CITYist

Planning a good party (and a visually stunning one, at that) is an art. Just ask David Stark, founder and creative director of his own event-planning firm. Similar to Tara Donovan, Stark uses every day objects to create decorative installations—say, using coffee cups to create a castle. Now, he’s not only funneled that creative energy into major events, but into a new book: David Stark Design.

Canadian footwear designer John Fluevog places a priority on quality—but isn’t afraid to let his freak flag fly. Similarly, Vancouver and Montreal-based OPUS Hotels make it their job to sit on the precipice between sophistication and quirk. Now the two have teamed up to create the exclusive Porter Shoe—a classic oxford with, naturally, a splash of flamingo pink.

For those wary that Japan is surpassing the U.S. in technological rigor (or did long ago), here’s a new frontier to worry about: design. Furniture design, that is. Renowned Italian house Bottega Veneta is hosting a competition amongst the architecture students at the University of Tokyo to create a piece of furniture, and creating a pop up store housing their own signature products while they’re at it.