Pattern Pulp

Food: More Sweets to Love




chocolate-jumble

For those who enjoy inspecting their food as much as eating it, desserts and notably chocolate, now offer an array of contemporary patterns and design.  There’s a crop of pastry chefs working in today’s global marketplace that are all unified by the goal of innovation.  Christopher Elbow, originally from Nebraska, combines a menagerie of ingredients in an effort to create intricate transfers.  While this technique is quite common in the dessert world, the results from Elbow’s kitchen are refreshingly modern.  Taking an equally creative route, the chocolatiers from Lagrange34 in Torino, Italy have reinvented the traditional chocolate bar, using geometric shapes to mold edible sculptures.  A masterful example that combines both the surface and shape is evident in many of PattyCake Baking Co‘s latest creations.

Homegoods: Which Porcelain Personality are You?




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On a recent trip to West Hollywood, I ventured into TableArt, a high-end home goods store with playfully decorative merchandise.  I stopped in my tracks at the Landscape collection, a recent collaboration between Patricia Urquiola and Rosenthal China.  The honeycomb reliefs within each plate, bowl and stem had accidental precision that was both delicate and striking.  It reminded me of all the times I wanted to leave personal markings in wet cement as a kid, a thought that undoubtedly crosses the mind of every child.  Though the writers from Cool Hunting and Design Boom covered this release a few months ago, it’s noteworthy to observe and compare other relief projects that have recently emerged and continued to shape this ongoing trend over the past few months.  Below are a few examples of ceramic reliefs personifying natural and man-made influences.

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A Bryan Kerrigan tile installation uses high relief for ceramic architecture, Fast Vases is an abstract depiction of old-world Ming Dynasty artistry fused with futuristic digital technology, Bryan Kerrigan’s woodgrain tile mimics wooden floor panels and a mountain range inspired topographic plate designed by Japanese artist, Kyouei.

Fashion: Steering the Slopes




a-light-infused-ski

Snow gear has become so fashion forward that a trip to the slopes can be just as interesting for the people-watching as it is for the thrill-seeking.  Over the past few years, companies such as Burton and 686 have tapped young talent to bring graphic masterpieces to winter outerwear.  While fashion brands typically refer to global trends for inspiration, both of these companies have succeeded at risk-taking within trend categories for several seasons now- one of the many traits they share with their customer base.  “It’s fun to wear crazier colors when you’re on the slopes- you can border on obnoxious and get away with it,” says Kim Devall, a snowboarder from New York.  The above jackets by Burton and 686 exemplify a growing trend that fuses neons with photography.  Below are a few examples of other relevant trends within this season’s ski and snowboarding collections.

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Plaid Gear: Smarty Marker Jacket, Army Caliber Glove and System Jacket.

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Striped Gear: Shelter Jacket, Striped Burton Board, and Acc Fleet Jacket.

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Camouflage Gear: Foreign Legion Boy’s Jacket, Fly Pant, and Arctic Jacket.

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Mixed Media Gear: Times Famous Family Jacket and The Operator Board.

Service: Personalize Your Own Patterns




spoonflower

It’s quite liberating to know you can print customized textiles at your own leisure.  Oftentimes, good ideas die before seeing the light of day on account of complexities in production.  With the creation of Spoonflower, the design world’s latest solution to customizable DIY fabric, the final step has become as easy as hitting the send button.  As noted by Orli Sharaby, of PSFK, “Seems like a no brainer for the crafting community, and provides an exciting new option for anyone who simply wants a new set of curtains and can’t find exactly the right pattern to match their home’s decor.”

Street: Graffiti Snapshots from LA




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During a trending trip to Silverlake, I encountered a playful wall of Monsieura lollipop creepers along Hollywood Blvd.  This is a personal term I coined for these lanky, top-heavy, shoe-wearing graffiti characters.  At first glance these illustrations are quite mischievious, with their eerily toothy smiles and asymmetrical eyeballs.  The only neutralizing features are the energetic legs and accompanying footwear.  A parralleling and more commercial take on these long-legged strollers appears splashed across a whateverittakes bag at Urban Outfitters.  Another example of art imitating life.

Fashion: Krink Your Laptop




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I was first introduced to Krink and their well packaged markers during a five minute spot on Current TV.  Craig Costello’s documentary-style story is quite inspirational in the sense that it exemplifies successful marketing through sharp design and opportune timing.  His product is equal parts tool and art.   While in LA last week, I stumbled across Krink’s latest collaboration with Incase.  This metallic drizzled laptop protector immediately popped off the shelf as a fresh alternative to conservative computer casings.  A artful marriage, curated by Arktip.

Tracking Repetitive + Awesome.
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