Saul Nash. Photography by Lillie Eiger, courtesy of Woolmark…
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Saul Nash Wins the 2022 International Woolmark Prize
For decades, the International Woolmark Prize has honored emerging fashion talent showcasing the versatility of Australian Merino wool. It also incubates marquee names within fashion—Giorgio Armani, Gabriela Hearst, and Emily Bode are all recipients. This year’s top honor went to the ascendant London designer Saul Nash, whose six pieces explored how the material can shape modern sportswear without compromising its technical DNA. “Everyone did a great job and could have been a winner,” says Riccardo Tisci, who judged this year’s award along with the likes of Carine Roitfeld and Marc Newson, “but what Saul did, coming from a ballet background to replace lycra with wool was really incredible.”
This year, the prize partnered with the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum to explore the art of play. Each of the finalists’ six-piece collections feature in an immersive showroom alongside colorful architectural displays inspired by Noguchi’s beloved playscapes that starred in an FKA Twigs–directed short film. The finalists of the 2022 prize included Ahluwalia, EGONLAB, Jordan Dalah, Peter Do, Saul Nash, RUI, and MMUSOMAXWELL. Nash will receive $200,000 AUD ($141,000 USD) for the grand prize. —Ryan Waddoups
The prototype of a new USPS mail delivery truck. Image courtesy of USPS…
Sixteen states sue the USPS over plans to replace its fleet with gas-guzzling trucks.
“California and 15 states that want the U.S. Postal Service to electrify its mail delivery vehicles are suing to halt purchases of thousands of gas-powered trucks as the agency modernizes its delivery fleet. Three separate lawsuits, filed Thursday by the states and environmental groups in New York and California, ask judges to order a more thorough environmental review before the Postal Service moves forward with the next-generation delivery vehicle program. Plaintiffs contend that purchases of fossil fuel-powered delivery vehicles will cause environmental harm for decades to come. The lawsuits could further delay the Postal Service’s efforts to replace the ubiquitous delivery trucks that went into service between 1987 and 1994.” —[H/T The Associated Press]
The Cranbrook Art Museum in Detroit has appointed Laura Mott as chief curator.
“Detroit’s Cranbrook Art Museum has named Laura Mott, who joined the institution in 2013 as senior curator of contemporary art and design, as chief curator. In her new capacity, she will play a major role in shaping collections, mentoring curators, and organizing and overseeing exhibitions. Since arriving at Cranbrook, Mott has curated and co-curated more than twenty exhibitions, including 2019’s “Landlord Colors: On Art, Economy, and Materiality,” for which she was named a Warhol Curatorial Fellow.” —[H/T Artforum]
HOK names the second group of winners of its diversity-focused scholarship program.
“HOK has announced its second class of Diversity x Design Scholarships recognizing emerging student work taken primarily from the ranks of America’s talent-rich HBCU campuses. Nine overall recipients were each given scholarships in the amount of $10,000 following a competition that yielded 93 total applications from a list of schools which this year includes the addition of Kennesaw State University in Marietta, Georgia. HOK is considered a driving force in the industry-wide effort to increase BIPOC representation in the larger design field and initiated the annual scholarship program last year to ‘promote more diverse voices within the architectural profession and communities across the U.S.’” —[H/T Archinect]
The Chanel Next Prize winners with judges Tilda Swinton and David Adjaye. Photography by Jason Schmidt, courtesy of Chanel…
Wang Bing and Precious Okoyomon are among the winners of the Chanel Next Prize.
“The winners of the debut Chanel Next Prize were celebrated last week at the pre-opening for the Venice Biennale. The 10 recipients were each awarded $100,000 to go toward their creative endeavors. The winners were Jung Jae-il, Keiken, Lual Mayen, Marlene Monteiro Freitas, Rungano Nyoni, Marie Schleef, Botis Seva, Wang Bing, Eduardo William, and Precious Okoyomon, whose kudzu-covered installation, To See the Earth Before the End of the World, was on view in the biennial.” —[H/T Artnet News]
Airbnb’s newest policy will allow most of its employees to work remotely permanently.
“Airbnb won’t require most staffers to return to the office—ever. The company told employees Thursday that they can permanently work remotely and can relocate anywhere within the country they currently work. Doing so won’t negatively impact compensation, the company said, meaning it will not adjust salaries downward if an employee opts to move to a city where the cost of living is lower. In a lengthy email to staffers Thursday, CEO and cofounder Brian Chesky outlined its new policies and expectations. He noted that permanent flexibility will allow the company to ‘hire and retain the best people in the world,’ rather than simply those who are within ‘commuting radius around our offices.’” —[H/T CNN]
New research suggests that frequent video conference meetings stifle creativity.
“As if the endless muting and freezing, the need for shelves lined with high literature, and the constant fear of a colleague wandering on screen unclothed were not enough to worry about, researchers have found that Zoom stifles creativity. Meeting face to face produced more ideas, and ideas that were more creative, compared with video conference discussions, according to lab experiments and a field study at a firm with offices around the world. While the benefits of Zoom and other video conferencing tools made them indispensable in the pandemic, the research suggests that heavy reliance on the technology comes at a cost to creative thinking.” —[H/T The Guardian]
“Profound Mysteries” by Röyksopp. Cover art by Jonathan Zawada…
Today’s attractive distractions:
Young people are now distancing themselves from social media outlets like TikTok.
Norwegian electronic music duo Röyksopp’s latest work is a world unto its own.
An ancient wine-carrying ship newly discovered by archaeologists has been looted.
Among a certain New York set, fake Birkins are more prestigious than the real thing.
