Digital Downtown

New York held its new annual Digital Downtown, a consumer technology showcase at the World Financial Center Winter Garden this past weekend.  It featured the latest innovative trends on consumer electronics, from high definition televisions, mobile devices, audio, to energy saving and gaming devices.

Flat screen HDTV’s dominated the majority of the atrium with the new ultra thin 1.5 inch Hitachi standing out. The images were so clear, consumers stood for minutes admiring the image quality.  But, Roland, the world’s leading manufacturer of electronic musical instruments had the most amazing demonstrations of what the future brings.  One demonstration that stood out is known as “the parent’s dream” the silent drum set made of rubber, is attached to headphones that allow each hit, tap, snare to be translated to the original instrumental sound.  Another demonstration that stood out was the double keyboard with a microphone attachment that allowed you to sing into the microphone out of tune as it translates your tone perfectly into pitch. The instrument allowed the demonstrator to sing orchestral back up to Mariah Carey’s a cappella. With this new product soon to be in consumer hands, can anyone be the next Mariah Carey?

Technology is redefining our future and the way we communicate. New York, now being apart of the CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) can now spread the innovative developments through its global entertainment and media.  HANNA

Dior and Everybody

Dior’s new line of luxury will be put to the test when they follow along with Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, and Prada, in fusing the ubiquitous cell phone with an exclusive luxury brand.

Does a newly diamond-studded alligator casing capture the idea of luxury? Cell phones are a mainstream item that everyone owns. Whether or not it is encased in diamonds or uses alligator skin, they all have the same functionality.

Dior will maintain exclusivity by selling the cell phones at a higher price than its competitors. The company expects the phones to sell best in brand hungry Russia and China. The starting price is $5,100, priced to rival Nokia’s Vertu phone.

Dior is expecting to sell between 30,000 to 60,000 units within the next year; however, competing designer luxury brands sold around 500,000 units. We found that many thought the Dior design resembles floor tiles.

There is a new market being created, one very similar to the high-end industry of sunglasses and handbags. Which ubiquitous item will be next in-line for a brand upgrade. HANNA

Design is King at The Gap

After years of trying to boost sales through celebrity endorsements and gimmicks, The Gap is returning to its roots; quality classic American design. Yes, Design will once again reign as king. Fashion Designer, Patrick Robinson, the former designer for Paco Rabanne and Giorgio Armani will join the company as executive vice president of design for Gap Adult and gapbody. Mr. Robinson, 40, will oversee all elements of design for Gap women’s and men’s apparel, accessories and intimates lines in North America. The Gap suffers from new competition. Specifically, the growing list of luxury brands selling at low price-points through diffusion fashion lines. The Gap has also been challenged by fast-fashion giants such as Zara and H&M. And after the launch of Old Navy, there was confusion among customers about The Gap brand. Most chose Old Navy for its lower prices. At Design Futurist, we believe the opportunity for great American classics is now. Affordable stylish basics are missing in today’s market. And retailers with large distribution, such as J Crew have capitalized on the opportunity. Most other mainstream retailers are competing in a fickle trend and celebrity driven space, where customers come and go flippantly. Statistics show, brand loyalty is low among customers that choose products based on endorsements. Customers that choose based on value, design and in-store experience stick around. Cheers to a bright future, may good design mean good business. NATALIA

GenArt Genisis

In Greek, Ninaki means something small or precious. It is fitting that Ninaki Priddy would be destined to design jewelry.

Jewelry design was not the original plan, she started out as a biology major (many great designers start off in science). This proved to be the main inspiration for her first collection.

An LA based jewelry designer of Mexican-American heritage, Ninaki is also a sculptor and architect. Her organic forms are captured from still frames of movements, put together to create fluidity in form. The bold collection morphs into continuous whimsical shapes with touches of natural elements.

Recently, she won the accessory design competition for the GenArt Styles International Design Competition. We think this is a first of many to come.

This year, Ninaki plans to expand her line to include necklaces, earrings, ear-cuffs and hair-pins. Yes, custom ear-cuffs, her unique take on modern ornament.

