I used to be addicted to Tetris- that video game where you have to scramble to make sure all the blocks fit to form layers- and looking at this piece, I can’t help but be reminded of it. A conceptual piece by SDESIGNUNIT, a Korean based product design studio, the 2+1 unit was designed with the space-deprived Urbanite in mind. Though I’m slightly skeptical to how cardboard (the material of choice) would hold up as a bed, I can definitely see Ikea doing their own version…. I’ll buy it in a heartbeat!

Check out their other projects too like Glasses + Book…

When I was 13, I’d attempted to sew myself a toga dress I’d designed myself. I wasn’t exactly what you would call adept at the sewing machine but misguided as I was in my quest in being the next big fashion designer, I carried on and it looked exactly as my sketches. I was so proud of myself then and would have been even prouder of my creation if not for the fact that it ripped into half immediately when I tried putting it on…

How I wish I’d something like Burdastyle.com then! An open source for patterns, sewing tips and articles, this is definitely not your grandmother’s knitting circle. Launched in Feb 2007, Burdastyle.com gets its name from Burda Mode, a pattern company, founded by Aenne Burda in 1949. Published in 90 countries and 16 languages, Burda patterns are now brought online in the form of this community with several patterns released in collections for downloads. Maybe I should get in touch with my inner designer again…

Once in a while, I find myself so caught up in the whims of the world that I forget to live a lil and just smile. This clip is one of those things that you can choose to treat as either “Aww..that’s cute” moments or as an epiphany about life if you’re in that kind of mood

Watch it till the very end for a surprise!

via Cuteoverload.com

As luxury brands try to fend off the competition from mass luxury brands and fast fashion companies like Zara and H&M, one of the trends is to go uber-premium with limited editions and exclusive distribution. The latest incarnation of this trend is 20 Limited. Officially launching on April 2nd, 20Ltd is an online store that curates 20 exclusive designs at any one time from luxury brands. Whether fashion, art, furniture, accessories to even motorbikes in the first batch of 20, these brands like Derek Lam, Pucci, Zaha Hadid (to name a few) are selected based on their craftsmanship and desirability. The songs selected for the soundtrack of the site are amazing as well with new and emerging talent. Definitely a site to keep a lookout for- just for the eyecandy if anything else!

From Coolhunting.com

Desktop Fabricator

Looks like the idea of 3D printing at home wasn’t too far-fetched a concept afterall. The first affordable fabricator made for home use has been developed by Hod Lipson from Cornell University, US, who launched the Fab@Home project with PhD student Evan Malone in October 2006.

The standard version of their Freeform fabricator – or “fabber” – is about the size of a microwave oven and can be assembled for around $2400 (£1200). It can generate 3D objects from plastic and various other materials. Full documentation on how to build and operate the machine, along with all the software required, are available on the Fab@Home website, and all designs, documents and software have been released for free.

Niche Online Social Network- Fashion

From PRWeb:

August 15, 2006 — The new social network, created just for designers and artists in the fashion industry officially launched on Tuesday, August 15th. The community can be found at www.secondchancefashion.com.

second chance® apparel brand is a relatively new company that was launched into the national spotlight through the 2006 Grammy® awards, as well as other media events. The opportunities that second chance® apparel gained from Grammy® awards media exposure sparked the idea for a new social network.

Silicon Valley firm Crowd Factory built the new social network. Crowd Factory team members have experience at Google, Oracle and Yahoo. They decided to team up with second chance apparel because of the passion of the second chance apparel group.

Crowd Factory’s Alexander Mouldovan calls second chance fashion a “groundbreaking online endeavor. We wanted to bring together new artists and designers as well as give consumers a direct line for input and feedback. It was the second chance® apparel team and their passion that made us decide to get involved in this project.”

Store Your Style

A Canadian storage place with a difference, they’ll pick up only your wardrobe, categorized them so that you’ll have a catalog of your own wardrobe and keep them away in specially designed spaces for optimum storage. By calling them up, you can retreive specific pieces whether be it for a party, those pair of fabulous shoes or just your winter coats, it’ll be like shopping in your own closet!

Fabric in A Can

Last but not least, this is a trend that even I have a hard time fathoming how it’ll work in real life- Fabric in a can!

Fabrican is the fusion of art and science, combining expertise from London’s Royal College of Art with Imperial College, London.

Whilst the principle is simple, the underlying technology is unique. Importantly, the technology is being developed with a number of key market sectors in mind. The fabric is flexible enough to deliver product of varying characteristics to suit the needs of the fashion industry, or the automotive industry, or cleansing companies. It is as soft as silk for some uses, or a tough as hemp for others. It can be applied to soft or hard surfaces and it is as durable as needs be.

I might want to wait a while to see how Fabrican will take off…but then again, that’s what they say about almost every single revolutionary invention!

I used to work at the Apple store over summer and all my colleagues used to jibe about the iPhone and how it would make an appearance in 2007. I didn’t really believe them but it was hard not to get excited over the phone that everyone in the world knew was coming. Unveiled yesterday at CES, it’s the epitome of sleek Mac design and the sweet thing is that it’s a phone, iPod and web browser all in one! It includes features like a multi-touch user interface and a sensor that automatically switches between landscape and portrait mode. Now all I have to do is get in line for its launch in July alongside the gazillions of Apple enthusiasts out there…

Available in 4G ($499) and 8G ($599) models exclusively through Apple and their partner Cingular this June 2007 and following in Europe later this year and in Asia in 2008.