Seeing RED

Bushido - A recently opened Restaurant/Bar/Lounge in Bahrain (the previous place of the Blue Elephant Restaurant). It's a chic trendy Japanese inspired setting featuring samurai armors in floating glass cages, with refined ornaments, and a majestic concept. The food combines traditional "Robata" and "Fusion" cuisine in this elegant restaurant that's rich in atmosphere and ambiance.
Feel like reading a book? A book of Fashion? Fashion A to Z: An Illustrated Dictionary by Alex Newman and Zakee Shariff is it. With more than 2000 entries, and up to 240 pages, this book fills a gap in the market for an affordable, accessible and up-to-date guide to fashion terminology.

Temperley London and The Rug Company has collaborated together to create this vibrant new Nepalese Rug, Ophelia, by Fashion designer Alice Temperley, along with other handmade cushions.

This rug is entirely handmade, from the spinning of the wool to the weaving on the loom. It is unique, and has been crafted by weavers in the Kathmandu area, whose skills have been passed down through many generations. We use only the highest quality wool for our rugs, that of the Tibetan sheep, for its durability, rich texture and subtle colour variation. To this we have added the vision of a world class designer, and the result is a hand knotted contemporary rug of extraordinary beauty, which will itself become an heirloom to be treasured for years to come.

It's a hand-knotted 150 knot, Tibetan Wool rug. The Rug Company is located at City Center Bahrain.

This oversized bell lamp is a new creation by Italian lighting manufacturar Axo Light, which is great for use in large spaces. It comes in other different colors.


The Volant Armchair by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola for Moroso. It's made out of Alcantara, an extraordinary non-woven textile that has tactile qualities of leather. It's finished off beautifully with a hand printed motif in vivid red and small series of smock embroidery also in red, contrasting the beige base and breaks for a brief moment the repeating rhythm of the pleats.

Do magazines still inspire us in creativity?

The freedom of expressing ourselves has long evolved nowadays with much more creativity than we've seen before. For example, we have the freedom of writing and posting via blogging, wordpress, etc. or we have the freedom of expressing ourselves through art, for example in advertising, visual arts, editorial designs, etc. Just take a look at how and where we get inspiration from. Most of all, we get it from magazines. We do turn ourselves to our computers searching for the latest and the best in art via googling or bloggers who are up-to-date in many aspects of life, be it in topics of fashion, design, cars, or what ever your interests may be. Yet somehow we still turn ourselves into magazines..whether buying it for the sake of reading it or for admiring the hardwork put into making it highly creative, by the forms of excellent writing, great photography, art work, advertising..thus keeping us coming back for more!

As I was browsing online for a new coffee table book, I fell upon "We Make Magazines..Inside the Independants" by Gestalthen Publishers. The book explores the dynamic magazine culture and celebrates their visual energy and brilliant ideas that they've come up with, and how they've evolved during the years to keep things interesting and artistic. The layouts, the spreads, the photography, the paper used, its different than what we "see" via the internet. Its a different feeling. It still interests us to buy magazines because somehow the internet alone doesn't satisfy us in terms of just getting inspirations for many things. The magazines, art books, real-life situations, advertistments, and many more can inspire us to do many things (generally in art).

The book is edited by passionate international magazine connoisseurs. It features exclusive in-depth interviews with editors and founders, and illustrates diverse topics that are essential in publishing magazines. Showcasing more than 100 independent magazines with stunning spreads, images, layouts, and websites, from over 30 different countries. It has a directory of over 700 of the most cutting-edge independent magazines available!! This book is for anyone who has a passion for print in the media, or who just want a beatiful book for the coffee table.

Desire!

A book that's so Beautiful Chaotic, and A new addition to the library, "Desire - The Shape of Things to Come". A 280- colorful page book about the current developments in furniture and object design today. The most influential designs of the 21st Century. Recent works by the most exciting and influential designers worldwide are showcased, categorizing four distinct trends and groups: Modernists, Taletellers, Inventors, and Entertainers.

With design evolving rapidly today, with new technologies, expanded choice of materials, and the practice of luxurious craftsmanship, designers are challenging aesthetic boundaries with a glistering attitude, speculating and unraveling the new expressions of design.


Via

Your very own Pocket Concierge

"Did You Know you can..."

• Did you know that you can hire a celebrity chef for your next dinner party?
• Or have your oven cleaned whilst enjoying an aromatherapy massage?
• Or hire the very latest designer gown, handbag and vintage jewellery?
• Or hire someone to wrap all your Christmas presents?

"Secret Services: your very own pocket concierge is the book to buy for luxurious, limited edition, useful, fun and 'how could I ever live without' services for parties, Christmas, weddings, home offices, cleaning, family, gifts, pets, travel, vintage, fashion, beauty, shopping and the home.

Also included are must-visit shops and websites; must-buy products, must-visit places, tips and ideas and ‘need-to-know’ information. Enjoy" Fab publishing

Click here to buy


via fab publishing UK

What drives your creativity?

Click on image for larger view

Have been quite busy these past few days, but everything's good now..This weekend I went to visit Jewelery Arabia! (one of the best exhibitions of the year in Bahrain). As I walked around the halls where the most precious jewels, watches, perfumes, etc. are displayed, I stopped in a few stalls and kept wondering where do all these jewelers get their inspirations from to create pieces that are detailed and unique. I have noticed that some had passion in their designs that their pieces stand out, but there are others who don't put much creativity in it that it doesn't stand out, as crafted from the heart. I stopped in one of the stalls where I was looking at a piece of long necklace made from small rose colored pearls, somehow I sensed that I own something similar (I forget sometimes). The seller at the stall was explaining to me how if sometimes they lose inspiration.. designers just copy from one another!! What the?! that's not creative! I know that these things exist.. she seemed so proud that some designers copy off of one another I didn't even bother carrying on my conversation with her.