New jewelry design for a new generation of women. NATALIA

Lights on LD Tuttle

Tiffany Tuttle, a California native, founded LD Tuttle in 2005. A shoe and handbag designer, Tiffany Tuttle has managed to take classic favorites and bring about a sexy twist to create a contemporary rock ‘n’ roll flare. Her Spring/Summer line for 2008 takes on metallic and layers it with matted tonal colors, juxtaposed with colors like poppy red and yellow. Tiffany Tuttle’s collection of flats and heels uses elements of architecture with geometrical shapes. Her subtle details of lace, belted straps, and zippers closures at the heel add feminine detail and definition.

Her Fall/Winter line for 2008 takes on dark greys and blacks. Snow white, olive, fuchsia and metallic is added to the line to help break up the monochromatic color scheme. Her collection of boots has created a softer elegance of the male counterpoint. Her leather boots tightly wrap around the legs and when unbuckled or unzipped the boot gently drapes down.

Tiffany Tuttle places great emphasis on recognizable pieces that she brings about through her creative elements – cut outs, contrasting textures, and subtle detail. Her designs are being sold internationally and online. (http://www.ldtuttle.com/home.html). HANNA

Iconique Societas Awards

Launched in 2007 by Joost van Gorsel, publisher of Iconique.com and Melissa Sterry, CEO of Societás – the ‘Iconique Societás Excellence in Fashion Awards’ bring the global spotlight to the best emerging and most influential talent working in the genres of fashion photography and fashion illustration.

The awards jury for 2008 has just been announced and includes acclaimed Dutch photographer Ari Versluis, maverick fashion designer Arkadius, Brit milliner Louis Mariette – dubbed one of the 250 most influential creatives in the world by I-D Magazine, award-winning New York designer NATALIA ALLEN, owner of the UK’s much acclaimed ‘The Illustration Gallery’ – Oliver Jelf, McCann Group’s Head of Innovation Justin Champney, Vice President of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada – Rod Roodenburg, top stylist and regular contributer to Italian Vogue Michael Dye, as well as awards founders Joost and Melissa.

Last year’s awards gained global coverage and entries from fashion creatives in the UK, EU, US, Asia and beyond. Iconique and Societás plan to extend the award categories yet further in 2009 – to embrace the full spectrum of the fashion visual arts.

Entry details for the 2008 awards will be announced soon, so watch this space and Iconique.com and Societas.tv for more information.

Organic, Eco and Affordable

Increasingly, mass-market fashion designers are creating eco-friendly products. The rising demand for GREEN has encouraged brands such as: Levi Strauss, Quiksilver and The Gap to provide organically grown and eco-friendly products at a competitive price point.

GREEN garments are being made from exotic materials such as: corn, wood pulp, recycled plastic, byproducts of soybean oil, seaweed, organically grown bamboo and cotton.

Sportswear brand, Patagonia produced the popular “Synchilla Marsupial”, a polyester fleece made from 85% recycled soda bottles and unusable second-quality fabrics.

Wellman Inc, a U.S. company, produces these fibers from recycled products (FRPG) and packaging products (PPG). Their efforts keep 3 billion plastic (PET – polyethylene terephthalate) bottles out of landfills each year (bottled water will become a trend of the past).

Kate O’Connor, a designer known for her fluid lines enjoys the soft hand of silk and other luxurious fabrics. She found a less expensive alternative to silk in bamboo.Bamboo fiber is completely biodegradable and is the fastest growing wood plant farmed. Bamboo fabrics absorb moisture well and help keep you cool. Bamboo is also anti-bacterial, making it useful for producing next-to-skin garments. With all its benefits bamboo is controversial because many bamboo fabrics do not last as long as cotton fabrics.

The fashion and textile industries are in the early stages of exploring and innovating GREEN materials, that said, the future is a go. NATALIA

Phones of the Future

We were eagerly awaiting the G-Phone. Instead Google surprised us with Android, an operating system for mobile devices (http://code.google.com/android/).

More than 30 technology and mobile companies including T-Mobile and Motorola have come together with Google to create an innovative mobile platform that is more user-friendly. The new platform allows for seamless access and movement of data.

Android is an open-source software and runs on Linux version 2.6 and Java. It includes typical applications such as: contacts, maps and a web browser, but with more of the Internet’s efficiency and usefulness.

