Morphosis Gamma Whirlpool Bath

by Doug Black, 5 September 2008

With eye-catching design and advanced sensorial elements, the Morphosis Gamma is at the pinnacle of relaxation technology. The Morphosis line, which includes Alpha and Sigma models, was designed by Pininfarina, best known for designing cars at Ferrari. The Gamma's unique proportions allow it to fit in tight quarters, while providing the user with multiple seating orientations. It combines back and body jets to deliver a number of different hydrotherapy configurations.

The Gamma's defining feature, though, is the Cromodream technology. This element offers five varying light hues, each designed with a specific curative effect. Blue, for example, is said to have a soothing effect on the central nervous system and promotes restful sleep, while red stimulates the appetite and psychological-physical recovery. The light emanates from the upper canopy as well as from light fixtures mounted underneath the water. The effect is a complete immersion in the hue of your choosing.

The Morphosis Gamma retails for $22,000. Take a closer look at the Morphosis line on its site.

Brilliant: Bombay Sapphire Designer Glass

by Mike Giles, 5 September 2008

Currently in 4th Place for the “People’s Prize” in the Bombay Sapphire Designer Glass Awards, we like Frida Jeppsson’s submission titled “Brilliant." It is one of 21 entries from young designers from all over the world.

Representing Sweden, the 24-year-old Stockholmian's entry is a marriage of form and function creating a perfectly balanced piece that remains true to the brief of the prize. Jeppsson explains, “The shape of the glass is a result of my interpretation of the brand and the sapphire stone, a gemstone often used to embellish one self. The shape is clean and simple to make the glass gender neutral and to discreetly remind the user of the a brilliant cut diamond.”

The Bombay Sapphire Designer Glass Award is one of the top design contests in the world for young designers. Each year the contest challenges emerging designers to create their own take on the martini cocktail glass. Thousands of young designers from over 20 countries entered this year with only one designer from each country progressing through to the grand final held this September in London.

This year People’s Prize offers all fans of design their say on the 21 international entries with online voting running until 15 September. The winner of the People’s Prize will automatically go through to the final round of the six designs which will be judged for the overall prize by some of design’s most revered names. The winner will win £10,000. Have a look and vote for your favorite at Bombay Sapphire.

Images by Kim Nilsson.

Swoon: Switchback Cities of Switchback Sea

by Tim Yu, 5 September 2008

by Ariston Anderson

The petit Pratt graduate, Swoon has quickly climbed through the ranks of street art and has raised the bar by using art as politics. She has become a mainstay at the likes of Deitch, MoMA and the Brooklyn Museum of Art, however her latest project might be her biggest yet. With the backing of Deitch, Swoon recently launched "Swimming Cities of Switchback Sea," a two-part exhibit merging her latest portraits and a sculptural floating city. She also collaborated with OBIE award-winning playwright Lisa D'Amour to bring a series of performances to various stops along the Hudson River forming a multi-dimensional traveling exhibit of sorts.

Swoon's work is not just about wheatpaste anymore—although we still love the Swoon wheatpaste whenever we can get it. Her work these days is more about community building and a call for change. With this latest work, Swoon highlights one of the most important issues of our generation, alternative energy. Each of the seven boats, which are crafted out of salvaged materials, are fueled on various alternative energy sources, including biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen and solar power. The whole fleet will be welcomed at Deitch Studios in Long Island City, 7 September 2008, and opens to the public the same day. Be sure to get there early to witness the flotilla coming into bay, a vision that can only be brought to us by Swoon herself. Visit Switchback Sea for more info.

Swimming Cities of the Switchback Sea, Opening Reception
September 7, 2008, 6-9pm at Deitch Studios
4-40 44th Drive
Long Island City, NY 11101 map

via todseelie

If There Ever Was: A Book of Extinct and Impossible Smells

by Doug Black, 5 September 2008

Robert Blackson is a trailblazer in the nascent field of conceptual scent art. He recently curated an exhibition at the Reg Vardy Gallery in Sunderland, England, that took viewers through fourteen significant points in time and space using only the olfactory sense.

