A Canadian Café Inspired by Ballet, and Other News

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A Canadian Café Inspired by Ballet

A new arrival in Montreal embraces the spirit of its home inside the Wilder building, where the Les Grands Ballets Canadiens resides. Coffee shop by day, wine bar come evening, Café Constance provides a whimsical contrast to its institutional surroundings. Credit local firm Atelier Zébulon Perron who “adopted a theatrical approach in order to build a sort of spectacle that is really quite literal,” says founder Zébulon Perron.“The idea was to create something that seems completely out of place, and that captivates the imagination in a strange and wonderful way.”

Taking a page out of the playbook of Bar Luce, the fantastical Milanese café designed by Wes Anderson at the Fondazione Prada, Constance is festooned in pink pendant lights inspired by dancers’ tutus, fringed “old lady” lampshades, and bold floral fabrics. Patrons and performers alike gather in the space for lattes, pastries from the beloved bakery Automne, and veggie sandwiches loaded with truffle goat cheese and coconut bacon. “Café Constance channels elegance, grace, and movement through its tribute to the arts,” Perron says. —Nate Storey

MVRDV creates a playful community space under a concrete overpass in Mumbai. 

“Working alongside co-architects StudioPOD, MVRDV celebrates the completion of One Green Mile, the transformation of a series of neglected spaces below Mumbai’s Senapati Bapat Marg flyover. Creating a public space for the entire local community from an overbearing element of concrete infrastructure, the design adds much-needed amenities and greenery for adults and children alike, improves mobility, and creates a strong visual identity for the area. The team notes that on a broader scale, the project represents a repeatable approach to sustainable urban development that asserts a new benchmark for underused public spaces in the intense Indian metropolis.” [H/T Designboom]

ZACentrale, a new arts hub in Palermo, aims to put Sicily back on the art-world map.

“Mario Merz is one of a few artists whose work can fill out the 17,000-square-foot hangar occupied by ZACentrale, Palermo’s newest contemporary arts center. For its most recent exhibition, the Fondazione Merz-run project has paired several massive installations by the Arte Povera artist with a host of contemporary works that examine climate change and immigration. The focus of the exhibition reflects the promise made by ZACentrale when it opened last October: to develop the city as a regional art hub while serving Palermo’s distinctive local community.” [H/T Hyperallergic]

Dior seeks damages from Valentino following its couture show on the Spanish Steps.

“Valentino staged a dreamy couture show on the Spanish Steps on Friday evening, which had clusters of onlookers flood the nearby streets and look out of the windows from the buildings all around, cheering and clapping. The mood was festive—but the House of Dior was not amused. In a letter sent to Valentino on the night of the show by the retail manager of Christian Dior Italia and seen by WWD, the French brand requested to be compensated for the disruption caused to the Dior store, located on the corner of Via Condotti and facing the Spanish Steps, in the amount of 100,000 euros to be paid in 15 days.” [H/T Footwear News]

Inditex, the owner of Zara, invests $30 million in the clean technology startup Circ. 

“Zara-owner Inditex is joining the growing number of major fashion brands investing in sustainability-focused start-ups as pressure to deliver on high-profile commitments to curb fashion’s environmental impact mounts. The company is among the investors funding textile-to-textile recycling company Circ’s latest round. The Series B raised more than $30 million, with other participants including Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy Ventures, textiles manufacturer Milliken & Company and trading firm Marubeni, the Virginia, US-based start-up said Tuesday. While the size of Inditex’s participation was not disclosed, the Spanish fast-fashion giant said this was its first investment in a clean technology company.” [H/T Business of Fashion]

An artist’s claim that Maurizio Cattelan’s viral banana copied him may head to court.

“Nearly three years ago, Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan kickstarted one of the art world’s biggest viral moments when he sold a banana duct-taped to a wall for $120,000 at Art Basel Miami. But Joe Morford, an artist from Glendale, California, is claiming that the world-renowned artist copied his own 2000 artwork titled “Banana & Orange.” Now, a federal judge in the Southern District of Florida has ruled that Morford can move forward with a case against Cattelan, stating Morford ‘sufficiently alleges that there is similarity in the (few) protected elements’ of his artwork.” [H/T CNN]

Klarna’s valuation falls 85 percent, casting doubt over the “buy now, pay later” hype.

“Klarna saw its valuation slashed by 85 percent in a new financing round announced Monday, reflecting grim investor sentiment surrounding high-growth tech stocks and “buy now, pay later” lenders. The Swedish fintech firm said it raised $800 million in fresh funding from investors at a $6.7 billion valuation—down sharply from the $45.6 billion value it secured in a 2021 cash injection led by Japan’s SoftBank. It follows weeks of speculation that Klarna was seeking a so-called down round, where a privately-valued firm raises capital at a valuation lower than when it last sold investors new shares.” [H/T CNBC]

Today’s attractive distractions:

A photographer meticulously catalogs the nearly 13,000 objects in her house.

The smallest remote-controlled robot walks like a crab and is tinier than a flea. 

Capital One employees have an unconventional workplace perk on their roof.

People are boasting about their free hauls following a brief DoorDash hiccup.