Nirvana CPH

Designs of the Year 2012

Donna Creek — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:43:47 +0000

After only a few weeks of working at Nirvana, I had the opportunity to go along on an inspirational day at The Design Museum for the ‘Designs of the Year 2012′ exhibition. Since visiting the previous ‘Design of the Year 2011′ exhibition I was particularly looking forward to seeing the latest innovative designs of 2012.

Some great entries that caught my eye were;

The Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress by Sarah Burton

Hoevding Invisible Cycle Helmet

Jambox by Yves Behar

One Thousand Cranes for Japan by Anomaly & Unit 9

Homeplus Tesco Virtual Store

Stockmann Packaging

Celine Crombie by Phoebe Philo

A particular favourite of mine was the Comedy Carpet, this is made up of 2,200sq m granite, 160,000 granite letters, a 4 year long process and a few gags along the way. This was a massive project to undertake and the outcome was beautiful, an interactive typographic sculpture designed by artist Gordon Young with why not associates. A feat of engineering in some senses.

Late Night Chameleon Café (LN-CC) - Found in a 557 sq m Hackney Basement, each of these 7 spaces has a different mood and feeling. This is one beautifully curated shop, and as it explains here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44mjsTd5vJI , this mainly sells online but this space is about interaction both with people and the shop. Gary Card is one to keep an eye on.

With the London Olympics almost here, I was very excited to have the opportunity to see the Olympic Torch designed by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby. Simple design and a beautiful story behind it. This torch is made out of 8,000 circular holes – each one representing every bearer for the 2012 Olympics. These perforated holes prevent heat going to the bearers hand as well as creating a visual niceness and making the torch lighter. Follow the torch and its stories here: http://www.london2012.com/olympic-torch-relay

Some of those involved that Nirvana have worked with:

Alexander McQueen

Nokia (Nokia Pure)

GF Smith (GF Smith Digital Campaign)

Anomaly (One thousand cranes for Japan)

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The History of the Arsenal Football Kit

Donna Creek — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:28:33 +0000

Football attire as we know it today has somewhat evolved over the years, today it’s not only part of the team identity but also a fashion item for the fans. Gone are the days when a typical shirt was a long sleeved, woven, rugby style shirt, long white shorts with thick woollen socks.

The football league formed in 1988 but the game itself developed in the 1800′s, opposing teams would wear a cap or sash of a certain colour to differentiate between the teams, the colours were often those of the public schools. The introduction of the FA Cup saw the arrival of opposing teams wearing different coloured shirts, to this day each clubs colour has remained the same.

How the first kit looked

One team that has stuck to tradition is Arsenal FC, their first kit was a dark red top with white shorts, other teams soon caught on and followed suit. 1995 saw the arrival of the Arsenal kit that we know today, manager Herbert Chapman was inspired by the combination of red and white, this was incorporated in to the new design of the kit, using the standard red shirt but with white collars and sleeves, the clubs badge was positioned on the left-hand side of the shirt. During the 60′s the club changed the material of their shirt to a cotton jersey, this resolved any clashing of opposing teams with similar shirts, the iconic cannon was also introduced on to the shirt. This shirt brought good luck to Arsenal as they went on to win the double during the 1970/71 season.

During the late 70′s the manufacturer Umbro featured their logo on the shirt, following shortly the clubs sponsor, JVC also appeared on the shirt. Sponsorship began in the 80′s, which in turn generated revenue for clubs. Why football? It was and still is the number one sport in the UK!

The Arsenal shirt has had a few changes over the years but has always remained red and white.

Sponsored by JVC (1981 – 1999) and designed by Umbro

Sponsored by Dreamcast (1999 – 2002) and designed by Nike

Sponsored by O2 (2002 – 2006) and designed by Nike

Sponsored by Fly Emirates (2006 – current) and designed by Nike

The latest home kit is made from Nike’s recycled polyester, both the shirt and shorts have been made from up to 13 plastic water bottles. Nike’s Dri-Fit fabric helps to quickly evaporate moisture by drawing through the fabric to the surface, this in turn keeps the player dry.

These days there tends to a lot of hype around a teams new kit, the manufacturers employ skilled designers and the new shirts are then revealed at end of season matches, whilst the global manufactures use the International tournaments to launch their new kit.

