fashion design

Is it Possible to Design Anything Worthwhile For Less Than a Buck?

Linda Tischler — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:28:59 -0400

Designing anything beneficial--for one dollar or less--was the challenge Pratt students set for themselves as part of this year's ICFF Design Schools' Exhibition.

Introducing Our Latest Design Blogger: Gadi Amit

Linda Tischler — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:12:35 -0400

Last October, shortly after our annual Masters of Design issue hit the streets, I got an email from Gadi Amit, president of the San Francisco strategic design firm, NewDealDesign LLC. NewDealDesign was one of the "design factories" profiled in that issue, and Gadi, a leading design thinker himself, had been at a party to celebrate our Masters in New York.

The Prada Transformer: A Shape-Shifting Exhibition Space

Cliff Kuang — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:33:45 -0400

Rem Koolhaas, the brilliant, subversive force behind the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, has had a great run with Prada, functioning basically as the fashion label's court architect.

Recession-proof Fashion? Look for the "Made in Alabama" Label.

Linda Tischler — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:11:11 -0500

The most heartwarming story to come out of Fashion Week is taking place far across town from the posh tents at Bryant Park, in the slightly down-at-the-heels precincts of New York's East Village.

Car Charging Stations at the Ready--In Israel

Linda Tischler — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:33:07 -0500

Ideo's David Kelley wins Edison Award for Innovation

Linda Tischler — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:47:31 -0500

On April 1, Ideo founder David Kelley will be awarded the Edison Achievement Award by the Thomas Edison Papers at Rutgers University for his “pioneering contributions to the design of breakthrough products, services, and experiences for consumers, as well as his development of an innovative culture that has broad impact.”

Why a Bowling Shirt Made Me Love David Kelley

Linda Tischler — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:44:06 -0500

It was a Power Point slide of Ettore Sottsass in a bowling shirt that first made Jim Hackett, CEO of Steelcase, want to get to know David Kelley.

Fifteen years ago, Hackett remembers, the Ideo founder had been summoned to Steelcase’s Grand Rapids boardroom to talk to the company’s executives about why the office furniture giant should be more design-driven. In prior weeks, other designers had trooped through with predictable presentations about metrics and ROI.

17 Career Lessons from Ideo's David Kelley

Linda Tischler — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:27:55 -0500

David Kelley is well-known for his astute application of design thinking to many of life's intractable problems. Less known is that he's also a veritable Dr. Phil of good advice about life, careers, and the importance of not being a jerk.

"If you ask people, was there ever a teacher or mentor who changed your life, many hundreds of people would say that was David Kelley. I'm one of them," his brother, Tom Kelley, told me. "If they spread the word....you can figure the exponential effect."

Behind the Scenes: Brin Creates First Google Holiday Logo--from Clip Art

Linda Tischler — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:43:20 -0500

The first Google doodle happened late on a Saturday night in 1999. As Marissa Meyer, Google’s chief experience officer remembers it, she was in the office at 3 a.m., trying to finish up some work before leaving on vacation when Sergei Brin came running in, all excited, shouting, “Marissa! Marissa! Look what I made!”

When we were out in Mountain View a while later, talking to her about a story on simplicity in technology, she told us how the Google doodles were born:

Hey, Kids! Doodle 4 Google! Win Prizes!

Linda Tischler — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:16:50 -0500

Any kid who’s ever been intrigued with Google’s playful holiday logo-decorating antics can now get in the act–with the potential for winning lots of loot for the best efforts.

Help Pick the Next Big Japanese Brand

Linda Tischler — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:59:10 -0500

There’s Toyota and Nissan and Sony and Nintendo. Next, there may be Inaba, Monacca, Satsuma, and Kawaguchi i-mono.Those companies are among the few dozen that recently auditioned for prime time in the West at an exhibit in New York.

The Japan Brand: Unfolding show at the Felissimo Design House was designed to showcase indigenous brands from the 30 distinct regions of Japan. These are contemporary products ranging from furniture to cookware, home accessories to eyewear (including the manufacturer of Sarah Palin’s eyeglasses!) that are largely unavailable in the U.S.

Footballers in Tights Flog SoBe Water for Super Bowl [video]

Linda Tischler — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:48:45 -0500

What does it take to convince NFL superstars like Patriots All-Pro offensive lineman Matt Light (6 ft. 4inches, 305 pounds), New York Giants’s 274 pound defensive end Justin Tuck, and Baltimore Ravens's 250 pound tackle Ray Lewis to don tights and execute a pas de trois to the tune of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” during the Super Bowl? In 3-D, yet?

I’m guessing a giant pool of money, and a chance at Super Bowl glory -- although not the kind their coaches were hoping for way back in August.

Zaha Hadid's Faucet Turns Us On

Linda Tischler — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:54:45 -0500

Can’t afford a Zaha Hadid Aqua Table from Established and Sons? Then how about something similarly swoopy and a little more modestly priced? Just in time for spring kitchen remodeling projects, the Pritzker Award-winning architect has designed a curvaceous faucet for the British company Triflow Concepts.

Designer Philippe Starck Embraces his Feminine Side [exclusive video]

Linda Tischler — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:10:00 -0500

Philippe Starck, resplendent in black leather pants, came to New York’s Soho House this week to promote his latest project –- a set of sleek stereo speakers he designed for Parrot, a French wireless technology company whose CEO, Henri Seydoux, is one of the designer’s oldest friends.

