NO, NOT LEWINSKI [lighting*monacca] id magazine has a great little section of its site called "new and notable" that keeps track of designs and designers on the horizon. i caught wind of monacca there (via the fantastic ms. lasky)- it's a line of cedar-laminated products from ecoasu umajimura, there and have been intrigued ever since. comprised of villagers from umajimura, japan, ecoasu was created to reinvigorate national interest in native cedar. i was unable to find much more information (and the email from the head designer was a bit broken bc of language issues), so if you can read japanese and can tell me more from the website, pleeease, let me know! the lighting (above)and the ridiculously cool briefcase are my favorites (such a natural, pleasing light yeah?). you can find more info at www.arenot.com.

MAD ABOUT MONACCA [cedar collection*monacca] the works...