The nonprofit organization Be Original Americas aims to raise awareness about the negative impact of knockoffs within the design industry by starting conversations about the value of preserving original design. (Unsure why this issue merits scrutiny? We’ve got you covered.) One way the advocacy group achieves this is by spreading the message to rising design talent. Every year, the organization hosts a summer fellowship in which two undergraduate design students embark on an immersive five-week journey to visit a multitude of member brands, such as Emeco, Louis Poulsen, and Bend Goods, to gain invaluable insights into original design, craftsmanship, and business.

This year, however, played out differently. The prospect of visiting firms and studios in multiple locations proved impossible due to travel restrictions arising from the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, the program director, Alyssa Young, suggested going virtual—a crucial way to reach more students while bringing the Be Original Americas mission to the global stage. The group then organized a series of live webinars from 26 member brands, who presented to more than 3,400 students around the world about various stages of the design process while focusing on the intrinsic value of authenticity. Though the fellowship ended on July 17, students now have access to each lecture through a YouTube channel, which debuted this week. We spoke to a group of attendees, who shared their most unexpected takeaways and revelations. Read more.

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When: Sept. 10–Oct. 24

Where: Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, Chicago

What: The up-and-coming Ghanaian artist uses painting as an instrument to navigate the complexities of human experience and depict a vivid sense of each subject’s presence in the world—an approach that resonated with Dior Homme, which enlisted Boafo for a recent collection. For his first solo exhibition at Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, an ascendant purveyor of African art, Boafo fine-tunes his signature finger-painting technique, enabling his subjects to pulse with energy and redefine how Black people are constructing their own identities.

That mantra is the guiding inspiration for Homme, a new subscription-based line of sustainable hair, body, shave, and face products launched by a group of friends with backgrounds in art, design, and fashion. “We looked at a lot of fashion brands,” says founder Mathias Krigh, who studied at Parsons and worked with the likes of Donna Karan and Levi’s, for the branding. “You can connect to Chanel through some of our feeling and simplicity, and you can connect to Comme des Garçons in certain aspects.”

Homme, however, is more than a sleek label. Krigh hails from three generations of barbers and his mom is a makeup artist, so he was exposed to the world of grooming at an early age. All 13 products are vegetarian, free from sulfates and detrimental parabens, and made with all-natural ingredients such as charcoal and seaweed. Two predominant scents, tea flower and birch, pay homage to Homme’s Swedish roots. “If you go into the Scandinavian forest, that’s most of the trees you see. It’s like the flower of our country,” Krigh says with a laugh. “It very much fits into our heritage.”

Every year, Architectural Record assembles the Top 300 Architecture Firms organized by revenue from the previous year. There normally isn’t much fluctuation from year to year—design industry giants often maintain their long-held ranks. Topping the list for the ninth year in a row is Gensler, the San Francisco–based firm that operates 50 offices around the world, which saw its total architectural revenue balloon by 12 percent, or $170 million, to a total of $1.52 billion. “Our industry-leading revenues give us the capacity to reinvest in our global platform—supporting unparalleled research, talent development, and design delivery,” the company writes in its 2019 annual report. While the promising growth rate reflects a successful 2019, we anticipate that figure falling slightly in next year’s report due to financial turbulence caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

GAN is the indoor brand of Gandiablasco, and its starting point. Firmly rooted in design and based around handmade products, the brand believes that rugs aren’t merely decorative objects, but a system of shapes and volumes that redefine the concept of habitability. Each of the brand’s products are made in India by experienced craftspeople who use natural fibers: cotton, linen, jute, silk, and wool.

Surface Says: We love how GAN cleverly applies the techniques used to create its rugs to other furnishings, including stools, poufs, and soft seating.

A Lindt factory malfunction leaves one Swiss town covered in chocolate.

One Japanese couple creates a life-size Totoro for their grandchildren.

Sylvan Esso’s latest music video was shot entirely in Animal Crossing.

Okuda San Miguel enlivens a Spanish lighthouse with vibrant patterns.