When Russians spend, they spend. “Philippe Starck designed Motor Yacht A with Martin Francis for Russian billionaire  Andrey Melnichenko. Built by Blohm+ Voss,  Motor Yacht A is 119 meters long and weighs approximately 5500 tonnes. Reminiscent of a submarine warship the mega yacht’s name is a tribute to Andrey Melnichenko and his wife Serbian fashion model Aleksandra Nikolic. (designboom)

More views of the Motor Yacht A by Philippe Starck after the jump.

Tote or backpack? That’s the question writers and bloggers are asking themselves. Our thoughts? backpack all the way. They’re easier to work with, just put it on your back and you’re done. We’re a little pedantic about the details, so we prefer it hanging off one shoulder as opposed to the ’straight from school’ look. Tote bags are the sort of item that looks great in a fashion editorial, but fussy and annoying in real life. With that said, we still appreciate a good tote bag when we see it.

These ones are part of the ongoing Limoland/Yoshida Porter collab that we’ve been previewing lately. Like the other bags, it’s a lot more subdued than what we’ve come to expect from Limoland and it’s all the better for it. Look for these to ‘drop’ around January.

Since the Cooper-Hewitt’s recent exploration of felt, interest (here) on its applications has risen remarkably. (From nil to a bit). Studio Dror’s Peacock chair uses three sheets of felt and a simple metal frame to produce the look of the bird’s train. The chair was designed by Dror Benshetrit and is the studio’s first collaboration with furniture maker Cappellini. (via DB).

More images follow.

For some folks, summer isn’t official until they’ve sipped their first margarita of the season. Unfortunately, for many the margarita stops at frozen and a bloke named Jose.

Photographer Karl Petzke pushes beyond an average understanding of the liquor in a new book, Tequila: Myth, Magic & Spirited Recipes. He explores the rich cultural history of the agave plant and its distilled juice. How it’s made and tasted are discussed in depth. And, to top it off, Petzke provides recipes common and surprising that allow tequila to lift the spirit of several dishes.

Available from Chronicle.

We’d love to be covering sunglasses and swimshorts here, but the weather (in England, at least) has been a long, long way from summery. It’s reached a point where we’ve started staring at people who still insist on wearing sunglasses – especially those huge ones that cover the face. Add that to the list of things we’ll never understand, like Ugg boots and Birkenstocks.

But I digress. This Woolrich parka is on sale, although it’s still not cheap. You’ll have to hurry too, it’s only available in a small now and that’ll soon be sold out. (Steven Alan)

We’re shoe obsessed at the moment. We’d like to offer some vogue-esque reason about shoes ‘providing an escape from the world’ or some nonsense, but there’s really no deep reasoning behind it. We’re just into them right now. And we’re not fussy either, we don’t care whether they’re rough-and-tumble boots or poncey shoes – if it’s a handsome shoe, we’re gonna feature it. Take these B Store Derbies for instance. They’re shoes, we like them, so we featured them. It’s as simple as that. (Farfetch)

Check out detailed shots after the leap.

01. Harvard Beats Yale T-Shirt and DVD Giveaway

“The insanely soft line of tees from sports-enthusiast label Homage receives a historical update with their new “Harvard Beats Yale 29-29″ graphic, inspired by filmmaker Kevin Rafferty’s heartfelt documentary of the same name.” (coolhunting)

02. Facebook’s New Offices

“Facebook has recently moved into new corporate offices that have consolidated several locations. It looks to be a giant post industrial complex and they appear to be providing a wide range of alternate work and interaction spaces.” (workalicious)

03. Earplug Packaging by Florafauna (above)

“We came across this nifty packaging for earplugs by Minneapolis-based Florafauna, a studio that considers itself “half design office, half screen printing operation. ‘Earplugs are not just for industrial workers, soldiers on the front line or for muting the sound of your neighbors doing the ole in ~ out, in ~ out while you’re trying to sleep.’ ” (dieline)

04. TapIt: a water bottle refilling network

“TapIt has partnered with hundreds of cafes in New York City to help on-the-go urbanites find places to refill their water bottle for free. These spots can be located visually (all partners display a TapIt sticker on their window), online, or with their handy iPhone app. And, if you’re a cafe in the New York City area and want to help with this intiative, become a partner today!” (core77)

05. Bikenik for the iPhone

Used it myself yesterday. “Bikenik is a trip computer for casual and hardcore bicyclists. It allows riders to see their stats while riding or the ability to track their fitness data over time.” (itunes link)

http://www.vimeo.com/5292585 (menstyle.it)

Paul Smith line drops their latest fragrance for men everywhere, simply entitled, “MAN.” “The new cologne, created by Nathalie Lorson, who’s worked with Jil Sander and Trussardi as well as on earlier PS scents, is a strong mix of powdery orris, citrusy yuzu, and incense. It’s heady stuff—here, as always, less is more—but fresh and appealing, too. As an added bonus, the bold, geometric bottle is as handsome as any we’ve seen lately, and well deserving of some prime shelf space. A bold look for a big scent—see: book, cover.” Look for it at Paul Smith store  and online on August 6. (men.style)

R29 gives us a preview of the forthcoming Timo Weiland menswear line for Spring 2010. “Timo Weiland, who makes quirky-cool neckwear that boys and girls alike can wear, is expanding into ready-to-wear this fall with partner Alan Eckstein. Yesterday, we had the privilege of viewing his complete menswear line for fall … which was full of the staples of good dressing (blazers, light suits, trenches, tees, cardigans), amped up with a dose of the unexpected (a perforated leather jacket in delicious camel, poppy red pin-tucked shorts with bib detailing).”

Get the full scoop at R29.