No Space, Just A Place, Eterotopia is a multi-layered project powered by Gucci to support the rich cultural landscape and contemporary art scene in Seoul.

Taking its cue from the complex history of independent and alternative art spaces in Seoul and Gucci’s reflections on eterotopia, the exhibition proposes a new definition of what an “other space” might be: a place to build a different, desirable future with new ways for humans to relate to each other and to their surroundings.

No Space, Just A Place, curated by Myriam Ben Salah, known for her radical aesthetic vision, is propelled by Alessandro Michele’s meditations on society: the ethical and aesthetic value of the relationships between genres and gender, the notion of learnscapes, the urgency of self-expression and an ageless anthropological manifesto are key themes to him, which are reflected in the mission and ambitions of these alternative spaces.

Independent and alternative spaces in art are historically underground venues that populate storefronts, lofts, warehouses and other places abandoned by the mainstream. They confront the neutrality of the commercial gallery’s “white box” by promoting work that is often politically engaged, experimental, and more concerned with artistic debates than commercial viability. Since the spontaneous appearance of these initiatives in the late 1990s in Seoul, a growing number of projects have engaged in the practice of critically questioning the art ecosystem.

The exhibition formulates a new definition of “being together” while not being a single entity: a selection of independent art spaces has been invited to exhibit at the Daelim Museum across its three floors. Each will present a project conceived by its own team in dialogue with the curator, including the work of one or several artists that the participants represent or support. Every project will be thematically tied to the idea of the alternative spaces as a utopian place in which to set new empowering narratives, dwelling on the understanding of otherness, the exploration of minoritarian identities and queer politics.

12th March – 15th June 2020

Daelim Museum, Seoul

Rome, November 26, 2019 – Four fountains, four important Roman monuments, are given back to the public after extraordinary maintenance. Starting from today, the fountains of Acqua Paola at the Gianicolo, Mosè in Piazza San Bernardo, Peschiera in Piazzale degli Eroi and the new Acqua Vergine at the Pincio, in Viale Gabriele d’annunzio, can be admired again.      

The Mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi, and the President and CEO of the Fendi Maison, Serge Brunschwig, together with Rome’s Superintendent of Cultural Heritage, Maria Vittoria Marini Clarelli, inaugurated the conclusion of the works and the reopening to the public of the four fountains.             

The works concerned the terminus of famous Roman aqueducts and were made possible by the donations of the Fendi Maison whom, after its sustain in the restoration of the Trevi Fountain and of the Complex of the Four Fountains – part of the Fendi for Fountains project – showed once more its contribution to the enhancement of the artistic heritage of the Eternal City with this new and important project.

The overall cost of the project, drafted by the competent offices of Rome’s Sovrintendenza Capitolina, was € 280.000, assumed entirely by the patron. 

The four fountains, which differ by type and execution period, were identified among the numerous ones in the city of Rome because they are terminus of monumental Roman aqueducts, three of which are of Imperial origin – subsequently restored by Popes in different periods –, and to celebrate and eternalise their name by linking it with the great Romanity, while the fourth, the Peschiera one, from the modern age (1949), is considered one of Europe’s greatest aqueducts. 

“Rome has always had an important relationship with its fountains and aqueducts, which not only dispense water, yet evoke its preciousness as a symbol of life and rebirth. Each one of these fountains has its own story and contributes, at the same time, to telling the story of the city. The Fendi Maison, which I sincerely thank, and which has tied its name – among the others – to the Mosè, Peschiera, Ninfeo dell’Acqua Vergine and the marvellous ‘Fontanone’ of the Gianicolo fountains by financing this important extraordinary maintenance works of some of Rome’s most beautiful monuments, showing once more, on this occasion, their great love for our Capital. Finally, I would like to thank the technicians, the operators and the offices whom, with their attentive and competent work, created a healthy and positive synergy between the Public Administration and private companies that produced one of those excellent results that become, for Rome, and example of good practice”.

