Malene Birger: My summer list

My dream wardrobe for this summer would include these 3 pieces from Danish designer Malene Birger:

A lace mini dress. White (or off-white?). I've been looking for the perfect lace dress since a very long time... One that would not look like a victorian curtain. One that would not look cheap. But one that would be affordable. I would not really call this one affordable, but it sure does look very pretty, romantic and feminine!
The Illione lace dress is here!

For me, the ultimate summer bag is a straw bag. It can be the cheap one, bought at the souvenir shop in Cuba or the Salvatore Ferragamo crazy expensive one, I love them all these days. But Birger's Gaviana bag also have, ahhhhhhhhhh, black leather fringes!!! Yes, you can be in love with a straw bag.

Photos: By Malene Birger

Sequined sexy hotpants! You need to be pretty confident to wear something like that. Personally, I would never dare walking in the streets wearing such a tiny thing, but at a party, yes. And by party, I mean my boyfriend and I at home with a box wine. But I love the way they look on the model, paired with a crisp white shirt! Hot!

Hövding: Stylish bicycle helmets from Sweden

No, it's not something from the new Courrèges collection. But as a big fan of the 60's and space age fashion, I have to say that I was quite intrigued by this cool helmet from Hövding. And when I found out that it was actually a bicycle helmet, I got really excited for once about the idea of wearing a helmet (I normally find them quite unattractive. And yes, I know safety is more important than prettiness when you have to ride your bike in the morning traffic, but I just can't...).

What you see above is the inflated airbag. It doesn't look like that unless you have an accident. What you wear is a collar, covered by a removable shell, that contain a folded up airbag controlled by sensors. I love that it doesn't look sporty, it's chic, sober, perfect for the urban cyclist. The airbag is made in a ultra strong nylon fabric and will be fully inflated in about 0.1 seconds (before head impact).

It looks great, it could save your life, but it's also quite expensive. And once the airbag has been triggered, the Hövding helmet can't be worn again. But if you're involved in an accident, you can send it back to the company who will recycle it and examine the black box (it records 10 seconds of data on the cyclist's movement patterns during and just before an accident). Hövding will give you a discount on a new helmet for that.

More details on my favorite bicycle helmet here!

Photos: Hövding

Photo via Glamour Splash

Arne Vodder Sideboards

Photo via: Tumblr

How I love sideboards! Especially those designed by Arne Vodder (1926-2009) and produced by Sibast Furniture. Most of them were made around 1958, and they are truly unique with their colourful panels. Vodder, a danish architect and designer was trained by the great Finn Juhl, and his beautiful sideboards made from teak or rosewood are really sought-after today and can reach high prices at auctions. But why not be inspired by Vodder and make your own from a cheaper sideboard bought at the flea market? It may be not the real thing, but it's a good way to give a new life to an old piece of furniture!

Photo via: Tumblr

Photo via: Mid-Centuria

Photo via: Mid-Centuria

Photo via: Lys Vintage

Jens Quistgaard's Dansk Pepper mills

Photo: Nordiska Style

I've been eyeing Dansk pepper mills for quite a long time, and I recently (finally) got one! Dansk re-released 5 of Jens Quistgaard pepper mills in 2009, and this one, the "Jane" was first seen in 1965. They're now made from acacia wood instead of teak, and the current production is no longer made in Denmark. Still, this one, with its wonderful curvy design really looks amazing in real life, and it works pretty well. It's a combined salt shaker and pepper mill, practical and sculptural!

Even though I'm really happy with it, I'd love to invest in some original Dansk mills from the 60's. There's a great book called Danish Pepper: Jens Quistgaard's Teak Pepper Mills by Mark Perlson, a must-have if you want to start a collection, or if you're just interested in Danish modern design in general. 

I also found on Teak Pepper this stunning collection (I'm just a little jealous)!

Growing Jewelry by HAF

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Green, poetic and original: these gorgeous rings are from the Growing Jewelry collection designed by HAF, a company based in Reykjavik founded in 2011 by industrial/interior designer Hafsteinn Juliusson. How great is this combination of gardening and jewelry! All pieces are made out of silver and contain real icelandic moss. All you need to do is watering it and trimming it once in a while and the moss should stay green up to 8-12 months. I've managed to kill cactus plants in the past, but I'm pretty confident I could take good care of my growing ring if I had one! Necklaces are also available here.

Photos: HAF