COOL HUNTING®

It's not every day that the rodeo comes to New York City, and we were recently invited to get a peak behind the curtain at the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) event at Madison Square Garden. We talked with Jacke Carnefix, senior manager of public relations for the PBR, and got some insight into the life and times of the lesser-known participants—the bulls. While most attention goes to their human counterparts, the bulls that take the stage in high-level riding competitions are highly esteemed athletes in their own right, bred and trained specifically to be expert buckers. In this video, you can check out some intense rodeo action, and, if you have ever seen MSG on a regular night, you may be shocked by its transformation to a rodeo ring. The massive build-out morphed the infamous home of the New York Knicks into a massive dirt-covered pen, offering a pleasantly disorienting experience for locals.

Given the opportunity to create a video with Columbia Sportswear we were excited to get a behind-the-scenes look at the innovation at the core of the brand's philosophy. We took a trip out to Portland, Oregon and spent some time in the innovation lab at the west coast headquarters, watching how their new Omni-Heat Electric line is tested. We spoke with resident innovation guru Woody and got some insight into the past, present and future of apparel, as well as Columbia's dedication to continue pushing the envelope in outdoor wear and wearable technology.

During a recent trip to England we were invited to tour Bentley's factory in Crewe and had the chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at how these luxury powerhouses are put together from start to finish. The hands-on plant offered a wildly different experience than other car manufacturing processes we have seen and, by relying on a level of manual precision machines can't always replicate, provided a fascinating example of the merge of technology and craftsmanship in creating truly luxurious custom automobiles.

When Printemps invited us to Paris to interview Karl Lagerfeld about his designs for their holiday windows we jumped on the opportunity. During our brief time with the cultural icon we talked about holidays, process and his abundance of creative resources. Just in time for the holiday season, we present our latest video featuring the man who doesn't care about holidays.

Renowned as one of the pioneers of advanced mixology, London's Tony Conigliaro is an expert on flavors, aromas and ingredient pairings. Conigliario creates his concoctions in a lab above his bar, 69 Colebrooke Row, using modern scientific tools to achieve spectacular results. We recently caught up with the famed bartender, who gave us a tour of his lab and shared some insight into how amazing cocktails come to be

While recently exploring the southern coast of the Golden State we ended up in the Los Angeles neighborhood of El Sereno where artist Albert Reyes gave us a behind-the-scenes look at his yearly Halloween project. Since 2004 Reyes has built a Halloween maze in his backyard for a party in celebration of America's favorite pagan holiday. Over time, the maze has evolved from a blanket tunnel held together with sticks to a full, free-standing structure, guaranteed to spook the drunk, stoned and sober alike. We got a special glimpse of the maze in daylight to learn about the scavenged materials and secret passages, and follow the process behind this bizarre installation.

Producing indoor and outdoor products since the 1980s, iconic Spanish furniture brand Santa and Cole is one of the lesser-known but more innovative design firms in existence. The forward-thinking company continues to expand into a full-service operation, opening a nursery to supply architects and designers with the trees to go along with their projects. We visited Santa and Cole to learn about their process, scope out the new nursery and get the scoop on their cutting-edge streetlamp technology.

Zwilling J.A. Henckels recently gave us the opportunity to stop by the factory in Solingen, Germany to see the production process behind their new Zwilling Pro knife series. The Pro, created by architect and designer Matteo Thun, signals the brand's move to bring high-design elements into an affordable kitchen accessory. Using lower-grade steel on bodies similar to the knives of the higher-end series, the new knife offers a superior culinary experience with its specialized bolster (the curve where your hand sits). We spoke with Chief Technical Officer, Dr. Joachim K. Droese to learn more about the production process and get a taste of the lasting power of properly-constructed steel tools.

Deep in the Jalisco state of Mexico lies what for many is a secret paradise. The coastal resort of Cuixmala, contained within a 25,000 acre nature preserve, was founded by Sir James Goldsmith in TK. The eco-friendly destination features beautiful cabanas, casitas and houses, along with all the amenities one would expect from an exclusive escape. From horseback riding to prop plane flying to sailing along the Pacific Coast, the resort has something to offer everyone.

Our latest video takes a closer look at Scion's new U.S. model, the iQ. We had the chance to check out this tiny car when the brand invited us to Manhattan Beach, CA, finding that when it comes to size and price, it's a nearly a head-to-head rival with another recent micro car to hit the States, the Fiat 500. Having taken that car for a spin too, the big difference is the experience of the interiors. Watch the video to learn how Scion's engineers made a small car feel roomy.

For our latest video we trucked deep into Brooklyn, NY to explore Mechanical Displays, Lou Nasti's fantastic studio. Nasti is the animatronic mastermind responsible for installations around the globe, most notably some of the most iconic Christmas displays on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. Obsessed with robotics since childhood, he's been doing it professionally for over 30 years, applying an uncanny mechanical skill reflected in his "can do" approach to modern technology. We were lucky enough to spend the day in Nasti's studio learning some of his tricks and getting a sneak peek at some upcoming projects.

We caught up with snowboarding legend and executive producer Travis Rice to talk about his upcoming epic snow boarding flick "The Art of Flight." The film, which took two years of riding the most extreme backcountry around the globe, is a cinematic masterpiece of action sports movies. We got some insight into the experience, the goals and the upcoming premiere of what promises to be the most visually stunning snow boarding film you will see this year.

When we visited the Zona Maco art fair in Mexico City earlier this year, we saw a wide variety of media and styles?check out our first piece on Martin Creed here. This second video from our trip there explores some of the more abstract pieces we came across. "Sin Titulo, (homenaje a Yoko Ono)" (2010) by Luis Carrera-Maul and Roberto de Pol's "hair-dryer, glass, straws, electrical cables, nails, coke, sensor, wood, adesive tape, tubes, screws" (2010) (seen at Galleria Massimo Audiello Oaxaca and Perugi Artecontemporanea respectively) struck us for their interesting use of liquid and movement. Both artists use kinetic fluid substances combined with other unconventional materials to create living, evolving sculptures?though each to quite different aesthetic effect.

In our latest video we talked to Livi Vaughan, Associate Designer for Punch Drunk, who played a large part in assembling the massive interactive piece Sleep No More, currently playing in the Chelsea neighborhood of NYC. An intensely detailed set, we talked to Livi about the challenges and excitement of Sleep No More's decor and the challenges of inventing a driving enigmatic space that will continuously engage the audience.

Exploring the role of design at Range Rover we visited their creative team in Gaydon, England to learn about how the LRX concept vehicle was translated to the all-new Evoque. From there we traveled north to the factory in Halewood to see how the cars are manufactured and what it means to bring a design to life.