Table of contents for Sep-2018 in Wallpaper

SOPHIE GREEN Photographer Green boasts a portfolio that explores the ‘idiosyncrasies and nuances’ of British community culture. For our menswear story shot at London’s Smithson (formerly Economist) Plaza, she brought to life a playful narrative about interns in the bigcity workplace (page 208). ‘They’re playing grown-ups, but this is not their world,’ she says. Her new book, Congregation, exploring Aladura spiritualism in Southwark, will be published by Loose Joints in November. CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN Fashion designer Louboutin may be best known for the redsoled stiletto, though a newly unveiled capsule collection, titled ‘Run Loubi Run’, has proven that he’s equally adept at creating performance footwear. Meanwhile, his made-to-measure collection is going strong, with the latest iteration (inspired by the kinetic art of Julio Le Parc) presented for the first time as…

STAGE SHOW A WIDE LANDING AND A SET OF STEPS IN THE RECONFIGURED LINBURY THEATRE’S FOYER WILL DOUBLE AS AN INFORMAL STAGE, HOSTING A VARIETY OF PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS FOR THE PUBLIC. THESE WILL NOW BE VISIBLE BOTH FROM THE CAFE AREA AND THE STREET Bread has taken a bit of a battering from the wellness warriors in recent years, but new bakeries are starting to pop up producing healthy, gut-friendly loaves and triumphantly rebranding bread in the process. Take the spelt sourdough from Bread by Bike in Kentish Town, north London. It’s made from wholemeal stoneground spelt that has been fermented for 48 hours to create a gut-friendly, delicious bread. Owner Andy Strang says, ‘I’m careful about health claims, but a long ferment does break down the gluten, and some…

CAFÉ CULTURE THE ROH’S GROUND-LEVEL CAFÉ IS INFORMAL ENOUGH FOR PASSERS-BY TO MAKE A PITSTOP TO REFRESH AND REPLENISH, BUT REMAINS WELCOMING FOR LONGER STAYS, TOO. IT IS ALSO THE PERFECT PLACE FOR PRE-SHOW DRINKS Prada’s A/W18 collection revels in the functional nylon fabric that the brand thrust into high fashion in the 1990s. Its logo, too, was a point of focus, and Prada has reinterpreted its design across a series of graphic wipe-clean accessories. For the practical worker, the brand proffers futuristic logo-stamped ID badge holders, pocketsize phone pouches and belt buckles. Piquadro also favours a pragmatic approach. Its iPad folder comes equipped with sleek stowaway handles. Utilitarian wardrobe tools for whatever your trade. prada.com; piquadro.com SET DESIGN: SAMUEL PIDGEN WRITERS: LAURA HAWKINS, ELLIE STATHAKI…

CASE IN POINT AMERICAN BLACK WALNUT LINES THE DISPLAY CASES WHERE CONTENT, SUCH AS MUSIC SCORES, PHOTOGRAPHS AND COSTUMES, FROM THE ROH’S RICH ARCHIVES, WILL BE SHOWN The comfort of cats – climbing furniture, scratching posts, beds, litter trays and the like – is not an area generally addressed by the design literate. But this much-neglected category has been receiving some attention lately. French furniture designer Julie Gaillard, in collaboration with Meyou (who make some of the most stylish feline accessories around), has addressed the mountaineering pursuits of cats with ‘Hoop’. Meanwhile, Yihao Xiao, a student at Lund University, has tackled the litter tray, turning a cat’s latrine into a discreet furnishing, and Sfera has improved mealtimes for our furry friends with its superstylish cherry wood feeding bowl. SET DESIGN:…

