"World music" has always been a generously inclusive label, encompassing the most rooted traditional expressions to glossy, studio-packaged assemblages of synths, grooves and aural exotica.

It didn't hurt that the slick and glossy Studio struck a chord with young, fashion-conscious buyers; the Studio was exactly the right product for its target market.

Beth Duffy and Erik Kistel describe their Post Studio line of serving trays, coasters and wall panels as "California pop," a marriage of midcentury modern and Op art that we've chosen as the ...