One of the most talked-about installations during Milan Design Week was The Paper Log: Shell and Core, a project led by Satoshi Kondo of Miyake Design Studio in collaboration with Spanish architecture office Ensamble Studio. It took over Issey Miyake’s via Bagutta boutique with furnishings crafted from compressed paper—made to resemble marble and other, lighter, materials.

The idea derives from the pleated couture that Issey Miyake is known for. To make his origami-like clothing, a compressed roll of wafer-thin paper sheets protect the fabric as it is fed through the pleating machine. “The name Paper Log derives from the roll’s structural similarity to a tree trunk, with its circular marbling resembling growth rings—a suggestion of the passing of time in both a plant’s life and the pleating process,” the brand explains. After being fed through the machine, the rolls are also used to easily transport the pleated pieces.

Across the showroom, the original inspiration and point of departure—the compressed paper roll—was given new life in various guises. Ensamble Studio crafted ethereal pieces that looked like a cross between clothing and sculpture by peeling sheets from the Paper Log, then treating them with hardening agents.

The in-house team, meanwhile, devised prototypes of furniture, such as a marble-like block that served as a display table and was complemented by a Corbusier-like armchair; and long, log-like benches that revealed their knotty ends, as if the paper log were channeling its former, tree-like state. They accomplished these marvels by soaking the paper in wax, painting it with glue, or tying it into bundles.

This isn’t the first time that Satoshi Kondo has been inspired by this easily adaptable byproduct of fashion. He created seating and other installation elements for the ISSEY MIYAKE Spring Summer 2025 show in Paris by cutting the paper log crosswise. For the Milan boutique, he and Ensamble expanded on these initial concepts to give the material’s creative possibilities—which hover between the ephemeral and the concrete, the delicate and the robust—the most luxurious of interpretations.

Photography editor’s own.

A one-of-a-kind piece is, by nature, special–it is singularly the only thing that exists like it. FREITAG prides itself on circular design in every respect of the process, reclaiming upcycled truck tarps and transforming them into something unique. Their new Easy Riders collection features cute catchalls, expertly designed to fit snugly on to the frame or handlebars of your bike. That’s not all–these bags can transform into messengers, conveniently coming with you with a simple clip-on strap. Build your ideal setup, stay prepared, and take it on the road, wherever that may be.

The F140 FRAN is a crossbody bag and a bike pouch in one, clipping on to the front of your handlebars with ease. An easily convertible bag from day to night, sling it crossbody to take your essentials from trail to town with ease.

The F141 BERYL is an asymmetrical cycling bag that sits snugly on the top tube, with a handy strap for the seat tube to keep things secure.

Small but mighty, the F142 HEINZ sits at the back of the seat post, strapped to the bottom of the saddle. For your most precious objects, even a little mud won’t stand a chance against the tarp material, waterproof and meant to withstand even the toughest elements. This mini bag can also be clipped to a bag, belt, or as a standalone crossbody bag. Each one unique, you’ll carry a piece of manufactur, as well as a sense

FREITAG is on a mission to keep bags in use, not in the closet or worse, landfill. Each piece is unique, upcycling a core tenet of the values of the brand. They walk the walk where many do not–offering Repair, Take-Back, and Rent services, you can truly keep your bag in use, as long as you’d like.

To learn more about the Easy Riders collection from FREITAG, visit freitag.ch.

Photography by Silvia Possamai.

Completed in 1823 and clad in Flemish red brick, 56 Bleecker Street sits at the edge of the Bond Street district, one of the most exclusive enclaves in 1830s Manhattan. Once home to Jacobus Roosevelt II, great-grandfather of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the building also housed the practice of the first female physician in the United States, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell. Drenched in history, the brick façade has aged remarkably well, all things considered. Paying homage to these ingrained traditions—and to the neighborhood that continues to support them—meet a local favorite, if you somehow haven’t already: Sabah.

Sabahs are made entirely by hand from 100% leather in either Texas or Turkey: two regions with distinct yet deeply rooted relationships to the material. The result is a shoe that varies subtly from pair to pair, even within the same size. The store accommodates this nuance, sometimes trying on upward of twenty pairs to find the right fit.

Inside, bespoke lighting by next-door neighbor Jill Platner casts each corner as a distinct vignette, inviting you to linger. This is intentional: as modern consumers, we’re accustomed to shoes that feel comfortable immediately—rarely pausing for those that require a break-in period, especially when made by hand. Outside of dedicated loafer enthusiasts, an all-leather shoe has become increasingly uncommon amid the rise of athleisure. Finding the right pair, then, becomes something of a Cinderella moment. When it fits, you know.

