The official German–Japanese relations started with first ambassadorial visits in 1860. Ina Yamaguchi and Moritz Firchow followed history and founded deutsche & japaner creative studio in 2008. Both partners are not only ambitious in the fields of graphic design, product design, illustration, scenography and branding strategies but also well known for their platform for young and aspiring creatives: Arcademi.

www.deutscheundjapaner.com
www.arcademi.com

A vintage movie of a Las Vegas Pool Party with Jerry, Jane and Elvis depicting the lavish days back in the 60s. Today, resort pools have evolved from a place to lounge and grab a fruity drink before a show, to entertainment complexes with a nightlife vibe. The newest pool on the strip is the Encore Beach Club. With the party atmosphere of a European hot spot, this complex features three tiered pools, cabanas with refrigerators and flat screens, and lavish bungalows with hot tubs and showers. On the other side of the strip, The MGM Grand Wet Republic aims to bring South Beach to the desert. In addition to two saltwater pools, party cabanas and VIP bungalows the Wet Republic houses a 2,500-square-foot lounge. Caesars Palace recently opened its Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis. Six pools provide a unique environment, giving guests the choices that range from sunbathing to swim-up black jack.

www.visitlasvegas.com

One hundred years after the death of the French artist Henri Julien Rousseau (1844 to 1910), the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is devoting an exhibition to this pioneer of Modernism — the first occasion that Rousseau has been seen in depth in Spain. Organized by the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in co-operation with the Fondation Beyeler, Henri Rousseau presents a selection of approximately thirty masterpieces that provide a concise overview of the development and diversity of his oeuvre. Meet Philippe Büttner as he takes us on the exhibition's highlights.

As always Custo's unique signature style dazzled Berlin and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin was once again the setting for the presentation of the designer’s new spring summer 2011 collection.

Check backstage glamour with Qompendium.
Director of Photography: Manuel Eckl

German designer and trend forecaster Michael Michalsky invited the Qompendium Crew to take a glimpse behind his show and witness a spring summer collection that not only flatters the women silhouette but also embraces a romantic side in men and draws attention to three very special yet unfortunately endangered species.

Director of Photography: Manuel Eckl
Music: Ryuichi Sakamoto

Italian brand showcased a boring SS11 collection in an interesting setting and that is their smart game: A plastic igloo with an interior made of a junkyard, a theater, a sandy beach with elements of a circus. As usual nothing really changes in the Diesel collection, so we did not bother filming, but what does change is just how the brand is communicated and presented. Five stars go to the idea and zero to the execution. Let Diesel be super stupid.

German designer Markus Lupfer launched his collection back in 1998 and ever since he has celebrated fame and fortune among some other enfant terrible including Roisin Murphy and Gwen Stefani. For his Spring Summer 2011 collection Lupfer exhibited his signature pieces in the lovely new location The Soho House Berlin, at the Torstrasse 1. The location is Berlin’s the place to be and offers English extravaganza to its members and seasonal visitors Among guests we could witness even Vogue Editor in Chief, Christiane Arp, herself. Yet the presentation was needy and rather unglamorous. And we wish he would stop misusing Edwardian Script.

Eclectic to see the Chicks on Speed do their rehearsals and sound checks with Phil Speiser of Dirty Disco Youth. Click to see for yourself.

Sofia Design Week is an international event, organized by the independent Bulgarian bilingual publication One Magazine. It takes place in Sofia every year at the beginning of June and gathers some of the most avant-gardе names in contemporary product, communication, interactive and graphic design.

The second edition is dedicated to More or Less Sofia Design Week with Kimberly Lloyd, Erik Kessels, Armand Mevis, Norm, Luna Maurer, Charlotte Cheetham, Thomas Mailaender, Daniel Eatock and many other creative minds.

Presenting a high-performance mid-engined concept sports car with ultra-efficient, low-emission drive technology, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is further increasing the Company’s competence in hybrid technology. The 918 Spyder prototype combines high-tech racing features and electro-mobility to offer a fascinating range of qualities. Watch for more information.

Kate Moss is not going through different personalities, she is just taking another step after years of modeling, only this time to design. With Longchamp as her experimentation field and with Sophie Delafontaine, creative director of Longchamp and granddaughter of its founder Jean Cassegrain, as mastermind to create and execute new ideas for a rather old-school brand. Here she is behind the scenes showing her zebra-patterned purses, shoulder bags and more.

The new design for the $100 note was unveiled on Wednesday, April 21 2010 during a ceremony at the Department of the Treasury's Cash Room. Here is a footage on the production of the new $100 note from officials at the Department of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve Board, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the United States Secret Service.

The U.S. government redesigns currency in order to stay ahead of counterfeiters and protect the public. The redesigned $100 note includes two new, advanced counterfeit-deterrent security features that are easy for consumers and merchants to check when verifying authenticity: the 3-D Security Ribbon and the Bell in the Inkwell.

We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special. Quote by Stephen Hawkings.

This short film was intended to give the audience an insight into Qompendium Print Publication Volume 1.

Short film exclusively created for Mudam, 2010
Creative Direction, Narration by Kimberly Lloyd
Editing by Samuel Bänziger at Studio Reizundrisiko

The jack-of-all-trades, here comes Vibskov again with yet another venture into the publishing realm. Published by Jap Sam Books. Printed on uncoated Paper.

Find more close ups here.

Visual 
artist, Christian Weber was born in 1971 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He started taking photographs at the age of fourteen. Creating assured images, Weber demonstrates a raw elegance that is at once provisional and precise.

Read interview with Weber here.
www.christianweber.net

A metal bath of vibrant contrasts dazzled New York, courtesy of Custo Barcelona. And Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York was once again the setting for the presentation of the designer’s new autumn-winter 2010/2011 collection.

Check backstage glamour with Qompendium.