Macallan <3

Posted 1 month, 1 week ago at 12:45 pm. 0 comments

Yes, Macallan loves bloggers, judging from their recent string of Twitter- heavy events in the US.

Their latest event held at W Los Angeles together with blog NOTCOT (which Lumina loves)  saw the tasting of the premium scotch brand’s sophisticated 57-year expression out of a Lalique crystal decanter. The highlight of the evening was the chance to win a taste of what would cost US$15, 000 a bottle. Smells though, were free.

The relatively young crowd of mostly bloggers were also invited to tweet their thoughts, which were screened online and  in the bar, creating a different type of socialising at the intimate tasting session.

Here’s to more fine drink, in fine places with friends.

(Photos courtesy of NOTCOT.)

Scaling New Heights

Posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago at 7:17 pm. 0 comments

Alexander McQueen keeps them coming.

Fresh from the frenzy of the “Armadillos,” McQueen’s 10 inch high bestial-looking shoes that are on their way to iconic status, he is in with new campaign.

Shot by the ‘futuristic’ photographer Nick Knight, the Spring/Summer ‘10 ad features model Raquel Zimmermann wearing a pair of reptilian Armadillos and a fancy collection of snakes.

The campaign, bold, beautiful and infinitely strange is testament to McQueen’s unending ability to reinvent himself, light years ahead of the pack.

Tomorrow, in a year: A Darwin Electro-Opera

Posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago at 4:01 pm. 0 comments

The Knife, in collaboration with Mt. Sims and Planningtorock, has just given the conventional opera scene a new cool. Approached by performance group Hotel Pro Forma to score electo-opera “Tomorrow, in a year“, which is based on Charles Darwin and his famous book ‘On the Origin of Species’,  The Knife & gang deftly capture the Darwinian nuances of evolution in their pieces.

In fact, they shared that inspiration had been drawn from sources that vary from the arcane (Richard Dawkins’s gene trees), to the romantic (Darwin’s loving letters to his daughter).

So we aren’t huge opera fanatics, but we can definitely appreciate a project well-done. Judge for yourselves the exquisite play between music and form, and how their synergy brings about a moving and intense performance of avant garde opera.

Glennray Tutor’s Photorealism

Posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago at 2:12 pm. 0 comments

We can’t help marveling at photo-realist Glennray Tutor’s paintings, which are made based on photographs. Life-like and color-infused, every single detail is immaculately captured, allowing for transcendence of boundaries between painting and photo.

Edible-looking furniture

Posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago at 6:45 pm. 0 comments

When food meets awesome design, we get… sumptuous-looking furniture!

Modeled after mouth-watering desserts, these pieces are bound to create more hunger pangs, or induce a huge craving for a sweet something. Don’t believe it? Ok, now scroll down and brace yourself for the ice-cream bench, cupcake table and the cupcake seat!

For more fun and laughs, check out the other creative designs over at Jellio.

Wallpaper* City Guides on iPhone

Posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago at 4:26 pm. 0 comments

Fancy calling yourself a savvy globe-trotting cosmopolitan? That is, without lugging those heavy travel guides around.

We reckon the Phaidon store has the answer!The 10 best-selling minimalist-packaged Wallpaper* City Guides are now available on the iPhone App Store. Sample the series with the Berlin edition that’s currently being offered for free.

So go ahead, unleash your inner city explorer. Travel light - and travel in style!

Louis Vuitton’s Animania Collection

Posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago at 5:08 pm. 0 comments

Animal lovers, rejoice! Come February 2010, Louis Vuitton will be launching its Animania line, a playful collection consisting of cute coin purses, square scarves and animal charms - all clad in its signature monogram.

The inspiration? Well it goes back half a century, when Gaston Louis Vuitton dedicated an entire level of his store to his wife, Renée, an avid wooden toy collector. The Animania collection is designed to commemorate this romantic gesture of luuuuurve.

And just in time for some V-day joy.

Vladimir Kush - Surrealism

Posted 2 months ago at 6:37 pm. 0 comments

Whisking us away into yet another form of dreamscape is Russian surrealist painter, Vladimir Kush. With whimsical traces of Dali, these paintings are painstakingly drawn to detail, and spur our imagination with their fascinating juxtapositions.

Do also check out Metaphorical Voyage - a video showcasing Kush’s animated work.

Mat Maitland - Mixed Media Designs

Posted 2 months ago at 12:09 pm. 0 comments

Mat Maitland, award-winning music Design and Art Direction artist, creates his own dream-like world of luscious fantasy through his amazing mixed media illustrations. What’s more, works of this London-based talent include notable music campaigns for Goldfrapp, Michael Jackson and Beck, amongst others.

We can’t get enough of the exuberant colors aesthetically splashed across his works!

Project Intimacy

Posted 2 months ago at 5:57 pm. 0 comments

Now you see it, now you don’t.

But wait a minute. Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde could perform his magic the other way round, too. His latest project, Intimacy, involves a clever cross-breeding of technology and garment. What you get is a naughty and clever end-product that could go from white to transparent (and vice versa), allowing for a sensual experience of gradual disclosure, on top of being audaciously fashionable.

All this is made possible by fusing wireless, interactive technologies and smart foils into the garment. This project developed by Studio Roosegaarde and V2_Lab will be further developed through collaborations with haute couture designers, with fashion designer Maartje Dijkstra heralding the first prototype dress for Intimacy.

Think minimalist and futuristic. Now bring on the new decade already!