Inspired by BMW's Art Car project—in which big-name artists (Warhol, Lichtenstein, etc.) have gussied up Bimmers through the years—Brooklynite Matt Farah asked Tristan Eaton (of Kidrobot fame) to do something similar to his Mini Cooper. The result? As you can see here, it involves lots of sevens, and lots of neon stickers. As you can also see, it looks better than it sounds. For more images and a video of the production, check out Thunderblog.

[via Josh Spear]

Hope you like black: When Topman arrives stateside this fall, the fast-fashion retailer will carry the brand's new Black Trouser Project. It's a collaboration between Topman and five designers: Patrik Ervell and Tim Hamilton (pictured), Britain's Aitor Throup and Ann-Sofie Back, and Canada's Todd Lynn. True to the name, each pair is available only in noir—hey, it goes with everything—and will sell for $120 when the store opens this October.

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Meet Darcel, a sad-eyed (singular), ovate little creature with exquisite taste. Like us here at Material Interest, Darcel dropped by the ICFF, took in Koons on the Met's rooftop, and has been known to frequent A.P.C. His adventures are created by the graphic design collective Rinzen, and posted, comic-strip-style, at Darceldisappoints.com. They tend toward the dispiriting (the title of the illustration pictured here: Comfort as Usual at the Beatrice Inn), but they're also always entertaining glimpses of a very recognizable New York. We half believe the little guy is real—so just in case: Darcel, next time you're at Beatrice, come over and say hello.

[It's Nice That]

Between Anton Corbijn's biopic Control and its accompanying book, Joy Division is hardly suffering from a lack of exposure these days. (Pretty impressive for a band whose singer's been dead for nearly 30 years.) Still, Grant Gee's 2007 doc, Joy Division, is worth Netflixing, if only as a reminder that the real Ian Curtis and co. are just as compelling as their Hollywood counterparts. (Gee's experience turning somber musicians into compelling subjects—see his Radiohead doc, Meeting People Is Easy,—doesn't hurt.) The DVD, out today, includes 75 minutes of extra interview footage—perfect for mopers who still can't get enough.

$19.99, available at amazon.com

Samsung just introduced two new cell phones made from "bio plastic," a material produced with natural materials extracted from corn. The goal, of course, is eco-friendliness, which means they also lack lead, mercury, and cadmium. (Hard to argue with that.) Looks-wise, the phones are Prius-like—not exactly lust-worthy, but hardly the ugliest kids on the block. Just don't expect them in the heart of corn country anytime soon—the phones are unlikely to head stateside.

[Crave]

Barcelona's Hotel Casanova's F1 Racing package includes two nights accommodation, breakfast—and the opportunity to risk your life at Montmelo's renowned racetrack. You'll get to drive five laps in a Porsche Cayman at full throttle (after some classroom instruction, of course). If the Porsche doesn't sate your speed jones, you can always upgrade to the Lamborghini or Ferrari options—an escape for those who find that their vacations aren't fast (or dangerous) enough.
Around $1,800, Hotel Casanova, 559 Gran Vía de les Corts Catalanes, Barcelona, Spain, (800) 525-4800, slh.com

[Hotel Chatter]

Arcade classic Space Invaders turns 30 this year, and to celebrate, Square Enix and Taito (the company that pocketed your change back in the day) are releasing Space Invaders Extreme for the PSP and Nintendo DS. And unlike most recent franchise updates—we're looking at you, Indy—it's actually pretty good. They've kept the original's 2-D game play and pulsing music, and given them a subtle upgrade. (Think trippier colors and a better backbeat, along with multiplayer options.) If only it came on the BlackBerry, it'd be perfect for discreetly goofing off mid-meeting. Brick Breaker, you're safe for now.
$19.99 for PSP or Nintendo DS, amazon.com

And Raf hearts Kanye. Just don't expect the two to work together anytime soon. "[A]t one point he was very interested in collaborating, but it was very much in a rush," Raf Simons says, according to British Vogue. "I am not someone who ever wants to be in a rush." Too bad—we would've loved to see what kind of furniture Mr. West would have installed in Jil Sander's new downtown digs. Guess we'll have to wait.

A new twist on taxidermy, this one from New York City graffiti artist BAST, whose latest show, Nose Candy, is up now at Brooklynite Gallery (in, uh, Brooklyn). The artist usually works with large-scale collage—if you've ever been to Nolita, chances are you've seen his stuff—but for his latest exhibit, he created plaster-cast sculptures (pictured), mounted on wood, called Alien Head, Cheetah Head, Pig Head, Ape Head. From the looks of them, we'd say BAST is trying to appeal to BAPE fans (or making fun of them).
Through July 12, Thurs. to Sat., 1-7 p.m., at Brooklynite Gallery, 334 Malcolm X Blvd., Brooklyn, NY, (347) 405-5976, brooklynitegallery.com

[Juxtapoz]

Rogan's second Manhattan location isn't just a glorified beer store: Artist and sometime R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe will open an exhibit of works there later this month entitled Relics. The show's comprised of now-defunct gadgets that have been bronzed—including a cassette tape, a Polaroid camera, and an answering machine. (Curious: No dot matrix printer?) Although the pieces won't be for sale, the singer's limited-edition collaboration with the designer will be: A button-down (pictured, $380), inspired by prison uniforms, and a T-shirt ($220). Clothing, it seems, always has a purpose.
June 27-July 26, Rogan, 330 Bowery, New York, NY, (646) 827-7567, rogannyc.com

To see our favorite artworks from the show, click here >