“We are proud of this renewed collaboration between public and private sectors which enabled, once again, to bring back to their original splendour the Gianicolo, Mosè, Ninfeo del Pincio and Peschiera fountains, which are accessible again to the Romans and to the tourists from the whole word. Rome is an integral part of the Fendi DNA and its artistic and cultural heritage is to be preserved for future generations”, states Serge Brunschwig, President and CEO of Fendi. 

The French luxury group LVMH, controlled by billionaire Bernard Arnault, has acquired Tiffany & Co. for $16.2 billion, making it the biggest luxury brand acquisition ever and adding to the firm’s portfolio. The luxury conglomerate counting brands like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Bvlgari, TAG Heuer in its stable, gave industry analysts much to talk about when it made a realistic acquisition bid for Tiffany & CoTiffany (TIF).

LVMH will acquire Tiffany for $135 per share in cash, for a total of $16.2 billion—almost $2 billion higher than the initial bid that LVMH made for the luxury jeweler in October. Tiffany will sit among LVMH’s 79 brands, in its watches and jewelry division.

Arnault said “We have an immense respect and admiration for Tiffany and intend to develop this jewel with the same dedication and commitment that we have applied to each and every one of our Maisons.”

Peter Lindbergh photographed Dior’s most beautiful muses, Marion Cotillard and Charlize Theron among them, and signed campaigns for the Lady Dior and J’Adore with his inimitable style. Throughout his career, the photographer, who passed away in September 2019, was one of the House’s closest collaborators.

Seventy years of Dior history, projected in Times Square jungle in New York. A world away from 30 Avenue Montaigne, the House’s beating heart. This was the concept behind a project – ambitious in scope and extraordinary in dimension – that gave rise to a new, two-volume tome bearing two names, Dior/Lindbergh.

The German photographer Peter Lindbergh was determined to make this project come true, and Dior made it happen by sending over an exceptional convoy of treasures: comprising over 80 archive models. Making a strong impression in this extraordinary photo shoot, Alek Wek twirls in a 1947 Bar suit, a neo femme-fleur gracefully illuminating the streets of New York. Classic “Lindbergh beauties”, including Karen Elson, Saskia de Brauw, Carolyn Murphy, Amber Valletta, and Sasha Pivovarova, crisscross through the bustling streets, slicing through a crowd of onlookers dressed in iconic silhouettes. “Wake up, now you go for a hell of a day and let’s see what happens”, the photographer said with his signature wit.

“My two days in New York were spent in a continuous state of wonder. The electric air kept me constantly on the go,” Christian Dior wrote in his memoirs about his first trip to the city that never sleeps, in 1947. Today’s New York confers on Dior creations a timeless energy, from pieces by the founding couturier to recent designs by Maria Grazia Chiuri.

The work is presented in a precious case, in two volumes: one dedicated to the Dior archives, the other to the legacy of Peter Lindbergh. The first covers 70 years of history and the House’s creations “captured” by the photographer during this incredible shoot that took place in New York in October 2018, while the second gathers more than 100 images by Peter Lindbergh celebrating Dior elegance – spanning haute couture and ready-to-wear, men’s and women’s.

The 10 designers are now on the path towards the International Woolmark Prize final in February 2020, with support from The Woolmark Company’s Innovation Academy – a fast-track mentoring and education program helping brands implement best practices to address environmental and social issues along with sustainable business growth.
The following 10 finalists will present six fully traceable Merino wool looks to a panel of industry experts and leading creatives.

A-COLD-WALL*, United Kingdom

●  BLINDNESS, Korea

●  BODE, USA,

●  BOTTER, The Netherlands

●  Feng Chen Wang, United Kingdom/China
●  GmbH, Germany
●  Ludovic de Saint Sernin, France
●  Matthew Adams Dolan, USA
●  Namacheko, Sweden
●  Richard Malone, Ireland/UK

One overall winner will receive AU$200,000 and one designer will receive AU$100,000 for demonstrating outstanding innovation in product or manufacturing. The Woolmark Company Managing Director Stuart McCullough, says “We see traceability and supply chain integrity as a way to empower brands and customers to make better choices. By ensuring these emerging designers are equipped with the knowledge, support and access to the most advanced supply chain partners, the International Woolmark Prize continues to push the agenda for best practice.”

