Design
This 105-Year-Old Made Marilyn Monroe’s Earrings
Meet Sadie Mintz, a jewelry maker who saw her handiwork on the cover of LIFE magazine
October 09, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
How Did the Pigskin Get Its Shape?
American football may have evolved from soccer and rugby, but it turns out that the football was never truly designed, it just sort of happened
October 05, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
As a Matter of Fact: Jockeys, Tartans and Cowboy Glam
The real stories behind some fashion fads and classics hold some surprising twists
October 05, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Antonio’s World: The Life and Work of a Celebrated Fashion Illustrator
Antonio Lopez's electrifying art defined the style of the times, 1960s-'80s. Now, a gallery show and book call renewed attention to his accomplishments
October 02, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Leatherhead to Radio-head: The Evolution of the Football Helmet
From hand-cobbled beginnings, the football helmet has evolved to become one of the most highly designed pieces of equipment in all of sports
October 01, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
Yayoi Kusama, High Priestess of Polka Dots
The avant-garde Japanese artist attains retrospective status—and embarks on a fashion collaboration with Louis Vuitton
September 28, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Making Objects: A Dispatch From the Future of Small-Batch Manufacturing
A pair of young design entrepreneurs are building a small-batch manufacturing company in Chicago
September 27, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
How the Football Field Was Designed, from Hash Marks to Goal Posts
The American football field as evolved over more than 100 years, and with it, the game
September 24, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
Orlon! Dacron! Antron! The Great American Knits of Fall 1965
As this old newspaper ad supplement shows, in the heydey of synthetic knits, DuPont advanced its chemically made fibers as a key to "Better Living"
September 24, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
50 Years of the Jetsons: Why The Show Still Matters
Although it was on the air for only one season, The Jetsons remains our most popular point of reference when discussing the future.
September 19, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
The Pee-Chee Folder: Illustrated by the Most Interesting Man in the World
Illustrator Francis Golden could barely remember the project that became an iconic school supply
September 19, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Stockings Series, Part 3: Ads from the Archives, 1890-1939
For decades, Ivory sold itself as the suds that made legwear last longer
September 18, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Only in New York: The Lady in Lime Green
As models flaunt designer wear during fashion week, a subway rider imparts her own bold style
September 14, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Franchising Neighborhoods: Can IKEA Sell Urban Design?
As part of a long-term investment plan, the Swedish furniture retailer is planning to construct entire neighborhoods in England and Germany
September 12, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
Honoring Bill Moggridge
From designing the first laptop to defining human-computer interaction, Bill Moggridge spent his career breaking new ground in design and technology
September 10, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
The Anti-Skyscraper Law That Shaped Sydney, Australia
What happens when public safety clashes with modern architecture?
September 10, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
Paint-on Hosiery During the War Years
A back "seam" drawn with an eyebrow pencil topped off the resourceful fashion effect
September 10, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Cooper-Hewitt Director Bill Moggridge Dies at Age 69
The Smithsonian mourns the loss of one of its visionary leaders
September 09, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
New York Fashion Week, Past and Present
Since the mid-1940s, models of perfection in designer clothes have graced Manhattan runways every autumn
September 07, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
What Public Spaces Like Cleveland’s West Side Market Mean for Cities
They are more than just a haven for foodies -- markets are "fundamental building blocks of urban life"
September 05, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich


