I heart the Seoul collection at MoMA

At some point in my life, I plan to travel the world and learn about modern art and design in every culture, perhaps combining that with some of my philanthropic endeavors. But until then, I can indulge for more than a few hours at a time at the generous exhibits in the U.S. Some of my favorites occur at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco and the Getty museum in Los Angeles. And then there's the ever-so-popular and my oh-so-favorite MoMA, which has one of the best stores if you're a design lover.

So I am thrilled to find this new exclusive collection at MoMAstore which takes me back to my roots. Seoul is a MoMA-exclusive product collection highlighting lifestyle products from South Korea. And not only are some of these products cuter than Hello Kitty, they also make a difference. Here are some of my favorites:

I.dear Speakers (by Sang-bum Kim, 2007) $36 This tiny wood cube-shaped speakers (1.25" x .75" x 1") produce rich sound, includes a USB connector for charging and a standard jack to connect to audio sources. Your iPod would be so lucky to have this as a companion. It's also available in faux-marble.

Wooden Blocks Rattle Set (by Jae Keun Song, 2008) $18 This wooden blocks rattle set is made from natural wood finished with linseed oil, each featuring different funny faces and distinctive sounds. The rattles are each made from a different type of wood, are naturally safe and good for the environment.


Recycled Cloth Gorilla Plush (by Mearry Design Team, 2007) $28 Made from cleaned, recycled cloth and stuffed with 100% cotton material, these lovable stuffed animals are meant to resemble the Highland Mountain Gorilla, an endangered species. Each doll is sewn by hand and benefits economically disadvantaged single mothers living in South Korea.


Street Banner Bag (by Dong Hwan Kim, 2007) $6-15 Made entirely of materials gathered from collecting used street banners in Korea, these stylish bags doubly benefit the planet and are ideal for carrying groceries and other items. Now why would you continue to use those unsightly and environmentally tragic plastic bags?


Recycled Denim Tote (by Mearry Design Team, 2007) $95 Each of these tote bags is made from repurposed denim that is donated to Beautiful Store, a non-profit organization working to create a culture of sharing and recycling throughout South Korea. Made out of either black or blue denim with leather handles, each bag also features an interior pocket fashioned out of the original jean's front pocket.

Recycled Newsprint Pencils (by Hyunjung Park, 2007) $5 The case and five pencils in this set are all made from recycled newspaper and printed with soy-based ink.



" It is often said that in Korea there is no such word as "philanthropy" and that there is no tradition of donation like the that in the US and other western countries. However a tradition of philanthropy unique to Korean society has been successfully maintained over the years throughout turbulent social changes. The level of philanthropy in a country is considered an important standard of measuring the level of its culture." The Beautiful Foundation

Unite for Children

I usually try to grab your attention with the dazzling and charitable gem first... but this time the worthiness of the cause and the mission of this organization deserves the spotlight.

The United Nations Children’s Fund, known as UNICEF, believes that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress. In December 1946, UNICEF was created with this purpose in mind – to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. Working in 190 countries, UNICEF promotes education and works against discrimination of girls, promotes immunizations and works to prevent communicable diseases including the HIV/AIDS, and provides relief efforts for children in emergencies and situations of violence, abuse and exploitation.

And here are a few ways you can support their work - from $1 to $1395.

SCHOOLS FOR AFRICA In Gucci’s latest tribute to UNICEF, creative director Frida Giannini has designed the second annual “Gucci for UNICEF” product to benefit UNICEF’s lifesaving programs that support orphans and children affected by HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa -- the special edition Baboushka bag. The ‘Gucci for UNICEF' Baboushka bag – a stud-trimmed tote in a glossy crystal GG fabric – is available in Gucci stores in over 20 countries and at gucci.com. For one year (starting February 1st, 2009), Gucci will donate 25% of the retail price (US$1395) for each bag sold. Funds raised will support Schools for Africa, a joint initiative established in 2004 by UNICEF and the Nelson Mandela Foundation to promote education for all children in Africa. The campaign aims to increase access to quality basic schooling for all, with a special emphasis on helping the most disadvantaged – including one million children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Malawi and Mozambique and children living in extreme poverty. Schools for Africa strives to raise $50 million to allow 4 million children in six countries in Africa go to school.

WORLD WATER DAY - MARCH 22, 2009 UNICEF-supported water, sanitation and hygiene projects are working to improve child health and survival in more than 90 developing countries. Globally, an estimated 125 million children under the age of five live in households without access to a safe drinking-water source. Even more people – a total of more than 2.5 billion around the world – are living without proper sanitation. The Tap Project, initiated by the US Fund for UNICEF and partners, works from the knowledge that just $1 can provide safe drinking water for a child for 40 days. From March 22-28, the project asks diners in restaurants across the United States to donate $1 for the tap water that is generally provided for free. Currently more than 2,300 restaurants throughout the country are participating (click here to find participating restaurants in your city). All the funds are used to support UNICEF's efforts to halve the number of people without safe water and sanitation worldwide by 2015.

