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As Tiffany Meyers observes in her overview of the 100 winners, one can’t peg 2009 as the year of any specific color or typographic convention. But the winning projects are reflective of today’s increasingly diverse design discipline. In fact, one has to wonder if there is any longer such a thing as a design discipline—in light of today’s fast-changing and even amorphous practice, the word discipline seems a little out of place.
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The Latest and Greatest Gadgets and Accessories (cont'd) |
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REV UP YOUR RIDE
Rrrring, rrrring! Come on, you know you’re still eyeing the neighbor kids’ bikes, especially their
cool accessories. Who said you couldn’t get your own? Bicycle bells don’t have to be only for the
wee ones—they can be quite functional for everyone. Whether you use them for saving lives by
warning those in your way, announcing your arrival, or just plain showing off, Flax Art & Design’s bells can help. The bells come in eight totally radical styles to assert your individuality: Frog, Ladybug, Goldfish, Clown, Bumble Bee, Stripe, Flower, and Heart. The kids around the block
will be so envious—they may even stop doing wheelies in front of your house.
Flax Art & Design Bicycle Bells, $20, 800.343.3529, www.flaxart.com
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DADDY'S STYLIN'
Diaper bags so often come in the most awful, nauseatingly cute or frustratingly
feminine designs—what is the savvy dad to do? Give your manly
man the Dad-to-Be Set, and he won’t be so embarrassed carrying around
bottles and binkies, nor will he give you any more excuses as to why he
can’t change diapers in public. This functional kit offers necessities for the
future father: a no-nonsense black nylon Diaper
Dude Bag with 10 compartments, cushioned
changing pad, bottle pocket, key clip, and ergonomic
design; The Baby Owner’s Manual,
a fun read for any dad, offering “operating
instructions” for babies; and a onesy with
handling instructions for baby. The 228-
page manual is written by Louis Borgenicht,
M.D., and his son Joe Borgenicht, D.A.D.,
and provides witty commentary and useful information
such as when to bring your baby to
the doctor for “servicing.” The onesy includes
an illustration on how to play with your baby—
in other words, Junior should never be airborne
for any reason.
UncommonGoods Dad-to-Be Set, $84 (Diaper Dude Bag also available separately for $52), 888.365.0056, www.uncommongoods.com |
| DOPE DISTINCTION
Founded in 2000 by designer Orfeo Quagliata
and crystal company Nouvel Studio, Phuze Design
offers art-glass jewelry, vases, flatware, furniture,
lighting, sculpture, and more in a very distinct and vibrant style.
Quagliata, son of acclaimed glass artist Narcissus Quagliata and grandson
of Herta Jalkotzy—an award-winning jewelry designer in the Wiener
Werkstätte collective, founded by Gustav Klimt—began apprenticing
with his father at age 12. He later studied under Catalonian glass artist
José Fernandez Castrillo, who taught Quagliata the cold-working techniques
that he now employs in much of his design work for Phuze. Phuze’s
products explore the interplay between color and light with Quagliata’s
innovative “lamiphuzed” process of trapping transparent glass between
layers of vibrant color. The collections use hand-blown crystal and fused
glass to transform everyday objects into functional works of art. Showcased
here are Phuze’s new Colum Vases and Dowp Rings—testimony to
Quagliata’s expertise. Phuze Colum Vases and Dowp Rings, $650 and $58, www.phuzedesign.com
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| WHISKEY ON THE GO-GO
Not for use in conjunction with the Dad-to-Be Set (above), this handy
bag is geared toward men without responsibilities lurking about. Enjoy the
freedom of mixing cocktails wherever you go with UncommonGoods’ Mini
Travel Bar. The case is compact, insulated, and complete with a flask, funnel,
corkscrew, stir stick, ice tongs, and telescoping shot glasses; so quench your
thirst whenever you damn well please. UncommonGoods Mini Travel Bar, $40, 888.365.0056, www.uncommongoods.com
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