For snow, surf or other wet adventures, the new Gyst water-repellent bags make both getting ready and post-activity cleanup a snap. A flap unfolds into a mat, keeping feet clean while you shimmy in and out of wetsuits, boots and the like. When not in use, the mat magnetically reattaches to the main compartment, which securely stores wet stuff.

Designed for outdoor use, the durable PVC-free bag rests on a waterproof base and its numerous zippered compartments organize everything while protecting it all from sand, snow and mud.

The Gyst comes in four different types—the messenger, duffle and two backpacks—and ranges from $95-170. To order a bag send an email to info [at] gystconcept [dot] com, until their online shop is up and running.

This video visits a traveling exhibit celebrating the work of Dieter Rams during its stop at the Design Museum London. Director Deyan Sudjic and Michael Czerwinski, who heads up the institution's public programs, both chime in on what made Rams such an important designer and the show's scope.

The next stop for the exhibition is Frankfurt's Museum of Applied Art, where you can catch it from 22 May-5 September 2010.

In 1999, James Klein and David Reid of ceramics design firm KleinReid approached living legend Eva Zeisel about a possible collaboration. The fruits of their labor—limited edition archival prints and vases—now sell from Room & Board. Born in Hungary in 1906, Zeisel's long career has inspired many artists and fans though the years.

For the KleinReid Collection, Zeisel designed two vase trios. The first features three curved porcelain vases hand-glazed in white, curved so that they fit together. The second, three vases covered in a yellow satin glaze, have retro-fresh appeal that speaks to KleinReid's ethos for excellence in porcelain. The vases range from $69 to $150.

In addition to the ceramics, Zeisel designed a series of prints, "The Lovers' Suite Collection." Printed on 100% archival cotton paper, numbered and signed, and framed in white aluminum frames, the prints consist of four designs: Sprouts in orange, Swans in teal, Tulips in gray, and Wings in yellow. They sell for $300 a piece.

Produced at the KleinReid studio in New York, the prints and vases sell online from Room & Board, as well as at their stores.

While traditionally just a cuddly staple in a child's life, the teddy bear gets an upgrade with the addition of a built-in tote. Recognizing its comforting effect on kids, the Vermont Teddy Bear Company recently introduced the useful Teddy Tote, giving kids another excuse to bring their beloved bear everywhere.

The Teddy Tote looks like a standard stuffed animal but by unzipping its back, a convenient carryall bag unfolds—perfectly-sized for kids to transport coloring books, snacks and more.

"Made from scratch" in Vermont, each Teddy Tote comes with a lifetime guarantee. Launching July 2010, CH has one in advance to give away to a lucky reader. To enter follow us on Twitter and simply tweet @coolhunting with what you would do with a Teddy Tote and we'll pick from entries received before 11:59 pm EST on 29 March 2010.

While hauntingly beautiful landscapes, elusive fairies and mind-blowing music usually come to mind when thinking of Iceland, DesignMarch, the second annual weekend festival organized by the Iceland Design Center, aims to add design to that list. Following an economic collapse of epic proportions, the nation is now looking for ways to reinvent itself on the world stage.

The event highlighted not only the tremendous can-do spirit of the Icelandic creative community, but also the long road to recognition that it faces. My visit was filled with equal amounts of inspiration and evidence of how far the country still needs to come. Studio visits to the shared space of Sruli Recht and Megan Herbert, and the design group Studiobility, showed Reykjavik at its most promising, while a brief tour of three local furniture manufacturers revealed an industry lacking the portfolio to compete in the global furniture market.

(Pictured at right, the Pirate Leg by Gudrun Lilja Gunnlaugsdóttir at the Studiobility exhibit.)

A walking tour of the local shops with designer Stefán Pétur Sólveigarson and a visit to the Reykjavik design emporium Epal (Iceland's equivalent of Luminaire) led to some great discoveries, such as Jón Björnsson's Sandskálar (above, seen at Kraum), a bowl made through casting black beach sand. However, these very tours also brought out how many Icelandic designers are forced to work independently, without any support. With the exception of the recently-launched accessory brand Lyng, few mainstream production opportunities for Icelanders with ideas seem to exist.

Running in conjunction with DesignMarch, the Reykjavik Fashion Festival consisted of a well-coordinated series of runway shows and presentations spearheaded by the incredibly gracious Rúnar Ómarsson, director of the snowboard apparel brand Nikita. The RFF, originally created as an antidote to the deflated Iceland Fashion Week, featured some incredible talent. Look for future Cool Hunting coverage on the forward-thinking stylings of Mundi (left) and the patterned knitwear of Lúka, from sisters Gunnhildur and Brynhildur Thordardottir.

