On a recent trip to Vancouver, British Columbia we were pleased to discover Alex Fairbairn's line of finely made leather goods, Wülf Work at the new shop Much & Little. The Swedish hardware on buckles and fasteners complemented the fine leatherwork, all of which is crafted under the company's...

Almost every picture I take for Cool Hunting stories is shot with my Nikon D700 so today's unveil of the D800 is welcomed news. An expected follow-on to last month's D4 announcement, the D800 brings a bounty of new features ranging from a massive full-frame CMOS sensor to dual...

It all started with a search for a pair of whalebones—two of them, between five and seven feet in length—to be mounted on a wall. Michael Moskowitz wanted to display the rare pieces to spark discussion of conservationist efforts, but found them exceedingly hard to come by. With all...

To commemorate the life and work of Joe Colombo, Italian design company Kartell has reissued his iconic 4801 chair. Designed in 1965, the 4801 was the first of 12 objects that Colombo created for Kartell until his premature death in 1971. In conjunction with the new release, Kartell is...

Designed by Marc Newson, the K-01 from Pentax is the most photogenic camera I've seen in awhile. Until now, the design-driven segment of mid to high-end cameras has been dominated by vintage-inspired units like the gorgeous Fuji X Series. Newson's signature style distinguishes the K-01 from the rest with...

Jumping ahead of the current trends in men's footwear, Cole Haan's LunarGrand wingtip is a classically designed full brogue dress shoe updated with an ergonomic outsole for unmatched comfort. Launching 10 February 2012, the LunarGrand has been "engineered to conquer the streets of New York City" by combining a...

To rethink the process of American-made goods and reinforce the values of domestic production, former Chrome bags President Bayard Winthrop founded American Giant, a new line of high-quality menswear. Focused on the basics, the first line of affordable garments includes five variations on the sweatshirt made with an exclusively...

Roughly translated to ski driving, skijoring is a Scandinavian-originated snow sport where a skier is towed—typically behind a horse or dogs. My introduction to the sport earlier this month came as an invitation from Bentley and Zai to join them in Gstaad for a less conventional interpretation. In caravan...

Solid construction, clean lines and a no-frills approach to design drive LA-based bag brand, Ignoble. Centered on the assertion that the black backpack represents the true "essential carryall for the modern man," Ignoble makes their own with a focus on thoughtful design, style and personality. The current collection comprises...

On a recent trip to Gstaad with Bentley (more on that next week), I had the pleasure of meeting the team from Zai, the high end, handmade Swiss ski manufacturer. Patrick, Daniela and Thomas (pictured here) all happened to be wearing incredible ski suits. As it turns out, Zai...

Premiering last night, HERE is a dreamy short film produced by Waris Ahluwalia for The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts. A romantic treasure hunt of sorts, the film stars Agyness Deyn, whose journey takes her halfway around the world following clues that lead to her mate. Directed by Luca...

While augmented reality interfaces have had their moment on smartphones, the automobile windshield is a potentially more useful place to overlay contextual information. Mercedes' Dynamic and Intuitive Control Experience (DICE) offers a look at how the manufacturer envisions getting everything from traffic data to information about passing landmarks. The...

Driven by a lifetime of poor vision and years spent behind uninspiring frames, former vintage menswear dealer Jason Pollak founded Deja Vu Refinery to supply those like him with an iconic frame of the highest quality. From what he describes as a "closet full" of antique frames, Pollak drew...

Best known for their waterproof cycling rucksacks, San Francisco's Mission Workshop has taken their material knowledge and redirected it into the Eiger field jacket, a limited-run waterproof parka from their Advanced Projects Series. We were lucky enough to get a hands-on preview of the Eiger, and can attest to...

From Yves Béhar of fuseproject, the design mind behind the "XO" laptop for the One Laptop per Child program, Jawbone UP and Jambox, comes Sabi, a line of medication vessels aimed at bringing beauty and efficiency to an everyday necessity. The "Vitality Line" includes holsters, crushers, choppers, folios, shakers—in...

After coming across a bag by a defunct '70s company in a Brooklyn vintage store, accessories designer China Young set out to reengineer the Dubbel Duffel's multipurpose charm to high fashion and quality standards. Delving into the history, Young found 1970s- and '80s-era comic ads and a cheeky character...

