Looking for a way to create social value from the fascination with reality talent shows, BBC’s youth-focused digital channel BBC Three are launching a programme called Britain’s Young Butcher Of The Year, that aims to celebrate the “the unsung young heroes of professions that don’t tend to attract public recognition”.
According to the press release:
The search is on for the UK’s top young butcher in this ambitious new format which celebrates the millions of young British workers whose [...]

Globally loved toymaker LEGO has joined forces with Digital Blue to create a line of classic brick-themed electronic products for kids including digital cameras, MP3 players, walkie talkies and USB drives, as well as Boom boxes and alarm clock radios that feature over-sized LEGO elements. Due out this summer in both the U.S and Europe, the range looks as though it could be fresh out of a kit box. Unfortunately it is only a design theme and the products do not come apart, although enabling kids to build – and rebuild – their own [...]

McDonalds recently launched a campaign to bring the quarter pounder burger to Japan, which includes the converting of two of their locations in Tokyo into exclusive Quarter Pounder shops, but in an interesting move they are positioned under a completely new identity and as such are missing the McDonalds brand.

Instead of golden arches these restaurants have a sleek, minimalist black interior with Le Corbusier sofas, red and black packaging, and a style quite unlike any other of the company’s previous refits. The menu consists of single and double Quarter Pounders only, a new name for the Japanese consumer and one [...]

The guardian reports on a group of squatters who have taken up residence in one of London’s poshest postcodes. The group – an art collective who call themselves Da! moved into the property a month ago and so far have heard nothing from the owners, although that may change after tonight when the group turn the house into an art installation – with mandatory opening party!
Behind the white pillars and imposing wooden door of the grade II-listed residence, the 30-plus rooms are now scattered with sleeping bags, grubby mattresses, rucksacks spilling over with clothes and endless half-finished art installations. While [...]

Goths, ghouls and zombies, the dark side has most definitely returned – but this time it looks like it may well stick around a while longer than Halloween.  From the surprise UK TV hit Dead Set to the packed-out launch of fabulous new book Hell Bound: New Gothic Art by Francesca Gavin (visual arts editor at Dazed & Confused), our love for the macabre has re-emerged, and apparently it’s women who are growing a hunger for horror. A perfect time then to invest in a wickedly luxurious cashmere jumper from London Denim’s collaboration with Disney. The collection features three of [...]

In this final installment of new and exciting products showcased in Milan, we bring you some of our favourite discoveries from around the fair – ideas and innovations to watch out for:
The Chankley Bore prototype by Maarten Baas for Established&Sons

‘The Salone del Mobile will see the launch of three Limited edition pieces by Baas. Each piece of the collection is work in progress, and gives an insight into the Maarten Baas exhibition being held at the Established & Sons LIMITED gallery during Frieze Art Fair in October 2008′
Established&Sons
D/A Clock by Alvin Aronson

‘This object plays on the common LED-display digital [...]

Part four of our highlights from the Salone del Mobile focuses on some of the most innovative and exciting storage solutions that we found:
‘A pile of suitcases’ by Maarten de Ceulaer for Casamania

‘A modular system rich in poetry. the suitcases combine to form a complete wardrobe system created to safeguard garments, shoes and accessories in style . the various ’suitcase’ modules are covered in precious leathers. a pile of suitcases is a nod to the elegance of by-gone eras with a modern and fun twist.’
Casamania

First it was new designer chairs and muted colours, now McDonald’s in the UK have decided that the staff themselves need a design overhaul and have replaced the brightly coloured uniforms of the burger-flippers of yore with a smarter, sleeker range of designs by UK design institution Bruce Oldfield.
From Brand Republic:
McDonald’s is providing its staff with a new range of uniforms designed by Bruce Oldfield, famous for dressing Princess Diana, Jemima Khan and Sienna Miller, in an attempt to appear more upmarket.
The old outfit’s bright colours have been replaced with more subtle shades of black, beige and brown for the [...]

In this third installation of our pick of the products on show in Milan, we bring you the most exciting lighting designs on display:
Design Virus Light Blubs by Pieke Bergmans

‘A series of unique crystal lamps by Pieke Bergmans, with Royal Leerdam Crystal and Solid Lighting. You may wonder: What is a light blub?? The answer is simple: it is a light bulb that has gone way out of line. Infected by the dreaded Design Virus, these Blubs have taken on all kinds of forms and sizes you wouldn’t expect from such well behaving and reliable little products. Nevertheless, they [...]

In the second of our round-ups we give you a selection of our favourite tables on display in Milan last week:
Ivo_03 Table by Asymptote for Meta

‘This elegant and unique table features slumped glass suspended across a contiguous and abstracted alloy surface of diamond-shaped facets. the table’s architecture is the result of an asymmetric metal topography of mathematically delineated folds and crevices that create a powerful and sensual curvature. The undulating troughs and peaks give way to the perception of an arc when the table is viewed from the side, a purposeful refinement by Asymptote reminiscent of the accumulated outlines of [...]

We spotted this on the ground at Washington Square during our recent trip to San Francisco – no idea who created it or what their motive was, but the handwritten messages on sticky tape definitely put a smile on our faces. A daily dose of positivity and reality as you cross the road!

PSFK headed to the craziness of Milan last week for the sights and sounds of the Salone del Mobile 2008. With the fairgrounds and ever-increasing number of surrounding satellite shows attracting over 250,00 attentive visitors, the streets were filled with an orgy of creative ideas, innovative products, and lots of free-flowing alcohol!
Despite the lure of the overwhelmingly impressive number of parties on offer, we were intent in our task to vigilantly scour the city for the newest, most exciting and thought-provoking products on offer. In this first selection, we show you our pick of the latest chair designs from designers [...]

Unlike previous years where tickets have sold out within seconds, this year’s Glastonbury festival has been a much slower sell, with some tickets still available three days on. Blame has been apportioned on the weather (Glastonbury’s reputation as a mud-bath limits the appeal to hardened festival-goers only), the line up (the headlining act this year is Jay-Z?!) and the price (tickets are now £155 for the weekend – £10 more than last year), but the biggest dent to Glastonbury’s crown has to be from the rise in smaller, local festivals both in the UK and in sunnier European climates. With [...]

Brand Republic reports on a new scheme being trialled by UK supermarket chain Asda and mobile network Orange that allows live streaming of football matches to handily kitted-out shopping trolleys equipped with mobile phones. Currently only available in the Wembley store although potentially to be rolled out further soon, the scheme highlights Orange’s deal to be the first mobile operator to offer live coverage of every Barclays Premier league game.
The press release details a report commissioned by Orange to highlight the strain that saturday shopping trips can put on a couple with apparently 30% of men interviewed saying they [...]

Yesterday saw an auction of Japanese art and design in London, held by Phillips de Pury & Company. Among the 195 lots sold was this Paper Tea House by Shigeru Ban, the master of architectural creations in paper. A stand-out piece among the paintings and figurines, and a surprising choice by the architect himself; forsaking his use of tubular cardboard construction for an interlocking square structure, it’s not often you can buy an starchitect-designed building- and take it away with you! This one however is only for indoor use, making it an art investment rather than a practical [...]