So, are we finally done with unicorns?

According to Edplay magazine, the trade mag dedicated to the specialty toy industry, unicorns, princesses, cats, and even axolotls have a new contender for favorite toy theme with kids.

 "Capybaras, the largest rodent in the world, came in at number 11, and are moving up quickly. First launched in late 2023, we feel this will be the main new animal theme for 2024." 

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Just Add Water

A team of industrial designers prototyped a furniture collection that dramatically transforms from flat sheets into fully functional objects, no tools required.

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Meet GUS, a tabletop companion that helps you harvest fresh mushrooms at home.

From the team at Good Growing, the minimal vessels hold what’s known as a fruiting block—a mix of sawdust, grains, and mycelium spores—that within a few days, burst with thick clusters of fleshy fungi.
The breathable, low-fire ceramic helps to regulate the temperature while also maintaining a moist environment for the specimens to sprout. 

Plus, GUS is modular and stackable, allowing for several varieties to be grown at once without taking up valuable countertop real estate.

 
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The move is yours.

Melding traditional techniques with an appreciation for beeswax as a sculptural material, FAUM released an elegant chess set to serve as a new addition to cozy, candle-lit game nights. 

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Functional Whale Sculpture

French artist Jean Jullien designed a functional whale sculpture. While it looks like a flat drawing on one side, it is actually three-dimensional. 

The large blowhole provides plenty of uses, like holding flowers, plants, and pencils.

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This smells just like Dr. Pepper.

Vineyard Candle Company launched a soy wax candle that smells just like Dr. Pepper.

 

Lesser-Known Christmas Characters

Created as department store marketing tools, many of these seasonal figures became beloved holiday traditions.

 

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Best of 2023

In 2023, we saw an array of trends come and go, but there are always certain designs that stand out from the rest. From cute duck butt night lights to smiley-face mugs that cry happy tears, My Modern Met collected 50 of the most creative products .

 

Welcome to the 'barkitecture' boom

Teddy stepping out of his custom doghouse built by Johnathan Lower.

Fueled by social media images, magazine spreads and home renovation TV shows, Americans are investing serious resources into home design for pets. 

 Some families are incorporating custom-built showers just for dogs into entrances and laundry rooms, so that muddy pups don’t have to be rinsed off outside or in a human shower. 

There are electronic pet doors that open only for the chip on a specific pet’s collar; custom kennels built to blend into a room’s decor and pet feeding stations that come with water faucets, so owners don’t have to fill a pet’s bowl in the kitchen sink.

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Dagsson xmas sweaters

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50 Years of an Icon

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the popular 6-inch boot, Timberland produced a documentary about the history of the shoe.

 SLEEK was for you in London to attend the exclusive Premiere screening.

 

Designing Tranquility

Spanning his interior work from residential to exhibition design, Isern Serra conveys minimalism with a human face in every space he designs. 

His style, deeply rooted in the architectural traditions of Catalonia, invites Mediterranean serenity to otherwise bustling cities. Although he started his practice over a decade ago, it is the architect’s own home that has solidified his position in the international design scene—a testament to his signature style.

 The light-filled space is shared with Serra’s partner, Valeria Vasi, a renowned designer herself, whose carefully crafted objects enliven the space.

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Cute CO2 monitor device

Birdie is a CO2 monitor device that will keep track of the air quality in your home. 

When CO2 levels reach over 1,000 ppm for over 10 minutes, Birdie drops from its perch. It will only revert to its upright position when the CO2 levels go back down to at least 800 ppm. It's a good way to remind people to open a window or turn on an air purifier, since most of the air we breathe is indoors. Read more

 

Homer Simpson Backs Into Bushes

Adidas has released a limited-edition Stan Smith sneakers featuring the “Homer Simpson backing into the bushes” meme.

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Walk around like a cartoon character in Croc boots

Brooklyn-based MSCHF—makers of the microscopic handbag and Birkinstocks—collaborated with Croc. This is the result.

 

Japan's creative cooling solutions, Daniel Seifert

As extreme heat hammers the globe, one traveller discovers a wealth of cooling solutions, from high-tech underwear to ancient philosophies, on a journey round Japan.

 

Big Hit in Japan

The Narashika Train, or “Nara Deer Train,” does not look like any ordinary train. 

Each carriage features a green and grass-like floor, and tan-and-spotted seats modeled after the coat of the deer. Even the usual handgrips have been exchanged for special, deer-themed ones. 

And if that weren't enough, there are also banners featuring the friendly creatures hanging every few feet, and illustrations placed on the walls and windows. Altogether, these creative elements create a bucolic atmosphere reminiscent of the city of Nara itself. 

 Though this special train hasn't been in service for long—only since December 2022—it has already amassed an enthusiastic following. It runs on the Kintetsu Line between Kintetsu Nara and Kobe Sannomiya stations; however, since the trains run randomly, it is not always guaranteed you will be able to take a seat on the fuzzy deer seats.

 Still, if you're able to visit Nara, it's well worth a try.

 

Canada’s Biggest Trampoline Park

At the base of Mont-Saint-Grégoire, a short drive from Montréal, the outdoor adventure designers behind The Trekking Group conceived of Canada’s largest trampolines for UPLÅ adventure park.

 

BAJAO Cabin

We usually think of sleeping on land, when we talk about camping, but BAJAO is offering a new way to experience the outdoors. 

The German brand has created an all-in-one tent that can be affixed to your paddle board so that you can sleep on the water and not get wet. This innovative product fits any paddle board longer than 11 feet 6 inches and comes with stabilizing pipes so that the tent remains safely attached. In addition to providing shelter from the sun, this tent also includes a barrier to keep insects out.

 And if you're ever in the mood to look at the moon, you can remove the flysheet on top and still have a transparent layer to deter bugs. BAJAO Cabin also features a durable and waterproof floor made from 150D Oxford polyester fabric. This makes the tent usable for water, but also on other surfaces like mud, sand, or rock. When it's not in use, the tent can be packed down into an easy-to-carry backpack.

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