A clock without a face.
Posted by Francis in cool design on January 31, 2010
ECLIPSE by QUIAN YIRAN
Designed as a clock without a face, Eclipse uses only its hands to tell the time.
Usually time is interpreted as the relationship between the face and the dials of a clock. Eclipse inverts this relationship by eliminating the actual clock…
Minimalist to the extreme, the time can be read either by looking at the hour and minute hands or by reading the units on the dials.
Eclipse is an intersting blend between analog and digital.
WHY IS IT A COUP DE CŒUR
- Less is more, minimalistic design which retains the entire functionality
- Eclipse eliminates material wastage, as the clock face is not required
Collect my garbage with a smile
Posted by Francis in great products on January 17, 2010
Bringing our the rubbish has never been so cool!
The Happy Sacks Goldfish and Christmas Pudding garbage bags were designed at communication agency Wieden + Kennedy (London) in collaboration with Suck UK (www.suck.uk.com).
They have been created to make the boring chore of taking out the rubbish more artistic and fun – to bring a little happiness to the streets on collection day.
The bags are expensive and fully recyclable!
WHY IS IT A COUP DE COEUR?
- yet another greatly revisited (reinvented) ordinary object
- the bags are creative, eye-catching and bring colour and happiness to the streets
- are all garbage bags recyclable?
PS: the Christmas Pudding bags are sold out (until next year)
My bookmark just melted!
Posted by Francis in great products on January 13, 2010
If you are like me and always lose your bookmarks and end up using flight coupons or the receipt of the book itself, then this liquid bookmark is for you.
These bookmarks look as if they where melting out of the book. Each one is a one-off, hand made by the designer himself.
The liquid bookmarks are made out of White, Red or Gray Silicone by Kyouei Design (www.kyouei-ltd.co.jp) in Japan.
WHY IS IT A COUP DE COEUR?
- I love revisited (reinvented) simple objects
- its creative, eye-catching and looks interesting
Pimp my Rolex
Posted by Francis in funky business models, luxury on January 8, 2010
Should you think that your “standard” Rolex watch is not exclusive enough, then Bamford Watch Department is certainly the place to go for help. Since 2004 Bamford Watch Department personalizes steel sports watches and makes them unique and collectible!
All black Submariner
Daytona Light Blue dial
Daytona Yellow dial
The technique used is called PVD or ‘Physical Vapour Deposition’ and results is an almost ‘diamond hard’ flawless black coating. Additional personalization is available in the form of bespoke dials, luminescent indices and case engraving. You can even be creative and customize your own watch online under http://www.bamfordwatchdepartment.com/customiser.cfm such as my green and red attempt below…
my own kitsch Sea Dweller version
WHY IS IT A COUP DE COEUR?
- the products are unique and, mostly, beautiful
- the consumer is in charge and can creatively show his/her individuality
- creates an interesting debate between purists and others
PS: you can now also customize the legendary Tag Heuer Monaco
Bags for lovers of understated luxury (and fighter pilots).
Posted by Francis in great products, luxury, vintage revisited on December 18, 2009
What do Diego della Valles’s Tod’s, Hogan and Fay brands have in common with Ghisó’s Helmet Bag ?
All are beautifully Italian and understatedly elegant. Both produce creative high quality handmade products. But there’s more if you look at the source of their inspiration.
In 1978 Diego della Valle launched a driving shoe inspired by styles from the 1950s. The name Tod’s was chosen from the Boston phone directory because it sounded good in all languages. 133 tiny rubber pebbles confer grip and flexibility for driving.
Hogan Shoes
Years later, in 1986 he creates Hogan shoes after England’s cricket shoes that were popular in the thirties. Later still, Fay’s iconic firefighter-inspired nylon field jacket with hook closures became another iconic piece that comes out of Diego della Valle’s creative factory.
In 2009 Ghisó, creatively reinterprets the traditional Helmet Bag of American Fighter Pilots to wonderfully fit today’s discerning consumer.
Vegetal Tanned Leather Beige
Vegetal Tanned Leather Black
The bag is composed of two outside snap pockets for flight plans and one internal open department for the helmet. The inside is a bright orange called Rescue Color. The bag can thus be used to attract attention of rescuers in case that your plane was shot down in combat…
Ghisòs’s bags creatively combine functional elements with the beauty of the object.