Design as an occupation is still an emerging concept in Iceland. In fact, the Iceland Academy of Arts Department for Design and Architecture is less than ten years old. Nurturing talent at home, enticing leading practitioners for visiting professorships, building a renowned curriculum—these things take both time and money. Still, I saw tremendous potential for the future of Icelandic design.

To truly emerge as a voice in the global design market, Iceland will require more than a festival. DesignMarch makes a great beginning but Iceland needs to plumb the depths of its collective consciousness, tap into region-specific raw materials and harness those mystical, folkloric qualities that will imbue products with resonant narratives.

Check out the slideshow below for some additional favorites, both old and new, from Reykjavik.

Packed in a small tin can, MicroGiardini plants make an easy way to grow herbs, vegetables and flowers in any indoor environment. Each can includes a set of hearty seeds or bulbs packed within a growing compound. With a little water and light, it transforms into a flowering plant after just a month of care.

Created by seventy-year-old Northern Italian floriculture company Arnoldi Europe, the plants sustain the growing season by serving as indoor gardens during winter months.

Available online from Brooklyn 5 +10 or Sprout, varieties include Coriander, Carrot, Zucchini, Sunflower, Petunia and more for around $10 each.

A Portland, OR-based company, Pigeon Toe Ceramics produces high-quality ceramic pieces for the home. Fine artist and former graphic designer Lisa Jones takes the homegrown, local aesthetic to heart, hand throwing each piece from clay sourced and manufactured in the city of Portland, and firing them in a kiln powered by solar and wind energy.

Jones' Spring 2010 collection includes plant hangers, crockery and a series of pendant lights, all with Pigeon Toe's trademark simple lines, unassuming colors and clean, luminous simplicity.

In addition to commissioned and pre-made wares, Jones also collaborates with local female artists to produce limited-edition edition runs of hand-painted pieces. Known as PTC+, the series includes work by Alyson Graves, Kelly Britton Andreini, and Alia Smith.

Items ordered from Jones shop are made to order and take three weeks to ship. For a selection of goods already made, check out the Pigeon Toe Ceramics' Etsy shop.

Kitsune Noir today launched the first in a new ongoing series of laser-cut birch wood clocks. The premier edition features the decorative patterns of artist and wallpaper designer Dan Funderburgh created in collaboration with the Montreal-based design/build shop (and CH contributor), Furni. Funderburgh's design takes on the idea of a traditional Bavarian cuckoo clock, with a typically subversive twist—just a couple of sticks of dynamite lurking under the clock face.

Each design in the Neverend series will be made in limited editions of 88 clocks. The Funderburgh clock sells for $198 in black and natural from Furni.

Atlanta's High Museum of Art explores the bespoke car as a work of art in the exhibit "The Allure of the Automobile" that opened this past weekend. Known for its strong decorative arts content, the museum celebrates the one-of-a-kind European and American cars of the 20th century for their fine forms as well as their historical significance.

Each of the eighteen cars in the show—ranging from the opulent Depression era 1933 Pierce Arrow Silver Arrow and the 1937 Delage D8-120s to icons such as the 1961 Ferrari 250 Short-Wheelbase Berlinetta SEFAC Hot Rod and the 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray—put the emphasis on craftsmanship and detailed styling, divided into pre- and post-World War II categories. Porsche contributed the rare 1938/39 Porsche Type 64 to the exhibit, which marks the first occasion that the shell of that lustrous Porsche body has left Germany. "This exhibit isn't about cars," said Michael Bartsch, vice president and COO of Porsche.

Design relevance and automotive pedigree come together to illustrate the evolved styling of elite street and concept cars. Guest curator Ken Gross, an automotive historian and former director of Peterson Automotive Museum, contributes extensive background on each car and provides fodder for car enthusiast attendees. While the High's Curator of Decorative Art and Design, Ron Laboco, isn't a car expert, he instead approaches the cars in the exhibit as singular works of art. "It's about what denotes a car as a masterpiece," said Labaco. "It's a direct connection between decorative arts. You can compare them with Faberge Eggs."

The Allure of The Automobile runs through 20 June 2010.

