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McQueen Gets Freaky Ahead of Paris Fashion Week
Paris Fashion Week may not kick off for another ten days, but McQueen’s latest creative director Seán McGirr managed to get the last word as New York Fashion Week drew to a close. Ahead of his inaugural collection’s debut, McGirr snapped bleary-eyed editors to attention with a spooky snapshot of McQueen’s new era: a new logo, truncated name, and a first look at the fashion house’s direction under his stewardship with a campaign teaser. In it, two masked models perch imposingly in a secluded forest as photographed by Tommy Malekoff.
Most fashion houses, hot on the heels of a rebrand, lean heavily on a coterie of celebrity “ambassadors” for their first look campaigns. Instead, McGirr enlisted two faces best equipped to keep the focus squarely on the clothes: veteran models Debra Shaw and Frankie Rayder. Both are longtime friends of the brand, so much so that Shaw played a pivotal role in the 2018 McQueen documentary. Together, Shaw, Rayder, and the skull masks they don anchor the house’s new era to its origins. So too do the clothes: leading with a strong tailoring moment nods to founder Lee Alexander McQueen’s Savile Row origins. —Jenna Adrian-Diaz
“Behind the Red Moon” by El Anatsui for the 2023 Hyundai Commission at Tate Modern. Photography by Joe Humphrys, courtesy of Tate…
Tate Modern’s prestigious Turbine Hall commission, typically awarded to established artists, will be taken on by Mire Lee this year. Known for her unsettling yet captivating kinetic sculptures, Lee will unveil her Hyundai Commission in October, coinciding with London’s Frieze art fair. A curatorial team of Ann Coxon, Alvin Li, and Bilal Akkouche from Tate Modern, will oversee Lee’s project, although specific details remain scarce. Lee’s recent works, marked by motorized elements and evocative materials, often evoke visceral responses, suggesting a fusion of malfunctioning anatomy and psychological tension.
Elon Musk is planning to relocate his business incorporations from Delaware to Texas.
SpaceX intends to relocate its business incorporation from Delaware to Texas, as revealed in a filing with the Texas Secretary of State. This decision follows a Delaware court’s rejection of Elon Musk’s Tesla pay package, prompting him to move his business entities out of the state. Delaware, known for its appeal to major corporations due to favorable legal and tax conditions, faces potential repercussions of more than $51 billion in Musk’s assets. Neuralink has already shifted its incorporation to Nevada, echoing Musk’s advice against incorporating in Delaware and endorsing Nevada or Texas instead. Musk is pursuing shareholder approval to incorporate Tesla in Texas, as indicated by a public poll where over 87 percent favored the move.
“The Temple of Together” by Caroline Ghosn. Rendering by Maisser Sader, courtesy of Burning Man…
Caroline Ghosn designs this year’s Burning Man Temple with Neo-Gothic influences.
Burning Man’s 2024 Temple at Black Rock City, titled “The Temple of Together,” has been designed by Caroline Ghosn, the first BIPOC, female Temple lead artist. Drawing inspiration from neo-gothic religious architecture, Art Deco styles, and Lebanese Khaizaran weaving techniques, the structure symbolizes unity and respect, featuring joined hands motif, neo-Gothic arches, and Art Deco geometric shapes. Constructed with lightweight, sustainable materials, including reed weaving, the design encourages volunteer participation while creating inviting spaces reminiscent of past Temples. The installation, measuring 94 feet in diameter and 70 feet in height, culminates in a concentrated central space symbolizing shared energy and journey, embodying Burning Man’s tradition of experimental design and artistic exploration.
MoMA staffers share an open letter asking for its leaders to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Employees of New York’s Museum of Modern Art have issued a statement urging the institution to take a stronger stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict, demanding an “unconditional ceasefire” in Gaza. They’re calling on MoMA to either adopt or align with the principles of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, which advocates for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israeli cultural entities. The statement, signed by more than 175 artists and MoMA community members, criticizes the museum’s perceived silence on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and accuses the museum of failing to fulfill its mission to connect people through art. The employees highlight the destruction of Gaza’s cultural heritage amid the conflict and urge global cultural institutions to support their cause.
A London mural by British postwar artist William Mitchell is under threat of demolition.
Campaigners are rallying to save a rare early mural by British postwar artist William Mitchell, as the building housing it faces demolition for a redevelopment project in London’s Blackheath conservation area. Edmund Hall, an architect and artist, joined the effort, emphasizing the cultural significance of Mitchell’s work and the broader issue of preserving postwar public art in the U.K. The mural, completed in 1958 and composed of 13 bespoke panels, represents a well-preserved example of Mitchell’s early work, which aimed to enliven and humanize public spaces in postwar housing estates. While the Twentieth Century Society and Historic England have supported efforts to protect Mitchell’s legacy, Greenwich council is considering options for relocating the mural while pledging to preserve this important piece of British postwar art.
“Light Sculpture—Flow” series by teamLab. Photography by Ralph Lumbres …
Today’s attractive distractions:
Mike Satinover is obsessed with making the perfect bowl of Japanese noodles.
Twins are everywhere these days. What does it say about our sense of identity?
An unruly crowd destroys a driverless Waymo taxi in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
