Foldschool

by Ami Kealoha

Foldschool, Swiss designer Nicola Enrico Stäubli's new series of DIY cardboard furniture for kids takes cardboard furniture in a much more pointy direction—and the best part about it is that it's free. Three different designs, a stool, chair and rocker, exist on his site as downloads that can be easily printed onto standard paper sizes. He includes hints and instructions on his site as well and nowhere are the Foodschool pieces available for sale; "the process of crafting your own piece of furniture is fundamental to the attitude of foldschool."

Aiming to make good design more accessible (a grant from IKEA helped fund the project), Nicola chose cardboard for its ability to easily form ergonomic curves, sustainability and because it's "lightweight, it has soft and warm properties and the kids can paint on it."

Also on Cool Hunting: Nicola designed the packaging on the Victorinox Urban Survivor series.

Thom Browne x Brooks Brothers: Black Fleece

by Josh Rubin

Brooks Brothers is the latest to add a designer collection to their shelves. Black Fleece, their collaboration with Thom Browne was announced last September but not unveiled until yesterday. For the Fall collection, Browne produced 47 pieces that preserve his sturdy, clean and detailed lines while maintaining the high and tight formfitting aesthetic he is so well-known for. Determined to bring in new clients, Browne also strays from the conventional suit and mixes in thigh-high socks and cinched shorts as an alternative. Tweeds, flannels and grays seemed to dominate the collection but some navy, red and khaki are appropriately mixed in.

No word on pricing yet but Black Fleece will be available nationwide at Brooks Brothers stores. See photos of the collection here.

Hecklewood: Tanner Laser Etched Wallets

by Tim Yu

Hecklewood, a street-wear design collective based in Portland, OR introduced their limited edition "Urban Textures" Tanner wallets depicting laser-etched close-ups of urban landscapes. The first edition includes images of a bullet whole through safety glass (above left) and a telephone pole weathered with staples and nails from years of postings (above right).

The Bifold wallets feature a horizontal bill slot and two interior card slots—one on each face (below left). The slim cardholder wallet features a full length vertical half-bill slot on one side and a 3/4 length cardholder slot on the other (below right). Each is cut, sewn and branded from a single undyed oiled hide, ensuring durability and individuality.

Stay tuned for Hecklewood's future "Urban Texture" editions and purchase the wallets starting at $52 here.

Flavorpill WMC: DJ Contra Interview

by Ami Kealoha

Since his arrival in Miami, Contra has consistently lent his deft hands and acute ears to the promotion of the city's DJ culture. Originally from DC, Contra first made a name for himself hosting The Underground, a hip-hop/soul/funk shakedown at the venerable indie radio station WVUM. In 2005, he left town to tour as feisty lyricist M.I.A.'s backup DJ, returning a year later to claim regular gigs at Purdy Lounge, the Pawn Shop, and Skybar. Just back from making the rounds with Spank Rock at SXSW, Contra offered us some insight on the Miami scene.

Notwithstanding the onslaught of events this week, what's your general impression of the DJ scene in Miami?

I think more and more DJs here are getting into playing better parties and not just spinning the same old hits for 17 hours. I was happy to see that at the last Money Shot event at Pawn Shop, I dropped some Baltimore house for the first time and it didn't clear the floor. People in Miami are pretty slow to catch on to new music and often venues won't let you spin what you really want. But I've definitely seen some progress and it seems like there is a change of focus. Spots like Buck15, Purdy Lounge, and the Money Shot party, they'll pretty much give you free range — as long as you first spin the hits to get people hyped.

Besides spinning at parties and exploring events, how else are you keeping busy during WMC?

I'm actually working on creating a mixtape/video project with some of my fellow artists coming down during WMC. The idea is to have cats like Egg Foo Young, Spank Rock, DJ Induce, Chromeo, the Rub, and Pase Rock [of Five Deez] create some exclusive tracks and then get some video footage to match — anything from shots in my bedroom to a typical Miami scene at a jai-alai game.

What would you say is the significance of WMC, especially as it relates to the expansion of music culture in Miami?

WMC surely provides one of the only opportunities to hear music that you really can't find any other time of the year in Miami. And anyone here realizes that as WMC has evolved, many of the unofficial parties have been growing more and more and getting more visible. Plus there's a way wider range of music now than there ever was — even Ultra [Music Festival] has become more eclectic.

Are there any performances that you're particularly looking forward to?

I've been really busy, so I haven't been able to get a handle on everything that's going on. I'm gonna play it by ear, but I'm definitely gonna check out the Turntable Lab party at Skybar on Thursday.

Tell us a little about the kind of music you're digging these days.

Lately, I've been listening to New Orleans brass bands, which is basically the funkiest music alive today. I'm really getting high off that sound, but it really irks me when I play it and people may not be conscious enough to respond. The energy in those bands can easily be transitioned to Afrofunk, or some George Kranz and Italo disco, and then straight into booty music.

Where do you see yourself a few years from now?

Thankfully, I've got a great family of talented artists that keeps me going — Spank Rock, Amanda Blank, Bonde do Role, Plastic Little, the Pack, Flosstradamus, A-Trak, Santogold — and as we progress I hope to help them expand the musical horizons here and elsewhere. Most clubs here still want the big hits, but I can get away with spinning stuff like snap music, maybe a little bit of classic rock, and some '90s backpack hip-hop in one set. Still, if DJs stay content with only playing the hits, Miami is going to stay behind the curve. But really, we've had IDM on lock and we have an amazing Latin scene, so let's keep making it happen.

by Omar Sommereyns

Max Bill Chronoscope for Junghans

by Watchismo

In 1962 Swiss artist Max Bill (1908-1994) created a few mechanical watches for the German company Junghans. Reissued in recent years, most were and are very simple-looking, too understated for my personal tastes. But this rare Chronoscope model has a certain something. Its minimalism is just plain attractive. Apparently this particular version isn't sold anymore and the only one I could find was here

A product of the Bauhaus generation, Max Bill was Walter Gropius' pupil and kindred spirit of Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe. Characterized by a clarity of design and precise proportions, his work as a painter, architect, sculptor, teacher and designer amply demonstrates his virtuosity as a designer and creative artist.

V::room T-Shirts

by Evan Orensten

V::room's cotton and cashmere v-neck t-shirts are so comfortable that you will never want to take them off. Made in Japan, these tees are subtle, luxurious and balanced. And reversible.

Perfection comes at a cost; one tee will set you back $160. Fortunately Cool Hunting readers get an exclusive discount of 20% off any purchase at Active Endeavors by entering "coolhunting" during checkout. The V::room cotton and cashmere t-shirt is available in pink or grey.