Long gone are the days of boring mugs and faded postcards, as museums and other cultural institutions have become increasingly savvy retailers. Aiming to build on that strength, CultureLabel showcases products from over 60 galleries, museums and other cultural entities, 'exploring the space where culture and consumer culture meets'.

Customers can shop by brand or a variety of categories. When they're ready to buy, CultureLabel sends them through to the brands’ own websites, which handle sales and shipping. CultureLabel doesn't charge organisations for listing their products; it takes a commission on each sale. Potential partners—international, national and niche culture brands—are invited to apply for a spot on CultureLabel. If accepted, they can add up to 24 products to the platform. Participating organisations include big names like the Tate, the V&A and the Saatchi Gallery, as well as smaller ones like East London jeweller Tatty Devine and city guide publishers Le Cool.

By cataloguing niche brands, CultureLabel helps them pack a more powerful punch and exposes them to new audiences. The venture minimizes its own investment by not getting involved with sales and logistics, and minimizes that of its partners by not charging set-up fees or monthly contributions. Since visitors often spend as much time in museum shops as they do looking at the actual art, it's not a bad proposition ;-)

Website: www.culturelabel.com
Contact: www.culturelabel.com/feedback.mvc

Beginning a year at college can be stressful enough in its own right without the added hassle of scrambling to buy myriad dorm room supplies and decorations before classes begin. Target and other superstores may benefit from that rush, but a new site aims to help students plan and shop for their living quarters ahead of time with the help of some 3-D modelling.

DesignYourDorm is a web-based 3-D interior design tool that allows college students to customize their dorm room interiors and purchase what they need online. When students register with the Los Angeles-based site, they begin by indicating the university they'll be attending. Ultimately, that will generate a selection of floor plans with exact room dimensions used in the corresponding dorms, and DesignYourDorm is currently pilot-testing those capabilities with the University of Pennsylvania, according to TechCrunch. For universities that haven't signed on, however, students are given a series of generic room layouts. Either way, they next choose the type of room they'll have—single, double or triple, in various configurations—and then begin moving furniture and accessories around. Gaps can be filled in from items available from DesignYourDorm's online store—furniture, accessories, appliances and more—and many of them can be virtually dragged and dropped into the room to see how they will look. Perhaps best of all, roommates can collaborate virtually over the summer using the site to plan and coordinate their purchases ahead of time. Once they've decided what they'll need to buy, they can order the items and have them shipped directly to their college—order fulfillment is handled by Amazon, which passes revenue on to DesignYourDorm through its affiliate program.

Similar in many ways to DesignMyRoom—which sadly got repurposed since we covered it last year—DesignYourDorm is free for both students and participating universities, which will ultimately get a cut of sales generated through the site, according to TechCrunch. Given that there are more than 18 million college students in the US alone, could be a good one to bring to campuses in your neck of the postsecondary woods!

Website: www.designyourdorm.com
Contact: www.designyourdorm.com/contact.aspx

Spotted by: Roberta Steinberg

Vending machines are already being used to sell shoes, prescription drugs and bicycle parts, and now we can add bathing suits to that list. Thanks to a new initiative from clothing company Quiksilver and hotelier André Balazs, guests at The Standard Hotels will soon be able to shop for swimwear while they're already at the pool.

A specially designed, co-branded line of men's boardshorts and one women's bikini will soon be available not just online and in The Standard Hotels' gift shops but also in what just may be the world's first bathing suit vending machines, located poolside at the hotel's New York, Los Angeles, Hollywood and Miami locations. The first such vending machine will open in Los Angeles on August 8, according to a Luxist post. The Standard/Quiksilver women's black bikini is priced at USD 84; mens' boardshorts—available in four styles, each corresponding to one of the hotel's four locations—are USD 75 and come with a waterproof travel bag. Each pair of boardshorts also includes "a carefully curated list of addresses corresponding to unique groups of destinations near each of the 4 hotels," as the company puts it, "curated and scribbled out by legendary skateboarder and Quiksilver Creative Director Natas Kaupas." The theme for the Miami style suit is "Comida is Cuban"; for the LA pair, it's "Art is Undercover"; for the Hollywood suit it's "Music Musts"; and for the New York style, it's "Summer in the City."

Next, we wouldn't be surprised to see hoteliers teaming up with Solar Energy Vending to give such poolside machines the added eco-allure of being off the grid. After all, where there are pools, there tends to be sun; serve up bathing suits and drinks from a solar-powered machine, and your own place in the sun will be all but assured! ;-)

Website: www.shopthestandard.com
Contact: theshop@standardhotel.com

Spotted by: Luxist via Raymond Kollau

Consumers spend some USD 65 billion on gift cards each year in the United States alone, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report; extrapolated globally, that adds up to a lot of plastic. While some retailers have begun recycling the PVC-based cards after they're used, the fact remains that most still end up in landfills. Enter the ecocard, a new line of eco-friendly alternatives.

Suitable also for use as hotel key cards, ecocard's range includes four different cards with increasing levels of "greenness." First is the PETg card, made from non-PVC, food-grade plastic that can be widely recycled. Next on the green scale comes a recycled PVC card that's made from old, traditional gift cards along with waste from factories; flecks of colour give away its mixed heritage. Even more green is the Ingeo ecocard, made from a plant-based material that disappears when composted. (Retailers including L.L Bean, Apple iTunes, REI, Target and Toys “R” US are reportedly among the companies that have already begun offering cards made from Ingeo.) Finally, ecocard's flagship Bloomcard—the greenest on its eco-scale—is made from recycled paper and laden with wildflower seeds, so that it can be planted after use and "reborn as poppies, daisies and buttercups." The UK-based company also offers sustainable badge holders and card packaging. And for every order, it pledges to plant one tree.

Perhaps just as important as the material underlying each ecocard is the fact that its composition and origins are proudly proclaimed on the back of the card, making the line not only eco-minded but also eco-iconic, as our sister site would say. Retailers, hoteliers, credit companies and all others using plastic cards: this one's for you! ;-) (Related: Service pays cash for unwanted gift cards.)

Website: www.eco-card.co.uk
Contact: hello@eco-card.co.uk

Spotted by: Florent Lesauvage and Rob Hayles

Razor blade refills are one of those purchases that tend to irk many consumers, primarily for the frequency with which they're needed and the relatively high prices at which they're often sold. Aiming to salve irritation on both points, Raz*War offers subscription plans for home delivery at prices beginning at EUR 27.50 per year.

Launched late last month by Brussels-based Growth Bridge, Raz*War sells blades by the box—priced at EUR 1 per blade—as well as a starter kit including razor, blades and travel bag. Its biggest savings, however, are to be found in its subscription plans, which range from a yearly price of EUR 27.50 for 30 blades over the course of the year to EUR 75 for 90 blades annually. Deliveries are made in installments every four months, and a starter kit with razor and travel bag is included in the first shipment.

Similar in many ways to Alice, which aims to take the pain out of shopping repeatedly for basic household necessities, Raz*War currently ships only within the EU. One to partner with or emulate for the shaving masses near you...?

Website: www.razwar.com
Contact: wecare@razwar.com