Top 20 Trends of the Day (Dec 27)

Mean Manly Motorcycles

20. Rural Power Fixes

Rural villagers are using tiny Chinese-made solar panels perched atop their homes to produce solar energy that lights their huts and provides small-scale electrical independence. As solar energy lights African huts, it also changes lives.

Because kerosene lamps can be abandoned, the risks of burns and harm to respiratory health are reduced. Students are able to study in the evenings, so their grades improve. Families save money on kerosene and are able to stay better connected with others because they can charge their cell phones. An added bonus is that this solar energy lights African huts without the need for an electrical grid.
With the advent of cheap solar panels and high-efficiency LED lights, which can light a room with just 4 watts of power instead of 60, these small solar systems now deliver useful electricity at a price that even the poor can afford, he noted. “You’re seeing herders in Inner Mongolia with solar cells on top of their yurts,” Mr. Younger said. In Africa, nascent markets for the systems have sprung up in Ethiopia, Uganda, Malawi and Ghana as well as in Kenya, said Francis Hillman, an energy … (nytimes)

Rural Power FixesRural Power Fixes19. Permanent Christmas Lights

Christmas lights are lovely to have, but the idea of putting them up and taking them down is always extremely discouraging: enter Lite Locker. Taking away the yearly hassle of putting up those festive Christmas lights, Lite Locker offers a permanent, simple solution.

Lite Locker is displayed during the holidays and folds neatly behind a protective cover during the rest of the year. Available online, it’s priced at $69.95 for a 24-foot kit.Permanent Christmas LightsPermanent Christmas Lights18. Sultry Santa Spreads

The Financial Times ‘How to Spend it’ spread is an unusually haute take on traditional Santa Claus photography. Further than you can imagine from the mall photos with rent-a-Santa from your childhood, this holiday feature will have you thinking Santa Claus is a frisky man.

Featuring the fabulous Katja Verheul, the Financial Times ‘How to Spend it’ spread is anything but holy. From the looks of it, Katja has been a good girl, posing happily with three elderly men dressed as jolly old saint Nick.Sultry Santa SpreadsSultry Santa Spreads17. Stiletto Suspenders

Move over, diamonds, a girl’s best friend might well be St-Walkers.  The innovative stumble free stiletto suspenders are designed to keep the shoes from slipping off the wearer’s feet.  The cheekily named St-Walkers is pronounced as Street Walkers.

They were invented and patented by a Canadian bridal wear designer, Paul Milana, to solve what he called the “Cinderella Syndrome”, a common complaint of stiletto wearers.Stiletto SuspendersStiletto Suspenders

16. 3D-Inspired Fashion Shoots

he ‘Dalia Ramos 2010’ photo series is not the first—nor will it be the last—photo shoot inspired by 3D technology. Considering the hype still surrounding it, I’m sure more than one artist will apply 3D cues to his discipline in one way or another.3D-Inspired Fashion Shoots3D-Inspired Fashion Shoots15. Worshipping Dol Photography

David Olkarny likes to capture surreal situations. At least, most of the time he does. In between these fantastical shoots, however, he focuses on colorful portraits that are full of movement and emotion.

Hailing from Brussels, Belgium, David Olkarny is a young photographer who also dabbles in film-making as a cameraman and editor. With a focus on subject and composition, his images do have a cinematic feel.Worshipping Dol PhotographyWorshipping Dol Photography14. Shadowy Summer Shoots

Even though it is still winter, the people down under are already getting ready for summer with the Jessica Alba Harper’s Bazaar Australia editorial spread. The January/February issue features the Hollywood starlet in a serene pool environment.

The editorial spread was shot by photographer Giuliano Bekor and styled by Christina Centenera. The clothing in the Jessica Alba Harper’s Bazaar Australia editorial spread is all from Louis Vuitton. After looking at this spread, don’t you just want to jump into a pool and go for a swim?Shadowy Summer ShootsShadowy Summer Shoots13. Bobble-Headed Beauties

The Samsung Optical Zoom campaign by BBDO focuses in on the product feature of magnification. The ads illustrate the concept immediately, with huge heads on dogs, statues and beach-laying babes.

The Samsung Optical Zoom campaign accomplishes what all campaigns hope to achieve: automatic understanding on the part of consumers.Bobble-Headed BeautiesBobble-Headed Beauties12. Art Deco Alcohol Bottles

Thorleifur Gunnar Gislason is a design student whose first project is a wildly creative success. This young, fresh designer is one of 10 lucky artists from the Iceland Academy of the Arts to collaborate on bottle designs for microbrewery Thorsteinn Beer.

All 10 of the designers created awesome illustrations of the art deco style. The result is a killer collection of creations that will surely put Thorleifur Gunnar Gislason on the map.

Art Deco Alcohol BottlesArt Deco Alcohol Bottles11. Rocking Skeletal Tees

For Dead Flowers’ new line of printed shirts, the Dead Flowers Skulls T-shirts, the brand creatively deforms celebrity faces.

