Happy 45, Singapore!

Here's some pictures taken from the NDP location, few days before the actual event. For those who's witnessing the parade tonight... lucky you! :)



Have a great National Day!!

Sex and The City 2 Trailer from HP

A much anticipated movie. Tomorrow is the Gala Premiere of Sex and the City 2, and I'm goiiiiiing!! :)



Thanks to HP for the kind invitation.

Deadline Extended: Modern Painters RE:VISION Design Awards 2010

I've just received an email from Jasmine of Louise Blouin Foundation, announcing the new extended deadline for Modern Painters RE:VISION Design Awards 2010. Designers have until December 1 to submit their designs. Below is the brief on the design award competition.



Modern Painters is a magazine that showcases creators—artists, designers, filmmakers, architects—who are experimenting with new ways of seeing the world.

We invite emerging designers of every stripe to revisit, rethink, and reimagine how we live in our homes and to conceive an object or environment that offers a new, more enlightened lifestyle. Whether in the fields of furniture, lighting, product, interior, or environmental design, Modern Painters welcomes submissions that thoughtfully explore new ways to live, work, play, and interact at home.

The first-prize winner of RE:VISION will receive US$10,000
The two runners-up will be awarded US$2,500 each.
All three will be profiled in the May 2010 issue of Modern Painters and on ARTINFO.com.
The work of 10 semifinalists will also be featured on ARTINFO.com.

The Jurors are:

Ross Lovegrove, evolutionary designer and principal, Ross Lovegrove Studio, London
Renny Ramakers, design historian and co-founder, Droog, Amsterdam
David Revere McFadden, chief curator, Museum of Arts and Design, NYC
Rosanne Somerson, furniture maker and professor of furniture design, RISD, Providence, Rhode Island
Cristina Grajales, dealer in vintage modern and contemporary furniture, NYC

For details on rules and submissions, click here.



Good Luck! and thanks, Jasmine!

I ♥ emails like this:

Hi Imelda. Hope all is well with you:)

A while back you did a posting for pingg. Thank you very much:) And since I've been keeping up with your blog.

Not sure if you are interested in this sort of thing but I just got married to Lorien Gabel (the CEO of pingg) and we had an unbelievably non-traditional wedding. We told people we were having a joint 30th and 40th bday party (which was in fact the case) but in addition to that, we also got married a few weeks before, had a film crew (our best friends) meet us and filmed an amazingly sexy/romantic Oliver Stone/David Lynch type movie about it. Then at the party we showed the video which had some pics of us (going along with the bday theme) that turned into this mysterious movie that ultimately led to the finale- our actual wedding ceremony. We showed the video to 200 of our closest friends and the room was on FIRE as people started realizing what they were witnessing. Ridiculously amazing!

We are hoping some people may be interested in posting the video in order to inspire others to really find unique ways of celebrating important events in their lives, to push the mold and really do what it is they want to do, rather than go along with tradition. Our video represents that. And so did the invite we created.

Both of which are below. If you are interested in writing about us, the video, the production team (The Sibs) or pingg, of course, we'd adore and appreciate it. The feedback from friends and family we have gotten is overwhelming. I'd love to inspire more people to let their lives be their fantasies and vice versa.

The Video:

30- 40 birthday party...and a surprise wedding (full length version)
from Lorien Gabel on Vimeo.

An excerpt from the pingg blog:
Note From pingg CEO: Married in pingg Fashion

And our pingg invite below:




Warm regards,
Jessica



Thank you for sharing such intimate moment with us, Jessica. Let our lives be our fantasies, and our fantasies be our lives. Congratulations to both of you, and thank you for the inspiration.

Let's talk about reality show.. HP SPACE

HP SPACE seems to have all the right ingredients of a good reality show. Its Executive Producer, David Searl, is best known for adapting international reality programmes, such as Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader and America's Next Top Model, for local TV audiences. And has created original reality series The Arsenal Dream and M-Thailand. So we have expertise, checked.

David Searl (left), Paula Malai Ali (right)

Then, they have one of Asia's most popular TV personalities, Paula Malai Ali, to host the show. Paula, formerly a veejay for Channel[V], she is now a presenter for ESPN Star Sports. She has also been the face of many international brands such as Longines, Redken, Nescafe and cosmetics line Silky Girl. Plus, she was featured in a special episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show that profiled successful women in their thirties. impressive!

For HP SPACE China and Taiwan, Channel[V] veejay Li Chen will co-host the show. So good looking hosts, checked.

