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Alessandro Michele’s Valentino Debut Is a “Continuous Orgasm”
Alessandro Michele has only helmed Valentino as artistic director for two and a half months, but he’s already making his presence known. Yesterday, the Italian fashion powerhouse surprise-dropped the resort 2025 collection on Instagram well ahead of its planned fall debut, offering a truly all-encompassing look at his plans for the Roman couture house after spending two decades honing his maximalist claws at Gucci. Dedicated followers of his more-is-more whimsy won’t be disappointed by his maiden offering here, which hews close to his previous work while channeling Valentino’s era of ‘70s overindulgence.
That seems to be the operative word—his debut collapses decades and categories into a 260-image lookbook that he describes as a “continuous orgasm.” Belted ivory peacoats, bell-shaped capes, fringe-adorned suede bags, and ruffled turtleneck blouses are all on the menu, as are more muted looks referencing Valentino Garavani’s work in the late ’60s. “I’m deep in conversation with the clothes he created, and with his life,” Michelesays. “I’ve often had the impression of having him seated next to me.” —Ryan Waddoups
Chanel launched a 90-second ad for a limited-edition No.5 L’Eau at Sphere in Las Vegas, making it the first luxury fragrance brand to advertise at the landmark. This campaign, featuring a drop-shaped bottle inspired by Marilyn Monroe’s famous quote, embraces the unique format of the LED screen for a fluid, water-themed visual. Chanel’s marketing strategy focuses on impactful, thoughtful presentations, aiming to stand out in the crowded landscape by creating moments of calm and intrigue amidst the city’s typically flashy advertisements.
Chilean-Swiss artist Francisco Sierra has won the inaugural People’s Pick prize at Art Basel 2024 for his installation Guppy, which features 48 wooden panels depicting life-sized guppies that critiques recreational animal breeding. The second and third-place prizes went to Chiharu Shiota for The Extended Line and Wu Tien-Chang for Farewell, Spring and Autumn Pavilions. Additionally, Tiffany Sia and Ahmed Umar received The Baloise Art Prize, with their works being added to the collections of MMK Frankfurt and MUDAM Luxembourg.
Photography by Pooya AleDavood, courtesy of Bjarke Ingels Group …
Bjarke Ingels Group opens its second U.S. office in a renovated Santa Monica building.
Bjarke Ingels Group has opened a new office in Santa Monica, housed in a renovated 1928 Spanish revival building designed by Los Angeles architect Paul R. Williams. Led by partner Leon Rost, the renovation preserved many original architectural details such as the expressive facade reliefs and interior plasterwork, while updating the space with modern elements like skylights and enhanced mechanical systems. This marks the Danish firm’s second U.S. office, following its New York location, and reflects the firm’s growing West Coast presence, including projects like Google’s headquarters in the San Francisco Bay area.
The Ace Hotel in Los Angeles has closed and the historic building will reopen as Stile, operated by Kasa Living for Aju Continuum. Kasa, a competitor to Airbnb, will offer both hotel and short-term rental units, maintaining the building’s familiar style and amenities like a rooftop pool and bike rentals. The theater, rebranded as the United Theatre, continues to attract major talent. Broadway’s evolution since the hotel opened includes nearby developments like the Apple store in Tower Theater and University of Arizona’s new offices in the former Herald-Examiner building.
The website that was raffling a pair of Nina Chanel Abney–designed Air Jordan 3 sneakers experienced what she described as an “unordinary malicious attack” last week. Ahead of their expected on-sale date of June 20, the artist made a few pairs available for raffle via the website of Super Cool Studios, but some social media users reported the shoes were already gone by the time they could access the website. “We had an overwhelming amount of demand, however the platform was affected by an unordinary malicious attack,” she wrote. “The raffle is now closed. The team [is] working to ensure that the shoes get into hands of actual people.” She further teased another way to purchase the shoes via the SNKRS app.
