our desire, and it is BMW Sports Wagon. Seriously North America, ditch this love of the SUV and jump on the wagon. What are you worried about....they dropped the faux wood panelling years ago. More info here.
Keeping the same simple and true design aesthetic they have developed so well, our favourite leather goods designers, Makr have now ventured out into furniture with the Swivel Studio Work Stool. Like the rest of their products, these are made in the USA and maintain a working class feel while still being classically modern. Locally available through Old Faithful.
A good find from Stella Bleu Designs where reinventing the use of pipes and creating an industrial chic look has caught our attention. We chose the shelving system that incorporates a wood shelf, but this collection has an array of pipe designs that support the books with just the metal tubes themselves and also a number that incorporate lighting. Available here.
This is not only quite beautiful, but ingenious to boot. The planter’s naturally porous earthenware allows water in the central chamber to seep into the surrounding soil. The plant’s need for water regulates this capillary action...meaning that you can finally own some house plants or an herb garden, you neglectful bastard. More info here.
Over the last couple of years, the Oakley Frogskin has made a comeback in a major way. We remember way back in 1989 having a clear framed pair with purple iridium lenses to compliment our Oakley Razor Blades. We were cool in that 80's Vuarnet France kinda way...and for for reasons that we are failing to comprehend, that look is somewhat back. Thank the almighty that Oakley has seen fit to upgrade the look a little bit with the Eric Koston model, steering clear of the neon frame and going with a more classic look in the tortoise shell. At $120, we think they're a pretty good bargain, being that you could literally get shot in the face with these bad boys and not lose your eyes. You can learn more here.
It may be a bit melancholy for early summer, but play this at dusk and it's actually quite perfect. Being very, very atmospheric and ethereal, it'll suit the mellow mood on a hot night just perfectly. Currently available on Sun Kil Moon's album "Among The Leaves."
Nuff said. All you need to do is decide between the severed horse head, or the cannoli. No offence to our Italian readers intended...but face it, they're stereotypes for a reason.
Last year we posted an incredible visual live show by Amon Tobin called ISAM Live that used an elaborate geometric stage and projection mapping, whereby projected images were precisely placed to make the stage appear alive (see it here). We thought that was big for projection mapping standards...and then we saw this. Being part of a permanent installation at the Hala Stulecia in Wroclaw, Poland, this production by AntiVJ is truly amazing, and if it can do that on a little youtube screen, we can only imagine what it's like in person.
Bon Iver's Justin Vernon recently teamed up with Keep to design the Ramos, a shoe who's proceeds help support the Best Friends Animal Society. Fittingly adorned with a black fish bone across the toe and in a soft salmon colour, the shoe also has herringbone accents on the heal which apparently perfectly sums up both Vernon's aesthetic and his beliefs. We kind of like the odd choices that went into this design and the quirky pairing of Bon Iver and Keep and of course who can argue with a good cause? Available here.
A quick little surf video featuring Globe team rider Dion Agius. Rather than shoot in some giant wave mecca off the coast of an uninhabited island, this video is shot at the Al Ain Surf Park at the Wadi Adventure Park in the United Arab Emirates, which is a giant wave pool with an impossibly beautiful backdrop and an endless supply of perfect breaks to feature Dion's mind blowing aerials. We love this video, as it possesses our three favourite things: a Lamborghini, surfing, and ass models. Of note, the song playing is "Winter Beats" by I Break Horses, which is off their album Hearts. Out now on iTunes.
Aston Martin has resurrected the Vanquish moniker in their newest offering, that being the replacement for the über sexy but long in the tooth DBS. As hard as it is to believe that they could possibly make a car sexier than the DBS, it looks as though they have achieved just that. It will sit atop the company's regular production range, only being bested by the hyper limited One-77 and the track ready V12 Zagato. What it sports aside from stunning looks is a carbon fibre body, two seat configuration with an optional +2 for the kids, and a 6.0 litre V12 making 563 horsepower that will rocket you and your brood from 0-60 mph in roughly 4 seconds. All this grunt and sex appeal does not come cheap however, as we're told it'll set you back nearly $300,000 before taxes.
