Category Archives: Design and Innovation

Eye On Design: Bling Industrial Garbage Bin By Arlo Walker

i could have been a dolphin by arlo walker photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

I Could Have Been a Dolphin is a modern sculpture designed and realized by Arlo Walker in 2022. Consisting of a 65 -gallon, industrial-size trash bin completely covered with tiny reflecting crystals, this work was part of a larger exhibit of design student projects entitled Utopia, which was on display at the 2022 edition of Wanted Design at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF). What follows is the manifesto presented with the exhibit to which this eye-catching sculpture belongs.

The title of this exhibition, Utopia, is an irony; each piece confronts, the realization that our civilization is anything but utopian. Indeed, the sociopolitical infrastructure of our world spells dystopia –- a place where the values of fulfillment, health, and wealth appear all but unattainable. The pieces in this exhibition reflect a disillusionment  with the very concept of utopia; the past, present, and future equal equally convey an image of injustice and hardship.
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Why Custom Enamel Pins Became a Pop Culture Staple in Modern Everyday Life

cat and goldfish bowl enamel pin

Custom enamel pins have become one of the most visible accessories in pop culture today. At first glance, they might seem small and simple, but once you start noticing them, they are everywhere — on jackets, backpacks, hats, lanyards, and even sneakers. They’re worn by fans, creators, artists, event-goers, and everyday people. Continue reading Why Custom Enamel Pins Became a Pop Culture Staple in Modern Everyday Life

Eye On Design: Baccarat’s Zénith Chandelier Lights Up the Meatpacking District

baccarat zenith crystal chandelier 1 photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

Luxury crystal rarely finds itself suspended over cobblestones, but this winter, Baccarat has turned one of its most iconic designs into a full-scale public art moment. Towering above the Meatpacking District, the Baccarat Zénith Crystal Chandelier transforms a historic object of interior design into an outdoor spectacle—part holiday illumination, part brand statement, part urban theater.
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Pink Thing of The Day: Psychedelic Pink Holiday Window Display

psychedelic pink holiday tree window display photo by gail worley
Photo By Gail

If you’re looking for a holiday visual that practically shouts “Step Into the Vortex,” look no further than this groovy pink window display I spotted at The Grove in Hollywood. Viewed from the street, the storefront is covered in a bold, radiating swirl of hot-pink stripes that create the illusion of being pulled into a fabulous, candy-colored wormhole.
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Eye On Design: The Graffiti Christmas Tree of Freeman Alley

holiday tree from spray paint cans photo by gail worley
Photos By Gail

Last December, Freeman Alley —  the street art Mecca on NYC’s Lower East Side — delivered one of the most delightfully unconventional holiday installations I’ve seen in ages: a Christmas tree made entirely from empty spray paint cans. Installed at the entrance to the boutique hotel UNTITLED at 3 Freeman Alley, the piece celebrated the neighborhood’s deep connection to graffiti and street art while giving the traditional holiday tree a thoroughly urban makeover.
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