Côte&Ciel’s Isar Rucksack

A first look at the architectural backpack's textured FW '14 edition

Once thought to be suitable just for kids and hikers, the backpack is now a respectable option for travel or everyday use—that is, if you’ve got the right one. Go too technical and you’ll end looking like an ill-equipped mountaineer; too bright and basic and you might appear to be late for class. Parisian accessory specialists Côte&Ciel‘s answer is the Isar. As what is perhaps …

Genesis Bikes’ Carbon Zero

The UK-based manufacturer known for sturdy steel frames introduces its first carbon fiber line

If there’s one thing UK-based Genesis Bikes knows, it’s humility. The brand makes no mistakes about its place in the bike industry. They describe themselves as not the biggest, not the oldest, not the most technically advanced, but always striving to make honest bikes that perform and look good—fresh out of the showroom and for years to come. This is, in part, why the brand …

The Signs of Italy: Grafica della Strada

Louise Fili's decades-strong obsession with the country's diverse typography compiled in a fascinating photo book

It’s something of a rarity for a designer with such a storied career as NYC-based Louise Fili to trace the foundations of her career back to one single memory. The 2014 AIGA Medal-winner and self-described Italophile’s career in book design and food packaging all started on a trip to Italy at age 16 when Fili became transfixed by a billboard for Baci Perugina chocolates. Over …