NO.LIFE 008
Welcome to issue 8 of NTW’s weekly newsletter, straight from the minds of founders Cal & Rocky.
Cal’s 10 go‑to inspiration sites, Virgil’s 20,000‑piece Paris tribute, Tom Sachs’ Mars Yard mania, and the cadet‑hat comeback are some of our favourite finds this week.
Let’s dive in.
CALLUX UP FIRST >
I realised that if you want to make scroll-stopping content, you’ve got to scroll better than everyone else.
So this week is dedicated to 10 of my favourite websites for inspiration, taste, and breaking the algorithm.
are.na
It’s comparable to Pinterest, but this is where creative directors, architects, editors, photographers, all the weird and wonderful ones go to dump references and ideas.
No ads. No chaos. Just pure, curated visual gold.
If you're building a brand or mood-boarding a world, it’ll take some getting used to, but it’s honestly rabbit hole after rabbit hole.
LINK >
cosmos
Think of it like are.na’s younger, more cheerful sibling. Cleaner, easier to use, great for quick inspiration bursts. The only downside is once you’ve rinsed it, you start seeing the same images a lot. But still, it’s like having a beautifully laid-out aesthetic buffet on demand.
D&AD archive
Award-winning campaigns from across the world in print, digital, social, and experiential.
Side note: NTW got nominated in the New Brand Identity category this year.
Alongside Apple. Mental.
It's safe to say that this archive has played a significant role in shaping our understanding of brand and visual storytelling.
Use it to raise your standards, it reminds you what’s possible when the idea actually lands.
eyecannndy
Ever watched a film and thought, “What is that shot?” This site will tell you. It’s a visual encyclopaedia for cinematography, direction, motion, and mood. Warning: it will eat your afternoon.
short of the week
This one’s for the storytellers. A curated platform full of the best short films online, from narrative drama to offbeat comedy to documentaries you’ll be thinking about for days. Perfect when you need to reset your creative brain or remind yourself what real storytelling looks like.
deckofbrilliance
This one’s kind of like a creative cheat code. It’s an archive of ad campaign ideas, organised by objective, medium, vibe. I often scroll this site and think, “How the hell did someone pitch that in a boardroom and get it signed off?”
coverjunkie
A paradise for layout nerds.
It’s just covers. Magazine covers. Hundreds of them.
But the kind that makes you stop and look.
It’s brilliant for graphic design inspo or if you’re trying to figure out how to make type, imagery and tone all sit together in one frame.
same.energy
Okay, this one's fun. You upload an image or just click one, and it finds others that have the same vibe. Not colour. Not subject. Energy. It’s almost too good. Like it knows what you're going for before you do. I use it when I can’t quite explain what I’m looking for, but I know it when I see it.
CPGD
If you care about how things look when they show up in someone’s hands, go here. This is a goldmine for packaging inspo. Minimal. Bold. Experimental. Iconic. I’ve sent so many of these examples to our team and just said, “Make it feel like this.”
LINK >
NEXT UP, ROCKY >
Bangers & Kicks: A Week Soundtracked by the Sneaker Collab Elites
Some weeks, the music just hits different - and this one’s been non-stop.
First off, that Drake x Central Cee leak from Wireless? Instant chills. Even through grainy clips, you can feel the chemistry. It's the kind of track that sounds like a classic before it’s even officially out. Safe to say I’m ready to hit replay the second it drops in full.
Then came JackBoys 2. The wait was real - but worth it. “Champain & Vacay” is the one. Smooth, confident, and effortlessly catchy. It’s been looping since day one. Perfect for late drives or just zoning out with headphones on.
And then, Tyler, The Creator dropped “Ring Ring Ring” on the ‘Don’t Tap the Glass’ album. Pure groove. It’s playful, sharp, and dripping with that signature Tyler flair. One of those tracks that just sneaks into your bones and stays there.
Rarely does a week serve this level of heat from sneaker royalty - when the shoes slap and the music matches, you know culture’s in overdrive.
