Reference Page: September 2010

Urban Outfitters
Inflatable icebergs are the design world’s latest answer to ugly vacant lots. But before the recession, downtown Manhattan had come up with another idea:
“Re:Construction, a public-art initiative. One of its most popular projects is “Walking Men 99”, in which the Israeli artist Maya Barkai wrapped pictures of 99 pedestrian-traffic-light icons around the construction fences at 99 Church Street. Most are the usual green male silhouettes, but there are a few surprises, including a ponytailed lady from Utrecht (known as Sophie) and a soldier with a rifle from the Danish town of Fredericia.

Very Cozy Outfits
Jessica Seinfeld, now famous for her spinach brownies and copyright lawsuit, is also the founder of Baby Buggy, a nonprofit that gives toddler equipment to families in need. She partnered with Maira Kalman for a Target collection this summer. But another Target partnership got most of the attention: Cynthia Rowley–designed diapers! With faux back pockets and a choice of stripes or ruffles, these designer Pampers cost $15.99 for a pack of 24. Why spend more? “It’s the first piece of clothing your baby will ever wear,” Rowley said in the press release, “and it should be special.”

The Modern Kitchen (Again)
Christine Frederick, the efficiency expert whose theories inspired the Frankfurt kitchen, was concerned with women’s lack of productivity in the home. It all started with an analysis of her own dishwashing routine: “For years I never realized that I actually made eighty wrong motions in the washing alone,” she wrote in
Ladies’ Home Journal. But for Frederick, scientific housework wasn’t just about being fast; it was also about empowerment. In a New York Times profile from 1913, the reporter noted that “Mrs. Frederick makes a strong point
of the educative power of household work,” and then quoted the expert herself: “food values, the chemistry of housekeeping, children’s diet, all furnish the amplest opportunity for study and research.”