With prospective pairs scattered across the floor, the space feels aligned with centuries of use. Whether you’ve come to browse, shop, or simply sit, there is room for it all. A marked generosity is consistent throughout the walkways and merchandising that feels notably rare for the area. There’s space to relax, perhaps with a coffee, or a drink if it’s after five—or even before.

In a city where places to sit and stay a while are at a premium, Sabah House offers a quiet reprieve. Product ledges double as benches, with storage tucked below for additional sizes. In an era where many claim the mantle of the “third space,” this one delivers—a genuine refuge from the noise.

If the kitchen is the heart of the home, the bar is the heart of Sabah House NYC.

With a full range of kids’ sizing and a mini stamp bar featuring playful, themed icons, the space is notably family-friendly—though the stamps tend to attract everyone. Low seating invites climbing, while merchandising at multiple heights keeps the environment visually engaging from every vantage point.

Founder Mickey Ashmore—locally referred to as the “Sabah Dealer”—began selling Sabahs out of his East Village apartment more than a decade ago. Each pair carries distinct maker’s marks, connecting customers directly to the hands that crafted them. In an age of ultra-fast fashion and increasing indifference to provenance, Sabah revives an older paradigm—one that feels surprisingly radical today: celebrating human idiosyncrasy as a feature, not a flaw.

To learn more about Sabah House NYC, visit sabah.am.

Photography courtesy of Sabah.

There’s a particular kind of expectation that follows Apple and their iconic announcements—a belief that even the most familiar object can be recalibrated into something more ambient, more intuitive, or more essential. We’ve been spoiled lately. But with the introduction of AirPods Max 2, that expectation is less about reinvention than refinement. The quiet yet consequential upgrades to this device actively shape the conditions in which we live, work, and move.

Powered by the H2 chip, the second generation of Apple’s over-ear headphones leans into listening as a series of adaptive experiences—shifting through context, intention, and identity to serve personas defined by how sound integrates into daily life.

The Traveler: Silence as Infrastructure

Movement has always been synonymous with noise—the low, constant roar of airplane engines, the unpredictable cadence of trains or cars, and the friction of shared space with pedestrian traffic. For the traveler, AirPods Max 2 operate as a kind of arbiter of quiet, better negotiating that boundary between calm and chaos.

With Active Noise Cancellation now up to 1.5x more effective, the headphones carve out a private auditory interior, dampening everything from cabin turbulence to commuter chatter. Paired with Adaptive Audio, which continuously calibrates the balance between noise cancellation and environmental awareness, the experience becomes fluid rather than fixed.

The Live Translation feature subtly repositions the weary traveler as an active participant in social situations otherwise inaccessible. Language barriers soften in real time to foster meaningful exchange. And sound creates connective tissue between otherwise disparate cultures.

The Remote Worker: Focus by Design

The office is no longer defined by cubicles or traditional commercial space. Today, it’s more often a balance between home, café, car, and everything in between. AirPods Max 2 respond to this ambiguity with a suite of features that treat focus as something engineered for efficiency.

Voice Isolation prioritizes speech clarity during calls by filtering out the ambient unpredictability of shared environments. Conversation Awareness recognizes when users step out of their workflow automatically lowering audio and enhancing nearby voices, allowing for seamless transitions between concentration and casual interaction.

Most intriguing is the introduction of studio-quality audio recording. For podcasters, journalists, and creators, the line between consumption and production dissolves. AirPods Max 2 becomes a tool for making, enabling high-fidelity recording with natural vocal texture directly from the device’s microphone.

The Aesthete: Sound as a Style Signifier

Apple has long understood that technology is as much about presence as performance. With AirPods Max 2, that philosophy extends into a palette of fresh finishes—midnight, starlight, orange, purple, and blue—that position the headphones as objects of self-expression as much as technical tools.

What’s more, Personalized Spatial Audio introduces a deeply individualized listening experience, mapping sound to the contours of the user’s perception. Using the iPhone’s TrueDepth camera, listeners can scan their ear shape to generate a custom audio profile, resulting in more precise, immersive surround sound. Instruments feel placed rather than played, and music becomes architectural occupying space with greater clarity and intention.

