Erik Johansson, impossible is nothing

LuxuryActivist
-
0
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Erik Johansson is a photographer, born in Sweden, living in Berlin – Germany. His work is based in photo-montage and retouching. For him photography is a way to obtain the translation on an idea. He says that most of the work of photographers ends once you press the button of the camera. For him that’s when his work starts. I discovered him during one TED’s TALK in which he presented his work.

Lots of photographers work with photo-montage but the specificity of Erik Johansson is that there is always a perfect idea behind. We could almost describe it as a sort of Daily poetry. There is a strong aesthetics, lots of details and somehow a vision of our daily lives. And this remains his strongest source for inspiration.

Erik Johansson works mostly on personal and commissioned projects and has a nice website in which you can discover his work and even buy them online. 3 different formats A4, A3 and A2.

http://alltelleringet.com

It is a clever and lovely way to escape the daily reality by twisting a little bit some natural rules like gravity, 3 dimensional perspectives but above all, always an original angle. Check here one of my preferred photos:

Go-your-own-road
Go your own Road

fishy-island
Fishy Island

Arms-break-vases-dont
Arms break, Vases don’t

Penrose-lego
Penrose Lego

Roadworkers-coffebreak
Roadworkers Coffee break

vertical-turn
Vertical Turn

 

Amazing work for a different reality, not that far from ours… in a certain way.
LA

 

Info sourced at TED.com and on the Photographer’s official website. All images are copyrighted and no reproduction rights are available. 

Lithium table by Peter Harrison

LuxuryActivist
-
0
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Peter Harrison just launched a new beautiful piece of modern design, a Lithium Table. The Lithium Table is 29 ½ inches tall and 48 inches in diameter. It visually creates three layers, transitioning from mass to air with a core of concrete, a middle ring of stainless steel rods, and a perimeter created by the glass.

lithium-table-peter-harrison

The cast concrete column exudes strength and balances the slickness of the other materials. It is cast with round holes to lighten its mass and complement the airy structure of the stainless steel rods. The mahogany glass support is complemented by the aluminum base of the same diameter; both joined together with Harrison’s signature steel rods and exposed fasteners. The effect is modern without being devoid of details.

lithium-table-peter-harrison-2

lithium-table-peter-harrison-3

Peter Harrison has been designing and producing art since 1996. His work has journeyed from one-of-a-kind furniture, to sculpture, to his present line of handmade limited production furniture made with a precision not normally found in pieces of this type.

Maintaining his imaginative use of wood, metal, glass, and concrete, Harrison has created an engaging piece that compels the observer to want to take a closer look. Once they do, they see Harrison’s meticulous craftsmanship and precision custom fittings in an exceptional meshing of materials and form.

In 2007 he participated in the prestigious International Turning Exchange residency sponsored by the Center for Art in Wood in Philadelphia. He was awarded a NYFA (New York Foundation of the Arts) grant in 2001. In 2008, he completed a new studio just outside of Saratoga Springs NY. In 2009 he received an award of excellence from the American Craft Council.

Early on, and for largely practical reasons, Harrison set out to design some pieces that didn’t have glued joints. But the new pieces, he says, “morphed into a look and a language that I like more than the work I was making before.” Harrison’s vocabulary expanded to include case concrete, stainless steel, aluminum, marine cable and various off-the-shelf and custom fasteners. In addition to speeding up the building process, Harrison says, “the interaction of different materials can make each element visually stronger.”

Harrison keeps it basic with each material- using wood, concrete, and metal in elemental geometric shapes and their natural colors. The joints in most of his pieces consist of bolts and threaded inserts. Asked whether the curved stainless steel rods and marine cable serve a structural purpose, Harrison says, “Not much of one, but in my work the visual function is as important as the actual function. I try not to have any element there just because it is functional. Every element should be a harmonious part of the piece whether it’s serving to support it or just to visually fulfill it.” For more information Peter Harrison and his designs, go to www.peterharrison.com.

Here a mood video about the Lithium table by luxuryactivist:

Pure design.
LA

Info sourced at official press release and Brand website. All images are copyrighted and no reproduction rights available.

Patrick Mavros, Silver artwork inspired by Africa

LuxuryActivist
-
0
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Patrick Mavros expresses his passion for Africa thanks to a beautiful Silversmithing story. Throughout the years, he developed a collection of fine silver objects, from women’s and men’s jewelry to home designed objects and sculptures.

