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THE ROLLING STONES OPEN ‘WORLD EXCLUSIVE’ FLAGSHIP STORE IN LONDON

On September 9, 2020, The Rolling Stones will open the doors to their world-first flagship store, ‘RS No. 9 Carnaby’ in the heart of London’s Soho, at 9 Carnaby Street.

Created in partnership with Bravado, the store will be home to an exclusive mix of collections and collaborations for fans of all ages and will feature a bespoke T-shirt customization station. Framed in an exceedingly contemporary red and black shop fit, visitors will be able to explore the diverse product offering whilst listening to tracks from the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world!

On September 9, 2020, The Rolling Stones will open the doors to their world-first flagship store, ‘RS No. 9 Carnaby’ in the heart of London’s Soho, at 9 Carnaby Street.

Created in partnership with Bravado, the store will be home to an exclusive mix of collections and collaborations for fans of all ages, and will feature a bespoke T-shirt customisation station. Framed in an exceedingly contemporary red and black shop fit, visitors will be able to explore the diverse product offering whilst listening to tracks from the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world!

The store’s windows feature a world first soundwave installation – taken from the opening to the 1966 hit track ‘Paint It Black’. The audio of the beginning of the iconic song is visualised as a soundwave and reinterpreted into a striking red metal sculpture. 

Jointly curated by the Rolling Stones and Bravado, the shop fit follows the brand colours of red and black.  The glass floor features many of the bands lyrics, and the fitting rooms are adorned with iconic album artwork; Exile on Main Street (1972) and Some Girls (1978). 

Inside, there is an exclusive and curated mix of collections and collaborations for fans of all ages. The store will also introduce ‘Stones Red,’ the official colour from Pantone which is seen in the design elements of the store as well as an exclusive apparel and accessories collection.  

Sound, vision, and lighting are key store components.   Five, 90 inch portrait screens display a film made exclusively for the store showing footage across the rich history of the band. Speakers from high end British audio brand Bowers & Wilkins will play tracks from the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world.  


“With this innovative partnership, the Rolling Stones add yet another cultural touchpoint to their rich legacy. RS No. 9 Carnaby is the result of years of planning and decades of building one of the world's most recognized brands. It creates a destination where fans can connect and immerse themselves in the music, style and spirit of one of the world's most iconic and beloved bands.”

Mat Vlasic, CEO, Bravado.

Exclusive store collaborations include Chateau Baccarat, from French luxury brand Baccarat, a collection of crystal wine glasses, champagne flutes, tumblers, wine decanter, and a beer glass engraved with the Tongue and Lips of the Rolling Stones. Other exclusives include The Soloist chairs and scarves and from premium Swedish raincoat brand Stutterheim there is a handcrafted high quality rubberized cotton raincoat that features the Rolling Stones logo.  More exciting collabs will be announced soon. 

One for superfans are the 10 limited edition signed and numbered framed artworks by John Pasche, the original creator of the iconic Rolling Stones logo, which was first used on the Sticky Fingers LP in 1971. 

The store also features a bespoke T-shirt customization station – choose from an array of exclusive designs on the touch screen menu to create something unique. 

“Soho has always encapsulated Rock ’n’ Roll so Carnaby Street was the perfect spot for our own store. We are confident this exciting project that our friends at Bravado have created will be an unrivalled experience for everyone to come to London and enjoy.”  The Rolling Stones said.

It is a bold time to launch a permanent retail space in London, but RS No.9 Carnaby Street will provide a major long-term boost to music tourism in the capital, as one of the most iconic music British brands and bands of all time, launches this unprecedented experience on London’s historic Carnaby Street in Soho, which has been synonymous with British music culture since the sixties.

The Rolling Stones’ deluxe reissued 2020 version of their historic ‘GOAT’S HEAD SOUP’ album, out this week, looks set to top the U.K. album charts, 47 years after its first release.