Even the addition of camera remote functionality gestures toward a broader lifestyle integration transforming the headphones into a tool for capturing, composing, and curating one’s image. For the aesthete, AirPods Max 2 operate at the intersection of design and identity.

While this list is far from exhaustive, a larger narrative begins to take shape. AirPods Max 2 are more about tuning into oneself than escaping the world. In a culture increasingly defined by noise—literal and otherwise—that kind of control feels quite lovely.

To shop the AirPods Max 2, visit apple.com.

Photography courtesy Apple.

How do you improve upon an icon? When it came to update the 931 handbag, German accessories brand TSATSAS didn’t change a thing—the rigorous, compact design is as enduring as any mid-century classic by Dieter Rams. Instead, TSATSAS introduced a new color for the calfskin bag: burgundy. This latest tone joins the black, concrete gray, and khaki green versions released in 2018.

The piece is based on a Rams design from 1963. At the time, Rams was working at Braun, creating some of his most legendary designs, including the Phonosuper SK 4—a stereo system nicknamed “Snow White’s coffin.” Along with these industrial design breakthroughs during his tenure as chief designer from 1961 to 1995, Rams was also crafting leather shaver cases in collaboration with leather workshops in Offenbach am Main. Today, the 931 bag is made by TSATSAS artisans in that same city, with leather produced in Sweden by a tannery that meets the highest standards for traceability, environmental management, and social compliance.

It was also at Braun that Rams met Ingeborg Kracht, the photographer who would become his wife, and the muse for the 931 handbag. “I designed this bag in the same way I designed everything else, so largely based on right angles, but perhaps a little more emotionally, more personally,” Rams said upon the original release of 931, some 55 years after he first sketched it. “Designing a handbag is undoubtedly different to designing a Braun stereo system, but I applied the same principles. It had to be functional, visually durable, and very aesthetic. Less, but better.”

The design is both a love letter to Ingeborg and an apt illustration of his “Ten Principles for Good Design”—especially its praise for products that are innovative, honest, long-lasting. In its latest, burgundy, iteration, the 931 keeps the design fresh and relevant.

To shop the 931 handbag, visit tsatsas.com.

Photography courtesy of TSATSAS.

Swiss brand Swatch first emerged in the early 1980s as a fresh, sportier alternative to the more staid luxury producers making up the country’s timepiece industry. It was the quartz crisis—a period marked by decline in the market due to shifts in mechanical systems and international competition—and the emergent company seized the moment by fully embracing the new technologies. And while its established counterparts eventually bounced back, Swatch remained a rebellious favorite, an accessible go-to for BMX-ers, skateboarders, surfers, and young gen-x looking to define their era: the 1990s.

One innovation the brand introduced during this period was the ultra-think SKIN line. The near-weightless design—available in a variety of materials—has been refined and re-styled over the past four decades; reflecting changes in taste. The minimalist, no-nonsense contour of this slim chronometer serves well as a canvas of these stylistic shifts, an agile quality that has largely ensured its longevity and enduring popularity.

The just released Painted Paradise Collection represents an exuberant, naturalistic take; a breath of fresh tropical air for this particularly dark timeline. These four deftly imagined compositions are transportative; wrist-bound portals to soft white-sand island beaches paired with the turquoise waters of the Caribbean; the dense greenery of a Brazilian rainforest with bright sunlight flickering through these verdant canopies; vibrant blooms from Central Africa captured in the half-light of dust; and a cornucopia-arrangement of lush South Asian fruits.

There’s little need for immediate, intrusive connectivity—hundreds of emails, text messages, or news alerts popping up at any moment. Checking the classic dial head—rendered in captivating yet pattern-molifying metallic purples, baby blues, fuchsias, and silvers—is a far less stressful experience.

In expressing this feeling on an implicit rather than explicitly representational level, Swatch’s design team chose to adorn the bands in viscerally expressive motifs: marble, watercolor puddling, cloud, and sfumato effect effects that incorporate different tones. These silhouettes become freeze framed landscape paintings: abstracted representations and distilled depictions of these somewhat universal settings culled without the need of AI Slop generative image-making tools. The visual quality is engaging yet not overpowering, playful but elegant, serious but not so serious.

To shop the collection or see more from the brand, visit swatch.com.

Photography courtesy of Swatch.