The collection of six tees features a theme comprised of big rock ‘n roll musicians with skulls as their faces. The musical artists include Sonic Youth, David Bowie, Patti Smith and Iggy Pop.Rocking Skeletal TeesRocking Skeletal Tees10. Cartoon-Inspired Kitchens

Ideally everyone would live in a house tailored to his or her style and necessities, and these Formaplas Custom Interiors ads suggest this company can achieve just that for just about anybody. In prints made by the Fórmula Comunicação advertising agency of Brazil, kitchens and bedrooms are revealed that look like they were taken right from the set of the Flintstones, the Jetsons and the Pink Panther.Cartoon-Inspired KitchensCartoon-Inspired Kitchens9. Upcycled Frankenstein Furnishings

SchubLaden furniture features a series of upcycled interior pieces made from vintage drawers and other scraps. Much like the classic character Frankenstein, SchubLaden furniture is a compilation of old parts pieced together to make a marvelous masterpiece.

Upcycled Frankenstein FurnishingsUpcycled Frankenstein Furnishings8. Glittering Fashion Shoots

Patrick Houi is one of those fashion photographers who treats your eyes to a feast of artsy images. Although he isn’t drastically different from the slew of fashion photographers Trend Hunter has featured in the past, his work is nonetheless captivating.

Based in Berlin, Germany, Patrick Houi left behind his studies in technical media to pursue his dreams of becoming a photographer.Glittering Fashion Shoots

Glittering Fashion Shoots7. Suicidal Wedding Invitations

Chris Trivizas is a graphic designer from Greece who has put a creative twist on a local tradition. A Greek expression identifies marriage as “hanging” in relation to “tying the knot.” Chris Trivizas has taken the term literally with wedding invitations that feature a noose-like slipknot in the shape of a heart.

This dark humor is sure to grab Chris Trivizas loads of attention. Check these awesome invitations out in the gallery.Suicidal Wedding InvitationsSuicidal Wedding Invitations6. Comic-Inspired Armored Vehicles

As probably one of the coolest vehicles to ever grace the silver screen, it’s no surprise that film director Christopher Nolan’s Batmobile inspired The Raider. This military vehicle is relatively small and agile, but it can still hold its own on the battlefield.

Unveiled by British defense contractor BAE Systems in London, The Raider was designed by a team led by Hisham Awad. As part of the Future Protected Vehicles project, it is currently just a concept; nevertheless, I’m sure someone will want to create The Raider as soon as possible.Comic-Inspired Armored VehiclesComic-Inspired Armored Vehicles5. Water Wedgie Photography

Forever the entertaining photographer, Christoph Martin Schmid’s latest photo series, ‘Pursuit of Happiness,’ does not disappoint. Visualizing what makes certain eccentric individuals content, this fun portfolio is full of laughs.

From adventurers to relaxers, the ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ photo series is pretty comprehensive. Of course, most of these scenarios would only happen in sitcoms. Unless you lead a very interesting life.Water Wedgie PhotographyWater Wedgie Photography4. Individualized Tech Decor

MacSlaps is an Apple-loving site that offers a selection of decals that will add a little razzle dazzle to your Macbook or iPad.

With many designs to choose from, MacSlaps is a site that boasts creativity and uniqueness which is why it has done so well in the decal market. We are proud to say that MacSlaps even offers a Trend Hunter laptop logo amongst its other interesting vinyl stickers.Individualized Tech Decor3. Angular Retro Portraits

These Alexey Kurbatov illustrations are a must-see for anyone. The portraits have an old-school retro appeal, but rather than sticking with the black and white, Kurbatov adds a bit of colour that blends in nicely with the pictures. The lines on the faces of each person in the portrait also adds a nice subtle three dimensional look that really adds to the portraits.Angular Retro PortraitsAngular Retro Portraits2. Mean Manly Motorcycles

Fast Attack AG of Switzerland—a company who specialises in making custom motorbikes—has created another cool-looking bike called ‘The One.’

The One bike is a lightweight roadster made of titanium, aluminum and carbon fiber, making it a very high-performance motorbike.

The high speed bike consists a Harley Davidson engine, which increases its power to 110hp. This original bike carries a cool price of $145,000 and services for this street-legal bike are available at any Harley Davidson dealer.Mean Manly MotorcyclesMean Manly Motorcycles1. Pastel Glamour Shoots

Elyse Taylor is the new face for Alex Perry’s Diva High Summer Collection 2011. The Australian based designer Alex Perry is known to make simple yet glamorous dresses and this collection stays true to his style.

The dresses in the Diva High Summer Collection 2011 take inspiration from soft pastel colors. Although the dresses may seem simple, the over-sized accessories give more dynamic to the clothing. This new collection is expected to hit stores in Australia in late January.Pastel Glamour ShootsPastel Glamour ShootsRead more on: TrendHunter.com