Li Chen (left), Ban Yih Jheow (right)

Two judges for the show are Ban Yinh Jheow and Sean Cummins. Everybody in Singapore must've known who Ban Yinh Jheow is. To me, he is like the man who put Singapore in the global toy industry with his revolutionary STIKFAS(tm) action figure. Uhuh, remember that. And Sean Cummins is known for his "The Best Job in the World" campaign, which entitled him to 3 Grand prix and 5 Gold Lions at the Cannes Lions 2009. These two judges definitely have a say in a creativity competition like HP SPACE. Qualified judges, checked.


As for the contestants, they come from various creative fields, from graphic designers, illustrator, architect, photographer, theatre artiste, to music video directors, and all with different levels of expertise. Some have limited experiences, while others come with many years of productions in their books. A perfect imbalance of contestants, checked.

So let's see if they'd cook all the ingredients right, and dish out some good episodes for us to watch. And yes, please.. with some drama on the side, it'd be one. perfect. meal. ;-) Meals to be served on November 10. Enjoy, folks!

Asia's first original reality TV show. For Real.

It's called HP SPACE. Asia's first original reality TV show that celebrates creativity and innovation, encourages aspiring talents to discover their talents. The show received more than 2,000 digital auditions, with close to 14,000 registered users on hpspace.com.

The 16 finalists were announced today. They are Admira Pustika (Indonesia), Adrienne Vergara (Philippines), Brandon Liu (Australia, works and lives in Singapore), David Tang (Australia, works and lives in Singapore), Daniel Tran (Australia, works and lives in Vietnam), Eric Zhang Hailin (China), Kaz Chai (Singapore), Liu Ming-Chun (Taiwan), Lora Lee (China), Note Pongsuang Kunprasop (Thailand), Phan Huynh Trung (Vietnam), Rafael N. Francisco (Philippines), Rohit Ferreira (India), Sawan (India), Tan Chung Han (Malaysia), Uni Lee (Korea).

Only one winner to win the grand prize of USD 50,000 and a fully-paid job on the live-action remake of cult anime classic, Bubblegum Crisis, in Australia. *yum!*

HP SPACE will telecast as follows:

China
Channel [V], Tuesday at 10pm from 10 Nov.

India
Channel [V], Tuesday at 6pm from 10 Nov.
STAR World, Tuesday at 9pm from 10 Nov.

Malaysia
Channel [V], Tuesday at 8pm from 10 Nov.

Middle East
STAR World, Wednesday at 10pm (UAE Time) from 11 Nov.

Philippines
STAR World, Wednesday at 9pm from 11 Nov.

Southeast Asia and Hong Kong
Channel[V], Tuesday at 7pm (HK Time) from 10 Nov.
STAR World, Wednesday at 10pm (HK Time) from 11 Nov.

South Korea
www.naver.co.kr, Wednesday at 9pm from 10 Nov.

Taiwan
Channel[V], Thursday at 7pm from 12 Nov.





I've uploaded some pics from HP SPACE press conference to my flickr, you can see them here. I'll talk more about the show tomorrow. Stay tuned. ;-)

Kenya Hara Lecture: Nothing, Yet Everything

Kenya Hara is Japan’s most respected thinker and prolific designer. As the Art Director in communication and Board Member of MUJI, Kenya Hara is synonymous with its acclaimed art direction. He is devoted to developing design deeply rooted in Japanese culture and philosophy.

Come spend a day with Kenya Hara and all his greatest works: HAPTIC, SENSEWARE, MUJI, and Emptiness, in his inaugural lecture in Singapore.

Venue : The Singapore Airlines Theatre, LASALLE College of the Arts, 1 McNally Street, Singapore 187940

Date : 12 Nov 2009

Time : 9am

Ticketing by SISTIC

Info at www.autumnschool.asia

Contact at contact@autumnschool.asia



I'd say, save the date, book the event, and plan your travel dates early. Drop everything else. This is MUJI speaking.

And pssst.., there'll be book signing by Kenya Hara. Books by Kenya Hara: Designing Design, Haptic, White, MUJI etc, will be on sale on site at special promotional prices in conjunction with this Lecture. ;-)



Thanks, Adrian!

The British Design Awards 2009

Benjamin Hubert emailed me about his desk light has been shortlisted for The British Design Awards 2009 by Elle Decoration. Click here to cast your vote!




Thanks, Benjamin! All the best for you!

Illustrative 09, Berlin

A note from Katharina of Illustrative was received yesterday, telling me about the Illustrative festival happening in Berlin this coming October. I felt like I had seen that festival logo before, but I couldn't recall exactly when and where. Anyhow, if you're just as confused as I am on what the festival is about, Katharina was kind enough to share some information.


Illustrative is an annual international festival for contemporary illustration and graphic arts, founded in Berlin, in 2006. After great success of Illustrative' past festivals in Paris and Zurich, the festival will return to Berlin this year for 17 days, commencing on October 15.


