Buyers Guide: 9 Amazing Wallets Available Right Now

Makr, Alice Park, Issac Reina, and Barret Alley are all great options in my book...

"This week, our friends from Carryology follow up on their Buyers Guide to Bags with a guide to your smaller carry companion: the wallet.

Ahhh, that lump of cowskin you haul your valuables around in – often neglected, rarely updated. At Carryology, we think the traditional wallet is a bit broken. Thanks to unchallenged design legacies, these traditional bi-folds and tri-folds result in a huge wallet and an ugly pocket bulge (Costanza anyone?).

Thankfully, there are ever increasing options in the world of wallet formats. We’ve picked out a number of wallets and card cases that do what they do well. Some are still a little bulky, but are only intended for a few cards so you can get away with it. All of them love their leather, and give you a bit of craft to carry on your daily adventures." - High Snobiety

via High Snobiety

Eames Lounge and Ottoman: "Dissected..."

All the key parts to something amazing...

via mashkulture

Hyperrealistic Paintings of Bikini-Clad Women

Another artist applying a hyper-realistic approach to their painting style...

"Taiwanese-American painter Hilo Chen creates some rather remarkable paintings. His realist paintings of bikini-clad women at the beach are something to marvel at. The details and subtle sense of sensuality work well and leave a lot to the imagination. Some actually could be considered NSFW, if your workplace is prudish, then proceed with caution.
Check out Hilo Chen’s work after the jump." - High Snobiety

via High Snobiety

Oi Polloi x Clarks Originals Unicorn Leather Wallabee Pack

Oooh, "Unicorn" leather! What a clever marketing tool (I'm sure the elk hide is very nice, it appears very supple and smooth in the photo)...

"When Oi Polloi creative directors Steve Sanderson and Nigel Lawson were initially approached by Clarks to produce a limited edition version of the timeless Wallabee, the two were baffled; how does one improve upon a classic? Eventually they decided to leave the enduring silhouette untouched, instead focusing on the inclusion of a special material – “Unicorn Leather,” the name given to elk hides by the specialized tannery that produces them. Known for its unusually soft feel and individualized scars and scratches, the “Unicorn Leather” is dyed with aniline and tumbled for up to 12 hours to enhance the unique look. The exclusive hides and the time-honored Clarks moccasin have thus come together in the form of the Oi Polloi Wallabee. Produced in Dijon and Wasabi colorways, the limited run is available now for £85.00 GBP (approximately $134 USD)." - Hypebeast

via Hypebeast

New Balance 577 Farmer’s Market Pack Fall 2012

The brown and green pair are awesome! Another great pair of NBs, not stateside...

"New Balance embraces the local movement for Fall 2012 with the Farmer’s Market pack. Labelled with “New Balance of Cumbria,” these Flimby, UK produced shoes pay tribute to their long-standing local factory that has been running since 1982. Yellow produce tags complete the theme alongside cow-based campaign bits. Available through New Balance next fall.
Photography: Pete Williams/Highsnobiety.com

More images follow after the click." - High Snobiety


via High Snobiety

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Bumblebee

For when you have a couple million to toss around at a super car...

"Black and yellow, black and yellow… Bugatti pushes out a “Bumblebee” themed edition of their Veyron, sans-Transformers decals. This one-off version of the 16.4 Grand Spot (the open-top version of the car) sports a bright yellow body with visible black carbon, black wheels and a matching interior color scheme, with black and yellow leathers. Look to spend over $2 million USD for this limited run (150 units) edition Veyron.


More images follow after the click." - High Snobiety

via High Snobiety

Converse x Masafumi Watanabe JP Johnny Duck Boot Hi

Haven't really been into a pair of Cons in awhile. However, these are surprisingly nice with the LL Bean inspiration...

"Converse collaborates with Bedwin & The Heartbreakers designer Masafumi Watanabe on the JP Johnny Duck Boot Hi. Inspired by traditional LL Bean Duck Boots, the sneakers come in a water resistant brown rubber/light brown leather colorway with rubber outer sole.

Haven has the sneaker in stock already." - High Snobiety

via High Snobiety

New Balance Custom US993

Glad to see NB expanding their customization offerings. The 993 is a great start and the color palette is fairly diverse for this one, unlike the initial 574 release...

"Last year, New Balance started to offer a custom experience when they enabled NB fans to customize their own US574s. This year, the same concept comes out for the US993. We love the 993, so this is pretty exciting. NB offers up all sorts of great base colors to get you well on your way towards creating something dope. Custom US993s will cost you $174.95, and they’re available at New Balance’s site now.