The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt

Donna Creek — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 16:14:52 +0000

Over 200 giant eggs have been scattered in various locations of London as part of The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt. This is an extraordinary easter egg hunt with huge eggs strikingly designed by leading artists, designers, architects and jewellers, those amongst the list are Zaha Hadid, Nicky Haslam, Candy and Candy, Mulberry, The Chapman Brothers and Ridley Scott. I have spotted a few eggs already on my journey in to work which intrigued me to read in to more detail about this fantastic egg hunt. Each egg is going to be auctioned for the charities Action for Children and Elephant Family and there is also an opportunity to win the Diamond Jubilee Egg worth over a staggering £100,000.

I have hand selected a few of my favourites in the collection but there are so many more worth taking a look at!

Ovo – Fourfoursixsix, EOS (a manufacturer of laser-sintering systems) and Ogle Models - laser-sintered easter egg

Chicken – Jason Bruges Studio created this interactive egg which responds to movement

ON / OEUF – Oliver Clegg

“I wanted to make a piece that was playful not only in the concept but also in the form. This is firstly why I chose not to use the standard fibre glass egg that each artist had been allocated, and instead have the same form remodelled in Perspex, and why the filament reads “œuf”.”

Diamond Jubilee Egg – crafted by Faberge and made from 18 carat gold.

This is my favourite egg and I am determined to find this one!

To participate in the egg hunt take a look at www.thebigegghunt.co.uk

Happy egg hunting!

London Fashion Week – Autumn/Winter 2012- 13 in Pictures.

Donna Creek — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:17:28 +0000

London Fashion Week – Autumn/Winter 2012 -13

Mulberry – Autumn/Winter 2012-13

Michelle Williams

Lana Del Rey

Stella McCartney – Autumn/Winter 2012-13

Rihanna

Alexa Chung

Kate Moss

Matthew Williamson – Autumn/Winter 2012-13

Daks – Autumn/Winter 2012-13

Henry Holland

We are very excited about the Burberry Prorsum Womenswear Autumn/Winter 2012 show – watch it here live at 4pm, 20th Feb!

designjunction and Tramshed collaborate for The London Design Festival, September 2012

Donna Creek — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:38:48 +0000

The London Design Festival consists of over 300 events and will take place 15 – 23 September 2012. “The Festival is both a cultural and a commercial event. The programme ranges from major international exhibitions to trade events, installations to talks and seminars, from product launches to receptions, private views and parties.”

An exciting collaboration this year will be designjunction and Tramshed, who will be at the old sorting office from the 19 – 23 September. This is a 1960’s building on New Oxford Street with space expanding over four floors, the ground floor will feature large scale installations and there will also be an opportunity to listen to seminars and debates. During the night the venue will transform in to a vibrant hub for all visitors from the London Design Festival, making this the place to party the night away with music from live DJ’s. The event will be run by Deborah spencer and art directed by Michael Sodeau.

Award-winning British furniture manufacturers Modus will return to designjunction this September, during the event in 2011 they successfully manufactured the Wright Brothers pop-up champagne and oyster bar, this was designed by Michael Sodeau, who is to design the pop-up eateries again this year also.

Tramshed made their debut at the London Design Festival in 2010 and successfully stole the show with an impressive exhibit from Autoban, an architectural, interior and product design studio based in Istanbul. Tramshed are to create an installation with Autoban this September for the London Design Show, this is set to be a focal point.

Autoban are just one of many exhibitors amongst the show, the following exhibitors have already been confirmed;

Save the dates in your diary for an exciting show!

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Preparation for the Virgin London Marathon – April 2012!

Simon Wright — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:27:06 +0000

I’m attempting to run the Virgin London Marathon in April 2012. I entered the ballot not really expecting to get selected, but one October morning I received the news my wife had been dreading. I was in!

This will be the third time in six years I have been lucky enough to attempt the 26.2 miles. The first one was painful and painfully slow. I had done some training. (Well I thought it was training at the time). I managed a few laps of Virginia Water lake and I thought I could run forever. Big mistake, I hit the wall at about 7 miles!!! I had no energy and still had 19.2 miles to go. I eventually finished in 5hrs 15mins, just behind a guy with a bucket on his head, who got the better of me in the home straight, after a five mile battle! I vowed never to do it again…

So, when I found myself on the start line for the 2010 event, I knew what to expect. I was more prepared this time, as I had put the training miles in. 300 to be exact. (I don’t know how many hours that took, my wife could probably tell you, as I had been neglecting my weekend ‘To do lists’ apparently). But that amount of mileage caused a few injuries – the dreaded shin splints!!!

