Cool Hunting

BTL Luggage
BTL (pronounced "beetle") is a new luggage line designed by China Young. Named after the Jewel Beetle, the collection aims to adopt the bug's intricate beauty and remarkable fortitude in the form of striking, resilient suitcases. Young hopes to appeal to a chic brand traveler "whose identity cannot be captured by a colored ribbon on a black suitcase." An expert in accessory design, Young...

Color Changing Pavement
Simple, effective and possibly life-saving idea, France's Eurovia is developing a thermosensitive road varnish that changes color to indicate freezing and dangerous conditions. Like a Hypercolor t-shirt, the road could turn pink (or any other indicative color) when surface temperature is below freezing and returning to neutral once it warms back up. Not only a boon to motorists, but it helps out the environment...

What's Up Buenos Aires?
We've been enjoying Whats Up Buenos Aires? for a little while now and the editorials and hot list have become a must-have resource for those eager to experience the vibrancy of "South America's answer to Paris."...

Güs
by Christina Panas Mark Loncar, a former designer at Apple, and now one-half of the newly launched accessories line güs, says "güs is all about bringing back that really nice quality of handmade goods, but with the addition of contemporary style and functionality." True to fusionary form, their Passport Folio combines classic craftsmanship and sharp attention to detail with specialized features particular to the...

Best of Transport 2007
From the gas-guzzling to the eco-chic, the following are Cool Hunting's favorite alternatives to transporting yourself and your precious belongings—whether for a jaunt around town, cross-country or overseas. Aptera Developed over the past five years, the Aptera, a three-seat automobile that gets 230 miles per gallon, is finally available to reserve. Three-wheeled and pod-like, the Jetson-like automobile is what I thought cars would look like...

The Monocle Travel Top Fifty 2007/8
Monocle's Travel Top Fifty, a collection of the editors' best first-hand experiences traveling, is the first in a series of special editions by the publication. The supplement includes tips on the mundane (an airport metro in Denmark) and the fabulous (a personal butler at Hong Kong's Grand Hyatt), as well as on more simple luxuries like a sublime terrace in Zürich. All their highly-subjective...