Rocking Retro Swimwear

Credit: Flickr by Miss Axemaker 

With summer quickly approaching comes a much-hated ritual for some femmes — bathing suit shopping. Bikini? Tankini? One-piece? Two-piece? Let's face it, today's latest style of swimwear is most forgivable on those who hit the gym frequently (Hello, sexy Victoria's Secret models! Mwah!). However, since dearly devoted is more low-maintenance (ahem) and we love to concentrate on the pretty and whimsical, we turned our eyes to the retro, glam swimwear that pinup girls made famous.  No need to thrift shop for finds. Check out Portland-based Popina Swimwear, whose creator, Pamela Levenson, became inspired by swimwear from the 1940s-1950s. The best part is seeing how her swimwear fits on real women, like Miss Axemaker above. Love the rockabilly look? See how these girls rock the suits below.
  

Credit: Popina Swimwear

Love the poolside accessories, heels and all. This is my favorite shot of Popina swimwear 
(L-R): Retro Sadie in Red $78, Retro Halter in Espresso Dot, $75, Retro Halter in Jungle Flower, $75

Credit: Popina Swimwear

Designer, Pamela Levenson, surrounded by her swimwear models on a shoot. 

Look at the Kitty!

Oh, hai! Can I haz New Kitten card by Yellow Owl Workshop?

Forget the special occasion, dumbfound your friends on random obscure holidays with this WTF card statement.  Random suggested holidays to dole these precious cards include National Hamburger Month, Hug Your Cat Day, National Ventriloquism Week, etc. Surprise! I'm sure they'll love you for it. 

$5 per card, $19.50 per pack at Yellow Owl Workshop

Geeky Cool Gadget Accessory: Stackable LEGO USB hubs

Bring playtime fun into the office with these Systown USB hubs AND score cred from the geek and tyke set. If you're in need of USB connection, each Lego-like brick comes with 4 ports and is perfect for stacking your action figurines on top. Just don't let babies gnaw on them. Speak Korean? Why? Cause, they're only available overseas right now.  Boo.

via technabob

Muji : Online Store

Lucky New Yorkers no more. Now, design-savvy Americans across the United States can check out and enjoy Muji, the upscale no-name brand that prides itself on "simplicity achieved through a complexity of thought and design." That's no bull. Muji is known to hire well-known designers, from Sam Hecht, Jasper Morrison, and Naoto Fukasawa to create products. I came across their paper stationary line in New York's MOMA gift shop and have been smitten since. Check out their online store, MUJI

See a few of their design classics below:

Look familiar? This wall-mounted CD player, designed by Naoto Fukasawa, is in the trailer for Objectified.

Cylindrical coffee maker designed by Sam Hecht.

Cardboard speakers that are lightweight and collapsible. 

Zombies, Robots, Movie Posters, oh my: Travis Pitts, illustrator

Travis Pitts is an illustrator whose work was featured on Apartment Therapy. His poster above captures one of my favorite, B-movies of all time: Big Trouble in Little China. Dude, it's the villain, Lo Pan! I had to high-five him for that, what a classy poster for a cheese-tastic movie. Ahem. His art posters draw upon retro, graphic illustrations from the 1960s with a dash of post-modern snark (see the Zom-bot poster below). 

Objectified, the movie

If you loved Helvetica, the documentary, like I did, you must be SUPER EXCITED to see what the filmmakers' next project is about: product design. Meet Objectified. It covers the interesting world of product and industrial design and the creators behind them. 


Here's what their website summarizes: "Objectified is a feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them. It’s a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. It’s about the designers who re-examine, re-evaluate and re-invent our manufactured environment on a daily basis. It’s about personal expression, identity, consumerism, and sustainability. "


Just look at this A-team roster, some of whom I know and some I don't:
Featuring:
Paola Antonelli (Museum of Modern Art, New York)
Chris Bangle (BMW Group, Munich)
Tim Brown (IDEO)
Anthony Dunne (London)
Dan Formosa (Smart Design)
Naoto Fukasawa (Tokyo)
Jonathan Ive (Apple, California)
Hella Jongerius (Rotterdam)
David Kelley (IDEO)
Bill Moggridge (IDEO)
Marc Newson (London/Paris)
Fiona Raby (London)
Dieter Rams (Kronberg, Germany)
Karim Rashid (New York)
Alice Rawsthorn (International Herald Tribune)
Davin Stowell (Smart Design)
Jane Fulton Suri (IDEO)
Rob Walker (New York Times Magazine)



Gawwwwd. I can't wait and Seattle is getting a sneak preview in early June! 

Couture on Cuisine: Karl Largerfeld's Daily Affirmation

"Fashion is the healthiest motivation for losing weight." – Karl Lagerfeld

The Chanel photo spread is giving me totally mixed messages. Dear Papa Lagerfeld, don't you know those delicious French fries look so damn good (especially with the Chanel logo!) and swimsuit season is JUST around the corner? Tsk, tsk! 

via BryanBoy