Our video on the craftsmanship and history behind our favorite sipping tequila
In our latest video we went to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to talk to the brains behind Casa Dragones tequila. The world’s only tequila designed for sipping, we learned how Casa Dragones gets its super smooth flavor and how craftsmanship is a cornerstone of the brand.
Our video on surfer-jeweler Jill Platner
As longtime fans of
Jill Platner’s nature-inspired jewelry, we waited a few years to find the right moment for documenting the artisan’s creative process and studio. This video catches up with Jill at her Crosby Street space as she works on her current collection to learn more about how she started and what informs her work.
Troika’s dripping lights at Design Miami
We’ve long been fans of the tech-savvy collective Troika (check out our 2006 video), and the trio recently inspired us again with their beautiful installation piece “Falling Light” at Design Miami.
The Cool Hunting Rough Cut here will give you a little glimpse of the piece (as well as a preview of our coverage of the fairs), which creates the mind-bending effect of light droplets dripping from the ceiling onto the floor. The installation is composed of 50 seperate mechanical devices with custom cut Swarovski crystal optical lenses, a computer controlled motor and a white LED light. The LED moves away from the crystal lens, which acts as a prism, and the resulting diffraction gives the light droplets a flowing life.
Created in response to poet John Keats’ commentary on Sir Isaac Newton’s experiments with rainbows, the light experience, combined with the hum of the motors, provides a multi sensory experience and enforces, “Troika’s agenda that science does not destroy, but rather discovers poetry in the patterns of nature.”
A video teaser on the Mexican maestro of glass engraving
On a recent visit to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, we had the privilege of meeting José Cruz Guillén Peña, one of the few remaining (and quite possibly the best living) master craftsmen of the “Pepita” method of glass engraving. Enjoy this peek into how José Cruz carves beautiful designs using a stone wheel, and check back for a full video detailing the artisan’s work with tequila brand Casa Dragones.
In our latest video a revived Swiss watchmaker takes us behind the scenes to look at design and handcraft
We traveled to beautiful Neuchâtel, Switzerland to learn the history of Marvin Watches, a brand celebrating it’s 160th birthday and its re-introduction to consumers. Once one of the largest watchmakers in Switzerland the company suffered at the end of the last century, and was resurrected by husband and wife team Cécile and Jean-Daniel Maye eight years ago. Their hard work has paid off, and Marvin Watches was just launched in the U.S. and most European markets in October 2010.
Cécile shares Marvin’s story and walks us through the year-long process of making a watch. Celebrated watch designer Sébastian Perret has been instrumental in Marvin’s renaissance, and he shares his process for creating a watch from sketch to prototype.
While we were at Marvin we worked with Cécile and Sébastien to design our “>”Toujours Plus” Malton 160 Cushion, a Cool Hunting Edition collaboration.
A London artist’s knife skills and knack for precision are the subject of our latest video
“Some people like taking their time,” says artist Kim Rugg, whose artistic achievements are measured in millimeters, used X-ACTO blades and picas. We spent the afternoon with Rugg in her London home and studio talking about her work re-imagining newspapers, comics, stamps and cereal boxes using their existing form while rearranging their content. Kim finds inspiration from the mundane and common objects around us. Her wicked knife skills and tenacious attention to detail have created a body of work that is as impressive as it is curious.
Our video from the Vitsoe headquarters in London highlights the Dieter Rams ethos
In this video Mark Adams, Managing Director of the iconic shelving system Vitsoe, discusses Dieter Ram’s 10 principles of good design during our visit to Vitsoe headquarters in London. Adams gives us unique insight into the history of the brand and its meaning to Dieter Rams, demonstrating how Rams’ principles relate directly to the style and success of the Vitsoe name.
Cheer on Cool Hunting as our videos compete for Vimeo’s best Original Series
The first-annual Vimeo Awards and Festival showcases the talented roster of producers, editors, directors and more that create the oft-entertaining and -beautifully shot motion pictures hosted on web’s premier alternative channel.
We’re thrilled and honored to announce that Cool Hunting has been selected as a finalist in the Original Series category. Included among an accomplished group of challengers, we invite you to come out to see all the films and cheer us on to victory.
The festival takes place in NYC on 8-9 October 2010. Tickets sell through Vimeo’s website for $120 and $90 for students, enter discount code “COOL” upon checkout to receive 20% off the ticket price.
In this latest Cool Hunting Video, we visit Brooklyn to tour the Mast Brothers’ bean-to-bar chocolate factory—one of just a handful in the U.S. The chocolatiers, Rick and Michael Mast, walk us through their uniquely intensive process, DIY machines, and a little of their food philosophy.
In this video, we visit the family-run business Hästens at their factory in Köping, Sweden where they’ve been building their notoriously luxurious beds for five generations. Johan Luukas leads the tour, while senior project manager Perry Forsberg explains how the company evolved from their saddle-making roots into the most coveted built-to-order bed business today.
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