Versace couture fashion show: Paris wowed by show of chiffon-clad strength

Designer Donatella Versace’s latest collection was an extravagent show marked out by an abundance of orchids and a vulnerable, medieval vision of femininity

Alwaleed bin Talal: meet the Saudi prince giving away all his money

The high-flying royal, who sued Forbes for ‘underestimating’ his fortune just years before handing it all to charity, seems to defy the cliches of a Saudi magnate

Greener, lighter, safer and made local: Blade supercar with 3D printed chassis

Building the perfect beast.
Finally, a sustainable manufacturing platform.

3D printed Blade supercar

3D printing in the automotive industry design could open the gate to a new universe of car concepts and manufacturing methods.

American start-up Divergent Microfactories came with a disruptive new approach to auto manufacturing that incorporates 3D printed nodes connected by carbon fiber tubing that results in an industrial strength chassis that can be assembled in a matter of minutes. The new manufacturing method using 3D printing reduces the pollution, materials and capital costs associated with building cars.

Blade supercar with 3D printed chassis Blade supercar human and system damage

“Society has made great strides in its awareness and adoption of cleaner and greener cars. The problem is that while these cars do now exist, the actual manufacturing of them is anything but environmentally friendly,” says Kevin Czinger, Founder & CEO, Divergent Microfactories.

‘We’ve found a way to make automobiles that holds the promise of radically reducing the resource use and pollution generated by manufacturing. it also holds the promise of making large-scale car manufacturing affordable for small teams of innovators. and as blade proves, we’ve done it without sacrificing style or substance. we’ve developed a sustainable path forward for the car industry that we believe will result in a renaissance in car manufacturing, with innovative, eco-friendly cars like blade being designed and built in microfactories around the world,’ added Czinger.

Blade supercar with 3D printed elements

According to Czinger, using the technology, the automotive industry could build anything from a two- seat sports car to a pickup.

Czinger is absolutely convinced that the technology is strong enough to build safe cars. The team have tested the strength and durability of the chassis, and it is even stronger than current technology.

Divergent Microfactories could produce from a few cars up to 10,000 cars per year for production factories.

Blade goes from 0-60 in about 2 seconds. That’s faster than a McLaren P1 supercar. It also has 2x the power-to-weight ratio of a Bugatti Veyron. The car uses a 700 HP, 4-cylinder turbocharged internal combustion engine fueled by compressed natural gas or gasoline.

 

State of the Art: The winners of the Swarovski Designers of the Future

Elaine Ng and Azusa of Studio Swine #DOF

The Swarovski Designers of the Future Award acknowledges emerging studios and designers who are actively expanding design culture through experimentation with cutting-edge technologies. This year’s recipients include Studio Swine, Tomás Alonso and Elaine Yan Ling Ng, who debuted new works at the 10th anniversary of Design Miami/ Basel.

The Swarovski Designers of the Future Award 2015

The Swarovski Designers of the Future Award 2015--

Design duo Studio Swine presented the groundbreaking Terraforming, a multifaceted project that explores the future of resources in luxury design. The work consists of 3 objects—a dune table featuring a constantly-changing landscape in Swarovski Xero crystal, a dune timer or digital hourglass and a table top object entitled “Solaris” — as well as a film that depicts Planet Swarovski, a crystallized world terraformed into a habitable environment. The story charts a young cartographer as he transforms the landscape, leveraging design as a tool to impact the world around him.

#DOF Tomas Alonso

The Swarovski Designers of the Future Award 2015--- The winners of the Swarovski Designers of the Future
Inspired by the point within crystal where light is either reflected or refracted, designer Tomás Alonso created 47°–a collection of crystal objects cut at this important angle. The objects are fused with colored UV glue, crystal effects and mirror foiling to reflect or refract light depending upon the vantage point of the viewer. Alonso is known for his clear and pragmatic vision which produces elegant, linear and poetic pieces.

The Swarovski Designers of the Future Award 2015- Elaine Yan Ling Ng

TED fellow and founder of THE FABRICK LAB Elaine Yan Ling Ng brings together textiles, electronics, biomimicry and craft. Ng unveiled “Sundew” at this year’s Design Miami/, a kinetic creation inspired by the exotic and carnivorous Sundew. The installation features three interactive structures whose movement is triggered by human presence. Complementing the multi-sensory experience is a fragrance that permeates the installation space and lures audiences in to interact with the work.
Although this is the first year the brand sponsored the Designers of the Future Award, Swarovski has supported Design Miami/ since 2008, collaborating with renowned talents including Greg Lynn, Asif Khan, Guilherme Torres and most recently Jeanne Gang.

The Designers of the Future award offers the opportunity to promote new talent and contribute to the wider design conversation through work that challenges traditional design approaches. Supported by Swarovski, the winners are given free rein to explore imaginative new design solutions and push the boundaries of crystal as a creative material.

 

Lounge Console Concept transformed into The Excellence Child Seat experience

Volvo’s luxurious Lounge Console Concept in the new XC90 Excellence, a bold and luxurious step forward for the Swedish car brand, leaves a lot of space for new practical ideas. This is how The Excellence Child Seat was born, says Volvo. The design team have completely re-imagined how children could travel safely. The new concept … Read more

There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness: Luzern Laboratories skincare x Breast Cancer Fund

invest in your skin: Beauty is timeless, but a little maintenance can’t hurt. Luxury skincare line Luzern Laboratories, known for their proprietary blend of certified Bio-Suisse organic extracts and advanced pharmaceutical-grade cosmeceuticals actives, continues the messaging of safe cosmetics with a partnership with Breast Cancer Fund, the leading U.S. organization working to prevent breast cancer … Read more