A gorgeous watch designed by Yves Behar, the Motion is a simple digital watch that has a couple of interesting features. The silicone and steel band only reaches part of the way around the wrist which gives the appearance of a suspended face. The digital screen itself can be read either vertically or horizontally depending on what mode you choose - the idea behind this is that it is easy to read when you are behind the wheel.

Part of the Mini Collection, high end accessories to accompany your Mini, the Motion watch was commissioned as part of a signature collection of products combining design, application and connectivity designed to fuse experiences in and outside the car.

Yves Behar is a Swiss designer who set up Fuseproject, a San Francisco based design consultancy, he has done work for Nike, HP, Microsoft and Birkenstock amongst others.
www.minimotionusa.com
www.fuseproject.com
Tags: Design

I'm not a huge fan of jewelry and adhere to the old adage that the only piece of jewelry at man should wear is his wristwatch. However, for the ladies it's an entirely different matter and if I were to recommend a style right now it would be the oversized gothic jewelry that is becoming popular. The BBC2 show Dragon's Den had a great jewelery designer recently who won the backing of a couple of Dragon's and this girl's creative output was awesome (I will link to it once it's up). In the meantime try this from JC Report.
Tags: Fashion

When you're busy in central London but can just about make 30 minutes for lunch where should you head for? You can do the Starbucks, Pret or Cafe Nero thing but it's just the same old, same old. So why not try out the hottest new restaurant in the capital?

Leon is a delightful addition to Carnaby Street. Situated just outside Liberty's, Leon provides an incredible mix of foods from around the world. Whether you fancy Moroccan meatballs with rice or a good old stew, Leon does the business. The food is delightfully presented in a cardboard box whether you are eating in or not.

The whole place is branded in a slightly kitsch Spanish/Californian style with 70s holiday snaps adorning the walls. This place is hot and just the antidote to a hard morning's shopping.
www.leonrestaurants.co.uk
Tags: Travel`

The KDU is a New York based communications agency who work with the most cutting edge brands. They describe themselves as a 'global creative collective dedicated to creating and managing innovative design driven brands and experiences'.

Their clients include Serum vs Venom, the Royal magazine, and Jb Classics.
www.thekdu.com
Tags: Trends

These are two books that just ooze with creative juice. Having read Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point in just a day whilst on holiday and having read the Medici Effect by Frans Johansson, pretty quickly on the tube I have been inspired.

Both books demonstrate how we can be more creative. The Tipping Point demonstrates how it is small things that can make the big difference whether it is cleaning the NYC subway to half the murder rate or getting kids in the Bronx to endorse the latest Reebok trainers so that they sell thousands of pairs in the suburbs and small towns. This builds on diffusion research that shows how trends spread - virally.

The book is brilliantly written, thought provoking and filled with great personalities and entertaining anecdotes. A must read.

The Medici Effect looks at finding the idea that breaks through. Frans Johansson examines the best ways to generate ground breaking ideas and argues that the answer is cross pollination of expertise. He cites the success of Virgin moving from record label to trans Atlantic carrier and also the success of an architect who examined how termites build their nests to create an office building in Zimbabwe that didn't need air conditioning. He argues that the best ideas are found at the intersection of expertise.

The Medici Effect is highly recommended to those who are looking for the next big thing.
Tags: Books

Nike have finally released a mass market product based on the limited edition Zvezdochka. The Flip N Switch sandal is made up of two components a perforated outer that has a sole slotted into it in the same way as the Zvezdochka.
www.kickshawaii.com
Tags: Trainers, Sneakers

This is a subject that is becoming ever closer to my heart. And I have been looking for a few blogs that relate to this. The two top blogs are Russell Davies (former W+K now Nike) and John Griffiths (freelance planner). Whilst Griffiths has an in depth look at the art of planning Davies provides a day in the life of a planner and has links to his former employers blog and his side projects. Both sites are both worth a read.
www.planningaboveandbeyond.com

russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/

Tags: Marketing

The trend for designers and sportswear to collaborate continues. Following hot on the heels of McCartney for Adidas, Yohji Yamamoto for Adidas, Starck for Puma and Marc Newson for Nike, Puma have announced that Alexander McQueen will be designing a new range of trainers for them.

The new line of men`s and women`s footwear created by PUMA and Alexander McQueen will launch in Spring 2006. Known for his innovative approach to fashion, Alexander McQueen is an established luxury brand with a strong international following. His ability to push boundaries and his intricate craftsmanship in his own collections makes him an ideal partner for PUMA.
"I have always had a great passion for trainers, so I am very excited about this collaboration with PUMA. I am confident that my design philosophy, combined with PUMA`s excellence in the field, will result in a totally unique product. I believe that this partnership will be a great success," said Alexander McQueen. via AgendaInc
www.puma.com
Tags: Trainers, Sneakers