Pantone Party USA 3000

I'm feeling like one of the biggest trends in design right now is the emergence of traditional graphic design tools in non-graphic designy spots (fashion, furniture, cupcakes, what-have-you). Thanks to powerhouses like Mac and Adobe, graphic design is no longer a magical alchemy reserved for MFAs with exacto knives. Everyone is a designer now (and that's not always a good thing) and we're all embracing the new symbols of the old design world. - Remember my pixel post? - Another pro designer fave is the pantone color pallet, we simply couldn't get by without our precious spot colors, now, everyone else can join in the fun:

Clockwise from top left: Ceramic Pantone Mugs available at Graham and Green, Pantone Flight Stool available at Pantone Universe, Pantone Flash Drive, also available at Pantone Universe, Pantone Stationary available here

Oh, so colorful and delicious! Don't you want more:

The Fendi Artist Bag, in white canvas comes complete with a Pantone marker set. I don't know if I'd feel comfortable drawing on a $1,300 bag. Maybe if I could paint like Hope Perkins?

Rivet SF's Pantone Photo Set on Flickr. Rivet reminds us: "Everything has a pantone color, we just have to find it." A close up:

More pantone mania:

clockwise from top left: Pantone Toys available at yellow spiral, Custom Pantone Wrapping Paper NFS, Pantone Rugs available at Sundayland, Nike Pantone Shoes available at Kix-Files, Pantone Plate from the Pantone Dinnerware collection available at Fishs Eddy

And Finally, a Pantone Masterpiece:

Pantone Rendition of Manet's Bar at the Folies Bergere by Tim Fraser Brown. If Manet were with us today, I'm sure he would have used pantone as well

An Igloo of My Very Own

Perhaps it the heat of July in Texas that is making me long for an Igloo of my very own. If not the heat something is drawing me into the icy world of Eskimos. Maybe it is a natural progression from the Matryoshka Doll (Russian Nesting Doll) getting a little over exposed since they both have the cute bundled faces. Either way more and more delights of the far north keep catching my eye and I thought I would share a few of my favorites.

1) Flying Igloo Necklace by Bumble Sea
2) Princess Tina Wallet at Chocosho
3) Eskimo Shirt by Lucha Workshop
4) Eskimo Dinner Plate by Tonianne Wolfe

hypercolor my world

I've been seeing a few random hypercolor shirts here and there lately, as soon as I saw one I KNEW the hipsters would be tripping all over their Tom's sneakers to slip into one. Today I saw that American Apparel had added the gem to their line-up, so I know it is totally, one hundred and thirty percent official: hypercolor is back. Expect to see this at every bar with a eurotrash thursday night DJ for the next few months. Here are a few of the designs you may come across:



The ladies could be rockin any of these adorable options from Anzevino and Florence (don't worry, they have manly versions too). Hopefully all the girls will also have that haircut because it is cute cute cute!

If you're looking for something a little more old skool hypercolor, this baggy tee may be the one for you:

Available at Body Faders, they are calling their (rather extensive) line of hypercolor shirts dyenamic infusion. Is hypercolor trademarked? I guess so... this may make our frantic hypercolor google search difficult, but I trust we can do it.

Incase all the funny handprints on everyone's shirts aren't enough to make you forget the horrible pit-stains you get from clothes that change color with heat, but you still want to get on the color bus, how about you go with this fancy bench:




The swamp lounge available from Visual Reference Studio. This is part of a series of hypercolor benches from lead artists Nuno Goncalves Ferreira & Erin Hayne. The designers also make hypertouch walls and, guess what!!? their website is hypercolor too! (of course, they're calling it thermosensitive. tomato, tomAto.)

Whatever you choose to call the new hypercolor incarnate, get used to seeing it all about town.

Goodbye Gladiators, Hello Gaiters

Last winter I became slightly obsessed with colored spats to be worn on boots. I never got around to snagging a pair before the Texas heat crept up on me and it was too late. Spring and summer rolled around and with it amazing knee high gladiator sandals from Balenciaga that had me drooling. Now that I have gladiators in silver, gold, black and copper I needed a new direction to turn, a new shoe quest to go on. A random spin through Etsy brought the work of Les Frivolities to my attention. Her line of Corseted Gaiters smack of hipster Victorian goodness. Almost any shoe can instantly be transformed with just a few snaps or fastens of a button. Choose between short or tall, several different designs and a rainbow of colors. Wish the red pair came in green, Les Frivolities takes custom orders. Not to mention if the leather gaiters offend your Vegan sensibilities they can also be made in non-leather materials.