It has become increasingly apparent at the recent Design Indaba event in Cape Town as to how sheepish and uncomfortable most of the graphic designers are about their regular work, for corporate clients. In a post-September 11, post-Enron world, most designers are asking questions about their relevance. The question seems to be: are designers just cheerleaders for corporatedom, or worse still, their rent-boys? Full Story >> All the beauty of civilisation - our art, our music, our literature - lies beyond two fundamentalist, ideological poles. There is as little chance that the people of the world can all become middle-class consumers as there is that they'll all embrace one particular religion. Full Story >> Life And Debt Dem an' dem economical plan Still cant find a solution Borrowin money fe lend World bank a nuh wi fr'en Is life an'debt all a wi a fret Life an' debt freedom not yet Full Story >> Paradox: Our world is a great paradox that turns around in the universe Half the population of Brazil lives in poverty or in extreme poverty, yet Lula's country is the world's second-largest market for Montblanc fountain pens, and the ninth largest buyer of Ferraris. Armani shops in Sao Paulo sell more than in New York. Full Story >> FASHION Of frocks & cocktails - Navigating the international textile scene (Dressing Barbie) So, there I was, attending one of those typical Washington receptions. The type where you tell people how impressive you are and they, in turn, tell you how impressive they are, all the while looking over your shoulder, surveying the crowd for more important folk... Full Story >> Icons of the South The recent 35th Anniversary issue of Rolling Stone magazine was dedicated to American Icons, and paid homage to brands that have global reach and appeal. It set us thinking about what the South has to offer the world as regards icons. Full Story >> ARCHITECTURE Litema, the mural art of the Basotho It is a tradition where women decorate a house after the men have finished building the house. These highly decorative designs are soft and flowing geometric patterns that are applied with fingers, forks and sticks on the walls of houses. The patterns are sometimes coloured with natural pigments Full Story >> CULTURAL TOURIST The other America Peru/Colombia/Brazil CULTURA: Jungle Fervour There are many ways to see the mighty Amazon Basin, ranging from the pricey to the downright dangerous. A down- to-earth way to do it would be to set off from Iquitos in Peru to Leticia in Colombia, then go onto Manuas, Santarem and finally Belem in Brazil. Full Story >> CUISINE Who's food is this? Why is it always that the other man who comes here, lives amongst us, goes back home, and then sells our own culture back to us? During the 17th Century, the European powers' primary goal was to establish a reliable spice route. Full Story >> Design by numbers In 1999, 2.8 billion people lived on less than $2 a day, with 1.2 billion of them barely surviving on the margins of subsistence with less than $1 a day. In 50 countries, with almost 40% of the world`s people, more than one child in five under the age of 5 is underweight. Full Story >> Cultural zoos for the new millennium? by Victor Dlamini In another seventy years or so, the most remarkable feature of the new millennium will be the appearance of the first 'culture zoos' to try and preserve endangered cultures. Full Story >> The Peoples' International Debt Tribunal Final Judgement After hearing the charges brought by the prosecution, the evidence presented by the witnesses and the verdict of the panel, and taking into consideration the silence of the accused parties called upon to defend themselves, we, the judges constituting The Peoples' International Debt Tribunal, declare the accused guilty Full Story >> Heading South: Interview with Tyler Brűlé, founder of *Wallpaper magazine Design Indaba: Tell us about the road to Wallpaper? Tyler: The road to Wallpaper was perhaps not typical of publishing, because it was not something that came out of corporate retreats with magazine executives who elected to launch a new title in the lifestyle or design sector. Full Story >> ©2001. All rights strictly reserved. Design Indaba® Magazine is a wholly owned initiative of the Interactive Africa (PTY) Ltd. Reliance on the information this site contains is at your own risk. Please Click here for user agreement.