LA’s skate scene—and skate culture at large—typically centers on white, straight, cis-men and despite a rising number of collectives aimed at inclusivity it’s a space that often feels unwelcoming. “There’s this cliquey-ness to the skate community. The gatekeeping is like a defense mechanism, kind of like, ‘Who the fuck are you?’” says YaYa Chavez, a co-founder of LA skate collective Boos Cruise. Noticing the lack …
$55
For those who enjoy a dry gin with a citrus tinge, this iteration from LA-based AMASS promises notes of various fruit peels, lemongrass, pepper and more. Crafted using 29 botanicals (11 of which are grown in California), with no artificial additives, it’s complex but easy-drinking, and works in most cocktails—especially a classic martini.
An icon of furniture design, Mario Bellini’s Camaleonda couch—first imagined in 1970 and reintroduced by B&B Italia in 2020—became a canvas for beloved artist Shantell Martin during Miami Art Week 2021. Martin brought her signature whimsical drawing style to an iteration of the sofa with white fabric during a live event, dressing the rounded design in stream of conscious illustration. Guests to the Italian luxury …
Bobbing along in the water of Miami’s Biscayne Bay, Brooklyn-based fine artist Michael Kagan’s 400-pound space capsule sculpture looks as if it has just dropped down from an astronomical adventure above. Presented by New York’s Half Gallery, the work strikes a mesmerizing balance of realism and fantasy. This isn’t Kagan’s first foray into space-exploration art. As Artnet reports, he “has long made paintings of astronauts, …
At Special Music School, NYC’s only music-focused K-12 public school, English teacher Shannon Potts assigned her sixth, seventh and eighth grade classes to study Florence Price, the first Black woman to have her music played by a major American orchestra. But as her students learned more about Price—whose contributions have become largely erased from historical and cultural memory—they realized there was little written about her, …
Mayukh Sen writes about food and its relation to cultural symbols through a decolonialized and anticapitalist perspective. In his recently released, debut book, Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America, he does so by crafting profiles on overlooked chefs and cooks in order to rectify what he calls the “cultural amnesia” that erased them from history. “Who has to take on the burden …
$19
Imbued with Misaki Kawai’s bold and playful style, this plush keyring is colorful, textured and sweet. The fluffy planet has been embroidered with the word “home” in Kawai’s trademark, childlike lettering. While it doesn’t resemble Earth, or even another familiar planet, it’s a nod to the idea that home isn’t a place, but a feeling.
$49
Chinese tea is incredibly layered with story and nuanced with flavor. NYC’s Tea Drunk, the brainchild of tea connoisseur Shunan Teng, is a purveyor of exceptional teas from small farms in China’s best growing regions. Teng herself visits each farm and often selects the specific bushes she wants leaves from. This sampler of White, Green, Wu Long and Red teas is a great entry point …
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
$40
Celebrating the humble but glorious hand-painted sign, this Los Angeles County Museum of Art tote features artwork by Ben Klevay’s She Chimp. The full address and phone number for the museum appears on one side and their LACMA acronym is on the other. Made from 100% cotton that is fabricated and printed in Southern California, this bag is a sturdy and comfortable option for carrying …
$188
Reborn after its first existence in the late ’70s, Mother Karen’s offers up charming styles from that era’s ski culture. Their Original Powdershirt maintains a classic, retro pullover design with raglan sleeves and kangaroo pocket, while utilizing updated materials. The shell is made from 80% recycled polyester and has a durable water-repellent finish. This tri-color version (available in XS to XXL) is a perfect expression …
Another dreamy collaboration between Khruangbin and Leon Bridges was announced today. Following 2020’s Texas Sun EP, the trio (Laura Lee, Mark Speer and Donald Ray “DJ” Johnson Jr) and soul singer will release Texas Moon on 18 February, and from it share “B-Side.” While inspired by their shared home state, the song melds genres from far and wide—incorporating elements of soul, psychedelia and rock via fuzzy …
An ode to lazy mornings, “Saturday Yawning” by Flowerovlove (aka 16-year-old musician Joyce Cisse) aptly sounds unhurried and mellow. With elements of melodic bedroom-pop and R&B, the synth-inflected track—with gentle percussion and sweet vocals—was produced in collaboration with Issac Levine and Wilfred Cisse. The UK-based artist says, “‘Saturday Yawning’ is about the feeling on a Friday after school, knowing you can go to sleep whenever …
“We wanted to bring a burst of colorful optimism to the dial for the wearer and anyone who might glimpse it,” says Josh Rubin, co-founder and executive creative director of COOL HUNTING, regarding our new collaborative wristwatch. Working with Isotope founder José Miranda, Rubin customized the independent watch brand’s groundbreaking GMT 0º design, layering buoyant colors and complementary accents. A bright, bold piece was born—underscored by …
With “invisible design” at its core, innovation-centric brand MOFT (which stands for Mobile Office for Travelers) aims to eliminate fuss and add freedom to your experience when using tech devices for work or creative play. Crafting compact, lightweight and practical accessories remains paramount for the company, whose products are robust without being clunky, practical without being dull and portable without feeling flimsy. This is possible …
$125
Published by Phaidon, with text by Kellie Jones and Roxane Gay, this exquisite hardcover monograph is the first extensive study of pioneering Black visual artist Mickalene Thomas. Across 288 pages, Thomas’ powerful art unites to form an empowered dialogue about gender, sexuality, race and beauty. Thomas worked closely with Gay and Jones on this comprehensive volume, which coincides with her first-ever multi-part international exhibition, Beyond …
Tierra Whack just released a three-track EP entitled Rap? and her familiar, yet simultaneously unpredictable, off-kilter style saturates the short but sweet release. The last song on the EP, “Millions,” has an anthemic energy—thanks to a piano-led beat and uplifting background vocals—with the Philadelphia-based artist’s choppy rhymes carrying the tune over its three minutes.
Located in California’s Inyo National Forest, the most ancient tree on record—a bristlecone pine named ‘Methuselah’—is over 4,800 years old. Dendrochronologists (researchers who study the science of dating tree rings) discovered bristlecones are some of the oldest individual trees by taking core samples from trunks, which indicate the tree’s chemical, climate and growth history. This method is especially fruitful for future planning. “What we’re seeing …
$4
This two-in-one brush and pencil carries the New Museum’s new mission statement, “New Art New Ideas,” through text emblazoned on the implement’s side. The statement underscores the museum’s ethos that contemporary art can act as a social and political force, capable of advancing society. To that end, this nifty utensil can be used to explore creative ideas through painting, sketches or a mix of both.
$38
Part of the Welcome to the Museum series published by Big Picture Press, Fungarium is an imaginative foray into the world of fungi for middle grade readers. Written by Gaya Ester, with illustrations by Katie Scott, the hardcover book ventures from the humble mushroom’s place in the supermarket to the category’s role in the history of medicine. Sure to empower the next generation of mycologists, …
$70
The women-owned and sustainability-focused wellness brand leVerden debuted recently with a four-product Bamboo Forest Collection that includes a refreshing body wash, rich body lotion, fragrant refillable candle and a luxuriant bath soak. All four items harness the power of bamboo salt—a traditional wellness component, created through a process where sea salt is pressed into bamboo stems and roasted for up to three years at high …
