Showing posts with label showrooms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label showrooms. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Moooi. Wow. Yes.

I was in the B&B Italia showroom the other day, and decided to check out the Moooi showroom downstairs.
Ok. I was kind of perplexed by the name, but as soon as I saw what was down there, I just nodded knowingly... even though I was the only one in there.
Think giant horse + lamp = living room lighting; couch + fur = polar bear seating; checkerboard + table = playing field from every side... etc.
Everything is bold and eccentric, yet has totally sleek functionality (like the Naked Seater's line, where you can customize any couch).
The capstone of the wonderful, modern freakdom is the catalog. No wonder, art direction was by Marcel Wanders. (Styling by Tatjana Quax and Studio Aandacht, which has a cool website).  A startingly realistic mannequin couple acts out a silent melodrama amist the sleek pieces. A bizarre meringue-like pouf melts into a weepy/scary face against a sharp black background. Women lounge on couches, while their dresses twist into the upholstery.
It's completely nutty and totally refreshing.
One question- since they have a giant horse, a pig, and a rabbit... where's the cow?





(Pardon some of the quality of these pics. But I'm sure you get the idea.)
P.S. Happy December!  One of my favorite months.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Haunted Denim

The other day I was in the park, and amidst the crisp wind -that reminded me to dig out my winter clothes- there was a particular rustle of leaves that made me realize it was Halloween season.  Time for pumpkin seeds and Frankenfurter's mansion... which I can't seem to find a good picture of.  But I did find an appropriately spooky installation at the Diesel Denim Gallery in Tokyo. 

Nature Factory created the surreal forest using various types of plumbing.  I'm pretty much obsessed with the contrast of the dark ceiling with the pristine pipes.  It's always interesting to me when you can see a change happen in the materials, and the transition from rectilinear to controlled chaos is done really well.  It helps to keep the attention on the clothes, while being visually stimulated by what is above.
It gives the whole store a new experience, entering a mysterious forest with only the jeans to guide your way.  Would you make it out unscathed?