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Humberto Leon Has Fun With Tory Burch
“I wanted it to feel like walking into an exhibition,” Humberto Leon says of the pop-up boutique the Opening Ceremony co-founder recently designed for Tory Burch. Unfolding like a game of cat-and-mouse along Melrose Avenue, the concept store features German photographer Walter Schels’ blown-up portraits of animals throughout, starting with mice on exterior walls and a cat mid-meow dominating the interior. “The pictures are so arresting,” Leon says. “They stop you in your tracks, and you question them.” Likewise for the shag carpet covering floors and structural beams, mimicking a cat tower. Along with clusters of Mexican artist Aranza García’s candy-pink ceramic seats and vases, they display highlights from Tory Burch’s Resort 2024 collection—the Pierced mule, the Lee Radziwill Double Bag, and the Kira Diamond Quilt Shoulder Bag.
If this outing from the buttoned-up American label feels breezier, looser, and more fun, that’s because Burch is looking beyond what’s “on-brand” and letting her creativity flow. Her husband, LVMH chairman Pierre-Yves Roussel, took over as the label’s CEO in 2019, relieving Burch of addressing business needs. The monogrammed ballet flats and preppy-chic leather tote bags are still there, but presented in a different light. “We’re proposing different ways of wearing and styling clothing, making everything less precious,” Leon says. The collection also mixes with an exclusive capsule of T-shirts, sweatshirts, and tote bags that Leon designed exclusively for the pop-up, adorned with Schels’ portraits of cats and bunnies. The boutique will stay open through 2024 while Tory Burch’s Rodeo Drive flagship undergoes renovation. —Ryan Waddoups
Cindy Sherman for Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2024. Photography by Juergen Teller, courtesy of Marc Jacobs…
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, Marc Jacobs collaborated with photographer Juergen Teller for its Spring/Summer 2024 campaign, which features a diverse cast of friends and collaborators, including artist Cindy Sherman and musicians FKA Twigs, Lil Uzi Vert, and Bladee. The campaign, shot with a lo-fi aesthetic, showcases each subject individually on the streets of Lower Manhattan in front of Marc Jacobs’ headquarters. Cindy Sherman, known for her transformative personas in her own work, appeared in two distinct looks: one in grunge style and the other as a blonde balancing on platform heels.
During the early months of the year, restaurant closures in New York City have been more prevalent than usual. More than 40 restaurant and bar closures were confirmed between the last week of December and the first week of January. Factors contributing to these closures include the ongoing effects of the pandemic, with restaurant sales not fully recovering to pre-pandemic levels while commercial rents have increased. For example, Milu, a fast-casual Chinese restaurant, had to close its Williamsburg location after just six months due to slow business, despite efforts to create a neighborhood restaurant. Other closures include King David Tacos in Madison Square Park, Que Chevere in the Market Line food hall, and Glizzy’s on St. Marks Place, all facing challenges such as fluctuating sales patterns and rising operating costs.
Rendering of Florence Airport. Image courtesy of Rafael Viñoly Architects…
Rafael Viñoly Architects has revealed plans for an international terminal at Florence Airport in Italy, featuring a 19-acre vineyard on its roof. The 538,000-square-foot terminal is expected to serve 5.9 million passengers annually. Its main feature is a sloping roof with skylights and 38 rows of usable vineyards, symbolizing Florence’s connection to Tuscany’s wine country. The terminal will have a central piazza-like space linked to transportation, parking, and retail to streamline circulation. The existing runway will be reoriented to accommodate modern aircraft while the airport’s connections to the region will be improved with a light rail system. The project will be completed in two phases, the first expected to finish in 2026 and the second in 2035.
UNStudio, in collaboration with Arup and Heerim Architecture, has unveiled visuals for the Peace Park Ferris wheel in Sangam World Cup Park, Seoul. Named the “Seoul Twin Eye,” the spokeless Ferris wheel features two intersecting rings and will be the world’s tallest of its kind at 590 feet high. It can accommodate 64 capsules, each holding 20-25 people, providing an immersive experience for 1,400 visitors simultaneously. The Ferris wheel will be situated on top of a 130-foot-tall cultural complex that offers panoramic views of Seoul. Construction is expected to begin around 2025, with completion targeted for 2028.
The Whitney Biennial, titled “Even Better Than the Real Thing,” is set to open on March 20 and features a diverse group of 69 artists and two collectives, including some who live and work outside the United States. The curators, Chrissie Iles and Meg Onli, embarked on 200 studio visits across the country and beyond to select artists who explored how individuals carry and process society’s wounds in their bodies and minds during a time of uncertainty and anxiety. The Biennial’s theme challenges the notion of what is “real” in a world marked by AI and societal pressures. While featuring artists from different generations, the exhibition focuses on America’s raw and vulnerable state, its title embodying a sense of ironic humor and a defiance of norms.
