A petal connection

If you think cell phones are merely handy communi-cation devices, think again. The design people at Nokia have upped the ante to provide fashionistas worldwide with a new collection of fashion phones that will surely be must-haves when they are released early next year.

Picture these: denim embroidered pieces from D&G; crocheted shoes from Marc Jacobs; knitted flower brooches from Prada; an explosion of colors in the collections of Eley Kishimoto, Paul Smith, Keita Muruyama, Missoni, Prada, and Gaultier; and floral patterns and stripes blooming on the runways. Add to these design images the time-honored artisan tradition of adornment and fashion detailing, such as embroidery, 3D appliqués, airy prints, and bi-color floral silhouettes.

Voila! Nokia’s L’Amour collection!

The L’Amour collection takes a bold step towards luxe and tactile fabrics with an emphasis on sensual, nature-themed graphics for a set of mobile phones that speaks of elegance. It is as subtle in design as the first Nokia fashion phone collection, Distinctly Bold, was daring in embracing Art Deco design themes and sensibilities.

Each model in the L’Amour collection offers a beautiful mix of contrasts — infusing cultural and ethnic influences with luxurious touches of the unexpected. Hints of vintage and craftsmanship are fused with natural materials, colors, and patterns, all carefully crafted and layered with a passion for detail.

"For many consumers, the mobile phone has truly become an extension of their personal style — it is a fashion statement as well as an advanced communications device," says Tanja Fischer, Nokia mobile phones division senior designer and creative director of the L’Amour collection. "Every detail of these products, from the nature-inspired graphics to the velvet-lined pouches, has been carefully considered with the style-conscious individual in mind. We are very confident that consumers who appreciate design and attention to detail will fall in love with the L’Amour collection."

The ethos of this collection is simple maximalism — a fashion oxymoron if ever there was one — expressed through luxury, thrift, craft, vintage, ethnicity, and slow living.

This is evident in a simple perusal of the collection’s models — the lipstick-shaped Nokia 7380, the swivel-designed Nokia 7370, and the traditional bar-shaped N7360. Floral patterns, complete with swirling leaves and tendrils, are etched on housings that are in warm amber and coffee tones and trimmed in leather and fabric. All units also come with an embroidered fabric label for a distinct look.

Nokia launched the L’Amour collection over the weekend in three key world fashion centers — Hong Kong, Florence, and New York. The decision to formally launch the new mobile phone fashion collection in these cities was born out of their relevance to the whole idea behind the collection.

Heikki Norta, Nokia mobile phones division senior vice president for marketing, says Hong Kong epitomized the East-West sensibility in the L’Amour collection. Indeed, in evoking the design philosophy behind the L’Amour collection, the media was shown an audio-visual presentation of boudoirs decked in regal orientalia, chunky jewelry of semi-precious stones, and traditional Asian crafts of enameling, metalwork, dyeing, and weaving that weigh heavily on the designs.

On the other hand, Florence is acknowledged as a global key design center, both in the past and the present, while New York is admittedly one of the modern world’s design centers.

In the design and development of the L’Amour collection, Nokia’s design team looked to materials such as amber, ceramic, turquoise, silk, and enamel for inspiration. Craft techniques, such as enameling and etching, added a creative spark to the graphics, materials, finishes, and colors selected for each model in the collection.

Matt Rothschild, Nokia mobile phones division for Asia Pacific product management head, says the L’Amour collection presented a design advance from the early days of mobile phone technology.

More than 10 years ago, almost all cell phone units were in bold, solid colors of black, white, and gray. In 1994, Nokia pioneered in the first digital hand portable phones that came with interchangeable color covers. In 1998, the Nokia 5100 series was the first line of cell phones that came with user changeable covers. It was a tie-up with the designer Kenzo in 1999 that produced Nokia’s first fashion phone, the Nokia 8210.

Nokia’s next leap in the fashion phone category came in 2003 with its Nokia 7200, a folding phone that featured sensual fabric covers and accessories for a complete, personalized look and feel. In 2004, it launched its first fashion collection, Distinctly Bold, with the Nokia 7200 series — N7260, N7270, and N7280.