Check out some of the great base colors after the jump." - High Snobiety

via High Snobiety

Vans Vault Premium Leather Pack Spring 2012

Always happy to see the Vault line incorporating more premium materials and keeping it simple...

"Vans Vault has released its first new styles for Spring 2012 and it stays as solid as it possibly could. The Authentic Premium LX and Slip-On Premium LX get the leather treatment, adding a great deal of quality to these two all time Vans classics. Both sneakers come in each two colorways this season and should be coming to retailers now." - High Snobiety

via High Snobiety

Original Fake Kaws ‘Partners’ Toy

This satire is actually pretty amusing. It's like the companion is saying, "Please stop using me in every which way and form. Please, please let me rest..." See below for the original statue of Disney and Mickey...

"Medicom Toy and Kaws have unveiled their latest Original Fake figure. The toy depicts the artist himself standing over a cowering Companion, both of whom appear to be cast in bronze. Bow down. Available Saturday January 28, 2012 for approximately $190 USD.
More images follow after the click." - High Snobiety

via High Snobiety, Wikipedia

Button Steak Thermometers- 01.20.12

Just in case, you want to be absolutely sure about how your meat is cooked...

"On silly random impulse buys, these quarter/euro sized button steak thermometers were too cute. They worked just as expected, needle moving once they started to get hot… and had a perfect medium rare deliciousness for lunch. They are just adorable ~ so see a few more silly pics of them on the next page! Tempting to make new images for them with fun icons…" - notcot

via notcot

Porsche – Panamera | By WALD INTERNATIONAL

The Panamera possibilities continues to impress me. I wonder how big a following this Porsche has...

"Perhaps the Panamera is not the most sporty model from the Porsche stable, yet its true potential is unveiled by Japanese tuning house WALD INTERNATIONAL. An aggressive full body kit, the Black Bison, was developed to accentuate the curves of the sporty saloon. All of the parts are made from lightweight carbon fiber, and various air vents were added to the body to create a sharper aesthetic. The package also includes a set of larger alloy wheels in a matte black color, accented by bronze-colored lips. Finishing the vehicle off is a pair of dual exhausts, tightening up the rear view and lowered suspension for a better stance. via: Carscoop'" - Freshness

via Freshness

atmos x Penfield – Gibson Jacket

Another collab between atmos and Penfield. Much cleaner and more subtle than some of their brighter designs in the past...

"Tokyo based select store atmos has partnered with Penfield for an exclusive jacket from their archives. This lightweight outerwear is based on the Gibson Jacket and it uses a 65/35 Hudson Wax cloth, which is water resistant and windproof. Instead of opting for a colorful tone, the team chose the most basic color as these jackets are not usually offered in black. Leather zipper pulls and bronze details suggest vintage aesthetic, while the piping on the inside of the jacket is made from tricolor check material. Delivery is scheduled for early February and atmos is taking pre-order on their online store right now.

atmos Tokyo
4-32-8 Jingumae | Map
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Japan
TEL #: +81-03-6427-6366"

via Freshness

Vans Vault by Taka Hayashi Spring 2012

Taka Hayashi at it again with his latest line for Spring 2012. The boots are looking great...

"Taka Hayashi has been a star player on the Van Vault design team since his first release in 2006. From then he’s pushed on to not only brilliantly rework existing Vans silhouettes, but also to create entirely new ones, many of which have gone on to be among the strongest footwear in the line.

This Spring we see another impressive series from Taka, who once again plays with themes culled from traditional American hand craft, mating them with Vans DNA and top notch materials. The TH Engineer Boot, TH Sierra Trek Hi and TH Sierra Trek Lo will be out for February.

More images follow after the click." - High Snobiety

via High Snobiety

Common Projects 2012 Spring/Summer Collection

I'll say it again, Common Projects is a great example of quality combined with simplicity...

"In optioning a variety of casual sneaker variations alongside more mature options, Common Projects gives us a look at their 2012 spring/summer collection. The range highlights a mixture of tonal offerings, many of which are versatile enough to be dressed up or down. Per usual, little to no branding has been implemented on the footwear, equating to the accustomed ultra-clean aesthetic. The selection should begin hitting at select Common Projects accounts including Surrender." - Hypebeast

via Hypebeast

nanamica Gore-Tex Campus Jacket ‘Chambray’

Gore-Tex with a Chambray aesthetic, nanamica is another sought after label we won't see anytime soon state-side...

"After showing you the tartan check version of the Gore-Tex Campus Jacket by nanamica earlier, we now take a closer look at the Chambray version of the technical layer coat.
We love how nanamica mixes heritage fabrics with innovative materials, resulting in modern city gear, yet with a nice classic look. A removable storm hood, red stitching and other details make the jacket stand out from the crowd.

