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ABOUT MAURICE AJANAKU
Starting out as a place to save and share his inspiration, Maurice Ajanaku has grown his online magazine, AJANAKU.com, into a internationally recognized online source for the latest creative trends in fashion, design, art, music, and more.
Today, AJANAKUs content is generated by Maurice Ajanaku himself, along with articles submitted by a team of global creative contributors who write about their own experiences in their own words. The contributing team work in the fields of design, fashion, advertising, marketing, publishing and photography. Recently, Maurice Ajanaku has ventured into producing numerous projects for Casio G-Shock, Heineken, and Property of... in both print and film.
Make sure to follow his latest project: The Wedding Chronicles
Viral Social Media Experience
While setting up a new retail chain in West Africa I have been busy trying to think of new ways to promote the brand during opening. What is it that makes a brands name spread over the world like wildfire? The answer is simple, the mix of viral and social media. You would need to create an event or brand experience which gets the consumers talking….. Social Media talking.
One such event was planned at last summers London Fashion Week by Blackberry. In celebration of the launch of their latest Blackberry telephone, they gave members of the public a chance to be a famous catwalk model, and star in their very own live show on the London Fashion Catwalk, by Blackberry.
How they did it? The transformed a space on High Street Kensington into a catwalk with no audience, giving fashionistas a chance to strut their stuff. But a catwalk with no audience isn’t lots of fun, so Blackberry used green-screen technology and transformed the space into a full-on catwalk experience, complete with a true fashion loving audience.
Blackberry would then film the fashion show and send it directly to the aspiring ‘catwalk-model,’ letting them share it with all their friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Therefore creating a unique viral clip for all those sharing it. A true Viral Social Media Experience.
social media: bespoke as the master tailor
With the explosion of social media, looking good has never been so easy. For sure you have all those fashionista blogs I mentioned in a previous post, but that is mainly aimed at girls between the ages of 15-25. They have it easy; the fashionista gets a set of clothes from H&M, Mango, Top Shop, or any high-street brand; she mixes the brands to make a set; takes a picture of herself; and there you go, style advice for the girls. Girls have it easy, but what about the men?
There are enough blogs out there sharing the latest in fashion, the latest collections, but it’s hard to find a place that advises you on style. What goes with what? Which colour tie should I wear with which shirt?
As Editor in Chief of Ajanaku.com, I try to share my experience and knowledge with my male habitants of the world, young and old. I do this by sharing inspirational images of fashion-minded men around the world, as well as tips concerning a subject: The Wedding Suit, The Perfect Tie, and so on. Is this enough? I don’t think so, as men are less generic than women, they search for tailored advice. Why do you think that there are still bespoke tailors for men and none for women in Europe? It’s because men like to have items that are made for them, sets them apart from the mass, fits perfect, and is a piece that can go for at least 5 years.
So where does social media come into this? How can social media be as bespoke as the master tailor? The first is a re-invention of the Fashion Doctor in all the men’s magazines like GQ. Where you would have to send in a letter or email and wait two editions to see if you made the cut, you can now tweet sites like MR. PORTER at set times in the week, and get a catered advice within a few min. Imagine; you are at the point to head out to the office party and don’t know which tie goes with your pink-striped shirt and blue suit. You tweet your question to @MRPORTER, telling him the options, and 5 min later you get your answer, the blue tie!
It’s not only twitter where this service is available, but on facebook as well. Just follow the brand/person, and ask away. Once you start to get a sense of what rules apply where, you need not ask style advice, but just want some inspiration for what to wear, you could always turn to The Satorialist. A legend in photographing style-conscious people on the street, it is great for inspiration, but does not offer the scope of the different styles. This is where Pinterest comes in.
A digital pinboard, it offers people the chance to pin images found throughout the web, and therefore create a moodboard of images. As many individuals are ‘bespoke’ in their style, you just need follow 10 individuals, and you get a multitude of styles and inspiration. They would include images from site like The Satorialist, The Fashionistas, The Brands, and the blogs. Basically a central point for all that is fashion.
So what you waiting for? Oh yeah, at the moment Pinterest only works on invitation basis, so you will need to get a friend to invite you, or you can always send me an email and I will send you an invite. Have fun Pinning your style.