Forever 21 fashion is one of the largest specialty apparel retailers in the country. The family-owned company’s stores average 38,000 square feet, making it smaller than the average department store but larger than many of its apparel competitors.

Lately, the retailer’s aggressive expansion in recent years is now causing problems. Its been reported that the company may soon file for bankruptcy and exit from Asia and Europe due to expensive leases and declining mall traffic. Although it may continue operation in Mexico and latin America.

However, its businesses in India wouldn’t get affected, Forever 21 India business is run as a franchise operation by Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL). The business operations of the brand in India will not be impacted in any way by its restructuring underway in the US,” Alecia Pulman, corporate spokesperson for Forever 21, told HuffPost India in response to a query.  

SHANGHAI, CHINA —Tiffany announces a new exhibition opening in Shanghai, China, “Vision & Virtuosity,” celebrating the legendary jeweler’s greatest creative masterpieces. The first of its kind for Tiffany, Vision & Virtuosity was conceived as a journey through history, an exploration of Tiffany brand codes and a glimpse of what’s to come. It’s an immersive view into the acclaimed house that honors its past while revealing the importance of this unique history to the present.

Vision & Virtuosity’ is a tribute to Tiffany, which has stood for masterful craftsmanship and innovative design since Charles Lewis Tiffany founded his company in New York City in 1837,” said Alessandro Bogliolo, chief executive officer, Tiffany & Co. “These two values—vision and virtuosity—lie at the heart of Tiffany and this exhibition represents the best of our brand.”

Vision & Virtuosity transports visitors to an imaginative world that showcases the most important objects from The Tiffany Archive. The exhibition’s installations contextualize the brand’s trailblazing moments, documenting the numerous “Tiffany firsts” such as the introduction of the modern engagement ring, the Tiffany^® Setting.

There are many incredible objects in The Tiffany Archive that we draw inspiration from and we are constantly finding ways to reinvent and reinterpret them for our designs today,” said Reed Krakoff, chief artistic officer, Tiffany & Co. “With this exhibition, we honor the past and show how beauty and masterful craftsmanship are timeless and always relevant.”

The thematic journey takes visitors through six (6) chapters devoted to Tiffany’s longstanding history of excellence in design and craftsmanship.Vision & Virtuosity exhibit by Tiffany will run through November 10, 2019 in Shanghai, China at the Fosun Foundation Shanghai.

Celebrating a decade of Dark is Beautiful, India’s Got Colour. A call for action is campaign that intends to continue and amplify the conversation around inclusiveness and colour bias, specifically within the Indian context. Continuing to lend her name to the campaign against Anti-Colourism in India, Nandita Das joins hands with Mahesh Mathai, Ankur Tiwari and a slew of Indian actors to celebrate India’s Got Colour.

Joining hands with filmmaker Mahesh Mathai, music composer Ankur Tewari, and Sangita Jindal, Chairperson – JSW Foundation, Film Actor-Director Nandita Das, believes that words like ‘dark’ and ‘beautiful’ do not need further reinforcement and hence the shift from ‘Dark is Beautiful’ to ‘India’s Got Colour’ which she believes better embodies the rich diversity of India.

Commenting on the launch of India’s Got Colour, Nandita Das says,“I have been supporting the Dark Is Beautiful Campaign since 2013 and while we must combat the various forms of discrimination based on caste, religion, gender and sexual preference, the least we can do is to end the bias bases on skin colour. I felt it was time to reinvent the campaign and create a PSA that would be catchy and youth-friendly. It is our young minds who will change the public discourse around this issue and can make a tangible difference. The PSA intends to change the narrative to a more holistic celebration of the diversity. After all, we are more than 1.3 billion people and have that many shades of skin tones. ” She adds, “I am grateful to all the actors and crew who lent their support with full commitment.”

