food trends
 
Korean food has a reputation for popping-up in the most unique places...
 
On the heels of two reports on the popularity of Korean food in America (see big. bold. Korean. & food trends by way of The Simpsons), we learned about an interesting project in Berlin, Germany from our pal Mandie O'Connell: Dr. Rhee's Food Lab.

Equal part art installation and community curation, the one week bartering pop-up store opened during the season in which Baechu Cabbage Kimtschi is traditionally made in Korea aiming to secured personal cultural artifacts of equivalent value from various cultures in the city in exchange for "the national treasure of Korea".
 
 
The exchange of 60+ portions between customers and the Dr. Rhee's Food Lab brand was then documented online in real-time so followers could understand the specific reasons which a specific object was displayed. View the complete catalog here.
 
A collaborative project from visual artist Kate Hers and scientist Hanjo Rhee, we love how the exhibition engaged community prior to opening via Kickstarter funding and again throughout the event — linking food to cultural identity.
 
{special thanks to artist/Berliner Mandie O'Connell}
 
Big news, better selection, best thinking.
 
CULTURE
{photo: springwise.com}
 
- A new twist on conscious consumption: A vending machine that allows users to donate and receive items without spending money.
- Pop-up art: A 24-hour museum, designed by Milan-based artist and satirist Francesco Vezzoli with Rem Koolhaas' think tank AMO, which will pop-up for one day (January 24th).
 
 
FASHION
- The world's top 100 most valuable luxury brands includes fashion favorites Hermes, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Ferragamo, Versace, Prada, Fendi, Giorgio Armani and Ermenegildo Zegna.
- US study finds holiday shoppers purchased more but browsed less in stores (part of Smart Commerce trend)
- The truth about eCommerce: 55% of consumers expect free shipping.
 
FOOD
- Mainstreaming canned foods at the Winter Fancy Food show: Healthy cocktail mixers & pickled veggies are top products. (We've been writing about this trend since 2009)
- High-value & Low-waste perception + Jamie Oliver = boost frozen food sales by £250M in UK.
- Fighting low-carbs and gluten-free with design: the rise of the designer bakery.
 
 
For more delicious news, ideas and tidbits, follow us on twitter or facebook.
 
Food is going digital (kind of).
 
 

 

Augmented Reality continues to push the boundaries between interactions within the physical and digital worlds but, in such a food-centric society, it's hard to imagine how virtual product enhancements could influence the future of restaurant dishes. 

The Augmented Reality Cookie (above) by Mike Clare introduces a virtual dimension to a chocolate and vanilla cookie. The QR code is baked into the cookie and creates “digital icing” when viewed through a webcam. It's a fairly simple concept, but one that could be implemented in combination with the cuisine country of origin or map back to the ingredients.

Tajuki Narumi and his team at the University of Tokyo created a headset that uses augmented reality and a special scent spray to enable plain foods to taste like something delicious. The combination of smell and visual texture combine to transform the user’s sense of taste into thinking they are eating a flavored cookie instead of a plain one.
 
We love the sense of play and design. Aside from a room full of diners wearing headsets, would it be a huge stretch to imagine either idea as part of a dinner at wd 50?
 
© Stéphane Muratet / Louis Vuitton
 
Louis Vuitton's most valued customers are now allowed access, by invitation only, to a luxury apartment above the New Bond Street store in London. Preferred guests can curl up in one of three lounging areas near artwork by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Gilbert & George while working with one of six personal stylists. It’s the lone flat among within the Louis Vuitton network, although other locations have private meeting rooms and dressing rooms for one-on-one consultations.
 
According to Bloomberg, the retailer also uses the apartment, which has a bathroom but no bedroom, to host private functions, including dinners.
 
The apartment strategy is a clever tool for luxury retailers who want to sell more, but remaining exclusive. In a retail environment where elegant store design and customer service is commonplace, just the term "private apartment" creates a more intimate and exclusive impression of the shopping experience.
 
Devoting space to culture and comfort can be an expensive proposition, especially in a neighborhood where rents run as high as 1,000 pounds per square foot, but maintaining and elevating a brand's image is vital to its longevity. An invitation only salon, unlike an advertisement in a magazine, targets the brand's best customers while leveraging an image of culture, heritage, and craftsmanship.
 
It's a concept that, in more ways than one, is not for everyone.
 
{source: Bloomberg}
Today, much like the 365 Project, aims to "live more richly" using photography. The project began when Jonathan Harris turned 30 and began taking one photo a day and posting to his website before going to sleep, along with a story.

 
This short film, by his friend Scott Thrift, is a beautiful archival of the project in the artists own words.

 
CULTURE

- Hong Kong developer sees a future for more 'art malls' in China. Could the concept, dubbed K11, translate globally?

FASHION
- London studio of Solve Sundsbo, known for a style of digitally manipulated imagery that could be described as a modern mannerism, captures the McQueen Exhibit and the mannequins are actually models.
- Bergdorf Goodman invites consumers to design and crownsource a Fendi 2Bag on Facebook.

FOOD
- Pop Pub, a spinoff from NYC latenight favorite Pop Burger, launches this Friday and Grub Street has the details on new menu items that target three distinct dayparts.
- Karl Lagerfeld and Rachel Bison premiere their film shorts for Magnum Ice Cream at the Tribeca Film Festival.

 

{photo: Kiehl's}
 
Cosmetic brand Kiehl’s has enlisted Jeff Koons to create artwork for a limited edition of its Creme de Corps holiday collection launching today. Another, smaller run of Koons’ packaging will be introduced a few weeks later in select stores with prices start at $27.

100% of the profits (up to $200,000) will go towards The Koons Family Institute, an initiative of the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.

 
Jeff Koons
We encountered a delightful treat when we went to check out the SFMOMA cafe: The food is inspired by the famous artwork.


Crafted by local favorite Blue Bottle Coffee Company the hot chocolate, an ice cream cone and chocolate cake has been re-thought to appeal modernists and kids alike.


Set amid modern and contemporary sculptures in SFMOMA's Rooftop Garden, these desserts are a fun and playful take on the standard cafe fare.

 

Artistic portrait of the Vena Cava diffusion line which launched Fall 2010.

Viva Vena! from LT and Co. on Vimeo.

{image: Marchesa Luisa Casati (1881-1957) with a greyhound by Giovanni Boldini}
 
 
If you love fashion, extravagance and a celebrity femme fatale you must read Infinite Variety: The Life and Legend of the Marchesa Casati. Marchesa's famous eccentricities dominated and delighted European society for nearly three decades.