In creating the designs for the L’Amour collection, Rothschild says the challenge for the design group was to marry warm, human touches with technological advances. The human touches come in the form of materials used for the collection’s exteriors — metal, leather, ceramic — as well as the forms of the actual designs. Here, there are no hard corners to discomfort hands; all models have rounded shapes that transform them into virtual extensions of the hands.

"And these are all pieces — pieces of art," adds Rothschild.

Grant admits that the units lean towards the floral in design. However, some units come in darker tones to make them a little more masculine.

The designs in the L’Amour collection reflect current design trends around the world, whether in the world of fashion or interiors. "The inspiration came from many sources, not solely on the seasonal fashion collections. Mobile phones take a little longer to make, so the designs did not really just follow fashion trends."

If there is anything the L’Amour collection wishes to express, it is the universal word of "love."

"When we think of love, we think of seduction, luxury, and sensuality. That is what the entire L’Amour collection is all about," says Norta.

The highlight of the L’Amour collection is the Nokia 7380. Sleek and seductive, the N7380, has an etched mirrored surface and discreet keyless dial. A leather cover and a mirrored display subtly mask the sophisticated technology, which includes a two-mega pixel camera with flash and 4x zoom, and intuitive voice dialing. The centerpiece of the L’Amour collection, the N7380 is aimed at trendsetting men and women who enjoy being the center of attention — and are willing to spend a little extra on the finer things in life.

The N7380 is the perfect phone for a night out. The two-megapixel camera makes it the perfect accessory for a sudden urge to point and shoot, and the flash makes it handy for evening red carpet events. And if you need to quickly touch-up your ’do, the phone’s mirror surface makes it handier than a compact.

Navigating it for SMS might be a bummer, but it does come with predictive text, so sending out those quick text messages will be a cinch. Likewise, it comes with enhanced voice commands, so that a call is really just a call away.

And yes, it comes with a built-in mp3 player that can store 15 songs to entertain you when things get pretty slow.

The N7380 comes packed with its own carrying pouch in luxe embroidered fabric and its own finger strap to complete the look.

Offering a touch of the unexpected, the Nokia 7370 swivels open to reveal its elegant hidden keypad. Beautiful patterns etched on the elegant metal trims are contrasted by leather-inspired faceplates adding a romantic appeal and an element of the exotic. But it’s not just about looks; advanced features like a 1.3-megapixel camera and 3D sound effects ensure that the N7370 matches current technology with the latest design trends.

Silas Grant, Nokia Design design manager, says the swivel design will make this unit attractive. "It has a wonderful shape that fits perfectly in the hand, and the snazzy action makes it the perfect accessory. It is more playful than the other units," he says.

Its 1.3-megapixel camera comes with a full two-inch color display in landscape mode, very much like a regular camera. It has a dedicated camera key, so that with just a touch, you are off and running. The camera is equipped with 8x zoom and comes with a variety of special effects, like black and white, sepia, negative, and solarize, to truly personalize your collection of images.

Those who wish to hear something pleasant are up for a surprise. The N7370 is equipped with a stereo FM radio, stereo speakers with 3D sound effects, and mp3 and AAC ring tones. It also has its own exclusive video ring tones, so that a call becomes a visual treat, too.

The N7370 is available in two color schemes — coffee brown and warm amber — with each model offering a distinct set of graphics, screensavers, and even dedicated camera keys.

The N7370 comes with its own fashion stereo headset, a luxe fabric pouch, and tassel to round up the package.

Materials, graphics and color palette ensure that the charming Nokia 7360 stands out in a crowd. Trend-conscious men and women will appreciate its mixture of patterns and textures, which are perfectly complemented by elegant accessories, including straps and carrying pouches.

The N7360 isn’t the poor cousin in the L’Amour collection. It is packed with features that are more technologically advanced than those found in most phones. It has an integrated camera, stereo FM radio, handsfree speaker, and voice activated user interface. It comes with a fashion stereo headset, a carrying pouch, and a finger strap.

The N7370 is available in two signature L’Amour collection color schemes — coffee brown and warm amber. Each model has a distinct set of graphics, screensavers, and accessories.

All mobile phones under Nokia’s L’Amour collection will be available in the market by the first quarter of 2006.