MIXEDMATERIAL

Buy It Now: 'animalia' by Mauricio Ortiz

Treat yourself to this Scarabeus Cornuplura print (above) by Mauricio Ortiz. Available from Eyestorm in an edition of 50, the picture is one of six from the animalia series that are available on the site. I also love the Scarabeus Frondosa picture (below), available directly from the artist at his own site. The Scarabeus Cornuplura picture is on show until September 28th at the House of Cards exhibition at the Haunch of Venison gallery in London, which features individual playing cards created by artists and designers including Alexander McQueen, Damien Hirst and David Bailey. 

Buy It Now: Closely Separated Vase

A vase is often a frilly and feminine thing, but not so in the case of this fractured vessel by Michael Geertsen. Created for Muuto, the vase is called 'Closely Separated' and it creates just the right balance between hard modernity and human crafting, as it is created by hand by throwing traditional shapes likes cups and bowls on a potter's wheel which are then reassembled to create a chimeric container. Available with a tin glaze in white or yellow, the vase costs £79 from the Conran Shop.

Buy It Now: Comme Des Garcons Windcheater

April means showers, of course, and what better way to cover yourself but still look spring savvy than with this colour block windcheater from Comme Des Garcons?

Comme Des Garcons Windcheater, £139 from Farfetch

Buy It Now: Dolfin Chocolate

This Easter, let the kids have the sticky synthetic sweets and treat yourself to some real grown up chocolate from Dolfin. Using fine chocolate and innovative blends of herbs and spices, Dolfin has been working the whole 'sounds weird but works, chili pepper and chocolate' thing for twenty years from its base in Belgium, creating chocolate that tends towards a less sweet, more real, taste and texture. Their core range of 17 flavours includes blends with aniseed, pink peppercorns, hot masala, earl grey tea, ginger and lavender. Also available for the summer is 'Summer Memories', a limited edition collection that includes Apple Crumble, Apricot and Rosemary and the perfectly named Fancy Lemon Feeling. 

Buy online from chocolatesource.com (US) or chocolatetradingco (UK)

Buy It Now: Alexander McQueen Pilgrim Shopper

For those of you into collecting sets of things, why not treat yourself to this Alexander McQueen Pilgrim Shopper? Aside from a near-$1000 difference in price and the fact it's black, this bag is pretty similar to the Alexander McQueen Biker Shopper which was recommended here as a previous Buy It Now. If you're a completist with a capsule wardrobe, the similarity should be all the justification you need to sneak the black version into your collection. $1595 from Alexander McQueen.

Buy it Now: This Works Energy Bank Bath and Shower Gel

 

If you are anything like me, you are just now starting work on getting in shape for the summer. Of course, we've left it too late again to get fully Adonisised but that's no excuse not to keep on trying and to work up a sweat every so often. For a pre or post workout motivator, there is nothing better than this This Works Energy Bank Bath and Shower Gel, which is packed with energy enhancing essential oils to get you on your way. The heady aroma puts weak and synthetic cheaper fragrances to shame and, as expected from a company called This Works, it does, indeed, do exactly what is says on the bottle and restock your energy bank. Available for £19 from This Works.

Buy it Now: Harry Allen Piggy Bank

I need somewhere new to put the little spare money that I have. The banks just aren't getting any better and under the mattress was a good option until I went Tempur Pedic; my mattress is now so heavy (and comfortable) that I'd never be able to lift it up and get my hands on my cash. A piggy bank is the only way to go for now and there's no better one than this example by Harry Allen. Cast from a real life dead pig, this is a piggy bank for grown ups. It's available in white (shown here) and pink for £83.19 and in gold and chrome from £150. I like the white option best, which leaves me with a bit of cash to fill the little oinker. Available from Opus Interiors.

Buy It Now: Sandwich Sponge

Mixed Material is going cheap and disposable for the Buy It Now this week, with a Sandwich Sponge from the Moma Store. Priced at $10, the sponge is designed by Jaewon Yang and Hyung Jeong Lee and is offered for a limited time as part of the Destination Seoul featured selection from the Moma Store. Why not get a whole loaf of them and make sponge sandwiches to see you through your spring clean?

BUY IT NOW: Maison Martin Margiela Sneakers

Following on from the success of the all-other-hi-top-slaying Lanvin multi-fabric, multi-colour boots, the world has gone crazy designer trainer crazy for spring. One of the best collections is by Maison Martin Margiela and while there are a few scarily orthopedic numbers in there, it's pretty hard to just pick one pair from the collection to Buy it Now. I'm going to plump for the black and white varnished numbers shown here, which feature a confetti print to celebrate 20 years of Maison Martin Margiela and are £245 from The Corner. A couple more pictures of the best from the collection along with links to where you can buy are shown after the jump... check out the yellow hi-tops for real spring fever.

BUY IT NOW: Jacqui Chanarin B-10 (Iceberg) Sculpture

While the rest of the world valiantly carries on functioning through winter weather, Britain inexplicably grinds to a halt after a bit of snow. But, for a moment, let's celebrate iciness and revel in the wondrousness of this limited edition porcelain iceberg sculpture by Jacqui Chanarin. It's pretty tiny in comparison to regular icebergs (11.5 cm tall) but that means it will fit anywhere that you care to display it. The sculpture itself is expertly crafted and fuses precision and wit to create a timeless piece that may well last longer than any real icebergs. Invest now.

B-10 Iceberg Sculpture by Jacqui Chanarin, available in a limited edition of 200; £200 from Eyestorm.