In his thought-provoking work, “Post Natural History,” Vincent Fournier envisages a more evolved world. The artist, inspired by utopia and scientific research, depicts living species that have taken on new forms according to environmental necessities and human desires. Jellyfish are data transmitters, flowers grow into jewelry and cats have psychic powers. Only 50 of these limited edition box sets were produced and each one is numbered and signed by the artist.
From Detroit-based watchmakers Shinola comes The Birdy 34mm—a handsome watch with just the right about of femininity and rugged accents. The Birdy features an elegantly slender double wrap leather strap, a decorative crown and case plating and a pearlized white dial, and is made with a commitment to the rebirth of American manufacturing.
Sarah and William Allardice, the print-happy duo at A Fine Matchbox Co., use their vintage windmill press to create an array of intriguing and special matchboxes, which encase their signature sturdy, blue-tipped, extra-long safety matches. Who has room for freebie-branded matchbooks in their life, when each stroke of the flame can lend a small moment to look at something beautiful.
As if babies weren’t already lovable enough, these tiny fortune cookie slippers from Sushibooties take extreme cuteness to the next level. Handmade from plush fleece, these little booties have no-slip soles and arrive in their own Chinese takeout container with two custom fabric fortunes sewn in to each slipper. The possibilities are endless. One fortune you can be sure of: “You will look adorable.”
Cocoon your beverage of choice in this classy hand-stitched leather drink holder from Friday & River. As you save the earth, one disposable koozie at a time, the biggest challenge you will face is whether to sip on the booze or hit the caffeine. Crafted in the US from a natural vegetable-tanned leather, which only gets better with age.
An axe is undoubtedly a simple yet effective machine. Hung on the wall, these objects of beauty represent an exalted status of the owner. When the moment calls for some wood-splitting, or civilization-building, Best Made Co.’s axe inventory simply cannot be topped. Each axe’s head is drop forged from high carbon American steel by fourth-generation axe makers in North Carolina. Each helve is handmade from the highest quality Appalachian hickory and symbolically hand painted to your liking.
British designer Sarah Thirlwell works in sustainably sourced wood and colored acrylics to create handsome asymmetrical vessels. Fitted with a test tube to hold flower stems, the award-winning design plays “on juxtapositions of synthetic and natural, light and opaque.”
A tub-time classic, perhaps no other item has made bathing as fun as the ever-loved rubber ducky. But for parents who wish to provide a more holistic upbringing for their tots, how do we reconcile this little bugger’s loveable nature with his potentially toxic plastic composition? Look to Brookfarm General Store’s Natural Rubber Ducky. Hand-painted, non-toxic and BPA- and phthalate free—so when your two-year-old is chewing on it (which makes the ducky squeak), you can feel good knowing it’s safe.
A “nostalgic take on the futuristic,” Jessie Harris’ handmade Pilot Necklace is inspired by 1960s sci-fi imagery. Each piece is made to order, and the rose gold plated pendants are shined to an alluringly glossy finish.
Releasing one or two products a year—historically wristwatches—each MB&F watch represents innovation in design and engineering of the highest level. The second in MB&F’s expected series of five Legacy watches, each piece is an exercise in time travel, with founder Max Büsser posing the question, “If I were alive a hundred or more years ago, I wonder what kind of watches I’d be making?” The answer is a complex dual regular, which the Legacy Machine 2 employs for balance in a feat of horological engineering. The watch comes in 18k white or yellow gold, and in a limited edition of 18 in platinum with the blue dial.
Handcrafted in Florence, this elegantly modest keyring, like any item from Il Bisonte, develops a unique patina over time, which is formed through years of use. The two-piece structure allows you to carry more without adding bulk.
As the oldest luxury watch maker to have remained in the hands of its founding families, Audemars Piguet follows their own unique vision. They list an impressive array of breakthroughs in their field, having created their first minute repeater watch in 1892, and their first jumping hour wristwatch in 1921. The brilliant Jules Audemars Minute Repeater boasts both of these features, as well as small seconds at 6 o’clock. Made by historical masters of these mechanics, this stunning piece is an investment in both constant beauty and evolved innovation.