Recently, Emily White, an intern at National Public Radio (NPR) "All Songs Considered" and a person of some importance at her college radio station published a blog post in which she stated that she had a music library of 11,000 songs, but having only paid for 15 albums in her life. She specifically mentioned that her generation puts a premium on convenience, and that she feels there should be a "free" service in which people could listen to whatever music they liked, whenever they liked, and on whatever device they liked...going so far as saying that she feels that her generation will never pay for music. The post broke our heart. We have an iTunes catalog of over 25,000 songs, and that is not including the vast majority of the 3300 CD's that we have yet to convert, and the 500 LP's (granted, most LP's were bought used so no royalties went to the artist's, but we have the vast majority of our LP's in digital format as well). We have paid for every single song, and doing a rough underestimated calculation that ended up completely demoralizing us, we came up with the figure of $58,000. A large investment to be sure, and mind you, it was made over 27 years of being a voracious music consumer, but it is an investment that has and continues to bring us so much joy. David Lowery agrees with us with regards to the purchasing of music as opposed to illegally downloading, and has prepared probably the most intelligent and well written counterpoint to the "Free Culture" attitude to the consumption of music. We highly recommend having a read, even if you are a casual consumer of music, as there are many points made that we're sure you are not aware of, and being that he is now a professor teaching the economics of the music industry at the University of Georgia as well as being a founding member of the bands Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven, his cred is beyond reproach. You can read the article in its entirety here. And being that David Lowery's band Cracker looms large in our youth, we give you the video for "Low" above.
Not being fans of most anything Microsoft, we are about to eat crow. No mind you, we have yet to go hands on with the tablet, but the design is right out of the park. Like such a home run that the folks in Cupertino probably had a meeting immediately after the Surface Tablets release to determine how to respond in the iPad 4. We could go into a lengthy detailed explanation of the features and blah, blah, blah...but let's face it, it is the design features that set this thing apart, and there is a wicked little video after the jump that shows it all nicely, with a bumping' dubstep soundtrack to boot.
Oh my god, oh my god, go my god!!! We are so super hella stoked for this movie we can't even tell you. This is by far the best impression of the film and plot lines thus far. Out July 20th.
Council, a design collaborative founded in 2006, are trying to promote the idea of modern American design in their curated collection of furniture. We think they're doing a great job and so we chose the Periodic table to illustrate their talents. Constructed of reclaimed Douglas Fir and coated in oxidized natural silver, this coffee table is a stunning piece. Available here.
Ace Hoteloffers an gigantic quiver of goods to supplement the lifestyle brand that is the hotel. We honestly could not decide what was our favourite, so we picked the Pendleton blanket that was done for their Portland Property. Do yourself a favour and go here to peruse the many items on offer.
This is the lead off single from Metric's newest offering "Synthetica." We do not want to take anything away from Emily Haines in terms of her talent, but we can't help but think she is one of the most beautiful people in music today. The fact that she runs a stage like a boss is just icing on the cake.
There is no shortage of portable speakers on the market, but this one has us intrigued. Not because of it's slick, complimentary to Apple's designs, and not because of the quality that Nixon products are synonymous for. What peaks our curiosity is the sound quality. We love our Nixon Wire earbuds, so much so that despite paying more for a pair of Beats by Dr. Dre due to losing our first pair, we have since donated those to a family member and bought ourselves another pair of Wires. There's no reason to expect anything less from the TPS. Connecting to your portable device and providing room filling sound, the internal battery pack can be charged through a USB port, and will provide up to 6 hours of play time...and at only $80, it might be the most competitively priced. You can learn more here.
Sometimes the simplest way is the best. Case in point, these very clear and idiot proof beverage mugs by The Design Office spell out which cup to use for tea and which to use for coffee. Available here.