Rolling Stones fans not able to visit can also experience it through a bespoke online store and experience which will be going live shortly - https://no9carnabyst.rollingstones.com  

For more information, please visit: www.rollingstones.com

ALL ASSETS COURTESY: THE ROLLING STONES / BRAVADO

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 Helsinki Design Week celebrates design in September 2020

One of the largest design festivals in the Nordic countries with children and families, The 16th annual Helsinki Design Week is held from now until 13 September 2020. The festival events will again spread throughout the city: from museums to markets, from seminar halls to secret shops, from studios to showrooms and from offline to online events and encounters.

One of the largest design festival in the Nordic countries with children and families

HDW2020_Poster_4_Stadium.jpg

The 16th annual Helsinki Design Week is held from now until 13 September 2020. The festival events will again spread throughout the city: from museums to markets, from seminar halls to secret shops, from studios to showrooms and from offline to online events and encounters. 

Helsinki Design Week is a series of responsibly organized events of varying sizes. It is not a festival at one single venue holding thousands of visitors. With regards to possible restrictions on venues or visitors due to the international health crisis, the festival has the means and opportunity to multiply into smaller events or use new digital methods of exhibiting content. 

Helsinki Design Week’s statement for 2020 is Commitment Matters – a theme that raises questions regarding the meaning and value of designing. The phrase is a stimulus for thought, and the theme is meant to be used as a tool for everyone taking part in the festival: the event organizers, the exhibitors, the seminar speakers and the visitors. The leading partner of the festival, the City of Helsinki, is supporting the safe and responsible organization of the festival. 

The festival visuals celebrate the legendary Helsinki Olympic Stadium, combining its functionalistic architecture with vivid and energetic colours from the athletic world. Historic photos from the 1940s will highlight the design and history of the restored monument. 

The main venue: the Olympic Stadium 

The main venue of Helsinki Design Week will be the Olympic Stadium. With its large and airy spaces, it is a perfect spot for safe encounters. The stadium is open on 11–13 September for guided tours and for Children’s Design Weekend. 

The Stadium is also home to the main exhibition, a series of installations on design, architecture and fashion, presenting interesting design from unique pieces to large scale setups. A review of top young designers is not to be missed. The Olympic Stadium will also host an event that may well become the biggest PechaKucha Night ever held. The evening of September 12 is reserved for 10 presentations, each less than 7 minutes long. The idea of PechaKucha, Japanese for “chit chat”, is simple: 20 slides and 20 seconds of commentary on a theme chosen by the presenter.

Helsinki Design Week’s programme for children develops an understanding of architecture and design.

Helsinki Design Week continues the festival tradition of a dedicated programme for children and families for the seventh consecutive year. A sports-themed Children’s Design Weekend 12–13 September takes place at the renovated and modernized Helsinki Olympic Stadium. Children’s Design Week at Annantalo 7–13 September focuses on design workshops. Schools familiarize learners with design through PechaKucha presentations with a toolkit produced by Helsinki Design Week.

“Our programme for children offers such activities for the whole family that makes architecture and design familiar to citizens from childhood onwards. Thus we guide them to observe their built environment with a critical eye,” says Helsinki Design Week Programme Director Anni Korkman.

https://www.helsinkidesignweek.com/festival

Helsinki Design Week (HDW) produces the children’s programme, as well as all other programme content, in partnership with external event organizers. All children’s events are free of charge.

Children are guests of honour at Olympic Stadium.

A part of Helsinki Design Week’s in-house production, HDW Children’s Design Weekend is held at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on 12–13 September. The weekend features a route designed for children and built on the famous green of the Olympic Stadium. The route’s five playful sports sites combine sports and art, making design visible at the same time. Parents can join their children’s sports performances with instructions stored in QR codes. At the end of the route, children make their trophies and pose with them on the podium. The trophy materials are available on the Helsinki Design Week website so that the programme can be duplicated at home. 

As a part of Helsinki Design Week’s COVID-19 safety guidelines, registration is required to attend this free event.

Workshops at Annantalo

Annantalo, the City of Helsinki arts centre for children, young people and families, celebrates Children’s Design Week 7–13 September with nature- and future-themed programme.

