Posts Written by Vic Arkoff

The first collaboration between designer Philippe Starck and Spanish furnishings manufacturer Andreu World is a puzzle. Their Adela Rex walnut and oak plywood armchairs are made from three molded shapes that fit together without hardware. (Take that, IKEA.) Part of World’s 100% pure wood project, the chairs are FSC Certified.

Every bag in Nixon’s Repreve Our Ocean collection removes up to 20 plastic bottles from the environment, giving them new life as bags. Our fave is the extra roomy and surprisingly comfy Hauler 25L with back padding, laptop storage, internal pockets, external skateboard straps, a mesh strap pocket, and a removable accessory pouch.

Gleaming steel and curves give Airstream trailers their timeless appeal. For everyone with Airstream dreams there’s Ojai, California’s Caravan Outpost, a bohemian-cool oasis with 10 gleaming Airstreams serving as rooms. Set in a semi-circle, each trailer has its own shaded palm garden with a hammock or table and chairs.

Whether you prefer your martini shaken or stirred, with gin or vodka, one sure way to upgrade the quintessential cocktail is with a top-shelf, extra dry vermouth. Made with Italian wines, 1757 Vermouth di Torino Extra Dry from Cinzano is enriched with a botanical bouquet of Mediterranean herbs, particularly Piedmont wormwood.

Through National First Responders Day (10.28.21), Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey and Dough Doughnuts are serving whiskey-infused donuts – Irish Coffee Cream-Filled and Irish Coffee Glazed – perfect dunks for Proper Irish coffee. The treats benefit the Tunnel to Towers Foundation supporting families of fallen first responders.

Meet the Westerner, the first release in Heritage Boot Co’s New Frontier Artist series. The meticulously handcrafted boot with crossed-arrow inlays and stitching is a killer collaboration by the Austin boot-making institution, Krissy Teegerstrom of Featherweight Studio, and actor/punk icon John Doe of X fame.

Skullcandy has built its brand on reliable audio quality at a budget price. Now they take a bow with their first Active Noise Canceling true wireless earbuds, Indy ANC, the brand’s best performer yet. Up to 19 hours of battery, water-resistance, lag-free connection, ambient listening mode, Tile tracking, and a wireless charging case.

It’s time to overdecorate with pumpkins, autumn leaves, and manic cursing. Based on a McSweeney’s essay by Colin Nissan, It’s Decorative Gourd Season, MFers features stock photos illustrating the narrator’s descent into depression as his “perfect f**ing seasonal masterpiece” becomes a “perfect f**ing vermin condo.”

Finally, a fashion collection you’d be proud to drip deli mustard on. Lacoste’s West Hollywood pop-up collaborated with Uncle Paulie’s, LA’s awesomest NY-style deli, for a limited collection of classic sportswear jackets, shirts, and caps that are sure to elicit lip-smacking approval from hungry passersby. A WeHo Lacoste exclusive.

Ever wonder “What if the Starship Enterprise was manned by cats?” Us neither. Nevertheless, this 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle casts felines in several of Star Trek’s most beloved scenes. A tabby plays Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock is a Mexican Hairless, and Chief Engineer “Scotty” Scott is (duh) a Scottish Fold. Beam me up, Kitty!

Montreal artist Olivier Gratton-Gagné is obsessed with maps. Olivier applied his coding and graphic design skills to data on OpenStreetMap, and his iLikeMaps project was born. Based on satellite imagery, each 18″x18″ pillow design is a contemporary work of art, appearing both abstract and detailed with identifiable avenues.

Ombraz solves the biggest gripes about sunglasses: slipping off and breaking. Instead of sidearms, Ombraz uses an adjustable nylon cord that doubles as a lanyard. The lightweight frames have no hinges to bust, and German-engineered optics offer UVA/UVB protection. For every sale, Ombraz plants 20 mangrove trees.

Cutwater Spirits’ third tequila release is Tequila Añejo, joining the award-winning Reposado and Blanco in Cutwater’s 20+ spirit lineup of gin, vodka, rum, whisky, mezcal, and canned cocktails produced in San Diego. The versatile distiller makes tequila in – naturally – Tequila, Mexico, using 100% blue agave that’s slow cooked in traditional brick ovens then double-distilled.

Equally at home on the neighborhood gridiron or on a trophy shelf, the Shinola Leather Football has all the timeless good looks of Shinola Detroit’s first furnishings and accessories collection for Crate and Barrel. It’s all in the vintage details, from the rich brown leather to the contrasting raw leather lacings. An instant heirloom.

Designed for dads, Beau Industries’ Parenting Pack R1 is a diaper bag that doesn’t look like one. Built to last long past the diapering stage, the versatile, non-toxic bag doubles as a work tote or trail backpack. Includes a cushy changing pad, wipes pocket, protective laptop, device pockets, and insulated accessory pouches.

Most single malt whiskies insist on being sipped neat. X by Glenmorangie, by contrast, was created to stir it up with a myriad of mixers. Glenmorangie reimagines single malts by making X sweeter and richer with aromas of pear and vanilla distilled in extra-tall stills to allow more space for the taste to bloom.

Apple’s iPhone 13 has dropped. Before you drop that fragile $1000 phone put it in a protective case that means business. Pelican’s clear, four-layer Voyager case is tested to military standards to protect against impact, dust, shocks, and 18-foot drops. Comes with a swivel-clipped holster that converts to a kickstand.

Betcha the Shiba Inu that sold cigarettes in Tokyo could’ve made a doggone mint selling homemade pet yummos with this Mini Dog Treat Maker by Dash. The nonstick plates heat evenly to cook fresh bone-shaped treats in minutes, and the Recipe Guide shows how to use pet-safe natural ingredients already in your home kitchen.

The ultra-compact, all-weather Zoom Tube has best-in-class optics and a wide field of view to bring nature closer. Really close. An optional 4x multiplier lens turns it into a field microscope. Weighing just 9.5 oz., it easily slides into a pocket, and the awesomely rugged, grippy, water-resistant ribbed housing absorbs impact.

Think like a pirate to solve the clues in a video treasure hunt and be automatically entered to win a free cruise anywhere Windstar Cruises’ small ships and yachts sail. During their voyage, the winner and a guest will then be doubly rewarded with what Windstar says will be “the ultimate hidden treasure.”

Worn as a chest harness, Nixon’s stylishly utilitarian Zion Bandit Bag keeps valuables handy and secure while in action. USA Skateboarding Team star Zion Wright incorporated Sakura blossoms and catfish into his signature pattern: nods to his 2021 Olympic debut and Florida home state. All-over cherry blossom style also available.

We’re loving Mezcal Amaras Verde’s label series by artists from Chicago, LA (our pal Chaz), Seattle, Berlin, Argentina, and Mexico. Even better is the naturally fermented mezcal, and the distiller’s initiatives to pay 20% over market for labor and materials, and to reforest Oaxaca with 10 agave plants for every one harvested.

No more dead batteries. The solar-powered quartz movement of the Light-Wave Watch by Nixon is a timely stroke of genius, and eco-friendly with its recycled plastic case and comfy band made from recovered ocean trash. Good minimalist design and durability plus good planet stewardship equals a wonderful daily timekeeper.