The Best Bet
Suddenly, New York seems particularly full of wildly imaginative works from the Netherlands. To his credit, Murray Moss (as well as a few curators at MoMA) began a love affair with the anti-Minimalist creations of Dutch designers like Hella Jongerius and her compatriots nearly a decade ago. Until recently, most of Jongerius’s projects (like the My Soft Office installation’s rolling foam chaises embedded with computer screens or the soft vases she sculpts from polyurethane) were one-offs or extremely limited editions. Lately, though, she’s been moving toward sort-of-mass production. This piece from Nymphenburg Sketches (created for Nymphenburg, the German porcelain house) uses iconic images (flowers, butterflies) from the company archives, which Jongerius breaks down into their design components and then rearranges. Each plate is a one-of-a-kind ($660 at Moss, 152 Greene St., at Houston St.; 212-204-7100).
Sleepwear With Snob Appeal
The high-thread-count mercerized cotton that British company Derek Rose uses in its pajamas manages to be both crisp and silky ($275 at Saks Fifth Avenue, 611 Fifth Ave., at 49th St.; 212-753-4000).
A Toothbrush With a Power Source
Oral-B’s Pulsar goes after electronic-toothbrush fans with pivoting bristles and a two-minute timer, all incorporated in a disposable, battery-operated brush ($5.99 at Duane Reade, 777 Sixth Ave., at 26th St.; 646-336-8414).
Wraps to Wear Even When It’s Warm
Shahmina shawls, made from baby-goat hair, are weightless enough to wear in air-conditioned offices now, and warm enough to keep through the winter ($595 to $1,675 at Barneys New York, Madison Ave. at 61st St.; 212-826-8900).
Coffee Never Looked So Good
The dashing Lipstick thermos by Bodum has been reissued with one-liter capacity, double-walled stainless-steel construction, and that famous fire-engine-red spout ($29.95 at Bodum, 413–415 W. 14th St., nr. Ninth Ave.; 212-367-9125).
A Watch With Multiple Options
The well-proportioned design of Ritmo Mundo’s dual-time-zone watch works for both sexes and comes with two straps: embossed leather and rubber ($800 at Bloomingdale’s, 1000 Third Ave., at 59th St.; 212-705-2000).