For extreme sports enthusiasts in search of the utmost protection year-round, Bern recently developed a carbon fiber version of their stylish Macon, Baker and Watts styles. Taking advantage of the high-tech material, the extremely lightweight carbon shell withstands powerful punches.

The matte carbon models are available either as an EPS-certified helmet (the standard protection level for action sports) or as a Hard Hat—an ultra-ventilated helmet that uses resilient Brock foam technology to survive multiple impacts. Bern offers appropriate sizes for men and women, and their simple snap-in upgrade system easily transitions helmets from summer to winter sports.

The new shells sell from Bern's online shop or outdoor sports stores worldwide for about $215.

Borrowing a defining '80s look from the Memphis designers, American Apparel recently did up socks with stripes, color blocking, and the vivid, playful hues of the era.

The Memphis Socks come in three different colorways, are calf-high and work for men or women.

Pick them up from American Apparel for $12 a pop.

The Enterprise Irregulars blog is sponsored by .   Work.  Online.  

CMYK Cocktail, presented by Tasteologie and Droog design, interprets color into alcohol and other goodies with an experimental mixology presentation this coming 28 March 2010.

Five mixologists and five designers will use the CMYK colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, black and white) to create singular cocktails and accompanying treats at Droog's Soho store, with proceeds from the event benefiting the Food Bank of New York.

Orson Salicetti of Apothéke, Mayur Subbarao of Dram Bar, Tomas Delos Reyes, Brian Sullivan of Method Lab Design and Mihir Desai will create the drinks. Designers Tobias Wong and curator Josee Lepage, Joshua Walton and James Tichenor, Renda Morton and Seymour Chwast will each present one of the drinks and how their representative color effects "how and what we consume."

Guests will receive a limited edition, hand-screened CMYK gift bag. And no cocktail party is complete without an open bar. Visit Tasteologie to purchase tickets, which start at $60 each.

Before email signatures and customized Twitter themes, people wanting to make an impression with correspondence turned to the gloriously idiosyncratic and oft-outrageous personal insignia stamped onto letters. Letterheady, a new website from writer Shaun Usher, celebrates this lost art of communication with interesting letterheads from iconic figures and corporations of the 20th century including Wrigley, Charlie Chaplin, Einstein, Marvel Comics and more.

Gestalten editor and co-mastermind behind the new book "Impressive: Printmaking, Letterpress and Graphic Design," Hendrik Hellige walks us through a few of his favorite designs below.

Nikola Tesla Company, circa 1900

Hellige: "Letterheads today are quite boring and minimal. Letterheads are more subtle, using fancy paper—kind of like the business card scene in American Psycho—to deliver a point. What I like about this Tesla letterhead is that he put his inventions in the letterheads, in a cult-type design. Essentially it's one big advertisement."

Madonna, 1994

Hellige: "She doesn't really need anything besides her name. It stands on its own."

Houdini, circa 1920

Hellige: "Another advertising brochure for himself—the famous tricks, box in water, hanging down. International flags add to the intrigue of mystery."

Converse, 1928

Hellige: "What's funny about this letterhead is its connotation to the present and how it's evolved. The company with the elaborate Art Deco lettering is the same company for all the emo kids today!"

See more of the vintage designs in the slide show below.

Picking the brains of Gestalten's book editors and designers, Youyoung Lee reports to Cool Hunting on what inspires them.

Gallery and design store Moss recently reminded us of the exciting and beguiling art toy Toroflux. Created in 2000 by German brothers Jochen and Conrad Valett of Valett Design, the simple tools and construction for the kinetic sculpture consists of a large plastic ring with a slinky-like metal coil wrapped around it.

The result though is a surprising example of physics and artistic invention. When tipped, the metal coil whips around the plastic ring with increasing velocity until it resembles a bubble. The action video below reveals the real triumph of its design.

Made of plastic and stainless steel, the Toroflux sells from Moss for $145.

In an age when most graphic designers choose pixels over paintbrushes, Evelin Kasikov uses cross-stitch embroidery to create images based on CMYK printing. While still a masters student at Central St. Martins, the London-based designer made her name with the technique, integrating traditional craft with modern technology to explore various perceptions of different visual messages.

The process of translating conventional halftone images by using CMYK-colored cotton threads naturally led to commissions from the likes of Wired and the New York Times Magazine.

Newer work focuses on book binding using the cross-stitch method, a project the experimental designer plans develop further in the future, along with explorations into optical illusions and moire patterns as a means of discovering new tactile techniques.

