Paris

Uniqlo opened its new 2000m2 store in Paris this week – the first of ten planned to open in the city. In typical Uniqlo style the opening was a frenzy. By lunchtime they had to organise everyone into queues to not purchase items but to even get into the store. Around 400 people queued in […]

Tabatha Coffey’s successful first series of Tabatha’s Salon Takeover is due to launch in Australia on Sept 16 on Arena TV. Its a formula made famous by programmes like Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares and the Australian media has been quick to draw comparisons between Coffey & Ramsey for both being harsh, dramatic and swearing a lot.  […]

Alright, “pop-up” is probably not the best term  to use when describing this new Prada store, but it is only open for 5 months. The store is at Place Beauvau in Paris and the design by Roberto Baciocchi is inspired by the French poet, Apollinaire’s ‘Le Pont Mirabeau’ – which amongst other things immortalised Mirabeau […]

Image by Getty Images via Daylife Michael Jackson’s Memorial was one of those events which will no doubt not only go down in music history but will stay in the minds of the millions of viewers for a very long time. With so much to organise, consider & deal with, it’s perhaps a little surprising […]

Everybody knows how much I love vending machines, particularly for airports and hotels. They take up very little space, have little or no staff costs, can delivery huge entertainment value and very importantly can deal with the peaks & troughs in airport or hotel traffic. So here are some new vending machine ideas I’ve seen […]

The days of hotel minibars stocking overpriced softdrinks and miniature spirits are thankfully passing. These days you see a surprising range of things in your minibar – some which make you scratch your head, some that are a pleasant surprise. No discussion of minibars however can proceed without stating my pet hate – computerised minibars […]

Tether systems to provide security for higher end products are pretty common now, even more advanced systems like MTI’s Freedom Universal which is able to deliver variable power to devices so people can truely interact with products. What is new however is to integrate these tether systems with intelligent information systems which detect the product […]

Monocle Magazine have released their top 20 retail oulets in the world (reproduced in PSFK ).  Flicking through the links its hard not to agree that these are truely outstanding examples of what good retail can be: Demasié in Barcelona for beautifully packaged confectionery and great interiors. Roden Gray in Vancouver for its rough interiors […]

Don’t take me wrong, I love stylish hotel rooms. The problem is when you throw out practicality for design or even worse still throw out taste. Here are some of the most questionable design choices we’ve come across. The Gray Hotel, Milan OK these stairs look great but they’re not only terrifying to use sober […]

The May Fair Hotel in London has launched its own channel on Youtube as part of its marketing effort to show its classy, prestigious but unpretentious. I’m not sure that the best example of this is to showcase an interview with Paris Hilton as a “typical guest”. It suggests that a subtext of their strategy […]

JetBlue’s strategy is not news to most people – a low cost airline distinguishing itself by actually giving a damn about its customers, listening to them & talking to them. Saving money where they can but not compromising on the things which are really important to their passengers – which they know because yes, they […]

In September 2008, the world’s first Buddha-Bar Hotel will open in Prague. The aim is to extend the Buddha-Bar Hotels & Resorts in 5star vacation destinations. The atmosphere is planned to be similar to the Buddha-Bar restaurants with a fusion of local and eastern decor. The first hotel at least is small, 36 rooms and […]

Australia finally has a 4th airline (or a 3rd if you recognise Jetstar as simply a budget offshoot of Qantas). With just 24hrs till its maiden flight, Tiger Airlines managed to get its air operators certificate. So all the people who purchased those cheap $19 tickets will actually be able to fly it seems. Jetstar […]