Burberry at London Fashion Week. Photography by Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images…
The Design Dispatch offers expertly written and essential news from the design world crafted by our dedicated team. Think of it as your cheat sheet for the day in design delivered to your inbox before you’ve had your coffee. Subscribe now.
Have a news story our readers need to see? Submit it here
Daniel Lee Departs From Burberry Norms
All eyes have been on Daniel Lee since the Bottega Veneta alum was appointed chief creative officer of Burberry. For many a fashion-world insider, Lee seemed like an ideal match for the British label—he grew up in West Yorkshire, England, close to Burberry’s mills, studied at Central Saint Martins in London, and won four British Fashion Awards in 2019 for his work at Bottega. Much is riding on Lee’s success at Burberry, whose influence waned under its most recent creative director, Riccardo Tisci, and which leaned into its British heritage by debuting a royal-blue knight-on-horseback logo.
Lee’s enthusiasm for Burberry’s signature “Britishness” was infectious during his first runway show at London Fashion Week—even with no beige in sight. “What’s unique about London and why I’m so happy to be back is I’m so inspired all the time,” Lee told press backstage. “When you walk down the street you see people from so many different walks of life living together.” Electric hues dominated gabardine trench coats, plaid blanket skirts, and wool military overcoats, as if he dipped signature Burberry garments in psychedelic dye. The most important look of all? A long-sleeve T-shirt, emblazoned with the words “winds of change.” Vivienne Westwood, to whom the show was dedicated, likely would have agreed. —Ryan Waddoups
Amy Sherald in “Art in the Twenty-First Century.&rdquo Image courtesy of Art21 and PBS…
Art21’s series Art in the Twenty-First Century returns for its 11th season in April.
Art lovers can look forward to gaining exclusive access to the studios of some of the world’s most renowned artists this April, as Art21’s celebrated series, Art in the Twenty-First Century, returns for its 11th season. Throughout 2023, viewers can expect one-hour episodes featuring an impressive roster of news-making creatives such as Amy Sherald, Tauba Auerbach, and Hank Willis Thomas, with each episode focusing on a particular theme. The first episode, “Everyday Icons,” will air on April 7 at 10 PM EST on PBS and will showcase artists who challenge and question American monuments and iconography.
San Francisco’s plan to build tiny homes for the homeless faces new roadblocks.
San Francisco is facing hurdles in its bid to build tiny homes for the unhoused in the Mission District, where costs are 10 times higher than similar projects in other parts of the city. Although funding and space have been secured, officials are struggling to overcome opposition from locals over concerns about conditions around the project and its proximity to a nearby school. The planned village of 100 affordable homes has become a litmus test for the city’s attempts to address its homelessness crisis, while the project’s cost highlights the challenges faced by officials in balancing public responsibility with taxpayer money.
The Restoration Innovation Campus in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Image courtesy of Adjaye Associates…
Adjaye Associates will transform the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation.
Restoration Plaza, a former milk-bottling plant in Brooklyn, will be transformed into a global hub for nonprofit and government entities called Restoration Innovation Campus. Adjaye Associates is overseeing the expansion, which will include 600,000 square feet of office space, new buildings for Restoration’s existing programs, and nearly 200,000 square feet of retail, as well as a remodeled public plaza and an expansion to the Billie Holiday Theatre. The project will tackle racial inequality and skyrocketing rents in Bedford-Stuyvesant and reflect the neighborhood’s cultural makeup through extensive community engagement sessions.
The Joan Mitchell Foundation is accusing Louis Vuitton of copyright infringement.
The Joan Mitchell Foundation has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Louis Vuitton’s Paris headquarters, alleging that the luxury fashion brand used the artist’s paintings in handbag advertisements without permission. Mitchell, a celebrated abstract artist, is known for her vibrant use of color, and her works regularly sell for over $1 million at auction. The Foundation is demanding that Louis Vuitton withdraw its marketing campaign within three days or face legal consequences, and has also sent a separate cease-and-desist letter to the Fondation Louis Vuitton, which is currently exhibiting Mitchell’s work.
El Anatsui will take over Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall for the next Hyundai Commission.
El Anatsui, the Ghana-born and Nigeria-based artist known for his shimmering bottle-cap sculptures, will transform Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall for the annual Hyundai Commission starting in October. Anatsui’s work has been collected by prestigious institutions worldwide and was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 56th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 2015. Through repurposing found materials, Anatsui’s abstract art explores themes of consumption, trade, and the environment.
The Button and Needle scupture in New York. Photography by Alexandra Ayer/@DiversityPics for the Garment District Alliance…
New York’s iconic Button and Needle sculpture was saved thanks to a clever redesign.
In 2017, New York City’s Garment District Alliance challenged experiential design firm Local Projects to replace the Button and Needle sculpture, a kitschy oversize artwork that was on the verge of collapse. After six years, the sculpture has been reborn as a freestanding piece of public art that stands as a marker of the Garment District’s history. The new sculpture retains the original land mix, with the needle and strands of the thread touching down on both private and public parts of the city, and is uplit at night with the chrome thread shining back the lights of the surrounding city as it swoops up and down through the buttonholes.
Normally associated with floods, Venice is now grappling with the onset of low tides.
Venice, normally associated with floods, now faces low tides and dry canals due to a combination of factors such as lack of rain, high atmospheric pressure, and the lunar cycle producing low water levels. The dried-up canals are causing serious problems for Venetians, making it impossible for gondolas, water taxis, and ambulances to reach some areas of the city. The situation highlights the prospect of another drought in Italy and comes as the country battles over-tourism, ecosystem destruction, and urban development.
“Flughafen Berlin-Tegel” by Andreas Kehrke. Image courtesy of Andreas Gehrke…
