Let Them Drink Cake

'Wine is always a good idea' said everybody always. My sentiments exactly, it is delicious and good for you *antioxidants* and makes you look all-knowing if you hold the glass just so.

Cake make wine, not cake. They support culture and creativity. They adorn their bottles in beautiful art. They like music too, they donate 25 cents from every bottle sold to FBi Radio. This is good news, because drinking wine is now an act of charity. Cheers. To. That.

Cake also do pop-up wine bars. This past weekend they tucked one behind the Cleveland Street Theatre in Sydney, and it was the opposite of lame. You could eat jaffles, you could look at art, you could listen to FBi's live broadcast and you could drink Cake. Sadly the pop-up bar is now no more, it hung around for 3 days only. Cheer up but, there is sure to be another soon, and in the mean time you can appease your musical sins (illegal downloads) with the purchase of musical indulgences. 

You can have your Cake and drink it too. 

Yes, I like puns.

Without thinkers, there are no ideas.

Without film-makers, there's no escape.

Without musicians, there's no soundtrack.

Without designers, there's no colour.

Without writers, the plot is weak.

Without artists, the canvas is blank.

Without fans, there's no festival.

Without photographers, we'd never stand still.

Without doers, there's no culture.

cakewines.com

BREAD For Boys

Bread is like a black t-shirt; a staple. Unlike a loaf of bread however, a basic black t-shirt can be difficult to come by - sans shitty graffiti print. Guys can't find wardrobe basics, I've been told this.

The good news is a chap from Melbourne has decided to do something about it. And that something is called BREAD. You can now get your black t-shirt anyway you want it; basic, tall, long sleeve, scoop, with pocket etc. And then you can get that same t-shirt in white, grey and perhaps an olive or light purple. Sorted.

BREAD doesn't complicate things with prints or branding or bullshit. They do free shipping & returns though, and it's affordable. And it's Australian. Stop buying over-priced American Apparel!

breadclothing.com

Mixie. It's a Mutated Fixie.

I'm not going to pretend I know anything about bikes. I don't, not really. But the Mixie? Well, it's good looking.

I first came across Mixie Bikes at the Bread & Butter fashion trade show earlier this year, part of Berlin Fashion Week 2012. Along with hundreds of German and international fashion labels, Mixie Bikes were invited to show off their wares in a huge former aircraft hangar at Flughafen Templehof.

I think the point here is, bikes, at fashion week.

I'm not going to go on about how the Mixie has 20" wheels, or that it features a "flip-flop free-fix-wheel hub" (what?). However, I will say that you have the option of a faux crocodile skin saddle, thank goodness! And that I'll take one in Mint.

www.mixiebike.com

Textiles by Marimekko

And from Norway over to Finland...

Marimekko is a Finnish textile and clothing design label I discovered in Berlin's Mitte last November.  In the same way I was drawn into David David, Marimekko beckoned me in with promises of sunshine, joy and happiness screen printed onto cotton. Founded over 60 years ago in a post-WW2 climate, Marimekko captured everyone's attention then, and still now, for their bright, fantastic, original textile prints. It has grown from a mere brand to an outlook on life, covering everything (literally) from clothing to interior design to flat textiles, all in that signature style.

I was very excited to read yesterday that Sydney will welcome 300sqm of Finnish love, the first Australian Marrimeko store, at 66 King St on November 1st. Get ready to wrap yourself in the below and like.

It makes you wonder... if the Finnish, some of whom have to bear winters lasting 7 months, are so into this, why do Sydneysiders wear so much black?

Marrimeko's latest news & catalogue here.

www.marrimeko.com

The Only Way Is Norway

Once upon a time there were three Norwegians; Knut, Henrik and Thomas. They were hip and young and often engaged in social activities popular with the youths of today such as dancing to loud music, drinking akevitt and talking to girls. 

These three Nords were pretty bright (most likely beautiful too). One morning after dancing too much, drinking too much akevitt and talking to too many girls, they had a conversation which went exactly like this:

Knut: "I am soooooo hungover!"
Henrik: "My skinny jeans are giving me a hernia"
Thomas: "I can't find the tracky dacks which match my hoodie!"

And just like that, the OnePiece was born. A solution to every problem EVER. The perfect garment to wear while nursing your sore head, to wear while the skinny jeans are in the wash, and a fool-proof way of always being coordinated; head to toe. 

Not to mention, very fetching.

onepiece.com

Berliner Nächte (Berlin Nights)

"If you can think of it, it's here."

Berlin is a city with no rules. You can do pretty much anything you like, you can be anyone you want to be. It's a city of contrasts, it's difficult to find anyone in Berlin who is actually from Berlin. People arrive for different reasons, I'm not even sure anymore what moved me to move there. But I did. I lived there for 5 months. It was lonely and damn cold at times but it was also the most liberating, eye-opening, exciting experience of my life. If you've heard the rumours about Berlin's nightlife, let me assure you, they are all true. One of the first German's I ever met in Berlin told me "If you can think of it, it's here". Upside-down bars with entire living rooms glued to the ceiling, ear-splitting electro trance clubs hidden in old war bunkers, a retired double decker bus with beer fridge and Nintendo 64 up top, 2 euro wine buffets and bouncers that request you check your pants in at the door. Seriously. 

Maxime Ballesteros and his camera have managed to infiltrate Berlin's nights, no small feat considering most places have an enforced 'No Photos' rule. His portraits are as beautiful as they are revealing, a peek behind the doorways you may never cross, but maybe have always wanted to. 

www.maximeballesteros.com

Wear Your Art on Your Sleeve

Recently I was in London and happened across the David David store and gallery. I spied the incredible blocks of colour from across the street and ordered my two friends to delay their search for the comic book store for a bit while I investigated. David David create and sell screen printed t-shirts and art. The beauty is in the simplicity. Bold colour and graphic prints you can wear and hang on your wall. Cool.

www.daviddavid.co.uk

Love You, Man

"I am talking about complex things like love" 

If you are ever feeling a bit sad, just google Steve Powers and become euphoric and all glowy knowing there are people out there who can turn the mundane into great, great things. Powers and friends spruced up 50 walls in his home town of Philadelphia with big and bright sign writing all about that universal thing called LOVE, it became The Love Letter Project. 

www.aloveletterforyou.com

Welcome To The World (Wide Web)

Hi there! My name is Allyce. I have just returned home after a year of travelling Europe, with stints in New York and Hong Kong too. It was the most amazing year of my life. Now I face the new but equally challenging task of staying still, living in one place for a while and settling into the city I know so well, Sydney. 

A blog seemed like a great place to write about some of the incredible places and things I stumbled across. I love great design, I studied design, so why not write about it?