One (1) PUMA, the world's third-largest sportswear brand after Nike and Adidas, has put a pricetag its environmental impact. CEO Jochen Zeitz: "The business implications of failing to address nature in decision-making is clear – since ecosystem services are vital to the performance of most companies, integrating the true cost for these services in the future could have significant impacts on corporate bottom lines." Photography: Alexandra Winkler/REUTERS
Puma is owned by PPR , the luxury retail group who owns a stable of high end brands including Gucci and Yves St. Laurent. Of note: PPR acquired Volcom the "youth against establishment" brand this spring. Photography: Jennifer Lopez, Launch of Gucci's New Children's Collection
Two (2) I had the pleasure of hearing Jon Kolko speak at U of T recently, on The Magic of Design (also the title of his new book, natch). Of particular resonance: his thoughts on the role of empathy, sensemaking/ interpretation and constraint shifting in innovative design. On the role cultural organization plays in facilitating: support flow, be playful, permit rule breaking, and move forward with ‘just enough’.
Three (3) Canadian Robert Lepage discusses interactive and projection technology with Jian Ghomeshi, and their ability to trigger actions and act as extensions of a performance's energy. Commissioned by NY’s Metropolitan Opera Lepage's Ex Machina is creating a much anticipated new production of Wagner’s Der Ring, opening in 2012.
Four (4) Peter Wilkins’ Contact Festival series Loop at Toronto’s Textile Museum is an examination of built environments and how “pattern languages” relate to urban planning and public space. Working with photography and the moving image, figure and ground are transposed into geometric patterns through repetition and reflection. The clip below is from an earlier show at The Rooms. Photography: S.Brown
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