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Theaster Gates partners with the Prada group to launch an incubator for color designers.

Long before last year’s cultural toll on the lack of diversity within the design industry, Theaster Gates was striving to make room for black and brown creatives through his Chicago-based Rebuild Foundation. Today, the multidisciplinary artist and activist has partnered with the Prada Group to launch the Dorchester Industries Experimental Design Lab, a three-year incubator for emerging color designers in the fields of furniture, industrial, graphic and design design. fashion. “Color practitioners grow up when they have the opportunity to do, debate and ask tough questions inside and outside of their fields,” Gates said in a recent interview. In its first year, the lab will host public programming on the South Side of Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. The inaugural class will be announced in October.

The Taliban’s continued control in Afghanistan could endanger a primitive citadel of Buddhism.

Raised above a $ 50 billion copper reserve 25 miles southeast of historic Buddhist colony Kabul My Aynak is in danger due to a joint initiative of the Taliban regime and a myriad of Chinese mining companies. The site is perched atop 55 million tonnes of copper ore and is home to 400 statues, several monasteries and other architectural antiquities. Although preliminary talks with China have been suspended, these economic contracts are expected to be revived under the Taliban. The logistical consequences of these plans include the establishment of railways and massive excavation sites among other developments. “This is the first real documentation of the relationship of the Buddhist community with industrial activity”, comments Philippe Marquis, the head of the French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan. “Afghanistan is very important in the history of Buddhism. We never had the opportunity to understand the link between this community and the economic and political life of the country.

Allbirds goes public with legitimate promises of sustainability.

Based in San Francisco, Allbirds has taken the footwear industry by storm with its line of sustainable footwear. The company is now preparing to expand into to apply for a scholarship with an offer of $ 100 million and an optimistic valuation of $ 2 billion on the rise, as recorded by Bloomberg News. Although the brand’s movement comes directly from the playbook of other D2C brands by changing their e-commerce and digital presence to physical stores and conventional advertising, it is listed as B-Corp and is legally obligated to disclose its finances when it is about improving social systems. as well as the environment. Now, Allbirds’ commitment to sustainable operation and manufacturing has legal weight behind them.

European airlines are banning fabric masks because of their questionable effectiveness.

Amid an upsurge in the Delta variant, major European airlines such as Finnair, Air France and Lufthansa have cloth masks prohibited for passengers. The change in travel protocol sanctions the use of medical grade masks as opposed to their cloth counterparts due to skepticism of mask outlets failing to meet global health guidelines. According to a study by the Environmental Protection Agency, N95 and surgical masks offer 95% and 71.5% filtration, respectively, while fabric masks range from 26.5% (cotton) to 79% (nylon). While the global trend to wear fashionable sheet masks is drawing to an end, the changed travel policies are a reminder of the benefits of erring on the side of caution.

ICON completes 3D printed homes in Austin designed to withstand natural disasters.

Using ICON’s proprietary technology and a stronger, more resilient building material, Logan Architecture led the design of the development of four units of 3D printed houses, a partnership with the developer 3Strands. In addition to increased durability against natural disasters, Austin-based ICON housing offers a vision for solving the housing shortage. The company has already built 3D printed houses in Mexico and is working with NASA and Bjarke Ingels Group develop construction systems for the exploration of Mars.

Camille Miceli has been appointed Emilio Pucci’s new artistic director.

LVMH label Emilio Pucci has appointed Camille Miceli as artistic director. Although she has no formal training in fashion, Miceli’s experience in the garment industry and her academic achievements have testified to her management of land at Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Karl Lagerfeld and Dior. Miceli is often described as a ‘storybook character’ due to his nonchalant fashion style, and his Pucci appointment signals a shift in branding, moving away from catwalk splendor to focus. on personality. As Miceli moves to Milan to settle into his role, fans of the label will be patiently awaiting his debut in spring 2022.

Today’s Attractive Distractions:

The Guggenheim Bilbao drops a rap video to raise money to repair a sculpture by Jeff Koons.

Netflix hires the Queen of Denmark as scenographer for a fantastic film by Karen Blixen.

Pandemics are often forgotten in history, but this German museum keeps them alive.

Shortly after release Donda, Kanye west was spotted on a secret art tour in Berlin.