As we strive to be fashion forward and yet not cause too much damage to our bank account, we are constantly on the lookout for affordable sites that offer great clothing at reasonable prices. Enter Hong Kong based Chicwish who specialize in up to the minute trends for a cost you won't mind paying. While they offer a full range of styles, we chose a fairly classic skirt to showcase their wares, a beige crochet miniskirt which has timeless appeal and yet very current. Check them out here.
With the warm weather coaxing us outside and the inevitable outdoor dinner parties that ensue, we like to figure out ways to make it easier and still cool looking. Now before you judge us, we have heard arguments that state wine preserves and tastes better in a bladder rather than in the bottle so how about trade that box for a barrel and impress your guests with your entertaining savvy. Available through Cold Creek Brewing.
The folks over at Sunpocket have dropped some new styles and colourways to compliment their classics. What's not to like about fashionable folding sunglasses? More info here.
We love Nardwuar. He's from the fabulous city we call home, we grew up watching him interview our icons, and in every interview he does, he puts on a clinic on how to research your subject matter. Moving on up in the world, he's busting through the walls that are Canada's borders and is now appearing on Pharrell William's iamOTHER network. Have a watch.
If it'll look cool in Don Draper's swanky Manhattan pad or office, then it will obviously destroy the surroundings in your place. There is really nothing more to say than that about this 50's mod inspired design from the mind of Dick Spierenburg. No word yet on availability, but you can learn more here.
Perhaps you have a preppy Dad who looks great in khakis, a crisp white t-shirt and maybe even a letterman's sweater. If this is the case, then the perfect accessory gift you could give him this Father's Day is The Quadwatch by Nixon. A classic and simple face with a touch of collegiate flair in the navy and red striped band.
This bed is a genius concept and like most great ideas, it is surprisingly simple. Two single beds stack on top of one another without any fasteners or fixings and open up to a lower double bed should you need it. Perfect for space challenged spare bedrooms or a unique lounger out in the open. Available here.
It seems that the motorcycle world is the place where electric propulsion is gaining significant ground. We've posted two others prior to this, but so far this one may be our favourite. Boasting dual electric motors putting out 80kw, this thing will motor. Nice touches like the clear illuminated display on the tank and the inside out brake rotors make this a pretty trick piece of kit. But come on...the best part is the Tron-esque lighting effects. So far this is just a concept, but we can see no reason why this couldn't become a reality. More pics after the jump and more info available here.
We didn't post a piece on the passing of Beastie Boy Adam Yauch. His loss, at the time, was more than we could bear, and we felt that no words could describe the impact he had on our youth, being part of the soundtrack for nearly every significant event since we were 11. Adam's spirit knows how we feel, so we'll save that for him and us. However, today we saw this tribute to Adam from artist Haze and had to share it.
H&M can seemingly get anyone and any design house to work with them on a capsule collection...but despite knowing this, we are blown away by the French fashion house Maison Martin Margiela joining those ranks. We are supremely excited, and will ourselves be first in line for this one. No real word on what the fall/winter capsule collection will be, except for the drawing a classic car coat shown in the teaser above. Expect the collection to drop on 15 November.
Chances have it that your Dad is old school and probably doesn't go for modern shaving traditions that have a man spending more time in the bathroom than he needs to. We're also convinced that some of the closest and best shaves come from a good lather which can only be achieved through a natural bristle brush. So this Father's Day do your Dad a favour and give him a brand new shaving kit including this funny and necessary shaving mug available here.
We are definitely not immune to the hype that surrounds the dropping of a new Apple product, and therefore we are covering the immediately available new Macbook Pro. Now, the Macbook Pro has been the weapon of choice for the super geek Apple heads, and point in fact, we are composing this on one. We love ours, and would very much like to upgrade to the new one. That being said, we gasped when we saw the price, being a full thousand dollars more than we paid for ours. Now, of course you get the new retina display, boasting literally a million more pixels than standard HD displays, a static flash memory in lieu of the hard drive, and it only comes in 15" form...all things that add to the price. These are all things we love to be sure, but we can't see them moving a ton of product to the average laptop buyer at $2200, and hope this is not the first misstep for the post Jobs Apple.