A London show, running 14-28 May 2010 with jeweler An Alleweireldt and called "Crafts Meets Music," will highlight the duo's individual achievements while also presenting new works.

For the past decade NYC-based Bonetti/Kozerski Design Studio have been building an impressive portfolio of work centered on the relationship between the interior and the exterior as one fluid continuum.

Founded by Enrico Bonetti and Dominic Kozerski, the duo work together to develop effortless spaces, blending the fundamentals of architecture and design with distinct European flair. Kozerski, originally hailing from the U.K., and the Italian-born Bonetti apply their talents to a range of work from highly visible DKNY boutiques and a David Barton gym to intimate personal spaces, such as converted barns in upstate New York, André Balazs' NYC pad, one for Rick Rubin, and Donna Karan's intimate Parrot Cay getaway.

You can learn more about the pair in Columbia University's current exhibition "2000-2010 in Architecture," or read our interview below to get a deeper scope of their working methods.

What's the philosophy of your studio?

Kozerski: We're quite diverse in the projects we work on. We work on high-end residential and corporate spaces that involve re-branding and with retail companies to develop new concepts to reinvent or refresh brands. Our work is focused on the design from the conceptual level. We believe all disciplines are part of the craft of design. We've seen this cross over to other types of work—retail crosses over to residential for example.

Tell us about the new exhibition you're a part of at Columbia University.

Bonetti: We are one of five New York-based architecture firms. One of our projects is a conceptual project that was never built—a house in an industrial area, working with quite difficult constraints to deal with local issues. We're presenting it as a model and 3D walk-through.

We're presenting a model and photography of [Donna Karan's] residential project in Turks and Caicos on a private island of Parrot Cay, a project that started five years ago. It's a very unique place, on the beach with both ocean views and views in the lagoon. We collaborated on a series of houses, working to achieve best view of the beach from the house.

What is your style like working together as partners?

Bonetti: We come to the same solutions and we have the same strategy. Yes, one works more on one project for practical purposes, but we make design decisions together. We're very similar. It makes our projects more interesting with slightly different perspectives.

Kozerski: Between us the goal is always common and how we want it to end up in the end. The way we get there is very interesting.

What's next?

Bonetti: We're working on a large townhouse on the Upper East Side, some retail projects in Asia, a retail project in Vienna, and barn conversions in upstate New York.

Kozerski: We like to be engaged with interesting clients.

How did you meet?

Bonetti: We were both working for the same architect in the early '90s. We found we worked well together. We started our own firm and it's been almost ten years.

Longtime CH fave, artist and designer Mike Perry’s new installation of prints, sculpture, and other objects opens at his Alma Mater, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, on 25 March 2010.

Including over 30 prints, a log sculpture with a small galaxy spilling from it, a mobile hanging down from the gallery's lofted ceiling, and many other surprises "inspired by memory, place, and the nature of the mind," the show promises plenty of Perry's vivid hues and hand-drawn aesthetic.

With Keith Haring's playful intensity, Perry's obsessively-rendered images—like hundreds of interconnected triangles or massive mobiles based on his designs—build a visual language full of geometric shapes, references to outer space and other fantastical imagery. (Click above image for detail.)

Besides an impressive artistic portfolio, typography work, and two popular books, Perry's also applied his signature look to an array of commercial work. Besides a camera, espresso machine and sunglasses, he revamped Eames' classic bucket chair with an intricate black-and-white pattern, and designed shoes and backpacks for Nike. Perry's latest endeavor is an artists' edition trash can for the Danish Vipp.

See his work for Vipp, along with a few sketches and other insights into his process, in the slide show below. To learn more about the show, check out the images he's been posting at the site he created for it.

As a mother who walks regularly, Brooklynite Micaela Birmingham discovered a design problem when going out with her child. "When my first daughter was a newborn, I proudly stepped out with my fancy stroller for our first walk to the park and was devastated that the sun was in my precious darling's eyes," she said.

After an awkwardly draped sweater kept slipping out of place, Birmingham spent that evening experimenting with solutions—and CityMum's CityShade was born.

Parents approached her around the neighborhood about the shade and soon she was shipping to Dubai and London. "Our target is moms who believe that it's okay to take some style to the playground." New colors and organic fabric options will be ready for sunny spring days.

