The good folks at Arro Home are newish on my radar – and their products and patterns are a complete delight. Reminiscent of Japanese shapes and Scandinavian color palettes, this Melbourne-based company combines classic styles with witty designs.
The imaginative home range includes bed linens, cushions, blankets, rugs, kitchen textiles and ceramics. Check out their site to inspect, peruse and purchase.
I recently came across these adorable children’s costumes. They’re part of an exhibition entitled, Le Bestiaire, that’s currently on display at the Biennale internationale design de Saint Etienne 2015. The idea revolves around dressing up and becoming marvelous or monstrous. Getting into character is a part of being a child, and these imaginary creatures encourage children to become unexpected hyper realistic animals.
These stunning costumes are born out of the graphical fantasies of an eclectic team comprising Studio Brichet Ziegler, Perrine Vigneron and Gilles Belley, Louise de Saint Angel, Anne Lutz, Joachim Jirou-Najou, Felipe Ribon, Les Graphiquants, Twice, Helkarava, Bonnefrite, Malika Favre, Amélie Fontaine, Leslie David and Ionna Vautrin.
Tinybop‘s tagline reads, Toys for Tomorrow. Ever since this Brooklyn-based app company launched as an interactive learning platform, I’ve been really impressed with their mission, their gaming categories, and of course, their elegant graphics.
If you’ve visited their site before, you’re probably familiar with the Human Body app – which teaches kids how their bodies operate through playful touch and grab challenges. Today though, I wanted to showcase their new Homes app, which lets you play with weather, interact with your neighbors, and navigate 20+ heavily patterned spaces. Illustrated meticulously by artist, Tuesday Bassen, Tinybop continues to strive high with this latest endeavor, following the success of past creative collaborations – a refreshing step for the gaming world.
Has anyone tried it out yet? Would love to hear your thoughts.
If you’re shopping in the baby department, it’s likely you’ve crossed paths with the adorable line, Blabla. The patterns have a loose illustrative hand and the crochet dolls are sophisticated playmates with soft features and sturdy trunks. We’re fans of everything from the mobiles to the sheets to the bean bags. If you haven’t checked this Atlanta-based company out, bookmark their site, it’s one of the few American lines that truly feels international.
I particularly loved Ho Chi Minh City, or more appropriately, Saigon. If we’re talking fashion, it’s a city devoted to children’s and menswear, with a nod to art and design throughout various poster stores, bookshops and cafes. I found L’usine, a concept and design store housing local and international products to be quite special, as well as Pizza 4P’s (Italian by Japanese…here’s a little video I took of some pizza making magic), Cuc Gach Quan, a vegetarian’s haven, and this very special non-profit called Mekong Creations, which employs women throughout Vietnam and Cambodia making beautiful quilts, bags, fabrics and small home goods.
If you’re looking to see how the locals live and interact with their families, a visit to the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens is in order. You’re merely feet away from the animals and around every bend, there’s a musical performance, engaging the children to dance and pose for pictures. This leg of travel was very special, as the energy’s palpable and the pace of globalization’s moving quickly (as opposed to the north). The French influence is evident, both in the past and the present, primarily throughout the architectural landscape. Interestingly though, Korean, Russian and Japanese culture has made significant headway, making it’s mark in fashion, media and business development. Can’t tell you how many kids were listening to and watching KPOP Music and film…
Stay tuned, I’ll be sharing the Singapore leg tomorrow!
We have our left brain and we have our right brain and then we have this. Who here’s heard of Mwat Mwat? It’s a lovely and simple illustration/coloring book for kids that encourages two trains of thought. Designed and sold in Paris, I stumbled upon it through the Nelly Rodi newsletter and am a huge fan. For those of you with kids, what do you think, are you into it?