Innovators fuse aesthetics, practicality, environmental value

Mirumbeau by Ugleebasement. (Korea Craft and Design Foundation) Korean mulberry paper and everyday products that use it are on view at Paperworld, an international trade fair for paper and stationery, in Frankfurt, Germany. Forty-three kinds of Korean mulberry paper, hand-made by Korean artisans, are on display. Two products using the paper have been selected as the highlights of the trade fai...

Exterior of the Simone Handbag Museum on Garosu-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam. (Simone Handbag Museum) Men’s bags have become more than a practical means of carrying belongings. They are now much more like accessories, fashion statements or reflections of a man’s identity. In step with changing perceptions about the nature of men’s bags, the Simone Handbag Museum on the trendy Garosu-gil in Seoul re...

Plaza and park designed by Pritzker-winning architect Zaha Hadid will open in March amid high anticipation

British, French artists to show traditions of their countries

A small fireworks display shoots out from a decorative cupcake during celebrations for the Sydney Opera House’s 40th birthday in Sydney, Sunday. (AP-Yonhap News) SYDNEY (AFP) ― The Sydney Opera House, world heritage-listed as “one of the indisputable masterpieces of human creativity,” celebrated its 40th birthday Sunday with a flotilla of lifesavers, Aboriginal dancers and a gigantic cupcake. H...

From Sogeumgil to Gamcheon village, design revives culture, life in neighborhood

New York High Line project is a prominent example of public design, in which locals participate in its creation from the beginning to maintenance. (www.thehighline.org) Design has long been seen largely as a matter of appearance, with public design being no exemption. The recent trend in public design, however, reflects a call for change among designers, says professor Ko Young-lan of Hansung U...

Fashion trade show draws hundreds of buyers, designers and sellers

Visitors make a bid for items donated by celebrities at a charity auction held Thursday as part of Herald Design Week 2013 at exhibition space NEMO at Blue Square, Hannam-dong, Seoul. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald) More than 30 items donated by Korea’s top celebrities went on the block at a charity auction held Thursday afternoon, on the fourth day of the Herald Design Week 2013. The auction w...

French designer shares his sources of inspiration from early career to today

Some 500 people listen as Gary Card talks about his projects at the Herald Design Talk 2013. (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald) About 500 people filled the LG Convention Hall of Ewha Womans University in Seoul on Wednesday, excited to see British designer Gary Card and French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. The two designers met and spoke with young aspiring artists and designers, many of ...

Leather laptop mats, skull candles, decorative foldable lampshades and even dachshund-shaped desk lights, the four-day Herald Design Market is a one-stop shop for inspiring avant-garde items stemming from the farthest reaches of the imagination. A selection of around 80 young, up-and-coming designers have been given the opportunity to showcase their products, which range from quirky to practical...

Architect Toyo Ito speaks about the social responsibility of design at the 2013 Herald Design Forum in Blue Square in Hannam-dong, Seoul, Tuesday. (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald) Prominent designers and innovators in design shared their design philosophy and visions with Korean audience at the Herald Design Forum on Tuesday, a main lecture event held during the Herald Design Week 2013. The for...

Design market attracts buyers with everyday items by young, creative minds