Made with EcoLiteVinyl and recycled cardboard in city-themed hues (including Soho Black, Brooklyn Brownstown and Paris Pink), Velcro holds the shade in place and allows for easy access to babies. CityShade works with Bugaboo Cameleon and Frog, Peg-Pérego Skate and Switch, Uppababy Vista, and iCandy strollers.

CityShades start at $70 and sell from CityMum.

Drawn with careful, scientific precision, Laura Zindel's insect imagery adds a creepy Victorian-era touch to her expertly-crafted ceramics. The highly detailed, all-black renderings of spiders on dinner plates and scarab beetle on saucers show her gifts for illustration and well-made tableware alike.

Incorporating an array of animals and plants, Luna moths, bees, tarantulas, dragonflies, ladybugs and birds all get her painstakingly loving treatment. Zindel's taste for symmetry also lends refined complexity; on a large pasta bowl adorned with snakes, their mirrored curving bodies create a gorgeously ornate pattern.

Like the Harvard Museum of Natural History's collection of biologically exacting glass flower specimens, made with breathtaking detail, Zindel's work makes the audience rethink both the subject and material.

Seattle shop Blackbird now carries Zindel's work at their recently-opened The Field House (the general store of the 21st century). Zindel's work can also sells from Blackbird's online shop and a selection of prints reflecting her insect sensibilities are available from her site.

Playing to the mounting excitement of South Africa's upcoming World Cup, last month's Design Indaba conference in Cape Town was billed as something of a major sports event in its own right with colorful banners, stadium cheer-worthy introductions and even trading cards for the visiting speakers. Talks covered dozens of intriguing projects—from the likes of Tord Boontje, Ronan Bouroullec, Manabu Mizuno, Han Feng and Mokena Makeka—and participants ran the gamut from veteran to rookie, guru to diva, and far-flung to homegrown.

Here, we've singled out a handful of presentations for their memorable insight into both the creative life and the world at large, along with soundbites, and other projects worth checking out.

Our hats off to founder Ravi Naidoo, a consummate host whose boundless energy, unparalleled enthusiasm, and belief in the transforming power of creativity is truly inspiring.

Read on after the jump.

1. The importance of humility

Always a great speaker, Pentagram partner Michael Beirut set the bar high with his thoughtful opening presentation. Instead of a sweeping career survey, Beirut focused on one assignment with the hope of sharing a fundamental lesson in project management. His presentation, called "My favorite project and how I almost blew it," detailed his distinguished work with the The Robin Hood Foundation on The Library Initiative, a program to revitalize libraries in New York's most disadvantaged public schools.

To summarize Beirut's lessons in humility:
Don't try to be so darned clever.
You get power by giving away power.
The real opportunity my not lie within your scope.
Consistency is not always good.
The audience is more wonderful than you think.

2. The virtues of limitations

One of the few speakers to receive a standing ovation at the conference, Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena provided a laudable rejoinder to Martha Stewart's strikingly vainglorious presentation. Aravena, principal of the award-winning firm Elemental, gave an impassioned speech on his efforts in developing affordable community housing in Chile and Mexico. The design solution, half-finished structures that allow for self-build expansion, held particular resonance for the largely South African audience, confronted as they are with how to rectify the housing deficiencies of the country's many impoverished townships.

3. The value of a narrative

A recent graduate of the Royal College of Arts in London, Thomas Thwaites provided the most hysterical six minutes of the Design Indaba conference. In recounting his 2009 thesis, The Toaster Project, Thwaites had the audience in stitches over his attempt to manufacture a toaster from scratch, right down to procuring the raw materials copper, nickel, mica and plastic. While the real aim of the project was to examine the absurdity of scale in the industrial processes that lead to a £5.00 consumer toaster—Thwaites' toaster looks more like a nightmarish wax model of the thing itself—an unintended consequence may be a career in television for this graduate. Thwaites has all the makings of a engaging storyteller.

4. The wonders of serendipity

In recounting his prolific career to date, Harry Pearce of Pentagram U.K. returned again and again to the notion that things can take on a life of their own. From his work on the Dana Centre and Peter Gabriel's Witness program to his latest book project on typographic conundrums, Pearce's career has been filled with the kind of serendipitous moments usually reserved for a Paul Auster story. The takeaway: the seeds of creativity are sown in the most unlikely of places.

