Lumigram SARL is a company out of France that is producing Fiber Optic clothing and other accessories like handbags, purses, pillows and other truly luminous items. My wife sent me this link, as these Fiber Optic clothing pieces are selling like gangbusters in Brazil right now. Brazilian woman like to party, and they all wear the hippest and hottest fashion in halter tops, and this company zeroed in on that market in an electric way with these gorgeous and sexy light fantastic fashions. There are T-shirts for the boys too, all lit up in multi-color changing format, perfect for the all night Foro festivals they have in the Northeast of Brazil.

Several years ago, Brett Lazarus and I worked a trade show in Las Vegas alongside a gentleman named Gary Eckert. Gary hade developed a clothing line of fiber optic jackets and other items that he was marketing with the help of some beautiful models from Hawaiian Tropic. Though the ladies were indeed lovely, the price point was a bit too much for the time, and these pieces did not take off.

So I am pleased that there is a new player in town, and the trend is growing. Light is an extremely important part of our lives, and it was only a matter of time before the fashion gurus got the message, and incorporated it into their clothing lines. And in the case of Brazil, where the population is younger, hipper, and more prone to go out, this is a match that works.

But don’t stop with the just the clothing line. Complete the mood with a Stars from Mars® fiber optic system. Then dance the night away under the stars to the sounds of Foro, Bossa Nova, and Samba.

POP art is live and well at Access Lighting! This Beacon (product page: http://www.affordablelamps.com/acc-20357.html) is hypnotic, another triumph in outdoor lighting from Access Lighting. For me, the metallic satin is the way to go, as this wavy design will mesmerize your guests while providing sufficient light for your outdoor hallway, corridor or walkway. Yes, this is a small fixture (measures 4.6″ wide by 9.8″ tall and extends 4″ from the wall) but it makes a statement that will not be ignored, especially if you have a modern home, condo or business flat. And it is rated for wet locations. This Beacon uses two 35 watt halogen bulbs.  Good for the front entrance too.

But take my advice, the bronze is boring.

New out of Bruck Lighting is the Poise Down. This multi purpose pendant lighting fixture can be fitted to any lighting system or ceiling canopy, with a special adaptor (sold separately). Finally, the USB (Universal Service Buss) for lamps! The standard cable length is 59” (almost five feet), and that is field cuttable during ordering. What makes this so incredibly cool is that this fixture bridges the gap between lighting systems heretofore incompatible. So all you track lighting or Freejack aficionados out there; start your specifying. ‘cause this is going to take off like a rocket! Consider this the Sputnik of the lamp world, if you will. Now the arms race starts in the lighting business. Get me to my bunker, and hurry. The Poise down comes in bronze, chrome, or matte chrome.

Shoji means a door, window or room divider consisting of translucent paper over a frame of wood which holds together a sort of grid of wood or bamboo. This Corbett lighting features beautiful handmade Japanese paper over a cast iron frame, with a bronze finish, along with pearl a diffuser for the 60 watt lamps. This foyer lighting fixtures is classic shibui (or Shibumi), a fusion of clean aesthetics with fundamental design that does work well for home design. The Shoji Two Light Foyer Pendant (product page: http://www.affordablelamps.com/cor-105-72.html) measures 14” square by 25” tall with a maximum height of 74”, making this perfect for large ceilings. Greta for a dining room, living room or master bedroom, the Shoji is predominantly a foyer pendant, but in this case, you can think outside of the box.

This Corbett Foyer fixture ships 12/2/09. I wonder if Trevanian will want one?

STOP THE PRESSES! This Just In! The Raffia Twelve Lamp Foyer Light is in stock! (Product page: http://www.affordablelamps.com/cor-105-72.html) Yes, it’s true, Troy lighting finally has a fixture available for shipment right now. No long three month wait like the Vertigo, no curse like Castle Hill, just the most interesting design, inspired by the palms of Madagascar. This fixture comes with its own mosquito net, apparently. This pendant lighting fixture measures 20” square by 38.5” tall, and features organically shaped wheat glass shades, wrought iron frame, and the above aforementioned  translucent fabric box shade, an uses twelve 60 watt bulbs, candelabra base.

But riddle me this? Where would you put this fixture? For the life of me, I cannot come up with a part of the house that it would make sense in. This might be cool for the Elephant Bar or other themed restaurant, or maybe some coffee house in the Caribbean.

But for a private home? If there is someone out there who thinks this fixture is the bomb, and want to put in it their house, I will personally give you an extra discount, and write a blog about it too. Call me to order at 1-800-695-2677, and mention blog 301. Because this time, I need your help!

Remakes are very common in popular culture. Witness how many times A Christmas Carol has been re-made (60), King Kong (four), War of the Worlds (five), plus now we have a plethora of TV shows back on the air like 90120, V, The Office, etc, not to mention spin offs like Law and Order, NCIS, etc., with their endless sequels.

Most remakes are never as good as the original. Take Planet of the Apes, for example. The first film is a classic, and stands the test of time. The sequels were of dubious quality at best, and the TV show was best forgotten. The last remake, with Mark Walberg, was a complete disaster, both creatively and financially. Yet Hollywood continues to remake properties over and over again, trying to milk every last dime out of them, as opposed to offering new, original scripts or at least adaptation of books that have never been done (FOUNDATION by Asimov, for example). When new films or TV shows do emerge, those are projects like Paranormal Activity, made for a paltry $11,000.00 that has now grossed $85,000,000.00 to date!

So if money is the prime reason why Hollywood continues to recycle old, stale properties, than they have really missed the point. Even if you factor in the advertising cost for this film, Paranormal Activity has generated at least $83,000,000.00 in gross profits. Do you think V or Apes, or Christmas Carol could do or have done that?

Which bring me to lamps and lighting. Why are many of the manufactures remaking the same, tired, boring designs over and over again? Isn’t this the 21st Century? Granted, there are a few forward thinking manufacturers like Varaluz, ET2, PLC and Hubbardton Forge who have embrace the future, but there are many companies out there that are just remaking the same old boring vanity lights, chandeliers, floor lamps and sconces, all incandescent or halogen, no green technology, and more importantly, no pizzazz.

Shouldn’t every fixture considered for production be green tech? Starting in California next year, this will be mandated by law. Yes, the wholesalers and retailers will be allowed to sell off their inventory (which will mean good short term savings and deals), but after a certain cut off date, that will be that, and no more. This happened 2 years ago with the 300 watt halogen fixtures, which were outlawed by an act of Congress, due to fire hazard, no to mention the high energy costs.

So the incandescent bulb is next to go, and all the fixtures that can only accommodate them. All of those remakes of the same tired, boring lamps are destined for oblivion.

Just like most of those tired old remakes of classic films and TV shows.