Interview: Philippe Starck on his B&B Italia “Oh, It Rains!” Collection

Designed for human experience and the elements, a new range of seating made for the outdoors

Two icons of contemporary design—French designer Philippe Starck and Italian furniture brand B&B Italia—recently teamed up for an outdoor collection called Oh, It Rains! The subtly-hued couches and armchairs of this sophisticated, minimal, and remarkably functional release feature foldable backrests that create a canopy, protecting the furniture from rain, hail and snow. This seemingly simple function actually utilizes an original mechanical hinge developed by B&B and …

Inside the Fast-Paced World of American Flat Track Racing

The racing world's lesser-known discipline proves as exhilarating as its counterparts

Formed in 1932 by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), Class A Pro Flat Track Racing was the USA’s original extreme sport. Like the early days of the Grand Prix, where carmakers put new technologies to the test, American Flat Track (AFT) was a stage for motorcycle companies to try out innovations that would later be applied to street bikes. Competition in any field yields fertile …

George Nakashima’s Children Live Within and Preserve His Design Legacy

Japanese-American architect and furniture designer George Nakashima’s New Hope, Pennsylvania property houses more than 19 buildings by the craftsman. Two of them are homes to his daughter, Mira (who runs the grounds) and his son, Kevin—an unofficial keeper of the family’s saga. A prolific creator, Nakashima turned from commercial architecture to midcentury folk craft. During his life, he transformed walnut and maple, cherry and redwood …