5. The joys of doing what you love

Graphic designer Stefan Bucher, principal of 344 Design and creator of the off the wall Daily Monster, gave a fervent talk rife with sardonic humor. At the heart of his presentation was the concept of knowing your operating system, or what feeds your creativity. For Bucher, this translates into several working strategies: workarounds (obsessive compulsive design strategies that let the mind go on autopilot), repair permissions (infusing projects with personal relevance), and greed control (limiting one's desire for money to focus on work that one loves). The result of that last bit happens to be Bucher's Monsters, a pet project that has, not surprisingly, developed a massive following.

6. The merits of humor

Executive chairman and national creative director for Ogilvy & Mather India, Piyush Pandey has been hailed as the most influential man in Indian advertising—for good reason. Pandey gave one of the most entertaining presentations of the conference, showcasing a selection of hilarious commercials representative of his approach.

In a nation with over 30 spoken languages, the task of communicating a coordinated brand message seems insurmountable. Nevertheless, at the core of Pandey's work is the ability to connect with an incredibly diverse audience through emotional storytelling. His favorite emotion, humor, plays a central role in many of his campaigns, including the Vodafone Zoozoo shorts, which have become India's most popular ads to date. (Its official Facebook fan club is nearly 400,000 strong). Take a moment to watch a compilation of the ad shorts here, you won't be disappointed.

Six more projects worth checking out

1. Troika's All the Time in the World
2. Christiene Mendertsma's Pig 05049
3. Bill Drentel's (of Winterhouse) Polling Place Project
4. Handspring Puppet Company's work on the renowned production War Horse
5. Marcelo Rosenbaum's Brazil line for Oxford
6. Revital Cohen's Electrolyte Appendix concept

Six memorable quotes

1. "Cities need unauthorized acts of creativity." —Wooster Collective's Marc and Sara Schiller
2. "I believe there is life beyond logic." —Piyush Pandey
3. "Do we change the world to suit us, or change ourselves to suit the world?" —Fiona Raby
4. "We should build half of a good house, instead of a small one." — Alejandro Aravena
5. "Form follows fiction is more important than form follows function." —Jurgen Bey
6. "Your brain is like an unruly pitbull; it will chew up your furniture at best." —Stefan Bucher

Launched at last month's Design Indaba expo, the Inception Collection from Snapp was one of the more attention-grabbing product collections there. With its use of brilliant hues and bold forms, the group of five objects stood out from much of the more craft-based wares on view.

Founded by industrial designer Jonathan Fundudis and mechanical engineer Renko Nieman, the Johannesburg-based firm aspires to lead the field in contemporary South African product design and manufacturing. The brand fabricated their inaugural collection entirely from Corian, which they selected for its ability to be machined, thermoformed, laminated and finished using both new technology and traditional production techniques.

Highlights from the collection include the Lamellae fruit bowl (top), inspired by the underside of mushrooms, the Slice cutting board (next image), in which two wedge-shaped voids allow for both handling the board and scooping chopped food, and the alluring Twi-light table lamp (above), which turns on and off by pressing the top cap.

Since Corian is a notoriously expensive material, and producing these pieces in small batches could be quite costly, we're interested to see how the gentlemen at Snapp can scale up their design projects to reach a wider South African, and international, audience. They've certainly got some good ideas, so watch for more from them in the years ahead.

Watchismo has an exclusive look at Celsius X VI II's first product, an impressive merging of a mobile phone with a tourbillion watch that integrates a patented rewinding mechanism hidden within its hinge. The upshot of over three years of development and based on complex micromechanics, opening the phone activates the internal device.

Inspired by tourbillion watches—invented in the late 18th century to offset the supposed effects of gravity on accuracy by rotating a full 360º within a cage—Celsius' love for mechanical triumphs of centuries past permeates the many components of the the Papillon. Made using 547 mechanical components (most of them hand-finished), the new gadget strives for "the dream of a completely mechanical mobile phone: a phone in which every function will operate mechanically, solely through human energy."

To produce the hybrid, Celsius collaborated with renowned watchmaker Richard Mille and horological design team Confrérie Horlogère. The upshot is a true example of excellence in design, expertly combining mechanical and technological achievements into a gorgeously sleek simple black body.

German-based international watch and jewelry fair BaselWorld will host the launch of this remarkable phone when it's unveiled next week with a price of $275,000.

Providing a fresh take on Stephen King's classically twisted words and worlds, graphic designer Nick Tassone evokes the spirit of the disturbing films with a set of movie posters that perfectly illustrate each daunting plot.

