Having already made a strong debut at the Venice Film Festival and ran as a sneak preview at Telluride this past weekend (where I saw it), Darren Aronofsky's new picture Black Swan virtuosically mixes ballet, dark psychological drama and a standout performance by Natalie Portman to great cinematic effect....

In summer 2008, at the height of the U.S. financial crisis, husband-and-wife photographers James Tribble and Tracey Mancenido packed up their NYC apartment and hit the road to document one of the more obscure necessities of American consumerism first-hand. Armed with little more than a commercial license, tips from...

With surfing at another high fashion moment (see the artful film our own Greg Mitnick recently shot for Proenza Schouler on the topic), Hurley's invitation to check out the U.S. Open of Surfing (of which the brand is the main sponsor) earlier this month seemed like a good idea. Other...

The preservative-free, luminizing black mask from Boscia purifies skin with a pore-cleansing, peel-off formula. Filled with minerals, extracts, natural clay, vitamins and antiseptics, I like that the recipe mixes the benefits of a more traditional clay mask with modern ingredients. The upshot is a mask that penetrates well, removing...

Video pranksters Van and Casey Neistat have been making movies together since 1999 when the debut of the iMac spurred the brothers to start editing videos at home. Over the last decade the duo's provocative antics and DIY aesthetic has taken them from early viral fame (2003's guerilla anti-Apple...

Sick of grilled chicken tasting like lighter fluid, theater director Richard Looft made his first prototype by using a reversed vacuum to blow air onto a toaster filled with charcoal. When he saw that the coal was ready to use in just a few minutes, the concept for the...

For those who don't supersize their coffee, this new Doppio tumbler is the perfect compact size for toting more petite servings, like espressos and cappuccinos. The double-walled construction (hence the name "Doppio") and snap-on lid keeps drinks hot or cold on-the-go. Made by Innate, a Vancouver company that specializes in...

When Munich's Die Neue Sammlung museum asked Alessi to plot the future of design, the Italian design lab, along with curator Alessandro Mendini, realized that their future lies in the simplicity of the past. The resulting exhibit, "Objects and Projects - Alessi: History and Future of an Italian Design...

From the obsessive mind of Loren Cronk—one of denim's more vintage-inspired fans—comes Loren, a new multi-use temple to his particular take on the perfect jeans. Higher rises and slim cuts characterize the look, tweaking a retro silhouette to make it more modern. Cronk also has all the tools on...

The joint effort of BMW's DesignworksUSA and windsurfing industry leaders NeilPryde, these two new bikes marry computer-designed aerodynamics and carbon composite materials for a set of high-performance road bikes. Designing the tube of the Alize using a Computational Fluid Dynamic modeling system, each element of the bike—frame, forks, wheels...

When Mercedes-Benz unveiled their brand-new Aircap technology in their 2011 E-Class Cabriolet at last February's NYC Fashion Week, I knew I wanted to check it out for myself. As someone who always saw the appeal of convertibles as spoiled by hair whipping in my face, I was curious to...

Though today the fair trade food brand Alter Eco works with 25 cooperatives across 19 countries, they began in 1999 as a small shop in Paris carrying mostly furniture. With time, money and retail partners, the company has grown into a "team of fair trade visionaries and food-loving explorers...

For the release of Matthew Dear's latest album, Black City, his label decided to take a slightly more inventive approach to packaging. Teaming up with award-winning design firm Boym, Ghostly International will release an ominous-looking totem, inscribed with a unique four-character code that accesses a download and stream of...

Those looking for a more dynamic way to track their web finds (and those of others) will like Pinterest, a new invite-only site that co-founder Ben Silbermann calls "a personal version of Cool Hunting." With a format combining the simplicity of sites like Tumblr and the visual stimulation of...

In its most recent incarnation, The Pop Manifesto hovers between its origins as a 'zine and tastemaking publication that traces the leading edge of graphic design. Focusing on Japan, the latest issue includes both a round up of under-the-radar creative Tokyoites and Diet Butcher Slim Skin, the Kanye-approved menswear designer....

Serving up fresh juices and creative salads—like watermelon-beetroot, strawberry-olive and asparagus-seaweed—in biodegradable packaging, Copenhagen's recently-opened 42°Raw is dedicated to "celebrating food and drink in their natural state." The healthy eatery, the first in the city serving only unprocessed and uncooked food, makes it their mission to create delicious recipes...

