First Lady Michelle Obama hosts National Design Awards luncheon

First Lady Michelle Obama recently hosted a luncheon at the White House to honor winners of the 2010 National Design Awards. Launched in 2000, the awards are a program of the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. Mrs. Obama mentions the gap between America's talented and creative youth and the individuals and resources that may inspire their dreams. The First Lady also makes several references to the the importance of finding solutions to our worlds pressing economic, social, and environmental challenges by cultivating design innovations that arise from the intersection of art and science. Mrs. Obama's understanding of this intersection was demonstrated by the fact that she was as excited to introduce Secretary Wayne Clough (head of the Smithsonian) as she was to sit next to Tim Gunn.

Nature Conservancy Inspired Design

New York's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum has partnered with The Nature Conservancy to produce Design for a Living World, an exhibit that demonstrates how designers can use sustainable materials to both honor the origins of the materials we use and reduce our impact on the planet. From knitted wool floor tiles to Isaac Mizrahi's salmon skin dress, to vegetable ivory, the designers have outdown themselves in both style and substance.