Photo: George Nelson Foundation

Like the title from George Nelson's 2009 exhibition catalog declares, Architect / Writer / Designer / Teacher, Nelson was a multi-disciplined designer and creative director with six decades worth of work to show for it. Though his creations were mostly associated with Herman Miller, everything from furniture to graphic and installation design, his oeuvre was much more broader. Unfortunately, many of his work have either been discontinued or never produced and sit dormant as prototypes and concepts. Though a giant in the design world, some of his work has been forgotten. The George Nelson Foundation has been established to change this as well as to preserve and publicize the legacy of Nelson. They've archived many of his important and rarely scene work from the 1930s all the way up to the 1980s. It's filled with an array of high-res photos that bring to light many of George Nelson's design that existed beyond Herman Miller.

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Photo: Daniel Bernauer

What we collect and why we collect has long been a fascination of ours. Today we launch our first feature on Collection, a new series that looks into a collector's stock and to understand the value they place on these objects. Brooklyn based designer Jordan Viray has long been a collector. His apartment is filled with art, vintage finds from flea markets, and backpacks – many, many backpacks. His collection began in 2010 and has gradually grown over the past two and a half years to an impressive assemblage of outdoor and climbing packs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s. See what the significance of these backpacks are and the innovation that came from this era that is just as relevant today as it was then. We collaborated with Pilgrim Surf + Supply to showcase a select few of Jordan Viray's vintage backpacks. They are now on view at their shop in Williamsburg. 68 N 3 St, Brooklyn, NY.

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Photo: Noho Design District

The list of events and parties surrounding ICFF can be a dizzying one. For the next five days designers from around the world have descended on New York to shill their latest creations. Core 77, Designboom, and Metropolis magazine have compiled a list of over 200 events. It'll take some time to dig through them all so we've compiled an abridge version of our own. Noho Design District - One of the more exciting and unique off-site to take place this weekend. This year NDD expands its reach to include the Bowery. This event is always a great place to discover young talent as well as to see new work from established New York favorites. Wanted Design - A more digestible event than ICFF that takes place under one roof. It features national and international exhibitors, special programs, workshops and a pop-up store. Heath Ceramics started in 1948 but since Catherine Bailey and Robin Petravic acquired it 10 years ago, they managed to grow the company without compromising its heritage. The San Francisco based ceramic manufacturer is expanding its reach into the east coast by celebrating the last 10 years with a store within a store at Future Perfect. In celebration of Vitsoe's launch of the 620 Chair Programme, they've partnered up with Dashwood books to transform their storefront into a reading room. Designjunction, a relatively young but recognized destination during The London Design Festival makes its way to New York for the first time with INTRO NY.

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Photo: Collectiver Quarterly

There's been a proliferation of independent quarterlies and journals in the last couple of years with food themed titles leading the way. The popularity in these titles is driven by people's interest in the subject and it doesn't seem to be letting up. But we're now seeing an emergence of another popular topic taking hold in independent publishing. Makers, crafters, builders; publications that profile the people behind the objects. Titles like Made Quarterly from Australia, Hole & Corner from England, Atlas Quarterly from Brooklyn, and now Collective Quarterly from the U.S. Collective Quarterly's distinctive angle is on exploration, not only in discovering the artisans and the way they work but the journey and the land they work from. The publication is founded by three gents from three cities working collectively, from Chicago and Columbus, Ohio, to Middlebourne, West Virginia. The premiere issue will take us to Marfa, Texas, with profiles on Minnesota based Faribault Woolen Mill Company, and Drift Eyewear from Chicago. Contributors include Max Wastler of All Plaid Out, and photographers Kevin Russ and Duncan Wolfe. Collective Quarterly is now accepting pre-orders with a launch date to be announced soon.

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Photo: East Village Eye

Before downtown New York became a shopping and dining destination for locals and visitors alike, it was filled with derelict buildings, junkies, and vacancies. From Soho and Bowery to the East Village, it was a breeding ground for art, literary, music and fashion from the '60s to the '80s. The movement they created influenced so much of everything that came after. The defunct magazine of that time, the East Village Eye was on the ground to document the social and cultural change that was exploding. As they explain: "Ultimately, The East Village Eye was the monthly record of a time and place in which the radical shifts of the post-Vietnam era produced a reckless thirst for experience and expression that redefined the world we live in today, and has rarely been seen in our culture since." The list of contributors and profiles were a who's who of the New York creative scene and beyond; Jim Jarmusch, Glenn O' Brien, Stephen Sprouse, Eric Bogosian, Barbara Kruger, Rei Kawakubo, Clash and so many others. The East Village Eye ended in 1987 but on the occasion of the Met's exhibition on Punk, they've resurfaced in digital form. Ten issues are now available in pdf form on their site. An archive is underway on all 72 issues. Selections of each will be made over time. via EV Grieve.

