Author Archives: DONJIRO BAN

In the new film The Descendants, director Alexander Payne paints a bittersweet portrait of Matt King (George Clooney), and of everyday life in the Hawaiian Islands. For non-natives, the film is also an education in the modern Aloha Shirt. Taken out of context, some Aloha shirts can be obnoxious, or even comical. But in Hawaii, surrounded by vivid, Jurassic-sized plants … Continue reading →

When I was living in San Francisco, I saw a show at Bimbo’s that would be a lasting influence on me for years to come. To promote the 1997 album Fantasma, the Japanese musician Cornelius (Keigo Oyamada) had prepared videos to project behind the band for each song. They were composed of short clips of soccer matches, anime cartoons, exercise … Continue reading →

Approaching the edge of the waterfalls for the first time can take your breath away. The vastness of the voids, combined with the rushing sound and motion of the water, is as glorious as it is terrifying; like the towers are forever falling, sucked down into the bowels of the earth. I can’t imagine any gesture that would be more … Continue reading →

I’ve often come across many faded and dog-eared postcards at antique shows with hand-written messages barely legible on the back. What’s always surprising is how elegant and expressive everyone’s handwriting seems to have been 100 years ago. There was a time when every postcard, contract, or love letter was a thing of beauty – giving each document an intrinsic sense … Continue reading →

The cultural avant-garde are the true innovators of their craft. They live to rebel against the status-quo, no matter how limited their appeal may be. In 1969, the freelance stylist Rei Kawakubo started her own brand, called Comme des Garçons (from a French soldier’s song meaning Like the Boys). Her mission was simply to ‘make a business out of creation.’ But what … Continue reading →

Equal parts Shakespeare, modern dance, cabaret, and haunted house, Sleep No More is not easy to explain. With over 100 rooms on six floors, the British company Punchdrunk has combined three spaces in New York’s Chelsea district into one massive set that you are free to explore. Your journey begins inside the McKittrick Hotel bar and lounge, but you’ll soon … Continue reading →

Generating $100M per year, with a bottle sold every thirty seconds, Chanel No. 5 has been called le monstre (the monster) by industry insiders in Chandler Burr’s book The Perfect Scent. It isn’t just the most successful and enduring fragrance of all time – the extraordinary scent and understated bottle represent the very idea of luxury around the world, and … Continue reading →

A concept car isn’t meant to be driven. Its meant to get your mouth watering and your blood pumping, just from looking at it. Always a crowd-pleaser at auto shows, they are a glimpse into the future, and a chance for designers to show-off. Radical and innovative thinking on engineering and technology topics can also be explored in this free-form … Continue reading →

The recent democratization of photography, through camera phones and social media, has changed the medium dramatically, exponentially increasing the number of images we take and see everyday. Anyone able to push a virtual button is capable of taking pictures at the proper exposure, in focus. Not long ago, the technical skills needed to operate cameras easily separated the pros from … Continue reading →

Talk to Me opens this week at the Museum of Modern Art. This collection of objects, videos, and concepts loosely themed around interface and communication is a great excuse to review some of the coolest and most intriguing technology and design innovations from the past few years. There are a wide variety of design subjects represented, including; augmented reality, data … Continue reading →