bamboo

Of all the automakers that display on an annual basis at the Geneva Motor Show, surely Rinspeed is the most innovative. The Swiss firm makes a tradition out of designing off-beat concept cars, and this year's will be no exception.

Called the BamBoo, the vehicle is envisioned as a mode of transportation for resort destinations and vacation homes. It offers little in the way of protection from the elements, leaving the cabin open to the warm air it's intended to drive through.

Now Rinspeed has taken its uniqueness one step further by announcing a collaboration with pop artist James Rizzi, who will apply his trademark cheerful and colorful design to the BamBoo's inflatable roof. Along with it, the BamBoo will feature one of Rizzi's bird icons on the upper roof pillar that will change color to reflect the occupants' mood.

Badollet borrows some lessons from fellow Swiss watch brands for the creation of this marvelous looking luxury tourbillon timepiece. The first influence is Roger Dubuis, who themselves have a few timepieces with "bamboo" scaffolding style skeletonized mechanical movements. Though admittedly, Badollet has done a better job making movement bridges actually look like bamboo (and scaffolding). The combo of the sticks and gears makes for a provocative look. The movement features a flying tourbillon - which is also trendy to combine with ultra minimalistic movements.

According the Badollet, the Calibre BAD5600 movement bridges are cut from high-tech aluminum lithium alloy. I believe that this is the same (or similar) material that Richard Mille uses in their famed ultra-light RM07 $525,000 watch for star tennis player Rafael Nadal. While simple, the manually wound movement does have a large mainspring which offers 5 days worth of power reserve. The case of the Crystalball Bamboo watch is 43.2mm tall by 40.2mm wide and done in 18k palladium white gold. According to the brand, customers can order the watch in various case materials and metals such as ceramic, various types of gold, titanium, and even get the case jewel-encrusted or engraved.

Seen here, the case is decorated with 52 baguette diamonds (almost 7 carats), and has a dial that is in white gold with mother-of-pearl inlay. Though in reality the dial region is highly complex and customizable also having optional titanium, enamel, and ceramic elements. With a crocodile strap and lots of customization options, this impressive super-luxury watch can be deemed unisex, but certainly does target preferences seen often in the luxury watch buying habits of the Asian male consumer. I don't even want to know the price as it will be ludicrously high. Best to just enjoy the visuals in this instance unless you have some spare gold bullion laying around.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Anyone with a yen to climb like a monkey through a bamboo forest shouldn't miss Mike and Doug Starn's "Big Bambú" on the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This bamboo colossus has a unique form for a land sculpture---a cresting wave with internal elevated pathways. Ultimately, it will measure 50-feet tall and take "audience participation" to new heights. If you are thinking of walking the "waves," wear close, rubber-soled shoes and request timed-tickets in person. Although you can visit the roof anytime, try for sunset on a Friday or Saturday. Tickets, based on first-come, first-served for walking on the elevated platforms, are bound to be in great demand as when else could you get such drop-dead views of Central Park.

Python leather (is it me or is python everywhere lately?) in shades of stone beige and gray with springy off-white leather accents, including a fun little cluster of knotted tassels hanging off the front, give this Croisette Evening Bag by Gucci its fresh and casual-glam vibe. The flap-over front has a Gucci-engraved 'bullet' embellished with bamboo beads on either side, which is subtly eye-catching and brings the whole look down to earth a bit. Nickel hardware, detachable metal chain shoulder strap, and one interior pocket. Get it on Gucci.com.

The Gucci New Bamboo Large Top Handle Bag is a gorgeous neo-classic from a house we love.

The unusual texture you're looking at is actually a fascinating heather gray leather -- feels normal, looks innovative. This is one of those bags that will become even more attractive with age.

The heather leather -- that's right, we said it -- and steely nickel hardware are a beautiful contrast for the bamboo details. The bamboo accents are carefully balanced; just the bases of the tassels are utilized, and the gorgeous handle is wrapped with elaborate leather details to keep the color contrasts in harmony. We especially like the big, bold bamboo turnlock closure -- so much more tactile than the usual hardware.

The top flap hides a Gucci inscribed mirror and the bag includes two detachable shoulder straps; one in plain leather and one in braided leather with chain. This 10½"W X 6¾"H X 4¼"D masterpiece gives a modern spin to the retro bamboo handle, but the look is still quite difficult to dress up. We find this Gucci most appropriate for lunch or brunch, and casual activities like films and shopping.

The Gucci New Bamboo Large Top Handle Bag is available from Saks Fifth Avenue for $1,950.00.

The last time I checked out the work of Miami-based furniture designer Facundo Poj he was making curvy bamboo designs that extended from the idea of continuing a single stroke of a line on a paper. His latest pieces are quite different. The Machine 87 bamboo collection is all angles. Instead of using curving bamboo plywood layered with nontoxic glue these new pieces are simplicity itself. The Machine 87 bamboo collection is 100 percent bamboo, no nails, no screws, no glue. The assembly is a simple groove joint system with no tools required. The pieces are finished with beeswax. The collection includes both adult and children furniture. The lounger sells for $500, the coffee table is $250 and the kids set with two chairs and a table is $600.

A few years ago I was in a home with bamboo floors. They were just beautiful, and with bamboo being sustainable, much less guilt-inducing than non-sustainable floors.

