Cooper Hewitt National Design Triennial Highlights Eco-Textiles and Artisanal Fashion

A great way to beat the heat wave in NYC right now, chill out with the latest in innovately cool textiles currently on view at the Cooper Hewitt's National Design Triennial: Why Design Now? Products and design initiatives from the following categories are featured: energy, mobility, community, materials, prosperity, health, communication, and simplicity.

It's a great way to update yourself on the current state of sustainable and forward-thinking design for change. An added bonus is the Cooper-Hewitt's Summer Cocktail Fridays where visitors can mingle in the historic gardens and geek out on design chat.

*above images courtesy of the Cooper Hewitt website and the designers. Listed from top to bottom: Fin spring/summer 2010 collection by Per Sivertsen; Issey Miyake Spring/Summer 2009 collection, “Color Hunting”, Dai Fujiwara, Miyake Design Studio, Peru and Japan, 2008; Witches’ Kitchen collection, Design with a Conscience series by Tord Boontje; Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal Line; Cabbage chair of pleated paper, Nendo, Japan, 2008; and Painted Series by Saskia van Drimmelen, Desiree Hammen, Margaret Sweerts and Bulgarian artisans, The Netherlands, 2008.