The article highlights women in Northern Ireland who are preserving heritage through traditional crafts, such as saddle making, and emphasizes the importance of recognizing their contributions through a new project that aims to showcase women's roles in cultural preservation.
Fall River, Massachusetts, is experiencing a manufacturing renaissance by emphasizing high-quality craftsmanship and technological innovation, aiming to attract a new generation of workers and revive its industrial heritage amid challenges from globalization and workforce recruitment.
The article highlights the world's most beautiful pens, showcasing luxury brands like Pelikan, Yard O Led, Montblanc, and others, emphasizing their exquisite craftsmanship, artistic design, and historical significance, making them more than just writing instruments but true works of art.
Osaka's danjiri matsuri, a centuries-old float festival, combines craftsmanship and adrenaline as participants race massive wooden floats through the streets. Known for its danger, the festival celebrates woodworking and community spirit, with floats adorned by hand-carved figures. Despite its rich history, the festival faces challenges due to Japan's declining population, impacting participation. Artisans like Akihiko Maeda continue to build and restore these floats, hoping to preserve the tradition for future generations.
Mike from Chronova Engineering has created an exceptionally small orrery, measuring about 20 mm across, featuring the Sun-Earth-Moon system. The intricate model showcases advanced watchmaking skills, with tiny gears and detailed craftsmanship. The process, including milling and resin casting, is captivating to watch.
British brand Toast is dedicated to creating long-lasting clothes and homewares through a commitment to craftsmanship, featuring kitchenware, lighting, and blankets sourced from artisans worldwide. The brand's annual New Makers program provides emerging craftspeople with a platform to sell their wares and receive mentorship. The latest class of makers includes a glass artist, a furniture designer, a basket weaver, a ceramicist, and a potter, each offering unique and handcrafted pieces available for purchase online and in stores until 2024.
A master clockmaker and tinker in Taos, known for his exceptional craftsmanship and dedication to timekeeping, continues to keep things ticking with his intricate creations. With a passion for tinkering and a deep understanding of the inner workings of clocks, he has become a revered figure in the community, ensuring that time is kept accurately and beautifully in this small town.
Karen Tierney, a professional dressmaker and textile restorer, showcased wedding dresses dating back to the 1800s in a fashion show held in Oakland, California. Tierney has been restoring wedding gowns and creating custom pieces for 18 years, using her graphic design skills to solve intricate restoration problems. She takes great care in repairing lace and constructing undergarments to maintain the dresses' original shape. Tierney's work is highly specialized and often involves dismantling and rebuilding dresses piece by piece. The fashion show celebrated the history and sentimental value of wedding dresses, with some dresses being worn by multiple generations of the same family. Tierney's creations were appreciated by attendees, and she expressed her love for making things beautiful again.
The state dinner hosted by the Biden administration for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi became an unlikely celebration of fashion, with high-profile fashion figures such as Ralph Lauren, Reem Acra, and Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri in attendance. The presence of these designers suggests that the Biden administration may be building a more formal bridge to the fashion industry. The designers' appearances also highlight the importance of quality and artisanship in fashion, challenging biases around European craftsmanship.
Fendi's SS24 show showcased the "corporate artisan" trend, celebrating the relationship between man and machine. The collection featured traditional and technical displays of craftsmanship, including precision-cut duster coats with loopholes for measuring tapes and name badges, industrial leather aprons worn as dresses and skirts with fully stocked tool belts, and a brown leather tote resembling a cardboard coffee-cup holder. Fendi also collaborated with Japanese architect Kengo Kuma to reinvent signature Fendi bags and introduced the Fendi Lab Clog. The show was held at Fendi's LEED-Certified factory in Capannuccia, emphasizing the importance of understanding the provenance of luxury products.
Tipu Sultan's bedchamber sword was sold at Bonhams Islamic and Indian Art sale in London for a record-breaking $17.5 million, making it the most expensive sword ever sold and the most expensive Indian/Islamic object ever sold. The sword is described as "unique and highly desirable" due to its outstanding craftsmanship and rich history, as Tipu Sultan was an 18th-century ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in India known for his fierce resistance against British colonization. The sword was presented to the leader of the British forces after Tipu Sultan's death in battle and will now vanish into the private collection of an anonymous billionaire.