Hoping that everyone had a great holiday season and a wonderful new year!
I was itching to make this post earlier, but couldn’t give away the gift I used for my family Secret Santa. So, here it is -adorable holiday cookie cutters by WorldwideFred that were found during holiday shopping in NYC. Oddly (or not so oddly), I found them at Henri Bendel, located at 712 5th Avenue.
Initially, I would have never expected such a quirky gift from a prestigious fashion retailer, but after being delighted to have found a unique gift, I made the connection –uniqueness. Retailers are constantly on the search to differentiate themselves and be trend setters. They need to offer clients and customers a reason to come back. Is that reason pure product quality? Affordability? Luxury? Variety? It’s a combination of a many differentiators which range from the convenience of a one-stop-shop or being a specialty store to selling the customer service experience. Regardless the exact strategy at Henri Bendel, I was happily surprised and excited to have found WorldWideFred products there and would certainly go back to find that ’special’ gift. It seems like a mission accomplished for both retailer and gift-hunter.
Apologies for the lack of posts this past month! I’ve been busy doing some pre-holiday travel to Hong Kong and NYC to visit family and friends. Now, on with the post…
A recent giveaway on NotCot reminded me of some links I had been collecting. First off, Japanese food is one of my favorite cuisines and as I was catching up with RSS feeds saw this Do’s and Don’t of sushi etiquette. A few things I definitely learned here! Like, dipping the fish and not the rice into the soy sauce. Hmm.. this would make an interesting place-mat for a sushi restaurant…
via TheWorldsBestEver
Sushi has been a constant trend in both the design and culinary worlds. As a very recognizable and iconic cuisine, the shapes, contents, and form of sushi is easily transferable to other objects. Even by changing the materials and contents of the ’sushi’, we can still make the association through form and color… what do you think? See a collection of sushi toys after the jump and share your thoughts in the comments! (more…)
I was doing some research and inspiration hunting a while back and came across Boon, a design studio focused on designing products with babies and parents in mind. Above image are Benders (Adaptable Utensils), where the scoop of the utensil can be bent to accommodate the child’s grip. In addition to the great form factor and colors, the basics of function have been well considered too!
Boon offers a wide range of products that help parents all over the world. We’re committed to creating nothing but the most innovative gear—and keeping it affordable. Our design studio is always in motion, tackling one parenting challenge after another. And don’t forget our commitment to quality and safety.
A couple other infant sites that I’ve come across, who carry well thought out designs:
Fawn and Forest carries a great collection of products from various designers.
Craft Boston featuring 200 Contemporary Craft Artists was held at the World Trade Center, Boston on March 27-29, 2009. A great show of independent crafts people and artists. Below are a few of my favorites.
In collaboration with the National Palace Museum of Taiwan, Giovannoni shows his ability to provide everyday utensils with a playful slant in this new collection that provided for the creation of the corresponding bookOrienTales - Eastern stories through Western eyes.
G.O.D. (Goods of Desire) is one of my must-see stores whenever in Hong Kong. I love seeing all the expressive east-meets-west lifestyle elements. However, this press release has me both excited and disappointed.
These tasty roll-bustos have an irresistible charcoal grilled aroma. They are made from natural egg white and black sugar. Egg white is full of protein and is low in cholesterol. In the production process, natural minerals and vitamins that are beneficial to health have been carefully retained. It is a delicious treat with tea and coffee.
From cigars to eggrolls: brilliant concept, but are they trying to sell me the wonderfully novel idea or the supposedly great health benefits? What do you think?
Visit G.O.D to learn more about their concept and the products they carry. Visit them in 3 HK locations here.
During my trip to Hong Kong, I also took a small trip to Taipei and while waiting for my flight back to HK, I spent my remaining Taiwanese dollars at the airport. I couldn’t resist picking up this pair of chopsticks… the chopstick stand doubles as a container of sorts. Clever.
Back in the States and catching up with some blog reading, this product reminds me of the chopsticks…
Trongs, finger food utensils. Interesting to say the least… a practical solution to avoid messiness and washing your hands before you eat. Does this alter the full experience we have when eating with our hands..? Does it improve the experience? These little finger gadgets look sort of like falcon-claws…be prepared to rip into those wings! (Thanks for the link Vivian!)