Color often belongs to a moment or place, sometimes even an attitude. A peculiar bright blue-green might recall a subversive era of design; a deep brown could summon the warmth of espresso bars and polished leather interiors; and a rich red might elicit passion. In this sense, color operates much like architecture itself—quietly structuring how we experience the world while keeping time through shadow and light. But what happens when that atmospheric language undergoes a kind of transmutation?

The collaboration between Tonester and Italian watchmaker D1 Milano explores exactly this question. Founded by Tony Piloseno in 2021, Tonester built its reputation on moody, cinematic paint hues that behave almost architecturally across interior surfaces. With this collaborative collection, those same tones migrate from the scale of rooms to the scale of the body—transforming spatial color into wearable design.

In the process, pigment shifts from background to protagonist. Architecture becomes fashion. Surface becomes object. And color carries the emotional energy of a place into an entirely new medium.

The limited-edition watch collection comprises colors showcased during Milan Design Week 2025, translating the spirit of the city into four distinct tonal narratives: Love & Sins, a velvety jade green recalling historic facades; Street Art, a deep mocha echoing espresso rituals and leather interiors; Evening Galore, a dark umber-black evoking Milanese sophistication; and Cursed by Milano, a rich oxblood imbued with romantic intensity.

For Piloseno, the challenge lay in understanding how color behaves when it shifts scale. On a wall, pigment operates in dialogue with architecture and shifting daylight. It becomes environmental. On a watch, the experience is far more intimate.

“It’s something you see up close and repeatedly throughout the day,” he explains, noting that translating Tonester’s layered tones to a smaller object required precision and restraint rather than visual boldness.

Materiality also introduced new constraints. Tonester’s palette is typically achieved through the flexibility of paint formulas—mix, adjust, remix. In contrast, the watches rely on polycarbonate components whose colors must be carefully matched and calibrated to preserve the depth associated with Tonester’s pigments. The process required extensive testing to capture the brand’s muted tonal complexity within a completely different medium. What emerged from that exploration is something almost sculptural: monochromatic objects where case, dial, and strap are immersed in a single atmospheric tone.

If the collaboration feels unusually cohesive, it may be because its conceptual starting point was not form but color itself. In many product collaborations, color appears as the final layer—an afterthought applied once design decisions are complete. Here the logic was reversed. Tone and emotional resonance led the process, while the watch became the vessel through which those qualities could manifest.

That reversal reflects a broader shift in Tonester’s identity. While the brand emerged from viral paint-mixing videos and an online fascination with color experimentation, Piloseno has always envisioned something larger: a platform centered on color as a cultural language.

“Color shouldn’t live only on walls,” he notes. “It should live in objects, in fashion, in design—in the way we move through the world.”

The collaboration with D1 Milano marks the first physical manifestation of that idea. It signals Tonester’s transition from architectural surface treatment to design authorship across objects and lifestyles—what the brand describes as a movement “from surfaces to silhouettes.”

Milan provides a fitting stage for this evolution. Few cities understand the dialogue between architecture, fashion, and industrial design as fluently. In that context, the partnership reads almost like a cultural exchange: Tonester bringing an intuitive, emotionally driven approach to color, while D1 Milano contributes the discipline of Italian product design and watchmaking precision. The balance between these perspectives—American creative spontaneity and Italian design rigor—anchors the collection in both experimentation and refinement.

More importantly, the watches reveal how color can redefine the identity of an object. Stripped of ornament and unified through monochrome treatment, each piece functions less as a traditional accessory and more as a wearable color study. In that sense, the collaboration occupies a curious intersection: part fashion object, part architectural pigment, part collectible design artifact.

If architecture shapes the environments we inhabit, fashion shapes how we inhabit them. And timekeeping, it seems, has become the freshest canvas.

Love & Sins (Jade Green)—a deep, velvety teal echoing historic façades and winter skies.

Cursed by Milano (Oxblood)—a sultry burgundy reflecting passion embedded in the city’s design heritage.

Evening Galore (Black with Umber Hues)—a sleek, inky black embodying Milanese sophistication.

Street Art (Deep Mocha with Red Hues)—a rich brown reminiscent of espresso rituals and worn leather interiors.

To shop the collection, visit d1milano.com.

Photography courtesy of Tonester.

Playing games—a term sometimes used by adults to describe a child’s playtime, and just as often, another adult’s less-than-mature behavior. Yet this diminutive framing overlooks something essential. In an increasingly unstable world, play is not frivolous—it is foundational. Play is essential for developing relationships, keeping brains sharp, and improving strategy skills. Traditional games derive their value not from ease, but from difficulty: by structuring activities through rules and resistance, they transform simple actions into meaningful pursuits.