They come in various elegant colors in Vegetal Tanned Leather, Canvas and technological materials and are produced by a team of master artisans located in Italy.
Canvas Blue
WHY IS IT A COUP DE COEUR?
1. true Italian craftsmanship at its best
2. elegant and understated with a nice story
3. simple lines and refined natural materials
4. sometimes I wonder why women need a lot of handbags – now I understand…
Discover other exclusive objects created by Ghisò under www.ghiso.com
The font with holes in it, like cheese!
Posted by Francis in great products, intelligent use of technology on December 12, 2009
Ecofont could only have been invented by the Dutch or the Swiss – the two countries used to produce cheese with holes in them. Ecofont is a font with holes in it… 
and so uses up to 20% less ink (an expensive and polluting substance) than ordinary fonts !
- Another “why has no one thought of this before” idea. It’s beautifully simple.
- Less is more.
- Environmentally friendliness for all.
Dolce vita revisited with the Ape Calessino.
Posted by Francis in cool design, vintage revisited on November 11, 2009
Created by Piaggio in 1948 to transport merchandise, the three-wheeled Ape (bee in Italian) was adapted to transport people and rebaptised Ape Calessino as of 1950.
Untimely and romantic, the Ape Calessino will, together with the legendary Vespa scooter, forever be a symbol of the Italian Dolce Vita, as described so beautifully in Federico Fellini’s film.
Following a first diesel version of the vintage Ape Calessino, of which only a mere 999 models where produced, Piaggio recently launched a fully electric version in an even more limited edition of 100 examples only for the Italian market. The electric motor allows to drive 75 km and up to 50km/h.
The Ape Calessino was the very essence of what Italy was ans still is all about: enjoying leisure time with style and elegance.
WHY IS IT A COUP DE COEUR?
- there’s something cool about the Ape, especially its look
- although this vehicle is more than 60 years old – it’s just wonderfully cool
- reinvented vintage once again
- I wish I had one myself!
Puma does it again!
Posted by Francis in cool design, vintage revisited on October 25, 2009
- by now its no secret that I love reinvented vintage!
- simple design, cool materials
- great combination of sport, lifestyle and fashion.
Paul Smith drinks Evian.
Posted by Francis in cool design on October 20, 2009
Paul Smith has collaborated with Evian to design a limited edition glass bottle in fun colours – with a “clin d’oeil” (wink) to his famous stripes.
In line with their annual partnerships with Fashion Designers, this year Evian teamed up with one of the most creative designers, known for his sense of fun and optimistic attitude – Paul Smith!
The new exclusive Evian bottle is “designed with a festive theme in vibrant colors – with a nod to the famous Paul Smith stripes – which elegantly underlines the purity of the natural spring water from the French Alps.”
For memory, the annual Evian designer bottle tradition began in 2008 with a limited edition bottle designed by Christian Lacroix, followed in 2009 with Jean Paul Gaultier.
I happen to really like Paul Smith and his “classic with a twist” style (as he describes it) in which he manages to create a colourfully chic universe without being too extravagant.
His Evian bottle design confirms this!
The multi-coloured ‘Paul Smith for Evian’ bottle should be available at selected outlets to buy from October 2009.
WHY IS IT A COUP DE COEUR?
- iconic brand reinvents itself and stands out in a crowded water market
- take an everyday item and turn into a trendy and decorative object
- simple and fun design
- Paul Smith is simply classy
Add colour to your extinguisher!
Posted by Francis in cool design on October 17, 2009
Do you also live in a country where it is compulsory to have working fire extinguishers in your home?
…and because your extinguisher “lacks aesthetics” you keep yours locked up in a cupboard or, worse, in your cellar?
Fire design (www.fire-design.fr) offers you a large choice of extinguishers in a broad range of trendy colours and patterns.
Their team of designers has created collections that combine safety and original design enabling you to have a cow-skin extinguisher in your living-room and a floral motive in your kitchen… and if the exiting choice doesn’t fit in your house – Fire design even allows customers to create their own personalised designs and creations.
WHY IS IT A COUP DE COEUR?
- new look at a traditional and functional object
- take an everyday item and turn into a trendy and decorative object
- increases the safety in your house in a fun way
Still wondering what you’ll give your friends for Xmas??