Sauce

Many retail environments have failed to speak with consumer in a language they understand, that has any relevance to them or that manages to stay embedded in their minds for any more than a few minutes. There are a few examples out there, bathing Ape, Viktor and Rolf, Mandarina Duck that have really managed to express the brand through the retail channel as opposed to creating a white elephant something that does not continue the customer journey touch point continuum or add to the overall converstaion. It appears finally Uniqlo have also joined this prestige.They have for some time beien communicating in a unique voice that is distinctively theirs and does not default to the cheap and ubiquitous Top Shop style of language.

Curiosity has completed the design of the Uniqlo Megastore that has opened near Shinjuku station in Tokyo. The new design is strongly influenced by the Tokyo urban landscape and the large entrance, marked with three display towers, recreates a mini-Shinjuku city. As the lighting floor wraps the towers in a glow of light that illuminates the surrounding streets, the shop becomes an active element of the street: attractive, reliable, and secure.

Borderless Entrance: The layout and angulations of the towers inside blur the boundaries between the street and the retail space, creating a unique environment in a busy street of Shinjuku and capturing what is great about Uniqlo, that you can’t help looking.

Reflection of Reflection Entrance: The city seems to have become human scale as you move freely around the three towers. The vertical displays of the entrance are reflected on the mirrored wall creating an amazing gallery of displays, a maze of reflections of reflections, the tower seeming to be inserted within the interior of the shop.

Non Existance Interior: The challenge of the interior is for it not to ‘exist’. Only the clothes should be visible. Display furniture is not only reduced to the minimum but also ‘designed’ to be non-existent with materials selected for their immateriality. A lighting ceiling, displays and counters work together to remove the shadows creating an abstract retail environment where products and customers seem to float in a white glow.

All combine to create the energy and different style that exists within Uniqlo.

For those that know me, will know my love of beautiful bikes is always top of mind, this new concept claims to alleviate all worries of the environment whilst still maintaining beauty and relative speed. America’s Newest Motorcycle Company, Mission Motors, Launches at TED2009 – Mission One, World’s Fastest Production Electric Sportbike. The Mission One promises to be the world’s fastest production all-electric motorcycle. “As a motorcycle enthusiast and engineer I knew I could combine my passion for motorcycles with my passion for innovation and create a motorcycle that truly sets a new standard in the perception of electric vehicles,” said Forrest North, Founder and CEO, Mission Motors.  “With the Mission One, we’re writing the next chapter in motorcycle design, delivering a new riding experience without sacrificing performance or design in a zero emissions vehicle.”

via dezeen

What would you think Helsinki smells like? What about Budapest? Or Paris? Together with the Parisian perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, visual artist Hilda Kozári has created three different perfumes to represent these three cities. The first, Helsinki, was chosen because she has lived there since 1997 and the second, Budapest, as it is her previous hometown. The third scent was included in the installation as an homage to the center of the perfume world – Paris. The true inspiration for the project was the fresh smell of Helsinki

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via sauma

This elegant Yaoki sake bottle by Dentsu Kyushu Inc. with a white refined shape and a rounded base, allows the (self-righting) bottle to regain its vertical position by itself. This sake based on potatoes and the Arita porcelain from which the flask is made are famous on the Japanese island of Kyushu.
The message, drawn from an ancient proverb, says “If you fall seven times, get up eight times”; in other words, “Never give up”, like this bottle which always regains its vertical position.

www.thedieline.com

She was born in Sweden, worked in Brazil and is now settled in the Portland area. The prolific illustrator and mixed-media artist is a global citizen of the most interesting kind. Her own life in different locales gives her many sources of inspiration and most likely helps her flex her illustration muscle to meet the needs of a vast variety of clients.

Her work has appeared in Computer Arts  and Bon Magazine; she’s created T-shirt graphics for Levi’s, wall murals for a hotel in Los Angeles, CD covers for artists and illustrations for Oilily and La Perla. Nearly all of her work has a collage-like feel, with many layers, nuances and media. The somewhat surreal and psychedelic look of some of her pieces attests to her ability and willingness to trot not just the globe but regions beyond.

thecoolhunter.com

Forget the sport..some of the most interesting things that happened at the Beijing Olympics came from clever sponsors who dreamt up creative ways to promote their brands at the mega global event. Mini Cooper, dragged traditional Chinese street transport into the 21st century with these great bike-powered Minis. Samsung were equally creative, giving Olympics’ fans a chance to view all of the action from their own “private” alien-like pods.

Boys who like cool toys head to I-Way, a luxe, mega venue dedicated to motor sports racing simulations. I-Way provides aspiring speed racers with an opportunity to experience the adrenalin rush that comes from being behind the wheel of a Formula 1, Endurance or Rally car. The high-tech simulators offer real “piloting” sensations, mounted into a real car, which is experienced through several screens which surround the driver’s field of vision.

The venue is pitched at corporate groups, who, presumably can bond over high speed racing sessions – and all without creasing their polo-necks. To enhance the experience created by the simulators drivers suit up in race outfits, helmets and gloves.

I-Way’s modern design hits its target market perfectly with wide open spaces, industrial finishes and futuristic reflective surfaces. It’s boys playing with expense toys – luxe style.  Located in Lyon, France, the venue also houses a bar, a shop (which sells cool motoring accessories) and bizarrely, a gym and spa. Anyone for a round of weights and a facial in between races?

thecoolhunter.com