The BIG Chair Project

The BIG Chair Project; photo David Parry/PA

British chef Jamie Oliver has teamed up with design brand Fritz Hansen to celebrate ten years of his restaurant Fifteen - by auctioning off an army of Arne Jacobsen's famous Ant chairs, each one customised by one of twenty different artists and designers.

Digital Crystal: Swarovski at the Design Museum

Hard Coded Memory by Troika

The next exhibition at London's Design Museum combines the work of new-gen designers with Swarovski's crystal archives. Running 5 September 2012 to 13 January 2013, Digital Crystal: Swarovski at the Design Museum explores the concept of how our tangible lifestyles are revolving into a digital age.

Colours and tactility at NYIGF

PMO Design at NYIGF

2,800 exhibitors from over 50 countries are taking part in the latest edition of the New York International Gift Fair, once again held in Javits Center. Here are some highlights from the first two days of the fair, which runs until August 22.

Luggage lifestyle: suitcase psychology

A new survey by Virgin Atlantic has shown that suitcases and travel equipment are more than ever purchased to reflect their owner's lifestyle, aspirations and self-image. The results, released on Friday, found that 32% of women consider buying new luggage based on their destination; 25% of 16-24 year olds would buy new luggage to copy a celebrity's choice; and 12% of respondents have upgraded their luggage to ensure it is more stylish than that of their travelling companion.

Subscribers can read more about the psychology of travelling accessories, and the consumer groups behind them, in our recent report, Luggage Lifestyle.

Emergency kits for pets

The Orvis Emergency Pet Travel Kit

The burgeoning market for emergency kits of all capacities responds to consumers who want to be prepared in case a major disaster strikes close to home. Now, two new kits have adapted the format for pets and owners.

The Orvis Emergency Pet Travel Kit is an all-in-one organiser that includes a collapsible bowl, a collar/lead combo, a roll of pick-up bags and a basic first aid kit. The nylon bag features four elasticised compartments for pet travel accessories.

Ercol x Ptolemy Mann

British textile designer and colour specialist Ptolemy Mann has collaborated with Ercol on a limited edition of the Studio Couch. The solid elm and beech wood frame of the original 1950s design contrasts with Mann's signature bold, hand-dyed fabric - available for this piece in two colourways, Charcoal (dark grey and hot pink) and Geranium (orange, red and lime green brights). The design retails at £2090 plus fabric.

Foscarini at Venice Architecture Biennale

Italian lighting brand Foscarini will furnish the key areas of the Venice Architecture Biennale with its designs this autumn.

Binatone Kettle by Craig Thurston

Loughborough University graduate Craig Thurston has designed a kettle that indicates the temperature of water by changing colour, from blue to red. As the water heats up, the aqua tone changes to a vivid red, giving a clear visual indication.

McIntosh: modern tech with a retro twist

The MXA60 OXYGEN by McIntosh

US hi-fi and home cinema brand McIntosh specialises in products which combine the latest technological advances with a vintage look.

Sight Unseen: Paper View

Published in April in collaboration with Karlsson Vodka Unfiltered, this physical edition of the behind-the-scenes design website Sight Unseen offers up a selection of Jill Singer and Monica Khemsurov's features, as well as an essay on the subject of "what two years of interviews have taught us about what it’s like to be a maker".

Faber by Andrew Knott

Product design graduate Andrew Knott has created a kit for craftspeople to send to customers, in advance of a completed order, which documents the making process and lets them feel more involved.

Five Forks on the Subject of Critical Design by Thomas Walde

Following on from the personal cutlery set we featured yesterday, this set of forks by Thomas Walde of Postfossil explores a future where eating meat is frowned upon.

The series progresses from a fork which makes the cutting process difficult, to one which makes it impossible. "The product stands for a vision of a low-meat diet in Europe," says Walde.