A new collaboration between PRINTWORKS and Rosewood embraces this ethos with intention, presenting a collection of Playing Cards, Classic Chess, and Classic Backgammon that elevates analog rituals through thoughtful design and tactile pleasure. Rooted in a shared appreciation for craftsmanship and meaningful connection, the partnership draws inspiration from the Scandinavian philosophy Leva I nuet—“to live in the moment”—encouraging players to slow down, engage, and savor uninterrupted togetherness.

Cards are ubiquitous within the gaming sphere, everyone having their own favorite, and ultimately, their own way to play. The Classic Double Playing Cards capture a balance between order and delight. Two decks, adorned with Rosewood’s signature trigon motif in Discovery Green and grey, offer both aesthetic wit and graphic clarity. The visual language, bold yet classic, underscores another tenet of amusement culture: the aesthetics of play matter. Colors, shapes, and contrasts heighten engagement, adding festivity to the act of competition.

The Classic Double Playing Cards set captures this balance between order and delight. Two decks, adorned with Rosewood’s signature trigon motif in Discovery Green and grey, offer both aesthetic wit and graphic clarity. The visual language – bold yet classic – underscores another tenet of amusement culture: the aesthetics of play matter. Colors, shapes, and contrasts heighten engagement, adding festivity to the act of competition.

The travel-sized Classic Chess set distills “serious play” into object form. Designed with a smooth acrylic board and elegantly carved wooden pieces, it invites high-order thinking within a beautifully defined system. Serious play, after all, is a means of learning in situations that demand creativity and purposeful commitment. Weighted pieces settle softly into place, reinforcing the quiet discipline that chess demands.

Meanwhile, the Classic Backgammon set—one of the oldest games in the world, reimagined in Rosewood’s signature green—opens like a book, creating a portable arena for strategy and chance. The sleek acrylic surface and contrasting 24 points create a clear visual field for pursuit, reminding us that structured difficulty sharpens cognition as much in adulthood as it does in childhood.

The graphic design features two sleek hues, a grass green paired with a darker, hunter shade, contrasting nicely on a warm white board. These pieces also carry a nice heft, extra glossy to play off the tactility of the exterior fabric.

Throughout, the collaboration feels natural. PRINTWORKS’ nostalgic reverence for analog culture meets Rosewood’s refined visual identity in objects that function as both pastime and statement piece. More than decorative accessories, these games are small worlds unto themselves—spaces where effort is meaningful and connection unfolds thoughtfully, move by move.

To learn more about the Printworks x Rosewood game collaboration, visit shop.rosewoodhotels.com.

Photography courtesy of Rosewood.

Photo by David Mercnik

Canada’s First Balloon Florist: Ballooms

Bright, bouncy bouquets of larger-than-life florals, these inflated creations—crafted from 100 percent natural biodegradable latex by the Toronto-based studio Ballooms—offer so much more than the average twist-up giraffe or other air-filled animal. Aside from being well-crafted design objects in their own right, Ballooms arrangements are playful—and full of opportunity. In my last catch-up with founder and self-proclaimed balloon boy Dylan Kwacz, we dug into the idea of building a world beyond balloons. What does that look like? Perhaps more dynamic installations and exciting partnerships with brands like Lululemon, PowerPlant TO and Aritzia (check, check and check). Perhaps something entirely different. But one thing is certain: Ballooms is blowing up.

Statement Flowers: Ste. Marg Scot

Are brooches the next big thing? I’m no Carrie Bradshaw, but with a statement flower as big as this, a girl can dream. Designed by Canadian wool goods company Ste. Marg Scot—the world’s first gender-inclusive outerwear company made of sustainably-sourced materials—this line of floral brooches is both timeless and modern. Plus, their entire locally-made collection is 100 percent wool. As a regular exhibitor at IDS Toronto and the One of a Kind Show, Ste. Marg Scot is a go-to for high-design wool garments. Shown here: Peony Brooch in sky blue.

Photo: David Pike

Photo: David Pike

Photo: David Pike

Cover to Cover: A Mini Magazine Conference

Attention writers, designers and magazine-lovers of Toronto! This one-day magazine conference is for you. Presented by Issues Magazine Shop, this event explores the people, ideas and stories shaping the world of magazines today — and features panel discussions with industry experts, indie publishers, magazine founders and more. Pictured here, the inaugural conference last October brought in a full house, lively conversation and lots of reading material (Spotted: Assistant Editor Sophie Sobol in the pink sweater vest.) Don’t wait to grab your tickets for the upcoming event on March 22nd and long live magazines!