Workshops on the themes are held at Annantalo for groups from schools and daycare centres. For example, 5th graders can create art with soil materials at the Annantalo yard in a workshop that combines mythology, architecture, art and biosciences. 

A forest installation has been erected at the Annantalo yard: trunks of trees from thinning forest operations have been used to create a playful space resembling a forest. Three exhibitions on display inside the arts centre focus on ecology, the environment and the bond between a mother and her baby.

Most of the workshops are held outdoors. Safety is ensured indoors with sufficient distances maintained between occupants. Some of the workshops require registration.

Children’s Design Week at Annantalo

PechaKucha at schools

Learners at Helsinki comprehensive schools follow a Culture Path from one grade to the next. The path includes suggestions for cultural contents for each grade, and every learner should make at least one cultural visit in a year. 

“Culture Path ensures that every learner has an opportunity to be familiarized with various cultural contents and cultural operators during their basic education,” says Pedagogical Specialist Panu Hatanpää of the City of Helsinki Education Division.

“Familiarizing learners with culture through Culture Path visits is part of new creative learning at Helsinki schools, and it is closely linked to familiarizing learners with design and design thinking,” Hatanpää emphasizes and points out that design is included in Culture Path contents.

There are no visits by school groups to Helsinki Design Week events this year. Visits are replaced by a toolkit produced by Helsinki Design Week for organizing PechaKucha presentations, one of the Design Week’s essential programme items. PechaKucha is a form of storytelling, in which the presenter talks about a topic with 20 images, 20 seconds about each.

“PechaKucha is a good method for learners to practice making a presentation in front of an audience and to talk about topics of importance to them. For the audience, PechaKucha is a good method to practice listening,” Hatanpää says. 

Helsinki Design Week’s PechaKucha toolkit is freely available to all. (Please note that the toolkit content is in Finnish only). 

Design education in Helsinki

Design education is also in focus at Design Museum: A&DO Learning Centre for Architecture and Design organizes DesignLab: Mini Jam at the museum and online on 11 September. Talks by specialists and design-themed jamming shed light on future architecture and design learning and on the tone that public participation brings to urban design. The City of Helsinki supports the event.

“Helsinki has been a pioneer in architecture and design education for many years,” says Chief Design Officer Hanna Harris of the City of Helsinki. “We have several teachers and schools in Helsinki dedicated to the theme.”

For example, the Arabia Comprehensive School teaches design as part of creative problem solving that crosses subject boundaries, and the methods of design education are used in all subjects on grades 1–9. The Kruununhaka Comprehensive School for grades 7–9 offers a design track for local students.

“The City of Helsinki has joined forces with design organizations and projects to develop contents for architecture and design education for use by teachers, and we have participated in varied design collaborations. Our next step is to develop long-ranging activities within the City organization,” Harris asserts.“ I consider the following to be of very high importance: architecture and design education provides children and young people with means for creative problem solving and for the development of their identity. They learn to comprehend their neighbourhoods, to understand planning and various materials, and they obtain tools to participate in building our joint future.”

For more information, please visit: https://www.helsinkidesignweek.com/festival/



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The story of “Sky, Earth, and Bounty”. Designed by JJ Acuna of JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio

Interior architecture, designed by JJ Acuna of JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio, takes inspiration from Chef Mingoo’s humbly crafted artisanal platings, building a concept narrative aligned with the Chef’s craftsmanship and focused on the story of “Sky, Earth, and Bounty”.

Hansik Goo is Hong Kong’s newest fine-dining destination. At the helm is Korea’s Award-Winning, Chef Mingoo Kang, of Seoul’s famed Mingles restaurant. The name Hansik Goo is a play on words that can refer to both “a family that shares meals together” and “Korean cuisine by Chef Mingoo”. In collaboration with ZS Hospitality, Hansik Goo introduces the heart and soul of Contemporary Korea today with tasting menus authentically Korean but with inventively playful twists, elevating flavours in a refined and nuanced way using ingredients sourced locally and from Korea. 

