My dear readers, your beloved Fashion Philosopher will try again to introduce you to new products yet in my usual manner of trying to find links where there should be no links. I will try to give you a piece of my thoughts. How I see aristocracy in a PC and how I link empress Catherine the Great with minimal modernism. I just do not want to give you a dry piece of information about a piece of design. Even when, like in this case, the design product really could speak for itself since it is so beautiful.
This time round I will leave the secure haven of fashion's craziness and will enter the realm of computing and high-tech which, you will not believe it, can also be combined with style and design too- but I'm not talking Apple. No, to be honest, I hate Apple-it is not a product anymore it is a fascist evil! If you want to show you are special you do not go to Burger King, do you- so why buy Apple products.
What I really want to talk about is a very exclusive company which right now creates one of the most elegant computing products you can get your hands on- I'm talking about
Munk Bogballe.
So what is the company- who created it ? Wait a minute! I was gonna explain how I got the idea for this post. Basically I'm trying to flee my poor stylist existence now and then by reading a lot about the good old aristocracy- being fascinated by their strict code of living and their refined tradition bred over hundreds of years till their lower lips were so big that they could not swallow and were constantly drooling on to their velvet and silk coats ( well this happens if you marry for generations your first cousins, or aunts or nephews like that was the case with the Spanish Habsburgs' so that Charles II was so degenerated through incest that he physically was almost a monster and could not re-procreate and died without child). Despite the breeding gone astray now and then, the aristocracy still developed a heightened sense of beauty and an excellent eye for quality and the arts- that's why I'm fascinated with the world of aristocracy.
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| Charles II of Spain- don't be nervous, dear reader, the blog is still about beauty and style - but never-ever marry your aunt! |
Yes, so what?- you might think now? The other idea- part of this blog post development is the simple fact that I'm looking for a second laptop or a chic tablet since my girl friend Laura is working more on more on our laptop and we do not have a TV, so sometimes I can not watch my favorite series of the moment, 1970's Upstairs, Downstairs- yes, again the aristocracy - so that is a big-big problem. Therefore I was looking for PC or tablet which by no means should be an Apple product since I do not want to belong to these 'hipster Apple slaves' who think Steven Jobs is the new Messiah and should be at least become beatified if not even become a saint- although Apple is as much of a capitalist hardliner like Coca-Cola or McDonald's.
So if not Apple then how to get a stylish yet excellently capable PC for me and my girl friend and here again comes
Munk Bogballe into my post.
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| There we go- Munk is actually David but still much more of a looker than Charles II and wait if you see the products he creates! |
David Munk Bogballe, lives in Berlin ( yes, one of my favorite places in the world) and he is undertaking a PHD in political philosophy ( yes, another philosopher- he is almost family, ha ha ha) but actually I get to mention him since he is also the founder of
www.munkbogballe.com, a company who creates the most beautiful handcrafted personal computers made from the finest materials like aluminium, precious metal, wood and leather.
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| 18 carat gold, mahogany and calf leather along with precious stones go into the designs- didn't we talk about 'aristocracy' in the beginning? In the 18th century owing a precious and delicate Chinese porcelain vase, or a collection of them, was a sign of taste, breeding and wealth... |
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... in the year 2013, in which a personal computer is part of every day lifestyle like a toothbrush or your mobile. Yet is it not time that his important gadget gets the attention it deserves, style wise? People who are used to have the best will absolute appreciate this product. This is not a laptop this is 'pure taste'. This shows that you want the essence of beauty and style in every aspect of your live!
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The philosophy behind the company is based on three central factors. First the products must be functional, second they should be only of the very best quality, and last but not least they should be pleasing on the eye.
What I consider as 'aristocratic' above all other things is a over hundreds of years developed sense of elegance and style- always combined with a sense of tradition and a feeling of connectivity- being connected to the land, the family and the king.