Photo: Katya Koroscil

Photo: Katya Koroscil

Photo: Katya Koroscil

Touch Point Sconce

Debuted at DesignTO this year, the Touch Point Sconce by Toronto-based industrial designers Mark Khoury and Devansh Shah offers a playful take on wall lighting. With an interactive spirit, the design requires the central disc to connect to a hanging puck in order to achieve full brightness. When you pull the pendant away, the light fades in accordance with the distance. A celebration of moments of physical touch and human connection—a hug, a kiss, a hand held, an arm brushed—this made-to-order sconce is a testament to the light touch of Khoury and Shah, and a substantial addition to any interior.

Eagle-eyed readers can also spot the shoes in an earlier article image.

Shoes, Glorious Shoes: Fluevog

No Take 5 roundup would be complete without my all-time favorite shoes (and one of my favorite Canadian designers): Fluevog. A SS25 addition, these cheetah-print Super Provog Inder Thick-Laced Sneakers with thick red and black laces are a maximalist’s dream. Founded in Vancouver in the 70s, John Fluevog has long been Canada’s most adventurous footwear designer—and an international shoe icon to boot. His home in Vancouver is as bright and dazzling as his designs (think: an angular, citrus-coloured exterior facade plus powder-blue kitchen, designed by MA+HG Architects). But his shoe game is unparalleled for its playful use of colour and form.

A thought-provoking series, the 3Dtachable Collection by designer Liat Brandel plays on layers of identity – what we choose to show the world and what we choose to hide. Regular shapes form patterns, coming together to create fantastic depth within the fabric as its surface folds down to a fraction of its former size. Brandel shares, “3Dtachable is more than a fashion statement – it is a conversation about identity, perception, and conscious consumption in a digital world.”

Collapsables

Able to be worn in multiple ways, this wearable collection’s versatility can be leveraged to accentuate certain features while concealing others. The designer forges a conversation between our corporeal selves and our digital personas. What is real, what is manufactured, and what is acceptable changes by the moment. These wearables, including collars, scarves, and necklaces, suggest a fashion future brimming with possibility at the flash of a camera.

This duality is represented in the 3Dtachable form: an unassuming flat plane of folded material transforms into wearable gestural sculpture. Creating divots and folds, sometimes ballooning out, the wearer can entertain every passing fancy in a choose your own adventure of style.

Detachables

Modular elements add even more customization to the collection, reflecting on the theme of hiding and showing once more. More covered is a choice, less covered is a choice. A lack of choice is indeed, still a choice. The societal pressure around social media has left many feeling isolated, prompting Brandel to investigate these themes in her work.

Expertly made, the 3Dtachable Collection utilizes lightweight yet durable materials to remain flexible enough to position and rigid enough to keep its signature folds. This required many iterations of experimentation to replicate traditional, origami-like paper folds. The crispness of every bend in tandem with the body of the fabric is remarkable.

In a response to traditional garment design, the multifunctionality of the 3Dtachable Collection creates multiple uses with two wooden stoppers to create different looks. Those fashion-conscious know styling is essential, and this collection doesn’t hold back. The sky is the limit with the silhouettes possible, allowing for free expression within the confines of our physical reality. 3Dtachable helps to foster a conversation about how we lead our lives, online and off, and cautions how these two selves could become one.

To learn more about the 3Dtachable Collection by Liat Brandel, visit liatbrandel.com.

Photography provided by Liat Brandel.

One of the biggest names in industrial design, Australian talent Marc Newson is best known for his smooth lines, amoebic silhouettes, and a long-standing aversion to sharp edges. Iconic works such as the 1988 Lockheed Lounge chair – crafted from riveted aluminum using techniques borrowed from aircraft manufacturing – signaled the beginning of an era. The fluid, tech-forward restraint of the 1990s emerged as a counterpoint to bombastic Postmodernism, embracing material experimentation and unconventional form without excess.

That same approach to coherent, though never rigidly monolithic, form-giving informs Newson’s latest project: the TYPE 3 Marc Newson watch, developed in close partnership with Antwerp- and Geneva-based watchmaker Ressence.