Patrick-mavros

Born and raised in Matabeleland (the wild, western province of Zimbabwe), the young Patrick developed a deep affinity for its wildlife, particularly the birds of prey. Like many an artist before him, he strove to capture the form and essence of the birds and animals on paper – as evidenced by his boyhood sketchpads.

Adulthood, however, laid out a more prosaic career for Patrick, and he became first a baker, then a soldier. Fortunately fate, in the classic tradition, smiled upon the young man and he met, wooed and won his wife, Catja Halsted. The petite, warm-hearted Catja became the pivotal influence that was to set Mavros on his path to becoming one of the world’s most accomplished sculptors.

Patrick, newly-wed and wanting to give Catja an original and personal gift, carved a pair of earrings from a small piece of ivory in the form of roses, her favourite flower. Catja was not the only one delighted with the earrings – soon Patrick was inundated with requests from friends for similar pairs to be created. And so it all began. Mavros developed his own unique sculpting technique, using innate artistic skills and his acute eye for detail and essence. The more he worked, the more he was inspired to try more ambitious subjects. He experimented with various tools and materials, and, with the encouragement of his wife and family, was soon involved in his own full-time business.

Here some of my preferred silver pieces from Patrick Mavros collection:

sea-shell-bracelet

lion-ashtray

elephant-pencil-pot

patrick-mavros-baobab

wine-support

I personally find the Pencil holder brilliant!

So as Mother’s and Father’s day are coming soon, you should probably check the artistic work of this truly passionate artist. You may find the original gift you were looking for.
You can check the online catalog here: http://www.patrickmavros.com/store/index.php

Ready for some adventure?
LA 

 

Info sourced at official press release and Brand website. All images are copyrighted, no reproduction rights available.

Paco Rabanne, future visions by Le Printemps

LuxuryActivist
-
0
Reading Time: 2 minutes

The french luxury department store Le Printemps presented its vision of the future by inviting the avant-gardist brand Paco Rabanne to a special set at the heart of the parisian shop.

Logo-Printemps

In the continuous aim to become one of the edgy references for luxury in Europe, Le Printemps is always reinventing itself by always proposing surprising, original and high-fashion animations. After one of the most glamorous luxury christmas in partnership with Chanel, now it is the moment to get a hint of the future with Paco Rabanne.

visions-coutures-printemps

I must say that since the end of the Mr.Rabanne era, the Brand Paco Rabanne was more focusing on Fragrances than Fashion. Now, with a new Artistic Director and this new beautiful operation, we feel that the brand’s heritage is still its force.

In deed, Paco Rabanne has a new Artistic Director. It’s name: Manish Arora. He is indian and has followed a path of success since his start.
manish-arora-paco-rabanne

  • 1997: First fashion show in New Delhi under his own brand
  • 2007: First show in Paris
  • 2011: He joins Paco Rabanne as Artist Director

His style takes a lot inspiration from Contemporary Art which makes a perfect blend with the Rabanne style and heritage. Look for yourself:

paco-rabanne-dress

paco-rabanne-display

LEZARD-paco-rabanne

From the Brand perspective, the Manish Arora era is the “Rebirth”. The goal is to fully capitalize into the Brand roots and when you remember the 1966 Metal dress, we can see that the challenge is fully succeeded.
1966-paco-rabanne-metal-dress

Why Le Printemps engaged into this operation with Paco Rabanne?
According to Mr. Cédric Dauch, Communication Manager:
“Le Printemps proposes an interpretation of Fashion’s future… or how Brands can invent their own future by building on their own heritage“. This is a strong statement in which Le Printemps definitely becomes the stage of true creation and innovation.

So, by visiting the Departement store, you can discover the Café Paco Rabanne by Hediard. An original blend to place you into a futuristic environment, not that far from today.

cafe-paco-rabanne

paco-rabanne-bags

paco-rabanne-boutique

The operation just started and will last until the 24th March. Please visit the official website to know more about it: http://www.printemps.com

So, ready for the future?
LA

 

Info sourced at official Press Release, Le Printemps website and Social media networks, Paco Rabanne site. All images are copyrighted with no rights for reproduction available.

Land Rover Defender by Prindiville Design

LuxuryActivist
-
0
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Prindiville Design is launching its new limited edition for the Land Rover Defender. Only 25 models in the world for a real luxury version of the well know SUV. Check here the outstanding design and features.

