Here at CH we think every day should be Earth Day, but we also think 38-year-old holiday deserves honoring as a way to single out projects and products that keep the environment in mind. Today we’ll be bringing you the best of the eco-web, as well as a few of our own finds.

The first of its kind to use organic LEDs (OLEDs), Ingo Maurer’s Early Future lamp is a limited edition that uses Osram prototypes of the innovative material. Unlike the more familiar LEDs, OLEDs are actually a printed film which means the light comes from everywhere on the film simultaneously making for a light source that is not only more pliable but also lightweight, transparent and two-dimensional.

For the plant-like lamp, Maurer took advantage of the unique capabilities of the energy-efficient technology using it create 10 ultra-thin leaves of light. There’s no word yet on pricing or availability, but more exciting are the lighting options the design might inspire, as Maurer states it “represents an important stage in the transition from abstract object to functional designer lighting.”

via Inhabitat via
EcoGeek

“I Want You To Want Me,” an interactive piece on the subject of online dating and relationships by perennial CH fave Jonathan Harris and his collaborator
Sep Kamvar, and one of the standouts commissioned for MoMA’s recent Design and the Elastic Mind exhibit, is the subject of this
m ss ng p eces produced video. For anyone who missed the show at MoMA, the short explains how the piece represents constantly-updated info collected
from dating sites using a drop-dead gorgeous interface and the visual metaphor of balloons.

Watching the balloons stream across the screen, chase themselves, reveal their bits of data and form into shapes is a trademark Sep-Jonathan delight unto itself, but the themes of human emotion, online communication and voyeurism (a continuation in many ways of the duo’s famed We Feel Fine project) lend IWYTWM its weight. At times amusing and at times tinged with heartache, the piece is a heady meditation on the wonderful, horrible force of love. As they put it, the project “aims to be a mirror, in which people see reflections of themselves as they glimpse the lives of others.” We think of it as somewhere between a love song and a thesis paper in the form of a touch screen art installation.

by Brian Fichtner

Bluelounge just announced their latest antidote to desktop clutter. Dubbed the SpaceStation, it’s a clever fix for those of use with mobile offices. Essentially, they’ve distilled the best elements of their earlier products into a single system.

An extended USB hub contains internal coils for wire management. This floats slightly above the desk surface, allowing cords to poke out where required. The hub also functions as a prop for your portable computer, providing a more ergonomic angle and better airflow. To top it off, they’ve put a slot in the back of the hub to support any documents you might be working from. Not that anyone uses paper these days.

The SpaceStation is available in black or white directly from Bluelounge for $80.

Also on Cool Hunting: Cableyoyo Pop

by Pamela Liou

Here’s a thought: Every single designer in the fashion pantheon started out as a precocious newbie bent on mixing things up. With a little moxy and lots of talent, they built ironclad legacies, but established as they may be, they can’t keep a stranglehold on the industry forever. Each year there are more and more lines—some good, but most…not—jumping into the ring. And occasionally there comes along that rare tenderfoot who manages to hold his/her own and deliver something new. For 2007, these are our Designers to Watch.

Chris Benz

Take one look at Chris Benz’s debut sportswear collection, and it’s hard to believe that he has only a few collections under his belt. The line is deceptively simple, often erring on the side of relaxed. His garments keep to a very edited palette: grays and whites, with the intermittent shocks of Pantone. (Pictured at right.)

Tim Hamilton

Nominated for the CFDA’s 2007 Swarovski Award for new talent, Hamilton is well on his way to becoming America’s next great menswear guru. Think sweaters with detachable turtlenecks, wool blazers with narrow lapels and a re-invigoration of the iconic long-sleeve thermal with militaristic bullion accents. (Pictured above left.)

Robert Geller

It's hard not to be bowled over by Robert Geller's tailored-within-an-inch-of-its-life oxford shirts, trousers, and jackets. Geller is no stranger to accolades—his partnership with Alexander Plohkov for Cloak won him a CFDA award—and his eponymous line will continue in a tradition of decidedly cool refinement. For his spring '08 collection, Geller looked toward 1970s then-burgeoning skate culture and James Dean, with the occasional nod to Mod. He keeps the palette lively with bright colors in unexepected places, like Chesterfield shorts or chartreuse denim. (Pictured above right.)

Read more…

Made from high-grade neoprene and free of zippers or any other unnecessary bulk, Côte et Ciel’s laptop sleeves are our new favorites for toting computers. Engineered to fit Macs, the ingeniously simple construction uses the stretchiness of neoprene for a snug fit that, with the aid of small pull tabs, allows the laptop to slide in and out of a narrow opening at one end. It’s a design that prevents computers from accidentally slipping out (yes, we’ve had this happen) and makes for a impressively slim profile allowing for easy stowage.

Inspired by nature, the bags come in a range of six colors including Saffron Yellow, Grape Green and Ocean Blue (all pictured). We recommend one of the darker colors (rather than a shade like Sandstone) as the neoprene is almost the opposite of stain-resistant. Pick one up from Côte et Ciel's online store starting at €30.