P.R.A.D.E.

Monday, May 16, 2005

Oki Ni Gallery

While in London, I stopped by Oki-Ni's design gallery on Saville Row, and got an up close look at the Zoomer - their foray into the world of motorized vehicles. The Zoomer is a 50cc Honda that features a liquid cooled 4 stroke engine, a paired down exterior styling, extra-wide front and rear tires and dual headlights

I first heard about the Zoomer back in February on Josh Rubin, and it definitely caught my eye. But up close it was even more impressive. The camoflauge green edition has a great, military-inspired yet urban look that even makes riding a scooter look cool again. While I wasn't able to take the Zoomer for a spin, I did seriously contemplate whether I could pull off the scooter-owner life style (If you wear a suit to work, you should NOT, I repeat, NOT, ride a scooter. You look as ridiculous as you think you do - topped only by bicycle riders with their suit pants tucked into their sock.)

The Zoomer is a result of Honda's "N Project" development team - a group of designers and engineers tasked with creating products that appeal to the younger generation of devout capitalists.




Oki-Ni is the exclusive retailer of the Zoomer in the UK - with an extremely limited number slated for release (only 15 available). You can learn more about "Zoomer culutre" here, but chances of buying one over here in the states are pretty slim.


The only other item in the gallery that really grabbed my attention was this pair of Oki-Ni speakers. It wasn't that the sound was mind blowing, just that I really enjoy the idea of making your speaker into a decorative element instead of just a black or grey box. And the playful Oki-Ni branding is bound to make your auditory experience a happy one.

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