Just try and stifle a smile over the sight of socks neatly rolled up like sushi. Made in Tomoyama, Japan, multicolor Sushi Socks (patterns are knitted, not printed) come in “flavors” like octopus, red caviar, tuna, shrimp, egg, and more.
This product is sold by Tokyo Otaku Mode
A classic ladies’ rabbit-felt hat gets a remix when Andersen & Berner tapped Danish designer Signe Holten to turn it into a modern cap. The craftsmanship is clear and the material—which actually stands up well to most weather—is sumptuous, but with a shoelace trim, there’s some fun built in.
This product is sold by Andersen & Berner
There’s a saying about breaking free from the ties of apron strings to remember here, but no matter—Mill Valley, CA textile company Ambatalla has created a thoroughly modern smock that’s not only string-free and functional, but stylish. Available in denim and gray ticking stripe, this is a piece you won’t mind leaving on between courses or projects.
This product is sold by Ambatalia
40 years ago, Chris Stein and Debbie Harry co-founded one of the most influential punk rock bands in Blondie. Stein, a photography student at NYC’s School of Visual Arts, was already documenting the scene that they would help define. From those early moments forward, he turned his lens on scenes made available only to someone deeply embedded in their culture. Across 250 color and black and white photos, Stein’s work now appears in one conclusive volume: “Chris Stein / Negative: Me, Blondie, and the Advent of Punk.”
This product is sold by Rizzoli
Nothing captures the sentiment of quirky young love, growing another year older or other special occasions quite like a giggle-inducing card from London’s Lazy Oaf. Share your feelings with one of their myriad designs.
Gamers will go gaga over Keith Stuart’s ultimate book on the early Japanese video game console. “Sega Mega Drive / Genesis: Collected Works” is a veritable bible of information, covering every detail like console blueprints and specs, history, character sketches, designer interviews, and all sorts of insider information in hardcover form.
This product is sold by Keith Stuart
Known for impeccably-crafted varsity jackets, East London’s House of Billiam proves its widespread design talent for retro outerwear with the customizable Coach Jacket—a sporty coat inspired by the American football coach.
This product is sold by House of Billiam
You probably won’t fully appreciate receiving the Travelon Micro Luggage Scale until you’re scrambling for your flight, and the handy little tool allows you to rearrange some layers before getting stuck with previously unpredictable baggage fees. You’ve saved a pile of money, and you look like a seasoned traveler.
This product is sold by Flight 001
Operating under the premise that simplicity fosters imagination—keeping rules to a minimum—Supereditions presents Draw Your Own Book. These blank-page, pocket-size volumes call on anyone with a mind’s eye to fill in the backstory behind titles like The Magic Sausage, The Angry Fairy, The Kingdom Up My Nose and more.
This product is sold by Supéreditions
Brooklyn-based illustrator Mark McGinnis added a creative touch of his local turf to a bone china collection for London design shop SCP. The detailed Megatropolis collection features humorous ruminations on urban living, with each piece decorated by hand by craftsmen in Stoke-on-Trent.
This product is sold by Mark McGinnis + SCP
Harvested from the cold waters off the coast of Oregon, Jacobsen Salt Co’s beautifully flakey crystals strike the perfect balance between earthy minerality and full on salty ocean flavor. Loved by chefs like Thomas Keller (Per Se) and April Bloomfield (The Spotted Pig), Jacobsen’s salt has the refinement of centuries-old fleur de sel with the zing of new American enthusiasm.
This product is sold by Jacobsen Salt Co
Enjoy the benefits of a solid toke without inhaling gnarly smoke with the Firefly vaporizer. Running on a rechargeable battery, this slick, portable device will heat up your plant of choice for a healthier draw, keeping you lit wherever you roam.
This product is sold by Firefly
The only detriment to the Art Deco chess set designed by Jean Puiforcat in 1927 is that with such gorgeous pieces, concentration levels are bound to falter. This kind of distraction was not the case for the masterful team of artisans tasked to complete the sets in the Puiforcat workshop—each one takes 200 hours of meticulous construction of sterling silver, ivory and Makassar ebony into a tabletop collection of veritable strategy-bound sculptures. Allow 10 months for completion and delivery.
