Benson Backpacks
I’ve been looking for a new bag and came across Benson Backpacks. Like many of the entrepreneurs I usually end up blogging about, the creator of Benson was sparked by a life changing moment to meld creative passions with business and purpose. Founder Matthew Clough was on a climbing trip in Tanzania at Mt. Kilimanjaro. The climb to the summit is about a 5-6 day trek depending on the route. While on the journey Matthew developed a bond with one of the porters named Benson. After learning that Benson earned a meager wage of 1-2 dollars a day and depended mostly on the generosity of the travelers that he safe guarded along the trail, Matthew returned…
OBEY Awareness
Street art has become more than just tags on walls marking territory for gangs. Over the past decades, this once counterculture nuisance has become, in the eyes of the art world, a legitimate form. Taking from the momentum of the punk rock and hip-hop movements, street art has become a spokesperson for the disenfranchised. Instead of creating art on a canvas for consumption in expensive museums and private homes, street art looks to bring the opportunity of the inner inquisition that comes from viewing art by using the world as a canvas so anyone, no matter their financial standing, can partake. (Fight the establishment!) With one of the most influential pieces of modern art in my generation (the…
Less is More
When I first saw the Help products at a store the other day I was very intrigued. The packaging eludes to generic medicine, but the design gives them a definite flare that makes them stand out. Instead of a proprietary name for branding sake, the labels on the outside explain what problem the contents on the inside will solve. For instance, the “Help I have a Headache” package includes the same pain-reliever that you would get from other popular brands for headache relief. It is simple, minimalist, and effective packaging that hopes to help the consumer simplify the confusing drug names in the cluttered over the counter medicine aisle. But Help’s mission is much…
Proof – Wood Frames
There are a lot of new companies coming out with wood frame eyewear but Proof is doing a great job keeping that wood “good”. They give 10% of their profits to an eye clinic India called Aravind. In keeping with their theme of sustainable wood products Proof also supports reforestation in Haiti with a variety of organizations down there such as Trees For The Future. Out of all the wood framed eyewear I’ve seen this year Proof has the cleanest giving model and are making some really unique designs. These frames promote a world view but also asks us to look into those opportunities close to us by giving locally, sponsoring youth soccer and always looking for more opportunities…
Good Grooming
Recently I discovered the Anthony brand of mens skin care, sort of by trial and error really. In my experiment, I’d stumbled across a few hopefuls that fell short of the promise of creative packaging. But If you’re the kind of person that fiends for the hunt for better products, then I definitely suggest checking out the Anthony line. As I get up there in age, I have realized its about time I take a step out of my typical drugstore run of the mill face wash and deodorant. It was time I looked into what the world had to offer thats better. More options. Better stuff. Advancement should be the motto of all aspects…
Smiles Squared
What if you didn’t even have a toothbrush! There are a bunch of kids and adults that just don’t have access to these simple hygiene items. When these preventable dental problems go untreated not only to they pose health concerns but kids who are ashamed of their teeth won’ smile. Smiles Squared developed a One 4 One giving program for toothbrushes. Their goal is to have every child smiling Ohhhh so fresh, and so clean…… I thought it was a good idea that if you don’t want to receive a toothbrush you could just donate your’s as well and they will give away two toothbrushes away instead of one. The toothbrushes come in child and…
N.O.W – Cardigan
I’ve been looking at No One Without for a while, and while I love the giving model I was never a big fan of their designs. Their new unisex cardigan however caught my attention. It’s the first piece that I could really see myself in. With a nod to Sherlock Holmes there is a mustache on the breast and a pocket watch time piece popping out of the pocket. Time pieces are a recurring theme in their designs. They are supposed to remind the user to not put things off till later. Love more, do more, live more right N.O.W. No One Without partners with a couple different non-profits and gives 20% of their profits…
Moral Fibers – Art Empowers
When times get tough economically, art programs are always one of the first things to get cut. On the flip side of that out of extreme circumstances come some of the best artists. Moral Fibers is clothing company that loves seeing artist grow. They set up long-term partnerships with artists in developing nations to offer them an opportunity to make a living off of their art. These artists are not looking for a hand out, just the chance to share their art and provide for their families. People are more and more concerned about the origins of the food they put in their body and where things are manufactured. This is a dope look at…
BNE Means Water
BNE Water Foundation has one of the most unique conception stories of all the posts we’ve done so far. As a fan of the founder’s art I am even more engrossed in the BNE movement now that he has chosen to use his worldwide notoriety to help others. Since the birth of street art aka Graffiti, at its very basic allure has always been about creating recognition for your artistic expression. Artists in urban areas creating a bigger voice for themselves by using the public space to amplify their message through spray cans, paint, or any other medium of choice. BNE started off as a graffiti artist writing his name on walls and places all over…
The Good Flock – iWooly
There’s something honestly refreshing about a company that just knows how to create inviting warmth in their product. Delivering the type of accessories that create a unique touch of quality craftsmanship and a familiar natural presence that feels organic, but not in the cargo shorts and Teva sandals kinda way, or the strictly vegan 100% organics at all costs way either. No, The Good Flock would rather give you the nitty – gritty dialed down into a approach that lets the product and the process speak for itself. Its good, its made consciously, its made with a personal touch (literally by hand), and its made from a company that has shining personality. My first introduction…
Fjallraven Kanken
In the past year or so I’ve noticed a kitschy little backpack strapped to the backs of countless cool urban adventurers in New York. The odd name , catchy colors, and clean design made it more apparent this was a brand of those that knew what’s up. Simply put, Fjallraven does outerwear design better. Keeping up with the Swedish gold standard of design, everything is clean and balanced with enough pop to give the products personality. Even with my ignorance to the Scandinavian powerhouse, The Fjallraven logo is certainly iconic at first glance. You couldn’t forget that Red Fox if you tried to. With further education I learned Fjallraven carries the same careful construction responsibility ethos throughout the entire…
One Tablet Per Child
One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) has come out with the XO-3. Fuse Project did the design keeping with the brand of OLPC and solving for the need of a rugged cost effective mobile device. Their latest release unveiled this month. “We’re proud to introduce the XO 3.0 tablet, showcasing the design, durability and performance features that make it a natural successor for our current laptops, which have been distributed to more than 2.4 million children in 42 countries and in 25 languages,” said Ed McNierney, Chief Technology Officer of One Laptop per Child. The XO 3.0 has an 8-inch, 1024 x 768-resolution PixelQi display, which can be read indoors and out, a Marvell Armada PXA618 processor,…
