DESIGN

The Dopamine campaign is the latest from Australian clothing company, Insight, divided into two inspired and highly original photo/film projects: the Surf and the Skate.

A new exhibition opened this month at one of Scotland's most avant-garde galleries, Dundee Contemporary Arts. Altered States of Paint takes its name from the Ken Russell film "Altered States," in which the lead character goes through sensory experiments in an attempt to find the meaning of life. The curator of the show, Graham Domke, was also inspired by Aldous Huxley's "The Doors of Perception," using the quote from it, "The man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out." Domke says that Altered States of Paint plays with the idea that "certain paintings can achieve a visionary experience and the notion of the gallery as a gateway."

Sure, Brazil is famous for inventing the thong, but it's reinvented another type of thong that thankfully doesn't require being born with lucky genes to wear: the classic rubber sandal. You're looking at some models from Havaianas' upcoming summer '08-'09 season that will eventually make their way off the southern continent and closer to you.

On a recent trip to Paris I had the pleasure of staying at the boutique Hotel Sezz, located in the 16th arrondissement, steps from the Seine, about 400 yards from the Eiffel Tower and just a few blocks away from the #6 metro. For all that, the small boutique hotel is located on a tranquil, very residential street, making for a more authentic Parisian experience.

by Kyle Small

Next Monday, 28 July 2008,

by Kyle SmallOver at

Cool Hunting favorite Phil Toledano recently released a photo essay titled Days With My Father. A touching compilation of photos taken after the death of Toledano's mother, the images give an intimate look at the father-son relationship and serve as a time capsule of the period. Although very simple and sparse, the series captures a spectrum of emotion.

by Mat Lyon

Maths Class are the latest U.K. band exploring the intersection where Post-Rock, New Wave, Pop and (yes) Math Rock collide. From the shards of this genre car crash, they form a compelling racket that's chaotic and precise in equal measure, jerking between passages at super speed and challenging the listener to keep up. They walk a tightrope of technical ability, creative endeavor and melodic accessibility that makes for an exhilarating sonic tangle.

Their frenetic creativity also extends to their visual aesthetic. The band's photographs reference Dada cut-ups, presenting the band as a mangled mass of enlarged facial features; posters and artwork show the band's name spelled out in slashes of twisted material.

While most technologies advanced by leaps and bounds in recent decades, condom design has been relatively static for the last century or so. One visionary German scientist is working to change that. Jan Vinzenz Krause has spent recent years trying to make the world's most common prophylactic available in spray-on form. The technology's draw, according to Krause (pictured), is that conventional condoms often don't fit penises of varying sizes (also pictured, sort of).

It's official: the Polaroid picture will soon be a thing of the past. The news that by next year, the photo company will stop producing its iconic instant film in favor of a more lucrative digital field has left legions of longtime fans bereft. As a celebration of the endangered medium, the Country Club Chicago gallery will exhibit a comprehensive collection of Polaroid photographs.

Reviewing Phaidon's latest tome, Le Corbusier Le Grand, is like being asked to review the Constitution. How do you take in something so all-encompassing, so sweeping in just a few sittings? And then, what do you say about it? Um, it's good?

First of all, it's fitting that a book devoted to the grandfather of modern architecture should weigh in at a jaw-dropping twenty pounds. The book is big enough to squash a small child, so forget about bedtime reading. Comprised of 624 pages, 2,000 illustrations (including a host of never before published personal documents), and measuring over 30 inches wide when open, Le Corbusier Le Grand requires its own viewing platform. Another coffee table book this is not.

by Tamara Warren
The classic filing cabinet has the admirable function of safely storing documents, but leaves something to be desired when it comes to form. (Think square, metal, heavy and bulky.) Addressing the problem, Herman Miller wisely brought in designers Birsel + Seck to conceive their Teneo line. The storage system recently received the Best of Competition award at Neocon for Best of Filing and Storage, beating out 400 other entrants.