The concept, according to Blackson, came from reading Eric Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation." The book mentions how food corporations can use artificial chemicals to engineer smells and tastes that replicate virtually any substance. With this in mind, Blackson tasked perfumers, chemists, botanists and even a NASA scientist to engineer smells that most humans might never experience. Scents created include everything from long extinct plants to the fragrance immediately following an atomic bomb explosion. They even recreated the smell of the surface of the Sun, which scientists approximated by using the scents of seven earth metals heated to their melting point.

"If There Ever Was" is the companion book to the art exhibit. It features paper inserts that correspond to the exhibit smells, all manifested through scratch-and-sniff technology. That way, you can smell the putrid odor of Russian gym socks on the Mir space station without having to leave the comfort of your home. "If There Ever Was" costs $25 in the Cornerhouse store.

via Fed By Birds

Erik Schedin

by Doug Black, 4 September 2008

Erik Schedin is an online shop run by the eponymous proprietor out of Sweden. He specializes in selling an extremely select collection of seemingly unrelated products. The only connecting thread between them is that each item exhibits a distinctly clean, understated design.

The project started four years ago when Schedin, then a student at Beckmans College of Design, began producing his own footwear. The all-white leather shoes have a perforated lining and are devoid of any logos or branding. It remains the only personally-designed product on the site, and currently are only available in his size, 44 (10.5 US), which sells for about $230.

The store also sells items Schedin culled from other sources, such as a pair of vintage plastic-framed glasses from American Optical and a classic bottle of Pledge furniture wax (for $150 and $12, respectively). Other soon-to-be-launched items include a baseball cap, a canvas bag and more. Details are uncertain, but you can expect them to have a similarly streamlined aesthetic.

Hanna Nyman Wallpapers

by Tim Yu, 4 September 2008

By Ezra Natalia

Prior to graduating from the Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm, textile designer Hanna Nyman already had the interior industry’s attention for her intricately-designed wallpapers. Hanna works mostly with patterns that change shape, as she enjoys the tension when something beautiful transforms into something new or acquires an unexpected function. This is clearly evident in her work.

Floral patterns emerge from the paper's surface and her wallpapers become three-dimensional. Even better, the wallpaper is designed so that each user peels back a select section of the wall allowing customization of the the pattern and giving each wall its own identity. Hanna also designs origami sculptures and lights to enhance texture and interactivity within a space.

Inspired by the poem "Skogen Skapar" by Ann Jäderlund, which Hanna interprets as "a crazy story about strange things happening in the forest, like an urban jungle," she uses her own work to tell stories. "My work is narrative rather than functional."

Check out Nyman's work currently being exhibited at A World of Folk, a design and craft fair in Norway. More info is available on her website and contact her directly to inquire about purchasing her wallpapers.

More images after the jump.

Number Nine Shearling Lined High Top

by Tim Yu, 4 September 2008

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but before you know it we'll be stomping around in the cold ice and snow again. Luckily, Japanese label Number Nine recently released the Shearling Lined High Top Sneaker to help keep your feet warm and looking good during the colder months.

In what seems to be a variation on the VisVim Kiefer silhouette, Number Nine's version features a suede lambskin outer and plush shearling inside the shoe for comfort and warmth. Although it features lace loops similar to that of a traditional boot, the sneaker is lighter in weight, more supple, flexible and ultimately more comfortable. The aluminum lace ends add a luxurious touch. Both a lace-up and zip-up version are available.

The yellow variety will be available in mid to late September at Number Nine in New York and Barney's NY. The chocolate version will be at Jack Straw in Seattle. The lace-up will run for $550 and the zip-up for $625. Both will also be available at the Number Nine tokyo location. Contact them for more info.

Number Nine North Tribeca Shop
431 Washington Street
New York, NY 10013 map
tel. +1 212 431 8699

via slamxhype