ThisNext Blog

There he was…. this perfectly scented stranger standing across the room from me. Every time I passed him, his cologne was a dream come true… subtle yet strong…. slight citrus yet masculine….. So this time when I passed him on my way to the bar I decided I was going to do, I had no other choice. I looked at him with my ‘come hither’ coy eye though he paid no attention, I figured I applied way too much mascara and my lashes were weighed down. I strutted my way towards him, there was nothing to stop me this time… not even the long legged lady linked on to his arm. I grabbed him by the collar and breathed in deeply…

From his neck I muttered in between deep inhales, “Good god man, what is that scent?”

When his long legged gal pal stopped screaming which was part shock and part horror, he chuckled as if this happened on a daily basis and said calmly… “Tom Ford for men”

 Tom Ford for men is the new scent from Mr. Formally Gucci himself and while it is being toted as “innovative classic woods fragrance” it truly is the perfect balance between modern and classic men’s fragrances. And more interesting than this wonderful scent itself is the nude advertisements … yes fellows, nekkid.

As a woman I personally did not feel like laying Tom Ford’s scent across my ‘lady parts’ especially sweat glistened ‘lady parts’ I wondered…. do we really need ‘lady parts’ to sell fragrances to the male population? Most likely yes…. and most likely not… but all in all this fragrance is so appealing to the olfactory epithelium (fancy words for nose) I wouldn’t be surprised if it helped in scoring with the ladies and their lady parts. And if you aren’t that into ‘lady parts’ don’t worry this fragrance will definitely help draw in those ‘man parts’ too. It’s a two for one…. all wrapped up in a designer bottle.

A month ago I was looking at carpet samples…. three months before that I was looking at wood flooring ideas….. and now I’ve been contemplating rugs. As I stare at my beaten up floors I can’t help but desire to cover it up and never look at it again. From carpet to wood to area rugs, I really can’t make up my mind- only because it’s ever changing.

Until my brother, who normally I don’t listen to for much of anything, introduced to me FLOR modular tiles,  and much to my shock, I actually liked what he had to show me. FLOR is a company based out of Elmhurst, Illinois that has taken home design to a whole new level. They have plush, heavy traffic, and commercial changeable tiles of carpet in all colors and textures that you stick to your floor with adhesive ‘dots’ and the best part it’s all DIY. Which also means no installation costs. Big winner in my book when I don’t have to flip the bill for something I can do…. and want to do because it goes into the creative world of home decor.

 Another great part about these tiles? You can either design your own patterns or use one of their pre-made designs. And thanks to their versatility of these tiles you can arrange and rearrange them any which way you want. Which is great for someone like me, who can never make up their mind. Another great ‘green’ point of this company is that you can ship back old tiles on their bill and turn them into future new tiles, it’s their way of recycling and helping us go a little greener.

Sweat suits make the least impression when it comes to making a fashion statement, they are ideal for house doing chores, sleeping, and working out, but that’s about to change with the introduction of a French brand called ARTYSM. Made of 100% cotton, this sweat suits from Artysm feature an all over woven construction, contrasting stitching, and other techniques to make the sweat suits stylish and yet comfortable. Artysm carries the brand in different colors/styles including hoodies, crews and v-necks.

On a more dorky note: Code named ‘Takkiainen’ this jacket (above) is specifically for bored/lonely people. Designed by Aamu Song and Johan Olin, the jacket is made out of velcro strips of different sizes, that are sewn together side by side. It’s supposed to be a medium of communication between lonely/bored people. When two or more similar jackets come into contact, the velcro holds them together, prompting a conversation between the lonely individuals. (talk about breaking the ice in a crazy way)

via (yankodesign)
 

Cool Tech-Gadgets to keep you ahead of all the nerds from your high-school.

See more of the Wireless Warrior #88 list by J-Yazdani at ThisNext.

• Emerging New York artist Maya Hayuk puts her mark on two new Sony VAIO Graphic Splash Edition Notebooks ($2,500). The limited edition VAIO FZ series laptops come in two colorful designs — “Grow” and “Never Stop”
  

• A frog as the inspiration for a bicycle is certainly an interesting concept, and the results of Alex Suvajac’s work prove that it can produce a cool looking design. By the way the frame of the bike would be structured like a Human bone. How? click here>>

• Talk about an early Halloween, Natalia Bush in a spooky skull bikini. Not much else to say about that is there? Just go get yourself a Halloween costume. If the one above is too revealing for you, Check out thisnext’s “Sexy not Slutty” Halloween costume list here>>

• Made of Polyester/spandex, this Nike Zip Front Sports Bra ($45) will have you enjoying high-impact activities while giving you a comfortable fit with a lot less bounce. Ideal for sports like volleyball, soccer, and basketball. (via)