Interior architecture, designed by JJ Acuna of JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio, takes inspiration from Chef Mingoo’s humbly crafted artisanal platings, building a concept narrative aligned with the Chef’s craftsmanship and focused on the story of “Sky, Earth, and Bounty”. The 2,200 sq.ft. Space is separated into three zones; the Sky Zone in the Main Dining Room design in various shades of blue, the Earth Zone at the Drinks Bar clad in copper metal, and finally the Bounty Zone defined by the Chef’s Private Room table in natural walnut with touches of forest green and birch finishes on walls and soft surfaces. 

To create a space of warmth, Korean species of Oak and Birch give the space ease and softness, while hand-crafted glazed ceramic tiles make a glossy contemporary finish. The designers also take inspiration from Seouls’ ancient Bukchon Hanok Villages, a neighbourhood from the 14th Century with preserved traditional Korean architecture. The private room’s vertical surfaces are framed by geometry inspired by the Hanok, while the main dining room floor utilizes a uniquely staggered floor pattern made of sliced white limestone and poured-in-situ terrazzo- reminiscent of peripheral stone and concrete walls protecting these Hanok homes

In addition to the restaurant’s materials and finishes, uniquely bespoke artworks in collaboration with contemporary Korean artists were curated and placed carefully throughout the space. In the Sky Room- a 5-panel luminescent panoramique of Acid Etched Mirror and Laminated Glass, titled “Breathing of Light 20MA01 (2020)” by artist Lee Kyouhong was made specifically to respond to the design narrative of Sky. Three beautiful prints of Hanok homes, gardens, and landscapes by photographer, Kim Heewon, adorn all three zones of the restaurant. Other collaborations include sculptural work by Chung Yongjin, Kim Woo Young and Kim Yong Ho. 

ALL Photographs taken by XU Liang Leon. Design by JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio. All photographs are copyright of JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio.

For more information, please visit JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio.

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Ditzel Lounge Chair Sheepskin Edition

Ditzel Lounge Chair is a modern take on the traditional, comfortable chair, offering a stylish seating solution for private residences to more public venues, such as hotel lobbies and executive suites, upscale lounges, reception areas and the like. Now available in white sheepskin with legs made of walnut wood.

Adding an extra layer of comfort to one of their classics, Fredericia now introduces the Ditzel Lounge Chair in a new version, fully upholstered with the softest sheepskin on beautiful legs made of walnut wood.

The Ditzel Lounge Chair is available in stores from October 2020.

The Ditzel Lounge Chair is available in stores from October 2020.

Nanna Ditzel was truly an extraordinary woman. Incredibly talented, with a magnetic personality and a relentless drive. When Thomas Graversen took over as Creative Director at Fredericia in the late 1980’s, Ditzel joined him as Head of Design. Their close collaboration and openness to experimentation led to countless design awards and pieces celebrated all around the world to this day. Including what is arguably Ditzel’s most famous piece, the Trinidad Chair. She applied her brilliant creative mind to other disciplines, such as jewellery, tableware and cabinet making as well as textiles for famous design firms, such as Kvadrat. Boasting a career that began as part of the mid-century Danish Modern movement, she was a forward-thinking visionary whose work spanned more than 50 years.

Partnering with her husband Jørgen on the Ditzel Lounge Chair, they rejected conventional thinking and the assumption that a chair must be upright and rigid. Instead, by creating unconventional furniture that considered the various dimensions in a room, they believed that sitting in new ways would give people the freedom to think and live in new ways.

One of their most accomplished designs was the Ditzel Lounge Chair, designed in 1953. With the Ditzel Lounge Chair, each line and curve has been carefully considered to appear beautiful from all angles. Providing a perfect fit to the human form and as well as exceptional comfort, due to its generous width, back support, armrests and upholstery.