With 600 works from more than 80 artists, Illustrative 09 showcases an inspiring density of contemporary illustrative art and graphics, selected by a curatorial committee lead by Berlin-based curator Pascal Johanssen. The show will be supplemented by an exhibition of the winners of the Swatch Young Illustrators Award 2009 (more details on next post).

So mark your calendar people, it's October 15 for Illustrative 09!

(images are from past Illustrative events)



Thanks, Katharina!

12 Days of Xmas

Have you ever wished to be in 2 different places at one given moment? This is one of those moments I wish I could.


12 Days of Xmas is an urban art showcase hosted by Steal From Work featuring over 70 local and international street artists. Strictly no preview before the opening night, which is today Dec 12, 2008, 7pm at 15 -19 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3PY, UK. Plus all the work will be available firstly to all those who make it down to the show. No online sale until after the opening weekend.

Click here for its list of artists, and here for more details on the event.



Have a blast tonight!

The Red Thread

The Red Thread is the first of Samsung's Imagination Icon Series, a celebration of outstanding individuals who share Samsung's passion for beauty and creativity. The series will include sites, exhibits, and events exploring each icon's achievements. And in The Red Thread, Samsung celebrates the inspiration and passion of Valentino Garavani.


To experience Valentino's legacy and to celebrate the release of his upcoming film, Valentino: The Last Emperor, please visit The Red Thread at the following locations:

The Red Thread New York, September 4 - 10, 2008
Plaza, The Grace Building
1114 Avenue of the Americas (6th ave. and 43rd str.)
New York, USA

The Red Thread London, September 14 -19, 2008
The Hospital Club
24 Endell Street, London, WC2H 9HQ (Covent Garden)
United Kingdom

Check out The Red Thread's website for more details.


Enjoy!

The Affordable Art Fair, New York

I probably shouldn't be blogging while on vacation, but I really have to post this. I've just gone to the preview of The Affordable Art Fair (AAF) on 135 W. 18th Str, NYC, all thanks to Carrie. It was jammed packed, and obviously it's for one good reason, great artworks at affordable prices. Uhuh, for real. It is a must. visit. event(!). With over 70 international galleries, it's so easy to find favorites there. I found quite a few, and I'm sure you'll find yours. AAF will only run until June 15, 2008, so hurry, click here to find out more.



Enjoy!

Away

It's that time of the year again. :) School holiday has started, we will be leaving on Wednesday for 3 weeks.




Luckily, Jo Scholar told me about the Design Show Liverpool, the upcoming show where she'll be exhibiting at. So there are plenty(!) of designer links and product pictures, from the show's website, for your browsing needs while I'm away. ;-)

There's a 2-for-1 ticket offer, just enter code 'EXH241' when you buy tickets online at www.designshowliverpool.com. Jo will be here, and click here to see the rest of the exhibitors. You'll like them, really. Go on and browse, or visit the show.



Take care, and have a great summer!

Dwell on Design, June 5 -8, 2008

You must've heard it around the blogland, dwell is having the 3rd Annual Dwell on Design on June 5-8, 2008 in Los Angeles. It includes Conference (June 5-6) , Exhibition (June 6-7), and Home Tours (June 7-8).



Here are the highlights of the events:

Conference: June 5-6
More than 50 incredibly talented and diverse speakers ranging from legislators to practitioners to activists, discussing everything form urban gardening to a mandated LEED program for LA.

Exhibition: June 6-7
More than 200 exhibitors and an entire neighborhood of full-scale, pre-fab, sustainable structures completely landscaped and furnished by Dwell.

Home Tours: June 7-8
Saturday covers single-family dwellings on the Westside, and Sunday covers urban dwellings downtown.

Party at the Los Angeles MoCA: June 6
Dwell Live Design Challenge: 6-9 PM

• Designers will challenge each other using Wacom Cintiq tablets, competing in heats with their imagery projected on the museum walls.


• Live DJs and Indie Music Performances


• DETAILS

Party at FORDBRADY Gallery

LA Design Gallery Tour: June 7

And here are the goooodies for you!!: *we all love goodies, don't we? :)*

• Coupon code for Discounted Exhibition Ticket (20% Off): ADODED
  
• Coupon code for Discounted Conference Ticket ($50 Off): GRP22SP
  
• FREE 1 Month Digital Issue of Dwell Magazine: LINK

Interested to join the fun? Save the dates, book a flight, click here for registration, and have a blast! :)




Thanks, Cory!

Faceless at Pombamarela

I received an email from Ana of Pombamarela earlier this month, informing me about the Uterus cancer alert campaign in Portugal called “Passa a palavra” (translation ”Spread the word”). The intention of the campaign is to alert women/families about a new vaccine for adolescents that helps to prevent this terrible disease. And Ana would like to be part of this campaign by donating half of her etsy sales during the month of May to this “Passa a palavra” project.


