The New Classics

How a breed of obsessive mechanics and craftsmen are turning out vintage-inspired modern automobiles

The resurgence of handcrafted objects has spread from fashion to electronics to spirits—you can listen to vinyl LPs while wearing reissued Levi’s 1947 501s and sipping small-batch local bourbon in almost any city in America—but bespoke craft has largely eluded the auto industry. Sure, you can’t throw a rock in a mall parking lot without hitting a retro-inspired muscle car, and some manufacturers have made …

The Mu

Award-winning USB adapter reduces size of bulky British power plug design by 70%

Designed in 1947, the British plug firmly holds its place as one of the world’s largest three-pin power interfaces, escaping the grips of design innovation with the equally clunky editions continuously rolled out. Now, however, product designer and illustrator Min-Kyu Choi of Made in Mind has created The Mu—a folding USB adapter with a minimal, refined design that reduces overall object size by more than …

Coco Mat Surfboards

Innovative design uses discarded coconut husks to make lighter, stronger models

As the latest innovation in sustainable surfboard production, Global Surf Industries‘ Coco Mat Technology employs coconut husk fibers to reduce both board weight and harmful chemicals used in processing and manufacturing. Weighing between three and four pounds lighter than traditional epoxy boards, the strength-to-weight ratio of the Coco Mat boards supports their claim as the world’s lightest, strongest and therefore fastest surfboards currently on the …