Matthew Fisher Fashions a Dreamy Holiday Shop in Soho, and Other News

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Matthew Fisher Fashions a Dreamy Holiday Shop in Soho

Starting today, the artist-designer Matthew Fisher has opened the doors to his Soho holiday shop, which will be open through December 20th at 21B Crosby Street in New York. While the practice of the Surface designer of the day is rooted in anthropological study, his trademark glass and honed marble vessels evoke a profound sense of timelessness. Visitors can look forward to a selection of Fisher’s vessels, a monumental incense burner, and coordinating Cinnamon Projects incense, all commissioned for the occasion of the shop’s opening.

“As my art has matured into a business, I have felt a separation grow between myself and those who connect with my work,” Fisher says of his decision to open a brick-and-mortar shop. “I’ve used this opportunity to create a treasure trove of handcrafted objects where I can watch the amazement in someone’s eyes as I introduce them to the variation and natural beauty that stone has to offer. These interactions are the reason I left a desk to pursue this passion in the first place.” —Jenna Adrian-Diaz

The Lebanese designer Lina Ghotmeh will design next year’s Serpentine Pavilion.

“A slender wooden parasol will unfurl in Kensington Gardens next summer in London, its radial ribs supporting an expansive, low-slung canopy beneath the trees. It is the elegant vision of Lina Ghotmeh, the Lebanese-born, Paris-based architect who has been announced as the designer of the 22nd annual Serpentine Gallery pavilion. Titled À Table—the French call to sit down together to eat—the pavilion features a ring of tables and benches arranged around the center of the space, designed for public meetings and discussions, or simply for park-goers to come and sit, read, eat, or work.” [H/T The Guardian]

Alessandro Michele will depart Gucci after more than seven years as creative director. 

“In the largest creative shake-up of a fashion brand since the pandemic, Gucci announced that Alessandro Michele, its creative director, was leaving the company. A Rome-born designer who took over the top job in 2015, Michele was instrumental in transforming Gucci, seemingly overnight, from a fading symbol of noughties glamour into a purveyor of eccentric inclusivity that embodied the wider cultural conversation around gender, sexual identity, and race. His new vision for the brand rippled through the fashion industry and made tens of billions of dollars for Kering, the French luxury conglomerate that also owns Saint Laurent and Balenciaga, among other brands.” [H/T The New York Times]

According to a hospitality expert, customers don’t want to pay extra for sustainability.

“Only ‘hardcore sustainable’ customers are currently willing to pay extra for eco-conscious hotels, according to Marco Lemmers, CEO of hospitality company Conscious Hotels. Lemmers predicts that hotel guests will be prepared to pay more for sustainability in the future, but it will be ‘a few years from now. I think people will be prepared to pay more for a sustainable solution,’ he told Dezeen. ‘We’re not there yet, because the hotel business is still quite price-sensitive. You have to be hardcore sustainable to want to pay €10 euros extra for a sustainable stay. But slowly it’s moving in that direction.’” [H/T Dezeen]

The Portland Museum of Art shortlists four designs for a major campus expansion.

“The Portland Museum of Art in Maine is planning its first major expansion in more than 40 years, and the public is invited to weigh in on the building’s revamped architecture. The museum has announced four finalist teams led by international firms, including Adjaye Associates and Rotterdam-based MVRDV. Their drawings and models are currently on view at the PMA through 11 December, where visitors can leave feedback. Intended to unite its downtown campus, the expansion will add 60,000 square feet of space to accommodate an increase in visitorship and its growing collection.” [H/T The Art Newspaper]

Patagonia sues Gap for allegedly copying the snapped flap pocket on its outerwear.

“Patagonia, the high-end outdoor clothing retailer, filed a lawsuit accusing Gap of copying the snapped flap pocket it has used on fleece outerwear for three decades. In a complaint filed in San Francisco federal court, Patagonia said Gap is wilfully and deliberately selling fleece jackets that mimic its flap pocket and rectangular “P-6″ logo without permission. Patagonia said Gap’s actions undermined its goodwill, and were intended to confuse shoppers into believing it made the jackets or let the retailer use its trademarks. It also said it had warned Gap to stop copying its products, meaning the alleged ‘adoption of designs and logos bearing even more similarity cannot have occurred by accident.’” [H/T Business of Fashion]

Galerie König’s roster is quickly shrinking after misconduct allegations against its founder.

“Katharina Grosse, Corinne Wasmuht, and Scandinavian duo Elmgreen & Dragset are no longer represented by Galerie König, based in Berlin and Seoul. As of last week, their names no longer appear on the roster of artists listed on the gallery’s website. The news comes during a turbulent period for the gallery, which is reeling in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct against its founder, Johann König, published in the German newspaper Die Zeit. König denies the allegations and is engaged in a legal battle with the paper. It is not clear if there’s any direct connection between the departures and allegations.” [H/T Artnet News]

Today’s attractive distractions:

San Francisco is launching a guaranteed income program for trans people.

This industrial designer’s side gig? 3-D printing rare Ikea replacement parts.

A Parsons student and astrophysicist make a scrollable map of the universe.

From stages to runways, mud and dirt are appearing everywhere these days.