15 Folds, a New Host for Original GIF Art

The founders discuss the magic of the format and why it's such an attractive medium for artists

Of all the good things the internet has brought us—increased connectivity, the ability to look up anything anywhere, music streaming, weird animal videos and so on and so on forever—perhaps one of the most universally appreciated is GIFs. Starting out as little more than quirky animations (flames that moved; website titles that spun around), when the internet was in its nascent stages, GIFs have evolved …

Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant, Santa Barbara

Tips from two of California’s most knowledgeable sommeliers on summertime pairings

At Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, local winemakers regularly interact with sommeliers and enthusiasts. The locale’s friendly atmosphere is the upshot of the owners’ considerable knowledge—Brian McClintic tackled the Master Sommelier exam while being filmed for the documentary SOMM and Eric Railsback is the former wine director at LA’s Osteria Mozza. Together they created the wine bar of their …

Studio Visit: Shadowplaynyc

Inspired by nature, skies and all things galactic, the two young designers give us a peek at what's coming for fall

A slew of artists and designers often turn to the galaxies as their muse, but Shadowplaynyc‘s Ali Bennaim and Ximena Chouza expertly bring the celestial bodies down to Earth by digitally printing photos taken by NASA’s Hubble telescope—among other nature-inspired landscapes—onto circle scarves, jersey dresses and swimsuits. CH visited the young duo’s Greenpoint, Brooklyn studio to learn more about their exciting designs. How did you …