Craig Richardson’s weblog, guestbook, database of music and collections of writings

In just a few short years, the small t-shirt brand Impure has become immensely popular among Italians and collectors alike. The graphic concepts revolve around living and imaginary icons, but the treatment of them speaks to the belief that no cultural phenomenon is pure anymore—an idea clearly underlined by...

Josh Rubin: Coolhunting

Here at Cool Hunting we love a good redesign and typically launch a new one every year or two. This time around (our fifth) took awhile to get out the door, but we're so glad it's here. It also happens to be our seventh anniversary, so what a great...

Josh Rubin: Coolhunting

While the disheveled stacking of boxes seems to be a rampant gesture in today's architecture, the new Vitra Haus by architects Herzog & de Meuron proves that, if done correctly, the conceit can create a thrilling, dynamic structure both inside and out. The new building, the first addition to the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein since Frank Gehry's 1989 building for the Vitra...

Josh Rubin: Coolhunting

With no cord or power button, the new Twist espresso maker relies simply on the power of standard recyclable N2O cartridges to deliver each flavorful shot. The portable espresso maker, inspired by the founder's coffee cravings while on his honeymoon, uses either grounds or convenient ESE pods and weighs just over two pounds—an ideal travel companion for java-heads. Easy to use and clean, the hand-held...

Josh Rubin: Coolhunting

Today Photoshop, the application many of us have used longer than any other, turns 20 years old. Happy birthday!...

Josh Rubin: Coolhunting

Promoting their Spring line, Pro-Keds recently debuted a short video telling the story of a shoe-based mission. With settings that will look familiar to NYC residents and a Bond-esque soundtrack, the playfully inventive piece follows a cast of characters who at various points throw shoes over a fence, trade them, pluck pairs from lamp posts, and steal them from sleeping subway riders. The madcap upshot,...

Josh Rubin: Coolhunting

In a move that tackles both the lack of bike racks in NYC and the problem of what to do with obsolete parking meters, the city recently started a campaign transforming 225 of the old metal poles into circular stations for locking up bikes. Calling it a "whole new alchemy of the street," Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan's initiative also saves loot by eliminating the...

Josh Rubin: Coolhunting

After new media professor Hasan Elahi was falsely accused by a neighbor of being a 9/11 terrorist accomplice in 2002, the Bangladesh-born American underwent six months of scrutiny from the FBI. Turning the tables, he personally documented the minutiae of his everyday occurrences now on view in a project called Tracking Transience at the Santa Fe art space SITE. Elahi photographs his meals before...

Josh Rubin: Coolhunting

Perpetually updating their line of removable adhesives for portable devices, GelaSkins adds the National Geographic to their list of intriguing collaborations. (Check out other CH favorites the Boombox series by Lyle Owerko and their recent DIY service, allowing you to upload and customize your own image.) Initially only available for iPhones and laptops, the National Geographic skins include a wide range of choices from...

Josh Rubin: Coolhunting

Perpetually updating their line of removable adhesives for portable devices, GelaSkins adds the National Geographic to their list of intriguing collaborations. (Check out other CH favorites the Boombox series by Lyle Owerko and their recent DIY service, allowing you to upload and customize your own image.) Initially only available...

Josh Rubin: Coolhunting