Michelle Obama’s fashion influence rivaled Jackie Kennedy’s

NEW YORK (AP) - The morning after Michelle Obama’s big speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2012, in which she argued passionately for a second term for her husband, designer Tracy Reese’s phone was ringing. And ringing.　 Mrs. Obama’s powerfully delivered speech had attracted much attention -- but these phone calls were about her dress. A shimmering sleeveless sheath in rose and silvery gray, it was pretty universally considered a fashion slam dunk. And customers wanted it.　 There was

Dec. 25, 2016

New subway line to feature works by 4 celebrated artists

NEW YORK (AP) -- A subway line opening in New York City next year will have walls decorated with artworks by four celebrated contemporary artists.Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement about Manhattan’s Second Avenue subway line Monday at the Museum of Modern Art.The line opens Jan. 1 and will have four stations. Each station will display ceramic-tile or mosaic pieces by one of the four artists: Chuck Close, Sarah Sze, Jean Shin and Vik Muniz. Sze’s designs feature objects including

Dec. 21, 2016

New exhibition explores legacy of black fashion designers

NEW YORK (AP) -- As a girl, Tracy Reese thought she might be an architect. Then she caught the fashion bug.She knew, of course, that designers who are black like her existed. She used to snap up Willi Smith at The Limited growing up in Detroit. She headed to New York with high hopes.“When I first came to New York my eyes were really opened to the breadth of the industry, but I was looking for our place in it,” recalled Reese, who has dressed first lady Michelle Obama.Reese, along with other note

Dec. 11, 2016

Shop for unique Christmas items at Herald Design Online Market

Herald Design, a subsidiary of The Korea Herald’s publisher Herald Corp., is holding an online Christmas market until Dec. 18. In collaboration with a number of craft brands, the online market is offering an eclectic collection of items perfect for gifting to family, friends and acquaintances. There’s an array of items available for the holiday season, from soy candles, mobile phone cases, planners and stickers to interior ornaments, pajamas and more, all handmade by artisanal designers.  Many o

Dec. 8, 2016

Carolina Herrera says it's an honor to dress Melania Trump

NEW YORK (AP) - While a few designers have made news saying they would not dress the future first lady, Carolina Herrera said she'd be honored if Melania Trump wore one of her outfits.The famed designer spoke about Trump on the red carpet before she got an honor of her own Monday night from the Women’s Leadership Council at Lincoln Center.Who might dress the wife of President-elect Donald Trump has become an issue after designers Sophie Theallet and Tom Ford, who have both dressed first lady Mic

Dec. 8, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] Interpreting technology with design

Just as history repeats itself, so does design, according to British industrial designer Dick Powell, the co-founder of the global design consulting firm Seymourpowell. “It’s impossible to go forward without knowing where you come from,” he told The Korea Herald prior to his presentation at the sixth annual Herald Design Forum held Tuesday in Seoul. “There are cycles in design because people look back in time beyond their age.”Highlighting the example of Seymourpowell’s design for a new line of

Nov. 9, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] Believing in the power of space

Throughout her career in a field dominated by men, award-winning architect Kazuyo Sejima has always recognized that good results stem from teamwork, rather than arbitrary division in the workplace.“The key is to collaborate with lots of people, from engineers to users who experience architecture,” Sejima told The Korea Herald after speaking at the annual Herald Design Forum in Seoul on Tuesday. “Sometimes, there are conflicts and misunderstandings, but once (collaboration is) achieved, it’s a gr

Nov. 9, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] Ross Lovegrove seeks to move design from the mechanical to the biological

For acclaimed Welsh industrial designer Ross Lovegrove, the essence of successful modern design is bringing humanity in harmony with nature. And today’s revolutionary technologies are making this task more possible than ever before.　“It’s the natural, logical path for design to be born out of nature, where humans with new eyes and computational power can produce more logical and beautiful things in architecture, cars and products,” Lovegrove said in an interview during the 2016 Herald Design For

Nov. 9, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] Kickstarter invites public into creative processes

Providing creative minds a way to pitch their ideas and attract funding is the founding mission of crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, but its CEO and co-founder Yancey Strickler believes its impact is far broader.　“They’re showing their creations off in videos, walking their audience through the design process and giving them an opportunity to look into where things come from,” said Strickler in an interview after speaking at the Herald Design Forum 2016 in Seoul on Tuesday.Founded in 2009 and b

Nov. 9, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] Advances in technology heighten value of analog: Lovegrove

Acclaimed industrial designer Ross Lovegrove’s London studio is a surreal, white space filled with ultra-modern knickknacks of his own design. 　“I surround myself with models and objects which are of my world, and I like being in my world,” Lovegrove said at the second session of Herald Design Premium Talk on Tuesday evening at Seoul’s Grand Hyatt Hotel, showing photo slides of his studio to an intimate gathering of design executives and experts.　“When in doubt, I know where I am. As an artist,

