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Amusing and functional, Oyler’s furniture and houswares are meant to incite "imaginative pause and playful curiosity," he promises. The wall-mounted Stretch shelf is in fact a giant rubber band pulled over aluminum pegs, while the Creature clock denotes the minute and hour hands with acrylic animal cutouts, emphasizing that time is not an absolute measurement. Clearly Oyler is in on the joke. peteoyler.com   MORE >>

RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN, MFA FURNITURE DESIGN   << LESS

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If Ewoks ever settle the deforested edge of Peru's Wayqecha forest, their abodes would look something like this. These research stations, a collection of four segmented shells, are an effort to understand this endangered environment. Scientists here would study animal and plant life from strong, yet lightweight structures composed of local jute and German-engineered Arboblend, an industrial plastic made from construction waste. These zero-impact pods are portable and biodegradable and conceived to shelter four inhabitants. Droid deities not included. hunterr.carbonmade.com   MORE >>

CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA COLLEGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE   << LESS

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Taking tools of the beauty trade—eyelash curlers, tweezers, even a surgical knife—and applying their function as manipulators to her idea, Molina-Araujo’s final project is marked by a standout papery dress with razor-cut sleeves arching menacingly towards the wearer’s neck, as well as the soft swirls and curves of a black wool cape, intended to mimic a mascara wand. "I was interested in the ways people add and subtract parts of themselves to create shapes thought to be beautiful," says Molina-Arajuo. We’re intrigued—and perhaps a little nervous. mayaluz.com   MORE >>

MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN, BFA FASHION DESIGN   << LESS

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Since graduating last spring, this Londoner was hired by the clothing branch of Donna Karan's Urban Zen Foundation in New York. "It's basically me and my sewing machine in the gallery," she says. Called the Recycle and Renew program, Afnaim designs high-end, custom clothing, produced locally, which customers can bring back to have reworked into new designs. In addition, Urban Zen put her entire thesis collection—which featured silks, chiffons and leathers that had undergone severe wax, heat and softening treatments—into production, and the key piece, a tactile leather jacket with an engulfing wrap neck, has already sold out. "Clothing shouldn’t be about trends but a continuous story." She's got this tale off to a good start. bessie (at) bessieafnaim.com, urbanzen.org   MORE >>

PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN BFA FASHION DESIGN   << LESS

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Organic in shape, Waldman's light pendants hang like drops of honey and emit a warm, soothing glow. But more impressively, the forms attempt to revive the historic Indian skill of bone crafting. Constructed from such disks—salvaged from slaughterhouses in India—Waldman's lamps use a previously wasted byproduct to encourage the resurgence of a sustainable and artisanal industry. waldman.leah (at) gmail.com   MORE >>

PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN BFA PRODUCT DESIGN   << LESS