AT HOME WITH ANOUCK

Let's have a little nosy around Belgian supermodel Anouck Lepere's apartment in Antwerp, shall we? 

Lepere studied architecture and design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, and is one of Louis Vuitton's latest Amble Ambassadors; check out her app here. (pics via Nowness)

REMASTERING THE MASTERS

Make sure you check out Thai-born artist Pakpoom Silaphan's latest show at London's Scream gallery (18th Nov - 7th Jan).

His street-art-inspired work mixes well-known modern & contemporary artists - such as Peter Blake, Salvador Dali & Francis Bacon - with recognisable mega brand logos. The show is a comment on contemporary art having become a commodity, and the artists themselves having become brands. We like.

BRAND USA

Ever wondered how an entire nation goes about rebranding itself? Well, wonder no more. Head over to Brand Republic for a very interesting yet slightly bizarre account of how America is planning to give itself a brand refresh, via a new tourism body called Brand USA.

7 BILLION AND ME

Click here to find out.

HAUNTED AIR

This ought to get you in the mood for this weekend's spooky festivities. We've just stumbled across this eerie collection of antique photographs of Halloweens past. 

They're all dated between 1875 & 1955, and have been compiled into a book by Ossian Brown, entitled Haunted Air. The introduction is written by David Lynch, and the afterword by Geoff Cox. Check out some excerpts below, and get the book here.

WTC

It's time for an early homage to the twin towers. The World Trade Center was an integral part of the New York City skyline, and now that a decade has gone by since its tragic fall, we take a look at its similarly integral role on the silver screen.

Filmmaker Dan Meth has put together clips from dozens of movies, from the 1970s up until the year 2000, where the towers appeared as a majestic back/foreground in modern storytelling. 

SHOULD BANKSY BE LISTED?

New research from Bristol University suggests that the work of enigmatic British street artist Banksy should be protected as a listed asset.

As it stands, there are currently no English Heritage guidance documents on street art or graffiti, but many have argued that Banksy's work carries a cultural significance in modern society, and should therefore be protected as such. 

And in order to help you make up your mind, have a look at our selection of Banksy classics above & below. We think they're rather lovely and worthy of protection. What do you think? Click here for more info.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND REOPENS

Congrats to the National Museum of Scotland! Edinburgh's Victorian National Museum is reopening tomorrow after a three-year, £47.4 million redevelopment.

Sixteen new galleries will be available to the public, but it's the central Grand Gallery that will wow everyone: a four-storey, 18-meter high display of over 800 objects - the UK's single largest museum installation, which includes a life-sized Tyrannosaurus Rex.

ANGELINA + LOUIS VUITTON

Here's Angie-Jo in Cambodia, beautifully shot by Annie Lebowitz, for Louis Vuitton's Core Values campaign. Watch the actress and UN Goodwill Ambassador in this gorgeous behind-the-scenes film, where she discusses her personal attachment to both the campaign and the country.

CELEBRITY WAX

Tokyo-born and London-based photographer Kenji Hirasawa's latest show, Celebrity, examines our culture's ongoing fascination with the cult of... celebrity.

Using thermographic cameras, he captured warm, glowing bodies next to cold wax figures at London's Madame Tussauds, where hundreds of tourists flock daily to admire lifeless representations of the rich & famous.

The visual message is loud & clear and the images are beautiful; this is one to keep an eye on. Celebrity is on at KK Outlet from 8th - 30th July. Click here for more info.

THE SMARTER CITY

Huge thanks to IBM who are responsible for making nearly 2 hours of our day disappear into thin air, thanks to their beautifully designed & mammothly ambitious new website, The Smarter City. 

This unique interactive experience helps visualise how cities can become smarter, mainly through the interconnection of data, within a myriad of sectors: social services, public safety, retail, communications and many more. Click HERE to check it out.

A HISTORY OF THE WORLD

The UK's biggest prize for museums has been awarded to the biggest one we have; The British Museum. A History of the World, which is a series of 100 objects charting the last thousand years of our planet, won £100,000 in a ceremony in London last night.

Three smaller institutions dotted around the UK were also in the running for the Art Fund Prize, namely Cambridge's Polar Museum, the Roman Baths Museum in Bath, and the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway. Congrats to all!

DIGITAL LIFE

Nerd Alert: indulge us with this geeky but interesting & well-executed animation, which outlines 15 key facts and predictions for the future of the internet between now and 2015, courtesy of Neo Labels & Mitsue Venture. Lift muzak soundtrack aside, we think this is an acurate forecast of how we can expect our digital lives to evolve in the next 4 years.

BARBIE, YOU'RE DUMPED

Greenpeace have launched a colourful campaign against toy giant Mattel, after they discovered that packaging for their popular Barbie doll contains wood from the critically endangered rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, which is home to endangered species - including tigers & orangutans. 

Greenpeace activists dressed as Ken dolls recently abseiled down the side of Mattel's LA headquarters to reveal a massive banner which proclaimed that Barbie's long-term boyfriend Ken had dumped her, further stating "I don't date girls that are into deforestation". Just yesterday, a similar poster was unveiled in London's Piccadilly Circus.

Although this is activism with a sense of humour, the message is none-the-less clear and important. Click HERE for more info on the campaign & find out how to support it.

GAZETTE 1

Johan Lindeberg's uber hip BLK DNM label is branching out into publishing with a poster-sized newspaper, the BLK DNM Gazette 1. Out this Wednesday and in a limited run of 10,000 copies, the gazette will be sold online & at the brand's New York shop, on a "pay what you want" basis. All proceeds will go to Free Arts NYC.

Inside, you'll find photography by Horst Diekgerdes & Peter Lindbergh, contributions from model Hannelore Knuts, artist Scott Campbell, jewelry designer Waris Ahluwalia, illustrated portraits by Nate Lowman, and interviews with Wes Anderson and Hampton Fancher. Have a look at our exclusive peek inside and see if it tickles your fancy.

BUG

You'll have gathered by now that we're very fond of music videos. Which is why we attended BUG last night at the BFI, on London's South Bank. The premise is very simple, Adam Buxton (off of Adam & Joe) plays a series a carefully selected music videos, and then amuses the audience by reading out the absurd YouTube comments that appear below the videos he's just played. Have a look.

Of all the videos he played yesterday, here are our 3 favourites. Check em out + look em up.

EUROPE BY NUMBERS

Have a look at The Guardian's excellent interactive guide to the European Union, shedding light on matters of lifespan, healthcare, marriage & divorce rates, and many, many more statistics. The graphics are clear, well designed and informative. Click here to view it. Go full screen and click 'play' for the complete experience.