No offense to users of the innumerable smart phones on the market, but the iPhone 5 is still the number one seller in the U.S. and is therefore a good barometer for currents trends in smartphone case design. That said, most finer cases below, with a few exceptions, are also made for most major smartphone models like the Samsung Galaxy. Like us, you're naturally looking for a way to make your phone feel like your own and protect it from the inevitable scrapes, bumps and drops that life invites upon our most trusty of gadgets. Beyond that, you might be looking for a particular look (leather, bamboo, nickel plated), purpose or level of protection. Whatever the case, ahem, you need to cover that thing properly. Here we've organized the tip-top of iPhone 5 cases in various categories, so your phone won't be caught naked anytime soon.
Natural materials
Engage Bamboo, $35 at x-doria.com
Real laser-etched bamboo comes slim in the Engage.
Grove bamboo case, $99 at grovemade.com
Custom engraving of your renewable resource is available, but we're digging the Pulsar pattern.
Root Zebrawood Wood Back, $30 at rootcases.com
Woody and natural, the woodbacked case feels solid in the hand.
Corkor Case, 25€ at corkor.com
Be the first on your block with a case handmage in Portugal from renewable cork.
Book-like
The Little Black Book, $40 at padandquill.com
Surprise, it's not my secret diary, just my iPhone.
Heavy Duty
Life Proof frē iPhone 5 case, $80 at lifeproof.com
A low-profile case that's waterproof, shockproof and snow-proof. Adventure-ready if you are.
Ballistic Hard Core, $60 at goballisticcase.com
The aptly-dubbed Hard Core features five, yes five, layers of protection.
Lunatik Taktik iPhone 5 case, $TBA at lunatik.com
Rugged and futuristic, the Taktik has Corning-made Gorilla Glass protection for unexpected slams.
Wallets
Dodocase Durables Wallet, $50 at dodocase.com
Waxed canvas on this American-made wallet case gives it a unique look at a nice price.
Taffeta Camo & Rosewood: Card Carrier 2.0, $69 at killspencer.com
The edgy L.A.-made carrier is lined with Italian suede and fits 4 cards.
Q Card Wallet Case, $40 at cm4.com
If you like to travel light (3 cards and some cash, max)—give the non-nonsense Q Card a try.
Sleeves
Roberu, $100 at roberu.com
This beautiful handmade leather case from Japan with the elastic back is our top pick.
Makr, $95 at Makr.com
Hand-sewn with Chromexcel from Chicago leathermaker Horween, the Makr cases are going quick.
Mujjo Originals sleeve, £35 at mujjo.com
Dutch minimalism meets handmade—also available in white.
Kickstands
X-Doria Kick, $30 at x-doria.com
If you Facetime all the time, you'll need a kickstand.
Graphic
Orange and Beige Chevron Zigzag Print Fabric Covered Case, $19 at etsy.com
The zigzag case rides a fine line between crafty and modern.
Pastel Aztec case by Vasare Nar, $35
If color is your thing, patterns by llustrator Vasare Nar has got them.
Pantone iPhone case, 30€ at case-scenario.com
King of color has 13 vibrant versions of its Case Scenario-made case. The black is tough.
Splurge
EXOvault Nickel Plated Aluminum Bocote, $270
All Exo cases are made by hand in Brooklyn, NY—and worth the wait.
Hard Graft Phone Fold Wallet, £65 at hardgraft.com
Felt meets leather in this chameleonic wallet case from England's Hard Graft.
Illustrator Daniel Nyari has a lot of interests—he's posted his own critical take on 2012 film, music, and television on his Tumblr for example—he hated Girls, liked Skyfall. But with the European big league football (soccer) seasons in full swing right now, it's his brilliant illustrations of famous footballers we're obsessing over. Nyari has been doing soccer players for a while, and has multiple series' of the footballers portraits going. "Football Heroes" commemorates his favorite bigtime players from growing up and "Playmakers" is a gallery of contemporary stars in soccer. His "EM MMXII" series, however, really drilled down into football, as it celebrated the latest in German talent in anticipation of the Euro 2012 tournament.