The joint project of real-life couple David Rager and Cheri Messerli, Merci Registry combines the cottage industry appeal of Etsy with the elegant interface of Tumblr. As a result, the wedding wish list not only looks better than the generic design offered by similar services, but also makes it...

Punctuated with graffiti and art on walls and ceilings, Copenhagen's new hotel and residence Stay nods to its recent heritage as a bustling artistic hub called the A House. From 2003 to 2006, the new guard of Danish creatives—among them Henrik Vibskov, Trentemøller and Tal R—lived, worked, performed or...

Putting opinions on reunion tours (and the entire fate of rock) aside, a good reissue makes the perfect excuse to revisit an old favorite or get into it for the first time—and gives die-hard fans something new to obsess about. Fables of the Reconstruction, digitally remasters the original 1985 R.E.M....

Kicking off their new mega-initiative celebrating creativity called The Creators Project, Vice and Intel drew out the masses for a day-long series of performances, installations and events at Milk Studios in NYC this past Saturday. As to be expected from such an ambitious project, the line-up had its lows...

The classic white tank top—worn for ages by everyone from business men to construction workers—is a wardrobe staple. While several brands already reinvent the original, like American Apparel, Petit Bateau, and Schiesser, we lately have our eye on Belgium's playfully seductive Le Fabuleux Marcel de Bruxelles to fulfill our...

Renowned in the beauty industry as the best in brushes and a Good Design Award winner, Hakuhodo's line features premium bristles and first-rate craftsmanship. NYC-based makeup artist Jessa Blades, champion of organic products and founder of Blades Natural Beauty, tipped CH to the line recently, highly recommending the handmade...

Using an ancient method for cultivating hemp, Good's oils, salad dressings and mayonnaise contain all the flavor of standard olive oils but with even greater health benefits. The cold pressed, vegan-friendly hemp seed oil, full of omegas three and six (usually acquired from eating fish), essential fatty acids and...

Rogan recently released their newest bit of design re-invention with the Timeless Watch. Made in NYC, the wrist candy repurposes old watch pieces, making each one both unique and a chic example of upcycling. But the best part of this accessory, its "timeless" empty face, not only neatly dismisses...

"Take 100: The Future of Film: 100 New Directors," the newest installment in Phaidon's "10 x 10" series (now in its tenth year), looks at 100 emerging directors. With a focus especially on the younger crowd, this international compendium impresses with both its length and exhaustive methods. Like the...

Of the millions of apps out there, none quite capitalize on the sheer fun and beauty of interactivity the way that Scott Snibbe's do. Combining "painting, animation, art, science, and gaming," the San Francisco, CA-based digital artist originally developed the gorgeously elegant interfaces (all part of his "Dynamic Systems...

Subtly crunchy and with its palate-challenging mix of salty, sweet and sour flavors, one of our office-mates put it best when she called Komforte Chockolates' Tortilla Lime + Salt bar a "super stoner snack." The treat expertly balances a difficult combo of tangy lime, small bits of tortilla chips...

For the ultimate World Cup party accessory, this ice-maker adds novelty to drinks and—thanks to its slower-melting spherical shape—won't water them down. Using an aluminum mold (much like Macallan's sphere machine), the device uses heat (just run it under warm water) and pressure to create professional-looking soccer balls in...

One of the more anticipated launches at this year's ICFF, the new American lighting brand Roll & Hill has several new products, a few of which they happily shared with us first. (Check others out on their site.) Best Made Co. brings the bright hues and patterns usually applied...

As design's savviest scour the streets of New York City this weekend in search of the best in global design, they may also spot white sticker silhouettes of iconic objects. Called Object Hunt, the city-wide initiative comes from a group of design sites (yours truly included) who teamed up...

Of the many perks a hotel stay offers, one of the best and simplest luxuries is the kind of mesmerizingly beautiful view that London's Metropolitan has. Situated on the corner of Hyde Park, the building's floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the vast acres of greenery. With the city skyline far off...

Award-winning design studio O.D.M. (Original, Dynamic and Minimalist) radically re-imagines the watch's face by moving buttons to the center and positioning dual displays on the top and bottom of the case's sides, lending a bold new look along with better functionality. The reconfigured design makes a big improvement on...

Providing consistently even heat throughout the entire cooking process, the Panasonic inverter microwave oven closely replicates the technology of a traditional oven resulting in better controlled cooking and tastier food. While most microwaves repeatedly turn a high temperature on and off when reheating or cooking food at low temperatures, the...

