DESIGN DISPATCH

The USA Women's Gymnastics Team Sets a Crystal-Studded Record, and Other News

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The U.S. women's gymnastics team, wearing GK Elite's Team USA leotards. Image courtesy of GK Elite.

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The USA national gymnastics team will don a record number of crystals at the Olympics.

This summer in Paris, the women of America’s Olympic gymnastics team will wear leotards adorned with more than 10,000 crystals—a record for leotard manufacturer GK Elite. Elements like pearls and velvet were also incorporated into the uniforms, nodding to Paris’s status as a couture capital. Crystal-encrusted leotards that blend style and performance have become a signature for the team, who previously wore them at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics. 

Etsy’s CEO pledges the e-commerce platform will return to its “artisan roots.”

Josh Silverman, the CEO of Etsy, is enacting policy changes to refocus the platform on artisan goods and counter the influx of mass-produced items. The new protocol includes labels to clarify product origins, and aims to reinforce Etsy’s commitment to unique, handmade creations. This strategic shift comes as Etsy faces competition from Amazon, Temu, and Shein, all of whom are vying for market dominance in the e-commerce space.

Arrival art fair founders Sarah Galender Meyer, Yng-Ru Chen and Crystalle Lacouture. Photo by Douglas Mason, courtesy of Mass MoCA.

Jim Carrey’s contemporary art and design collection heads to auction at Bonhams.

On July 25, the actor will auction a significant art and design collection at the L.A. outpost of Bonhams. The auction features 35 lots, across which Carrey’s holdings feature prominently, and includes sculptures, furniture, and photography by artists like Adam Kurtzman, Martin C. Herbst, and David Hockney. Carrey’s collection is a reflection of his eclectic taste, with pieces ranging from a cloud-shaped coffee table by Joris Laarman to paintings and photography that highlight his appreciation for visual and musical artistry.

Arrival, a new art fair, plans to stage its inaugural edition in the Berkshires next summer.

The Berkshire town of North Adams, MA, will host the inaugural edition of biannual, invitation-only art fair Arrival from June 13–15. Founded by gallerist Yng-Ru Chen, art advisor Sarah Galender Meyer, and artist Crystalle Lacouture, the fair will feature 25 to 30 exhibitors chosen by curatorial ambassadors with ties to the region. The event aims to create a relaxing and intimate art fair experience against the backdrop of the region’s natural beauty, and will engage with nearby institutions like Mass MoCA and the Clark Art Institute.

Jewelry designer Pamela Love has bought back her brand and is seeking new investors.

Pamela Love announced that she has regained ownership of her namesake jewelry brand from RedLuxury Group, which had held an 80 percent stake since 2019. During her tenure as creative director, Love experienced conflicts with the investors and subsequently partnered with RedLuxury’s Alex Henriques and Stephany Sleiman to reacquire the brand. Love announced plans to focus on enhancing her bridal jewelry and ear-piercing offerings to cater to customer interest in fine jewelry.

Chile's Atacama desert, one of the world's driest, is experiencing a bloom of flowers. Image courtesy of Rodrigo Gutierrez/Reuters.

Today’s attractive distractions: 

Swaths of flowers are blooming across one of the world’s driest deserts.

Two universities have captured rare footage of the “private lives” of blue whales.

According to Gen-Z, wearing low-cut socks signifies you’re in the 30-plus crowd. 

Scientists are testing the life-saving potential of recycled human hemoglobin.

 

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