1 More Houseware...

Tea cups can be a little too grandma if not executed just right. Umbra, the housewares company formed in 1979 and named after the Latin word for "shade," has solved this problem with their gorgeously chic, silicone-coated, vintage tea cups.

The Tassa cup and saucer are one-of-a-kind mini art projects designed by Michelle Ivankovic--check out September's issue of Lucky for a bio on her and her must-haves. In the meantime, pick up a few of these candy-colored cups and saucers to perfectly hinge past and present together.

Check it:
http://www.umbra.com

1 More Film...

Transformers. 7-4-07.
There's nothing else to say.



Check it:
http://www.transformersmovie.com/

1 More Band...

Australian bands: INXS, ACDC, Jet, Silverchair. YOU AM I.

They're drunk, they're lanky, and lead singer, Tim Rogers' raspy melodies will leave you with goosebumps. Sure you might slip into a wave of depression after listening closely to the lyrics, but isn't that what all good rock is supposed to do?

In a time when music careers are based on winning a reality TV show, You Am I have been playing dark venues since the early 90's. The good venues, with dim lighting, strong drinks, and a bathroom you could catch a disease from. No ticketmaster, no 9 year-olds with their parents, no branded concession stand.

In a rare visit, You Am I will be playing in major cities throughout the US in October. Grab a drink and your slimmest jeans to join this Aussie quartet while you can.


Check it:
http://www.youami.com.au/

1 More Designer...

Fashion Week Spring 2007 has come to an end, and it's time to give everything you own to Goodwill and replace it with everything fantastic seen on the runways. Of course this isn't a reality, but if it were, closets of fashionistas everywhere would be overflowing with the intricate designs from LA design duo, Rodarte.

Sisters Laura and Kate Mulleavy bring couture-level design to New York--a feat usually only seen at the Paris shows. With a front-row including Anna Wintour, Hal Rubenstein, and Carine Roitfeld, expect to be hearing a lot more of this unexpected design powerhouse.

Details including intricate floral appliqués and the hard-to-achieve, structured volume, Rodarte's clothing takes fashion from the racks of the mass market to the walls of an art gallery. Fashion as technique and design is a lost art, especially in America, but with the Mulleavy sisters making waves, change is on its way.





Check it:
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collections/S2007RTW/complete/thumb/RODARTE

1 More Curiosity...

As repulsive as frog-dissection was in high-school, the novelty around it cannot be ignored. Bringing to mind images of girls in bobby socks and boys in striped polo shirts, biology labs and the frogs they love, are from a time before political correctness and PETA, and more from a time of tuna noodle casserole.


Jack Spade has brought back memories of a simpler era with their partly repulsive, partly genius Frog Dissection Kit. Everything you need (including the formaldehyde soaked frog) come in a convenient pouch, perfect for gift giving.

Check it:
http://www.coolhunting.com/archives/2006/09/frog_dissection.php

1 More Photo...

Steven Miesel for Vogue Italia

Check it:
http://community.livejournal.com/foto_decadent/1403878.html

1 More Houseware...

The most fun part of a lottery ticket is the scratch-and-win requirement. While chances of winning are slim, achieving the perfect scratch-off pattern is always rewarding. Linda Florence, a London-based designer, has tapped into the gambler in all of us with her scratch-off wallpaper.

A thin silver coating is applied over the intricate floral designs allowing users to customize their walls beyond the application of a pretty paper or border. Remove it all or leave a few quarters around for visitors to lend a hand in revealing the swirling florals beneath.

Check it:
http://indaflorence.co.uk/

1 More Artist...

E.V. Day has been breaking making headlines with her "Exploding Couture" and "Tongues and Clams" installastions. This past summer, "Bride Fight," a three month long installation in New York's famed Lever House, showcased two bridal gowns and corresponding paraphernalia dueling by way of high-tension fishing line.

Touching on the bridezilla phenomenon that has swept America, Day's piece opens discussions of social consciousness and materialism while invoking comparisons to sci-fi and anime character design.

With past exhibitions in the Whitney Museum of Art, MOMA and the New York Public Library, and commissioned pieces from NASA, Day is on the verge of becoming a household name.

Check it:
http://www.evday.net