I hadn’t run at all in the 2 weeks lead up and I didn’t know how far I was going to manage before I would have to walk or stop all together. But I dosed myself up with painkillers and set off with the view that no matter how far I ran, or how long it took, I was going to try and enjoy it. Which, strangely I did. And all things considered, I was reasonably pleased with my time of 4:49:22. But there’s unfinished business between me and the streets of London! I know I can do better though.

So this time, I’m running and training with a mate. He’s faster and lighter than me, but I’m going to try and beat him and get closer to the 4 hour finishing time!!!

I’ve bought new running shoes.

Stopped eating crisps and chocolate in an attempt to get to my target weight of 85kgs in 3 months (currently 93kgs)

Read Chi Running by Danny Dreyer, which changed my running style. (This book also helped with my anger management while on the trains in the morning). And hopefully I’ll avoid any injuries.

Also I’m cramming in more miles by running to and from Waterloo to Nirvana CPH HQ 3 times a week. So if you see someone in bright green shoes, running with very small, fast strides, (if you’ve read the above book you’ll know what I’m talking about) along the Thames embankment, that will be me.

I’ll keep you posted on my personal journey/duel. And if you would like to sponsor me (I’m running for Children with Cancer) please visit: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SimonWright259

Thanks.

Simon

Winter Wonderland

Rich Penn — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:30:15 +0000

When one of our Clients had an idea of making their Christmas party a winter wonderland…we put our elf gear on, got to work and made it happen.

From the ‘snowball in a box’ invite to the ‘giant igloo’ bar this was going to be a party with no ice to break!

The snowballs were brilliant. They fit perfectly in the palm of your hand without melting and even have a slight crunch when you squeeze them. It takes a lot of practice though to actually hit your intended target.

The igloo, an atrium lift and wall coverage of 30m wide x 3m high was a little more involved.

We printed the wonderland scenery onto soft image cloth which draped beautifully from ceiling to floor. Together with a set of 6x rigid panels behind the DJ area and light box effect, self adhesive vinyls in the lift, the scene was nearly set.

But the bar area still lacked that ‘WOW’ factor…cue the igloo.

One of our very talented CGI artists built a 7m x 3m wall of ice blocks and with a touch of the ‘realistic, wet, ice block’ button we had ourselves the start of an amazing looking igloo.

All that was needed now was a polystyrene sculpture, 2.5m wide x 2.5m high x 1m deep to push seamlessly up against the ice block wall to finish off the wonderland experience.
The huge, hand sculptured igloo entrance was going to be the star of the night.

Our dedicated installation team worked tirelessly into the night to ensure the venue was ready for the fun to begin.

On the day of the party all that was left were the finishing touches like white sheets hanging over the reception desk and snow falling from the seven storey high atrium to make it a christmas party night to remember…or not depending on your alcohol consumption.

A real fun project and brilliant to work with like minded clients.

And just when you thought is was all over…

http://youtu.be/tusgzTamROQ

Designers involved in the London 2012 Olympics

Donna Creek — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:19:30 +0000

On 6th July 2005, London was selected to host the 2012 Olympic Games, successfully overcoming promising opposition from Paris, Madrid, NYC and Moscow in the process.

Seven years on and Stratford in East London, proud home of the 2012 Olympics,has seen major transformation. The Olympic Village is nearing completion and the towering ‘ArcelorMittal Orbit’ has already dramatically reconfigured the skyline of the East End. The Olympics will make use of a combination of old and new venues throughout, with more and more stunning contemporary additions being finalised as the opening ceremony beckons. An array of influential British designers, architects and artists have all been involved in making the Games something of which the British public can be proud as the global spotlight shines intensely upon us.

Below is an overview of just some of the projects and people involved:

Wolf Olins designed the logo which depicts the year 2012, with the Olympic rings featured within the zero. This will be the first time the same logo is used for both Olympic and Paralympic games.

