We don’t usually use images so big on Retro To Go, but in this case we’ll make an exception, as we want to show off these exclusive Barbara Hulanicki greetings cards from London’s V&A.
There’s four designs to choose from – "Pink Boots", "Girl in Blue", "Spotty Shoe" and "Headscarf Girl" – all are original designs by the Biba founder and have been made available to promote the reissue of Barbara Hulanicki’s autobiography, A to Biba.
Each card is available online, retailing for £2.75 each.
Does this timepiece remind you of something? It reminds me quite distinctly of the classic TAG Heuer ‘Steve McQueen Monaco watch – except this Breil Duo chronograph is just a fraction of the price.
What you get for your money os a quartz chronograph in a stainless steel casing, with luminous hands and two-colour leather strap. And a watch that’s very stylish and punches above its price tag.
That price is around £160.
Looking for some functional artwork? You need the Twiggy Mirror.
It was designed by Wendell Storm for Spazia, using a classic 60s Twiggy image imposed onto a mirror. Yes, a mirror – if you can avoid Twiggy’s model glare, you can use it to check your appearance or to add a sense of space to a room.
Sized at 12-inches x 12-inches and in a brushed metal frame, it did retail for $250, but you can now pick one up for $199 (around £100).
Remember that bit in Star Wars where R2-D2 fires up a movie of Prince Leia in distress? Well, fiction has just become fact.
Yes, over in Japan, Nikko has launched the R2-D2 DVD player and Video Projector. And it’s just how it sounds. The video kit has been installed into a replica of R2-D2 and even better, can be controlled by a remote shaped like the Millenium Falcon. Stick on your discs and view on a large screen. There’s even an iPod dock and memory card reader for watching clips from smaller devices.
Weighing in at 8kg, you can pick one up in Japan for the equivalent of £1575. No news of a UK launch, but trust me, you’ll hear about it if it does make it over.
Find out more at the Nikko website
Via Akihabara News
We like to bring you art with a retro feel, and while browsing the Eyestorm site I came across this print by Bill Owens of a typical American family in a Californian grocery store in 1970.
Bill Owens was there at the birth of suburbia in late 60s California, and he had the awareness to document a quiet piece of history. New furniture and fireplaces, lawns and laminated surfaces: Owens’ candid photographs are a rare and charming record of these early optimistic home-owners, dreaming their domestic American dreams.
This silver gelatin print reflects the optimism of the era and provides a snapshot of family life in the 70s. It is one of a signed edition of 250 and is available for £370.
If this print doesn’t appeal you could also take a look at the other Bill Owens prints featuring cars and homes of the era.
Mickey Mouse has been around since 1928 – so I think that qualifies the artwork as classic. And that classic design is still being used today, the latest use being this Mickey Mouse MP3 player from iRiver – MPlayer.
Before you rush out to buy one, a word of caution. This has just been launched in Korea, so don’t expect it elsewhere until nearer Christmas. When it does arrive, you’ll get a miniature music player with 1GB of storage (enough for around 250 tunes) which can be played as WMA, MP3 and ASF files. There’s also a choice of five colours – black, white, blue, pink and grey.
It’s retailing in Korea for the equivalent of just over £30. Expect that figure to increase significantly when it makes it over to Europe.
Via Akihabara News
