Fie Isolde Imbues Her Boutique With Personal Touches, and Other News

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Fie Isolde Imbues Her Boutique With Personal Touches

After losing her mother at age 25, Fie Isolde found herself drawn to the heirlooms she left behind. “Her precious jewelry became the most valuable and meaningful physical reminder of her presence in my family’s life,” she says. “Every time I touch her jewelry, I feel an intimate connection to her soul.” That sentiment inspired the Danish-born designer to launch an eponymous jewelry brand where she meticulously sculpts and casts talismanic pieces in precious metals that, she says, encapsulate emotions and memories. “Designing fine jewelry pieces for any person to wear holds an indescribable significance for me.”

Now based in Los Angeles, Isolde recently celebrated the brand’s fifth anniversary with a West Hollywood boutique envisioned as a testament to her mother’s legacy. Misaligned timeworn columns nod to the architecture of Copenhagen; they intersect with clean-lined display cases reflecting Scandi grace. “We wanted these columns to feel like they’d been around for a century—beat up, stained, chipped away, with residues and paint stains left behind,” says Mark Kremer, founder of spatial design firm Extra Ordinary, which oversaw the renovation. Hints of green throughout amplify the color of the metal and gems, but custom 3D-printed display units evoking the geological forms in Isolde’s jewelry add the most personal touch. “It’s amazing to see the jewelry on them,” Kremer says. “You’re able to paint a clearer image of Fie’s process.” —Ryan Waddoups

Miami Design District launches a rotating pop-up to showcase emerging fashion brands.

Miami Design District is launching NEO, a 7,200-square-foot pop-up, to champion rising fashion stars. The rotating platform opens Friday, giving up-and-coming designers a chance to connect with Miami customers. First up are two woman-owned brands: Stolen Stores, a Bangkok collective crafting contemporary womenswear, and Les Miss NYC, which carries independent labels. The inaugural showcase runs through the end of January.

A database of artist names and styles used to train Midjourney’s AI leaks to the public. 

A spreadsheet containing more than 16,000 artist names used to train the AI art program Midjourney has leaked online, prompting criticism and a class action lawsuit against Midjourney and other companies including Stability AI, Runway AI, and DeviantArt. The list includes prominent living artists like Banksy, David Hockney, and Yayoi Kusama, as well as a six-year-old’s drawing created for a hospital fundraiser. This raises concerns about copyright infringement, as artists were not consulted about using their work to train the AI.

Plans to install contemporary stained-glass windows at Notre Dame ignite controversy. 

Plans to install contemporary stained-glass windows at Notre Dame have ignited controversy. Critics, with more than 125,000 signatures in support, argue it disrupts Viollet-le-Duc’s artistic vision and historical coherence. French president Emmanuel Macron, backed by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, is insisting on a competition while offering the original windows museum space, a move deemed “double the scandal” by opponents. Meanwhile, an alternative proposal suggests honoring firefighters with new windows in the north tower, leaving Viollet-le-Duc’s work untouched. This debate echoes a 2020 clash over replacing the spire.

Several major museums recently experienced a cyberattack on widely used software.

Cyberattacks forced prominent museums offline as a major software provider, Gallery Systems, was hit. With eMuseum down and access to sensitive data in TMS restricted, institutions like the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and the Rubin Museum scrambled to restore online access and navigate the disruption. This latest attack joins a growing trend targeting cultural groups, raising concerns for safeguarding valuable information and ensuring public access to art digitally.

The world’s first autonomous restaurant opens in Pasadena with burger-flipping robots.

In Pasadena, a new restaurant called CaliExpress has become the world’s first autonomous burger joint. Robots grill, fry, and even dance while guests watch and enjoy “pseudo-museum” vibes thanks to experimental 3D-printed “artifacts” on display throughout. Cali Group, which launched the project, partnered with Miso Robotics, which was previously behind the world’s first AI-powered fry station. The high-tech fusion of AI, biometrics, and 3D printing aims to upend the fast food industry with consistent quality and speed,

Today’s attractive distractions:

Theaters and critics observe a rise in standing ovations at the end of shows.

Japanese researchers develop a flying hose that uses pressure to stay aloft.

Social media was overrun with cheeky in-and-out lists in the final days of 2023.

Lancashire Heelers become the latest breed to join the American Kennel Club.