Design Indaba: An Interview With Michael Bierut

The renowned graphic designer and captivating emcee sheds light on Cape Town's Conference on Creativity

As a former speaker in both 2005 and 2010, renowned graphic designer and Pentagram partner Michael Bierut has also served as one of Design Indaba‘s masterful emcees for the past three years. Each day, wearing a shirt and tie matching his cheerful demeanor, he enthusiastically presents the impressive roster of speakers, adding valuable industry insight and witty commentary between presentations. With Cape Town named the …

Union Wood Co.

Found objects and custom pieces with a vintage industrial aesthetic fill a Vancouver storefront

Inspired by the nostalgia of old wooden docks, mills and factories that once thrived in Vancouver, Union Wood Co.‘s recently opened shop in the city’s developing Downtown-Eastside community is a haven for those who covet vintage, repurposed and industrial objects. After a stint working as a garbage collector, Union Wood Co. founder Craig Pearce discovered his love for things that other people discarded. “I would …

Vans Stage 4

Our wear test of skateboarding's first-ever vulcanized cupsole shoe

In 1966 Paul Van Doren introduced the first vulcanized rubber soled shoe specifically designed for skateboarding. Since the introduction of the cupsole design in the 1980s, a debate has roared within the skateboard community between the two styles. On the one hand vulc soles offer unparalleled board feel and grip with a minimal break-in period, but tend to wear down rather quickly leaving the wearer …