Android software stack
1, Optimizes multiple virtual machines to run at once with Dalvik
2, Accelerates graphics by combining both 2D and 3D graphics based on OpenGLS
3, Faster Internet with 3G networking and WiFi technology
4, Streets views, pan around, and zoom in with GPS
5, Open source WebKit, enables you to view a screen as it would appear on a desktop

Researchers are expected to improve and add to the Android Software Development Kit (SDK), leaving the possibility for endless innovation. Phones containing the Android platform will be available later this year.

Google does not want to sell us a phone, they want to revolutionize the way phones operate. They won’t sell us an operating system, they want to provide it to every phone for free. So how will Google make its investment back? Ad revenue of course. Now that’s clever. NATALIA ALLEN

Sold on Skandium

Not too long ago, I discovered a brilliant shop along Marylebourne Road in London. Skandium is a hub of modern Scandinavian furniture, lighting, kitchenware, and glassware for the home and office. Unlike Ikea, the products are made with quality and built to last. Skandium was named after the rare earth metal scandium, a rough dark metallic that turns pink or yellow when exposed to air. Skandium unites functionality and simplicity and provides a fresh aesthetic to traditional English homes. Developed by a collaborative team of many architectural designers such as, Arne Jacobsen, Poul Henningsen and Alvar Aalto, Skandium design is both ergonomic and beautiful. Their designs are mainly associated with clean lines and clutter-free interiors. Although its designs have minimal ornament its pieces are far from simplistic. The works maintain a contemporary refinement and classic elegance fit for today. Good news, Skandium designs developed between the 1930’s and 1960’s have become valuable collectors items, much like Bauhaus. Today’s Skandium products may be the collectables of the future. NATALIA ALLEN

Remote Wink

In this age of computers and technology people often try and find the shortest and easiest way to accomplish tasks. Recently, a group of Japanese researchers led by Kazuhiro Taniguchi (http://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/eng/) have taken this idea to a whole new level. They developed a wink-based system for controlling devices suchs as MP3 players. The system being used will allow people to play their iPod with just the blink of an eye. The wink remote is a single chip computer system that uses infrared sensors to monitor movement in your temples. The temple switch is small enough to be built into a pair of glasses. Imagine being able to fast-forward, skip or backtrack to a song through eye movement. The system is advanced enough to distinguish between a one-second wink and a natural blink. The temple switch is also able to control many other household appliances. The device is underway and will be made available within the next two to three years. Researchers have also begun developing a sister to the wink-based technology, the teeth-clench method. NATALIA ALLEN

Show and Tell

Showstudio.com has been a keystone site for me for the past few years. Photographer Nick Knight has developed an amazing platform where the worlds of art design, fashion, photography, theory, films, and just really cool content collide in a thought provoking and entertaining way of digesting fashion, images, and presentation.

Roger tredre, Editor in Chief of WGSN contributed his thoughts in an essay called, “ Fashion’s Ecopolitical Drama”. This is the beginning of numerous essays from theorists for “Political Fashion” a project conceptualized by Nick Knight on Showstudio. Roger’s essay highlights fashion fickle relationship with “what’s new” particularly with the green movement we are witnessing. He stresses that there is no time better than the present to implement our knowledge in a way where it becomes a part of the fashion cycle, and not just a momentary trend.

In this essay Roger tredre states, “For fashion, in particular, fence-sitting is not an option. The hard truth behind the rapid depletion of the world’s resources is that we must learn to consume less. But fashion is intrinsically linked to consumption. From clothes to mobile phones and cars, fashion is the driving force of modern consumer culture. Indeed, the recent retail industry emphasis on “fast fashion”, based on a faster turnover of trends – coupled with ultra-low prices – has encouraged us to buy more, not less.”

How can the fashion world straddle both worlds of consumption and quality? I don’t feel suggesting to others to buy less is the answer. The world is expanding, always offering something new, even if it is not a tangible product. Desire is always going to be there. The fashion world needs to offer a desire for quality. It’s not about consuming less. It’s about consuming intelligently. SOSA

Noir

At DESIGN FUTURIST, I am currently involved in multiple sustainable projects including organic textiles, light shipping and ethical labor for luxury brands. In the high-end market, innovation is not the only factor. I must design beautiful products that provide a sense of cool, opulence and function. Pairing the two components is not always easy. Holistically ‘green’ product design has its limitations including price, what textile mills and manufacturers may be used. Most shrink at this crossroad. Noir however, has decided to build a mill of their own. The most impressive team I have seen since Arcyterx (who build a state of the art factory in Canada to create exceptional technical mountain gear). Noir, a Danish label, designs sexy modern tailor-mades for women. Fifty percent of the collection is made from organic fair-trade African cotton. Some of the cotton is treated to created complex finishes and textures. Noir also shares proceeds with the Noir Foundation, to provide medicine and micro-loans to families. A truly innovative fashion business I support.