Olympic mascots - created by creative agency, iris. Wenlock and Mandeville are the official Olympic mascots! In homage to London taxis, each character has a yellow light on top of their head, featuring their initials. Children’s author, Michael Morpurgo has written a story concept which has been animated by Crystal CG’s London office, this is titled ‘Out of a Rainbow’ with a sequel ‘Adventures on a Rainbow’

In July, all eyes will be on our athletes and with London being the fashion capital of the UK, they will need to look the part! Adidas have designed the Team GB kit since 1984, for the 2012 Olympics British fashion designer Stella McCartney has been appointed creative director. This will be the first time in which a fashion designer has designed an Olympic sport wear range. McCartney will design the entire Team GB kit, Paralympics GB kit, presentation suits and village wear!

East London has undergone a dramatic overhaul since construction of the Olympic Village began, with influential architects putting their mark on a wide array of venues, several of which have been
highlighted below:

Olympic Stadium - HOK Sport – Peter Cook

Velodrome - Hopkins Architects

Aquatics Centre - Zaha Hadid Architects

One striking addition to the park is the ArcelorMittal Orbit – desgined by Anish Kapoor – Indian-born British sculptor and once winner of the Turner Prize. It provides the highest observation tower within the Olympic Park and is also the UK’s largest piece of art – a staggering 22m taller than the Statue of Liberty!

A fantastic build up to the event will be the journey of the Olympic torch. Its 70 day journey will begin at Lands End on 19 of May and travel clockwise around the country, it will pass through every county! The torch will eventually arrive in Stratford at the Olympic stadium on the 27th July, in time for the opening ceremony!

The Olympic Torch is designed by east Londoners Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby. The torch is made from gold aluminium and features 8000 holes which is a representation of the torchbearers and the amount of miles it will travel. The final torch bearer will carry it towards the cauldron and then ignite the flame in the stadium, once lit the flame will continue to burn throughout the Olympics.

Once the event is underway we will all be hopeful that ‘Team GB’ will get their hands on a collection of medals! The medals (as below) were designed by artist – David Watkins. Featuring ‘NIKE’ (Greek goddess of victory) and the River Thames on the back.

The 2012 Olympics will be one of the most exciting events to take place in London, for those of you lucky enough to have got tickets,enjoy!

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Material Board, Subscribe To Receive The Latest

Ed Smith — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:43:34 +0000

The Nirvana material board series is a collection of different materials that have had graphics applied to them using a range of different processes.

We approach designers who specialise in particular materials and give them a choice of processes which they can apply to this material. Every designer is given the same A5 size frame to put their design to, which Nirvana then get produced.

Take a look at all our material board designs to date and if you wish to receive the next material boards provide your contact details here:

As part of our new work space at Waterside we have created a materials gallery where you will be able to see and feel more examples of the work we do. Get in touch if you would like to come over and see what a creative production house can do for you.

Shooting Claudia Schiffer!

Ed Smith — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:19:42 +0000

If you had to choose the best place to shoot a video of Claudia Schiffer in the middle of December, a semi derelict manor just outside the M25 might not be the first place you’d consider. Following on from a film we produced for Fashion week, we were briefed to shoot a behind the scenes video to complement the look book shoot, photographed by Camilla Akrans.

Running a small team of four: Director, producer, camera and one runner meant we could move quickly to shoot content after the photographer had what she needed for each look.What you don’t get from the film is how unbelievably cold it was, the time spent standing around waiting to get the shots we wanted and the hot bagels that were shipped in from Brick Lane. Claudia was very happy to take direction and was genuinely interested in the process and reviewing the footage. The final edit made it all the way to Vogue TV via Claudia’s own website and a whole raft of fashion blogs.

It’s not all creeping about in the woods though. We’re regularly creating backstage and promo content for Fashion bands and individuals. Ozwald Boateng’s show was a highlight, an amazing show with all the energy of a West End premiere. On the opposite end of the scale, we shot a beautiful set of portraits for Jordan Askill, jewellery designer. Producing shorts like these, gets you into places you wouldn’t usually see though you’re rarely accepted into the fold. Now that moving image has become so integral for brands, that is starting to change. Don’t let the photographer tell you they’re in charge.

Whether it’s shameless self promotion or just effusive passion, people can’t help to get involved in the process and get the benefits of doing so.