Cool Hunting

The Pyramids of Makkum
For years, Royal Tichelaar Makkum, the Netherlands' longest extant company, has quietly mounted the most impressive displays of ceramic ware during the Milan Furniture Fair and this year is no exception. Two years ago, they released a hugely successful collection of biscuit ware with Studio Job; last year they launched a unique office collection with Dick van Hoff, which turned the ornamental into the...

De Grisogono Meccanico dG
Contrary to its appearance, the Meccanico dG has no digital components. Below the more conventional analog portion of the two-timezone watch is a numerical display driven by the intricate interplay of 651 strictly mechanical components. Numbers are formed by the motion of 23 cams, which are connected to gears and a synchronization system. To prove it, the watch's back features a transparent dial plate...

Burgues Script
Every once in a while a typeface makes you step back and appreciate the letter forms from the words they spell. Argentinean type designer Alejandro Paul was recently recognized by the Type Director's Club for the superior craftsmanship of his Burgues Script. With its extensive set of glyphs, the script takes on an organic sense of fluidity normally found only in hand drawn lettering....

Band ID
Some might consider rock music a safe respite from corporate branding, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Bands spend huge numbers of hours and dollars perfecting their logos, which serve as much more than just album cover designs. In "Band ID: The Ultimate Book of Band Logos", Bodhi Oser collects the most distinctive logos in Rock, Hip-Hop, Metal, Pop and Reggae from...

Leslie Shershow Jewelry
Boston-area metalsmith and jewelry designer Leslie Shershow finds inspiration in topics as disparate as found objects, stuffed animals, and the exploitation of nature by humans. Despite the wide array of subject matter, her collections share a refined ruggedness and a rough-hewn beauty. Our favorite collection is her Alaska Series, with its antlers, rifles, bear heads and horns. Selections from the Alaska Series have recently...

S. Stein Workbags
Our recent post about Heath's picnic set introduced us to the rugged good looks and quality craftsmanship of S. Stein Workbags. Designer Sherry Stein, with several of her own lines and years at places like Nike and the Gap under her belt, took a cue from the utility of Doctor's leather bags, bricklayer's canvas bags, military surplus and toolbelts to come up with a...