Design
Stocking Series, Part 1: Wartime Rationing and Nylon Riots
As hemlines rose, DuPont's wonder fabric was a sensation among women. But during WWII, it was needed for parachutes
September 04, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Why is Rem Koolhaas the World's Most Controversial Architect?
Age has not tempered the Dutch architect, who at 67 continues to shake up the cultural landscape with his provocative designs
September 2012 |
By Nicolai Ouroussoff
The Swimsuit Series, Part 6: Ladies in Wading in Art
A look at how artists spent their summer vacations—at the beach
August 31, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Rebranding Amsterdam and What It Means to Rebrand a City
To help maintain its position as a popular European destination, Amsterdam embraced marketing with "I amsterdam," a brand campaign for the city and its residents
August 30, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
How Chattanooga Created Its Own Font to Spur Urban Growth
Like products, cities need a brand identity. In this Tennessee city, a team of designers have created an official font
August 29, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
What Did Playtex Have to Do With Neil Armstrong?
The astronaut's lunar outfit was designed by the women's bra manufacturer and inspired a series of space age fashions
August 27, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Hit-Making Hot Pants
In 1971, the eye-popping short shorts fad caught the attention of pop singers
August 24, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
The Unbuilt High-rise Designs of Rem Koolhaas and OMA
The radical, unbuilt high-rises designed by Rem Koolhaas are witty, subversive, and surprisingly simple
August 23, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
How Alphonse Mucha Designed the Nation State of Czechoslovakia
When the country gained its independence after World War I, artist Alphonse Mucha was called upon to help design an important part of any country's identity - its money
August 21, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
Top 10 Chanelisms: Coco’s Wise Words to Mark Her Birthday
Today the French fashion designer's observations seem wise, clever or amusingly dated
August 20, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Through the Lens of Cosmo Covers: Remembering Helen Gurley Brown
With her magazine, the longtime editor sold sex as well as the latest, often provocative fashions
August 17, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Aircraft Design Inspired by Nature and Enabled by Tech
In 2050, Airbus hopes to fly you around in a see-through jet shaped like a bird skeleton, with morphing seats, spa treatments, and virtual entertainment
August 16, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Yesterday’s Tomorrows: How a Smithsonian Exhibit I Never Saw Changed My Life
Meet the historians who pioneered scholarship of retro-futurism
August 15, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
The Scene of Deduction: Drawing 221B Baker Street
From pen-and-ink sketches to digital renderings, generations of Sherlock Holmes fans have undertaken to draft a version of the detective's famous London flat
August 14, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
Q&A: Jayson Musson Breaks Down Coogi Sweaters
With the '80s and '90s status-symbol clothing a bargain on eBay, the Brooklyn artist buys, disassembles and reconstructs them to make abstract "paintings"
August 13, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
As the Olympic Games Conclude, a Look Back at U.S. Opening Ceremony Outfits
The photos tell the story here, as Team USA has always had an eccentric taste in its uniforms
August 10, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
The LEGO-like Building Blocks of the Olympic Slalom Canoe
How a three-time Olympic competitor designed an innovative new whitewater system using underwater bricks
August 09, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
The Swimsuit Series, Part 5: Olympic Athletes, Posing
Vintage styles cycle in and out of favor among medal-winning racers
August 08, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
The Architecture of Memory
Memorization may seem like a brain-based skill, but it has as much to do with our bodies and our buildings
August 06, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
A Modern Sherlock Holmes and the Technology of Deduction
A modern Sherlock Holmes requires a modern tool. Today, his iconic problem-solving magnifying glass has been replaced by the indispensable cell phone
August 02, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