CARTIER LOVES UNICEF UNICEF Ambassador Sarah Jessica Parker has pledged her support for UNICEF and created the cyan-blue cord LOVE bracelets to benefit the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. For each bracelet with the cyan-blue cord purchased through June 19, 2009, Cartier will donate $100 to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF from the sale of each single bracelet (retail price $475) and $200 from the sale of each double bracelet (retail price $995). The Cartier LOVE Charity Bracelet benefiting UNICEF is available in 34 boutiques across the U.S. and Canada. For more information, call 1.800.CARTIER or visit www.love.cartier.com.

Let's never forget how fortunate we are to live in a country with basic necessities and dignities such as clean water and a free education. Let's unite for children who deserve both in their lifetime.

Do-Ni Gift of Love - Bella e Dolce Scarpa

One of my most commonly spoken words while traveling in Italy (besides vino and gelato) was scarpa which means "shoes." You probably could have predicted that given the number of times gorgeous shoes are mentioned on this blog. But honestly, these bella e dolce scarpa keep walking into my life. And what's even more fabulous is that their existence truly benefits our world and not just our outfits. Do-Ni which means "gifts" is the inspired passion of two vegetarian shoe designers Nancy Dong and Carlotta Fiorini who have created a beautiful collection of stylish, vegan and ecological shoes. The first collection of Do-Ni Nobilia ballerinas (US$150-175, currently on sale!) are made from leather-free materials from Italy, water-based and animal-free glues and pre-consumer recycled components. The medallion is hand made by traditional artisans in India and the ribbon is fair trade from France.

In accordance with Do-Ni Gift of Love's mission - to empower those who do not have a voice - Do-Ni donates 100% of retail profits to participating non-profit organizations like Best Friends Animal Society which helps place dogs and cats considered "unadoptable" in new homes or Medicines Global which inspires adventure travelers to give back to the places they visit by delivering basic first aid supplies to medical centers and remote community run health posts. Currently Do-Ni has six participating non-profit organizations which you can choose to receive the retail profits from your purchase through their online store.

According to the founders, they "are focused on solving the issues facing the world today, while offering excellent alternative to traditional leather shoes to the growing conscious consumers.... By selecting conscientiously what you buy, you are voting with your wallet, supporting businesses that foster sustainable production cycles while exercis[ing] social responsibility." What's not to love about their mission, socially responsible business model and these sweet ballerina flats? Favoloso e filantropico!

Food and Philanthropy

So for me, food is always fashionable. And here's a quick shout out to my friends and readers in New York City. This Sunday, March 8th support Time Out for Hunger where a selection of Time Out New York's favorite restaurants will donate 10% of a day's proceeds to the Food Bank for New York City. Last year 90 restaurants (including those in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island) helped provide over 170,000 free meals for New Yorkers in need. So if you're in New York and planning to eat out this Sunday, check out the participating restaurants.

If you prefer to stay in and cook these days, stock up your fridge and pantry while supporting the Food Bank for New York City at the same time. On March 11th, Whole Foods Markets throughout New York City will donate 5% of net sales to the Food Bank. Find the Whole Foods Market store nearest you.

Throughout the five boroughs, approximately 1.3 million New Yorkers - mostly women, children, seniors, the working poor and people with disabilities - rely on soup kitchens and food pantries. In addition, the number of New Yorkers experiencing difficulty affording food for themselves and their families has doubled to approximately 4 million since 2003. The Food Bank of New York City procures and distributes food to a network of approximately 1,000 food assistance programs citywide. In addition, they provide food safety and capacity-building workshops; manage school nutrition education programs, after-school and emergency food programs; conduct food stamp prescreening and outreach; operate a Senior Food Program and a soup kitchen and food pantry; coordinate the largest Free Tax Assistance Program in the country; and develop policy and conduct research to inform community and government efforts to end food poverty throughout New York City.

So you can dine out or dine in; but, either way you'll be donating to a worthy cause.

What the *#&! is Social Design?

As you know most of my posts relate to products and services; but every now and then an event hits the sweet spot of my inspiration for this blog... and this one is called the SOFTSPOT. Students and alumni from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco have launched this initiative which provides designers with the information and inspiration by which they can solve contemporary issues and educates the masses about the solutions designers provide for a more perfect and healthy world. Ultimately, SOFTSPOT wants to inspire, inform and initiate positive social change.

SOFTSPOT will be hosting an exhibit at Gallery 79 (79 New Montgomery Street) in San Francisco from March 12th through the 31st. The exhibition is an exploration of design for social change and attempts to engage the viewer by asking them to write and draw various reactions to what is being presented by designers, photographers and filmmakers. The viewer participates and becomes the active community that is essential for defining and initiating social design. So if you want to know what the *#&! is social design, check out this exhibit and let SOFTSPOT inspire you to find out for yourself.