BEST BAR NONE THE AMBITIOUS SCHEME, AIMED AT CREATING AN OPEN FOYER AREA ON THE GROUND FLOOR, WILL CONNECT THE EXISTING MAIN AUDITORIUM TO THE NEW LINBURY THEATRE BELOW. IT NOW INCLUDES A CAFÉ, INTERVAL BARS, CLOAKROOM FACILITIES, A SHOP AND INFORMAL EVENT SPACES Photographer Vincent Fournier’s new monograph, Space Utopia, comes wrapped in a 3D case that appears out of this world. Set to touch down on coffee tables around the world, this sculptural evocation of scientific rigour and science fiction mystery was inspired by the faceted walls of an anechoic chamber, an ‘echo-free’ space that effectively blots out sound and radio waves, creating a pure and neutral environment for testing equipment designed for the void of space. Printed from 3D resin from a wireframe developed from one of…

Sunshine pours through the windows of the Palazzo Spini Feroni, the Florence headquarters of Salvatore Ferragamo since the 1930s. We’re on the second floor, in a salon complete with silk jacquard upholstery, crystal chandeliers, frescoes on the ceiling and neoclassical paintings on the walls. It’s not your average corporate meeting room, but then, Salvatore Ferragamo is not your average brand. The original founder – the 11th of 14 children from a poor family living near Naples – would go on to create shoes for everyone from Indira Devi and Eva Perón to Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo, and the fashion house is still independent and family-owned today. Which isn’t to say it hasn’t experienced its share of challenges. However, a string of creative director appointments and…

Fashion and architecture can cross-pollinate in unexpected ways – from designers that flit between the fields (Virgil Abloh is not the first architect to turn to fashion, see our profile page 116) to clothing collections that nod to an architectural inspiration, and interdisciplinary friendships and collaborations (such as that between Karl Lagerfeld and Zaha Hadid, see W*92, which spawned Chanel’s Mobile Art Pavilion). The close relationship between Seoul-based Korean fashion designer Lie Sangbong and local architecture practice Unsangdong is another case in point, and it has borne fruit in a striking new fashion HQ. Unsangdong’s Jang Yoon Gyoo and Shin Chang Hoon first met Lie back in 2007, when he staged a fashion show at Kring, a cultural space the architects had recently designed in Seoul. ‘We felt we had…

AÏ AND CÉDRIC BIHR The power couple behind the concept epicerie Yaoya Tokyo-born Aï Bihr studied cognitive science at Wellesley College and MIT but switched worlds to work as a director of design at Uniqlo, designer at Band of Outsiders, director of development at Dr Denim Honzawa, and a consultant for Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, before joining the Glenstone Museum as its art director. Cédric was born in Lavelanet, in the Pyrenees, and on receiving a Master’s degree in science journalism, wrote for National Geographic before becoming a photographer. Yaoya is a modern-day multistore with a difference. In Guéthary, a fishing village near Biarritz in the Basque region of southern France, it mixes groceries, homewares, coffee and clothing sourced locally and from Japan. It’s a combination that suggests the keen curatorial eye of…

For stockists, see page 240 Set design: Sophear at Swan Management Hair: Olivier Schawalder at Calliste Agency Make-up: Fred Farrugia at Calliste Agency Manicurist: Julie Vilanova at Artlist Photography assistants: Katrin Backes, Corinna Schulte Fashion assistants: Camille Kolb, Katie Meston Model: Heloisa at Mademoiselle Agency Dancers: Elena Ramos and Tom Migne at Sport-Models, Jackson Carroll…

For stockists, see page 240 Interiors: Matthew Morris Grooming: Chris Sweeney using Leonor Grey Paris and Anne S�monin Skincare Photography assistants: Marius Uhlig, Dan Douglass Fashion assistant: Aylin Bayhan Model: Aramish Mangi at Tomorrow Is Another Day Casting: David Steven Wilton at East Movement director: Cameron McMillan…

This season’s silver boiler suit Back in 2012, the American novelist Kurt Andersen wrote a smart essay arguing that the more things were changing, the more they were staying the same. Plus ça change and all that. His point, though, was that while technology was driving radical, transformative shifts, it was all hidden behind the screen. Out in the real world, the pace of change was juddering to a halt. The cars, clothes, furniture, architecture and cultural output of 2012 didn’t look or sound that different from the way they looked and sounded in 1992. Regular Wallpaper* readers, alerted on a monthly basis to new design, architecture and fashion, may beg to differ but Andersen was on to something. Where, for instance, are the aluminium foil boiler suits we were…

