Bottega Veneta’s new Milan flagship. Photography by François Halard, courtesy of Bottega Veneta…
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Bottega Veneta’s New Milan Flagship Is a Temple to Craft
Bottega Veneta’s footprint in Milan is growing. Situated in the prestigious Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is the Italian label’s third flagship in the city, and the first designed by creative director Matthieu Blazy. Its interior merges elements of Italian modernism with a futuristic ambiance that nods to spaceships while evoking the intimacy of getting dressed. Industrial square glass blocks are integrated into the walls and ceiling, framed by walnut wood fixtures paying homage to the label’s intrecciato woven leather technique. Brass hooks and handles throughout echo Blazy’s popular Drop earrings; a dramatic coiling staircase and one-of-a-kind glass entrance handle designed by Ritsue Mishima sets the store apart. Inside, find an array of Bottega Veneta’s leather goods, shoes, and men’s and women’s ready-to-wear. —Ryan Waddoups
The Techo Takhmao International Airport in Phnom Penh. Image courtesy of Foster + Partners…
Foster + Partners has revealed plans for the Techo Takhmao International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which will become the world’s ninth-largest airport upon completion. Covering more than 280 million square feet, the airport will accommodate 13 million passengers annually in its initial phase. Foster + Partners won an international competition for the airport’s design, which is intended to better connect Phnom Penh to the global marketplace. The project also includes the development of a “future airport city” featuring residential and commercial buildings, a central park, and a distinctive domed structure. Construction is slated for completion in 2025.
Diesel has released its 2023 brand protection report, highlighting its dedication to preserving the brand’s integrity and safeguarding consumers. In the year, authorities seized 80,000 counterfeit Diesel items, with a notable presence in China, Turkey, and Kosovo. Additionally, 27,000 listings of counterfeit goods on online platforms were removed, and 500 knockoff Diesel websites were shut down. This proactive approach is aimed at protecting the label’s intellectual property and preventing unwitting consumers from purchasing fake products. Diesel’s product authentication system, introduced for a denim collection in 2017 and expanded in 2021, has also reduced the sale of counterfeit goods, a trillion-dollar criminal enterprise globally.
Icon of the Seas. Image courtesy of Royal Caribbean…
Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, has embarked on its maiden voyage from Miami amid environmental concerns owing to its new fuel, liquified natural gas (LNG). Weighing 248,663 gross tonnes and accommodating 7,600 guests and 2,350 crew, the ship features numerous amenities, including the world’s largest ship-based waterpark and eight neighborhoods for dining and entertainment. Royal Caribbean claims LNG is the “cleanest fossil fuel available,” but critics argue that the emissions calculations fail to account for methane leakage from the new fuel system, making it potentially worse for greenhouse gas emissions over the short term. Royal Caribbean plans to introduce its first net-zero cruise ship by 2035.
Sotheby’s has been cleared of claims that they assisted Swiss art dealer Yves Bouvier in defrauding Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev in a high-profile civil case. After five hours of deliberation, a New York jury found no clear and convincing evidence that Sotheby’s or its head of private sales, Samuel Valette, knowingly altered valuations for Bouvier, leading to major markups on artworks purchased by Rybolovlev. The trial shed light on the secretive world of auction house private sales but ultimately ruled in favor of Sotheby’s, emphasizing that the feud was between Rybolovlev and Bouvier. While Rybolovlev bought 38 works through Bouvier, only 12 were sourced from Sotheby’s and only four were part of the trial. Sotheby’s argued that they had no knowledge of Bouvier’s alleged deception and made no profit from it.
Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama is set to unveil his first large-scale U.K. commission titled Purple Hibiscus at London’s Barbican Centre in the spring. The installation will wrap 21,500 square feet of the museum’s Lakeside Terrace in pink and purple cloth made collaboratively with craftspeople from northern Ghana with traditional “batakaris” embroideries collected from communities in the region. The piece explores the endurance of traditional belief systems and intergenerational knowledge embedded in textiles and draws inspiration from Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel Purple Hibiscus.
