The Age: On a narrow Tokyo street, Aya Tsukioka demonstrates clothing designs she hopes will ease Japan’s growing fear of crime. With a deft motion, Ms Tsukioka, a 29-year-old fashion designer, lifts a flap on the front of her skirt to reveal a sheet of cloth printed in bright red, with a soft drink logo partly visible. By holding the […]

Inhabitat: Upcycling is a 21st century term, coined by Cradle to Cradle authors William McDonough and Michael Braungart, but the idea of turning waste into useful products came to life brilliantly in 1963 with the Heineken WOBO (world bottle). Envisioned by beer brewer Alfred Heineken and designed by Dutch architect John Habraken, the “brick that holds beer” was ahead of […]

TheRecord.com: Debbie New needed to come up with a design for a knitted lace project. She pondered the possibilities until inspiration came in a flash – make a boat. Her lace boat, a water-worthy vessel reinforced with resin, is featured in her aptly titled book Unexpected Knitting. “I thought it seemed like the obvious thing to make out of lace,” […]

Popgadget: The next time you see a kid slathering mustard and ketchup all over his face at a burger joint, you can continue eating your lunch undisturbed, nodding knowingly as the rest of the patrons look on in horror. While the others shake their heads and whisper about questionable parenting, you’ll sip your diet soda while remembering the Bath Burger […]

Coolbuzz: In tiny apartments most of the space is taken over by bulky beds, we cannot do without. However, here is a wonderful solution, in the shape of a jigsaw-puzzle bed, which transforms into a bookcase when not in use. Work of designer Karen Babel, the bed comes in the shape of a mattress that stands straight in four pieces […]

Popgadget: I haven’t seen the retro look blend better with any product in a long time than it does with the Cassette MP3 player. This gadget looks like a normal cassette tape on the outside but is actually an mp3 player. The camouflage design is not without functional advantages too – not only do you get the cool retro look […]

Productdose: Electric bikes are nothing new but the design of the Pi will turn heads. Ride this around town and lookers-on will wonder why you’re not slidng off the back. It offers 750 watts of power and a range of 30 miles (add an optional battery and roam for 60 miles) on a single charge and tops at 20 MPH. […]

Coolhunter: Computers could have been the biggest tree-saving invention of all time, yet here we are, “paperless office” still just a dream and trees being cut down faster than ever. Award-winning creative architect duo Stephanie Forsythe and Todd MacAllen at molo design in Vancouver, Canada, are not discouraged by this. They have decided to ensure that paper does some serious […]

YOKANG is a fashion label out of the beautiful island of Okinawa in southern Japan. Okinawa used to have the independent dynasty as the Kingdom of Ryuku, and people have different images for Okinawa from those of traditional Japanese culture. Its unique culture, developed from the interactions between Southeast Asian countries and Japan, as well as the subtropical climate and […]

The Cool Hunter: The Nestlé Chocolate factory in Mexico City’s Paseo Tollocan near Toluca has never been a site anyone went to see for its beauty. It is what is inside that has always interested chocolate-lovers. That changed earlier this year when Michel Rojkind, the 38-year-old principal of Rojkind Arquitectos, decided that he was not satisfied with the original idea […]