The Design Dispatch offers expertly written and essential news from the design world crafted by our dedicated team. Think of it as your cheat sheet for the day in design delivered to your inbox before you’ve had your coffee. Subscribe now.
Have a news story our readers need to see? Submit it here.
You Can Code Doja Cat’s Latest Video
If you’ve ever wanted to learn to code but feel intimidated by the mind-bending logic behind languages like Javascript or Python, Girls Who Code may have the perfect entry point. The nonprofit recently partnered with Doja Cat to create the world’s first codable video for the pop artist and internet edgelord’s newly released single, Woman. As the video plays, viewers have the option to customize the color, height, and speed of sand particles floating around Doja Cat’s character, as well as the weather and color of the clouds during a dance sequence.
For Girls Who Code, the partnership speaks directly to its overarching mission of empowering girls and young women who otherwise may feel excluded from male-dominated STEM industries. “Too few [women] know that they can have a career in computer science, and that it can open up an entire future of possibility to nurturing their passions,” says CEO Tarika Barrett. Though it may seem like a small step, playing with the color of Doja Cat’s nails using CSS or Javascript may very well be what sparks someone’s interest in learning more.
From its inception, the Amsterdam label Gauge 81 has earned a celebrity following—Emily Ratajkowski, Selena Gomez—thanks to a pared-down style that channels the spirit of ‘90s-era glamour. Founded in 2019 by Colombian knitwear designer Monica Silva, the label is heralded for its sleek silhouettes that blur the lines between lounge and eveningwear, giving the night-out aesthetic a postmodern update.
The brand’s maiden activewear collection achieves the same dynamism with 13 minimalist pieces knitted using technical sweat-wicking fabrics, Italian organic cotton yarn, and recycled materials. Mesh details, subtle herringbone patterns, and fashionable cuts imbue the collection with Gauge 81’s signature versatility, with statement looks that effortlessly transition from the gym to cocktail hour.
The lounges at New York’s UBS Arena break the mold of standard stadium bars.
New Yorkers have many reasons to love the recently opened UBS Arena in Belmont Park, but will perhaps most appreciate the stadium’s crop of eight expertly designed bars and lounges by hospitality firm Goodrich. Among these are the Dime Club, a stylish lounge that pays homage to Soho art galleries, and the UBS Club, which nods to classic bars like Bemelmans. “We looked to iconic spots in the city like the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel,” says founder Matthew Goodrich. “The goal was to make these clubs be like any luxury bar or lounge you might find at a design-focused boutique hotel and break the stereotype of an arena watering hole.” Mission accomplished.
In England, collector Stephen Raw crafts the world’s first gallery dedicated to rust.
Located in the basement of a red-brick Edwardian church in South Manchester, Raw has been showing his collection of rusted artifacts that he accumulated since he was 17. Now, the 69-year old artist evolves a childhood hobby into a budding exhibition space called Rust: The Art Gallery. Raw’s gallery, however, deviates from traditional exhibition principles as it encourages weathering and human interaction to further morph the artworks beyond identification, some of which are rumored to be more than one century old.
FIT is taking action against racial inequity by opening a Social Justice Center.
Following reports of racial insensitivity, the Fashion Institute of Technology plans to introduce a facility that bridges the racial gap in the fashion arena with a $4 million funding pipeline from the industry’s biggest brands and conglomerates. The center is slated to operate on three levels, beginning with career and college guidance for middle-schoolers, scholarships and coveted internships from the likes of Ralph Lauren, Prada, Carolina Herrera, and Capri Holdings for college students, and post-college mentorship programs.
New Frontier’s unveils its latest luxury mobile home: the romantic Luna Cabin.
Equipped with a penchant for tiny home design, the Nashville-born design studio ushers in a romantic getaway that uses simple geometries to craft a compact haven supercharged with a bohemian aesthetic. Immersed in an open landscape, the asymmetric roofline paired with floor-to-ceiling windows makes the lofty shelter a beacon of high design on a budget.
The Desert X AlUla biennial plans to return to Saudi Arabia for its second edition.
The outdoor art biennial, which originated in California’s Coachella Valley, is readying its return to the ancient region in Saudi Arabia despite controversy over the country’s ongoing human rights issues. The upcoming edition will focus on “Sarab” and themes of mirage and oasis, touching on ideas such as illusion and myth along with the contrast between the natural and manmade worlds. Participating artists will be announced next month.
Someone spent $450,000 to buy virtual real estate next to Snoop Dogg’s NFT house.
Is virtual real estate worth more than physical real estate? One collector recently spent $450,000 on a virtual plot of land located next to Snoop Dogg’s NFT house in the “Snoopverse”—an interactive world the rapper has been developing in the Sandbox, an Ethereum-based platform for monetizing online hangout spaces and gaming experiences.
Today’s attractive distractions:
This space-saving mobile home concept from 1986 never made it to the market.
