Sanomagic Wooden Bicycles

Ninth-generation Japanese shipwright handcrafts lightweight mahogany bicycles

A ninth-generation shipwright, Sueshiro Sano has been making exquisite wooden products since he was in elementary school. But in 2008, drawing inspiration and technique from a lifetime of shipbuilding, the woodworker produced his first bike constructed entirely of mahogany, including frame, fork, seat, seat post, handlebars/stem combination and even rims. Using mahogany lends flex and responsiveness in a way no metal frame can, which in …

Alex Prager

Los Angeles as muse in the pulp-inspired work of a budding photographer

A young blonde woman holds up her hands against the frantic flapping of grey pigeons encircling her. Another female character, this one in a red skirt, floats listlessly in a dark pool of blue water, her discarded pair of yellow heels resting nearby. Invoking intrigue and suspense with her luridly-colored dramas, photographer ingénue Alex Prager depicts the fissures of deception through retro Americana scenarios that …

W Austin

A hotel chain tailors their new spot to the world's "live music capital"

Even Austin’s airport food—local famed BBQ and Tex-Mex rather than soggy tuna sandwiches—touts the city’s pro-small business attitude. So when the chain known for hipping up the mid-range hotel experience came to town, they had to step up their game to make it in a place known as much for its nocturnal winged residents (there’s even a bat hotline) as for its indie music scene. …