Gentile MOCOLOCO, E' disponibile il numero di Maggio di Patamagazine, and so the email reads from the creators of this POD mag (print on demand); the May issue of Patamagazine is now available. Available on the web at Issuu in an online reader or you can have it printed and sent to you. As you may have read here earlier there were a few daily news sheets published during Milan Design Week, now, a week later, this issue of Patamagazine is the 44-page glossy design week magazine a short week later.

PLAZA mag, a swedish glossy get-together of interiors, design and fashion. Not ad-less, but you get into the features & editorials fairly quickly, with fashion interludes here and there. Woman in design is the general theme for this issue, which features many well illustrated articles. I enjoyed the interview with Ilse Crawford, Elle Decor's interior design director, on the quality of life, how design sometimes threads it all together for her. She aptly reminds that "above all, a room should feel comfortable", something often forgotten in the field. There's also an article on Dutch food designer Marije Vogelzang (you may remember May issue of ICON, she made the cover) in using food as a materiel to design unique (and tasty) experiences. Modest and inspiring, a sure stop next time I'm in Amsterdam. As for the insipid cover, do not let it deceive you, the content is fairly fined-tuned. A nice ride.

Plaza - International Edition: Issue #4-2008, pages 36-41, 50-52

I didn't intend to make this a girl-themed mag post, it just happened. THEME explores the topic as well with their unique and acute "global asian culture" glasses. An interview with the NY based Smart design gals about Femme Den, an in-house consultancy with insight and design methodologies that link product design and female consumers; Design that is sensible and based on realities not assumptions (eg: womanized in pink). And if you're a fan of Nokia's research captain Jan Chipchase, you'll love reading about the sensible and talented globetrotter and fellow researcher Youngee Jung. She's touring the world, discovering new people in new places, studying how different culture, users, needs and technology meet and how this shapes mobile phone concepts of tomorrow.

Theme: Issue #16, September-October, pages 74-79 & 86-89

If Frame is a regular pick of yours, then MARK should be too. Thick and heavy, it boast an insightful and singular curation of architectural works and topics 6 times per year. The october/november issue is a lot less towers and lot more contemporary houses--seven in total--set in Japan, Mongolia, Mexico and Poland. My favorite made the cover and is the less fanciful and garnished of the lot: a wooden country house tucked away by the Kuma river in Kumamura, Japan. The house is an assemblage of 11 layers (read 11 distinctive floor plans) of huge wooden square logs cleverly piled as to form cave-like spaces and to which the surfaces are or can be shelves, staircase, and seating at the same time.

Mark: issue #16, October-November, pages 126-183

A visual dictionary of all things MoCo. Be it for interior designers looking for inspiration, industrial designers researching new ways of thinking shapes, pretty picture lovers or simply design geeks: anyone wanting an accurate pulse of today's contemporary furniture landscape should grab L'OFFICIEL's special design issue 2008-2009. It hit the shelves earlier this month with over 1000 furniture design models sorted by brand or exhibit. And there's a lot of stuff we haven't seen on design blogs either - beats having tons of furniture catalogs lying around the studio.

L'Officiel: Special Issue #6, the whole thing (160 pages)

Designers, curious as they are, tend to strengthen their discourse, coherence and richness of their work by sourcing inspiration and thought from other domains. Fashion design is closely related to the MoCo thinking and I just have a thing for denim. I always found the fabric on a par with object design for its ability to age so well on us. Jeans have become such a common part of our culture; they shape themselves to our lives as we use them, much like any other everyday object. In terms of materiality, the patina is beautiful and significant (unless you cheat and buy your jeans already worn out). WAD devotes the summer issue to denim, do check it out. (French + English texts)

WAD: issue #37, the whole thing (+350 pages)

And as you're browsing the mag shelves, a sure shot among the mix is MONITOR. It's slightly on the pricey side but content-full, (almost) ad-free and printed on thick glossy pages that will last last last. Among the usual well-curated "design innovations for professionals", the latest issue presents an exposé on lighting solutions, covering new products and shedding light on innovative recent projects (boutiques mostly). Also, a very insightful interview with French architect duo Jacob + Macfarlane.

Monitor: Issue #49, pages 21-55 + 57-68

The single best mag you'll come by this summer--and I'm also betting this year. MONOCLE hits its nth home run with the summer special edition "devoted to building better cities, neighbourhoods and residences." The yearly article that ranks the world's 25 most liveable cities takes center stage, with the rest of the content revolving around this topic. Lists galore, including "50 people, products and services to improve your life" and "20 design elements every house should have." And if that isn't enough, accompanying the mag is the Design Directory listing Monocle's favs and the best in retreats, products and retailers. Get it and read it. And don't forget Monocle also produces and distributes free online complementary videocasts.