At its core, the TYPE 3 MN showcases Ressence’s proprietary co-planar surface with mechanical display module, the patented Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS 3). Beneath a domed sapphire crystal, the dial appears to float within a sealed chamber filled with 4.15 ml of silicone oil – an ingenious solution that cancels light refraction, eliminates glare, and creates a magnified, almost holographic effect. The result is a seamless, elliptical form that reads less like a traditional watch and more like a luminous orb: a slim, ergonomic “spaceship” anchored effortlessly to the wrist.

The watch’s cohesive design and engineering emerged through a close collaboration between Newson and Ressence founder Benoît Mintiens. Its otherworldly silhouette subtly nods to Newson’s iconic Ikepod watches of the 1990s, while Ressence’s distinctive time display lends a quietly sporty sensibility. The pairing evokes the refined performance of a 1960s Aston Martin DB5 – elegant, precise, and meticulously finished in polished metal.

Time is displayed via three rotating discs – hours, minutes, and a 180-second runner – rendered in bold, minimal forms. Their striking yellow markings suggest motion and speed, punctuated by restrained tones of celadon green, gray, and black. The Grade 5 titanium discs feature four eccentric biaxial satellites inclined at varying angles, with engraved indications filled with blue and green Grade A Super-LumiNova®, ensuring legibility in all lighting conditions. The intent is a dematerialised time display: time made visible without distraction, appearing to hover directly on the glass itself.

“I wanted to merge our universes,” says Mintiens. “Knowing Marc Newson’s design universe, I saw a pioneer of industrial-design thinking in fine watchmaking, and that really interested me. I wanted to bring Marc’s and Ressence’s vision of watchmaking into one perfect product. How often do designers work together on one product? In my eyes, one plus one can become more than the sum of its parts.”

Mechanically, the TYPE 3 MN is equally refined. It features a magnetically driven movement with a caseback winding and day, date, and time setting, a 36-hour power reserve, and 47 jewels. The Grade 5 titanium dial is finished with DLC and PVD coatings, while the watch is paired with a synthetic rubber strap and titanium ardillon buckle – reinforcing its balance of luxury and wearability.

“As a longstanding admirer of Benoît’s pioneering engineering and unique approach to watchmaking at Ressence, this collaboration provided a wonderful opportunity to synthesize our approaches; to conceive of a design that was distinct and innovative, yet cohered with my design language,” says Newson. Drawn from decades of exploration across automotive, aviation, furniture, and product design, the Type 3 MN reflects his ongoing oscillation between past ideas and constant reinvention.

Photo: Phil Poynter

Ressence founder Benoît Mintiens and Marc Newson \\\ Photo: Phil Poynter

Limited to just 80 pieces, the Ressence TYPE 3 MN by Marc Newson is available for $59,800, ideal for the seasoned horologist or high-end watch collector, via ressencewatches.com.

Photography courtesy of Ressence.

10. A Muskoka Lakeside Cottage Blends Architecture With the Canadian Shield

Barbora Vokac Taylor Architect’s latest Muskoka retreat earns its top-spot with a design that feels deeply rooted in its surroundings yet thoughtfully future-focused. Rather than imposing on the dramatic Canadian Shield terrain, the cottage settles into it, creating a sequence of warm, wood-lined spaces that shift from playful to serene across its three levels. With its Shou Sugi Ban exterior, open-air Muskoka Room, and a layout shaped around multi-generational living, the home captures both the rugged character of the site and the rituals of family life.

Photo: Ethan Gordon

9. A California Courtyard House With Japanese-Inspired Serenity

SHED Architecture & Design’s Cupertino Courtyard House earns its place by weaving global influences into a distinctly Californian modern sensibility. What appears reserved from the street opens into a serene sequence of courtyards, garden views, and softly lit interiors that feel both intimate and expansive. The contrast of white stucco, charred timber, and warm natural materials creates a quiet tension that enriches the home’s atmosphere, while subtle nods to Japanese traditions – from the genkan entry to the engawa porch – shape the daily rhythm of living.

Photo: Courtesy of Yanko Design

8. The ClearFrame CD Player Puts Album Art Front and Center

Riding the wave of the retro-tech resurgence, the ClearFrame CD Player stands out as a clever fusion of nostalgia and display-worthy design. Its transparent acrylic body transforms the simple act of playing a CD into a kinetic spectacle, revealing every mechanical motion inside. By turning album art into a rotating visual centerpiece, it revives one of the most charming aspects of the CD era and reframes it – literally – as part of your decor.

