I do not honestly know much about opera but I found this stage really interesting. It is the opera Iphigénie en Tauride by Christoph Willibald Gluck that was first performed in Paris on 18 May 1779. It is a drama around a family of complete self-destructs. In this new version, the director Robert Carsen has created something really pure and minimalist, where characters only wear simple white robes or black shirts and pants. The scenery have no unnecessary elements not to distract viewers and to keep focus on the story. The elements used to explain the argument just are swords, chalk, water and light and shadows compositions.

An interesting aspect of Black Swan’s production design is Thomas Leroy’s (Vincent Cassel’s character) adaptation of the Swan Lake ballet. As Leroy says in the beginning of the film, they really strip it down. Swan Lake productions are generally very lush, filled with bystanding (and ultimately useless) characters and overflowingly rich scenarios. But production designer Therese Deprez sheds everything superflous and distracting, recreating the iconic ballet in geometric shapes and light. Coupled with the film’s generally monochromatic color palette and its crucial meaning to the story development, the production design makes a captivating minimalist statement.

Seika Lee‘s new collection, Tied Up, is out, and we have received some leaked campaign images. The form tells the story of not just the female body, but of the woman herself. The structured garments are held beautifully together with wool and tweed, combined with cotton popeline for shirts, combined with wool jerseys. Palettes with concrete grey, grainy and chocolate brown, midnight blue and velvet black, all in pure and minimalistic. I absolutely love the subtle cuts, and the styling for the campaign is really superb.

Neat is a minimalist table designed by French designer Christophe Pillet for Kristalia. The construction of the table is simple and straightforward, aluminium, plywood, and white lacquer. Christophe Pillet says: The chair and table I have designed are ambitious projects, not only due to their design but also to the difficulty involved in industrially producing them. These objects are simple in shape but technically complicated. Clean, light and elegant design. I love it.

With its foundation in 1997 by Charles Cosac (brazilian enterpreneur and maecenas) and Michael Naify (north-american businessman), Cosac Naify is a highly established publishing house in Brazil. Their catalogue spans across a broad range of artistic fields, and with a body of graphic work that is notorious for its quality. Beside many of their original, bright and colorful designs, one can also find a vast number minimalistic covers. However, perhaps a photograph is not the best way to interact with the books, given that one of the most interesting aspects of Cosac Naify’s designs are their tactile quality, since they often work with textures and sensorial explorations in the reading experience. It’s always a great thing to hold a beautiful book in your hand!

Six Architects is a series of minimalist posters showing the major architects and main principles of modern architecture. Conceived and created by artist Andrea Gallo. Check the posters of Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn, Alvar Aalto and Walter Gropius. Which one do you prefer?

Antago is a new luminaire series introduced by the Hamburg based manufacturer Viocero. Antago comes in a range of colours. The lamp’s base is made of multiple processed and refined aluminum. The lamp shade is a self-supporting, double-walled structure of matalloid woven fabric. Interestingly, apart from the regular range, Viocero also offers the Antago ID, a fully customizable version. You can individualize colors and materials of each component – all the way down to the dimmer unit and the power cord. I like the great finishing with attention to each detail and the use of the different materials.

The Fall 2011 RTW collection by Damir Doma exemplifies beautiful forms and terrific applications of fabric. Although infrequently used, the shade of orange used in this collection is striking, and perhaps ties to Doma’s spiritualist concerns. I adore the choice of black lipstick, which is also striking. Compositionally, it ties in well with the hard line of the hairnet worn by the models, which is employed to establish uniformity and anonymity.

Lausanne based Big-Game studio created a series of cork floating boats for the Portuguese company Materia. The toys, simply titled ‘Bote’ are made of a cork base and a plastic mast or cabin that can be easily changed. A perfect kid’s gift now the summer is approaching fast. The boats will be exhibited during I Saloni 2011, at Via San Marco 38, Milan, April 12–17. Photography by Julien Chavaillaz.

If there ever was a minimalist rock band, certainly they were the White Stripes. From the visual concept to the two-only members, Jack and Meg White, respectively, guitarrist and drummer. The band was active from 1997 to 2011, making a sound with deep influences from the Mississippi delta blues to the classic rock from the 70’s. The fact that they used only guitar and drums not only caused many raised eyebrows, but also passionate enthusiasts. The strict color palette (red, white and black) was the base of their entire visual concept, creating a bold, striking and straightforward body of art, as can be seen in all their records’ artwork. Their minimalist roots are evident most notably in the “De Stijl” album (2000), designed by CHOLOMITE!, where they strongly reference the Dutch art movement both aesthetically and conceptually.

Designed by architect Manuel Aires Mateus, this residence is located in Portugal, in a high point, overlooking the city of Leiria. The home was divided into two distinct areas, one for socializing and one for sleeping. The bedrooms are positioned below ground, with access to private patios that lead to the backyard. It is not equipped with conventional windows. Instead it features voids in the ceiling which attract light indoors. I simply love it.

Braun has re-issued its line of classic watches designed by Dieter Rams and Dietrich Lubs from the 1970s. The collection has been approved by Dietrich Lubs, and only slight modifications have been made in the reissues. These watches exemplify the clean, modernist design that Rams is renown for. Devoid of decoration and superfluous elements, this is collection of beautifully minimalist consumer goods. A few of these watches are available for purchase from Vetted.