What we like best is that while Nyari references trading cards as well as the current style in animated cartoon, he's doing so with the composition reminiscient of a classical portrait. His soccer players gain a certain prestige when seen straight on, which also forces Nyari to represent them with clear and exaggerated features—though the uniforms and club logos are a big help. You can bet there are fans out there (of Euro football and illustration) collecting these already.
You know Neville Brody as the designer behind seminal Brit mag The Face, New Wave and punk album covers galore (Cabaret Voltaire, Haircut 100, and on), and just tons of other visual influential stuff. He gave a signature look to the post-punk era. But the graphic rebel went legit years ago and now serves as dean of the department of graphic art and communication at the Royal College of the Arts. But the bonus to having a him there with typographer Margaret Calvert? The two have joined forces for a new typeface just for the Royal College of Arts—and we’re mad jealous. “Calvert Brody” will be on buildings, offices, official documents, and, we’d guess, report cards, too. We’re giving it an A.
Historically speaking, Swedes and Danes haven’t always been the closest of friends, so it’s always reassuring to see the two cultures play nice—especially in the name of good design. And beer. Danish brewery Mikkeller enlisted the help of Swedish design house Bedow to design a series of labels for its 2012 collection of seasonal beers. The end result is a minimalistic and uncomplicated—yet playful—take on Scandinavia’s changing seasons. Literally.
Case in point: Mikkeller’s current release, the Wild Winter Ale. Designed with bitter temperatures in mind, the label features an apple tree that with the help of heat-sensitive ink, loses its leaves as the bottle warms to room temperature. The early editions of the design shows a snowflake transforming into a sun and dandelion seeds morphing into raindrops. Who said drinking beer can’t be a high-design (and uniting) experience?
Call it a great PR move, call it a step in an interesting direction, call it whatever you will, it's happening. A month ago, Levi's announced a new collection of denim incorporating post-consumer waste. The Levi's Waste<Less line is made up of 20% recycled product, namely plastic bottles, food trays, etc. Your pair of jeans from the collection will contain about 8 12-20oz. bottles. Thus, the Spring 2013 Levi’s Waste<Less collection will utilize over 3.5 million recycled bottles. Sounds like good karma.
To make the jeans, recycled PET plastic is sorted by color, crushed into flakes, then made into a polyester fiber, blended with cotton fiber, and woven into traditional cotton yarn by Cone Denim. The colored recycled material adds a unique undertone to the final product—which we'll be interested to see, touch, and try on in person.
Skinny jeans, straight fit 504s, trucker jackers, and women's boyfriend skinny jeans will all be available in the Waste<Less line beginning in January 2013.
My stalled career as a trip-hop DJ on the Mo' Wax label ended any chance of catching me in A Bathing Ape many years ago, but that doesn't mean I don't find the often secretive Japanese label's moves fascinating. This week's release of the SS2013 collection yielded many "huhs", "whoahs" and "hmmms" in the office. But the oxford shirt with the BAPE-style camo cuffs and collar, a collaboration with the venerable and highly desired Gitman Brothers, is the runaway hit. Maybe not quite an icon, but definitely one of the first talkers of 2013.
This month, avid skateboard collectors Jason Cohn and Stanton Hartsfield pay homage to the skateboard at the Surfing Heritage Foundation with a signing of their recently released book “Surf to Skate – Evolution to Revolution.” An exhibit of more than 75 super rare, color-drenched boards (circa 50s and 60s) culled from their personal stash will be on display, too. Think “Hobie Waffle”, “Makaha Phil Edwards”, “Rat Fink” and more.
Surf to Skate: – Evolution to Revolution - Vol. 1 is a photo journal that chronicles the history of skating, along with the rare finds that these two dudes (aka Scavenger) have amassed into a fancy coffee table tome that will surely impress your friends. It’s shaped like the first mass-produced skateboard, the “Roller Derby”, so you can hang that mofo right on your wall and voilà! Art.
Surf to Skate opens Saturday Jan 12, 3-5pm. at the Surfing Heritage Foundation in San Clemente
Don't let the phrase "South American hostel" conjure nightmarish images. The WE Hostel is anything but a grubby, backpacker's last resort—though the charm of bunking with a rogues gallery of twentysomethings and dealing with a surly staff in the south of France has its own charms to be sure. No, the WE Hostel in São Paulo, Brazil is chic, friendly, and affordable, but still qualifies as a hostel in its six shared dorm rooms. It also has one private room, an en suite for women only and one room for couples available. It sleeps 48 guests in total.
