finding cain

Cars meet various fates when they enter retirement. Some will be scrapped or sent to a museum. Others may end up in shabby backyards, dusty barns and gloomy forests. Another option is to upcycle the automobile's parts. That's the approach Hyundai has taken with a new fashion collection featuring clothes and accessories, all made from materials from discarded cars. Pieces in the range include a stylish tote bag made from seat belt webbing, carpet fabric, and foam; a beautiful corset created from the fabric of a discarded airbag; and a pearl choker made from a discarded seat belt. Prices range from $250 to $1,450. All proceeds will go to the Institute of Positive Fashion, a group devoted to helping fashion labels become more sustainable. [h/t: Fast Company ]

Embroidery is nowhere near forgotten, and in fact, it's experiencing something of a resurgence as artists around the globe are putting their own unique spins on the craft. Indonesia's Irene Saputra is one of them, and more than 45,000 people on Instagram already follow her.  Handmade from colorful threads stitched onto fabric, Irene's embroideries begin as original illustrations. What I really like about her stitched pieces is that some of them are meant to be worn. Look at an array of her handiwork!

These are the special edition covers for Vogue Italia's latest issue . Editor-In-Chief Emanuele Farneti enlisted children aged between 2 and 10 to create drawings for the magazine's June 2020 edition and the results are adorable. The eight artists include Thomas W., 4 years old, New York; Nori T., 5 years old, Amsterdam; Tadzio D.M., 6 years old, Paris; Violetta T., 5 years old, Milan; Camilla C., 2 years old, Dakar; Rachele T., 5 years old, Bologna; Pietro R., 6 years old, Milan and Giorgio P., 10 years old, Parma). "There's a simple and fundamental reason why this issue of Vogue Italia is dedicated to children, to their new world. It's because we think they are the most overlooked and least obvious victims of the pandemic that is affecting us all," says Farneti. What can you say about Italian Vogue's bold move to replace glossy fashion shoots with kids' illustrations? 

When I was in high school, doodling on kicks was a thing. How cool to come into class, learn a few things, then walk out with a pair of scribbled-on sneakers. Even today, many basketball stars are using their shoes for much more than performance. Take a close look at their trainers and you'll find messages written all over. Now Nike is celebrating the process with the release of its Blazer Mid 77 Scribble. Aside from the hand-drawn sidewall Swoosh, the shoe also has smaller notes hidden all over, including the style name and the year it was made. The tongue is also equipped with the brand's logo, which has been hand-drawn in black. I really like the design, especially the imperfect lines. And since we're talking about scribbled-on sneakers, I can't not mention Niko Pelaez . He's a true shoe-drawing machine!  [h/t: Sneaker News ]

This is a time-lapse video of artist Noah Scalin creating an 800-square-foot installation made from 1,000 pieces of clothing. I've been a long time fan of his work, but this unique portrait tops the cake for me. Kudos to Old Navy for making this happen! Noah is an artist based in Richmond, Virginia and if you like the video above as much as I do, then I encourage you to visit his YouTube channel and check out more clips, like the one titled Portrait of Bethino (another stunning piece of clothing art).

Yes, there is a crisis going on right now but looking at these jellyfish umbrellas  give me so much temporary peace of mind. [h/t: designboom ]

Wearing of face masks in public places is the norm nowadays. From simple surgical masks and expensive respirators to DIY solutions, people are using anything at their disposal to protect themselves from coronavirus. Creative talents are also expanding the esthetic appeal of the all-important accessory and it seems like there's no limit to their imagination. One of my favorites is Icelandic textile artist Ýrúrarí . Her hand-knit masks are not meant to be protective in any way, but I'd still wear them at home—or outside—when this is all over.

From the 2020 Pirelli Calendar by Paolo Roversi Renowned fashion photographer Paolo Roversi took inspiration from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet for the 47th edition of the Pirelli Calendar . Historically, The Cal featured provocative images of women, but recently the brand has moved away from scantily-clad models to more artistic themes. Roversi chose Claire Foy, Mia Goth, Chris Lee, Indya Moore, Emma Watson, Kristen Stewart, Rosalía, Yara Shahidi, and Stella Roversi to interpret the role of Juliet for the calendar. Speaking of his work, the Italian lensman said : "The idea of Juliet came to me because I have been exploring the themes of beauty and love for several years. I have also investigated femininity and tenderness. Juliet is all of this. When I think of a feminine ideal, I think Juliet is one of the few characters who successfully embodies it in herself." Thank God there's not a single Romeo to be found. Anyway, here's a behind-the-scen...

Once every four years, the world unites through its love for sports. With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics underway, Asics has released a special edition of their Gel-Quantum running shoes. The sneakers are rendered in vibrant colors and stamped with "Tokyo 2020" on the sides and the official Olympics logo on the back. For weeks I've been ignoring the fact that my favorite pair of shoes are falling apart. Maybe I should buy these kicks, but then again I find them expensive and they're very colorful for my taste. I'll probably keep on wearing my old pair till they fall apart completely, ignoring the stares of some people.

When life gives you coffee beans, make sneakers. Helsinki-based Vietnamese designers Son Chu and Jesse Tran have managed to create high-quality shoes made of used coffee grounds and recycled plastic. The company, called Rens Original , says the kicks are waterproof, light, durable and odor-resistant. A pair of these unisex slip-ons weighs about 460 grams – 300 grams of that is coffee. The equivalent of six discarded plastic bottles is also used in each pair. They're made by infusing the used coffee grounds with the plastic bottle pellets. Once infused, this material is then spun into a polymer yarn where it is then knitted onto a waterproof membrane. So if you want to help the environment while shopping for fashionable kicks, perhaps Rens is perfect for you.

These are upcycled home furniture and accessories made by Lufthansa from scrap airplane parts. Side panels morph into coffee tables, old business class blankets and headrest covers become fine luggage items, fuselage segments turn into unique table sculptures. The possibilities are endless. Lufthansa thought it would be impractical to discard the retired aircraft materials because they are of high quality. So they hired product designers and recycling experts to create limited edition items from a decommissioned A340-600. They were given creative freedom, and that paid off in the end result. My favorite is the wall bar (above) made from the skin and windows of the Airbus jet. Pretty cool, right?

When you hear the name Lucy McRae , the strange anatomical forms and weird adornments of her subjects come to mind. These multimedia art pieces are visually stimulating, but they often end up disturbing the viewer's  mind. Lucy, who calls herself a "body architect", produces short films and images that raise questions about what it means to be human and what is it that makes us human. As former ballerina, interior designer and architect, Lucy effectively blurs the lines between fashion, design, art, architecture and science. If you happen to be in Melbourne, check out the first survey exhibition of Lucy's provocative and beguiling work, Lucy McRae: Body Architect . The show runs until February 9, 2020 at the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square. The best part? Admission is free.