GRAND GESTURE A NEW, REPOSITIONED ‘BABY GRAND’ STAIRCASE HAS REPLACED THE LOBBY’S EXISTING STAIRS IN CONNECTING THE FOYER TO THE AMPHITHEATRE-LEVEL BAR AND TERRACE-LEVEL RESTAURANT, WHOSE INTERIORS WERE DESIGNED BY STUDIO LINSE The search among the architecturally articulate for texture in the plant world has lately led to moss. ‘If you look to Japan, there is a long, artful, intelligent history of gardening using moss,’ says John Tebbs, editor of biannual publication Pleasure Garden. ‘We so often seem to be fighting it, but I love to see moss embraced more in the context of a natural garden.’ Meanwhile, Londonbased designer Pete Pongsak, of Archive & Archive, explores the trainability of moss in his new series of sculptural outdoor planters. Like Tebbs, he was inspired by Japan, taking the grassy/moss element…

OPEN SEASON TO MAKE THE LINBURY THEATRE MORE VISIBLE, THE STANTON WILLIAMS TEAM CRAFTED AN OPEN FOYER BY GUTTING THE SPACE AND CLEARING OUT EXISTING WALLS AND CONCRETE PILLARS WITH PAINSTAKING STRUCTURAL PRECISION Paul McCobb’s sophisticated style was based on fine lines and simple geometries. The most successful creations of the American furniture designer, who died in 1969, featured slim metal frames as the foundation of furniture or shelving units. This year, Danish brand Karakter is relaunching a series of pieces by the designer, including this console and organiser. Perching on his signature frame base, the desk features carefully considered details, such as separate storage elements and drawers, and a drop-down panel that allows the piece to double as a discreet console when not in use. The McCobb pieces join…

MATERIAL GAIN STANTON WILLIAMS WORKED WITH A CAREFUL SELECTION OF FINE MATERIALS, SUCH AS CRÈME MARFIL STONE FROM ALICANTE, PATINATED BRASS, STAINLESS STEEL AND POLISHED PLASTER. A BESPOKE VERSION OF HANS J WEGNER‘S ‘CH20 ELBOW’ CHAIR FOR CARL HANSEN, SIMILAR TO THE ONE PICTURED HERE, HAS BEEN CREATED FOR THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE IN AN OAK FRAME LACQUERED IN CUSTOM SMOKED STAIN WITH SEAT IN SØRENSEN’S ULTRA COGNAC LEATHER, AND IS AVAILABLE FROM ARAM CONTRACTS From a papal tiara-inspired minaudière and cherubmotif jewellery to embellished halos, there was a definite ecclesiastical air to Dolce & Gabbana’s A/W18 accessories. But it is the Italian fashion brand’s ‘Devotion’ bag that has given us a real spiritual awakening. Its antique-bronze sacred heart detail has been clad in 24ct gold leaf and is made…

When I meet Patrick Goossens at the Goossens HQ in Pantin, Paris, legacy and continuity are on his mind. He was bequeathed the couture jewellery business by his father Robert in 1978. ‘I’ve worked here for 43 years,’ he says. ‘It’s my duty to carry the DNA of the house to the next generation.’ DNA of the house to the next generation.’ Robert Goossens, who died in 2016, worked as a studio jeweller on semi-precious designs for Cristóbal Balenciaga, Jean Rochas and Elsa Schiaparelli throughout the 1940s and 1950s, but it was his partnership with Coco Chanel that established his reputation as the foremost couture jeweller in Paris. The pair first began working together in 1954. Chanel had recently revived her fashion house, having returned to Paris from exile in…