Detailed images of the Campus Jacket follow after the jump." - High Snobiety

via High Snobiety

Nike Air Max 90 Spring/Summer 2012

The Volts look great with the classic AM95 Neon colorway. Will need to head to a local store to check these out as they're a general release...

"A whole slew of performance footwear from Nike for Spring/Summer 2012 has popped up at retailers, including Atlanta’s Wish. Nice drops for both men and women are seen here including a couple of Air Max 90s, one of which, at a glance, shares a resemblance to the iconic Infrared, but upon closer inspection, you will see that it’s an orange color. For the ladies, a couple of great Lunar shoes are available, including a very dope Nike Lunar Always TR+ in a platinum/metallic silver/pink colorway. These sneakers are available at Wish Atlanta.

Take a further look after the jump." - High Snobiety

via High Snobiety

Ronnie Fieg x Sebago Delancey

For that deck shoe appeal, but boot functionality...

"You’d think that with Ronnie Fieg’s brick and mortar retail spots in NYC hitting their stride, the man would be content to settle down with the collabos a bit to give himself a break. That hasn’t been the case though, with a new project popping up every couple weeks-the latest of which is another get together with heritage boat-shoe brand Sebago. The Ronnie Fieg x Sebago Delancey is a top notch boot boasting Horween leather construction, which comes in a deep brown for a neutral look. Towards the toe is a bit of removable fringe detailing, a design element which is quickly becoming synonymous with Fieg’s brown shoe pieces. Follow the jump for the detailed shots of the Ronnie Fieg x Sebago Delancey, which is limited to 144 pairs and can be had now at the RF online shop or at either of the Kith locations.

KITH NYC
644 Broadway | Map
(Entrance on Bleeck Street)
New York, NY 10012
KITH BK
233 Flatbush Avenue | Map
Brooklyn, NY 11217" - Freshness

via Freshness

Bang & Olufsen B&O Play Beolit 12 Portable Music System

B&O has always impressed me with their aesthetics and styling. I've yet to fully experience the quality of their products, perhaps one day...

"This week famed stereo brand Bang & Olufsen has announced its new sub brand, going by the name B&O Play. The first product to come from the new collection is the B&O Play Beolit 12. The portable sound system comes with AirPlay, allowing you to stream your music from a series of devices to the speaker system. Priced at 800 USD, it will come to stores in a series of colors February 2012.

Check out the official commercial for it here below." - High Snobiety
via High Snobiety

Goldfish Salvation by Riusuke Fukahori

Such a beautiful process, the images layer and layer to bring life to an amazing 3-D image...

"One of the coolest things I've seen in a while is this artist's technique of painting on layers of poured acrylic resin. The result is incredible depth and 3D quality to his paintings of goldfish.

From the gallery website:
Artist Riusuke Fukahori's London debut exhibition "Goldfish Salvation" transforms ICN gallery into the world of goldfish. When struggling with artistic vision, Fukahori's pet goldfish became his inspiration and ever since his passion and lifelong theme. His unique style of painting uses acrylic on clear resin which is poured into containers, resulting in a three-dimensional appearance and lifelike vitality. This exhibition features twenty new painting works by this leading Japanese contemporary artist."

 

via toybot studios

The Complete History Of Art References In The Simpsons

The Simpsons have always leveraged satire and iconic imagery in their animations. Here's a glimpse of their artistic references...

"Complex has compiled a great list of historical art references that have appeared in The Simpsons over the years. You would be surprised how many great painters and artists have appeared in one way or another in the show.

Included are Pablo Picasso, Jaques Louis David, Edvard Munch, Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, Leonardo DaVinci, Michelangelo, Edward Hopper and the list just goes on.

Take a look at some of our favorite references after the jump." - High Snobiety

via High Snobiety

Hyperreal Paintings by Diego Gravinese

Near photo-like, amazing...

"When “real” just isn’t sufficient for describing the real, Hyperreal. Diego Gravinese lends much to the genre with his modern twist of super real surrealist oil and acrylic paintings on canvas – hand tweaked replicas of photographs curiously mundane and randomly curious all at once. Taking photo realism to an extreme, the Argentinian artist combines pop art elements with great technical skill to recreate imagery that boggles the mind.

Source: Juxtapoz" - Hypebeast

via Hypebeast

Lost in Tokyo

Amazing time-lapse of Tokyo...


Lost in Tokyo from Mark Bramley on Vimeo.