Tyler >
Drake x Cench >
Jackboys 2 >
The Designers Who Shaped My Path
People often ask me who my favourite sneaker designers are - who I look up to. While I admire legends like Hiroshi Fujiwara, Jeff Staple, Salehe Bembury and newer voices like Jae Tips and Wales Bonner, my top three have always been clear: Virgil Abloh, Tinker Hatfield, and Steven Smith.
The late Virgil, especially, had been a guiding light in my journey. From Pyrex Vision to Louis Vuitton, his ability to blur boundaries and make space for new voices continues to shape how I see design today.
So when news broke about a 20,000-piece exhibition in Paris this September celebrating his life and impactful work, it hit home. His wife, the president and chair of Virgil Abloh Archive™, Shannon Abloh said it best:
“Sharing his personal collection, unfinished projects, and magnum opuses with the public is a monumental way we celebrate Virgil’s legacy and his commitment to making information accessible and collaborative. Through the Archive™️, Virgil will live on as a source of inspiration and beacon of creative knowledge.”
It’s been on my mind all week. See you there!
Mars Yard and the Power of Process
I recently found myself completely drawn into the Mars Yard documentary - a short film that dives into the story behind Tom Sachs’ now-iconic collaboration with NikeCraft. The Mars Yard isn’t just another sneaker; even years after its releases, it remains almost unattainable. A design that on the surface, is generic and old news. It’s reached a kind of mythic status, not just because of its scarcity, but because of what it represents. With fakes getting more convincing by the day, the original has become more idea than object - more legend than shoe.
But what really struck me while watching wasn’t the hype or the collectibility. It was the process. The way Sachs approaches design - messy, geeky, deliberate, human - it's deeply resonant. There’s a tension between evolving the idea and protecting its integrity, especially when commercial forces come into play. That push and pull between creativity and compromise is something many of us feel, whether we’re designing, creating, or just trying to make space for our own voice.
It reminded me why documenting the process matters. Why believing in your vision - despite pressures to conform or scale - isn’t just idealism, but a necessity. The film left me with the quiet reassurance that there’s room for everyone’s way of thinking, and that staying true to your own approach is not only valid, but vital. If you’ve got a spare 15 minutes, it’s worth a watch!
Back to Ink and Instinct
There’s been something about pen and paper this week - I keep reaching for my sketchbook instead of the screen. It started a small personal challenge: could I thumbnail sketch the NTW Model 1 in under 15 seconds? Not a perfect replica, just a raw, instinctive take. The kind you don’t overthink. Pen to paper, no Ctrl+Z.
For the past few years, almost all of my design work has lived on screens. Trackpad precision, pixel-level control, layers on layers of refinement. There’s power in that detail, but it can also become... heavy. Slow. Polished to the point of forgetting where the energy started.
There’s something meditative about it. In those moments, it’s not about output or outcome. It’s about motion, memory, instinct. The M1 is our signature - familiar but always a little different each time.
I now end each day with 50 quick M1 sketches. So if you ever want a one-of-one sketch on the shoebox lid, let me know!
Flop or Fire: Cadet hats
Men’s fashion has always had a thing for function. Workwear, sportswear, military gear - it all starts there. Blazers were uniforms, cargos came from the battlefield, denim was made for miners, bomber jackets for pilots. Even your go-to sunglasses were once tactical. What we wear now is just a remix of what once had a job to do.
Lately, one piece has re-entered the conversation with quiet confidence: The cadet hat.
Originally worn by soldiers, this structured cap has gone from surplus store staple to summer must-have. Vintage versions are being scooped up fast, while brands like Stüssy and Two-Jeys can’t keep them in stock. Meanwhile, labels like Y-3 and 6Crayon are leaning all the way in, turning the military hat into statement wear.
It’s functional. It’s sharp. And it fits right into the wider comeback of camo and utilitarian aesthetics - less nostalgia, more attitude. It’s going straight into my rotation.
It’s simple: the cadet hat is back. Make it yours before everyone else does.
