Business & Politics

Images courtesy of Hopenhagen/Ogilvy & Mather.

This guest post was written by Tham Khai Meng, Worldwide Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather, as part of the Voices from Hopenhagen series.

In explaining the genesis of the name "The Beatles," John Lennon famously wrote, "A Man appeared on a flaming pie and said unto them 'From this day on, you are Beatles with an A.'"

With its roots in such a story, the name of the band came to reinforce some essential characteristics of the thing it was naming: free imagination, inspired irreverence, and a dose of whimsical humility. Name and band were fused - and the John, Paul, George, Ringo foursome by any other name would not have been so sweet.

Fashion & Beauty

One dress, 365 days. Credit: The Uniform Project

You may remember Jasmin's post on The Uniform Project: One Dress, 365 Ways to Wear It back in May. Booklynite Sheena Matheiken's has made it half-way through the year--191 days on Saturday, to be exact--in one dress and with the help of vintage she's perfected the art of accessorizing. This weekend New Yorkers can borrow Sheena's style--she'll be dressed by rising star Raffaele Ascione-- and dress in black with vintage flare--like the invite suggests--click through for the invite.

Business & Politics

Image by hawkins.matt via flickr.

I spend a lot of my time as an advocate. To be able to champion a cause and educate others about the importance and necessity of action at this critical time, I must first educate myself about the reality of the challenges we all face. I need to keep it real.

The wake-up call
Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, reminds all of us what our challenge is regarding climate crisis and the survival of all species in his newly released book, Last Chance: Preserving Life on Earth. Climate crisis is not a destination in our future. It is happening now. I don't like the too-well-proven conclusion that I come to: We must act dramatically or lose civilization as we know it. A bold, overused, uncomfortable statement, I know. But in all my reading and research, this is the book that wakes me up in the middle of the night--not in fear, but with profound clarity: It is time to focus.

Design & Architecture

Yesterday the exhibition Bits 'n Pieces launched at Material Connexion in New York, a dialogue between the analog and the digital technologies within design in a post-digital era. What grabbed our attention in the busy space during the opening, were the insects doing graphic design! A sophisticated machine transformed the movements of a few bugs into beautiful patterns and logos and printed them out as fast as the insects performed.

Take Action

The Wave at Stop Climate Chaos Coalition

This is a relatively benign stunt by the standards of the Stop Climate Change Coalition, which has stirred up excitement with a nude climate change calander and in the context of Copenhagen, where one group plans to get 10000 people arrested in a climate change protest. But it is cute, and fun, and certain to succeed at the intention to "drive traffic to the-wave.org.uk where people can find out how to get involved in the march, as well as spread the word to friends and family". So what's it all about?

Take Action

Images by Tim Mitchell

The Ministry of Trying to Do Something About It sounds like a fantastical invention that's just flown straight out of a Harry Potter novel, but in fact it's a collaboration between the excellent New Economics Foundation and inspiring artist Clare Patey. This newly formed Ministry revealed itself at The Bigger Picture, a recent event organised by NEF which took place on the International Day of Climate Action just up the river from where Londoners gathered to create the number 5 of 350.org.

events

The Creative Places + Spaces conference was based on the theme of the Collaborative City, to develop "guiding principles on what cities and communities need to do to foster creativity through collaboration."

David Buckland, founder of Cape Farewell, didn't have a lot to say about cities and communities, but he certainly knows a thing or two about collaboration. He takes artists, writers, scientists, educators and the media, sticks them all into a boat and takes them into the Arctic to see climate change first hand.

Fashion & Beauty

Image courtesy of Lizz Wasserman

One of our favorite LA eco-designers Lizz Wasserman of Curatorial and Popomomo--we covered their Spring 2010 collection during LA Fashion Week, here--is hosting an open studio tomorrow along with Courtney Lowe of LA Vintage Exchange. Sip champagne--we hope it's of the green pink champagne variety--and shop 'till you drop.