1970s Chicago Gangster Business Cards

After finding a business card for a gangster among his father’s keepsakes, Brandon Johnson did some research and found that it was quite common in the 1970s and ’80s in Chicago—when “street gangs made business cards displaying their symbols, nicknames, territories, and enemies.” With basic but somehow charming deigns, these cards are the subject of Johnson’s book, “Thee Almighty & Insane: Chicago Gang Business Cards …

Milan Design Week 2017: Konstantin Grcic’s “Noctambule” Lamp

From a "naive, stupid start" to a beautiful execution

by Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick Konstantin Grcic’s newest Flos lamp is a meditation on opposites. When off, the glass structure appears invisible, blending into the background. In turning the light on, it becomes a glowing line powered by multiple cinched LED waists. The lamp’s name “Noctambule” reflects this balance—it means “the night owl” in French. Grcic clarifies the duality of this word, “It can also be …

Milan Design Week 2017: Lee Broom’s “Time Machine”

A landmark 10th anniversary installation featuring limited edition reissues and a striking debut

Within an abandoned vaulted storage room next to the historic Milano Centrale station, a white carousel spun—the only object in a raw, unfinished space. On that carousel, visitors found reimaginings of furniture, objects and lighting drawn from ten years worth of English designer Lee Broom‘s collections. As part of Milan Design Week 2017 Milan Design Week, Broom’s “Time Machine” exhibition was exactly that—a referential timeline …