As nostalgic as we are for horology, the developments in wearable digital media platforms are introducing some thrilling competition. Down at CES, tech heads were treated to a selection of accessories with intelligent interfaces, understandably weighted toward the fitness market, where pocket-less fashion necessitates uber-mobile technology. Below you'll find GPS-tracking,...

As lovers of all things photographic we were excited to see what CES 2012 would offer the DSLR community. We saw a lot of great gear and accessories to enhance photographers' experience and support them in the field. Below are seven picks of some of our favorite DSLR gear we...

While running around the labrynth of CES last week we noticed more than a couple standouts in the category of iPhone photography. From snap-on fisheyes and tripod-compatible add-ons to an app that sends physical post cards with the swipe of a finger, the following are five iPhone photo accessories...

While scoping out the developments at CES in Las Vegas, we were delighted to meet Ava, a new mobile robotics platform prototype from the minds over at iRobot. Most will recognize iRobot's past work on the low-profile automated robotic cleaners Roomba and Scooba. While Ava may lack her siblings'...

Relying on just one AA battery, the newly launched SpareOne mobile phone holds its power for an astonishing 15 years, with 10 hours of consecutive talk time on a single charge. Developed by industry giant XPAL Power—which also makes the combined battery pack and phone case PowerSkin—SpareOne's basic interface...

Unveiled today at NAIAS in Detroit is the new Acura NSX Concept, a supercar slated for sale in 2014. Sporting a 400 hp engine with a hybrid SH-AWD drivetrain, the sexed-up model is meant to combine green ideology with hedonistic performance. The current NSX is a revival of the...

Drawing inspiration from guitar riffs and heavy beats, Las Vegas-based painter Tim Bavington translates melodies from ear to eye with his vibrant works. As long time supporters of Bavington, we jumped at the chance to stop by his studio on a recent trip to the city of sin. Here...

Just announced, the Nikon D4 is an update to the brand's flagship DSLR, over four years in the making. Boasting a 16.2MP full-frame sensor capable of low-light capture at ISO levels as high as 204,800 as well as high speed shooting of up to 11 frames-per-second, this professional camera...

Dedicated to infusing classic men's style into activewear, Activist Eyewear has recently partnered with Alfred Julius to produce a run of 50 bow tie and handkerchief pairings made from durable, unexpected materials—bow ties are constructed from nylon ripstop with an antique bronze rivet and the handkerchief is made with...

Set to open 19 January 2012, the St. Regis Bal Habour Resort brings the supremely luxurious service and accommodations the brand is known for to the worldwide destination of South Florida. Designed by Seiger Suarez Architectual Partnership with interiors by renowned studio Yabu Pushelberg, the property sets a new...

Like a collection plucked from an old Victorian curiosity cabinet, Suzanne Hagerstrom's bone sculptures have the unanticipated effect of delighting the macabre corners of our childish minds. Far-removed from the trends and memes of the art world, Hagerstrom has been quietly producing the figurines for decades in pursuit of...

One year ago we posted about Daytum, Nicholas Felton's iPhone app and website for tracking and visualizing personal data. While I started off 2011 noting everything from eggs eaten to taxi rides, my range of usage narrowed quickly to capturing travel-related statistics. I fly a lot, but the destinations...

Since 2003 Cool Hunting has been about finding and sharing stories of creativity and innovation from a broad range of categories. Looking back on our photos from the year I feel very fortunate that we have had so many incredible experiences. What follows is a photographic year-in-review, highlighting some of...

Long lauded as a dark symbol of the occult, the skull has endured a rather fashionable resurgence in recent years. Cataloging some of the most intriguing and sometimes unnerving displays of the symbol's use is Skull Style, a newly released visual encyclopedia of sorts on the subject as it...

In an homage to the online retailer Etsy, Natalie Rachel has produced a pair of handmade scarves that use the company's data as inspiration for the patterns. As the basis for her Data Scarves, Rachel collected figures related new members, items sold and the apportionment of vintage, handmade and...

Here at the CH HQ, we have a bit of an obsession with coconut water and coffee. While it never occurred to us to combine our two favorite beverages, a new drink called Coco Café out of California has found synergy among this unconventional pairing. The hydration and health...

Unlike other tech-heavy camera bags, Lowepro's Messenger AW Series is thoughtfully designed to maximize functionality but is styled to be understated. Each model in the series—200, 180 and 160—fits a full-sized DSLR with grip and attached lens, plus plenty of room for extra lenses and accessories. The canvas outer...