Prindiville-design-defender

Prindiville was founded by Alex Prindiville in 2000. It has central London headquarters and relies extensively on British craftsmen, designers and engineers. Prindiville Design has extensive experience of carbonfibre manufacture and construction techniques, and practises this art in the automotive, aeronautic and boatbuilding industries. Alex Prindiville, the company’s Founder and Chief Designer, personally designs and oversees all Prindiville Design’s projects.

The features of this beautiful limited edition

  • 90 wheelbase platform, 2 to 7 seat configuration.
  • Hand-assembled in the UK.
  • 2.4L engine.
  • Suspensions, braking system and cooling improved.
  • Matt or metallic finish paint from Prindiville’s very own palette.
  • Rear Prindiville signature badge.
  • Chrome side protection runners.
  • LED front and rear headlamps.
  • Titanium high performance sports exhaust.
  • Raised wheel arches.
  • 18 inch five-spoke metallic black alloy wheels.
  • Front and rear parking sensors and cameras.
  • Luxurious interior with numbered aluminum plaque.
  • Sport seats trimmed with the finest Italian leather.
  • Alcantara driver and passengers carpets.
  • 5 inch built-in LCD television interface with wireless internet, DVD player, satellite navigation, 360 degrees external vision.
  • Four speaker surround sound.
  • Connection for Mobile handset and MP3 devices via Bluetooth.
  • Price: 81,500US$ (excluding transport and local taxes).

Commenting on the launch of this new beautiful car, Alex Prindiville says:

“The Limited Edition Land Rover Defender is a truly unique proposition in that it offers a more refined, quiet, and comfortable environment comparable to that of high-end 4x4s. This is an uncompromised solution for either urban city driving or long- distance journeys. The significant interest which we have enjoyed to date will no doubt pave the way for further Land Rover or Range Rover customisations of a similar nature.”

Check here a mood video by luxuryactivist.com:


Land Rover by Prindiville Design – LuxuryActivist Youtube channel

At Prindiville Design, they cultivate the art of Coachbuilding: a combination of art and craftsmanship, used to refashion the looks of a production car to suit an owner’s unique and individual taste. When the art of coachbuilding is practised by Prindiville it’s a platform for innovation and creativity.

The heyday of coachbuilding was in the 1920s and 1930s; during the 1960s and 1970s ‘design houses’ emerged, particularly in Italy, producing elegant, flamboyant designs that were sometimes produced in limited runs by the major car manufacturers. Latterly, however, the coachbuilding industry has played a background role.

At Prindiville, they are reinventing the coachbuilder’s art, using skills and knowledge built up over decades. The Brand believes that their sense of the aesthetic is matched by a solid understanding of automotive engineering. Beauty and performance.

Their services:

  • Coachbuilding, a Car unique for you.
  • Facelifts, get a car “update”
  • Performance Tuning, power up your engine.
  • Visual Tuning, personalized design
  • Innovation, everything from handless doors, electric sport cars or bullet-proof cars.

To know more about this amazing luxury coach builder, please check the official website: http://www.prindiville.co.uk

So, one single sentence: Driving with style.

LA

 

Info sourced at official Prindiville Design press release and brand website. All images are copyrighted. No reproduction rights available.

Lenny Kravitz, We love to entertain you – Pro7

LuxuryActivist
-
0
Reading Time: < 1

Pro7, pronounce Prosieben is a private german TV channel broadcasting since 1989 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Their leitmotiv is “WE LOVE TO ENTERTAIN YOU”. For the past 2 years they have a series of TV ads about it in which super world stars are the main hero of the ad. They had Marilyn Manson, Tom Cruise, The Pussy Cat Dolls and this year they have Mr. Lenny Kravitz.

lenny-kravitz-pro7

And I must say it is by far one of the coolest sex appealing tv ad I saw in the past years. Women are definitely seduced and Men too. There is a full storyboard and for Lenny Kravitz it is a real action hero. It goes from wearing the coolest and weirdest sun glasses, through saving the world as superman up to being what he is: a super rock star.

lenny-kravitz-pro7-2

lenny-kravitz-pro7-3

lenny-kravitz-pro7-4

lenny-kravitz-pro7-5

Check here the full TV campaign that you can see right now on the screens.