The little printer
Our lives seem increasingly to be ruled by our social media accounts. I find myself checking into all my locations with Foursquare & Facebook, updating everyone on eat course I am eating at the restaurant, and checking what all my friends are up too. It doesn’t even seem to end there! I then start playing cross-words puzzles on my smart phone and read upon on the latest news and weather forecast. Will I ever be able to live without my phone?
Well this is where a little square shaped friends comes in. Imagine this: you are getting ready in the morning, rush down to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, and your latest mini-newspaper. This mini-newspaper is more than just news, it also has the latest Foursquare updates from your friends, the newest cross-word puzzle, and the latest gossip from your friends.
This little friend is the Little Printer from the guys at BERG Cloud. What started as a concept is turning into reality this year, and just asks that you have a smart phone and a wireless connection. You don’t even need to refill the ink to the Little Printer as it uses ink less thermal printing.
This is what BERG Cloud have to say about the little friend:
“Little Printer lives in your home, bringing you news, puzzles and gossip from your friends. Use your smartphone to set up subscriptions and Little Printer will gather them together to create a timely, beautiful mini-newspaper.”
The Little Printer will be a truly BIG Friend for me in 2012.
Hidden Radio
As a married man every decision in the home has to be made together with the wife. Most of the times its the wife who gets her way, but there is however one section where I decide what happens. This section is the multimedia installation for the house. HD TV, Denon Amp, Sonos, Apple Time Capsule, are just a few things that make my home entertainment worth it. I do however have a preference for hardware that is minimal in both design and function, so it was no surprise that I was immediately attracted to this hidden radio & Bluetooth Speaker on Kickstarter. Even though I am not a huge fane of most Bluetooth audio systems, this system is so beautiful in design and the effective twist top design, that I might need to change my opinion.
The first twist turns the speaker on, while raising the cap higher increases the volume, which makes this a truly simple design. This product is the result of industrial Designers John Van Den Nieuwenhuizen and Vitor Santa Maria hard work and $50K. They are still seeking some more support in the form of another financial investment of $125,000 via Kickstarter to get the Hidden Radio officially out on the market. If that investment is too high for you, you can just opt for a minimum donation of $99, and you’ll receive one of the first off-the-assembly-line Hidden Radios for your contribution.
Nuji, Online WIndow Shopping
Nuji has not been around for that long, but has made a great deal of noise amongst those who have a love for beautiful objects. With the likes of Ajanaku, AnotherSomething, Nalden &
the189 tagging their daily finds, Nuji is now a source for inspiration and our own little private online shop. They recently restyled the website, and are welcoming you to unlock the new Nuji, and start
becoming one of the many inspirators at Nuji.
But what is Nuji? Nuji is your social wish list. Nuji helps you save and discover products you love from all over the web. You can save items you like from any online store using their simple bookmarklet. This helps you keep track of some of the great things you discover and want to purchase later. You are also able to follow people with similar taste and see what they’re discovering. This helps to find products you normally would never come across if you were surfing the net solo. With over 7,000 stores on Nuji, you can keep track of latest offering, from Urban Outfitters to Tenue De Nimes.
Sealander
It seems going green has become more of a trend now than a must-do-to-save-the-world thing. One of the going green adventures one undertakes is conquering the great outdoors. The tent, backpacking, lighting a fire and the camping trailer must be both functional and on trend. And if you are camping next to a lake, the boat must also be up to scratch.
But what if you could combine your trailer with your boat? Then you are sure to be the most trendiest at the camping ground. Well, now you can with the Sealander. The Germans have done it again, coming up with a trailer small enough to be towed by your eco-friendly car, the Sealander can be custom configured with benches, tables, kitchenette and even a place to sleep.
But as you slowly lower it into the water, you mount its tiny motor and away you go. Okay, so it ain’t rough sea ready, but at least you’ll be able to pull of something truly unique on your next trip to the great outdoors. Just make sure you check the load capacity and leave your more horizontally challenged friends on shore.
