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Pop Star
Danish-born goldsmith Erik Bagger believes that “the kitchen drawer is the No. 1 enemy of good design,” and so he’s devoted much of his time to creating inventive stuff for the kitchen. His newest, the Grand Cru opener for Rosendahl, provides help this millennium eve for the champagne-popping-impaired. It has six inner teeth that grip the cork firmly so the stopper can be eased out of the bottle without a champagney cataract. ABS plastic and stainless steel are Bagger’s favorite materials, so it’s not surprising that the opener is made of both ($26.50).
MOMA design store/44 West 53rd Street/212-767-1050
Incredible Specs
Eyephorics sunglasses are barely there, but what is there is awesome. These UV-protection Swiss specs weigh a mere 2.5 grams and have interchangeable nose pieces and custom-fitting temple ends. The sunglasses can be fitted with prescription lenses, and they come in kids’ sizes, too ($225).
Purdy Opticians/All locations
Do You Know the Way to Saint-Tropez?
Legend has it that when a visiting journalist in Saint-Tropez in 1970 couldn’t find proper swim trunks (longish boxer shorts, not the skimpy ones worn by the locals) he set about cutting a pair out of quick- drying spinnaker sailcloth. So Vilebrequin (a shop that only sold men’s swimsuits) was born. The company has now gone international and opened a sliver of an outpost in SoHo that’s an exact replica of the Côte d’Azur original. Here, shelves and drawers are fastidiously crammed with classic, competition, and sport models in hundreds of solids and eye-popping prints. The boxers are stitched like men’s trousers, even the interior lining is cotton, and most of the suits come with a waterproof pouch for money or car keys. Though billed as menswear, Vilebrequin swim shorts have been spotted on many a Riviera chick ($100 to $120; kids sizes 2 to 12, $55).
vilebrequin/436 West Broadway/212-431-0673
Cozy Arrangement
Rather like a bug in a rug, wee ones will be warm and snug tucked into Jeanette Benway’s Cozy Rosie. This Polarfleece stroller blanket attaches to any size stroller (including jogging and doubles) with Velcro fasteners, so unlike ordinary blankets it can’t fall off or become entangled in the stroller wheels. It’s machine-washable and not bulky, so it can be left on when the stroller is folded up and put away ($44.95).
Schneider’s/20 Avenue A/212-228-3540
Send shopping questions to Corky Pollan, New York Magazine, 444 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10022-6999.
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