Concept Product - Pantone Nail Polish

Breathe Architecture and Lulamae have linked up to create a Melbourne cardboard pop-up shop and it seems everyone is in love with it

W+K Exp’s aim is to make art accessible to everyone, whether you’re a veteran collector looking for an original or someone who’s simply looking for a print to put on your wall – or even if you’re just there for the experience. We believe that art shouldn’t have to be ‘arty’ and that culture is not something to be put on a pedestal and worshipped. So our endeavor is to create an experience for you that’s shaped by this belief - stripped of jargon and overloaded price tags, to be enjoyed on your own terms.

aesop’s third singapore store located at millenia walk. ceiling light fixture constructed from thirty kilometres of coconut husk string referencing the humble ball of twine used to wrap aesop gift boxes. the entire store is framed with meticulously detailed grids that suspend twine from the ceiling. coir matting as carpet and marine plywood to detail storage units which conceal a palette of corbusier-inspired coloured wall panels.

directional paris retailer l’éclaireur has opened a spectacular new store in the city’s marais area. crafted by belgian artist/designer arne quinze, the store interior is in fact an adventurous and eclectic installation that fuses artistic d.i.y. with hi-tech. a whopping two tons of planks and 147 animated video screens have been incorporated in the store’s organic-style interior. additionally, exotic artefacts from across the planet have been juxtapositioned with the fashion merchandise.

launched earlier this year, shelter is a so-called community workspace in bustling dubai. this multifunctional venue doesn’t only look cool but also offers a wide range of services. targeting modern creatives and entrepreneurs, it boasts ergonomically sound workspaces, a library, a cinema, a health food restaurant, a shop and a garden for outdoor recreation. membership of shelter comes with a string of additional benefits.

At 169 East 69th Street, an understated but elegant co-op between Lexington and Third Avenues, the laundry-room library has been elevated to something approximating a formal sitting room. There are nine or so bookshelves double-stacked with books, and two bamboo chairs in orange, with cushions in a dusky peach plaid, have been arranged around a demilune table. Behind it hangs an oil painting of a bouquet of flowers. Across from the chairs is a wooden bench, rescued, most likely, from one of the terraces high above. Across from all of that, the hulking white washers and dryers do their drudgery.

In Old Montreal, the InterContinental, installed a new bar devoted to absinthe, it caught my attention…

comme des garçons‘ long-anticipated the beatles collab bag collection simultaneoulsy launched this week with the brand’s latest concept store concoction, the trading museum store at the gyre mall on bustling omotesando dori. ten different bag models have been released, all in line with paul mccartney’s advocacy for vegetarianism and animal rights, meaning that the product range is leather-free.

as for the trading museum, the interior has been designed by the visonairy rei kawakubo herself and even includes antique cabinets from london’s victoria + albert museum. the new shop features an exclusive range of collab products.

next week sees the release of ateliers ruby’s newest collab collection. the french accessories manufacturer has teamed up with karl lagerfeld for four series of exclusive and limited-edition motor helmets that were also featured in the latter’s a/w 09 collection. the helmets are fitted out in black + white tweed [first series], terra cotta-coloured fabric embroidered with pearls, black shiny mink and white rex rabbit fur [yikes!]. the helmets will be available online and at selected stores across the planet, including colette [paris].

chanel launched its long-anticipated shanghai flagship store with a big bang earlier this week. the new outlet sets new standards of elegance and is chanel’s most luxurious store, by which the fashion house pays homage to the city known that was once known as the paris of the east.

located at the five-star peninsula hotel on the historic bund, the store occupies a grand 480 sqm. and features several salon style rooms, each for a different product line, and a v.i.p. room. the flagship is designed by chanel’s house architect peter marino, in a style that references coco chanel’s lavish paris apartment and boasts hand-picked antiques as well as an abundance of custom-made furniture and decoration pieces.

superfuture’s fav tokyo boutique hotel claska has always been a protagonist of japanese design and crafts. after having organised a series of interesting design events on its premises, it has opened its own select design shop. simply called do, it’s located in the basement section of parco shibuya - part 2. opposed to ‘fast foreign trends’ and related merchandise, the new store exclusively features a wide range of japanese products and design

there’s no denying louis vuitton adventurous entrepreneurship [or the further advancement of luxury brand consumerism in the farthest corners of the planet, for that matter]. the french luxury brand just opened a flagship in mongolia’s fast-emerging capital ulan bator. accomodated in a ritzy new building, the boutique measures 492 sqm. over two-storeys. interestingly, its most striking feature is a v.i.p. room that’s circular-shaped and reminiscent of a traditional mongolian yurt. the new outlet features the brand’s leather bags + accessories, shoes, watches and eyewear collections.

coinciding with art basel miami beach, luxury powerhouse gucci launched its gucci icon-temporary pop-up store in miami today. it’s the brand’s second of a string of pop-up stores in only six cities across the planet, and will be operational for just two weeks. what’s on sale? limited-edition sneakers, 16 men’s styles and 2 women’s styles, all boasting the classic gucci insignia, and designed in collaboration with musical heartthrob mark ronson.

as to maximize the hype, he will do collab recordings with artists, making limited edition tracks for each store opening. each client will receive a custom 12-inch vinyl record with exclusive tracks as a special gift.

In celebration of the legendary New York City bar's 20 year anniversary, Aaron Bondaroff, Al Moran and Ulli Rimkus bring the downtown institution Max Fish to Miami for the week of Art Basel. Taking over a functioning bar space in downtown Miami, the team will be recreating an art installation out of the core elements of the Lower East Side location and importing it's colorful cast of characters for the week. With a prime location downtown Miami, it will most definitley be the common meeting point for Art Basel attendees and act as the main clubhouse for all of the creative community during the fair week. A full lineup of live bands and dj's will be performing nightly during ther week as well as movie screenings in an outdoor space.