Nerhol - Index | Foam | Amsterdam (NLD) | By Lee Fleming

Amsterdam-based Foam present the first international exhibition of Nerhol, a successful Japanese artist unit who explores the concept of the photographic portrait. Founded in 2007, Nerhol is a collaboration between graphic designer Yoshihisa Tanaka and the sculptor Ryuta Iida. Together the duo combines photographic and sculptural techniques to reveal a complexity that photography usually obscures.

The Nerhol – Index exhibition features layered portraits of a single subject photographed for the duration of several minutes. The process involves 200 images, which then are printed, bound and then sheared off, layer by layer, to produce the final, dizzying portrait.

The Nerhol – Index exhibition runs until Sunday 21st June and has been made possible by Van Bijleveltstichting and The Japan Foundation. To read more visit the Foam website where you can also purchase the Nerhol – Phase of Everything book.

Att Pynta | London (UK) | By Emma Harrison

Att Pynta is the brainchild from Kai Price and Amanda Nelson. Both raised in Gothenburg, the pair met in London whilst working in fashion PR and came together through a shared love of affordable and contemporary homeware. Launched in autumn 2014, the online brand combines a distinctly Scandinavian aesthetic with strong British design to form a collection of stylish textiles, kitchenware, homeware and lighting.

The Att Pynta website is full of inspiration and boasts an impressive and select list of designers. Products are created by Nordic and UK-based designers and include the Brass Frame Portrait (top left, £38) from fair-trade manufacturer Nkuku and the sumptuous woollen Beehive Throw (bottom right, £60.00) by Tweedmill, based in Wales. The locally produced products on the online store sit neatly next to Scandinavian designs, from Danish Goose Feather lampshades to ceramics from Swede Marie L Sundegren.

You can visit Att Pynta’s store online or catch them at Broadway Market in East London every Saturday. We’ve also heard there may be a pop-store in the pipeline for 2015 - watch this space.

Ronnie Northampton | Northamptonshire (UK) | By Emma Harrison

Ronnie Northampton is the label from footwear design graduate and Northampton local, Kirsty Ronnie. After graduating in 2014, Ronnie launched her first impressive collection of handcrafted women’s Goodyear welted shoes inspired by the traditional shoemaking industry of her hometown that dates back to the 15^th century.

The collection consists of seven pairs of shoes, each named after an influential figure in Ronnie’s life (‘Miriam’, pictured). The unique designs incorporate elements of that person’s favourite shoes or pastimes- ‘Minnie’ for example has a silver T-bar inlay that was a feature on her great-grandmother's dancing shoes.

Northamptonshire footwear factories John Lobb, Cheaney, Churchs and Trickers have manufactured samples but now Ronnie Northampton’s Kickstarter page is raising funds for full production that will breathe life back into the local footwear industry. To support the page, donate here .

Second Istanbul Design Biennial | Istanbul (TR) | By Emma Harrison

Running from 1 November to 14 December, Turkey's largest city plays host to the second Istanbul Design Biennial centred on the theme ‘the future is not what it used to be’, a line taken from an essay by French poet and philosopher Paul Valéry in 1937.

Using this line as a starting point, curator Zoë Ryan has drawn up a programme of exhibitions, panel discussions and film screenings set across five floors in the neoclassical Galata Greek Primary School and at event space Antrepo 7.

Each project exhibited at the biennial rethinks the manifesto in order to generate inventive ideas whilst examining past, present and future states and aspirations. Notable projects include the mapmaker manifesto from San Francisco-based Stamen Design and the Dyslexie Typeface created by Christian Boer that aims to improve type literacy for dyslexic readers through increased spaces between letters and heavier baselines. Our top pick is the N° 41 Workout Computer from Bless (pictured); the keyboard is composed of punching bags to allow you to work up a sweat through typing, blurring the boundaries between working at the office and working out.

The biennial is also hosting design walks around the city, check their website for more details.

Building Block | Los Angeles (USA) | By Emma Harrison

Established in 2011 by sisters Kimberly and Nancy Wu, Building Block is a design studio based in an airy loft in downtown LA. Created from a shared love of minimalist fashion and industrial design, the pair reimagine classic shapes and ‘edit out excess’ to produce their range of structured accessories. 

A former concept car designer for Honda’s Advanced Studio, Kimberly teamed up with Nancy, a former footwear designer for Nike, to counter the culture of fast fashion and trend-based design. The result is a blend of classic luxury and utility that incorporates unusual industrial items such as rubber tubing, wooden balls, and brass rods with bold silhouettes.

Earlier this year, Building Block opened a collaborative studio and store with concept gallery Iko Iko, to read more or browse online, check out their website. We’ve also heard that a furniture range may be in the pipeline…