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Photo: PBS

PBS premiered 10 Buildings That Changed America over the weekend. From Virginia's Grecian columned Capitol to Frank Gehry's undulating metallic skin that is the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the buildings that were featured spans 300 centuries. They not only influenced American architecture but were also symbolic to the history of this nation. The show looks into the past and the architects that designed and engineered these significant structures with interviews with historians and anecdotal stories of how these buildings came to be. 10 Buildings That Changed America can be viewed in its entirety on their site.

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Photo: Los Angeles Modern Auctions

For years Serge Mouille did not share the same amount of recognition as his fellow Frenchman, Jean Prouvé. Though this does not diminish his work in the slightest. Mouille's lighting design is gaining awareness through the years due in part to broader distribution in his licensed designs, cheaper replicas, exhibitions, and profiled auctions. David John interviews Dan Tolson from Los Angeles Modern Auctions and gives us insight into Mouille's collectibility, dedication to quality control, and the uniqueness of an original Mouille versus the newer licensed versions.

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Photo: Guggenheim Museum

James Turrell is a hero of ours. We're consumed by the progress of his ongoing master piece in the Arizona desert and whenever possible we make it a point to visit one of his works during our travels. So it should come as no surprised that we're thrilled about the three major exhibitions on Turrell this summer. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and the Guggenheim have worked in concert to bring this retrospective together. Most impressive, biased because of our location, is Aten Reign. The site specific installation will transform Guggenheim's rotunda into a canvas for shifting artificial and natural light that is synonymous with Turrell's work. LACMA will be the first of the three museums, with their exhibition opening May 26th. Followed by The Museum of Fine Arts Houston on June 9th and finally Guggenheim on June 21st.

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Photo: Vitsoe

At first glance, the 620 Chair designed by Dieter Rams appears the same as it did when it was first produced in 1962. But when Vitsoe took over exclusive licensing they re-engineered every component of the chair to make it better by customizing nearly every piece. Vitsoe worked closely with Rams to improve upon the comfort and most importantly the longevity. To celebrate the occasion, Vitsoe New York will be hosting the '620 Reading Room' with their neighbor Dashwood Books. The reading room will be open next week from May 17th to May 20th. Vitsoe 33 Bond Street New York NY 10012

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Photo: Hole & Corner

We're excited about Hole & Corner, a new magazine coming out of England that "celebrates craft, beauty, passion and skill." The bi-annual publication will have a digital counterpart with what appears to be content and e-commerce driven to support craftsmen by exposing their work to a wider audience. Bill Gentle (Backyard Bill) will be contributing but little else is known as who and what will be in the first issue. The big reveal is set for May 23rd or sooner according to their twitter feed. Until then have a look at their facebook, instagram, and pinterest to see the aesthetic and creative direction they are most likely taking.

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Photo: Jay Nelson

THROUGH THE LENS with Rob Machado from Through The Lens on Vimeo.

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Photo: Noho Design District

Now in its fourth year, Noho Design District returns during New York's Design Week. The event continues to excel in discovering new talent and supporting recognized designers like Lindsey Adelman and Fort Standard. This year's events stretches eastward to Extra Place, the tiny alley that's made an incredible transformation in the last decade. A first for NDD, will be classes held at the Bowery Hotel where participants are invited to workshops taught by Fredericks & Mae, Fort Makers, and Chen Chen & Kai Williams. American Design Club will host a new group showcase entitled Trophy: Awards We Live With. A travel show by Field & Various Projects will feature designers that have based their work on the theme of travel. Other events include NoHo Next 2013; Mixed Greens at Plantworks with photographs by Leslie Williamson, Brian Ferry, and others; The Future Perfect celebrating the last 10 years with Heath, and many more. Noho Design District opens next weekend from May 17th to the 20th.

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Photo: Best Made Co.

Sometimes you don't need words to tell a story. Pictures will do just fine. Best Made Co's "The Last Frontier" is gorgeously captured. The Food Book Fair returns to the Wythe Hotel. Opening event began last night and runs through the weekend. It comes as a surprise to us that this isn't the first in the world but only in North America. University of British Columbia is the first campus in North America to build a skatepark on campus according to Vancity Buzz. File this under "In case you missed it" – Barbara Kruger responds to Supreme's lawsuit against Married to the Mob. via Complex.

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Photo: Imogene + Willie

Imogene + Willie was able to convert an old garage into a shop that is so inviting, you want to move in. So it was natural for the the denim brand to venture into home goods. The shop now stocks textiles, kitchen and bath supplies consisting of clay bowls and vessels from Columbia, cutting boards made of reclaimed wood, vintage African indigo dyed fabrics, tools for the bathroom and much more. They've even hand selected one of a kind items to personalize your home with like vintage baskets and rugs from Bolivia and China. See what else they have in the shop by visiting their home goods department.

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Photo: House Industries

House Industries continues to expand upon their line of wooden blocks with their latest edition, the Counting Koi. They've teamed up with Uncle Goose, the Grand Rapids, Michigan based company known for manufacturing wooden toys the old fashion way, by hand. The set includes ten koi blocks, produced from maple wood, each numerically etched with numbers based on House's Worthe Numerals. This first set is available in black with new colors to come or how House likes to playfully put it, "varieties will emerge as selective reproduction continues."

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