vans shoes and brooks bike seats

last november vans approached renowned bike saddle maker brooks to collaborate on a vault project. the result is a pair of leather era lx sneakers (limited to 2000) and a brooks team pro saddle (limited to 500), both of which feature an embossed graphic designed by the vans team. only available in vans flagship stores and selected brooks dealers. by xy

MAKE NEW HISTORY: Ed Ruscha Art Object

this art object was designed by ed himself! on the occasion of the MOCA new 30th anniversary. the words “make new history” are printed on the edges and “ed ruscha” is embossed on the spine. the inside is blank. packaged in a specially designed cardboard box. (the art object consists of one piece, not two as illustrated.) only $175. sold! by dd

ab fab

i came across this site today, could be great, we’ll have to see over time. it’s like gilt group for design nerds, having sales on everything from graphic tees to birdhouses to pillows to bamboo bowls. find it hereby kl

on a quest for the perfect breakfast toast

like wallace, i like my toast… well toasted!my first purchase: a delonghi toaster oven – set my toast on fire and nearly my apt… approx $100-120a cheap and clean looking cusineart “classic” toaster, acceptable but completely inconsistent… approx $70-80and finally my latest addition: a magimix vision toaster… $240

well perhaps you followed me in my previous adventures when i was looking for a matress or a dvd player, or for that matter choosing a worthy drink.

 

well, having your breakfast toast, toasted shouldn’t be that complicated, but like anything that matters, it actually is. for my first purchase, a counter top toaster “oven” was chosen for its perceived multi-function. i though, well… i can heat up a chocolate pie for my ice cream and toast my bread all at once. well the $100 contraption worked for a bit but many-a-toasts lost their soul’s to fire. after the 3rd toast inferno, that threatened the cabinets above, i came home oneday only to find it in the recycling bin. in a bind (as i’m the only toast fanatic here), i then made the quick and easy dash for the cheap cusineart toaster. i have to say i loved the look and still find it to be possibly the best looking toaster out there, and who would want to start the day with an ugly one? that worked well, and was fully fire retardent, however the toasts… inconsistant. i would toast a bread on a perfect setting only to find the very next in the bin. then i was finally introduced to the french fancy manufacturer magimix. i had no idea what it was but the name made me laugh, i imagined an anne-sophie look alike in white apron mascotting a “magi mixer” with stars sparkling around her. little did i know this little muppet was what ive been needing all along.

 

the design is so simple you wonder why arent all toasters like this? the clear glass on sides not only allows you to see exactly where your toast is at, but it also opens up my counter top to let some light in ; ) the unit is super well constructed, and surprisingly made in the southern part of france! i think today even hérmes is manufacturing certain items in china so consider this with amazement. the unit weights 5 times my previous toasters and the retrieve button is a solid lump of steel. being an audiophile i will tell you, electronics that weigh a lot are “potentially” very good, doesn’t mean lead will help performance, but trust that, manufacturers don’t add weight for no reason. the colorless silver toaster (like my previous toasters) goes quite well with my thermador oven… mind you i’m no yuppie with some fancy professional oven that i never use, i’m actually a renowned chef… well amongst friends that is. im gonna post this under “perfect gift” just for all you gromits out there. – love wallace. by uh

before you hit the deck: supreme skateboards


before pulling the trigger and getting the WKR decks we posted, consider this: supreme annually issues a series of artists boards that run about $80 to a $100 not much more than the beautiful and minimal WKR’s. above, and all sold out at this point are the robert longo decks above the previous damien hirst issues. no one knows what the next series will be. it’s a tough one as you have a collectors item vs. a truly beautiful “now” piece. so, just some food for thought. by xy

meert – forget laduree

since laduree became such a tourist’s place, selling in airport duty-free and being now closer to disneyland rather than parigot, it’s a good time to go back to the basics.  the real deal is meert, it’s not in paris, it’s further north, in lille, and even if you can find some of those waffles (not the ones you think about when reading waffles) in paris, lille is the place to have the fresh ones and check the great boutique. like laduree, meert is not forgiving for your summer diet but let’s face it, guilt is totally part of the enjoyment 😉 by pp.