And here I would like to draw again comparison to
Munk Bogballe's luxury laptop. His creations bring about a sense of elegance that is everlasting for the owner. This elegance inspires the user of the computer over and over again.The organic textures of the wood combined with the luxury of the very best calf leather provide feelings of warmth and life. The smooth aluminum surfaces provide the user with a sense of calmness. Last but not least the gold or pearl on/off button incorporate almost like formerly elaborate cuff links a hint of traditional materials. All the use of these high quality natural material here, mirror again the connectivity to the world around us, the natural world. Although just a computer, thanks to the internet it also connects us very quickly to the people we love most our family!
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| This laptop must not only be looked at- the luxury about the product lies in the feel of it! The use of all these great materials from which the laptop has been created, speaks very strongly to the sense of touch and feel! |
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| This pic gives you an excellent impression of some the materials used in the labtops. |
And, my dear reader, could I already seduce you to become part of
Munk Bogballe's 'laptop aristocracy'? And have you told your 'countess' already that this years ten days stay on St Barts has been cancelled since you just fell in love with a PC.... no, OK, maybe you need one little push more into the right direction?
Aristocrats and the noble society have always been also famous for their excesses, haven't they? So after you have decided to spend more than 5K on a laptop now it's not the time to be stingy! What else do you need- of course- a bag to carry your ' wonder machine' in! Every prince needs also a Rolls Royce to go from one meeting to the other (or is it from one party to the other)?
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| Colours are a very important part in Munk Bogballe's design language adding life and individuality to his highly simplistic- minimal approach to beauty ! |
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It is not rococo yet pure Scandinavian simplicity and minimalism- even autocrats would go with the times of changing tastes and if Nicolas II of Russia would rule today we could see him going from one meeting to the next with this great bag setting a beautiful contrast to the interiors of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg.....
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| Taste is changing with the times, above a beautifully opulent state staircase at the Winter Palace at St Petersburg and further above- contrasting with Catherine the Great's grand interiors- Munk Bogballe's streamlined simplicity- for modern eyes as much a piece of pure luxury as all the gold and marble for the 18th century observer of the Czarist splendor, since ' beauty lies in the eye of the beholder', doesn't it? |
This colourful and elegant collection of laptop and document bags combine the traditional, quality-oriented craftsmanship of Berlin bag-makers and leather of the finest quality with Scandinavian functionality, elegance and simplicity in a unique and exclusive design. The beautiful and soft leather is carefully coloured and extremely durable so the bags will keep their shape and beauty throughout their long lifetime- and this product is mend to 'age' since leather just goes more beautiful and interesting the more worn it looks- the more life it shows!
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| Each bag is handmade individually made to order in an old leather workshop in the artistic 'Kreuzberg Kietz', a city quarter of Berlin famous for its creative lifestyle. The bags are crafted from world class South German leather and produced in accordance to strict environmental regulations. | |
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The elegant and streamlined bags come in six colours (black, brown, blue, grey, pink and win red) and have a main compartment with space for a Mac Book / laptop and documents along with a magazine or newspaper. Further, the bags are equipped with a pocket for an iPhone / smartphone, a pocket for an iPad / tablet and a pocket with zipper for wallet, make-up and keys. The bags come with an adjustable and removable shoulder strap and a soft and comfortable handle. One can thus carry one's essentials along to work, meetings, events, restaurants and around Berlin in style.
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| This medal is the difference between being a ' High Tech- High Luxury' modern aristocrat or not - like showing off your your medals of some noble order 100 years ago- this medal shows today again you are part of something special- in this case it shows that you just want the best- that you try to reach above the average person- in design and technology! |
So even in Berlin, a city famous for their communist working class history, we should not forget that this place also used to be the city of the German Emperors. And even if the obvious reign of the aristocracy is part of the past- you still can show taste and breeding with products like
Munk Bogballe's high-class labtops and his gorgeous leather bags. Just forget the 'Gotha' or ' Burke's Peerage' just head straight to
www.munkbogballe.com and be part of the 'new' aristocracy- the high-tech aristocracy!