Tassone cuts out the gore and reduces each image down to an essential stylized symbol, using a two-color palette of black paired with a pastel. For "Carrie," an upended bucket hangs from a rope, while "Firestarter" and "Cat's Eye" receive a literal treatment, showing a single large match and a wide cat's eye. These condensed interpretations reinforce King's ability to create intelligible stories, easily recognized even years after they were originally published.

Adding a layer of detail to play up a bygone tone, the vintage-inspired graphics include scratches and imperfections. The simplicity of Tassone's design lends a familiar Hitchcockian dread and unease, making for an ultimately creepy yet visually-pleasing poster.

Pick up the Carrie poster and (soon) more for $30 from Tassone's online shop.

A serene retreat in the heart of Stockholm with modern Scandinavian style, the recently-opened Hotel Skeppsholmen makes a welcome addition to the more glitzy and bustling options in the area. Its tiny island location lends the 81-room spot its name, along with views of the water, a park-like setting, neighboring museums, and just enough distance from the city center to feel calm but not isolated. Combined with spare decor, warm service, and plenty of little luxuries where they count, the boutique hotel throws off a casually elegant vibe as welcoming to business travelers as it is to those visiting purely for fun.

In lieu of a grand lobby (it's housed in former Marine barracks built in 1699), a spacious room offers a lounge area on one end and airy café-style seating on the other (pictured above right), with windows looking out over trees and the occasional passing boat. Breakfast there—a delicious take on the smorgasbord with treats like blueberry-cardamom granola, traditional Swedish buns, and heartier fare—has charming touches like linen napkins, is included in the room rate, and not to be missed.

Rooms themselves feature the clean lines of contemporary Scandinavian design in a palette of marine blues, grays and whites that designers Claesson Koivisto Rune call "Fog"—complimenting the setting and adding to the peaceful tone. While some of the more "high design" fixtures presented minor functional issues, most of the furnishing choices marry tasteful minimalism (starting with the gorgeously restored antique floors) with playful surprises like a bright yellow splash of a side table. And, though Skeppsholmen may lack the wall-to-wall opulence that some look for in a hotel, comforts like quality linens and toiletries by the popular Swedish brand Byredo, left me wanting for nothing.

Lighting in particular, like the rubbery texture of what I call the Spy v. Spy lamp (pictured below left), stands out for how it subtly and thoughtfully delights guests. Hallway light installations (below right), one night turned the mundane trek back to our rooms into a giggly impromptu photo shoot. The building's layout (Swedes call it the "Long Row") does mean that the short walk from reception sometimes psychologically feels like more of a trek than it is, but also lends to the off-the-beaten path feel.

With amenities that include a small gym, alternate dining rooms, meeting rooms, free WiFi, flat screen TVs with DVD players, minibars, and a variety of services—from Concierge to laundry—graciously fulfilled by the efficiently attentive staff, Skeppsholmen represents welcome new version of Scandinavian hospitality. Rack rates hover around $1,314 SEK (about $185). Book through Skeppsholmen.

Already having put their name to olive oil and a Fiat, as well as backing Miami's Pelican Hotel, Italian fashion magnate Diesel launched their sexy, rock 'n' roll-tinged Designed by Diesel collection at the 2009 Salone del Mobile, and the home furnishings collection will finally hits stores this summer.

Dominating the denim industry for years, Diesel has mastered the art of reinvention—from accessories and fragrances to jeans that glow-in-the-dark and ultra-modern silhouettes. The home furnishings collection affirms their uncanny ability to diversify.

The series includes a small group of tables, armchairs and sofas, but the Home Collection triumphs with their lighting section.

Their strength in working with fabric shows in the use of interesting textures and materials in the lampshades, with neutrally earthy tones blending into any room. Drum kit bases make lamps portable and, along with details like lightning bolt pull chains, continue the rock thread.

The choice of metal cages adds an industrial touch to other lampshades, while plastic molded into an irregular faceted dome makes for a suspension light that casts dramatic geometric patterns onto surfaces.

Chrome studded bases reference the brand's fashion heritage, a clear signal that this likely isn't the last lifestyle extension we'll see from Diesel.

Functional, easy to mix and match with existing furniture, and contemporary without appearing overly modern, the collection makes a strong first. Available at select Diesel stores, see the whole collection online.

Good Magazine highlights a new illustration from Sam Loman that incorporates subway design into a map of the human body.

The body shows urinary, digestive, arterial and respiratory lines, among many others, with stops at the liver, kidneys and more. The biggest transfer point is, of course, the heart.

Check out the visual at Good.