Imagine a series of pink see-saws straddling the wall dividing Mexico and the US…imagine children laughing and playing across borders. Now imagine that this is real.

Architectural studio Rael San Fratello has installed three pink seesaws in between the metal slats of the US-Mexico border wall, so that children on either side can play together.

Rael, an architecture professor at UC Berkley and San Fratello, who is also an associate professor of design at San Jose State University, produced the installation with Taller Herrería, a workshop located in Ciudad Juárez as a form of positive protest.

“The wall became a literal fulcrum for US-Mexico relations and children and adults were connected in meaningful ways on both sides with the recognition that the actions that take place on one side have a direct consequence on the other side,” said Rael in the Instagram post. He added that the event was “filled with joy, excitement, and togetherness at the borderwall” and described it as one of the “incredible experiences ” of the duo’s career.

Imagine if all the necessary codes, and connections you need to access wifi and more came to you seamlessly and painlessly – embedded in the music that surrounds you at work, or play.

Manuel Eichelberger and Simon Tanner, two ETH doctoral students, have learned to store data in music. This means for example, that background music can contain the access data for the local Wi-Fi network, and a mobile phone’s built-in microphone can receive this data. “That would be handy in a hotel room,” Tanner says, “since guests would get access to the hotel Wi-Fi without having to enter a password on their device.” Bring on the beats!

In a bold and exciting move, Reebok has named Pyer Moss designer (and winner of the CFDA Award) Kerby Jean-Raymond as the Artistic Director of their newly minted Reebok Studies__, a division created to foster under-the-radar creative talent and ideas. The mission of the new division is to focus on one theme or subject at a time, seeking to “uncover the human nature of things and show the importance of people’s lives and stories,” said Jean-Raymond. Expect inspiration and collaboration from a broad area of makers and creators.

Space Travel. With multiple commercial ventures vying to send us on a galactic tour in the very near future, other brands are starting to think about how to enhance these space journeys. Berlin-based luggage brand Horizon Studios has collaborated with the world’s youngest astronaut, Alyssa Carson, to develop a smart, carbon fiber suitcase suitable for space tourism. The group created the Horizn One concept bag to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, which landed the first men on the moon in 1969. Lightweight, gravity empowered and with an inbuilt smart screen in the suitcase (so travelers can connect with friends and family back on earth) this new line has us dreaming of the stars…

It’s no secret that capitalism and consumerism have reached a white hot crescendo in China. So how does the sophisticated Millennial shopper discern between nice-to-have and must have? Seems like it all comes down to luck! Despite their well-known pragmatism, rituals and superstitions around luck are alive and well in Chinese culture. Feng shui is a serious science in matters of selecting real estate.  When Chinese consumers are looking for new, transformative luxury products, aside from aesthetics and quality, they actively search for yù yì— a Chinese term for ‘connotation’ a.k.a. the metaphor behind an object. Auspicious symbols and metaphors for good luck, beauty, love and prosperity are all critical for the success of luxury items in this hot marketplace. And smart luxury brands are baking in special meanings to ensure success. Read on to see who Lady Luck is shining on!

Every summer, we seem to want a theme – there is ‘the song of summer’, the ‘summer bag’, ‘the summer blockbuster’. One Instagram photo has caught the eye of our friends at Vogue as the quintessential summer ‘gram. Could not agree more. Think 90’s nostalgia with a twist. Anklets? Check. Teva’s? Check. Clever use of bandana? Check. Now go and get it!

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