The Debut Runway Shows That Shook Up New York Fashion Week

words by Karly Quadros

This year New York Fashion Week saw a few high profile returns including Calvin Klein, helmed by Veronica Leoni, after six and half years and Joseph Altazzura, back from paternity leave. But, as more labels have decamped for Paris in recent years, NYFW has become about the rising stars making their debuts on the official CFDA schedule. This year’s class of newcomers runs the gamut from ethereal hand-sewn art-cum-fashion to a campy take on jock fare. The result is a picture of American fashion that’s more diverse than ever.

Gabe Gordon

Gabe Gordon lives for the drama. Specifically, the elaborate backstories he concocts for each successive collection, equal parts queer coming of age story and teen horror romp. Beginning with his off-schedule show at the New Design High School last September, Gordon brings a campy take on preppy jock fashion that makes the homoerotic subtext of early 2000s Abercrombie and Fitch campaigns, well, text.

This time around, Gabe Gordon is scaling up. In addition to his signature hole-riddled, curve-hugging sweaters and dresses, he introduced bodysuits in rugby stripes and flouncy cheerleader skirts. The collection, inspired by a midcentury fantasia about a girl’s dance troupe that kidnap and torment the boy’s wrestling team, had a distinct athleisure tinge to it, pairing sweatsuits with blunt 60s wigs. Arch sexuality suffused the entire event, from latex stockings and exposed bullet bras to pom-poms that looked an awful lot like floggers. New York City painter Sasha Gordon (who walked Gordon’s runway last season) contributed a painting printed on graphic tees depicting herself rocking a corseted mini dress with princess sleeves from the new collection.

LeBlanc Studios

The New York Fashion Week debut of Dominican label LeBlanc Studios has been a long time in the making. Founded 11 years ago by Angelo Beato and Yamil Arbaje, LeBlanc isn’t afraid to pull back the curtain to explore the power structures that belie not just the fashion industry but Big Tech and global wealth. Models strode down a catwalk covered in salt to scripted monologues for the latest collection, boldly titled ‘Other People’s Money.’ It’s hard not to see the collection as a meditation on the ways in which the Global South and especially Latin America has come to shoulder the more unsavory elements of the fashion industry from maquiladoras in Mexico where women toil for just a few dollars a day to deserts piled with textile waste in Chile. 

The clothing, however, was a celebration of Latin American identity, drawing on the aesthetics of Latin American films from the 60s and 70s. Suits with dagger collars and flared trousers were paired with fraying button ups, newsboy caps, and bucket hats in rich shades of chartreuse, ochre, peach, and emerald. Workwear is the obvious reference point, but the tailoring and lush knits recall the luxuriously laid back style of 1970s Greensleeves Records stars. 

Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen

There is a reverence, a kind of worship, to the handcrafted garments that Zoe Whalen brings to the runway. Last season, her models walked a recursive labyrinth sculpted out of dirt (in another twist of pagan reverence, viewers were encouraged to bring the soil home in their gift bags.) This year at Performance Space in the East Village, the black box was lit only by a small mound of hand-dipped candles and soundtracked with an ambient composition from Silas Edgar, adding to the monastic energy. It was dark. It was moody. To see the clothes, you needed to squint.

This is just the kind of atmosphere of careful attention that Whalen strives to create. The clothing draws from a wide array of historical references from Victorian crinolines and corsetry to hammered medieval armor to 18th-century gowns that are all pleats and bustle. Made entirely of vintage and deadstock fabrics like tea towels and thermals, there were wax-dipped tops and tea-stained trousers, and draped and quilted outerwear that added a much needed winter coziness. Soft sculptural elements still dominate, and the collection is more wearable art than commercial product. Still, some pieces like Whalen’s curlicue wool handbags have the potential to become this season’s obsession.

Vettese

Vettese is one of the youngest labels on the schedule this year, with just two years under designer Kari Vettese’s belt. And while New York Fashion Week may not scream tube dresses and sandals, the designer made her case for barely-there jersey, bringing her Italian-American by way of Southern California charm. There are plenty of skin tight tube tops (including one in the green, white, and red of the Italian flag and in the shape of the country to boot) and knotty horizontal scarves. But the collection also shows off the more structural side of Vettese’s aesthetic including leather jackets cropped at the waist and tailored trousers.

Slinky, sexy, and distinctly 80s in a way that never seems to go out of style in Italy – it’s no wonder that celebrities have been flocking to Vettese’s work in the last few years from Charli XCX (who wore a custom Vettese skirt during her Glasgow show on the brat arena tour) to Florence Pugh and Kylie Jenner. It’s almost enough to convince you that a steamy Mediterranean summer could be right around the corner.

