lifeiscarbon®

Emerging Graphic Design Talent

lifeiscarbon® applauds the comprehensive identity program developed by Norwegian graphic designer Mikael Fløysand for the New Deichmanske Library at Bjørvika in Oslo. Including everything from logos and fonts to notebooks and promotional posters (and much in between) the design was actually created for Fløysand´s 2nd year final exam.

Originally from Bergen, on the west coast of Norway, Mikael Fløysand is currently part of Studio 3, the in-school 
design agency consisting of 15 handpicked third year students at Westerdals School of Communication in Oslo. Take a look below at the full scope of his design for the new Deichmaske Library and then make sure to follow the link to check out more great work on his website:  

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Despite our somewhat puritanical view of Scandinavian fashion, it´s difficult not to fall for Monki, the story-based female fashion concept from Sweden. Created in 2006, the Monki brand has grown from a handful of stores in its homeland to a successful international retail chain. Monki´s core collection manages to successfully flirt between street-style and crisp Scandinavian fashion sense.

The brand concept is based on the idea of the Monki World; apparently a magical place where anything can happen. However, this is not the clever creation of a group of independent designers. Monki happens to be the feisty, quirky little sister of Weekday and Cheap Monday, and is therefore owned by omni-present H&M (Hennes & Mauritz AB). Take a look below at some more wonderful images from Monki´s style campaign: 

blackgraphite by lifeiscarbon®

Photo by Danièle Martinie

Given the frequent coverage of Scandinavian photography here on lifeiscarbon® and our long running carboncollective™ series, it´s no secret that we have a vested interest in photography. In between our various commercial projects we are sometimes commissioned to do fashion shoots. In the spirit of openness and honesty, we thought it time we shared one of our other popular blogs with you. blackgraphite® is a continual curation of random inspiration for our various art fashion photo shoots. Take a look below to see a small selection of images and start following blackgraphite® today:

Ida Gullhav for Helly Hansen

Contrary to popular belief, we are not effete aesthetes. We hike. We climb. We cycle. And, of course, we ski. When we do, we like to be clothed and equipped with the best stuff for the job. Having long been fans of Helly Hansen´s classic products (there´s nothing that can match the performance of their timeless Lausanne Fibre Jacket), we are happy to see that the company is using the talents of Scandinavian designers to create interesting new product ranges.

It´s been a while since we´ve written about Ida Gullhav, one of our favorite Norwegian fashion designers, but we´ve fallen in love with the new Training Collection she´s created at Helly Hansen. It´s clear that Ida has drawn inspiration not only from her own background as a lingerie designer but also from the heritage of the distinctive Helly Hansen Lifa stripe: Take a look below to see our favorites from the new collection:

New Book from Lina Scheynius

Lina Scheynius, one of our favorite Swedish photographers, will be launching her latest book this week at the Mörel Space in London. The first edition of the photographer´s third book, published in an A5 format with 80 pages, is limited to 1000 numbered and signed copies. Given the popularity of the Lina´s first two books, both of which quickly sold out, we´ve already nabbed a copy. You can do the same by following the link below:

Villa Plus by Waldemarson Berglund

Built on a narrow waterfront site in the Stockholm archipelago and wedged cleverly between forest, rocks and sea, Villa Plus by Swedish architects Waldemarson Berglund, offers spectacular views of the Baltic sea. We love the way that the house seems to float like a ship on land. A visual feat achieved by design rather than accident. Being positioned so low to sea level and so close to the shoreline presented a major architectural challenge. Since waves occasionally sweep in far further than the shoreline, a series of pillars form the foundation of the house in order to allow waves to simply pass under the body of the house. Take a look below to see more of the simple yet stunning Villa Plus:

Collective Designs from Norway

What began in 2008 as a collaborative project by four fellow students from a product design program in Norway has grown into a fully fledged design collective that´s recently been getting notable media attention following a successful showcase at Salone Satellite in Milan.

Intended as a common way to promote its members as individual designers, Strek Design Collective comprises of Jørgen Platou Willumsen, Fredrik Wærnes, Stian, Korntved Ruud and Nicolai Gulliksen. Take a look below at a selection of interesting new work from Strek Design Collective:

Unisex Fashion Uniforms

With all due respect to the many Scandinavian fashion designers that we love, we have to admit that if uniforms were worn at lifeiscarbon® they´d probably be supplied by the Swedish label Odeur. We´ve long been admirers but have totally fallen for their latest collection. Entitled Where the Shimmer Lies, Odeur´s Spring/Summer 2011 collection is inspired by nouveau riche tendencies, especially the over indulgent use of fashion as an expression of newly acquired wealth. Whilst we´ve made no secret of our proclivity for a monochrome palette, we do love Odeur´s use of deep choral pink. Take a look below at a selection of our favorites from the new collection:

Silent Swedish Time

The soon to be launched Mutewatch has an extremely simple and intuitive design. Tapping the flat surface illuminates the touch screen. Different functions (clock, alarm and timer) are selected by swiping. Adjustments are made by tapping or pinching the digits. A further clever feature is a built-in motion sensor that registers the wearer´s movements and automatically adjusts the strength of the vibrations. Important given that this is a totally silent watch that favors tactile rather than audible alarms. We love the purity of the design and are looking forward to July, when the first batch starts shipping. Take a look below at more images of the Mutewatch.

Surreal Scandinavian Ceramics

Since graduating in 2008, Danish ceramic artist Maria Rubinke has attracted an enormous amount of attention with her unconventional small-scale sculptures. The inherent innocence of porcelain figurines is put at risk in the artist's work, in which various catastrophes result in fragmentation and deformation. Violence and aggression are often played out in bloody tableaux, in strong sharp contrast to the decorative delicacy of the materials used. Powerful, disturbing and thought provoking work. Take a look below at some of our favorite pieces by Maria Rubinke.

No Picnic by Elding Oscarson

Having long admired the Townhouse in Landskrona designed by Elding Oscarson, it´s no surprise that we´ve fallen for the Swedish design duo´s stunning new offices for the Stockholm based design consultancy, No Picnic.

Housed in 19th Century buildings, originally built as stables for horses and a parade hall for troops, the new offices have meeting rooms concealed behind a reflective aluminium wall. The flat reflection of the flush fitting windows makes the glass seem like a mirror whilst the aluminium appears transparent. The wall is there, yet somehow disappears. This is a bold, kaleidoscopic and delusionary design full of wonderful trompe l’oeil effects. Look below to read more about Elding Oscarson and see more images of their stunning new offices for No Picnic.