Andrew Bunney has done the seemingly impossible. That is, take a corporate, uncool brand, (albeit with a killer heritage) and turn out a highly desirable line of product. The result is Roundel, a collaboration with the London Underground, that presents T-shirts, jackets, shirts and even trainers as graphic product that will be as at home on the backs of tourists and cityproud Londoners as design-conscious youth. Bravo Mr Bunney! (more…)
Right, fantasy desk accessory time. I’m totally going to start arranging vintage stamps , malachite candle holders and (faux) coral-handled magnifying glasses on my shabby chic desk like an eccentric professor. These rather refined goodies are from L’Objet, the home decor brand by Elad Yifrach. The former interior designer launched his Mediterranean-inspired luxury tabletop and accessories line nine years ago, with Bergdorf Goodman as his first client. (more…)
There are gift sets and there are gift sets. One for the design-o-phile in your life, these Aesop kits tick the style-meets-function box. Based on the Italian Futurist movement, the graphic typography and bold colour palette are pure packaging porn. And the product inside is just as appealing. There are six sets in total but these three are my favourite, Intensity, Alacrity, Agility…
The best place to buy Aesop is surely from one of its standalone stores, each one designed to engage with its geographical surroundings in some way. The newest one on Marylebone High Street uses artists Francis Bacon and Lucio Fontana and indigenous UK ferns as its unique stylistic references. Alternatively, you can buy from Aesop.com and Liberty.
Are fancy scented candles passé ? I hope not ‘cos I’m still not quite done with them. In particluar Astier de Villatte‘s which come in paper-thin ceramic pots, available from Liberty, Designers Guild, The Conran Shop and Couverture.
Two notable ones are collaborations. The latest (above) is from John Derian, the New York decoupagist. His Provincetown candle is a tribute to the Cape Cod artists’ enclave and gives off an evocative whiff of sea mist, cedar and wild berries inspired by the local marshlands. Perfect for the weekend cottage (real or imaginary) mantlepiece, no?
The other collab is the Commune De Paris candle (below) that came out last year. I’ve been consumed with this cube pattern for months (I want my bathroom tiled in it) – especially the Gallic colourway. All Astier de Villatte’s candles are Paris-made from vegetable wax with cotton wicks and are based on olfactory journeys to faraway places. One for the self-gifting pile, I’d say…