A great teaching tool combined with a really cool example of illustration, this Alphabet print is a perfect way to have your kids learn their letters. Based on the original gouache painting by Anna Bond, each letter has a representative animal in a simplistic form but full of personality. Available through Rifle Paper Co.
From the bookstore that is now a lifestyle store, we bring you one of their many affordable accessories, the Pochi clasp case. Made of a smooth yet subtly textured silicone in bright colours with a quirky bauble clasp, this purse is perfect for adding a bit of trendy style to your outfit.
Hand us a simple, cheap pen any day given we lose them seemingly at every opportunity. We're not sure that even if we could afford a fancy lifetime pen, we would invest in one seeing that none we've encountered have the appeal that these colour block pens have. Six retro colours to choose from fit for brightening up even the grayest of offices. Available through Present & Correct.
Another great example of 3-D printing. This technique has allowed the designer from Archetype Z to create mini architectural structures as jewellery. These complex poly-clay designs come in monochromatic black and white adding an even more modern look to the overall aesthetic. Seemingly so delicate but actually very strong and available here.
Ideal lazy outdoor lounging isn't complete without a good old fashioned swing. Designers Greg Benson and Jeff Taly created a modern interpretation of an iconic swing but instead of the typical wooden seat, this one is post consumer waste recycled plastic. Comes in an array of fade resistant candy colours with a sturdy plastic rope and available at Design Within Reach.
We are totally vibing on these watercolour illustrations from Marion Bolognesi. In a weird way we are reminded of the iconic images of Patrick Nagel, who for you pop culture buffs, did the album cover for Duran Duran's Rio. You can see more of Marion's work here.
Made in NYC by an artisan with the only name better than Max Power. Mr. Beer bases his design for his finely crafted boards on Alaia boards, which were the boards used by the ancient Hawaiians and date back 1000 years. The have a sleek finless design that we are told makes them a dream to ride, and the clear finish over wood makes them a nice statement piece in the home. And all things considered, their price of $600 for under 7 feet, and $800 for over makes them a pretty smoking' good deal. You can custom order yours here.
There is two things we love about this trailer; it deals with a man's obsession with collecting the Porsche 911, and that he completely dispels the preconceptions of what a Porsche collector looks like. We would share his obsession, but we lack the space...and the money.
Nintendo Wii U is not exactly breaking news, as it was debuted at E3 in 2011. It's Nintendo's first foray into high definition 1080p, which is hardly ground breaking in terms of gaming. Much like how the original Wii screwed around with how we play our games, the Wii U aims to do somewhat the same thing, but in a more visual way rather than physical. What is blowing our minds is the embedded touch screen in the controller that is interactive with the action on the screen. To fully grasp the concept, you really have to see it in action, and to see what we mean, hit the jump and watch a demo video (from the forthcoming game ZombiU, post to follow). Although no firm release date, the console is expected to drop in time for the holidays. No word on price.
We were just about to post a great women's bracelet by one of our favourites, Giles & Brother when we realized we should really be talking about gifts for good ol' Dad. Father's Day is coming soon and we believe that men are short changed when it comes to gift giving as they are for some reason stereotyped into a few categories, the griller, the drinker or the tie wearer. Not fair to the vast array of stylish men out there who happen to be Dads so may we present a great fashion accessory for the Dad who will never need another BBQ sauce, beer cozy or flowered tie in his life.
We don't know much about the furniture design company Caste but we do know one thing which is that they make amazing pieces that are partly beautiful and sinister. We chose one of their more attainable items to showcase as we think it would be a great addition to any space but still speaks to the potential owner's unbelievable taste and aesthetic. Check out their interesting line here.
