NYCxDesign | May 8-19, 2015

The best design in the world meets the Big Apple May 8-19, 2015 at the 2015 NYCxDesign...New York City’s official citywide celebration of design.

New Aesop Interior Bold and Beautiful

Aesop, the Melbourne-based company that creates high quality skin, hair, and body products opened a new store on Bleeker Street in New York City's West Village in September of 2012 that caught the eye of both beauty and design fans. Designed by Australian architect Rodney Eggleston of March Studio, the store's wood interior succeeds in combining of old world apothecary with futuristic space shop.

The BMW Guggenheim Lab

The BMW Guggenheim Lab is a mobile community thinktank and lab that has been traveling the world since 2011. The Lab started in New York, visited Berlin in 2012, and will soon set down in Mumbai through January 2013. The idea behind the Lab is to engage communities in creating innovations for urban living. The theme for the Lab through Mumbai explores how urban environments can be made more responsive to people’s needs, how people can feel more at ease in urban environments, and how to find a balance between notions of modern comfort and the urgent need for environmental and social responsibility. Plans are underway for the Lab to move to other cities as well.

BMW i to Debut in 2013

The long-awaited BMW i just got a little closer to being on the market. In June 2012 the BMW i Store opened in London to showcase the BMW i3 and BMW i8 as they approach their release in 2013. The concept cars will take a year-long seven city world excursion in the BMW i Born Electric Tour that will finish up Shanghai in 2013. We're certainly excited about the electric vehicle, but we must be honest...we're even more excited about the design.

Below you will find the tour teaser:

Music, Art, & Architecture at the Guggenheim

MGMT, the neo-psychedelic band which achieved mainstream renown for its electro-pop gems such as “Kids” and “Time to Pretend,” recently made two appearances at the Guggenheim Museum in New York to play at the afterparty for the museum’s 2011 International Gala. This year’s gala featured a retrospective of the works of the artist Maurizio Cattelan.

Cattelan’s hyperrealist art is known for being subversive, and often shocking. To complement this aesthetic, MGMT performed new music written specifically for the occasion. They stated in a press release:

“We’re creating a musical experience that works for the building, and for the construction and presentation of the Cattelan exhibition. The art exhibition is done in a completely original way, so it deserves music which is completely original. The Guggenheim performance won’t be a traditional MGMT show, but it will be _______.”

The music is largely in the vein of their experimental sophomore album, Congratulations, rather than the more radio-friendly Oracular Spectacular. The performances occurred on November 10 and 11. EM

A clip from the show is available below:

Edun Pioneers, Men of Style and Substance

We've been fans of the very stylish and sustainable fashion brand, Edun, since they produced their first pair of organic cotton t-shirts and jeans in 2005. Launched by Ali Hewson and her husband, U2 singer Bono, Edun has been committed to promoting fair trade in Africa and responsible fashion since the very start. So we were super impressed when they launched their Fall/Winter 2011 men's line campaign, Pioneers. The effort features 12 men of style and substance, social entrepreneurs from diverse businesses and nonprofit organizations that are active in creative positive change in the world. In addition to raising awareness on key social and environmental issues, 10% of sales of each pioneers showcased garment will go to their respective causes.

The image above features Pencils of Promise founder, Adam Braun. Other featured changemakers include Jim Moriarty, Sean Carasso, Aaron Rose, Waris, Jonathon Price, and Chef Marcus Samelson.

Sceleb | Nina Tandon

Nina Tandon is an American electrical and biomedical engineer. She currently conducts research at Columbia University's Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering and is an adjunct professor of Electrical Engineering at the Cooper Union.

Tandon received a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, Electrical Engineering in 2001, an MS in Electrical Engineering from MIT in 2006, and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia in 2009 for which she studied electrical stimulation in cardiac tissue engineering. She was also a Fulbright Scholar in Tor Vergata University in Rome, Italy between 2003 and 2004 where she researched electronic odor detection. Tandon was a Columbia and MIT Presidential Fellow and she was chosen as a Ted Fellow in 2011. Avocations include drums, photography, yoga, running, metalsmithing, playing with puppies, baking, and exploring. How she finds time to do all this, we have no idea but we are thrilled to have her among our most creative and inspiring Scelebs.

Sceleb | Debbie Berebichez

Image credit: Miller Mobley via Wired
Debbie Berebichez is a physicist and science promotor. Berebichez received her B.A. in Physics and Philosophy from Brandeis University in 1996, a MS in Physics from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in 1998, another MS in Physics from Stanford in 2000, and her PhD in physics from Stanford in 2004...the first Mexican woman to do so. She took on two postdoctoral fellowships in applied mathematics and physics and conducted further research at Columbia University's Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics department as well as at New York University's Courant Institute for Mathematical Sciences. She speaks five languages. Berebichez is currently Principal Scientist at ThoughtWorks and TV Host at the Science Channel. We've been fans ever since her oh-so-fabulous The Newtonian Physics of Manolo Blahniks.

Berebichez has topped our Stylish Scientist List for many years and also appears in our Citizens of the Next Century List.

2010 Imagine Science Film Festival

The 2010 Imagine Science Film Festival (ISFF) in NYC is just around the corner, get your tickets now!

Date | October 15-22, 2010
Location | Various Locations in NYC
Website | imaginesciencefilms.com

Kepler, the opera

Composer Philip Glass recently debuted his third science-inspired opera, his first in German. Kepler premiered in Linz, Austria in September 2009 as part of Linz09 celebrating Linz's designation as a European Capitol of Culture and coincided with the International Year of Astronomy the 400th anniversary of Kepler's Astronomia Nova. Kepler had its US debut in New York in November of 2009.

Cirque de science

Stockholm-based Cirkus Cirkör has a new traveling circus show that features science in an incredibly new and creative way. Directed by Tilde Björfors, Inside Out offers fantastic music (by Irya's Playground), outstanding acrobatics, and a story that asks the audience to consider the deep meaning of life are all pieced together with the heart in mind - literally, since a huge heart set piece is an integral part of story.

High School of Art & Design | NYC

The High School of Art & Design in NYC may focus on the arts but it also "seeks to inspire and educate all populations of learners who are artistically to become creative problem solvers and future learners". The school also has strong science, technology, and math (STEM) programs and other unique programs, such as their student centered PE classes.

World Science Festival

Its time again for the World Science Festival in NYC. Nowhere else will you find such a collection of the best, brightest - and most entertaining - scientists.

Morgans Hotel Group

If you like good design and don't know about the Morgans Hotel Group (Hudson Hotels and others) check out the video tour on their new website. Better yet, next time you're in NYC, make reservations to stay at one of their properties. Marcel Wanders had a hand in some of the new interiors and his great talent comes through loud and clear.

Confluence - Style and substance in NYC

Where else would you find science, design, and culture all in one event? The 2nd Annual New Yorker Conference of course, May 8-9. Their first conference was a HUGE success last year so its no surpirse we're on to round two. And who else would be better at bringing together some of the brightest minds to discuss our future than The New Yorker. Whether you're a physicist, an architect, or a sociologist, this conference has something for everyone.