• Nixon’s new Sentry delivers clean and uncomplicated styling for those of you with more minimalistic tastes. The watch features a stainless steel case, mineral crystal face, double gasket crown, 100M water resistance, and a uniquely styled rubber bracelet via (Acquire magazine). [$120]  More Time Pieces here>>

   
        Yigal Azrouël spring/summer 2008

• Israel Designer, Yigal Azrouël is known for his sexy and classy women clothing, now he is applying the same concepts to his new men’s clothing line. “The men’s collection has the same energy as women’s, they really go hand in hand. On the recent spring/summer runway, men’s shirts and cardigans where worn by some of the models.” Yigal Azrouël. via (Refinery29)
• Discover more in men’s fashion here>>
  

The Bicycle Film Festival  is going from city to city, and as part of their sponsorship, Puma launched the “Puma Re-Bike Project” this summer which helps bike charities in five North American cities which are part of the bicycle film festival spots. Puma gave out $200 to seven magazine companies, and their challenge would be; to make a bike from recycled bicycle parts. The magazines included: Vice, Swindle, fader, Anthem…..and the list goes on. All the bikes will be on display at the North American destinations for the Bicycle Film Festival, as part of the Puma Re-Bike gallery.

Anthem: Made this bike (above) “For this project we wanted to create a bike that we felt represented Anthem. We found this old Austrian/German frame and fork buried under a pile of junk parts that we really dug. From that we pieced together the rest of the parts trying to stick close to the era the bike was originally from, probably late 60s. In the end we think we pulled off our look; clean, minimal, euro chic. It was a total labor of love and for a great cause so we hope it finds a happy home.” Special thanks to Jimmy Nghe.

Fader: “We built this curvaceous beauty with the diligent aid of Paul Rauen of C.H.U.D. 333 in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Her name is Magic Super Goodvibes and she is full Turbo. Thanks to Paul, the participating bike co-ops for inspiration, the FADER Family and the generous purchaser. Please use MSGT to spread happiness to the children.”

URB Magazine: “Out on the left coast, fixed gear bikes just aren’t gangsta. URB Magazine’s vintage Schwinn Sting-ray (and entry into PUMA’s Re-Bike project) is strictly for the West: from its laid back banana seat to the custom purple rims. Our dudes Kevin and Prime over at Routes in LA cooked up the floss and love for SoCal graffiti with the paint decals….just don’t forget to get your lean on.”

 More bikes here.>>> Also bid for the Bikes on ebay 

One last thing … don’t forget there is still time to win a bike on ThisNext by tagging your eco-friendly recommendations “11th Hour” 

Hong Kong based, Dutch designer, Danny Fang has launched his first project under his Fang Studio Label. “The Matryoshka Chair,” is inpired by the traditional Russian dolls that fit perfectly inside one another. “The poetry of the Matryoshka dolls is their resemblance to people; they are all very similar, but none of them are the same,” Fang explains. The outdoor furniture is made from polyethylene fiber and aluminium frame, making all the pieces weigh 22kg when stacked-up together.

Frank Gehry’s Red beaver chair & Ottoman: The generously proportioned cardboard furniture uses classic arm chairs concept as their motif. Their pronounced round shapes look very cozy and it seems like their frayed edges are actually a play on an old piece of furniture that has seen better days, and time has taken it’s toll. The red dyed corrugated cardboard chair is available at nova68 for $4,480.00 (via)

                        

Made from five big bubbles, and five small ones molded together, this inflatable bubble chair is fun, tough, functional, and yet light enough to toss around the house. it’s made from heavyweight vinyl, making it durable. For added stability, the base of the chair can be filled with water. Available at i want one of those for $40.00. By the way for convenience, the chair can be inflated using a pump or man power.

After spending sometime with renowned designer Philippe Starck, Jerome Olivets will be launching his own collection of leather goods. Among his first creations are this futuristic bags; ‘the city bag’ and the city ‘briefcase.’ Both bags feature futuristic designs and concepts. This doesn’t surprise me, I guess when you spend three years as Philippe Starck Apprentice, his design style will more than likely be passed on to you. Philippe is known for many futuristic as well as cutting edge designs and projects. By the way the City bag is cell phone & iPod Ready!

Like his ‘Naked body collection’ with Puma, “The Naked body collection features 15 pieces for both men and women. The pieces are both functional and sexy. They are available in simple colors of pure off white and reduced charcoal. The skin tight pieces are made of seamless lycra, and feature various transparent inserts that reveal skin in all the right places.”