I want to be a rock star…!
LA

 

Info sourced at Pro7 official website and youtube channel. All images copyrighted, no reproduction rights available.

The Luxury Channel, high class broadcasting

LuxuryActivist
-
0
Reading Time: 2 minutes

This week, I came across the website of the Luxury Channel. It is a new and exciting multimedia platform. It provides compelling, high quality TV programming and videos, trendsetting online editorial, and an outstanding range of high-end retail products around lifestyle and luxury.

logo-luxury-channel

They started working for CNBC, one of the leading TV channels about Business and lifestyle. They still continue their partnership but thanks to the digital revolution, their website becomes more and more complete.

All video content is produced in HD by many different leading directors in the world. It becomes a main online platform about international news around luxury, business and lifestyle. The Managing Direction is shared between Fiona Sanderson and Jim Manson, 2 key players in the american broadcasting. They have several years of experience with main tv channels like Discovery or even National Geographics.

the-luxury-channel

It is really a pleasure to being able to watch HD video online in a nice and stimulating digital environment. They also have a magazine section in which you can find minute-by-minute news.

Do not hesitate to apply for the newsletter, a valuable source of information or to check the official channel: http://www.theluxurychannel.tv

LA

 

Info sourced at the luxury channel website. All images are copyrighted, no reproduction rights available.

London Fabergé Egg hunting by Spina Design.

LuxuryActivist
-
0
Reading Time: 4 minutes

London is known for being the capital of all eccentricities. This year, Fabergé is organizing a huge Egg hunting in the streets of London and over 200 eggs will be placed in the city. Everything starts on the 21st of February…. next week! And one of the important players is Spina Design.

big-egg-hunt-faberge

So imagine more than 200 eggs disseminated all around London in strategic locations. Members of the public will be able to hunt down the strategically placed, giant eggs, currently being exclusively designed, bejewelled and decorated by some of the world’s leading artists, architects, jewellers and designers including the Bruce Oldfield, Chapman Brothers, Zandra Rhodes, Diane Von Furstenberg, Theo Fennell, Sophie Dahl, Rob Ryan, William Curley, Bompas and Parr, Polly Morgan, Vivienne Westwood and Sir Ridley Scott.

A big auction will be organized in order to raise funds to 2 different charity institutions: the Elephant family which protects asian elephants and their habitat, and Action for children: a british organization for childhood protection.

If you want to see more information about the event itself, do not hesitate to connect to the official website: http://www.thebigegghunt.co.uk .

The event is set to smash Guinness World Records for the most participants in an Easter egg hunt and the world’s most expensive chocolate egg, as designed by William Curley. The hand-crafted eggs, which are destined to become highly collectible works of art, will be available to buy at auction, with proceeds going to Action for Children and Elephant Family. The jewel in the crown of the auction will be an exclusively designed, jewelled egg pendant by headline sponsor Fabergé.

Big-egg-hunt-2

Big-egg-hunt

This year, they have the interesting participation of Spina Design that will decorate a prestigious Egg. Who is Spina Design? No need for introductions. Spina Design is the brainchild of award winning Robbie Spina and Joe Zito, whose combined backgrounds in fashion and art mesh perfectly to create awe-inspiring luxury lifestyle accessories, occasional furniture and lighting.

spina-design

A vibrant and dynamic duo, who have revolutionised the perception of accessories and detailing in interior design. Combining radically different and unusual components with precious materials including crystal, coral and tigers eye, they have revived the ancient craft of passementerie to a new level, gaining industry respect as a new art form. Established since 2000, Spina’s dedicated and highly skilled designers have created sumptuous interior accessories and contemporary designs for luxurious interiors across the world.

Spina creates contemporary sophisticated interior accessories including exquisite passementerie and light sculptures, complimented by ottomans, cushions, throws, fabrics and fine china tableware collections.

spina-design-services

Specialising in the interpretation of client’s ideas to create bespoke timeless designs, which are handcrafted and brought to life by the London based atelier. Spina really is the name synonymous with ultimate luxury.Commissioned by the worlds leading architects, interior designers, property developers and private clients, Spina create truly exquisite haute couture for interiors.