It also lends itself to customised versions and countless colours. Despite its broad, self-contained dimensions, the chair is rather light and takes up only little space. Known for her rebellious spirit and never-say-never attitude, Ditzel was unafraid to push the boundaries of what was considered possible. To challenge the status quo with sculptural, vibrant designs that drew inspiration from nature. Her rebellious spirit is also revealed in the varying ways you can position yourself in the Ditzel Lounge Chair. There are no rules; feel free to use it exactly as you see fit. Throw your leg over the side, lean sideways, straighten your back or cross your legs – do whatever you need to feel comfortable.


ditzelloungesheepskin.jpg

Ditzel Lounge Chair is a modern take on the traditional, comfortable chair, offering a stylish seating solution for private residences to more public venues, such as hotel lobbies and executive suites, upscale lounges, reception areas and the like. Now available in white sheepskin with legs made of walnut wood.

MATERIALS

Shell in high pressured PUR-foam enforced with a steel frame upholstered in sheepskin with solid wooden legs.

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Beosound Balance, the new passion for music, design and craftsmanship

Beosound Balance is designed in collaboration with Benjamin Hubert from the British industrial design studio LAYER as an interior-first and shelf-friendly speaker that doesn’t compromise on the sound experience in large living spaces. Using materials that soften technology and blend in with quality furniture, Beosound Balance presents a solid oak wood base that visually grounds the speaker and a cylindrical shape clad in a seamlessly knitted textile that makes Beosound Balance inviting to touch and beautiful from any angle.

Created with a passion for music, design and craftsmanship, Beosound Balance is inspired by interior objects to redefine home audio in a way that only Bang & Olufsen can: a soft, rounded silhouette using interior-first materials such as solid oak wood and knitted textile, an innovative user interface that hides when not in use and seven carefully placed speaker drivers with beam-forming technology that lets the user choose between powerful and room-filling sound for everyday listening and sound directivity for precise and immersive music experiences.   

Beosound Balance is designed in collaboration with Benjamin Hubert from the British industrial design studio LAYER as an interior-first and shelf-friendly speaker that doesn’t compromise on the sound experience in large living spaces. Using materials that soften technology and blend in with quality furniture, Beosound Balance presents a solid oak wood base that visually grounds the speaker and a cylindrical shape clad in a seamlessly knitted textile that makes Beosound Balance inviting to touch and beautiful from any angle. 

Blending in as an interior object, Beosound Balance has a hidden touch interface to control the speaker manually. When approaching the speaker, the interface lights up using light-through aluminum technology and invites the user to interact with the speaker. Swipe around the top plate to control volume or touch on the icons to change tracks, pause the music and select pre-saved favourite listening experience for easy access. When walking away from the speaker, the interface dim, sleaving nothing but the aluminum surface visible. 

The concept for Beosound Balance was to make sure that beautiful aesthetics, innovation and powerful sound go hand in hand, explains Bang & Olufsen VP of Design Gavin Ivester: “The vision with Beosound Balance is to make the speaker feel like an extension of the atmosphere in the home - reflecting the place it is in and the person using it. The design is both sensorial and tactile, with a look and feel driven by high-quality interior craftsmanship and materials, as well as highly innovative. Listening modes allow tailored acoustics when needed, and carefree, stunning sound when wanted— putting listeners in control of a broad range of experiences that soothe, excite, and create joy”.

A speaker dedicated to purposeful technology

Beosound Balance comes with seven uniquely configured speaker drivers with two opposing woofers that generate a powerful bass sound that cancels out vibrations that could upset the neighbours. Beosound Balance also brings forward an innovative and flexible acoustic experience based on two sound modes – an Omni-directional mode ensuring a uniform sound experience around the speaker, and a sound mode delivering a precisely focused and unique ambient experience. Both technologies have trickled down from the flagship Bang & Olufsen Beolab speakers.

Product Overview

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Beosound Balance is a wireless speaker with a dynamic acoustic performance designed to display friendly and inspired by interior objects and the use of soft, appealing and well-curated materials, colours and finishes. Placement up against the wall is ideal for optimal listening, whether from room-filling to focused sound experiences.

Special features:

  • Different sound modes in one.

  • From room-filling to focused sound.

  • Soft interior silhouette. Honest, natural materials.

Pricing and availability

Beosound Balance is available at Bang & Olufsen stores now.

