Men.style.com recently published a rather unconventional list of The Fifty Stylish Things in the world right now. I've taken the liberty to stick my favourites here, with some extra info and why I like them:
Bodegas Ysios Winery by Santiago CalatravaThe Bodegas Ysios winery, located in Spain's Rioja Alavesa region. The Bodegas and Bebidas group wanted a building that would be an icon for its prestigeous new wine "la Rioja Alavesa" and at the same time accomodate the precise and rigorous program of spaces needed to make, store and sell wine.The site is uneven, with pronounced grade changes of as much as 10 meters from the highest levels in the north, to the lowest in the south.
About half of the site is occupied by vineyards.
Hella Jongerius Polder sofaDutch designer Hella Jongerius has cleverly added a dose of warmth to what would otherwise be an overly stark object. If you notice carefully —the cushions range in hue from burgundy to rose, a bit of quirk further accentuated by Trovata-style mismatched buttons.
Christopher Walken portraits at Mr. Chow TribecaLacquered wall of photo portraits by Julian Schnabel. The repetition of an iconic face inevitably brings Warhol to mind. Apparently, Schnabel being Schnabel, managed to slip himself into one of the panels! Walken is my pick for top two uber cool actors, Samuel L. Jackson would be the other.
Amadana, which is named after an Edo-era district of Tokyo where lacquer workers practiced their trade, is big on the aesthetic design of their product. I wish more companies paid attention to detail, like Apple and Amadana. As of now, most of the company's products, including the DU-119 seen here (which features a walnut and clear acrylic base and leather-backed handset), are available only in Europe and Japan.
Stella Azzurra Maris Carbon WheelsetModeled on the body of a starfish, the new ultra-aerodynamic Maris Carbon Wheelset from Stella Azzurra combines elegant design and featherweight, super strong construction.
Talk about re-inventing the wheel!!!
Rolleiflex camera with a 75mm 3.5 lensDigital Cameras are great, but I prefer old-school SLRs. This camera is solid steel and has a twin lens body. Much easier for the photographer to interact with the subject.
Blitmore Porkpie hat. This, I declare has nothing to do with my current obsession with hats. Some things never really go out of fashion, just reinvented. Seen here is a hat by J.J. Hat Center, NY, which offers the ideal mix of old-time style and urban edge.
The Lining of a Thom Browne SuitThom Browne takes a slightly more playful approach, lining his gray wool suit jacket with a burst of madras. I've got a brown Morissey jacket which doesn't fit that great. But I cannot part with it, the lining on it - rare!
The Fliqlo Flip-Style "Pata Pata" Clock Screensaver, available for free from 9031I've got this on my ibook. Sit and wait for the numbers to tick over and then silently applaud the pleasure derived from this simple, yet timeless design.