An auction of photographs to raise funds for Refugee Support Europe
Webber Represents is to auction works by 16 photographers with all the money going towards Refugee Support Europe, a charity that responds to the migrant crisis
William Eggleston Portraits – Photography Exhibition of the Year
The National Portrait Gallery’s Eggleston show raised many issues — about the history of photography, the nature of portraiture and so much more — that it was a natural choice to be our photography exhibition of the year, says Eliza Williams
Record sleeves of the year #03: Parquet Courts, Human Performance
Parquet Courts vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Andrew Savage has designed covers for each of the band’s three albums. He repurposed a Chinese take-away menu for the cover of American Specialties and used an image of a man riding a bull for its follow-up, Light Up Gold. The cover of Human Performance features a painting titled Seizure […]
Record sleeves of the year #04: Bon Iver, 22, A Million
The mysterious symbols on the cover of Bon Iver’s album 22, A Million were created by Brooklyn-based artist Eric Timothy Carlson. Carlson created a numerical symbol for each track on the album, with his artwork informing some of the final track names. The symbol for 21 Moon Water, for example, is based on the astronomical […]
Record sleeves of the year #05: Earl Brutus, Closed box set
In the 1990s, Earl Brutus gained a cult following for their raucous live shows, provocative album art and unusual mix of punk, glam rock and electronica. Scott King’s Closed box set for the band perfectly captures their eccentricity and aesthetic. It’s everything a commemorative box set should be – a beautifully produced and loving homage […]
Record sleeves of the year #06: Aphex Twin, Cheetah
Aphex Twin’s Cheetah EP was made using 1980s technology manufactured by British company Cheetah. Warp premiered the album at a music convention in Nashville this summer, setting up a listening station laid out like a product demo stand with a Cheetah MS800 synthesiser displayed in plexiglass. The album’s artwork was created by The Designers Republic […]
Record sleeves of the year #07: Radiohead, A Moon Shaped Pool
Stanley Donwood has created some brilliant covers for Radiohead and A Moon Shaped Pool is no exception. The deluxe edition of the album comes with 32 pages of artwork and is packaged with a piece of original master tape from a Radiohead recording session. The artwork was created using huge canvases which were exposed to […]
Record sleeves of the year #08: Nicolas Jaar, Sirens
The vinyl edition of Nicolas Jaar’s album Sirens comes with a scratch-off cover. The sleeve is coated in a white ink similar to the kind found on scratchcards and supplied with a quarter, which can be used to scratch off the coating. Underneath is an image of A Logo for America – a provocative artwork […]
Record sleeves of the year #09: Kaytranada, 99.9%
The vibrant artwork for the debut album by Haitian-Canadian DJ and producer Kaytranada (AKA Louis Kevin Celestin) was created by Spanish illustrator Ricardo Cavolo. Cavolo was asked to create a portrait of Kaytranada and incorporate a series of symbols, including aeroplanes, a broken heart and a storm. “I think he was leaving a darker time […]
Record sleeves of the year #10: Frank Ocean, Blond
On August 19, Frank Ocean dropped a 45-minute visual album and a beautiful video for the track Nikes directed by Tyrone Lebon. The following day, he released his much-anticipated second album Blond (also referred to as Blonde), giving copies away for free at pop-up stores in London, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. The album […]
Record sleeves of the year #11: Pet Shop Boys, Super
The cover for Pet Shop Boys album Super stands out for its simplicity. There is no band name or photography, just the name of the album in a fluorescent circle, suggesting a record that is upbeat and full of energy. The cover was designed by Farrow, whose creative director Mark Farrow met the band while working […]
Good reads: Migrant Journal, Crepe City and At The Table
Our latest round up of good reads includes a magazine about migration, one about sneakers and another that tells food tales
Creative Review’s Annual Awards 2025 are officially open for entries
One of the most respected and trusted awards for the advertising and design industries are back for 2025. Run, don’t walk to get your entries in before the Early Bird Deadline on 25 October
How to scale your design business
Growth is a dream for many businesses, but it comes with challenges. Daisy Crowder, brand and marketing director at design recruitment agency Craft, offers advice on how to navigate the change and keep staff on side
Cultivating community with Ganni
The Danish luxury fashion label has spearheaded the characterful evolution of Scandi style. Here, chief brand officer Priya Matadeen discusses its approach to collabs, the pressures of being a responsible brand, and how Ganni Girls grew from a hashtag to a badge of belonging
Why are brands apologising so much right now?
Brands are saying sorry at a more rapid rate than ever. CR’s advertising columnist Ben Kay delves into why sorry is no longer the hardest word and whether this is an effective strategy for winning audiences
How Guinness embraced social
By loosening its approach to advertising, and engaging with its audience directly, the drinks brand has transformed with the times and won a whole new set of fans
Tracing Banksy’s art history remixes
Kelly Grovier’s new book charts the artist’s persistent dialogue with classic and contemporary art
How Lego creates meaningful brand experiences
We speak to Lego’s VP of global brand development Alero Akuya about the brand’s rare ability to straddle the physical and virtual worlds with ease – whether through its immersive new art exhibition in Paris or collaborations with Epic Games and Nike
Matt Willey brings a human touch to Kaos titles
The Pentagram partner has created the titles for the acclaimed new Netflix show, which reimagines the Greek myths in a contemporary setting
A visual history of movie posters
A new book from Reel Art Press collates the first comprehensive history of film posters. We explore why they remain an underappreciated area of cultural design
The Monthly Interview: Rob Lowe, aka Supermundane
Mark Sinclair talks to the artist and designer about his new book, Lost Ordinary Magic, and the importance of recognising the power of simplicity and the everyday wonders that surround us
Unravelling adland’s obsession with 90s nostalgia
We explore how the 90s, an era the UK looks favourably upon for its thriving culture, are continually inspiring a stagnated creative industry
Building the visual world of Fontaines DC
The band’s surreal new album visuals explore a darker, more grotesque side of romance. We speak to the creative team behind the campaign about challenging the visual tropes of rock music