Motivated by a feeling of numbness that was only remedied by music, interdisciplinary writer and editor Marisa Aveling created 2020 Is A Song—an online time capsule centered on “personal yet collective remembering.” A people-powered counterpoint to Spotify’s data-driven Wrapped, 2020 Is A Song calls for individuals all over the world to contribute a track that helped them through the year that was. An even sweeter …
Though it draws inspiration from weekender-style suitcases popular in the 1960s, Roverlund’s soft and spacious Out-of-Office Carry-All is composed of future-forward, Marine-grade and water-resistant 1200D polyurethane (with a mountain-climbing rope handle). We first fell in love with the brand for their design-forward pet carriers; their foray into people-focused products is a welcome one. This highly functional accessory measures 18.75 by 14 by 6 inches and …
Online publication Gothamist is collaborating with the New York Public Library for a love letter to NYC and now requests contributions from those who inhabit the city. “The heart and soul of the city has always been the New Yorkers who populate it,” writes Jen Carlson, “And this year, as some publications focused on those fleeing the city, we spoke to New Yorkers who stayed.” …
Melbourne’s NGV Contemporary, which is set to stretch 30,000 square meters, will be Australia’s largest contemporary art and design museum. The initiative will be funded by the Victorian Government and designed and built by an Australian team. Connected to the existing NGV (National Gallery of Victoria) via new and renewed green space, the vast gallery—which was first proposed in 2018—will be located near the Yarra …
Parisian handheld fan atelier Duvelleroy and artist José Lévy have partnered with The Invisible Collection on the Fans For HeART charity auction to benefit La Fondation des Artistes, a French non-profit that supports artists. The auction, running now through 30 November, features 37 color-forward fans, designed by the likes of Isabel Marant, Pierre Yovanovitch, John Derian, Yinka Ilori, Campbell Rey and more. See all the …
adidas CONFIRMED collaborated with multi-dimensional brand DRx Romanelli (aka Darren Romanelli) on 10 pieces of furniture that have been crafted using vintage adidas garments. Also made using sustainable filling, the pieces (eight custom chairs and two loveseats) follow the DRx Romanelli manifesto, reimagining and reconstructing items into new forms with new functions. Not only are the pieces striking to look at, adidas CONFIRMED and DRx …
Multi-hyphenate writer Maria Dahvana Headley’s latest work is a translation of the 1,000+ year old monster classic Beowulf. Long a fan of Grendel and his mother, she wrote The Mere Wife in 2018, a precursor of sorts to her new translation of the original story, which uses modern day slang (including the word “bro”) to make the work more accessible. Literary magazine Grand Journal is celebrating this …
Taiwanese tea purveyor Us Two Tea, founded by Shanghai-born Maggie Ranmu Xue, directly sources leaves from three small family-owned farms—all of which they have strong relationships with. Each farm forgoes chemicals and pesticides and processes their tea leaves on-site through traditional practices. Us Two’s four-tea variety pack includes five bags each of BaoZhong Tea, Black Tea, Jasmine Tea and Oolong Tea. Each is packaged in sustainable, …
Vibrant from cover to cover, HAY’s monochrome neon green notebook acts as an inspiration as much as a tool to stowaway thoughts and observations. At 8.25 by 6 inches (with a half-an-inch depth), it’s easy to carry around, too.
Measuring seven inches, this mini Spalding NBA Basketball is the perfect size for younger ball players to refine their skills. The rubber cover offers plenty of grip and is durable enough for outdoor play. Available in eye-catching orange and red or orange and blue, these mini basketballs also come in team iterations.
Made from fresh hot chili peppers, onions, ginger, lemon juice, horseradish, turmeric, mustard and apple cider vinegar, Shaquanda’s Hot Pepper Sauce first made its appearance at queer party Bushwig in 2013. When asked to perform as Shaquanda (the drag persona of Andre Springer), Springer said she would oblige if food could be part of the show. After her performance, Shaquanda handed out samples to the …
Commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony, Nico Muhly’s 19-minute “Throughline” dazzles throughout its 13 movements. Muhly composed the masterful work to comply with COVID-19 health restrictions—meaning that no more than six orchestral players could be on stage at once during recording, and breath-based instrument were recorded separately. The San Francisco Symphony, Esa-Pekka Salonen and eight collaborative partners—including Bryce Dessner on electric guitar and Esperanza Spalding …
Wu-Tang Clan once again joins forces with iconic Scottish pop band Texas for “Hi,” a track that comes decades after their first collaboration—a remix of the 1997 mega-hit “Say What You Want” and an ensuing 1998 live performance featuring Method Man. RZA and Ghostface Killah appear alongside Texas vocalist Sharleen Spiteri on this enrapturing track—the first new music from both collaborators in three years. Fenn …
Vanessa Lilak’s bold, colorful illustrations span subject matter, but her postcards all depict couples performing sex acts in various public (sometimes humorous) locations—from a foot clinic at a strip mall to the behemoth Scientology Center in Hollywood. A graphic designer at Capitol Records and a freelance artist, Lilak creates playful works, often drenched in irreverence.
One of two new tracks from London-based musical artist Seraphina Simone, “Skin” tantalizes with soulful vocals and supportive synths. In a statement, Simone says the track is “about sex and desire,” adding that “I think as women we’re often taught to tame our desires, to make them fit into something that is palatable and acceptable for the male gaze or an outdated expectation of how …
An upbeat single from New Kensington, Pennsylvania-based R&B singer Cam Chambers’ debut album, Prodigal, “Used To” harkens back to dark nights on the dance floor. Groovy and a bit grimy, each verse offers several commands: to get down (“like we used to”) with steps to follow. The track was produced by Bobby Webster and DanSully, and includes additional instrumental elements from Chambers. The album’s art …
“PRELUDE” serves as the introduction to 80-year-old Turkish pianist Janko Nilović and Russian “raw soul” group The Soul Surfers’ collaborative album, Maze of Sounds, which debuted on 6 November from Broc Recordz. Nilović (a Grammy Award-winning composer credited on Jay-Z’s “DOA,” Dr Dre’s “Loose Cannons” and more) offers cinematic piano, while the four-piece funk group does the rest. The entire album is around 30 minutes, …
Luxury gift wrapping brand UNWRP—founded by multi-disciplinary designer Ashley L Fouyolle—often collaborates with artists on limited edition iterations, but their Waves pattern is Fouyolle’s own. Sold in a set of three oversized, premium-weight sheets, the Waves gift wrap combines earth tones and vibrant pinks and blues. Each sheet measures 20 by 28 inches.
