Table of contents for March 2020 in Wallpaper

ROBERT LONGO Artist A leading protagonist of the Pictures Generation, Longo is best known for his Men in the Cities charcoal-and-graphite drawings of sharply attired men and women in flailing motion. They came to typify the 1980s and continue to be a staple of fashion stylists’ mood boards. His evocatively named ‘blood and guts’ pasta features in our artist recipe series (page 202) and he is currently preparing for exhibitions at Guild Hall, East Hampton, and Jeffrey Deitch Gallery, LA. HARRIET QUICK Writer Quick penned our story on three iconic fashion brands that have stood the test of time (page 082). ‘I was struck by the shared resilience, tenacity and adaptability that have contributed to the longevity and success of these brands,’ she says. Mostly based in London (though ‘imaginatively’,…

Referencing artists Bridget Riley and Daniel Buren as inspiration, Charles Sébline’s eponymous shirt brand features an eye-catching line-up of styles in a smorgasbord of stripes. ‘I should probably be psychoanalysed for my stripe obsession,’ he laughs. ‘I’m addicted!’ The Anglo-French designer founded his label in 2019 and is strongly infuenced by his heritage. ‘My first job was in Yves Saint Laurent’s haute couture atelier in the late 1990s,’ he says. ‘French craft inspired me to look at a button collar and work out a new way to present it.’ Meanwhile, London-born couturier Bunny Roger, who established his dressmaking business in 1937 and worked for Hardy Amies, inspired Sébline’s Breton-stripe bib shirt. ‘He was a friend of my grandmother and an extraordinary dandy,’ says Sébline. ‘I like playing with ease and…

As part of her master’s degree in product design at ECAL, Korean designer Byongseon Bae sought to redefine basic DIY by creating a simple, intuitive cordless screwdriver that would be both easy to use and aesthetically pleasing. Power tools have been widely used in both domestic and industrial environments for decades, but their looks have hardly changed over the years. Bae was informed by her experience working for companies that specialised in the design and production of DIY tools, observing that most of these standard-looking products didn’t really sit well in the modern home. She conceived her ‘Home Tool’ screwdriver kit with the intention of streamlining the silhouette of traditional tools. The screwdriver, which features a built-in LED light and is charged via a USB port located within its case,…

Sportmax Established in 1969, Sportmax speaks of the vitality and liberation of the 1970s. Influenced by his trips to New York, its Italian founder Achille Maramotti envisioned the brand as the urbane, go-ahead sister of Max Mara, which he had launched from a small factory in Reggio Emilia in 1951. ‘The genesis of Sportmax was taking the idea of sportswear and introducing it into daily life,’ says Maria Giulia Prezioso Maramotti, US retail director of the Max Mara fashion group and granddaughter of the founder. Achille Maramotti, alongside Cacharel and Sonia Rykiel in Paris, forged the business of ‘ready-to-wear’. But where his vision really shone was in Sportmax’s focus on style-savvy, fuss-free, mix-and-match separates that could be worn seven days a week. The collection (first shown as a catwalk presentation…

In 1969, the Greek goldsmith-jeweller Ilias Lalaounis opened his headquarters near the Acropolis in Athens. Drawn to the mythology of his home, Lalaounis’ bold, warm, 22ct-gold designs referenced ancient narratives and Hellenic symbols, and were crafted using traditional goldsmithing techniques, such as hand hammering, weaving and filigree. By the early 1970s, his designs were appearing on style leaders such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor, as women ditched formal gem-set styles in favour of organic-looking, hand-worked gold pieces more in tune with the casual-luxe hippie vibe that the decade ushered in. Spectacular gold jewellery designs by Xenophon Zolotas and Ioannis Vourakis also fuelled a Greek fine-jewellery boom. Today, a new wave of Greek jewellers is gaining global recognition for a modern Midas touch. In the vein of the fabled…

Behind a sober wooden door, on a quiet back street in the north Marais, lies an exquisite slice of Japan, a contemporary shrine to its design and food traditions. Occupying a 17th-century hôtel particulier, Ogata brings together the art of tea, fine cuisine and craftsmanship, as well as culture and hospitality, edited and reinterpreted by founder Shinichiro Ogata. A product and interior designer as well as restaurateur, Mr Ogata is as discreet as his establishment’s door, though you might already be familiar with Wasara, his celebrated collection of compostable tableware. For more than 20 years, his design studio Simplicity has created one perfectly formed culinary destination after another in Tokyo, such as confectioner Higashiya and restaurant Yakumo Saryo, and his interior design portfolio ranges from Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills to…

Model: Malaika Holmen at Next Model Management Casting director: David Steven Wilton at East Hair: Cathy Ennis using Bumble and Bumble Make-up: Nicola Brittin at Saint Luke using Chanel Desert Dream and Chanel Le Lift Manicure: Nichole Williams using Christian Dior Nail Glo Interiors: Jacqui Scalamera Photography assistants: Christopher Greenaway, Chris Broomfield Fashion assistant: Marianne Kakko Interiors assistant: Melissanthe Panagiotopoulou…