Photo: Courtesy of Casio

7. Casio’s Newest Watch Is Purposefully Built for the Sauna

Casio’s CPP-002 brings a surprising level of intention to a scenario some of us hope to avoid: wearing a watch in the sauna. Instead of melting under the heat, this purpose-built model is engineered to thrive in extreme temperatures and humidity, offering spa-goers a reliable companion where most timepieces fail. It’s a niche idea executed with classic Casio practicality, turning a common mishap into a design opportunity.

Photo: Courtesy of Nothing

6. The Nothing Phone (3)’s Glyph Matrix Turns Notifications Into Pixel Art

Nothing launched the Phone (3) marking a pivotal moment in the brand’s evolution, pushing its signature transparent aesthetic and light-based communication into more expressive territory. The new Glyph Matrix condenses the familiar rear lighting into a tight grid of micro-LEDs, opening the door to far richer animations and symbolic cues without demanding the user’s constant attention. Building on the retro-futuristic charm of Nothing’s Dot Matrix interface, this pixel-level system transforms notifications into playful, glanceable visuals that feel both personal and dynamic.

Photo: Courtesy of Syitren

5. The Syitren R300 Is a Modern CD Player With a Retro Feel

The Syitren R300 CD Player stands out in the retro-audio renaissance by pairing analog warmth with a refined, modern sensibility. Its sculptural two-zone design – matte black on one side, rich wood on the other – creates a visual rhythm that’s as intentional as its interaction logic, separating the tactile controls from the mechanics of the CD tray. Details like the compact LED display and transparent lid add a fun aspect to playback, letting listeners watch the disc spin while keeping track info understated.

Photo: Michael Moran

4. A Michigan House Designed for a Collector of Bourbon Whiskey and Rare Porsches

Khanna Schultz’s House for a Collector stands out as one of the year’s most compelling residential projects, offering a bold rethinking of suburban living. Fragmented into sculptural volumes wrapped around a shared courtyard, the home brings rare Porsches, bourbon displays, and daily life into a single, cohesive orbit. Its mix of industrial materials and intimate spatial moments gives the residence a striking duality – part gallery, part sanctuary – making it a prime example of how architecture can honor a client’s passions without sacrificing aesthetics.

Photo: Courtesy of Oakley and Meta

3. Oakley’s Meta HSTN Smart Glasses Give You Constant Access to AI Features

Meta’s collaboration with Oakley marks a clear evolution in its wearable AI strategy, bringing a sport-driven sensibility to a category previously dominated by classic styling. The new Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses blend Oakley’s performance-forward design language with Meta’s increasingly capable AI features, offering a bold alternative for users who want tech that looks as dynamic as it functions. With multiple frame and lens configurations, seamless hands-free controls, and context-aware AI that interprets the world in real time, the HSTN frames feel less like a gadget and more like a natural extension of an active, on-the-go lifestyle.

Photo: Courtesy of Google

2. Google Ups Its Design Game With Newly Updated Pixel Devices

Google’s latest hardware lineup signals a confident shift toward bolder design and more intuitive AI, suggesting the brand is finally ready to challenge its biggest rivals head-on. The refreshed Pixel family – from the color-forward Pixel 10 series to the refined Pixel 10 Pro Fold – pairs sculptural surfaces and durable materials with genuinely useful, user-controlled intelligence. Alongside the brighter, more premium Pixel Watch 4 and the redesigned Pixel Buds 2a, the collection shares a cohesive vision: devices that look sharper, feel better, and use AI to quietly enhance everyday life rather than overshadow it.

And the top post of 2025 is…

Photo: Courtesy of Huawei

1. Huawei’s New Laptop Is One Giant Foldable Screen

Huawei’s MateBook Fold Ultimate Design claims the top spot this year for good reason: it’s the most compelling vision yet of what a foldable laptop can be. By transforming the entire device into a seamless 18.3-inch OLED display that bends without visible interruption, Huawei leaps past early foldable experiments and rivals still tiptoeing around the concept. Ultra-thin, incredibly flexible, and adaptable to everything from professional workflows to creative sketching, the MateBook Fold feels less like gadgety and more like the future of mobile computing – one that finally makes the “all-screen laptop” feel within reach.

As always, thank you for reading and supporting Design Milk in 2025 and beyond! Check out the rest of Design Milk’s end of the year coverage here!