Boston-based EcoModern Design has taken the sustainable floor a step further with one of its newer products -- EcoLux flooring. This is a gold-, silver- or copper-leafed, or imitation gold leaf, Forest Stewardship Council-certified hardwood, bamboo, or engineered maple. It is made with metal gilding using a 2,000-year-old technique. The company's David Sanborn previously was a paintings restorer and now uses the same techniques to produce flooring.

The floors are offered with custom border edges, which can be used as wall panels and veneer wallpaper. EcoLux is sold by the square foot, as a border edge or in repeating border edge patterns.

Lux Life Apparel recently launched an organic clothing site, Lux Green Living. (I know luxe is spelled with an "e," but this is how they spell it.) The site is just getting going, and for its first line is featuring Toggery by Kate D'Arcy, a simple, casual line with reasonable prices that the site calls "a fun, contemporary line that appeals to every body shape and is offered in all organic and sustainable luxurious fabrics." I saw only one item that cost more than $100. I randomly clicked on about 10 items, and all were made with bamboo or cotton, and some had Spandex. If you're looking for some light, breezy summer basics that are eco-friendly, this could be a place to start. See the gallery for a few items that caught my eye (too bad they don't come in petite sizes).

Take cashmere and bamboo and you end up with camboo®, a new fabric from pur brands that is designed to be soft, durable and eco-friendly. The blend of cashmere and bamboo uses cashmere from the combed fleece of Mongolian goats and bamboo pulp. The camboo is grown, harvested, spun, knitted, and woven on the grasslands of Mongolia. The ruffled shawl shown here retails for $250.

Yumi & Laurie makes a high-end, stylish, eco-friendly line of blankets, which it calls "blanQuettes." They feel like a large, plush Turkish towel and are designed with vibrant and whimsical colors and patterns inspired by founder Laurie Suzuki's trips to Japan and Europe and the beautiful textiles she saw there.

The blanQuettes are woven out of 100% organic and sustainable cotton and bamboo fibers, are anti-microbial (safe for allergy sufferers), and machine washable. The blanket is light, so it can be used in all seasons, and is manufactured with environmentally sound materials and techniques.

Five styles are available, all 6'6" x 4'9": St. Moritz (rich texture, $225), Nevis (two-color floral, $225), Laguna (vibrant colors, great for teens, $195), Furano (three-color Asian-inspired design, $235), and Milan (texture with calming colors, $225).

All are on sale (20% off these prices) until December 31, 2008.

I have a bad habit of tossing my jewelry on top of my dresser at night and as a result I often forget what pieces I have because they're all jumbled up and hard to find. What I should do is invest in some decorative jewelry stands like these from Polli. Available in cheerful bright colors, there are both standing and hanging versions in patterns inspired by coral branches, gum trees, and bamboo. Laser cut out of acrylic, these stands can be used to hold and display jewelry or act as a decoration all on their own. AU$140

Via Design Mind

In the green and gorgeous category are these letterpress cards from Smock. This printshop in upstate New York creates handcrafted products from bamboo paper. Bamboo is a sustainable and renewable resource which requires little water to grow. Smock has partnered with a 500-year-old European paper mill to develop their artisan paper. The bamboo for the paper is harvested in Thailand without use of pesticides or fertilizer and is supplied by local farmers and not harvested from areas where traditional or civil rights are violated, nor does it come from natural forests that have been converted to plantations.

The inks used are vegetable oil based or low VOC and their retail packaging is biodegradable, tree-free and petroleum-free. The store does custom orders for weddings and other social events and notes likes these thank you cards are $18 for eight cards with lined envelopes.

[via Notes On A Party]

Spring has sprung! Well, I realize spring isn't officially here yet on the calendar for a few weeks but I've already switched over in my head and I'm all about the florals. This 'Pop Bamboo' top handle bag by Gucci in white/black fabric with leaf embroidery and black bamboo detail is darling and springy without being childish or overly bold. Black patent leather trim, light gold hardware, pockets for all your gadgets like cell phone and pda, plus it features double bamboo handles and a detachable shoulder strap. $2890 (Gucci website exclusive)

We've mentioned Bali-based John Hardy company's commitment to the environment . The company is now behind a pilot project to plant bamboos and reforest Nusa Penida, a small island off the coast of Bali. Local families will be provided with bamboo seedlings and training in sustainable cultivation of bamboo and other hardwoods. To support the project they have created the limited edition sterling silver John Hardy Bamboo Collection. For each piece of jewelry purchased from this collection, John Hardy will plant a certain amount of bamboo seedlings on Nusa Penida. Each piece of jewelry is engraved with the number of bamboos actually planted. The two largest cuffs also have a special grill on the back that depicts both the bamboo theme and the Bali starling. The sterling silver cuff shown here sells for $850.

This Aitutaki Bamboo Bed is big, bold, and beautiful, but in a completely understated and natural way -- if that makes any sense. The sheer white curtains bring romance to the large bamboo pillars, which are available in 3 stain colors to match your decor. I love almost all 4 post canopy style beds but I think my favorite part about this one is the handmade and completely organic and natural appearance of the bamboo beams, with the end-grain and knuckles clearly visible. Plus it's great that it's made of sustainable materials. $4000