This product is sold by Jean Puiforcat
Architect and legend Tadao Ando designed a trio of Murano glass vases for Venini and needless to say, the result is exquisite. Murano’s expert glassblowers bring Ando’s genius to life in twisted trianglular tubes reminiscent of the architect’s modernist towers. In a fiery cyclamen hue, the artful pieces will shine on any shelf.
This product is sold by Tadao Ando
Love it or hate it, large-scale art does exactly what art is meant to do: to provoke a thought and maybe even knock the norm on its ass. “XXL Art: When Artists Think Big” by Elea Baucheron showcases jumbo installations like Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate in Chicago and Christos’ The Gates in Central Park, in splashy, bi-fold layouts in an appropriately hefty coffee table tome.
This product is sold by Prestel
This two-pack of cool weather edible seed bombs includes Pot Marigold, “Seven Top” Turnip and Tatsoi. Greenaid hand rolls their seed bombs using socially responsible labor practices and works in partnership with Chrysalis, a non-profit that creates employment opportunities for formerly homeless men and women in Los Angeles.
This product is sold by Greenaid
There are many who will say that to introduce someone to fly fishing is to give them a gift for life. Patagonia’s SImple Fly Fishing Kit can get anyone started in the art of tenkara, a lo-fi Japanese technique. They’ll get a line with a box of a dozen flies, a book on the craft and a quick set-up guide. Plus, the company donates $10 of each purchase to Montana’s Madison River O’Dell Creek restoration project.
This product is sold by Patagonia
The Helly Hansen Jotun flannel works effective double duty for the minimalist man. The reversible piece skews the notion of layering by offering one side as a brightly-hued flannel shirt and one side as a water-resistant monotone jacket.
This product is sold by Helly Hansen
Coconut oil has emerged as something of a magic elixir of late, and RMS Raw Coconut Cream lives up to the hype. Imagine a natural, organic version of your grandmother’s cold cream that, on top of working as an all-in-one makeup remover, cleanser and moisturizer, nourishes hair and lashes and soothes sunburns like only the wonder oil can do.
This product is sold by RMS Beauty
With packaging as sweet as its contents, Chiaverini’s canned jam makes for a pleasant little foodstuff gift. Available at the equally adorable and sophisticated London shop, The Hambledon, the brand’s Florentine origins date back to 1928.
This product is sold by Chiaverini
For a beautifully crafted surfboard, you’ll want to keep it in pristine shape while in transit. After putting Dakine’s Noserider Deluxe bag through a disproportionate amount of use (NYC subways in rush hour and a 5-storey walk-up apartment), it’s a worthy choice for those looking to keep their deck ding-free for seasons to come.
This product is sold by Dakine
Designer Anton Willis’ origami-inspired kayak offers city dwellers a chance to keep up their penchant for open waters with a foldable structure that easily goes from boat to box. The fully recyclable 12’ long, 25” wide kayak features a double-layered plastic hull that can be assembled in as little as five minutes.
This product is sold by Oru Kayak
Tracey Neuls’ Fern boot—designed exclusively for Tokyobike—features a rubber sole perfect for pedaling in, and a precautionary reflective strip down the back keeps cyclists stylishly safe while in transit, on or off the bike.
This product is sold by Tracey Neuls + Tokyobike
Founded in 2009, New Zealand label Lonely perfectly treads the line between sexy, romantic, modern and classic. While their entire collection is covetable, with cut-outs, velvet straps, lace and an impeccable eye for detail, the Sabel bra in black, deep green, electric blue—and soon in red and navy—is as comfortable as it is alluring.
This product is sold by Lonely
Brooklyn-based writer Emily Spivack has been publishing essays about people and their clothing since 2010 on her blog, Worn Stories. The highly personal accounts vary in tenor, but all maintain a thoughtful, honest sensibility. She’s now taken the stories into the physical realm with her book of the same name, which includes narratives from the likes of Paola Antonelli, Rosanne Cash, Marina Abramovic, Rachel Comey, Pat Mahoney and more.
This product is sold by Emily Spivack
