Jean Snow [.net]

This Week in Magazines

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by

Jean Snow
in

15easy cover

  • BRUTUS (604) has a terrific feature that shows how various creators/companies are “Inventing Tomorrow Today,” which means lots of forward-thinking designs and products (they kick things off with a stylish robot and the Nintendo Wii), with this issue’s insert an “Encyclopedia of Inventions.” There’s also a look at the storefront display that Tokujin Yoshioka has created for the Maison Hermes flagship store, some Starbucks remixing, with the likes of Fantastic Plastic Machine and Graf offering ways to customize the stores to their liking (I really dig the FPM/Groovisions jukebox), and also a look at the new collection of Muji stationery. Certainly one of the best issues in a while.
  • This month’s MAC POWER (203) sees the return of Yasuharu Konishi’s “The Girl Has a Name” column (it wasn’t in last month’s issue), and has a cover feature that offers up a long list of short profiles of “Kinetic Creators.” There’s also a nice image-heavy look at the designs of Nendo.
  • The latest issue of EASY TRAVELER (Vol. 15) will be of interest to many has it’s completely bilingual (English/Japanese), and offers a guide to Tokyo. It’s a mix of traditional and modern, with interesting little pieces, like one on the birth of Tokyu Hands. There’s also a section with foreigners sharing their take on the city.
  • The second issue of PLANTED follows-up on its debut issue with more eco-friendly plant porn, including attractive layouts and beautiful photography throughout. This time, the included seeds are for wild strawberries!