Following the success of her typography placemats and other clever concepts, textile designer Heather Lins' new pillows introduce another nerdy motif, this time taking up illustrations that look lifted from the pages of science textbooks. The designs—Geology (a volcano), Botany (a flower), and Anatomy (a person)— incorporate eco-friendly materials for...

Having perfumed bubbles at Versailles, created olfactory installations, and collaborated with dancers, perfumer Francis Kurkdjian is no stranger to clever experimentations with scent. For a slightly less fantastical but equally delightful experience, he infuses delicate little paper strips with versions his signature fragrances—A Piece of Me (APOM), Lumière Noire...

Sharing release dates within weeks of each other, premises that promise success in business, and even covers with red-white-and-black color schemes, our colleague Scott Belsky's book " Making Ideas Happen" and " Rework" have more than a little in common. The two—Belsky as the founder and CEO of Behance,...

The first shoe in Keds' Century Collection celebrating the decades, the "Champion Take Flight" tackles the 1910s with a look that's equal parts dapper menswear and ladylike detailing. Washed sateen lends an unexpected touch of shine, while a cap toe, other leather details and a striped lining speak to...

After checking out the new collection of user-friendly routers from Belkin this morning, the model most after our own hearts is the top-of-the-line Play Max, a dual-band device that makes both experiencing and downloading large media files easier. Their Video Max HD technology takes advantage of the simultaneous networks...

Borrowing a defining '80s look from the Memphis designers, American Apparel recently did up socks with stripes, color blocking, and the vivid, playful hues of the era. The Memphis Socks come in three different colorways, are calf-high and work for men or women. Pick them up from American Apparel...

CMYK Cocktail, presented by Tasteologie and Droog design, interprets color into alcohol and other goodies with an experimental mixology presentation this coming 28 March 2010. Five mixologists and five designers will use the CMYK colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, black and white) to create singular cocktails and accompanying treats at...

For frequent travelers with no problem looking like they stepped from the set of a "Silence of the Lambs" remake, one of designer Sruli Recht's latest "non products" (as he calls them), reinvents the sleep mask with add-ons like built-in air purifiers and ear covers. Recht constructed the series...

The second in a series of artist collaborations for NYC clothing brand Pleasure Principle, these U-neck tops draw on Swiss artist Olaf Breuning's typically playful imagery for a two-piece unisex collection. Breuning's graphics—two hands with faces positioned over the chest and the similarly goofy "Peeping Pervert"—make light of sex...

A serene retreat in the heart of Stockholm with modern Scandinavian style, the recently-opened Hotel Skeppsholmen makes a welcome addition to the more glitzy and bustling options in the area. Its tiny island location lends the 81-room spot its name, along with views of the water, a park-like setting, neighboring...

As the 2010 World Cup nears, Nike gathered hundreds of journalists in London (CH included) last week to learn about their new soccer products and technology, helping to fan the flames leading up to one of the world's most popular sporting events taking place this summer in South Africa. Held...

At the height of the Art Deco era, the SS Normandie, an opulent transatlantic ocean liner fitted with lavish furnishings, attracted the most sophisticated passengers of the day. To commemorate the stylish ship, NYC's South Street Seaport teamed up with Lalique—the French label responsible for much of the glamorous...

Promoting their Spring line, Pro-Keds recently debuted a short video telling the story of a shoe-based mission. With settings that will look familiar to NYC residents and a Bond-esque soundtrack, the playfully inventive piece follows a cast of characters who at various points throw shoes over a fence, trade them,...

The classic symbol of Valentine's spirit, heart-shapes don't just inspire cutesy objects but also dynamically influence form, color and meaning with their anatomically-derived contours. To help with what is a challenging holiday for many, below we picked our favorite heart designs that redefine the typically corny celebration of love. For...

Launched yesterday in Paris, Acne's first foray into furniture tweaks Carl Malmsten's New Berlin Sofa by upholstering it in denim and distorting it. Playing on what has come to be known as Malmsten's typically Swedish design aesthetic, Acne founder Jonny Johansson explains that he decided "to objectify its form from...

In his latest book, "Linchpin," Internet maverick Seth Godin tackles the modern workingman's plight to stay relevant when call centers based in India and watching blockbusters online are the norms. Arguing that the shifts in the global economy make creative thinkers increasingly indispensable, Godin makes the case for embracing...

When the new airline V Australia asked clothing retailer and designer Steven Alan to come up with the ultimate travel bag, the always-affable New Yorker turned to the online community for their suggestions. Traveling to Australia for inspiration, Steven blogged about his trip, using the website to tap the...