-- The whole thing: ≈250 pages + 50 page design directory. (Vol. 2, July/August 2008)

The July issue of ICON feels a bit all over the place with a lot of short articles, but the curation of works and the overall tone seals it just right. Most interesting was the cover feature Ugly in a good way. ICON discusses with curators and designers (Gateano Pesce, Maarten Baas and Bertjan Pot to name a few) the idea of formal, explicit ugliness in furniture and product design "celebrating difference and humanity" simply by letting go of the necessity of perfection in design: formally a bit less perfect, then a bit more human. Other findings include a quite animated article with Winy Maas of MVRDV and Joep von Lieshout of SlaveCity discussing SlaveCity, a utopian perverse parallel city; and a curious spread on cakes as a semi-industrial design product in Portugal (!). To top it all off, joined to the mag is ICON's Kitchen & Bathroom supplement with 50 pages of original kitchen & bathroom design, enough to raise the moco through the roof.

-- Issue 061 (July/August 2008)

Another year, another summer, another ID Annual Design Review showcasing design excellence in products, furniture, graphics, environments and much more. What I appreciate the most of this ritual (it has been around since 1954!) is the communication of the selection process and the honesty of the opinions. The jury is divided into teams judging the different entries within a given category, slowly narrowing it down to the select few. They are led by an assigned moderator who then recaps the discussions for publication, quoting as much the good and the bad impressions. It is both honorable and insightful. Noteworthy: the issue is quite pricey compared to the regular pricing (t'was $44.95 here in Montreal) so it's a good thing that all the content is also available online.
— 54th Annual Design Review (July/August 2008)

I just came back from a 10-day camping/cycling trip where I visited architect friends currently building a gorgeous family residence/summer house on an island higher up the St. Lawrence River. Come back, go to the mag store and fall upon the AZURE summer issue which features 4 contemporary out-of-town summer houses in distinct remote locations, what a coincidence! Whether deep in the woods in Karuizawa, Japan or in the tropical forest near the São Paulo coastline, these moco cabins all display much architectural sensitivity to their natural surroundings, finding dialogue between the built and the natural. Will make you want to A) Take another vacation; B) Start saving to get piece of land yourself.
— Pages 62-81. (July/August 2008)

I don't usually pick up METROPOLIS, it simply doesn't seem to click with me as a mag. Perhaps it's the odd graphic design layout of most of the feature spreads? Last week, however, a small title at the top of the latest issue caught my eye: Tony Chi, Designer/Restaurateur. That is exactly the kind of killer combination of knowledge that must lead to something good - and Metropolis was right about this one. Chi is an experienced designer as well as restaurant developer and operator. He sees all and knows all, especially how good (or bad) it will play out in the end. Efficient functional layouts mixed with highly emotive and sensible backdrops, his design bridges the gap between the operations and the experience.
— Pages 100-105 (July/August 2008)

I thoroughly enjoyed the second installment of Luxembourg-born nico, in which the content is twofold: interviews (approx. 2/3 of the mag) and fashion editorials. It's neat and straightforward, and with its uncoated paper, minimal advertising and clear two section split, it properly adopts the feels of a bi-annual publication rather than a magazine per se. This summer issue covers quite a number of inspiring designers and thinkers. Among them all, don't skip over the interview with Freedom of Creation's Janne Kytännen (p46-55), who explains business development with rapid prototyping's innumerable possibilities, FOC's key design and fabrication process. Texts are published in both English and French.
— Issue #2 (Summer 2008)

I was excited to see FRAME's thick new issue jacked under the studio door last week. It only comes 6 times a year, but every time I'm blown away by the curation of new and notable works, covering interiors and furniture on the international level like no other. The summer July/August issue, titled "Show & Sell," gives prominence to a gathering of shops which have been shaped and fine-tuned to showcase the displayed moco products in their best light - whether by historical, sculptural or even popular culture references. And to contrast with these marvelous yet out-of-this-world interior solutions, be sure to read the interview with down-to-earth French furniture designer Inga Sempé (p162-169): "Her utopia is the corner store or the DIY outlet". Refreshing!
— Issue #63 (July-August 2008)

And last but not least: evidently, as always, Wallpaper*'s current issue sweats so much moco it bleeds. Work is the topic for June and they're "defying the daily grind" the Wallpaper* way, a fun ride throughout the mag. I particularly enjoyed the signature photographic object design editorials — the Heavenly HQ spreads, where the ultimate workspace is portrayed, will lead to jaw-dropping (p176-187). Conversely, the overview of the current trend of young creatives (from musicians to architects) gathering and joining together to develop collectives or group work environments in which cooperation and collaboration strive (p126-132) certainly struck a chord.
— Issue #111 (June 2008)