Ana is a multi-talented person, a crafter, an artist, and a photographer. She loves doing projects with different kind of materials and always pushes herself to achieve a better artistic level. Amongst her creations, I have to say her "Faceless" photograph series are the ones that really grabbed my attention. Above is my top pick. I can really sense Ana's strong confidence in her photography works, and it's obviously shown on the piece above. "Faceless" is definitely not an easy subject for a commercial photograph, but the fact that Ana chose this subject is surely admirable.

Click here to support Ana. Spread the word!


Thanks, Ana!

Ribbon Pouf by Maria Pergay

This is the kind of thing that would make you gasp for breath, and eventually, melt your wallet (or life savings!). If you are a true fashionista or an art collector, this Ribbon Pouf by Maria Pergay is definitely a must-have. How could you possibly resist? It only comes in an edition of 12. And boy. stainless steel has never(!) looked. so. good. Available at Demisch Danant, New York, USA.


Seen on Vogue Living Spring/Summer 2008.

IAMACREATIVEPERSON

Singapore Design Festival has just started on Nov 28, and IAMACREATIVEPERSON is taking part of the event. It's a new design initiative to promote creative thinking and action through business, art, design and media to the people of Singapore.



IAMACREATIVEPERSON is showcasing selected famous product ideas and items of Japanese top creators and artists at the Old Supreme Court, Singapore, from Nov 28 till Dec 8, 2007. Plus, there's a design market where you can purchase products from local artists/designers, or the japanese products exhibited. Click on Designers to see the full list of the exhibitors. Above are some shots taken from their photo gallery. A design conference, when DESIGN meets market, will also be held on Dec 3, 2007 at the Victoria Theatre, Singapore. Click here for more details on the speakers.

I have to say IAMACREATIVEPERSON is one of the must-visits of this year's festival. Must, must! Check out the rest of the festival excitement here. Enjoy!

excitements

Great things are happenning around the blogland. You must, must, must check these out!


Designspotter at the IMM Cologne 2008

From January 14 to 20, 2008, Designspotter offers you the great opportunity to present your product in the heart of the IMM 2008 to a wide audience of experts and visitors. To take part of this excitement, please read more details here. Thanks, Markus!


Designboost, October 17 - November 17, 2007

Designboost is an annual design event aiming to get a lead by collecting new ideas and thinking in different patterns, by twisting and turning questions, inspiration, injection or a push forward. As of today, there are a total of 20 speakers for Boost chats and Bosst duels, short lectures and panel discussions on different aspects of design. Click here to find out more. Thanks, David!


London Design Week at Print & Pattern

I'm a huge(!) fan of Print & Pattern show reports, and her current report on London Design Week is no exception. Hop on over to Print & Pattern and share my excitement.


Design*Sponge new website on Monday!

Grace's new website will be up on Monday, October 1, 2007. It will move to a new domain, DESIGNSPONGEONLINE.COM! Can you feel the thrill?? I really can't wait to see it live!


Poppytalk Handmade will open on Monday, too!

Oh look, look, I've just read Jan's blog, Poppytalk Handmade will be launching on Monday, too! Yay!

UPDATE: Poppytalk Handmade is launched on this domain, poppytalkhandmade.com. *congrats, Jan!*


Have a great weekend!

Events

Fragile Beauty, New Works on Paper by Chris Chun

I received Chris Chun's newsletter before my Jakarta trip, and asked him if it's okay to post his news here. :) Chris' upcoming Fragile Beauty exhibition will feature his new paintings collection. It will be held at the Washhouse Gallery in Rozelle, Sydney, Australia, from September 11 to 30, 2007. The opening night will be on Thursday, September 13. Seeing his previous work here would make you want to see what he's up to next on the Fragile Beauty showcase. Must be another beauuuuutiful paintings!! Don't miss it!

Thanks, Chris!

(above images are copyrighted properties of Chris Chun, please do not use without permission)


Diamond, Stripe & Revolver, Spring/Summer 2008 Collection by IvanaHelsinki.

Fashionistas, boutique owners bookmark these dates to view the upcoming IvanaHelsinki's Spring/Summer 2008 Collection! August 9 to 12 at the Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark, and October 4 to 7, 2007 at Vendome, Paris Fashion Week. Pirjo sent me some images from the Diamond, Stripe & Revolver collection, but I don't think I could show them here. :) All I can say, save the dates and be there, you won't regret it!

Thanks, Pirjo!

MAAD SALE

Here's a chance to get your portrait done by the talented artists of O.I.C. tomorrow, June 2nd, 2-6pm, at MAAD, Red Dot Museum, 28 Maxwell Road.

Guess what.., FLEE will be there, too! :) Click on the image to read the MAAD details.

Have fun!