The converted 1910s mansion was recently renovated with an interior by young architect Felipe Hess—it blends modern and mid-century furnishings with the building's vintage features as well as the contemporary in Ana Lucia's chandelier of fluorescent tubes.
It's neither spartan nor inconvenient, as it's close to bike rental, Parque do Ibirapuera and buzzing Joaquim da Távora Street. But like a good hostel, it's cheap. A bed in the mixed dorm starts at only $24 (R$ 48).
We're voracious consumers of year-end lists, truth be told, but the end-of-year tradition of the time capsule sounds a little bit less Internet-only to our ears. So today, on the first of the year, we're thinking about what we might stick in our time capsule for 2012, the year in visual culture. Here's a start.
London Olympics
Lambasted on the internet with unusual vitriol, the London Olympics logo and graphics were actually pretty solid and of the moment—infused with an English quirkiness. The controversy around the country of manufacturer for the U.S. opening ceremony outfits also highlighted an unusual intersection of fashion, politics, sports, and globalism that had people talking. London's Olympic architecture was an endless source of debate and online haterade. But altogether, it also felt like London cemented its rep as a dynamic city where new design, boundary-pushing art, and thoughtful architecture flourishes.
Instagram
From day one, we were hooked on Instagram, posting photos of everything from dramatic shots of breakfast burritos to charming outakes from our 17th birthday (hashtag #ThrowbackThursday). Like no other app on our smartphone, Instagram allowed users to share what they were doing but also share their artistic vision of the world. It feels, quite literally, like an extension of who we are. Some are fleeing in light of Instagram's new user agreement terms, but many will stay and keep sharing.
Reclaimed barn wood
Did a lot of farms go out of business in 2012, because it seemed as though a lot of old barn wood was showing up in big city dining rooms? In 2012, barn wood was the star material in new retail and restaurant interiors—even homes. Call it rustic chic, call it boutique recycling, call it the last gasp of the real America, there was something about barn wood that resonated with designers this year. Look for more of it used more inventively in 2013. It isn't going anywhere, until we run out of barns, that is.
3-D Printers
Yeah, we know 3-D printing has been around a while, but in 2012 it firmly took hold of the imaginations of designers, Make magazine readers, the media, and the public at large. The Economist even devoted a special issue to the possibilities of small-scale, local 3-D manufacturing. Of course, their 3-D printing story wasn't without controversy—one could download the plans for a printable AR-15 rifle. But on the upside, 3-D printers are already showing their value in some surprising ways in small scale manufacturing—see "socially conscious design," below.
Hashtag Menswear
Blogging about menswear went from being a cult of online steez to an actual realtime phenomenon. Like an endless feedback loop, the conversation and photoblogging about men's clothes online fueled an expanded realtime culture for men to access. The marketplace is still responding and 2013 will be a year of separating the good stuff from the crap.
Socially conscious design
Designing for the developing world, the environment, and the green home bloomed in 2012. Witness the likes of foot-powered clothes washers, LED lights, and solar-powered laptops. And it was a nice feeling to read about inventive creatives putting their work to solving problems rather than adding yet another luxury dining chair to the showrooms. The challenge in 2013? To check up on these projects Fast Co Design selected and see how many come to fruition and actually make a difference.
Naturally, we're wondering what you'd put in 2012 time capsule. Let us know on the Nothing Major Facebook page.
Designophiles tend to associate Vitsœ with the 606 shelving system by Dieter Rams—a modern classic. The company's mission, to help us 'live better with less that lasts longer" is more relevant than ever. But there's much more to the story than the iconic furniture by Rams. Vitsœ has put Tumblr to good use in releasing bits and bobs, photos, graphics, and projects from its incredible archive. There's everything from a company holiday card to a Neville Brody (of The Face fame) design for the 606 launch in the UK, plus lots of photos of Rams doing his thing. My current fave is the post on the record pressed in the '70s for a band performing at the furniture showroom in Karlsruhe, Germany. One small request: post more often, please.