What’s Hot: Our Top 5 Trends Right Now August 09, 2012

1. Stained Glass Water Towers
Street art is nothing new – but this incredible outdoor intervention by Brooklyn based artist Tom Fruin most definitely is. Watertower, a 20-foot tall piece, is currently shining like a beacon across Dumbo (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) in New York City, from its vantage point atop a defunct water tower platform. The brilliant structure was created from discarded and recycled materials, including more than 1,000 salvaged pieces of Plexiglas, transforming everyday detritus into a cathedral-esque object of wonder. Lit like a stained glass window during the day, Watertower continues to illuminate the New York skyline well into the night, through a light sequence designed by Ryan Holsopple. 2. The Universe
Because when is the Universe not trending? The MINI Space Team is always ready to nerd-out on the latest space craze, and couch potato star-gazing has us ditching the latest episode of The Newsroom for an interactive jaunt across the Milky Way that would have Galileo green with envy. For the Photopic Sky Survey Project, a tripod of six synchronized cameras captured 37,440 photos of the night sky that were taken from a score of different locations across two hemispheres. Over the course of a full year, these photos were then stitched together into one 5,000 megapixel image that lets you change your celestial viewpoint and zoom in on planets, nebulae, distant galaxies, and even some supernovae if you know where to look, all with the click of a mouse. Just don’t look down if you’re afraid of heights. Start your interstellar journey here.Want to navigate the night sky on the go? Refresh your constellation-knowledge with these cool apps and impress your date next time you’re out strolling on a starlit eve.SkySafari:
For iPhone and iPad
For Android Star Walk:
For iPhone
For iPad   3. Fashion Flora
The shift towards green fashion isn’t news, but now upcoming designers are sprouting up with innovative ways to get to the roots of this long-standing trend. If you're looking to sport a green badge of honor, look no further than Lithuanian designer Egle Cekanaviciute. His Seed collection features raw, organic fabrics that double as wearable planters. Plant seeds in the pockets, sleeves and linings, and watch the flora grow on your very own garments. Too impatient to wait? Head straight to Stevie Famulari’s Green Line Series for a ready made version. This living, breathing collection of plant-embedded garments is as green as they come. Amongst the 5,000 living blossoms on each, you’ll find poppies, daisies and baby sprouts. The best bit? You can leave your umbrella at home.   4. Books That Won’t Last
In this transient digital age, we’ve come to have a sort of distanced respect for the staying power of books. Heavy, cumbersome and archaic they may be, but they sure last. Recently, however, designers have ensured that even the stalwart paper tome keeps up with the times. Take visionary Argentinian publishing company Eterna Cadencia. In a bid to ensure emerging authors don’t gather dust on well-meaning buyers’ shelves, they’ve created “The Book That Can't Wait”, printed with ink that literally vanishes off the page sixty days after the book is opened. It’s a timely reminder of the magic of reading – and with a first-day sellout, its charm is certainly working. Not to be outdone, German design studio Kolle Rebbe has created "Das Echte Und Einzige Kochbuch" (The Only Real Cook Book) — an edible cookbook made from inscribed pasta sheets designed to form the base of a classic lasagna. Just be sure to finish reading before you’ve eaten it all!   5. ChargeCard: Smart Charger for the 007 Set
You know the drill. You had a killer time. You came, you saw, you conquered, you forgot to plug your phone in before passing out in those pretty party clothes. Enter the ChargeCard. It fits flat in your wallet and unfolds to reveal a standard USB plug you can use to charge anywhere — without the hassle of your phone’s tangle of charger and cable. Let’s face it: soon enough there’ll be a USB port at the bottom of every café’s cup of house coffee. It’s more than doubled its Kickstarter goal of 50K in less than one month in painfully classic “why the hell didn’t we think of that” fashion.  Late night left you with no recollection of recently transpired events or a phone charge to chase down the details? This aptly named little lifesaver makes sure you've got enough juice to spare when it’s time to damage control any reckless texts dangerous dialing or done the night before.  It’s one piece of plastic with no intention of changing your credit score. Think you have a gem of a find? We’re all for crowdsourced savvy. Tip us in the comments section!