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Apple details new iPhones, iPads and smartwatches ahead of the holiday season.
In an annual event ahead of the holiday season, Apple has revealed updates to its roster of iPhones, iPads, and smartwatches. The iPhone 13 Pro will feature more usable screen space, updated internal components for faster performance, an upgraded camera that enables better photography in lowlight settings, and longer battery life. iPads will support functions such as Live Text and sport an updated signal processor that allows for more crisp photography with the rear camera. The Apple Watch, meanwhile, will receive a full keyboard for easier typing and a 20 percent bigger screen than the previous model.
Theaster Gates receives the Frederick Kiesler Prize for Architecture and the Arts.
The Austrian Frederick and Lillian Kiesler Private Foundation has awarded the artist, educator, and urban planner Theaster Gates with the Frederick Kiesler Prize for Architecture and the Arts. The $65,000 biannual prize recognizes outstanding achievements in architecture that relate to the designer Frederick Kiesler’s experimental approach. The jury, which consisted of Ellizabeth Diller, Bettina Götz, Anab Jain, and Wolfgang Tschapeller, “acknowledges a concept artist who doesn’t work inside the established architectural system or art world, but who has found agency through his highly unusual and idiosyncratic practice,” they said in a statement. It’s a big moment for Gates—he was recently announced as the designer of the 2022 Serpentine Pavilion and launched a design incubator with Prada.
Palais de Tokyo president Emma Lavigne gets tapped to helm the Pinault Collection.
Emma Lavigne, president of the Palais de Tokyo, has been recruited to lead up the newly opened Pinault Collection in Paris. Lavigne, who became the first woman to spearhead the Palais de Tokyo since its founding in 2002, will succeed Jean-Jacques Aillagon when she begins her new role on November 1. She’ll govern the Bourse de Commerce, which opened in May following multiple delays; her first task there will be to arrange a hanging next winter.
Oscar de la Renta drops all fur sales in order to dress Billie Eilish for the Met Gala.
The teenage pop-star Billie Eilish was dressed in a stunning Oscar de la Renta ball gown at this year’s Met Gala. As part of the agreement, however, the longtime vegan convinced the label to drop all future fur sales. “It was an honor to wear this dress knowing that going forward Oscar de la Renta will be completely fur-free!” Eilish wrote on Instagram. “I’m honored to have been a catalyst and to have been heard on this matter. I urge all designers to do the same.” Alex Bolen, the label’s chief executive had brushed off similar requests to go fur-free from his wife, creative directors, and mother-in-law, but Eilish’s opposition reminded him about listening to the perspective of young people.
LVMH’s Kenzo names A Bathing Ape founder Nigo as the label’s artistic director.
The Japanese designer whose brand, also known as “Bape,” is considered a trailblazer in streetwear, succeeds Felipe Oliveira Baptista, the former Lacoste designer who left the brand in June. Known for its limited-edition releases and graphic styles, Bape has long sat at the epicenter of hype culture. Nigo, who sold his brand in 2011 and launched two labels with Pharell, will be tasked with injecting some new energy into Kenzo whose business and halo has faded as of late.
Casa Cook announces Grecian village–style resort on the Greek island of Samos.
Designed by Athens-based firm Block722, the soothing 128-room adults-only retreat draws inspiration from traditional Greek houses called Kamares. Earthy textures and neutral hues, meditative water features, and indoor-outdoor communal spaces pay tribute to the island’s natural landscape in the north eastern Aegean Sea. Standout amenities include six swimming pools, a gym and yoga shala, and a wellness center offering spa suites, hammam treatments, and a nail salon.
As Uber and Lyft fares surge, New York City taxis are becoming popular again.
Conventional wisdom would have you believe that taxis in New York City are increasingly going the way of the dinosaurs, but the classic yellow cab appears to be making a comeback. Thanks to surging Uber and Lyft prices and an uptick in downloads of Curb, a mobile taxi-hailing app, the city saw a 152% increase between April and July 2021. According to Superfly Insights, the average ride price for an Uber or Lyft increased to $27 from $22 between January to June of this year, while Curb has seen its average ride price during the same period drop to $13.63 in 2021 from $16.46 in 2020. Curb’s biggest benefit appears to be what it doesn’t have: algorithms responsible for surge pricing.
Today’s attractive distractions:
NASA’s latest geological space probe raises the possibility of life on Mars.