Suspended in a bubble block of Baccarat crystal and powered by temperature change, Jaeger LeCoultre's Atmos 561 mechanical clock is the work of Australian super-designer Marc Newson (known for designing the Ikepod watch and a million other sleek objects). Newson is reportedly a huge fan of the Atmos and approached the company to collaborate. The result is this eightieth anniversary Atmos.

by Kyle Small

The fruit of a joint project between Robert Squire of Weaponshouse
and Sylvester of Brakeless bike shop in Montreal, the “Leg Grenade” is one slick track bike. Deciding to build a bike that rode tight and looked classic, minimal and tough, the primary components are a Large Affinity Marta
frame with a Miche Drivetrain

Forget what you know about cachaça. Brazilian distiller

"Mei Guo," which translates into English as The Beautiful World, from the French Le Beau Monde, is a forthcoming exhibition of Asian American and Asian artists living in America. Soon to be on view at Pearl Lam's renowned Contrasts Gallery in Shanghai, the exhibition has been curated by Lilly Wei as a survey of our growing interconnectedness in a highly globalized world.

In this video RISD president John Maeda narrates a visit to Philip Johnson's Glass House in New Canaan, CT. Maeda shares his impressions and talks about how it relates to his thoughts on simplicity. Meanwhile, we explore the the site (there are actually several buildings on the property in addition to the Glass House), shot over a couple picture perfect spring days.

With the bulk of our correspondences now taking place digitally, it's no wonder letter openers have been relegated to the luxury gift category. But the humble object remains one of those iconic pieces of design; Enzo Mari designed a whole series of them for the Italian company Danese in the '60s. Now comes the advent of the carbon fiber letter opener. Designed by the Austrian studio Purisme, this ergonomic opener is both an office accessory and a weapon for self-defense. It also won the Red Dot Product Design Award, 2008.

by Nicole Schlomann

Product designer turned bag maker, Vincent Lai founded his line of stylish totes and messenger bags in 2007 and calls it "Skinny Vinny," a nickname that his friends tease him with.

If you thought that rotating restaurants and houses were simply relics of our space age past, consider the handful of dynamic architectural projects being developed in the coming decade. The most notable being the Dynamic Tower in Dubai, an 80-story mixed use structure by Florentine architect David Fisher, whose every floor is capable of rotating a full 360 degrees. What better time for us to evaluate the history of these extravagant structures than now, when they stand poised to join the urban theme parks of the Middle East?

by Kyle Small

The new Rickshaw Commuter Messenger Bag is a durable and functional addition to an already growing collection of bags we have here at CH HQ. Strong and sturdy, this is a bag that you can rely on for years to come. Built to survive a downpour of rain, as well as the rigors of bike messengering (Rickshaw founders are Timbuk2 alums), you're definitely getting your money's worth. And with as many pockets, sleeves and loops as it has, this shoulder bag will fit just about everything you need for a solid days work, whatever that may be.

The design t-shirt store graniph just finished their Design Award.2. Through an exhaustive selection process that lasted months, judges surveyed more than 15,000 applicants and chose just a lucky 30 winners. There were 19 bronze award winners, 10 silver and a single gold prize winner, who also took home $9,000. The winning design (shown at right) was created by Cho Jo Tzu of Taipei, Taiwan. It's intended to depict a bunch of yoga-practicing rabbits tasked with saving the planet.

Take a look at the other prize-winning designs after the jump (click to enlarge).

Forget toting dogs, iguanas or other pets, nothing will impress the in-crowd like bringing a bird to class or work. And now you can—on your back—in the PetPocket Bird Carrier. The PetPocket is a transportable birdcage, complete with a removable bottom tray and two toy hanging loops from the top. The backpack holds small to medium-sized birds (including but not limited to parakeets, conures, canaries, finches, budgies, and lovebirds). Keep your feathered friend close, safe, and with you always.