The Ghost Chair “Reinvented the classis Louis XVI armchair by translating the lines and form of this old school chair into a single form of translucent molded poly carbonate. The chair is fit to hold up someone as big as the king as this chair doesn’t’t have a single weak point.”

via (YankoDesign) 

San Francisco has no shortage of kooks. In fact, one friend of mine has a theory that weird-for-the-sake-of-weird is so overdone that hipsters are actually going straight and preppy. I’ll be damned if I let those loafers and posers sweater vest my city.

FREAKS REVOLT!
There’s nothing like a great park. I’m not talking about the uncomfortable loving you got in the backseat of your first crappy car. I’m talking about Park[ing] Day. Celebrated in Atlanta, San Francisco, Palm Beach, Logan and Louisville, National Park[ing] Day is sponsored by the National Trust for Public Land and focuses on creating urban park space out of parking spaces. I know for a fact that most of my friends in Los Angeles’ brains would break if they were faced with a hippie sit-in on their favorite parking block; however, in San Francisco, when the popular vote is the hippie vote, police are happy to see the parks go up and down, provided the meters get fed. Everyone’s favorite adulterer, Mayor McDreamy Gavin Newsom even offers his spot at City Hall to the leftivists. Check out the trailer!

WHY I LIKE IT:
For city squatters, this is our best chance to beautify some of the most foul-smelling spots in our little 7x7 grid. Essentials include: enough grass to cover the parking spot, some sort of seating for guests, a sign explaining Park[ing] Day and a dictionary of legal jargon for when a rogue Federal fuzz man decides to assault your granola game. After seeing the slot on Folsom Street (our little leather BDSM district) and after seeing the photos from the Valencia and Cesar Chavez spots, I am tempted to add some additional suggestions:

• Facepaint: Everyone knows that when you go into battle you need to wear your war paint. Whether you go for a Gene Simmons look or decide on a more passive rainbow and balloons, you can’t possibly be mistaken for a man with a purple nose.
• Tunes: Ain’t nobody gonna listen if they can’t hear you. You need to get yourself a speaker system. The seasoned activist knows that every great movement has an anthem. I nominate Oakland-based The Coup’s current hit “Laugh/Love/Fuck” because honestly hippies, “We’re here to laugh, love, fuck and drink liquor and make the damn revolution come quicker.”
• La Caja China Roasting Box: This baby is supposed to be able to handle up to 100lbs of roast capitalist pig for a très succulent jambon experience. Take a bite out of the man and reclaim the streets you lumpen proletariat bitches!
  

Inspired by the 70s retro look, this ‘Taisha Pullover’ by miss sixty features; ribbed fabric with lurex trim, plunging v-neck opening, lapel front that transitions into a hood, extra wide cuffed bottom opening, and a racerback tank style rear with embroidered detailing. The pullover is 43% cotton, 42% viscose and 15% linen. Available here $76.00

 Another unique hoody is the ‘Y-3 Wrap Hood,’ inspired by Karate, the hoodie tie wraps at the waist and features a split front kangaroo pocket. Ideal for wearing after a long day of splashing at the pool, can be easily wrapped around on top of your swimsuit/bikini. It’s 83% cotton, 10% polyester and 6% elastane. Available in Xtra small, small, medium, and large sizes. $330.00

The third hood, is the ‘Martin Margiela Hood.’ It’s a really simple grey hoody made of  wool 75%, and silk 15%. Requires dry cleaning for durability. Did I mention that it’s made in Italy, if that will solely make you buy it. Price $245.00. The last piece of clothing (right) is this ‘Amos in Mushroom’ by Mike & Chris. It’s a long knit scarf that can also be worn as a hat. This perfect fall accessory is soft and cozy, and it’s 80% viscose and 20% elite. It will fasten in place with an oversized Mike & Chris button. Price $168.00 

The People have decided. The ball that slugger Barry Bonds Hit to break the all time Home Run record, which was previously held by Hank Aaron, will be heading to the Baseball Hall of Fame. But wait, what about the whole steroid issue surrounding Bond? The ball will be permanently branded “to remind the world of the doping scandal surrounding the record breaker.” Who will send it to the Hall of Fame, and how? This is how the Saga began.

• Barry Bonds slugs No. 756 to pass Aaron as home run king.
• Matt Murphy, a 21-year-old student and construction supervisor from New York, emerged from a scuffle with the record-breaking ball
• Fashion Mogul Marc Ecko, fronted $752,467.00 on Saturday to buy Bonds’ controversial ball at a Sotheby’s auction.
  
• Barry Bond Doesn’t like Marc Ecko’s Pitch.
• Marc Ecko decides to let the fans determine the ball’s fate. 
• Watch the Video
• The Results include a Video from Marc Ecko. Video.