Among the actors who participated in the PSA are Ratna Pathak Shah, Kanwaljit Singh, Gul Panag, Swara Bhaskar, Radhika Apte, Suchitra Pillai, Tillotama Shome, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Vikrant Massey, Shweta Tripathi and Ali Fazal, to name a few.

Co-Director of India’s Got Colour, a fellow campaigner for the cause, Filmmaker, Mahesh Mathai reiterated Ms. Das’ thoughts, “Colour bias is deep-rooted into our society and mindsets. It needs to be recognised and called out. India is a country of a fabulous variety of ethnicities, faiths and cultural diversity. We can be proud that India’s Got Colour. Though we are doing this campaign on a shoestring budget, we also realize that our contribution to this cause faces formidable obstacles as the fairness cream industry spends crores and crores on its own marketing campaigns. We are grateful to Sangita Jindal and the JSW Group for agreeing to support the campaign and be its exclusive corporate sponsor as they too feel strongly about the issue.”

With the campaign receiving support from Mrs. Sangita Jindal, Chairperson, says, “As countries, economies and organizations progress, many Indian women are taking roles of leadership & significant prominence across the globe. She is confident in her shade of colour and wears it with pride. This confidence stems from what they know, and how they feel about themselves as women. Through our association with Nandita Das and India’s Got Colour, we celebrate diversity as a critical need for progress and development.”

India’s Got Colour is an extension of the Dark is Beautiful Campaign that was launched in 2009 by Women of Worth (WOW), the objective of the campaign was to challenge the belief that the value and beauty of Indian women is determined by the fairness of their skin. This belief—shaped by societal attitudes and reinforced by media messages—is corroding the self-worth of countless girls and women in this country, but also across the world.  The campaign aimed to instigate and inspire change in traditional attitudes, perceptions and definitions of beauty.  And while it would appear that skin colour is an issue that affects women, the campaign has also drawn a strong response from men.

Expo 2020 Dubai has unveiled the UAE’s latest architectural marvel as the final piece of the Al Wasl dome – an iconic structure at the centre of the next World Expo – was lifted into place.The crowning moment came as the dome’s 550-tonne moulded steel crown was positioned on top of the vertical trellis, an inspiring feat of precision engineering with a margin of error of only three millimetres.

The dome, the jewel of the Expo 2020 site, and venue for a string of A-list entertainers, will form the largest 360-degree projection surface in the world, providing an unparalleled experience for millions of visitors expected to attend the first World Expo ever to be staged in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region.

Using GPS indicators throughout to ensure perfect alignment, 800 engineers and construction experts worked in shifts, night and day, carefully monitoring every millimetre of the process. Including the structures and equipment required to lift the dome during this process, the total weight was 830 tonnes – equivalent to 600 saloon cars.

The 130-metre-wide Al Wasl dome stands 67.5 metres tall – higher than the Leaning Tower of Pisa – and encloses a space of 724,000 cubic metres. It encircles Al Wasl Plaza, a structure that will be the heart of the Expo 2020 when the six-month celebration opens in October 2020.

Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion exhibit (Aug 17 – Nov 10, 2019), exclusive to Bendigo Art Gallery  Australia, explores the work and legacy of this renowned couturier, showcasing more than 100 garments and hats crafted by Balenciaga from the 1950s and 1960s – arguably the most creative period of his career – through to the work of his protégés and contemporary designers who continue to work in the same innovative way today. 

Alongside iconic garments are archive sketches, patterns, photographs, fabric samples and catwalk footage, providing a unique insight into Balenciaga’s salons and workrooms. The results of new, forensic investigations into the garments – including a collaboration with X-ray artist Nick Veasey and a digital pattern making project with the London College of Fashion – reveal the hidden details and processes which made Balenciaga’s work so exceptional.

Cristóbal Balenciaga was one of the most innovative and influential fashion designers of the 20th century. His exquisite craftsmanship and pioneering use of fabrics revolutionised the female silhouette, setting the scene for modern design. Revered by his contemporaries, including Christian Dior and Coco Chanel, Balenciaga was referred to as ‘The Master’. His garments are characterised by their sculptural quality, deft manipulation of textiles and dramatic use of colour and texture.