On a recent California tour with Mercedes-Benz I stopped by their Design Center in Carlsbad to preview the all new 2012 SL. At first glance the the completely redeveloped SL's aesthetic is both pleasing to the eye and the touch. The superlative 500 sports a new V8 with 435...

Fed up with the overpriced minibars and underacheiving service standards that plague the American hotel industry, Studio 54 co-founder Ian Schrager recently unrolled Public, an affordable luxury hotel in downtown Chicago. Schrager reclaimed the walls of the Ambassador East Hotel and its classic restaurant Pump Room, imbuing a shock...

Sponsored content: We are well underway on a redesign of Cool Hunting that will bring you an extraordinary new interface to even further elevate the quality of the original content we create. Among the various components of this project is a custom display font for our titles and subtitles designed...

Like a young, curious boy trapped in a grown man's body, collagist, animator, director and all-around creative renaissance man Mac Premo has collected a lifetime's worth of somehow-sentimental objects in his Brooklyn Studio. Now, spurred by the move to a smaller studio, he was forced to get rid of...

To complement the wave of events at Art Basel last week, the Miami Design District played host to a program that included trendy popup boutiques and transient cultural exhibitions. The highlight of the series for us was the resurrection of two creations from famed American architect-inventor Buckminster Fuller, whose...

With the rest of the country gathering for scattered tree-lighting ceremonies, Leo Villareal has been busy trying to illuminate another iconic structure: the San Francisco Bay Bridge. Villareal envisions covering the northern expanse of the bridge with The Bay Lights, a dynamic light display that reflects off the surface...

During a recent stay at the Four Seasons Resort at Wailea in Maui, Hawaii, we wandered through the artists showcase in the hotel's lower lobby area. The open-air gallery rotates throughout the week, featuring six different local artists each day. It's a great way for tourists to engage directly...

Nearly 300 years after King Louis XIV of France banned the game of croquet because it couldn't be played during winter, French-born designer Romain Lagrange brings the royal pass-time inside from the fields with Gates. This simplified interior adaptation neatly bundles two mallets, six gates and two stakes in...

For this year's Cool Hunting Edition of Freehands gloves we stuck with the cashmere but added new colorways and narrowed the stripes. We also partnered up with our friends at fab.com to exclusively sell these warm and functional gloves. The fab.com sale starts Wednesday, 30 November 2011, at 11am...

Since we covered Nudo's "adopt-an-olive-tree" program a few years back, we've been repeatedly impressed by their commitment to bridging the gap between consumers and their food. With a global community of adoptive tree "parents" as well as a localized community of collaborative growers, the Nudo family goes far beyond...

Jim Meehan, New York's most meticulous bartender, compiled The PDT Cocktail Book with the same precise touch, careful measurement and keen eye he applies to his inventive cocktails. Launching last month to an overwhelmingly warm welcome, the new barman's bible of some 300 recipes was hailed as the most...

As part of the eighth annual Design Los Angeles automobile designer's conference, this year's Design Challenge tasked six studios from Germany, Japan and the U.S. to design "Hollywood's Hottest New Movie Car." Each team—Honda, Hyundai, Subaru, Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and Smart—presented their idea through sketches, renderings, models and even mock...

Driven by recent concerns over the nature and origin of our daily bread, Caren Alpert set out to examine common foods on a more intimate level. Armed with a scanning electron microscope, the photographer undertook Terra Cibus, her largest project to date. Commenting on the equipment used to take...

For all the recent proliferation of American-made men's leather goods, few brands have been able to unite old-world elegance with domestic craftsmanship. More formal than the ubiquitous rugged duffel but no less relaxed, Libero Ferrero's luggage moves in a new direction with a smarter aesthetic for high quality classics...

The upshot to digital failure, GLI.TC/H is a conference on noise and new media that sees artists from around the world gathering for a weekend packed with lectures, workshops, discussions, screenings and more. The second iteration, happening this weekend in Chicago, will explore topics like how to crack, break,...

There's a seductiveness that surrounds the London club scene of the late '70s and early '80s. It was an era that spawned a host of new music, a few new drugs, some serious fashion and Boy George. With his new book, "We Can Be Heroes," Graham Smith packages the...

Going strong in its third year of production, Brooklyn-based fashion label Feltraiger makes what they call "New American Classic" menswear with a healthy sense of irreverence. With each collection the label takes on a different subculture—for Spring/Summer 2012 founder and creative director Daniel Feldman was inspired by the way...