#110 From his memorably blackened American flags to monumental charcoal drawings of atomic mushroom clouds, and more recent works that speak to gun violence and political corruption, Robert Longo has never shied away from the visceral and morbid. His fascination with the dark side of civilisation is also reflected in the title of his signature dish, ‘blood and guts’. A penne with tomato sauce is topped with sweet Italian sausage (gutted, to make it look extra lumpy) and chopped sirloin, then garnished with grated cheese and fresh basil. ‘I’ve been making it for years, and taught it to my kids,’ says the artist. ‘It should look like a horror show.’ For Longo’s recipe, visit Wallpaper.com…

Welcome to our biannual Style Special, which focuses on the S/S20 fashion collections, and celebrates fresh talent and standout looks that have sparked our imagination this season. To kick things off, we’re turning the spotlight on three perennial favourites: Margaret Howell, Sportmax and Paul Smith. In a world of passing fads, hype and hysteria, it’s important to recognise these admirable brands, which, each in their own way, have subtly redefined fashion, championed design, and are now proudly celebrating their 50-year anniversaries. It’s hard to imagine a world without these brands – the people behind them have been pioneers for five decades and have built their own businesses by actually being in the shops, building relationships with their customers. They are endlessly curious, intelligent and insist they are fashion with a…

Spotted casting a mysterious glow at Dutch Design Week last October, the ‘Spun Prism’ light made its debut as part of Hybrid Times, the inaugural exhibition of Dutch gallery and creative platform Form Editions. Part of a series exploring the potential of thread, a barely visible material, to produce volumes of light, it was designed by Umut Yamac, a British architect and designer with Turkish heritage. Offering a three-dimensional tapestry of light, colour and volume, these works, which also include ‘Spun Beam’ and ‘Spun Halo’, explore how cord can form dynamic volumes through tension. Made from mercerised cotton and copper, the handwoven cords of ‘Spun Prism’ are held tight by the weight of the linear elements, which in turn generate the form of three nesting prisms suspended mid-air. Varying in…

Bringing some much-needed sunshine to the often dull world of solar panel design, Dutch duo Kiki & Joost have created a unique collection of solar roof tiles and façade modules. Produced for Dutch green energy company My Energy Skin, the collection’s two roof tiles and six façade modules are made from textured tempered glass and feature patterns inspired by natural or manufactured environments. The concept was to create a sustainable power generator that was both pleasing to the eye and able to enhance the identity of a building. The roof tiles highlight the molecular beauty of copper and iron, while the façade tiles nod to falling rain, painted or scratched surfaces, and brickwork. The collection will be used on the façade of Kiki & Joost’s new studio, a six-storey industrial…

Keeping both the planet and ourselves clean isn’t easy. Think of the amount of cleaning products we buy in single-use plastic containers, the vast majority of which end up in landfill or the ocean. But thankfully there are brands like Blueland and By Humankind that are tackling this toxic problem. By Humankind creates mouthwash tablets, solid shampoos and hand soaps, and refillable deodorants that, after one year of usage, have eliminated up to five pounds of plastic waste from your morning routine. Similarly, home cleaning brand Blueland’s cleaning tablets can be dissolved in acrylic ‘forever bottles’ to create effective, all-natural cleaners for glass, bathroom, or multi-surface areas. Meanwhile, the sleekly minimalist packaging and reasonable price points make it even easier to have a clean conscience. blueland.com; byhumankind.com…

Pierre Hardy gently brushes his thumb over a gold-coloured indent at the top of a new Hermès lipstick tube. It is engraved with the house’s ornate ex-libris emblem chosen by Émile-Maurice Hermès in 1923. ‘The top curves inward a bit like a fingerprint, giving it a little softness,’ says Hardy, who has designed shoes and jewellery for Hermès for 30 years. ‘It’s an anticipation of the gesture to come.’ With its brand-new beauty line, Hermès seeks to turn the task of applying make-up into a pleasurable ritual. Since its beginnings as a harness-maker, in 1837, Hermès has expanded its activities to more than a dozen métiers, everything from saddles to scarves. But the house is a latecomer to beauty, presenting its first make-up offering this March. It starts with a…

Data as much as design now drives the fashion industry. E-commerce – though still less significant in pure sales terms than bricks-and-mortar stores – generates an astonishing amount of information about what we buy, where we buy it, or what we looked at before we bought it (even the 75 per cent of possible sales left abandoned in digital shopping carts is a useful indicator of intent). The industry has decided that these huge streams of data can be crunched and sifted so that consumers can be more precisely targeted, teased and tempted. Data analytics is the new engine of desire, and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning promise pattern-hunting and prediction-making of a far higher order. AI is also, of course, threatening to automate away all manner of professions.…

