Now in it's third year, Southbank's Regional Flavours was a big hit with Brisbanites this weekend. The v. talented team from Gloss Creative put together the experiential areas including a fabulous fluoro wheelbarrow garden where visitors could pick 'n mix their preferred herb combination to make a hot tea infusion (I am off to buy a lemon verbena plant for my garden after sniffing that stunning aroma). Screen printed burlap bunting transformed 2 big-top tents into eye catching event spaces, and they were obviously the 'place to be'. Specialists in all manner of foodie topics talked to full houses at each session from what my little eye spied. Southbank do a great job with community events and I'd have to say the sheer number of artisan producers who gathered in the gardens was pretty impressive.
Pick ‘n Mix
Super idea
Window washers at Evelina Children's Hospital in London must wear a superhero costume (it's written into their contract apparently). That's clever and right on brand. Spotted on Pinterest.
Page turner is a head turner
Artist Geoffrey Farmer created this jaw dropping, 18 metre long, three dimensional collage for the Documenta Art Festival currently playing in Germany. Made up of thousands of photo clippings from LIFE magazine taken between the years 1935 to 1985, each of the small photograph cut-outs feature objects from advertisements and articles ranging from politicians to newsworthy events and people of the time. Visually stunning and no doubt totally fascinating. Via DesignBoom
Cupcake ATM
The original Sprinkles store in Beverly Hills now dispenses their cupcakes 24/7. Select your favourite flavour, pay with your credit card and 'voila' your cupcake is delivered. Via the very joyful blog OhJoy!
Le Nid
Le Nid gets 'le nod' for being 'le too funny'. Spotted on WeHeart's fab blog I am just going to re-post the exact words and pics as they sum it up beautifully.
Dominating the skyline of Nantes, and one of France’s tallest buildings outside Paris, Tour Bretagne is not exactly the prettiest of skyscrapers – but that no longer matters. Not one iota. Because, thanks to London-based French graphic designer Jean Julien it now hosts perhaps one of the greatest sky bars on the whole bloody planet. Le Nid – which towers 144m over the city – centres around a sleepy 40m-long half-stork, half-heron, and its eggs; which form the bar’s stools and tables.
Utterly barmy, utterly brilliant, this is not a space of high-concept – this is Jullien’s bold, playful illustrative style manifested in the real world. The bar is holed up in big bird’s rear, its neck stretching around the entire space, the eyes of his sleepy head open and close, whilst visitors cavort in his strewn eggs – there’s no deep meaning here, there’s no arty pretension; it’s just a ruddy great rubber bird! Commissioned by Le Voyage de Nantes – a major arts initiative for the French city – Le Nid is everything you could wish for in a bar, we egg-spect you won’t want to leave. Via WeHeart
Cheesy grin
Couldn't resist re-posting these fabulous, colourful, clever, unexpected and limited edition tents from Field Candy. Made in the UK, these canvas creations are the result of creative collaborations with some big hitters on the world design stage. If you're going to Glastonbury, Badminton or Blenheim then I guess this is one way to find your camping spot in a sea of sameness. Via The Coolhunter.
Louis is always worth a look
LV invest in VM. Love the gorgeous paper shirt campaign currently wowing around the globe.
Blurred vision
Repeat repeat repeat. Clever Calvin Klein windows. Spotted at Chadstone.
Paris? London?
These recent windows for Review were a show stopper. I felt like I could have been walking past Printemps in Paris or Selfridges in London. Nice work Myer.
Join the queue
From what I have observed people queue for Jamie's Italian. Whether it's London or downtown Sydney, come dinner time they are lined up at the door. If you know Sydney this is quite an impressive sight, given that any credible casual evening dining option appears to be located in the suburbs and not the CBD (unlike Melbourne where there are so many fabulous city restaurant options it can be difficult to choose).
A recent trip to the Emerald City saw me "up and at 'em" by 4am to catch an early flight and 'tick a lot of boxes' on a jam packed day ... by 6pm I was ready for the LON (land of Nod) ... but instead I mustered up the energy for a quick dinner with Jamie. A long narrow site on Pitt Street no doubt presented more than a design challenge or two, but the space rises to the occasion and then some. In what can only be described as "distinctly Jamie", a full house by 6.30pm and a queue at the door on a chilly Tuesday evening spoke volumes to me. My food was good, the price fair, the atmosphere 'casual', the diners ranged from singles to groups and 'old' (70+) to young, and my waiter (Spanish Sebastian) was just happy to be of service .. there's lots to like about all that. Jamie's Italian 107 Pitt Street Sydney.
