Minnesota Twins’ Official Prince Merchandise

Last year the Minnesota Twins gave out Purple Rain umbrellas to honor Prince, and this year they are teaming up with merch company Bravado for a co-branding deal that’s believed to be the first of its kind in Major League Baseball. The Majestic Twins Clubhouse Store will have Prince-themed apparel, accessories, baseballs and more (including an inflatable Love Symbol guitar) available for purchase. “All of …

Nokia’s “Banana Phone” from The Matrix Returns

HMD, the producers of Nokia-branded phones these days, will revive the cinematic classic “banana phone,” better known as the Nokia 8110. The curved sliding cell phone featured in “The Matrix” and was used by Keanu Reeves’ character Neo. Now the retro device is returning in black (but with a banana yellow variation) as well. It’s quite basic, running on Smart Feature OS, but comes complete …

Italian Fashion and Logomania

Whether viewed as “an ironic subversion of consumerist society, or disregarded as an epitome of ‘bad taste,’” logos were (and remain) a significant factor in fashion. In a new exhibition at Milan’s Palazzo Reale, this culture—in Italian fashion design specifically—is explored in a cohesive and fascinating manner by two guest curators, critic Maria Luisa Frisa and W Magazine editor Stefano Tonchi. The show “ITALIANA: L’Italia …