Cool Hunting

Hidebumi Yamaguchi: IMAnoWa
With all the press and buyers swarming around Milan's Salone del Mobile, I was so happy to wander into a seemingly inauspicious exhibition called "Shapes of Japanese Style." The group show was tucked into the gallery's basement and, like many exhibits of its kind, felt a little thin. That was until my eyes landed on Hidebumi Yamaguchi's IMAnoWa collection. The concept, to encourage users...

The Future Network: The Magazine
There's something refreshingly compelling about The Future Laboratory's latest publication, simply titled The. A "younger sibling" to their house publication Viewpoints, the quarterly is a straightforward look (read: no cheesy color-themed layouts) at current products, people, ideas and events, serving as a cultural thermometer aimed at an audience of marketers, creative directors, designers and the like. While the unfussy approach of The is part...

Ma Ke: Wu Yong collection
Finding some CH subjects recently nominated for the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year award in London was exciting, but several of the other 100 projects were equally inspiring. There were many new discoveries and we thought you'd enjoy seeing some of our favorites. First up is the extraordinary Chinese fashion designer Ma Ke who is nominated for her "Wu Yong" collection, which launched...

Tik Tak Clock
Designed by Niels van Eijk and Miriam van der Lubbe, the Tik Tak clock explodes with every single minute represented on random lengths of powdered steel rods. The sizes of the 60 digits correspond with varying shades of steel for additional depth. Available for £89 at Habitat UK.via Technabob...

Wallpaper Design Awards 2008
Wallpaper unveiled its “Design Awards” series recently with some interesting results. Though we're not sure about their cred since they proclaimed Los Angeles “Best City” (air quality and gun violence were obviously not strong criterias), otherwise the periodical (along with judges that include Tadao Ando, Wong Kar-wai and Donatella Versace) really pulled it off. Best domestic appliance goes to the "Katamari 01" speaker by...

The International Illustrated
The International Illustrated, a magazine made up of unique original art created around a rather loose central theme, just released their third issue. The brainchild of two Brazilian designers, Julio and Vitor, the duo carefully select contributing artists based on their portfolios. After accepting an invitation to participate, artists receive a "label" (the theme of the issue) ranging from "Do What You Want and...