  • Beosound Balance(Natural Oak and Black Oak): HK$17,900

For more information, please visit: https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en

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GOLDEN “KUBE” COFFEE KIOSK - % ARABICA’s coffee is now opened at K11 Musea

The golden “KUBE,” a cube-shaped design installation by Dutch architectural firm OMA, is now open for business with % ARABICA of their sixth store in Hong Kong. Echoing K11 Group Founder Adrian Cheng’s vision for K11 MUSEA to be a landmark whereby to connect people and propagate culture, the now opened % ARABICA at KUBE is designed to unfold public dialogues and experiences shared between the community, shoppers, and travellers of the energetic city.

The golden “KUBE,” a cube-shaped design installation by Dutch architectural firm OMA, is now open for business with % ARABICA of their sixth store in Hong Kong. Echoing K11 Group Founder Adrian Cheng’s vision for K11 MUSEA to be a landmark whereby to connect people and propagate culture, the now opened % ARABICA at KUBE is designed to unfold public dialogues and experiences shared between the community, shoppers, and travellers of the energetic city.


“In creating K11 MUSEA, we worked with 100 creative talents to propagate culture and inject inspiring content into the new consumer’s daily life. What David Gianotten and Rem Koolhaas’ KUBE adds to K11 MUSEA is therefore more than an iconic OMA feature, but a symbolic space that explores Hong Kong’s waterfront culture, coffee culture and a new way to become part of a larger community.”
— Adrian Cheng, K11 Group Founder.

KUBE x % ARABICA  

Enviably located on the waterfront with unimpeded views of the iconic Victoria Harbour, KUBE is a cube-shaped kiosk designed by acclaimed Dutch architecture firm OMA headed by David Gianotten and Rem Koolhaas. KUBE will now be home to the newest % ARABICA, the fastest-growing specialty coffee brand in the world. Serving its signature blend and specialty drinks, % ARABICA will foster a communal environment where shoppers and visitors can share experiences over a great cup of coffee. 

The dai-pai-dong-inspired kiosk features aluminium panels with a special anodized golden finish that changes colour as light of different qualities reflects from the material, while an arrangement of cubical marble chairs allows people to linger and engage with each other – an all-rounded setting that allows events and outdoor performances in future.

For special events, a giant red balloon, visible from across the Victoria Harbour, is installed as a “city canopy” to gather all participants under the same roof, and as an “urban pin” to mark the KUBE as a place in the city for inspiring encounters.  

“The KUBE is a multi-function installation to connect people visiting K11 MUSEA and passers-by, who share a moment to be fully present to experience the city, and possibilities of encounters,” says David Gianotten, OMA Managing Partner – Architect.

Lauded by its smooth and strong taste with hints of dark chocolate, the signature % ARABICA Blend is a medium-dark roast combining two Ethiopian and two Brazilian coffee beans. The current single origin coffee features lightly roasted Ethiopia Adado which evokes a fruity flavour with tones of citrus and orange. Highlights on the menu include the Spanish Latte, a sweet and smooth coffee served with a dash of condensed milk and the Matcha Latte, a non-coffee beverage made with Kyoto matcha powder and milk.  

One-of-a-kind Coffee Journey

K11 MUSEA, Hong Kong’s Silicon Valley of Culture introduces a wide range of culinary experience to both local and overseas visitors, enriching their daily life through gastronomy culture. Encompassing over 70 local and global food & beverage brands, the destination presents three specially curated concepts including Hong Kong’s largest bakery zone with over 4,500 sq. ft. and an artisanal coffee journey experience.

Alongside the unique coffee by the sea experience at KUBE, K11 MUSEA also curated a coffee journey in arm’s length – Visitors can enjoy the urban skyline at the alfresco rooftop of the Bohemian Garden with Elephant Grounds, explore the world’s first single-origin nitro coffee bar by The Coffee Academïcs or enjoy the sleek aesthetics of Omotesando Koffee with their variety of espresso based coffee’s from Japan. For a more intimate experience, visit Koffee Mameya, where their bean specialists or “coffee sommeliers” brew some of the rarest and bespoke coffees sourced from around the world.

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