Few of us will ever take on the trek to Everest Base Camp, but that hasn’t stopped men’s fashion from harnessing the mountaineering spirit, now as sought after on the street as on Himalayan hiking trails. Think haute couture meets high performance: a tapedseam, Thermolite-padded and heat-bonded spin on the savoir-faire of Savile Row. It’s a trend that trekked firmly onto the A/W18 runways: take the reflective and multi-pocketed gilets and fleece sweaters at Lucas Ossendrijver’s Lanvin, Gucci’s gemswathed hiking boots, Junya Watanabe’s collaborations with North Face, Karrimor and Canada Goose, and Prada’s celebration of functional nylon. Even at June’s Pitti Uomo 94 – considered the epicentre of tailoring and Italian sprezzatura – the menswear platform’s I Go Out installation was aimed at assimilating fashion with an active lifestyle. The…

The rise of e-commerce has made retail therapy as private a gratification as other digital distractions. It is also tearing into the foundations of traditional bricks-and-mortar stores, with household names permanently shuttering. But something interesting is happening in the world of In Real Life retailing, as operations born online are steadily opening bricks-and-mortar spaces. Disruptors including eyewear brand Warby Parker, luggage start-up Away and even Amazon now have physical retail stores. All have decided that stores are not just a place to make purchases, but to experience the brand, as well as touch and feel the product. ‘The store is often the first point of discovery,’ says Sucharita Kodali, vice president and principal analyst at retail research company Forrester. ‘It’s often how people fall in love with the things they…

A world of oenophile wonders and spirit-raising accoutrements Sandra Vezza is one of Italian commerce’s more colourful chieftains. Born and raised in the hills of the Langhe in the Piedmont region, for many years Vezza has managed the family business of food gelatins and pharmaceuticals founded by her husband in 1968. In 2011, the Vezzas bought Gufram, the Italian design brand known for pushing absurdist humour into bourgeois interiors (it is now managed by Sandra’s son, Charley). Vezza’s latest project, L’Astemia Pentita, sees her make a sharp but not entirely unexpected pivot into viticulture. In many ways, this is a return to her roots. As a child she spent long days with her grandparents among the vineyards of the Langhe. ‘I have always been in love with my Langhe,’ she…

For stockists, see page 240 Hair: Chris Sweeney using Bumble and Bumble Prop stylist: Samuel Pidgen at Bryant Artists Fashion assistants: Gabriele Rizzi, Yuan Qian Hair assistant: Hiroshi Yamashita Prop stylist assistant: Rosalind Ghamire Models: Liam Trutwein at D1 Models. Ethan Thatcher at Storm Management. Harry Napper and Luke Young at PRM Agency. Amos at Premier Model Management Casting: Sarah Small at Good Catch Casting With special thanks to Tishman Speyer Shot on location at the Smithson Plaza in London. Originally named the Economist Plaza, it has been newly restored by DSDHA. For more information, visit Wallpaper.com…

A Akris Tel: 44.20 7758 8060 (UK) akris.ch Alexander McQueen Tel: 44.20 7494 8840 (UK) alexandermcqueen.com Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood Tel: 44.20 7629 3757 (UK) viviennewestwood.com And Wander at Mr Porter Tel: 44.800 044 5705 (UK) mrporter.com Aram Tel: 44.20 7557 7557 (UK) aram.co.uk Archive & Archive Tel: 44.7786 862297 (UK) archiveandarchive.com B Balenciaga Tel: 44.20 3318 6027 (UK) balenciaga.com Begg & Co Tel: 44.1292 267615 (UK) beggandcompany.com Beyond Object Tel: 44.20 7237 6448 (UK) beyond-object.com Boss Tel: 44.20 7734 7919 (UK) hugoboss.com Bottega Veneta Tel: 44.20 7838 9394 (UK) bottegaveneta.com Brooks Brothers Tel: 44.20 3238 0030 (UK) brooksbrothers.com Butter London butterlondon.com C Calvin Klein Tel: 44.800 7463 6499 (UK) calvinklein.co.uk Celtic Whiskey Shop Tel: 353.1 675 9744 (Ireland) celticwhiskeyshop.com Chanel Tel: 44.20 7493 5040 (UK) chanel.com Charvet Tel:…

