French graphic artist Camille Walala is behind the creation of an incredible 40-metre-high mural in Brookyn, New York City.

Her largest mural to date, Camille began her career in textile design. After living in London she realised the opportunity available to bring colour to dull streets.

Drawing influence from colour combinations seen on the street, the Memphis movement and its founding member Nathalie Du Pasquier, her playful, vibrant artworks make use of colour blocking, geometric shapes and repetitive patterns.

She enjoys the fact that parts of the building, such as windows and pipes, become a part of the concept of the design and interact with her work.

“Maybe one day I could have my own city,” she says in the clip. “I’m trying to kind of achieve The Walalaland, where hopefully all of the buildings will be bright and colourful.”

See more of her work, here.

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1. Alissa Volchkova’s Porcelain Bowls 

“Alissa Volchkova has created a series of bowls that are made by free-pouring the material to form irregular blob-like shapes,” says Managing Editor Samantha Charles. “The project has been titled ‘Volchkova’s Liquid Series’ and was presented at the recent Paris Design Week.”

Image credit: dezeen.com

2. Brooklyn Row House

“New York City-based Office of Architecture is behind the design of this narrow row house in Brooklyn,” says Online Editor Lindi Brownell Meiring. “I just love what the owners have done with this 93 m² space – and it’s only 3,35 m wide!”

Image credit: dezeen.com

3. Interior and Lifestyle Brand FIL by Foreque Inc

“The design concept is based on ‘fulfilling life, a life that is full’ and the designers apply this vision to their products by preserving and protecting the natural landscape of the Aso region in Japan,” says Content Producer Mary Garner. “The company makes use of an environmentally friendly and sustainable thinning process of local Minamioguni materials to produce this contemporary furniture.”

Image credit: designboom.com

4. Normann Copenhagen Obi Cup

“Normann Copenhagen’s Obi Cups designed by Simon Legald are curvy porcelain pieces that have an insulating silicone belt around the middle of the cup which comes in three sizes: an espresso cup, a cup and a mug for coffee, tea and other hot drinks,” says Features Editor Amelia Brown. “The silicone mid-section protects your hand from the heat of the drink, too, which is pretty nifty!”

Image credit: normann-copenhagen.com

5. Pratìc Paper Models

“This Rome-based studio, founded by lead designer Lamis,  creates intricate paper models that you can order as a pop-up invitation, special packaging, set design for your product or a unique installation,” says Features Writer Ashraf Booley.

Image credit: praticdesign.com

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There’s no denying that, when it comes to weekend hangouts, markets are the new malls. Now if there’s one market in the world worth dropping by, it would have to be the Brooklyn Flea in New York – arguably the original bazaar of cool.

Founded in April 2008, the New York City Brooklyn Flea has become one of the best reasons to leave Manhattan and cross the river. Hundreds of vendors curate a medley of intriguing items, ranging from vintage clothing and antique furniture, to household bric-a-brac, which might or might not have been raided from grandma’s basement. Keeping company with this fleamarket fusion is some first-rate arts, crafts, and jewellery artisans selling edgy, urban wares.

With such a diverse group of stands selling everything from checked bowties and vinyl records to retro suitcases crammed with vintage hangers, antler horns and old faded postcards of characteristic New York scenes, the Brooklyn Flea has become a neighbourhood institution. During the warmer months, the market takes place outdoors on an old basketball court in Fort Greene but during the colder, winter months it moves indoors to a cosier venue in Williamsburg, a nearby neighbourhood.

After touring the tables, quench your thirst with a homemade iced watermelon drink at the food bonanza bordering the market zone. With a selected group of food vendors selling a variety of treats, market-hungry visitors can choose from a smorgasbord of snacks, like spiced and roasted corn on the cob or freshly made tortillas. 

The unmistakable and tangible existence of a close-knit family vibe amongst the locals who support the Flea, and those that trade there, is clear to see: friends catching up over a takeaway coffee or store-holders sharing a joke across their wares. It wouldn’t be unusual to see a neighbourhood local drop down and demonstrate his “salutation to the sun” yoga position to a friend, in the middle of another friend’s stall. One gets a true sense of spontaneity and familiarity from both the visitors and the vendors of the Flea. 

In 2009, the Brooklyn Flea received a Certificate of Merit from the Municipal Art Society for creating an “exceptional contribution to the life of New York City”, and for “providing an alternative to big-box retail that embodies a private sector spirit while yielding generous public benefits”. Then Citizens Union praised the Flea in 2010 with its Community Leadership Award for “creativity in building forums for exchange – both physical and virtual – that are strengthening New Yorkers’ spirit of community”.

If you’re after an authentic New York experience, escape across the river and visit the Brooklyn Flea. It’s a little bit vintage-bazaar, and a little bit hipster-hangout. However, the Flea is well organised and carefully curated, leaving you with a bona fide sample of New York life at a grass-roots level.

www.brooklynflea.com

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