 This article reminds me of the ‘Still Free Project.’ When Marc Ecko ‘Tagged the Air Force One.’ The video of the actual tagging spread  online like a wild fire. If you don’t  know about ‘Still Free’ click here>>>

New York-based designer Theo Richardson is obsessed with simple, functional designs. A RISD grad with an interest in “anonymous design”, Richardson takes a studied and meticulous approach to his work, and it shows in pieces like this beautiful, streamlined, yet completely age-appropriate maple and vinyl modular play set for P’Kolino. Richardson is the kind of designer who makes me think about having kids for almost a full two seconds, before I realize I could just buy the table and scrap the procreation - and then I realize I can’t afford either. ($1000 at PKolino.com)

For those of us serious about dance - not capital-D Dance in a studio with a bar and a requisite body dysmorphic disorder, but dance! in a space packed with friends, no restraints, no regrets, and no cover - 2 things are essential: amazing music and room to move. Music meaning sick beats that not only make you want to dance, but make you have to dance, and room to move as in hot, free-wheeling joy-clothes and dancing shoes that never hold you back.

See more of my D.A.N.C.E. list at ThisNext.

 

When celebrities are experiencing a wardrobe dilemma, they know to call upon the Chief of Chic for a few fashionable pointers. Robert Verdi dresses his high-profile clientele in the latest ensembles of the season, helping the fashion-naïve among us separate the so last-year’s from the absolute must-haves.

Donning his famous sunglasses before jetting off to his next Red Carpet appointment, the Chief encourages us to think about style and fashion for the home with as much fervor as our closets. From lavish luxuries to eccentric designs, Robert Verdi is creating a fashion following for impeccable tastes; we found him rounding up the season’s best picks on ThisNext, and checked in for a few pointers of our own:

TN: How did your relationship with MasterCard and Saks come about?
RV: MasterCard and I have been working together on the Saks Fifth Avenue Want It! campaign for two years now. The partnership began last year when MasterCard launched the Saks Fifth Avenue World Elite MasterCard card issued by HSBC. I helped them get the word out to the public about this great card which allows you to earn rewards points faster. To learn more about the card you can visit your local Saks Fifth Avenue or log on to Saks.com

TN: Any future partnerships you can talk about?
RV: None to speak of right now just my relationship with MasterCard and Saks Fifth Avenue.

TN: Any other sneak previews you can share with ThisNext readers?
RV: You know how I am; I keep everything under wraps until the last minute.

...continued: Who is Robert Verdi?

With the release of the Summer Blockbuster ‘Simpsons the Movie, more Homer and the rest of the casts merchandise is surfacing. ‘To Alcohol’ is a Simpsons Hip Flask and Shot Glass Set, and what’s better than enjoying shots of ‘Yega Bomb’ with the Simpsons. Anyway each shot glass features a different picture of homer saying one of his infamous slogans. The set contains 1 hip flask (flask holds 207ml of your favourite brew), 1 funnel, and 4 shot glasses.

Also available at cocktail equipment are these Simpsons Homer Beer Buckets. You can go with the orange one with the slogan “Duff Beer: The case of, and solution to life’s little problems,” or the blue bucket with the slogan; “Beer! How did you know?” If you don’t like the buckets, join Homer for a drink, and don’t worry about opening your beer bottle, Homer & Moe Talking Bottle Opener (below) will do the job.

To help your serve up your drinks, Homer Simpons Drinks Tray (above) is also available at cocktail equipment. Made from tin, the tray can hold a lot of drinks without ‘passing-out,’ and it also features an orange background, with the slogan “Duff Beer; The Cause of, and Solution to all of life’s little problems.

Be Responsible: Please Don’t Drink and Drive, & Under Age Drinking is an irresponsible behaviour.

Via (cocktail equipment) 

Reading that massive history textbook in high school was such a snooze … until we got to the chapter on Marie Antoinette.  Now you can be saucy Marie Antoinette for Halloween.  Los Angeles lingerie store Trashy Lingerie (which also has an online shop) is selling variety of Marie Antoinette inspired costumes.  My personal favorite is the one pictured below called the Holly Marie which is being modeled by Holly (Hugh Hefner’s main girlfriend) from the E! show The Girls Next Door.

And if you haven’t seen the movie Marie Antoinette, I highly recommend it .  It was a beautifully made movie with lots of color, fashion, cake, and shoes.

Well I can’t outsmart you all. Click the link below the picture to find out the answer to last week product zoom.  All winners will be contact via email. Thanks for playing and there will be another (more challenging) Product Zoom coming soon.  

...continued: And the answer is ...