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
A New Activewear Line Captures Arthur Ashe’s Style and Grace
Arthur Ashe, the late tennis and civil rights champion who became the first Black man to win Wimbledon and the U.S Open, among a slate of other titles, was also a veritable style icon. A new activewear line draws inspiration from Ashe’s life and career, bearing his name on a collection of timeless tennis apparel like polos, shorts, skirts, warm-up suits, and accessories.
The Arthur Ashe estate, along with Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, partnered with Rowing Blazers founder Jack Carlson and Kith alum Karl-Raphael Blanchard on the line, which will contribute a portion of all sales to the Arthur Ashe Legacy Fund at UCLA and Social Change Fund United. “You have Fred Perry, a British tennis lifestyle brand named after Fred Perry. And Lacoste, a French brand dedicated to the legacy of René Lacoste. But there hasn’t been an American equivalent. Who better to represent the United States than Arthur Ashe?” Carlson says. “Arthur Ashe has been a hero of mine for a long time. His icy cool demeanor, effortless style, scholarly approach to sport, his will to win and determination to stand up for social justice all resonate with me deeply. The opportunity to work to create this brand has been a dream come true.” —Jenna Adrian-Diaz
Terminal 5 at Singapore’s Changi Airport by Kohn Pedersen Fox and Heatherwick Studio. Image courtesy of Changi Airport Group…
KPF and Heatherwick Studio reveal a city-like terminal for Singapore’s Changi Airport.
“Architecture practices Kohn Pedersen Fox and Heatherwick Studio have revealed the first render of Changi Airport’s Terminal 5, which will be the latest addition to the Singapore airport. Based on the concept of an ‘airport as a city,’ the terminal will allow Changi Airport to accommodate an additional 50 million passengers per year, doubling its current capacity. Heatherwick and KPF are aiming to create a terminal in which people will want to spend time. ‘Our intention is to redefine what an airport terminal can be,’ said Heatherwick Studio founder Thomas Heatherwick. ‘Most airports aren’t great places to spend time but Changi has always been different.’ The render released by the studios shows a main arrival and departure hall covered by numerous curved roofs reminiscent of BIG and Heatherwick Studio’s recently completed Google campus.” [H/T Dezeen]
A flying car passes FAA inspection, clearing it for potential entry on the U.S. market.
“You’ve seen flying cars in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Jetson’s, and Harry Potter—and soon you may see them coasting over your neighborhood. In late July, Samson Sky, a commercial flying car company, announced that its Switchblade model passed FAA inspection, clearing it for flight tests. After reaching this milestone, the Switchblade is poised to be the first flying car available in the U.S. market. With a sleek design, the two-seat vehicle changes from car to airplane with the touch of a button. Like the pocket tool it gets its name from, the wings fit into the body of the vehicle when on the road, then pop out for air travel. Don’t worry: There are mechanisms involved that ensure the wings always stay open in flight, even if you accidentally hit a button at the wrong time.” [H/T Architectural Digest]
Danny Meyer enlists Chip Wade to succeed him as head of Union Square Hospitality.
Anyone who witnessed the rise of fine dining in New York City during the 1980s and ’90s would hardly have bet that Danny Meyer—whose personal touch, food sensibility and laser focus on hospitality has influenced a generation of American restaurants—would pick a Red Lobster executive to replace him as the head of his restaurant group. Chip Wade, formerly in charge of 704 Red Lobster restaurants in North America, is the new chief executive officer of the Union Square Hospitality Group. Mr. Meyer will continue to collaborate on menus, new restaurants and expansion strategies, and remains executive chairman of the group’s board, chairman of its acquisition company, and a managing partner of its investment arm.” [H/T The New York Times]
Valley by MVRDV in Amsterdam. Photography by Marcel Steinbach…
MVRDV’S nature-inspired Valley in Amsterdam takes the Emporis Skyscraper Award.
“The top ten tall buildings in the world have been unveiled as part of the 22nd annual Emporis Skyscraper Award. This year, the number one spot goes to MVRDV’s Valley, a mixed-use building complex with three towers that reference mountainsides and valleys. The ensemble is located in Amsterdam and includes offices, apartments, shops, and cultural institutes. As detailed in the award announcement, Valley’s three peaks switch between a sheer glass façade and protruding stone-clad windows and balconies. The center of the building features a publicly accessible terraced valley, and its jutting elements create a variety of unique housing units.” [H/T Archinect]
Estée Lauder is reportedly in talks to produce a beauty line for French house Balmain.
“Amid reports that The Estée Lauder Cos. is in talks to acquire Tom Ford, the conglomerate appears to have selected a new luxury brand to turn into a beauty giant. The company is in the final stages of ironing out a deal to produce a beauty line for Balmain. The arrangement is said to be a licensing agreement similar to the conglomerate’s venture with Tom Ford, where Estée Lauder would make, market and distribute makeup and other products for the French fashion house acquired in 2016 for an estimated $620 million by Qatar-based investment fund, Mayhoola.” [H/T Business of Fashion]
NFT trading on OpenSea plummets a staggering 99 percent between May and August.
“It may be time to shelf that NFT project you’ve been chewing on. According to an analysis of the trading volume of OpenSea—the most prominent marketplace for NFT minting and exchange—demand for NFTs has hit a new low from its peak in May. The analysis, done by DappRadar, shows that trading volume on OpenSea fell by 99 percent over the course of about three months. As noted by Fortune, on May 1 the platform achieved a record $2.7 billion worth of transactions, juxtaposed against last Sunday’s activity, where $9.34 million worth of NFT trading occurred.” [H/T Input]
Image courtesy of Michael Makes…
Today’s attractive distractions:
Scientists are using machine learning to communicate with naked mole rats.
Thanks to Jiro Dreams of Sushi, omakase is becoming a rarefied experience.
