Every traveler knows that packing light is a talent worth perfecting. Meeting TSA weight regulations requires patience, versatility and an exceptional display of restraint—which means items like wooden-heeled platform shoes and War and Peace are best left home. Innovative new luggage designs, however, are making packing less stressful by provoking a minimalist, utilitarian aesthetic that seems intended to send packrats scurrying.
Tumi Tegra-Lite: To create its new Tegra-Lite line of ultra-lightweight, sleekly contoured luggage, Tumi enlisted Milliken, a producer of plastics that counts race car builders and football gear designers among its clients. This high-tech collaboration required Tumi to overhaul its design process. Milliken’s super-strong Tegris composite isn’t pressed and stretched like the luggage brand’s traditional method of shaping; rather, it’s cut into sheets and folded to maintain the bonds that make up a lattice of highly durable plastic. The result is a 65-percent lighter rolling bag that’s built to withstand the battery of frequent travel. This is one suitcase that’s ready to get down to business.
The storm of blogs and websites offering approachable recipes for home cooks has sparked a more mindful approach to eating. And while these informal digital sources are often on par with those found on the newsstand, there’s still something to be said for the satisfaction of poring through the “pages” of a magazine, whether it be on paper or on an iPad. Hence, a mounting army of new food titles are preserving the spirit of the periodical while celebrating the DIY spirit of the Web.
Kinfolk: Kinfolk is proof that one need not display the homemaking swagger of, say, Martha Stewart in order to be the kind of entertainer from whom friends covet an invitation. The quarterly pub, available in both digital and print formats, revels in the elegance of simple, intimate gatherings rather than fussy banquets only achievable by a catering company. Kinfolk is more than just a piece of reading material, however. It’s also a community of artists dedicated to promoting casual, yet still creative, assemblies of friends over a thoughtful meal. The Kinfolk dinner series is bringing artisan feasts to different cities, including Brooklyn, Austin and San Francisco, every month.
Years ago, electronic data replaced The Dewey Decimal System, and now literature’s shift from the printed page to the tablet has called into question the need for traditional libraries. After momentarily fading out of fashion, libraries around the world are reinventing themselves as modern cultural centers that offer much more than just book borrowing.
Liyuan Library: Instead of erecting another structure in crowded Beijing, the designers of the recently opened Liyuan Library opted to build near a village two hours outside of the metropolis. With a concept for a serenity-focused public space in mind, they used the mountain landscape as inspiration. The resulting building is constructed from sticks gathered in the village and lets in only natural light, helping the modest structure blend into its surroundings while delivering a soft ambiance. This unusual architectural work provides a meditative environment not only for residents of the village but also for the stressed creative pros of Beijing who need to escape the city to get their juices flowing.
Sponsored events at last week’s 10th annual Art Basel Miami Beach gave attendees a chance to discover new art outside the confines of the Convention Center. Rather than aggressively pushing their own products, this new style of event marketing delivered brand messaging to today’s media savvy consumers by simply, subtly, underwriting the arts. Here are three who did it right:
Smart: The rapid recent expansion of Art Basel Miami has been complemented by a bevy of satellite art fairs all over the city. One, the Gen Art Detour lounge at the Scope Art Fair, provided a relaxing environment in which visitors could escape the exhaustive elbow rubbing of the Basel crowds. In true Gen Art form, the work of emerging artists was featured in an innovative branding collaboration with Smart. The artists created custom wraps for a fleet of Smart cars that were on display, and guests had the opportunity to embellish the automotive canvases, too. Could this idea of original car coverings inspire new looks for the Toyota Fun Vii?
Woodchuck Crisp: The fact that Woodchuck, one of the better known cider brands, shares a syllable with a slang word for “vomit” certainly hasn’t helped the brew’s reputation. Be that as it may, a new cider launched officially by the Vermont-based company last month could force those who’ve been turning up their noses to re-evaluate. After becoming the subject of consumer acclaim upon its inclusion in variety 12-packs last summer,