Nov. 8, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] Rethinking is fundamental part of innovation: Powell

In the eyes of British industrial designer Dick Powell, design is an elixir of life for businesses. Design and innovation -- the two ingredients considered paramount to any success in business nowadays -- make things better for individuals, communities, companies as well as the environment, the cofounder of design innovation consulting firm Seymourpowell and chairman of D&AD has argued. Powell has for the last several decades transformed the boundaries of design to create functional, yet aesthet

Nov. 8, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] Vision drives design

Living in the heart of the Silicon Valley, US design executive Bob Baxley is just a short drive away from some of the biggest names in technology and innovation, including Apple, Facebook and Google. Most recently the head of product design at Pinterest, he now advises companies on the importance of design. “I get the same question over and over, which is ‘How can we be more design-driven?’” he said at this year’s Herald Design Forum, held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on Tuesday.  Design executive B

Nov. 8, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] Designers delve into collaborative works

Alberto Alessi, the CEO of Italian houseware company Alessi, and Ko Tae-yong, a fashion designer and CEO of Beyond Closet based in Seoul, talked about expanding the horizons of design through collaboration at the first session of the Herald Design Premium Talk on Tuesday. At the exclusive event held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul Regency Room, the Italian design guru and the rising star in Korean fashion agreed on the significance of collaborating not only within the industry, but also across industri

Nov. 8, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] Get out of comfort zone for innovation: Lovegrove

In a world where new products and technology are being introduced every day, a Welsh industry designer challenged the idea of modernity, suggesting a new perspective of returning to the fundamentals.Speaking at the 6th Herald Design Forum held Tuesday at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, Ross Lovegrove, the designer of Sony’s Walkman cassette player, asked some fundamental questions concerning design and humanity to the audience of some 800 people. 　 Ross Lovegrove speaks at the Herald Design Forum 2016 he

Nov. 8, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] Distinctive design key to success in auto industry: Henrik Fisker 　

Speaking about his philosophy on innovative design for automobiles at the Herald Design Forum 2016 on Tuesday, Henrik Fisker, the legendary Danish-born automotive designer known for his sophisticated electric vehicle designs, said, “Emotional connection is what attracts more consumers looking for something new and innovative.” Companies that always choose the safe way “are bound to disappear in the next 10 years,” he said.From his vantage point, the automotive industry, especially the electric v

Nov. 8, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] Fashion designer Choi Eu-don embraces both art and business

London-based Korean fashion designer Choi Eu-don gave a lecture titled “Art Embracing Business: Business Embracing Art” at the Herald Design Forum 2016 in Seoul on Tuesday. Choi, who serves as the CEO of his namesake fashion brand Eudon Choi, recently re-launched the brand’s e-commerce site to reach more consumers worldwide.  Fashion designer Choi Eu-don speaks at the Herald Design Forum 2016 held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on Tuesday. (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)“Designers usually deal with w

Nov. 8, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] Herald Design Forum kindles coalescing of ideas

Herald Design Forum -- Asia’s largest conference exploring influential design ideas -- gathered over 800 participants Tuesday, many coming from disparate fields, for a day of unparalleled inspiration. At the Grand Hyatt Seoul, design specialists, scholars, students, bureaucrats and diplomats listened to the near-revolutionary ideas of industry gurus. Under the banner “Design for convergence,” the forum delved into ingenious ways design, technology and business are coalescing thinking, connecting

Nov. 8, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] Architectural designs to respect nature, humanity

New design and different looks do grab people’s attention. The essence of architecture, however, lies in allowing the structures to blend in with the surrounding nature and helping people freely enjoy the space with each other, said Kazuyo Sejima, a Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect.Pritzker Award-winning architect Kazuyo Sejima. (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)Speaking at the 6th Herald Design Forum held Tuesday at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, the Japanese architect shared her experiences

Nov. 8, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] Core of design is intuition, sensibility: Alessi

Tracing the creative journey of his company, Alberto Alessi emphasized that design, above all, is a process that requires acute intuition and sensibility. He also lamented the current market conditions that make it harder for creators to experiment and take risks.　Alessi is the third-generation CEO of the eponymous Italian houseware brand that has come to be known for its elegant, whimsical designs that render everyday utensils into objets d’art. He was speaking to an audience of Korean designer

Nov. 8, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] Kickstarter CEO Yancey Strickler wants to put culture above profits

Entrepreneurs and startup owners today are living in a world of investment portfolios: Profit-making is a must and selling a company at maximum profit is to be celebrated. Yancey Strickler, the founder and CEO of the world’s largest crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, argues there is a better and more sustainable way. Speaking at the Herald Design Forum 2016 on Tuesday at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Seoul, Strickler said “When we all just try to optimize for money, we are bound to erase culture and

Nov. 8, 2016