Japanese start-up Donut Robotics has elevated the face mask category by creating a “smart” version capable of translating and transmitting messages from Japanese into eight other languages. The “c-mask” (made from plastic and worn over a regular cloth mask) connects to an app on your phone or tablet “that can transcribe speech into text messages, make calls, or amplify the mask wearer’s voice.” While the …
$88
Gilded’s patented handmade marble brush (available in black or white) features natural fiber bristles intended for dry brushing your skin. Dry brushing removes dead cells, enhances blood flow and smoothes skin effectively. This elegant brush should be used once or twice weekly to help with radiance and suppleness. Gilded founder Blair Armstrong started the company in order to provide products for the body that are just …
Named the Zephyr Seat, US-based start-up Zephyr Aerospace’s new patent-pending design lets customers in economy class lie flat, courtesy of a double-decker bunk that saves space and creates more formal dividers between travelers. Telescopic stairs provide access to the top level, which sits in line with the seat below. The layout results in both passengers being able to find multiple sitting and sleeping options—all without …
From aeroponics and cooperative farms to rainwater harvesting and freshwater marshes, Brooklyn-based visual artist Olalekan Jeyifous’ vision for his neighborhood of the last 20 years, Crown Heights, incorporates eco- and agro-futurism, while embracing Afrofuturism, too. The artist refers to his sci-fi concept as “implausible architecture,” but relishes in the opportunity to tell a utopian tale with his art. Jeyifous was slated to exhibit at this …
An offshoot of InHouse Records (a non-profit organization that offers graphic design courses as well as existing as a record label that functions inside and outside UK prisons), InHouse magazine recently launched and contains content aimed to inspire, educate and entertain inmates—who are currently spending more time alone due to COVID-19 precautions. Helmed by London-based graphic designed Hannah Lee and founded by Judah Armani, the …
LEGO’s newest category, LEGO Art, allows kids and adults alike to assemble reproductions of famous artworks, grand depictions of film figures and more. The pieces are slightly different than LEGO’s signature blocks, resulting in a vertical image to hang on a wall (rather than a 3D structure). It’s easiest to imagine them as caps on a cylindrical peg. Andy Warhol’s famous Marilyn Monroe will be …
$29
Maison Balzac’s “Le Galet,” aka the Pebble incense holder, straddles playful and sophisticated design. Now available in white, the minimal vessel is also made in pink, amber and black, and holds one standard stick at a time. Crafted from 100% borosilicate glass, the appealing organic shape complements all styles of decor.
$20
Veles’ all-surface cleaner uses food waste-derived water as its base. Dubbed “resource negative,” this cleaner also employs an alcohol—a naturally occurring ethanol formed from fermentation. Its other ingredients also adhere to the brand’s eco-friendly mission, and ultimately reduce the footprint of its user. Safe for ceramics, glass, fiberglass, chrome, painted metal, stainless steel, plastic and acrylic, the cleaner should be patch-tested for marble, wood and …
$40
New from Parks Project, this boxy T-shirt boasts a distinctly ’60s vibe via tie-dye, cartoonish illustration and peaceful messaging. A bear carrying a flag that reads “Parks protect all life” is front and center, flanked by mushrooms, flowers, squirrels and a dove. Hand-dyed in DTLA, this 100% cotton shirt comes in size XS to XXXL. A portion of the proceeds goes to the National Parks …
$180
Crafted from baltic birch and aircraft-grade aluminum, Intension Design’s Tripod Table can be adjusted to make your mobile workplace more comfortable. Whether you require it at its tallest (4.8 feet) or you only need a bit of elevation (1.8 feet), the birch plate—affixed to a quick-release tripod—keeps your laptop in place. Its ability to break down makes traveling with it easy too.
Part synth-pop dance jam, part protest song, and altogether undeniably from TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe, “ReelFeel” rides on the singer’s enchanting falsetto. Chrome Sparks produced the Bandcamp-exclusive single and the platform waived its fees on 3 July so that a portion of the proceeds could go to the Audre Lorde Project, a non-profit for lesbian, gay, bisexual, Two-Spirit, trans and gender non-conforming People …
Lush and spacey, “Goodbye” by Tei Shi (aka Valerie Teicher) appears on the singer/songwriter/producer’s EP Die 4 Ur Love—following last year’s La Linda. It’s mellow and graceful, while remaining a tenacious break-up song with no-nonsense lyrics like “Thought I’d let you know you’re so boring / Also I’m sick of your shit.” Moreover, it’s an ode to finding freedom and self-worth and Teicher’s vocals float …
From his upcoming album, Pleasure, Joy and Happiness, Eddie Chacon’s “My Mind is Out Of Its Mind” feels at once nostalgic and current—with a hint of ’80s smooth soul/jazz/pop, coupled with contemporary flourishes. The meditative, self-reflective song—produced by the brilliant John Carroll Kirby—proves Chacon’s immense songwriting ability. The music industry veteran started his first band when he was 12 years old, and was half of the …
Writing for Smithsonian Magazine, Jennifer Nalewicki has listed eight art exhibitions online currently that center around Black history, racism, protest and identity. Including Nina Chanel Abney’s gorgeous work (that she herself describes as “colorfully seductive and deceptively simple investigations of contemporary cultural issues”), Jacob Lawrence and Jordan Casteel, the list comprises talented painters—but there are also photo shows and exhibits of historical ephemera. From art …
Milton Glaser—celebrated graphic designer and creator of the “I ♥ NY” logo, among many other era-defining images—passed away last Friday, on his 91st birthday. Five weeks prior, Glaser called Jeremy Elias, who had sent a question to his office a few hours before. The chat unfolded into an interview. There, Glaser explains that “Together” (one of his final projects, made in response to the ongoing …
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Omsom’s starters comprise the sauces, aromatics, and seasonings needed to cook quintessential Southeast Asian dishes like Vietnamese Lemongrass BBQ, Thai Larb, and Filipino Sisig. The Omsom Sampler Trio—a box of six starters; two for each aforementioned dish—comes complete with cooking instructions. Each serves two or three people, meaning the pack provides the base for 12 to 18 meals. Plus, 5% of their June sales go …
Argentina-born, New York-based recording artist Baby Yors (aka Marco Palou) wrote “Suddenly” nearly three years ago and has performed the vocal-flexing ballad at almost all of his live shows since. During quarantine, however, the song has taken on new meaning for the queer artist, and several realizations about confinement, communication and expression led him to choreograph, produce, direct and edit an official music video himself—with …
On a mission to expand the breakthroughs around Black Lives Matter into longterm practices that protect marginalized Black employees in the fashion industry, PR consultant Sandrine Charles and Teen Vogue editor in chief Lindsay Peoples Wagner formed the Black in Fashion Council this June. Along with an impactful executive board and guidance from Human Rights Campaign, the council will establish inclusivity benchmarks, as well as …