The Zikmu speakers , matching black columns with flared bases, were introduced at MacWorld, then dazzled the crowd at CES, walking away with Bluetooth CIG’s “Best of Show” award.

The technology behind the speakers is first rate –- they’re topped with an iPod loading dock, and can wirelessly stream music from a PC or Mac. But it’s the neck-snappingly cool design (not to mention great sound) that creates product lust. The $1500 speakers, available later this spring, are striking for their simplicity, functionality, and beauty.

Any consumer can appreciate those qualities, but a recent presentation at CES by a pair of designers from Smart Design’s Femme Den, indicated that those traits resonate particularly well with women –- traditionally a tricky market for consumer electronics manufacturers to reach.

We spoke with Starck about why designing for men is like boxing, and designing for women is like aikido – and why simple, intuitive design is just so damned hard.

"Oprah Effect" Boosts Starbucks' Call to Service

Linda Tischler — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:20:35 -0500

The new commander in chief's not-so-secret weapon proved her power yet again yesterday when Oprah sparked President Obama’s call to volunteerism by backing Starbucks’s new “I’m in” campaign. The initiative promises a free cup of coffee between now and Sunday to anyone pledging five hours of community service before the end of the year.

Starbucks and M.C. Yogi Offer You a Free Cuppa Joe -- If You Volunteer

Linda Tischler — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:30:00 -0500

Backed with the catchy music of M.C. Yogi, Starbucks today kicks off its latest campaign honoring the Obama administration's call to national service -- and offers a free cup of coffee to anybody willing to pledge five hours of volunteer time. Following up on the smashing success of the company's free-coffee-for-anyone-who-votes campaign, this latest initiative is part of Starbucks' own rehabilitation strategy of linking its brand to various causes, says a spokesman for BBDO, the coffee shops' agency.

M.C. Yogi was an inspired choice as the soundtrack for this spot. The young yoga master/hip hop artist is best known for his campaign anthem "Vote for Hope" which sampled then-candidate Barack Obama's riveting speech at the 2004 Democratic convention.

But his route to Starbucks fame came via a more circuitous route. BBDO creative director David Carter happened to be at a yoga class in upstate New York when the yoga teacher played an M.C. Yogi song. He was instantly intrigued, he told me over a latte in a midtown Starbucks (of course) near the company's Manhattan headquarters. The company's creatives tracked down Yogi and asked him to compose a song specifically for this spot.

Oprah will debut the spot today on her show. You can hear the tune for yourself on YouTube (or catch it on CNN, MSNBC, and online), and download it -- for free -- on the Starbucks site.

Target and Trump: Strange Bedfellows of the Recession

Linda Tischler — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 09:00:07 -0500

Touchscreen Cash Register is the Future of Upsell [exclusive video]

Linda Tischler — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:30:00 -0500

Cash registers may not be ringing at the mall, but for a few days this week beleaguered retailers could live in a fantasy world where not only would customers line up to buy again, but sales clerks could use a slick touchscreen to upsell them even more goods, right from the register.

Why Can't My Car Drive While I Take a Nap?

Linda Tischler — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:45:43 -0500

With a dual-city marriage, I spend a lot of time shuttling up and down the East Coast. Trust me: if you've seen the Hartford skyline once, you don't have to stay awake anymore.

Sex and Electronics Part 1: Women and Smart Design

Linda Tischler — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:30:00 -0500

For me, the lingering memory of CES 2009 is not just a new appreciation for the vastness of the consumer electronics technology universe, but its crushing virility. I’ve never been in an environment that was so overwhelmingly male that didn’t involve the U.S. Military.

Sex and Electronics Part 2: Femme Den's Favorite Gadgets from CES

Linda Tischler — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:30:00 -0500

We asked Erica Eden and Agnete Egna, two designers from Smart Design’s Femme Den, to troll the floor of the huge 2009 Consumer Electronics Show for the Best and Worst gear from a woman's perspective. Smart Design developed OXO Good Grips Kitchen Tools as well as the Flip Mino line of handheld camcorders. Here are the gadgets they loved at CES...

Best -- And Worst -- Brand Extensions Of 2008

Linda Tischler — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:49:29 -0500

It’s hard work building a big, recognizable brand. Naturally, once they’ve built one, most companies find it irresistible to try and extend that brand love to other products. Sometimes this is a good idea: Starbucks’s lattes are good; Starbucks’s latte ice cream is pretty yummy too.

The Best Architecture of the Year

Linda Tischler — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 09:17:13 -0500

Quick! Name this year's most award-winning bridges! Stuck? Then how about the Residential Project of the Year? Or the best Green Roof projects of 2008?

If you're coming up short, but still dying to know, you might want to pick up a copy of the just-published Almanac of Architecture and Design, 2009, which has just hit the streets.

Tanking Economy Shutters Chanel's Artsy Pavilion

Linda Tischler — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:57:59 -0500

Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid’s swoopy spaceship pavilion, designed to give the Chanel brand a little artsy cred has fallen victim to the economy.

Dotty About Lingerie

Dotty D — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 14:18:39 -0500

dot-ty [dot-ee]

-adjective, -tier, -tiest.

1. crazy or eccentric.
2. feeble or unsteady in gait.
3. very enthusiastic or infatuated (usually fol. by about or over).

-noun,

1. female given name, form of Dorothea and Dorothy.

http://www.squidoo.com/dotty

http://www.brabras.uk.com/