The sharpest trends, trailblazers and sartorial triumphs ALL CHANGE THE GROUND FLOOR FOYER AND THE LINBURY THEATRE AT LONDON’S ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, THE LOCATION OF OUR PHOTO SHOOT, ARE BEING TRANSFORMED TO A DESIGN BY STANTON WILLIAMS. THE FORMER HAS HAD AN EXTENSIVE MAKEOVER, THE LATTER A COMPLETE RECONFIGURATION, AND BOTH WILL BE REVEALED IN SEPTEMBER FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE ARCHITECTURE, VISIT WALLPAPER.COM From Marni to MSGM, padded pieces were prevalent on the A/W18 catwalks. But it was Hermès who took us on a real quilt trip, blending the trend for cushioned outerwear with its equestrian heritage. The French maison’s quilted coats and trousers for men – which nod to its protective saddle cloths – are made from a unique technical fabric, devised by men’s artistic director Véronique Nichanian,…

For autumn, designers are asking us to turn our dressing habits upside down, daring us to pair our delicates, over, instead of under, our outfits. Take, for example, Off-White’s huntingtapestry bustier cinched over a gauzy smock, or Loewe’s demure polo neck dress layered with a silk strapless bra. It’s our personals made public. off---white.com; loewe.com SET DESIGN: SAMUEL PIDGEN WRITERS: LAURA HAWKINS, ELLIE STATHAKI…

LADIES FIRST A KEY GESTURE THAT HELPED THE ARCHITECTS TO FREE UP SPACE ON THE GROUND FLOOR WAS MOVING THE LADIES’ BATHROOMS DOWN TO THE LOWER LEVER. THE NEWER, MORE FUNCTIONAL AND SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER MODERN FACILITIES FEATURE CONTEMPORARY STONE AND A STREAMLINED AESTHETIC Third wave coffee is infiltrating the drinks cabinet. Irish brand Black Twist has recently launched a spirit called Hard Coffee, cold brewing finely ground coffee in Irish whiskey to create a drink with less sweetness and more character. Says founder Conor Coughlan, ‘It can be used to create a range of coffee cocktails that go beyond the Espresso Martini.’ His recommendations include Irish Cold Brew Martini (adding Irish whiskey, stout and whipped cream) and Cold Brew Spritz (adding Aperol and tonic water). And it’s not just whiskey…

FLOOR PLAN FOR THE FLOORS IN THE NEW PUBLIC SPACES, THE ARCHITECTS CHOSE CREMA MARFIL MARBLE FOR ITS DURABILITY AND COMPATIBILITY WITH THE EXISTING FLOORS As the World Wildlife Fund declares that, by 2025, two-thirds of the world could face water shortages, a new cosmetics category, dubbed ‘waterless beauty’, is emerging. Korean brands, such as Whamisa and The Lotus, as well as European brands, like Cor and Butter, are trading on the back of their waterless credentials. Often, some water must still be added to make the product effective, but the small inroads into reduced water consumption and the shrinking packaging needs are effective at ringing environmental alarm bells. Not to mention the fact that when the water is replaced with oils and botanical ingredients, the product is likely to…

Aprocession of petticoated Victorian hikers traversing crumpled paper mountains; 6.5m-high mechanical cylinders resembling steaming underwater pistons; a monastic chapel hanging with paintings by artist-monk Sidival Fila. These are just three of the eight scenes, hidden beneath huge tents of silver fabric, which greeted guests at Moncler’s Genius Project debut, in the cavernous Milanese stadium Palazzo delle Scintille in February. The premise? A roster of designers – from Simone Rocha (winner of a 2018 Wallpaper* Design Award, W*227) to Craig Green, Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli and Rei Kawakubo’s protégé Kei Ninomiya – were invited to put their creative spin on the brand’s signature padded down jacket. Their creations were to be released in line with a new retail strategy, one that disrupts the traditional seasonal cycle with fresh drops of product put…

A large sculpture dominates the living room of Simone Pheulpin’s modest apartment west of Paris. It is laid out on a table, its surface a riot of shapes and textures. It boggles the mind that the entire thing – part of a pair commissioned by clients for their new home in the Hamptons – is made of cotton and pins. Pheulpin put over four months of patient handiwork into sculpting them, a real challenge despite 40 years of experience in her craft. ‘Now I see I was capable of doing it,’ she says, ‘and I can’t believe it.’ At age 77, Pheulpin is finally having her moment. This year she is exhibiting in both France and the UK, has won the Grand Prix de la Création de la Ville de…

