Rapha Rides For Tohoku

Rapha rides for Japan, Maeda on craft, dry-transfer Field Notes and more in this week's online snapshot

To do what they can in light of the recent disasters that continue to unfold in Japan, the bike gurus at Rapha have organized worldwide charity rides. If you can’t cruise for a cause, you can still make a donation through the Rapha website, which they will match.

Colé

Milan's newest furniture brand launches their utility-driven first collection

With strong roots in the Milanese tradition of furniture-making, the new design firm Colé will debut at the coming 2011 Design Week, bringing with it a modern take on usefulness in design. The thinking behind the brand draws on the industry experience of Matteo De Ponti (brand manager of furniture manufacturer Driade for more than ten years) and co-counder Laura Macagno’s passion for art, fashion …

Bilou Bilou

A luxury Italian furniture-maker's riff on the classic Thonet chair

Bilou Bilou, a play on Thonet chairs, recently caught our attention for its subtly luxurious reinterpretation of the classic cafe seating in the Beau Rivage bar in Lausanne, Switzerland. Now, with the just-opened NYC branch of Promemoria, the manufacturer of the chair, we look forward to seeing more of its sensuous pared-down lines stateside. First introduced in 2003, the Bilou Bilou is available covered in …