If you’ve ever experienced the phenomenon of picking up a book on complex material that artfully breaks down the details into a story of universal values – love, friendship and other emotions – our next Rami George Icon is the automotive equivalent of such process. Chris Bangle was once appointed to the head of BMW Group’s creative direction to translate the kind of emotion into automotive design that would be commonplace in life coaching, fashion or any other luxury market.
Everyone is familiar with the idea of a luxury purchase being an extension of one’s identity beyond simple function, a creation that could make you feel and express who your are – but no one had ever done it with cars; least of all on such a global scale.
Whilst many of his industry peers might begrudge Bangle’s influence for receiving the kind of credit that risks neglecting all industrial design icons preceeding, in the 20th century, the truth is none have had to operate under the conditions Bangle did whilst weaving the BMW story past the turn of a millenium. Pininfarina, Bugatti, Giugiaro or Loewy all re-shaped the thought of carmaking and design but operated within a world seeking to break physical ground and external, international forces with grand tourers.
Bangle, whether deliberately or through sheer force of stubborn conviction, forced BMW and their enthusiasts to look inward at what they truly loved about the BMW badge beyond performance machines.
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Art Dubai 2013 participant Green Art Gallery has a slate of artists curated for the closing stages of this winter, and none more so compelling on a global scale than Zsolt Bodoni’s “King Give Us Soldiers”. Green Art Gallery already managed to provoke a lot of thought with Shadi Habib Allah’s work for the second half of last year, and it is Bodoni who is now getting the treatment from the boutique gallery until the beginning of March.
In his narrative, Bodoni doesn’t so much challenge as he does encapsulate our respective ideas of what it means to earn and serve power and progress currently.
Picking this definitive 2013 edition of Art Dubai, as the latest contemporary art locale posting record-breaking sales numbers and stepping into the maturing power vacuum of older locations like New York, couldn’t be a more appropriate playground with which to explore such questions. But is it a broad shot across the bows to its own attendees for Green Art Gallery Press to be labelling such a mindset as “indifferent naivete?”
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As one of the 30 favourite design houses in our Rami George 30×30 End of Year Review, it came as welcome news this week that Kashida’s interior and household design items – all fashioned out of arabic calligraphy – are now available to order online internationally. Kashida Design is the house setup between design partners Mirna Hamady and Elie Abou Jamra, choosing to found Kashida in 2011 right in the Lebanese capital’s hotspot.
The renewed Kashida website for 2013 focuses on fusion – a common theme amongst the leading creative entreprises currently – while the design duo behind the Kashida name will be looking to expand their award-winning setup into more homes from their online base. While Beirut’s Achrafieh district may have taken its own share of political headlines last year, the Kashida international expansion ensures the creativity of their Achrafieh home base will gradually change the international climate surrounding Lebanese artistry.
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Back in 2005, the fiercely independent-thinking Roger Dubuis house garnered critical acclaim for bringing the differential double flying tourbillon to watch collections worldwide. It was the kind of underdog fame mixed with prestige that has come to define Roger Dubuis image among collectors today; the brand’s approach is always eye-catching enough and they have the backing of Richemont, but traditionalists are not always clear on the long-term value of Roger Dubuis timepieces.
What that 2005 introduction to mainstream approval did for the Roger Dubuis team was quietly plan, for 7 years, to earn more of the same. With a dedicated 40-strong team across over 20 different disciplines, Roger Dubuis believe they’ve finally found that in the new Excalibur Quatuor. It’s claim to fame and innovation is being the first ever wristwatch built with an entirely silicon case – four times more rugged than titanium and yet lighter on the wrist than anything you’ve worn before.
Isn’t that everyone’s fleeting fantasy?A dark and rugged stranger just waiting to open up the lighter-hearted side of it’s nature.
Now there is the wristwatch extension of fantasy made reality, with the increasingly collector-worthy Excalibur line finding a unique flagship edition in the Quatuor. Read More »
