MILAN (AP) ― Women worrying about next summer’s fashionable hemline needn’t fuss. Everything is in. At Milan Fashion Week, it’s clear designers are leaving it up to personal choice, offering everything from a trailing gown to a mini-skirt. Jil Sander has returned, and it shows. No more dabbling into romantic or experimental styles, as happened when the label was in the creative hands of Raf Simons. It’s back to minimalist basics for the 68-year-old German designer. Black is black white is white,

Sept. 26, 2012

Daeyang Gallery and House has won the 2012 Emirates Glass LEAF Awards, a prestigious international architecture award that recognizes innovative architectural design. The private art gallery and house won in the category of Mixed-Use Buildings of the Year for its “intriguing combination of commercial and living accommodation on a grand scale,” according to the jury. The LEAF award is given by the Leading European Architects Forum, which was founded in 2001.  The gallery, designed by New York-bas

Sept. 26, 2012

(UPI)A Russian diamond mining company said it has unearthed a rare 158.2-carat diamond worth more than $1.5 million.Alrosa, Russia's largest diamond mining company, said the gem was discovered this month at factory No. 16 of the Nyurbinsk mine in the Republic of Yakutia, northeastern Russia, RIA Novosti reported Tuesday."In the estimate of Alrosa's specialists, this diamond may be sold for over $1

Sept. 26, 2012

MILAN (AP) ― It’s not all black and white in Milan this season. Women’s collections coming off the runway for next year’s warmer weather are all about the pastoral ― relaxing looks in both silhouette and color, with flowing styles and floral patterns that blend with the prevailing pastel palette.Flowers are the repeating motif for the 2013 season. Some are essential and graphic, take the Prada origami flower. Others are as delicate as a Japanese water color, as in Etro’s chiffon gowns. And yet o

Sept. 23, 2012

The future for young Korean designers in film concept design is bright as film production sites move from Hollywood to other countries, according to Korean-American concept designer Steve Jung. “Koreans have this excellent dexterity and a special talent in design. They are already showing outstanding performance in video game design,” said Jung at a lecture on concept design for films at the Herald Design Forum on Friday. “What they need is more confidence. Many students ask me whether they can

Sept. 21, 2012

The role of design is to make peoples’ lives easier and better, but what makes a design iconic among thousands of new designs released every year is an emotional connection with people, according to Bruce Duckworth, co-founder of brand design agency Turner Duckworth based in San Francisco and London.“Iconic design is emotional,” said Duckworth at the lecture on advertisement at the Herald Design Forum on Friday in Seoul. Duckworth and his design team led several iconic brand and packaging design

Sept. 21, 2012

Herald Design Forum lays ground for addressing design competitivenessDesign has set roots in every area of our lives with people getting more emotionally involved in brands and designs, experts said on Friday during the second annual Herald Design Forum.The event posed the question: “How far could design reach into our lives?” to the thousands in attendance during the three-day forum.From architectural design, industrial design and design management to conceptual design in films and advertisemen

Sept. 21, 2012

Nation’s premier stage for design opens with over 1,000 participantsDesign lovers and enthusiasts packed the second annual Herald Design Forum on Thursday, eager to tune into what top international design gurus had to say during the two-day event.The forum, which invited prominent figures in the field of design as key speakers, kicked off its first day with an opening session attended by representatives from the local government, business and cultural sectors.Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, Culture M

Sept. 20, 2012

Excitement filled the air as thousands of participants surged in through the northern gate of COEX Convention Center, southeast Seoul, on Thursday, to attend the Herald Design Forum 2012. Diverse in age, occupation, social status and interest, guests convened at the grand auditorium of the beautifully designed building. Passion for design and creation became the common interest to hold together thousands of individuals.  Following the grand opening ceremony, three globally renowned designers ― T

Sept. 20, 2012

As the world’s population increases and the demand for natural resources surges, architects need to create sustainable buildings that last more than 100 years, according to Japanese architect Tadao Ando.“Fifty years ago, we lived using one-tenth of the energy we use today, and now with the population growth, we need more resources. And we build many things as well, but what we need to keep in mind is creating sustainable buildings that last over 100 to 150 years,” said Ando in a lecture held dur

Sept. 20, 2012

Many would think of the products of Japanese retail company such as its blank notepads and white tea cups, as simple and minimalistic.But the company’s art director Kenya Hara says the philosophy behind its products is “emptiness,” not “simplicity.” And it’s that “emptiness” that creates room for creativity and imagination, the designer said. “It’s very important to talk about the concept of emptiness when I talk about Muji products,” Hara said during his lecture at the Herald Design Forum in Se

Sept. 20, 2012

Hyundai Card’s design director Joon Oh! said corporate design should be a first priority for a company to build its brand image. “In Korea, companies start considering design after they grow big enough in sales. But design should be the first step for building corporate identity,” he said during his lecture at the Herald Design Forum in Seoul, Thursday. Since joining Hyundai Card in 2009, Oh! has made the company a leading innovator within the credit card industry here, unveiling a series of hit

Sept. 20, 2012

A private auction featuring drawings by internationally acclaimed designers was held at the Herald Design Forum on Thursday. The sale held along with dinner for VIPs presented a total of four sketches: a drawing of animals by former automobile designer Chris Bangle, a car sketch by design chief of KIA Motors Peter Schreyer and two architectural sketches of Japanese architect Tadao Ando. “We are happy to have Bangle and Schreyer who are present here today and I felt a great passion from audience,

Sept. 20, 2012

Zhang Xiaogang, one of the best-selling artists in contemporary Chinese art, said he is not swayed by his tremendous success and still follows his heart,“Art is not about business but life. If art were business, I would have studied and followed the example of successful people ― but that just isn’t my way of doing art,” Zhang said in a lecture at the Herald Design Forum 2012 in COEX Auditorium, Seoul, on Thursday.“Whether I can succeed or not, I follow my heart. What really counts in art is how

Sept. 20, 2012

Top auto designers and architect talk about their design philosophiesPeter Schreyer may be best known for leading Audi to become a global premium car brand when he worked as chief designer for the carmaker from 1994 to 2002. Now many Koreans recognize the German automotive veteran as the innovator who has brought freshness to Kia Motors cars, especially the K-series with its signature “tiger nose” radiator grille. The chief design officer of Kia, who joined the company six years ago, hinted at

Sept. 20, 2012