"London-based photographer, Mark Bramley spent two days in Tokyo shooting 10, 000 images with a Canon 5D MkII, which he used to create this fantastic time-lapse video, capturing the essence of the bustling Japanese metropolis." - mashKULTURE

via mashKULTURE

What the F*ck Should I Make for Dinner?

For those days where your culinary creativity just hits a wall...

"Unless you're in the middle of a lengthy fast or live a lifestyle that allows you to eat out for each and every meal, odds are you ask yourself this question at least a few times a week. What the F*ck Should I Make for Dinner? ($10) is derived from the website of the same name, and offers up 50 different recipes in a choose-your-own-meal style format, along with entertaining prose that helps guide you to a tasty decision. Obviously NSFW." - Uncrate

via Uncrate

iPhone 4 Legacy Case

Reminiscing and giving the iPhone 4 a retro aesthetic...

"If you remember, we presented a while ago the Mangusta Legacy car concept by designer Maxime de Keiser. The design was a tribute to the original Mangusta sports car from 1967.

Now de Keiser and Les Forges MDK studio worked on the next iconic design and present the iPhone 4 Legacy. Once again they pay tribute to an all time classic, in this case the original Macintosh 128k computer from the 80s. The original beige color of the computer and multicolor Apple logo are used on the iPhone 4 case. Hopefully the case will actually be produced." - High Snobiety

via High Snobiety

Clarks Originals x Warehouse & Co. Desert Boot

Desert Boot with the denim treatment, courtesy of Warehouse & Co...

"After the ‘Ska Edition’ Desert Boot, Clarks Originals presents another appealing version of their all time classic. This time they teamed up with Japanese vintage clothing experts Warehouse & Co. They reworked the classic Desert Boot in vintage loom indigo denim. Featuring the original crepe sole, leather piping detail, and an embossed leather insole, Warehouse & Co. continue the colab series perfectly with a premium reworking of one of Clarks’ most popular styles.

The boot is now available from End." - High Snobiety

via High Snobiety

nanamica Gore-Tex Soutien Collar Coat Spring 2012

Another great addition to the nanamica collection. Classic design combined with functional outerwear materials...

"The first new outerwear pieces from the nanamica Spring 2012 Collection have released this week. The Gore-Tex Soutien Collar Coat returns in new colors. The coat comes with a full Gore-Tex shell, while otherwise sticking to a rather classic design. Next to the regular beige and navy colors, the yellow and checker versions are the most interesting this season. Look out for these nanamica stores and retailers now." - High Snobiety

via High Snobiety

New Balance ML999 – Grey/Purple

NB 999 is another pair of New Balances that don't get the attention they deserve in the states. A great color combo for an understated shoe...

"New Balance 999 was developed as a top of the line running sneaker when it was initially released. However, these days, the ultra-comfortable runners have made the smooth transition from the sports arena into the lifestyle arena. One of the company’s first deliveries of 2012 is these ML999’s in the grey and purple color scheme. The suede material makes up the majority of the uppers, balanced by mesh and leather materials. Purple accents lighten up the grey monotone and a dash of white on the midsoles finishes off the sneakers. These kicks are already in stock at Up There in Melbourne, Australia and can be ordered on their online store.

Up There
Level 1, 15 McKillop Street | Map
Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia" - Freshness

via Freshness

Yves Saint Laurent Denim Slip-On

YSL with a very classy, yet casual slip on for those dapper days...

"For Spring/Summer 2012 Yves Saint Laurent has released a new denim slip-on sneaker. Featuring a raw denim upper, the loafer comes with a leather lining, leather heel tab and small YSL embroidery on the side-panel. It is now available from Browns." - High Snobiety

via High Snobiety

Paris versus New York: A Tally of Two Cities

A very creative way of comparing two of the most recognizable cities in the world...

"After spending a fair amount of time in the culture capital of NYC, Parisian graphic designer Vahram Muratyan returned home and created "Paris versus New York"—an online series of charming illustrations comparing the respective nuances of the two bustling—and beloved—metropolises. Whether pitting Amélie against Carrie Bradshaw or pointing out the differences in urban ventilation systems, Muratyan's sharp wit and straightforward style lead to correlations that are enjoyed as much for their design as their clever, simple narratives..." - By Karen Day for Cool Hunting

via Cool Hunting

Strawberry Sparkle Drink Recipe...

Cheers to a new year! Here's something to help keep you refreshed while celebrating...


Drink - Strawberry Sparkle from Roberto Seba on Vimeo.



"Strawberries, mint tea, and sparkling white wine come together to make a Strawberry Sparkle.  Brazilian photographer Roberto Seba directs the beautifully hypnotic video of this refreshing cocktail from Rota Do Chá." - notcot.org

via notcot.org