WHISKY JUGS
Pub water jugs, most commonly used as branding opportunities for whisky and cigarette companies, are now becoming extinct as ‘Designer bars’ and the smoking ban threaten the existence of the traditional pubs and associated ephemera (left). As part of a forthcoming exhibition at The Lighthouse, NORD explore the nature of ceramic and exploit its possibilities with a new range of functionalist products. (Robin Lee and Alan Pert)
‘The message is the bag’
Lucy McEachan is exhibitions manager at The Lighthouse. Her choice of a design classic responds to the changing priorities for a planet dogged by over-consumption and an urgent need to use materials more carefully.
hilst not the most obvious choice. the printed cotton bag is perhaps an underrated design item. I first came across one in a supermarket in Germany. charmed by the design of a frog kissing a turtle under a rainbow. with the encouraging slogan ‘Protect our environment‘. The cotton bag has long been a supermarket accessory WV A . amongst us. the cotton bag has in Germany. typical of a culture -‘ rapidly become a viable option. that inherently recognises the not only for carrying your need to ‘reduce. reuse and shopping. but also for recycle‘ on a daily basis. conveying a style statement. Practical. versatile and Through links to fashion and ultimately sustainable. the exciting graphic design cotton bag is an appealing solutions these bags could be a alternative to the wasteful more desirable choice for the plastic bags dished out at everyday consumer. As an icon supermarkets everywhere. of everyday design the humble With the green agenda needing cotton bag promotes the message that we should reuse
to be very much at the forefront of our consciousness. before recycling. The message is the bag . .
the easy to use and reuse your messages are in the bag!
avenues for creative retail merchandising and communication. Instead of conforming to a mass culture of bland branding and corporate homogeneity. this breed of bag offers the -; possibility of making a bold individual comment by informing passers by of places and ideas that interest you. Infiltrating the Top Shop fashionistas
cotton bag has opened up new
AIR-CHAIR
Designer Jasper Morrison used a relatively new moulding technology -
gas-assisted injection moulding - in the design of the Air-chair. This _ makes it quick, and 4 ' ‘ very cheap to produce. ‘- - It retails at less than £50, unusually inexpensive for a piece of well- designed, beautifully made Italian ‘designer’ furniture. (Michael Marriott)
. and of course
DESIGN CLASSICS
RUBIK'S CUBE
The Rubik's Cube took the toy industry by storm in the 1980s and became one of the most recognised and beloved puzzles of the twentieth century. It was the invention of Erné Rubik. a Hungarian architect and professor of design who had been toying with the idea since the mid-19705. It had sold more than 100 million units by 1983. (Meaghan Kombol)
GIBSON LES PAUL GUITAR
1951 was the year when master musician Les Paul made a name for himself by going gold with such hit tunes as ‘Mockin’ Bird Hill’ and also the year in which engineer and Gibson president Ted McCarty had the idea of attaching a celebrity to a new solid-body guitar that he had in development. McCarty secured a five-year contract with Paul, and the look and sound of rock’n’roll changed forever. (Andrea Codrington)
17-24 Aug 2006 ms LIST 7