NATALIA

Member’s Only Boutique

Member’s Only Boutique
It is no secret that the British tend to favor member’s only. Popular private watering holes for creatives include Soho Hotel, Blacks and Adam Street. New York is gaining pace with Soho House, Norwood and Supper Club. On a recent trip to Notting Hill I met Clare Rous, the founder of Rous Iland, a member’s only fashion boutique. While it is necessary to call before arrival, the store is able to keep odd hours at a member’s request. I visited rather later in the evening and was impressed by the collection of affordable high-end fashion from cutting-edge designers such as Noir and Erotokritos. Fun accessories, weekend-glitter and transitional business attire for the working girl. Luxury, practicality, and style crammed into a tiny private townhouse space. A great example of innovation at retail. Rather than follow the formula of competitors, they tried something different. Well done, I say. For more please visit http://rousiland.com/

NATALIA ALLEN

Marathon Material

The future of design often includes elemental inspiration; improving upon ancient techniques and achieving contemporary innovation. Enter Newton Running Shoes. With a brand name that pays homage to Sir Issac himself, Newton incorporates the instinctual efficiency of the human body to create products that connect with dedicated runners. A favorite of professional Triathlete Michellie Jones, Newtown Shoes uses conscientious design to enhance the ‘strike and stride’ action of long distance training. By mimicking the musculature and connective tissue of the foot, the segmented sole acts as a suspension system, designed to sustain the kinetics of running barefoot. Developed by a team of runners and coaches, each selection in the Newton product range wraps the foot in a florescent concoction of silver and breathable netting, providing comfort cushioning, as well as protection from injury. Extremely lightweight (10.2 -7.2 oz), and available online for about 150 USD, Newton Running Shoes are a compelling choice for both professionals and hobbyists.

http://www.newtonrunning.com/the_shoes.php

Kenya Robinson for DESIGN FUTURIST

A Case for Warm and Fuzzy

Felt is the oldest textile known to humankind.  While it was probably an incredibly accidental discovery (around 6500 B.C.), Felt continues to showcase its versatility by its matted simplicity.  A recyclable material that far predates all the current eco-buzzwords, Felt isn’t just for kindergarteners.  Industrial uses abound- from insulation to production maintenance to manufacturing material- and it still manages to find its place on contemporary runways.  The Berlin based design firm, Parkhaus, has focused its efforts on Felt as a singular theme, exploring the infinite possibilities of the material.  Take the ‘Simple Bag’ (above) for instance; it’s practical and comfortably usable, but it’s the quiet undulation of chic that makes “simple bag” an oxymoron. Everything about its shape and color quietly muffles the inherent practically of its usage and transforms the piece into “ideas made tangible”. Parkhaus offers a full range of felt fabricated items that share a pleasing balance of design and functionality.  To view the complete collection (including customized options) visit www.parkhausberlin.de .

 

Kenya Robinson

Arm Architecture

Luxury for men has traditionally been relegated to timepieces or high-performance automobiles; here to expand the offerings of this growing market sector is ARMREVOLUTION. Specializing in thoroughly modern cuff links that speak to architectural inspirations, and the sleek elegance of Japanese steel, this London-based brand infuses its product with a cloak and dagger sexiness that is hard to resist. Engraved with a unique identification number, and housed in a polished acrylic box, each pair grants the owner access into exclusive ARMREVOLOUTION events.

 

A visit to the website (https://www.armrevolution.com/) reveals a world of ambiguous intrigue, where you’re introduced to Arm Architecture by a trio of raven-haired beauties. It is the seamless combination of urbanity, opulence and function that makes ARMREVOLUTION a performance pick for masculine style.

Kenya Robinson