After previewing more than 125 products to be introduced into the MoMA Design Store’s Spring/Summer 2008 stock, my occasional desire for innovative and striking lifestyle accessories has officially evolved into an addiction. With designs from around the world, MoMA Retail has pulled together a collection of items that take the museum’s mission of “educating the public about modern art and good design” beyond the idea of function and aesthetics to promoting designs with a cause -- a response to the increase in customer demands for morally sound products.

Pamela Shaw, a MoMA Design Store buyer told me how the store is putting more of an emphasis on bringing in items that have a whimsical and functional use but are also socially responsible in some way -- like the dual-purpose chalkboard napkin rings and place cards, handcrafted in Germany by physically challenged workers. These reusable rings, which also come with a sate pencil and eraser, have created both opportunities and a design of exquisite craftsmanship.

Some highlights that I saw included the placemats made of recycled magazines and newspapers hand rolled and stitched together in India, and tableware hailing from Japan made of recycled ceramics that were rescued, ground and redesigned into sedimentary style bowls and plates.

To coincide with the MoMA’s “Color Chart” exhibit opening March 2, artist Marie Louise Gustafsson has created a green lace bicycle basket (inspired by her Swedish grandmother’s crocheted tablecloths) that detaches and can be used as a bag over and over and over again. Take that, “I’m not a plastic bag” bags.

The MoMA Design Store doesn’t even waste ideas. Their buyers have dug through the archives of Italian design factory Alessi, bringing back mustard yellow and ketchup red wire baskets, black steel bowls, and other assorted MoMA-exclusive kitchen and tabletop products.

However, for all you design junkies, you’re going to have to hedge your desires for these items until early March.