Some Penfield Pieces

Below are a few reasons for you to check out the Penfield sample sale, which starts today at the NYC store. The Massachusetts brand makes some of the most functional down-filled jackets, fleece, and outerwear. Penfield gear is built to withstand harsh New England winters. Looks good too.

Versace "Bubble" Sofa

This is Versace, dog. Polyurethane foam upholstery. Available in selected leathers and fabrics.

HEDMANKLING: Shades Down In Tokyo Town

HEDMANKLING is curator and exhibition designer Sofia Hedman and artistic director and designer Karolina Kling. Shades Down In Tokyo Town is an exhibition of original spectacles and sunglasses created by specially commissioned artists, designers, and craftsmen from Europe and Japan. They were selected by HEDMANKLING for their remarkable artistic, conceptual, experimental skills and their work over a variety of platforms utilising a diverse range of materials. Their charge was to create an imaginary character and base their sunglasses design on that fantastical persona.

Artists exhibiting are Ann-Sofie Back, BCXSY, Bernhard Willhelm, BLESS, Charlie Le Mindu, Helle Mardahl, Henrik Vibskov, Iris Schieferstein, Josefin Arnell, Kling by Kling, Maiko Takeda, ManfreDu Schu, Mykita, Piers Atkinson, SWD/Skyward and Walter Van Beirendonck.

Inspired by the Oliver Goldsmith vintage archive–opened to the public in 2009–the exhibition will include a selection of iconic sunglasses from the company. Revolutionising the concept of eyewear, the Oliver Goldsmith brand introduced acetate to sunglasses production, created humorous and avant-garde designs, and set the bar when it came to eyewear design.

The exhibition will tour to London, Gothenburg and Stockholm during 2011.

Ron & Ron

Ron & Ron, a menswear fashion label specializing in made-to-measure suits, was established in 1999 by twin brothers Ronald and Rony Delice.

The Ron & Ron label was noticed almost immediately, receiving critical acclaim from the leading periodicals. It quickly gained popularity among a host of celebrities such as Will Smith, Samuel L. Jackson, Courtney B. Vance, D.L. Hughley, and Jamie Foxx, renowned musicians like Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, and Sean John “Diddy” Combs, and star pro athletes like Latrell Sprewell, Curtis Martin, and Steve Francis.

To explore the dynamic concept of the Ron & Ron label, one must begin at the roots. The twin designers were born to a seamstress mother and a tailor father in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. They were destined to permeate the concentrated luxury menswear market. Inspired by their lifelong passion and seeking an alternative to the monotonous style of European-inspired minimalist design and limited detailing and sizing, the brothers set out to create something refreshingly different within the very competitive high-end men’s suit industry. Celebrating the essence of their Caribbean heritage, Rony and Ronald have been widely recognized for incorporating brilliant colors with truly remarkable details. The twin brothers often combine red-stitched button holes, contrast piping, top stitching and enhanced peak lapels on slender silhouettes cut from imported Italian cloth.

The Delice brothers developed their sharp eye for detail and penchant for quality by converging the skills they gained while apprenticing within Europe’s most established fashion meccas. After completing their academic studies in New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology, they headed for Italy and France; Rony to the Via Condotti in Rome and Ronald to the Faubourg Saint-Honore in Paris. The twins returned to New York in the late 1980s and began working with Avaram Goldman, then owner of Beau Brummel in Soho. They quickly transitioned from salesclerks to custom tailors for the reputable men’s boutique. Compelled by popularity and growing client demand for the brothers’ own custom-made suits, Goldman approached them with an offer to finance a signature line for the store. By 1998, the duo were on the way to launching their private line, Ron & Ron.

By integrating subtle influences from their cultural background and adding signature detailing, this charismatic duo accentuates timeless, classic tailoring with their own distinctive and versatile touches, giving it a modern appeal. Success of the Ron & Ron label has been contingent on personal dedication and creative integrity within a continuously evolving industry.

Check out some of the images from their latest lookbook.

"Alessi: Ethical and Radical" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Above is a map of the exhibition plan designed by Alessandro Mendini.

"Alessi is widely regarded as the world’s most innovative and influential manufacturer of household objects that blur the boundaries between industry and art. The family-owned and operated company was founded in 1921 by Giovanni Alessi near Lake Orta in the foothills of the Italian Alps, an area known for highly developed craft traditions in wood and metal. In the 1950s, under the leadership of Carlo Alessi, Giovanni’s son, the company began to commission products from outside designers, and it was through this strategy that Carlo’s eldest son, Alberto Alessi, brought the company to the forefront of international design.

"Alessi: Ethical and Radical (November 21, 2010 through April 10, 2011) presents Alberto Alessi’s achievements since the 1970s in producing functional designs of exceptional quality by collaborating with leading architects and designers, including Ron Arad, the Campana Brothers, Achille Castiglioni, Michael Graves, Greg Lynn, Alessandro Mendini, Ettore Sottsass, Philippe Starck, and Robert Venturi. Different from any other modern manufacturer, Alessi has offered its collaborators absolute creative freedom and technical support in a series of radical, experimental projects, whether or not the results could ever be brought to production. Alessi: Ethical and Radical includes objects, drawings, videos, and photographs that demonstrate the company’s unique approach to design and unique way of working with its designers."

-From the website of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Viberg Boots

A great piece from the folks at Inventory about Viberg Boots of Victoria, BC.

Mezzi M-Zero Molded Aluminum Laptop Case

This white hotness will accommodate your laptop, providing it is under 15 inches.

Margaret Howell Knitwear

You might want to warm up in some of Margaret Howell's new knitwear pieces, which are inspired by the traditional knitting patterns of the British Isles.

Montreal, QC