Hermes vs Travelteq // iPad 2 Cases
As the iPad 2 continues to flood the market, and those with the first generation iPad are trying to sell it off for as much as possible, companies have started to come with some great cases for Apples´ latest device. Like the original iPad, known brands have again started to sell cases that personalize the iPad 2.
I am a fan of cases that are simple and beautiful, and have fallen for iPad 2 cases from both Hermès and Travelteq. The question is, which one is the best?Let’s start with the Hermès Swift (left), a slipcase that is available is the 10 different colours, including the iconic Hermès orange. The slipcase is made from calfskin leather and has the Hermès logo embossed in it.
If like me you are a person who loves the natural feeling of the iPad 2, then a simple slipcase is the thing for you. If you need a case that also doubles as a stand, then the Hermès Station (pictured above) is more your thing. The book-style cover, made from the same material as the Swift, is reminiscent of the original apple cover and is available in four colours. I love this simplicity of the Station and how the use of it emphasizes its material. But is this the only leather case that is both beautiful, functional, and easy to use?
I would have forked out the €580 for the Swift or even asked a €990 loan needed for the Station, but then last week I came across the new iPad 2 case from Travelteq. Travelteq is a company known for it’s bags and the materials used to make them, so it was no surprise to see such a great product come out of their workshop, that is made of Florentine Vachetta leather with high quality alcantara lining.
I love the detail put into this product, but don’t feel they really took the time to create something new. I feel as if they took the Apple iPad case, and just reworked it with the vegetable tanned Italian leather. Yes it is handmade, and I love that, but Travelteq is known for their innovation and innovating it is not. I do have to admit I haven’t held the case in my hand, so I could be wrong, but there is one big advantage Travelteq has versus the Hermes products, the price. Retailing at just €225, you don’t have to take out a double mortgage on your house to buy one.
That is what it comes down to, price versus quality. I do prefer a slip case instead of a book case, but I don’t believe in paying twice as much just because it has a French brands name embossed in it. So if I was to advise on of the three cases, the handmade Travleteq case is worth the €225, and by this time next year you would probably be looking for a new case for the iPad 3.
Intimacy Black
As Technology becomes a larger part of our lives, the question is when it will play an integral part in the world of fashion. About a year ago I came across Intimacy Black, a new dress sprung from the mind of Anouk Wipprecht. Due to a small electrical current running through the fabric, the dress unveils your body the closer someone gets to you, becoming more transparent. The dress, made of smart foil, not only has an interesting design but also makes sure there is a sensual play going on between you and the approaching person.
Anouk Wipprecht graduated last summer as a fashion designer at the HKU and made this sexy creation for ‘Summer Sessions V2′ in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. She is one of the four artists who were given time, money and a team of experts to realize their concept.
Intimacy is a series of fashion products by Daan Roosegaarde and V2_ with the goal to explore the relationship between technology and intimacy. The first dress (Intimacy White) was designed by Maartje Dijkstra and later the first Intimacy bag was made.
Intimacy Black is a great example of using technology to create a 4th dimension to your clothing. Let’s hope more designers see the power of this and apply it to their new collections.
The ‘Must-Have’ Fashion Blog
As I write this piece on my iPad, I can’t help but think how Internet has changed the way we perceive and interact with fashion and the trends that follow. When I started blogging a few years back, the hottest fashion blog out there was The Satorialist, by Scott Schuman. It was a place where he shared the inspirations of the street with us, directly on our computers. As the years passed, it seemed every girl out there felt they could do the same, but with one twist. Instead of inspiring, they took pictures of themselves, telling us that what they were wearing was the must have item of the that season. Not only did they share their fashion musts, but also had to tell us every high-class party they attended.
What’s made this possible? The Internet, and the ever-evolving devices that facilitate this. As you can tell I am not really a big fan of blogs that don’t really have substance and tell a story, but as these sites grow in popularity, gaining front row seats a the worlds best fashion shows, it can’t be ignored that fashion has less become about the craftsmanship put into each piece, but about the superficial ‘One-day Trend.’
I even catch myself becoming a victim of this, but hope that one day we again celebrate the detail put into a piece of clothing, instead of celebrating its appearance on the next ‘Sex and the City.’
