Green fashion is giving the fashion industry an eco-makeover. But is green its true color?
The zebra-like, black-and-white, elongated shrug keeps disappearing from the rack at the flagship Barneys New York store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. To customers, the incredibly soft and warmer-than-wool sweater is a must-have, even though most have no idea what the hangtag means by "Alpaca" or "Rogan."
While being eco-friendly has been in style the last few years, it’s questionable whether green will still be fashionable next season.
"Fashion is a tool for cultural creativity, innovation, self-expression and connection," says Sasha Duerr, founder of the Permacouture Institute through the Trust for Conservation Innovation in San Francisco. "Over-consumption, with limited understanding of where our materials come from or where they go is a huge issue in our modern times. We need to close the loop through practice and education."
Modern Icon: Looking toward Tate across the Millennium Bridge | photo illustration by Peter Funch Where one of every eight works in a creative industry.
It's shockingly expensive. The roads are jammed with traffic. The subway system's hopeless, and the buses no better. There's a surveillance camera on every other corner, and the sidewalks are strewn with litter. The biggest airport is a joke. The richest residents are fleeing or threatening to; the poorest have been chased out into the suburbs by soaring property prices. And the weather sucks.
Chicago Sun Time: In front of Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate in Millennium Park | photo illustration by Peter Funch 
Feast on This: Historian Tim Samuelson lunches at the Carson Pirie Scott building. | photograph by Saverio Truglia Skyscrapers, green roofs, and house music -- a very American metropolis.
Audrey Arbeeny and Michael Sweet | Photograph by Martynka Wawrzyniak How Audrey Arbeeny and Michael Sweet use sound to help NBC orchestrate its Olympic coverage into narrative storytelling.
These five Project Runway alums are facing the biggest challenge of their careers: how to use Web 2.0 tools to propel their 15-minutes of fame into a viable business.
Each season, 15 designers compete for the chance to showcase their designs at New York's Fashion Week and win $100,000 to fund their businesses. The competition takes place on the Emmy-winning Project Runway, a reality show all about discovering the next great American fashion designer.
Lo and behold, contests actually work to spur innovation. So should we use them for everything?
They gave the world guns and butter -- specifically, the AK-47 and margarine. They sent Charles Lindbergh's The Spirit of St. Louis from New York to Paris and Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne almost 70 miles above the earth -- twice.
Le Meridian's new room key, such as this one from artist Hisham Bharoocha, doubles as a pass to a local art institution. | Hisham Baroocha 
Palais de Tokyo cofounder Jerome Sans has been assembling an all-star cast of artists to reimagine Le Meridien. | Jo Magrean 
Le Meridian's brand honcho Eva Ziegler, pictured here in a hotel room in Paris, has been the champion of its artist-driven strategy. | Jo Magrean Le Meridien reinvents the art of the hotel experience.
Every year, more than 2,000 bicycle companies pour millions into research and development to make bikes faster, stronger, and lighter. Here are six two-wheeled machines that represent the cutting edge of bicycle design and technology.
Trek Top Fuel 69er
Best for: Cross country trail riding. While the 69er is dual suspension -- both wheels can absorb impacts using air-sprung shock absorbers -- it’s built lightweight with an aggressive rider position, allowing it to climb efficiently and absorb fast descents with equal aptitude.
Alaska Airlines' Airport of the Future makes quick work of getting passengers through check-in.
It's Wednesday morning at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and the United Airlines check-in area is a mob scene. Passengers queue up in a line that runs the length of the counter and doubles back. Customers waiting for agents block the self-serve kiosks. Finished passengers must push through the crowd again. Average check-in time: 25 to 30 minutes.