There are many, many things that make us proud the be Canadians: our universal health care, the invention of peace keeping, the Arcade Fire and the Tragically Hip. However, when it comes to iconic Canadian fashion brands, very few come to mind, except maybe Naked and Famous Denim (whom we whole heartedly endorse) and the label that can do no wrong, Wings + Horns. Today they dropped their fall/winter lookbook, and we can't wait until the weather turns cold again. Have a look herefor what you'll be coveting come this August.
Oh yes...we say it all the time, but we mean it so we're going to say it again. Doing this website thing, we have such a great opportunity to hear new music. We get lots of great and creative minds sending us some really good tunes, and we love to share. Today was no anomaly. Harlan was introduced to us as he will be opening for Mayer Hawthorne (go here to see a cool vid) on his five California dates for his How Do You Do world tour. Having recently finished a month long stand at The Echo in LA, Harlan entered the studio to record a cover song that was really well received by his live audiences, and we give that to you...Don Henley's 80's classic and #1 hit about the sensationalization of the news, "Dirty Laundry." He was also kind enough to provide us with a free download link, which he was explicit that we share with you. You can get the track here. As a side, the above video, shot in the studio while recording, was shot and edited entirely on the iPhone.
The books Modernist Cuisine: The Art & Science of Cooking was originally a six volume monster that even the most accomplished and brave home chefs found a little daunting, and dare we say, alienating. While impressive to have on your shelf, and super fun to read, you really needed to turn your kitchen into a laboratory and devote an awful lot of time for you to have any hope at being successful at some of the recipes. Recognizing this, the authors are preparing to re-release the books, trimming them down to one 456 page volume that is tailored to the home chef...being equal parts cook book and reference tool. While still exploring the Sous-Vide, a device that still has some catching on to do in the home kitchen, they do take some pretty cool risks with how to sous-vide fish in the kitchen sink and preparing a steak in a camping cooler. The book doesn't drop until October, but you can pre-order at Amazon. More pics there to.
We're one step closer to eliminating that costly personal trainer altogether, and we couldn't be happier. Why risk form correction from an actual persons trained eye that for all intents and purposes, is subjective. Instead, why not rely on the HAL 9000 like all seeing Kinect eye of the Xbox 360 to use scientific measurements and comparisons to give you a visual representation on your TV of what your form should be, compared to how dismal it actually is. We're hoping that this blends the fitness x video games holy grail that the Wii failed to fully deliver, and with Nike on board, we're pretty certain it will. And being that it will be fully interactive, and far, far cheaper than Insanity or P90X, we think this just might be the recipe to win the home workout wars. Hit the jump to see just what it will look like and how it will work. Out this holiday season.
If you've never seen the Hives live, then you sir are missing out. The show rocks so hard, with so much force, all rock shows after it seem to be happening in slow motion. It's not too late, as they have a new album dropping on Tuesday which generally means there is a tour in support. For the record, the above video is live, just so you know the awesomeness that you are in for. New album, Lex Hives, out Tuesday at finer music retailers everywhere.
For those who take their weekend photography seriously, you know that one camera is never enough. In the time it takes to swap lenses, that shot you wanted has most likely disappeared. What you need is two cameras, but slinging them both around your next will cause you some serious long term neck pain, not to mention that most reputable manufacturers caution against banging your cameras together. The solution is simple enough, and looks badass to boot. The MoneyMaker by HoldFastGear allows you to sling two cameras the way Serpico would sling his .45, over your shoulders, allowing access to both cameras without clashing them together and having the weight evenly distributed over your shoulders and upper back. You can get yours here.
We're big fans of an eclectic interior and that kind of aesthetic continues to the kitchen table and entertaining for us. There is something a little too polished about a perfect table setting with uniform plates etc. all in white with little personality. We personally think that an infusion of varied selection of interesting pottery and serving plates makes for a more colourful and intriguing table. With all of that in mind, Wind & Willow has released an exclusive summer collection of hand dipped wooden bowls in soft pink and gray. The nature inspired colours are done in a durable rubber coating and the wood is left natural, available here.