Village people POTATO HEAD CREATIVE CENTRE, BALI What started with the hot-ticket Potato Head Beach Club and Katamama hotel on Bali’s Seminyak Beach has extended into a fully-fledged creative village with the opening of the Creative Centre, a brutalist beachfront courtyard designed by Dutch architect firm OMA. Home to hotel rooms, a subterranean nightclub, a recording studio, and performance and gallery spaces, the stilted structure nods to Indonesian vernacular with ceilings woven from recycled bottles and poured concrete walls punctuated by symbols from the Balinese lunar calendar. Inside, the 168 bedrooms feature modular teak beds and bathrooms alongside furnishings by Max Lamb, who put the brand’s zero-waste ethos at the forefront with volcanic sand glassware and chairs made from compressed plastic litter. A dome-shaped food lab dishes up mushroom satay…

Shot on location at The Modern House’s HQ in Southwark, London, designed by TDO. The desks are a bespoke design by TDO, made by Tom Graham Workshop, while the artwork is Kria (Cogent), 2018, by Andreas Eriksson. With thanks to Albert Hill and Matt Gibberd Model: Mats Vandenbosch Van Mil at Unit Model Management. Casting director: David Steven Wilton at East. Hair: Tomi Roppongi at Saint Luke using Oribe. Set designer: Penny Mills at The Wall Group. Photography assistant: Matt Marsh. Fashion assistants: Anastasia Xirouchakis, Yuan Qian. Set design assistants: Mary Clohisey, Holly Clelford. Production assistant: Lewis Robinson…

Exotic mock-croc ensembles looked snappy on the spring catwalks as brands – from Rejina Pyo to Sies Marjan, Bottega Veneta to Nanushka – scaled new heights with pieces made from seductive skin-free fabrics. ‘The material gets worked manually with a knife, giving an extremely realistic effect,’ says accessories aficionado Giuseppe Zanotti of the crocodile skin-like pieces in his S/S20 designs. ‘It brings a reimagined take to my signature elegance.’ Other techniques currently being used by fashion brands for ethically conscious, elegant embellishments include embossing leather or printing scales on silk. These mules, coats and bags will be slithering onto your must-have list this season.…

This month, we celebrate the mighty pomelo. Originally from Southeast Asia, it’s the largest fruit of the citrus family. For a deliciously fresh spring salad, our entertaining director Melina Keays combined it with prawns and peanuts and, to follow, she conjured up a red grapefuit cheesecake, a delightful mouthful of tart, juicy bitterness contrasting with the creaminess of the cheesecake. We served this citrus feast on Maarten Baas’ latest effort for Valerie Objects. Their first collaboration produced a charmingly wonky pepper mill. Now the Dutch designer has added his signature playful touch to a tableware and glassware collection for the brand. ‘Inner Circle’ is based on hand-drawn circles, whose irregular, organic shapes offer multiple compositional opportunities. ‘It’s just like in nature,’ says Baas. ‘Organic forms are randomly thrown together and…

There was a green-fingered tinge to the S/S20 catwalks as brands sprinkled this season’s looks with horticultural accessories. Garden tools inspired bucket hats, protective accessories and rubber boots, all equally apt for both city street prancing and flower bed planting. We’re particularly smitten with Fendi’s blooming lovely leather-clad watering can and Louis Vuitton’s ‘LV’ branded non-slip gloves. With these tools in your accessory arsenal, your spring style will be coming up roses.…

A new decade brings a fresh opportunity for the fashion industry to face up to its responsibility in tackling the climate crisis. Having graduated from some of the world’s best schools and earned their stripes working alongside luxury heritage brands, a number of young designers have pivoted towards new business models where community building and responsibility trump indiscriminate growth. Here are three creative talents currently making waves as gently as possible. ANTONIN TRON ATLEIN The Parisian designer Antonin Tron has a radical approach to eco-consciousness: ‘I don’t like the term “sustainability”. It’s been endlessly appropriated and is so often accompanied by a sense of moral superiority. The truth is, the minute you create something, you’re also destroying something.’ After graduating from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Tron…

There are few more goal-driven activities than the act of climbing a mountain – particularly when its cloud-brushing peak happens to be the tallest in the world. Yet when Sohei Nishino embarked on an intense 23-day climbing trip on Mount Everest, his experiences (and his camera lens) focused not on the highest possible point, but on the day-to-day minutiae of the journey. ‘I was not interested in the best shots of Everest that people always go to capture,’ explains the Japanese artist over tea at a gallery in Tokyo. ‘I have always been fascinated by moving and walking. Rather than capturing the final summit, like many mountaineers, I prefer to show the process of getting there. This is a map of my experiences, not anyone else’s.’ The end result of…

Food: Iain Graham Set design: Annette Masterman at East Models: Katharina Diedrich at Sport Models, Kalison at Body London Hair: Yoshitaka Miyazaki using Bumble and Bumble Make-up: Anna Inglis Hall using Weleda skincare Manicure: Ami Streets using Orly Photography assistants: Katrin Backes, Corinna Schulte Fashion assistants: Marianne Kakko, Anastasia Xirouchakis Food assistant: Sophie Garwood Set design assistant: Urte Janus Production assistant: Becca Jones…