In the blue, even expanse above Los Angeles, clouds are rare – yet they have been a recent preoccupation for local artist Liza Lou. ‘If you’re someone who watches clouds, they happen here more often than you think,’ she says. They are the subject of her new solo exhibition, ‘The Classification and Nomenclature of Clouds’, inaugurating Lehmann Maupin’s second New York gallery on 6 September. The main event is The Clouds, 2015-18, a painting that, like Les Nuages from Monet’s Water Lilies series, is a monumental triptych that immerses the viewer in delicate tufts of colour. Outside her studios in both Topanga Canyon and Durban, South Africa, Lou does as the Impressionists did: she paints clouds en plein air. But rather than using canvas, she paints on a grid of…

Baroque follies HOTEL PACAI, VILNIUS The overhaul of historic piles into modern hotels often results in slick contemporary interiors with absolutely no sense of the building’s storied past. A round of applause then for Lithuanian architect Saulius Mikštas and studio Yes Design Architecture for their admirable work on this grand 17th-century baroque mansion in Vilnius’ Old Town. Anchored by a dramatically proportioned 500 sq m courtyard, the public spaces and 104 rooms all feature deep grey walls and curtains, tufted leather finishes, marble benches and slender-limbed midcentury furniture, but what catches the eye are the mansion’s textured old bones, which peek out like an architectural palimpsest at unexpected moments – a wall of exposed original bricks and barn timber here, cracked pilasters and a patch of ancient frescoes there. The…

Hair: Roku Roppongi at Saint Luke using Kerastase. Make-up: Nicola Brittin at Saint Luke using Make Up For Ever. Photography assistants: Joe Reddy, Alexa Horgan. Fashion assistants: Camille Kolb, Aylin Bayhan. Interiors: Olly Mason. Model: Celine Delaugère at IMG. Casting: David Steven Wilton at East. Shot on location at the De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex Ever since I was a child, there was a voice inside me that told me I was not like the rest,’ says Katrien De Blauwer. She’s speaking from her studio in Antwerp, a hidden room in a small apartment she shares with her husband Serge. It’s her ‘safe space’. One side is piled high with magazines, unfinished work, paper and cardboard. Her desk is an old wooden bureau filled with notebooks, pencils and…

For stockists, see page 240 Prop stylist: Eleonora Succi at Walter Schupfer Management Model: Pauline Moulettes at Sport-Models Special thanks to Edward Quarmby…

Tomás Saraceno & Neri Oxman Take a guided tour to the outer reaches of design, architecture and art, where our guest editors are using astrophysics and synthetic biology, harnessing the sun and hacking nature to imagine brave, new and better worlds Jean Nouvel talks tough, tall and handsome in Marseille, Prince Charles belts up in his bio-fuelled Aston Martin, the inside track on Gary ‘Helvetica’ Hustwit’s Dieter Rams documentary, Francine Houben in Taiwan, Kemang Wa Lehulere, Daniel Libeskind, Mario Botta, why Fila is still smashing it, and ever so much more ON SALE 13 SEPTEMBER…

Few designers have been as bonded to a specific colour as Christian Louboutin. His soaring stilettos are distinguished by their vivid red undersides, a feature created in 1993 using an assistant’s nail polish and ubiquitous ever since. As his empire grew, so the same shade of red (a precise Pantone) made its way on to men’s shoes, baby shoes, fragrance packaging and, naturally, became a nail polish. A quarter of a century on, Louboutin’s claim to the colour has even been affirmed by the EU’s highest court, which ruled that the brand had exclusive rights to using it on the sole of any shoe, regardless of shape. Not surprisingly, the footwear maven’s favourite dish, salmorejo, takes on a similar hue. He calls this chilled concoction of tomatoes and bread ‘the…