Cool Hunting

Bholu Housewares and Toys
With a mission to help impoverished women in India, Australian designer Jodie Fried's line of designer housewares and children's toys has finally reached the United States. The whimsical designs are embroidered by underprivileged skilled artisans, keeping alive their traditional technique and simultaneously offering them a sustainable income. All of the handmade wool products are Fair Trade and range from kids toys to rugs. Fried's...

Meat and Potatoes Heaven and Hell Tee
"Heaven and Hell" is a reversible limited edition t-shirt and print that's new from Los Angeles design and ad firm Meat and Potatoes. Created for a celebrity lounge at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards in December, the four remaining from the event will be auctioned to benefit Meals on Wheels today, 26 January 2007, at 4pm EST on Ebay. Each long sleeve tee features...

Designers Against AIDS
With a mission to revitalize flagging awareness about HIV and AIDS, Designers Against AIDS tasks artists, designers, and musicians with creating t-shirt designs. Their second season ranges from Robots United's contemporary take on a vintage look (pictured) to the characteristically bold statement, "I use a condom," by fashion designer Katherine Hamnett and Henrik Vibskov's abstract architectural arrangement. Proceeds benefit various AIDS organizations, natch, and...

The North South Project
The concept of eco-chic is steadily spreading across the fashion and design worlds, as retailers are responding to consumers' rising demands for ethically and environmentally conscious products. But most companies tend to tout their eco-friendliness without providing adequate information as to exactly how their practices help the environment or promote production and trade in the developing world. Not so with North South Project, an...

Mobile Game Mosh
The second annual 24 hour game design jam took place at Parsons last weekend. Following the structure of last year's Mobile Game Mosh, focuses on mobile games for cell phones. Teams were comprised of students, both undergraduate and graduate, from around the New York area. Given a time frame of 24 hours, the teams could produce as many single or multiplayer mobile games as...

Mobile Beauty Cell Phone Mirrors
At the risk of getting flak for yet another skull-related item, these little stick-on mirrors are a ingenious example of a device that's as elegant as it is useful. Plus, there's the inherent irony of a skull- or heart-shaped reflection. (Other options like lightning bolts, four-leaf clovers, and stars, have all had their day as trends too, but aren't quite as subtly clever.)$12 from...