So what really fuels our creativity? our imagination? how do we deal with things?
Everyone has something special and not everyone is the same. You may call it your perspective, or vision, whatever it may be..For some it is the core of who they really are as a person, a deep spiritual meaning in their way of life. The book "Vision" is a collection of what drives the most innovative artists in Portland..The Inside Light: a collaboration between Chris Hornbecker and CINCO. There is a simple word that describes your drive of creativity, here are some of the artists, their words and what inspires them to do what they do..whats your word? Haven't found mine yet..

CINCO designs

The Secret Of Meetings: Uncomfortable Chairs

I have found this humorous book worth noting about, also because it has creative simple designs. Do you get this feeling whenever you have a meeting to attend to like.. oh this is going to be a bore? or when are we going to finish? or attending as a great excuse to add more sugar cubes in your coffee in order to "pay attention"?..Sometimes we have those feelings but sometimes we don't when we're serious.
"Fleeting Seating: The Slightly Uncomfortable Chair Collection", by creative agency Sid Lee, is a 28 page book showcasing how sitting in long meetings can affect you. Thomas Pelletier, the creative director of Sid Lee's Montreal office, realized that he was spending too much time in meetings, in fact, spending a lot of time in ergonomic comfortable office chairs such as the Aeron, made him realize a simple formula:

For the maximum efficiency of time spent in a meeting, remove the element of comfort from the seating.

I have to say that I agree when it comes to the "design", because of one of the things I have learnt while I was in school was, that sometimes designers create uncomfortable seating for different settings, lets say there are bench-seating in fast-food joints so that you shouldn't spend much time there, even in cinemas, the slightly comfy seating is created so that you could sit for the time period of the movie, then get up and leave.“I remember when I was a kid,” Pelletier explains in the text within the brochure, “there was a rumour – I don’t know if it was true - that at McDonalds, the benches were made so that you wouldn’t spend too much time there.” It was from that thought the idea for the Slightly Uncomfortable Chair Collection (SUCC) came. When it comes to design, its true..for efficiency!

These chairs have serious future potential, "I can see corporations buying some for their conference rooms and boardrooms- to make a point, a reminder to their employees", says Pelletier. " A fun read, hope you enjoy it :)

crEATe: Food & Design

New coffee table book of the week: crEATe. Eating, Design and Future Food.

Food today is served with utmost creativity, uniqueness, attention to detail, etc. than ever before. With the change in the standards of presentation and perceptions of the food itself, comes the change in the standards of the environment eaten in. crEATe is based upon research by trend analysts from London firm The Future Laboratory, where they have investigated the recent trends and visual developments in and around food.

Attention to detail has now become the true standard on how we base our overall judgment on anything, in this case: food. Everything from the way we eat, how the food is presented, the interior environment, the ambiance, the new innovative restaurants and shops experimenting with "new" things, to the marketing, packaging and impact on the consumer world, this book shows it all. With stunning photography and clever profiles, this book shows how food has given to us new meanings in design, and we keep learning more and more everytime something new and sometimes "experimental" comes out.

I tend to get bored easily from routines, so this kind of environment is great not just for food, although I'm not one who follows trends.. I love being on the hunt for the unusual but beautiful ;)

When odds and ends meet..a modernist paradox

Artist Spotlight this week : Maurice Scheltens.

A Dutch photographer who works in the field of fashion, arts, and advertisement. Known to create still-life that are hyper-realistic and completely artificial, he takes objects from the world of commerce, fashion and design, takes them out of their natural comfortable habitat and puts them in a new uncomfortable environment to give out new meanings and codes.. "A new way of looking". He exposes the "Real" objects and places them in an illusional-staged framework that gives off an uneasy feeling.
He cut out remote controls, haute-couture dresses, fruits, plants, and vegetables, and placed them dangling on cords, balancing themselves by other objects, or are left alone, lost in the background.

His new book "ON DISPLAY" is out on November 14, showcasing his works. He has worked with Nike, Vitra, UNIQLO, Adidas, Playstation, Tom Ford, Hermes, and many more.

I think his work is brilliant..love that blue garbage bag twirling around the disk player, and also the laundry line.

Link

Retro-Kaleidoscopic Landscapes

A new favorite book to own and another additon to my library, "Offpiste - In the land of Kustaa Saksi", releasing this month by Scandinavian illustrator Kustaa Saksi.

In his book, he creates a retro-futuristic feel in his kaleidoscope landscapes, in which he brings together organic shapes, energetic imagery, and lively colors into a surreal world. Saksi's work surrounds you with his playful creativity and cheerful abstract in his dream-like playground. An inspiration and a delight for playful senses..Beautiful Chaos!! Love :) He reminds me of Takashi Murukami (Japanese designer who previously designed for Louis Vuitton).

He has designed works for the likes of Issey Miyake, Levi's, and MTV..his works were also featured in magazines such as Wallpaper, The New York Times, and Dazed & Confused.

Pre-order it now, Click Offpiste - Amazon

Arabic Typography

My new favorite book on Arabic typography and calligraphy called "Arabesque", Graphic Design from the Arab world and Persia. Inspiring creative typographic work by different types of artists, such as calligraphers, light graffiti artists, graffiti artists, sculptors, etc.

Click Arabesque - Amazon

For shoe addicts!

To make a big entry and fashion statement,
coveted shoes are essential! Shoes always has a way
in presenting itself as a challenge to fashion designers. Shoe Design is an overview of current designers from all over the world, featuring the most important trends and names in the fashion shoe industry..



The book is available to purchase in December 2008