For this special Egg hunt, Spina design has decorated a special egg and you can recognize the personal style of the house. In deed, between an oriental ornamental style towards a more baroque design, Spina Design proposes a very special egg that will give you the aim for traveling.

spina-egg

spina-egg-detail

spina-design-egg

Are we in Venice during the Carnival, at Marrakech palace or simply in the streets of Istambul? Amazing crafted work. According to the creators: Spina’s Egg Design reflects the team’s ongoing commitment to creating the most beautiful and luxurious designed objects, whist showcasing highly specialized techniques.  The Egg is painted in black, and decorated with cotton braiding and bobbles covered in a range of threads, including Japanese silk, metallic’s, double stain and alcantara suede.   The overall effect is one of elegance that is the hallmark of the Spina aesthetic, with a nod to a bygone era, albeit presented with a contemporary twist and an underlying humour.

The hunt starts next tuesday, 21st february. So if you are in London, you should become a luxury hunter.
LA

 

Info sourced from official Spina Design press release,  official website for the brand spinadesign.co.uk and the event official page. All images are copyrighted, no rights for reproduction available.

Youku, the “other” Youtube? Not so sure…

LuxuryActivist
-
0
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Youku is one of the biggest websites for video in the world. Millions of people, chinese for the most, connect daily and find high level content. Youku is not a pale copy of Youtube. It is more about professional online TV.

youku-logo

As we know, Video content rules the internet. And when we look to the digital landscape, Youtube is the market leader. Some competitors like Vimeo or Dailymotion try hard to compete but the “broadcast yourself” strategy is really unbeatable. Nevertheless, in some areas in the globe, Youtube is not a mainstream, especially in China as there are strong restrictions to this website. So Chinese developed their own video streaming channel.

youku-page

It was launched in 2006 by Victor Koo (previous CEO of Sohu.com). Today Youku is the leader for online video in China with more than 40% of market share. Almost 300 million monthly users in 2011. In average, each user stays one hour per visit. It places Youku in the 10th position of most popular  websites in china and the 52nd in the world (Alexa ranking). In order to find its way, Youku went away from the single model of content produced by the users towards professional content. In deed we can consider Youku as a online TV channel. 1,500 companies signed a contract with youku, so they can display their content. Disney has a contract since 2010. Thanks to all these contracts, Youku has  today more than 2,000 films, 1,500 tv series and mangas. In a total of 250,000 hours available, it makes it one of the biggest online TV in the world.

In order to increase their offer, Youku also proposes TV shows and films from Hong Kong, Taïwan, Japan, South Korea and even from the western world. 70% of content comes from different professional partnerships, 20% from users and 10% from the integrated Youku Production teams.

According to Victor Koo: “On Youtube you can find amator’s content. On Youku it is all about Television and Cinema.”

Youku has recently made different partnerships with China Mobile, Nike, Dell and Samsung. This will generate revenues to the group. Another recent development it is the mobile content. In deed, Youku wants to develop specific content for mobile and tablets.

For the moment, Youku is focusing mainly in China but the potential is huge.

Do you Youku? Yes I do…
LA 

Info sourced at youku.com and on fr.radio86.com. All images are copyrighted. No reproduction rights available.

Parvez Taj, The white Barn Collection

LuxuryActivist
-
1
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Parvez Taj, canadian artist, has released a collection of 50 artworks called the white Barn Collection. A series of hanging wall art pieces using reclaimed wood siding scored from white barns around the country. These barns were built from the mid 1800’s through the early 1900’s.  The siding varies by age, exposure to weather and wood type as most were built utilizing the stands of wood closest to the structure.

parvez-taj-10

Parvez philosophy is to make Art accessible. He uses water paints, photographs, UV cured inks and even computer softwares. This makes him quite unique on his style. In 2003, he founded Parvez Michel, Inc, an art design company that produces artwork and accessories for contemporary living.

parvez-taj-4

The rich and varied history of the siding combined with their authenticity and product texture provided Parvez the inspiration to use his signature UV cured inks to create unique, eco-friendly art.  Each piece is hand signed by the artist and is mounted on a high quality wood frame.

american flag

parvez-taj-4

Here is some ambiance pictures that can give you an idea on how this interesting artwork can blend perfectly into your contemporary interior.
Parvez-taj-3

Parvez-taj-2

If you wish to learn more about Parvez Taj work, please visit the official website: http://parveztaj.com

When a piece of history becomes a piece of Art…
LA

 

Info sourced at official press release and official artist website. All images are copyrighted, No reproduction rights available.

1...223224225...253Page 224 of 253