Interview: Christian Zentner of Hot Wheels

We relive the best moments of the iconic American toy brand's history

Advertorial content: After a thrilling visit and video interview at the Hot Wheels design studio on their up-and-coming toys in the industry, we decided to delve deeper into the company’s history and the nostalgia of the brand. Hot Wheels, the toy brand that began under the American company Mattel in 1968, has been producing at its iconic 1:64 scale cars for almost 50 years. And, …

Interview: Shiro Nakamura of Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun

A conversation with the Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of Design and Brand Management of the Japanese auto brands

Auto designers are part of a very small community, and those who rise to the top to direct the design of an entire brand (or multiple brands) always intrigue us. By nature, these talented people command the attention of the designers that work for them but, more importantly, they are able to sway the public’s perception for decades, and what they fight for in a …

Skatelamp

Portland-based MapleXO and woodworker Paul Sykes give new life to discarded skateboard scraps

by Eva Glettner Portland, Oregon’s MapleXO rebirths old skateboards and skateboard scraps by turning them into everything from containers to bottle openers to earrings. Their most exciting object—the recently released Skatelamp—is a MapleXO collaboration with Paul Sykes of Sykes Wood Fenders, a local artisan and woodworker whose attention to detail is remarkable. MapleXO owner Lindsay Jo Holmes is immersed in skate and design culture, and …