Autre Magazine and Jeffrey Deitch Host A Dinner To Celebrate Frieze Los Angeles 2025 At Ardor @ The West Hollywood Edition

In annual tradition, Autre Magazine and Jeffrey Deitch Gallery kicked off Frieze Week in Los Angeles with an intimate dinner at Ardor in The West Hollywood EDITION, followed by an afterparty at the hotel’s subterranean nightclub, Sunset. Gathering on the Ardor Terrace, the evening brought together a dynamic mix of artists and collaborators, including Nadia Lee Cohen, Ariana Papademetropoulos, and Nina Chanel Abney, fresh off the opening of her solo exhibition at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery. Among the distinguished guests was Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning actress and artist Sharon Stone, who is poised to star in the upcoming season of Euphoria. Guests enjoyed luxury sipping mezcal Perro Verde paired with a vegetable-forward menu. photographs by Oliver Kupper

Jeremy Scott and Katherine Bernhardt's exhibition brings Pop, Play and Pure exuberance to Kansas City

 
 

text by Poppy Baring

“It’s F-U-N—that’s it, that’s all it is”

These are the words rapper A$AP Rocky once used to describe fashion designer Jeremy Scott. This sentiment naturally extends to contemporary artist Katherine Bernhardt’s work, but are these artist’s works merely playful or do they carry greater significance? In their new exhibition “A Match Made in Heaven,” Scott’s designs are partnered with their Bernhardt equivalent, producing a maximalist fun-filled world full of exuberant color and pop culture references. Although the pair were both born in Missouri in 1975, they met for the first time in November 2023 when the Executive Director of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, JoAnne Northrup, noticed their commonalities. This exhibition, taking place in Overland Park, Kansas near where both of these artists grew up, is the first to explore the shared references in Scott and Bernhardt's work. 

Thirty-five of Bernhardt's energetic paintings are punctuated by one hundred of Scott’s looks from his archive, including those made under his namesake brand and those designed during his time at Moschino. The use of consumer and popular culture symbols in these works act as vessels for the artist's shared sense of irreverent humor which leaves audiences questioning whether they are examples of sophisticated satire or just dramatic up-endings of today’s cultural standards. For Bernhardt, the use of iconic symbols like McDonald’s golden arches, the Pink Panther, cigarettes and Doritos simply comes down to their shape and color. They allow her to fill canvases with combinations of these shapes making infinite paintings that all feel like a complete thought made in a stream of riotous consciousness. Starting with spray paint, Bernhardt first outlines her composition before taking her canvas to the floor where she uses watered-down acrylics to freely cover her characters and shapes; creating vibrant patterns. 

Jeremy Scotts has also been known to avoid over-complication. Often letting emotion guide his practice, it is not that his work is anti-intellectual but that ‘rational’ is not part of his creative vocabulary. Whether Scott’s work has loftier inspirations than Coca-Cola, for example, or not, his success in the fashion industry is undeniable. So much so that his work is now weaved into many celebrity moments including Britney Spears's “Toxic” music video and the video for Lady Gaga’s song “Paparazzi;” showing that his love for pop culture is very much mutual.

Both Scott’s and Bernhardt’s works are also inspired and reflective of their environments. In Bernhardt’s case, she grew up in a home filled with color and throughout her career, having completed residencies across the globe, has picked up imagery from her vicinity. The use of coffee and cigarettes in her work, for example, is heavily influenced by the New York delis that surround her where she currently lives and works. In terms of Jeremy Scott’s designs, his fanboy take on pop culture seemed increasingly spot-on as social media exploded. So while they may both be fully immersed in an unapologetically vibrant world, inspired by nostalgic Americana, Scott and Bernhardt’s work can tell us a lot about our current climate while also providing a much-needed escape.

A Match Made in Heaven is open through August 3 at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Overland Park, Kansas. 

Fierce Cuts: Linder’s Timely Retrospective

Linder, The Sphinx, 2021. Photomontage. 35.5 x 34.5 cm. 14 x 13 5/8 ins. © Linder. Courtesy the artist & Modern Art, London.

text by Poppy Baring

Arriving at a time when women's rights are being increasingly called into question, Danger Came Smiling takes London through Linder Sterling's eminent fifty-year-long career for the very first time. Exhibiting her iconic photomontages as well as her more recent unseen works, the Hayward Gallery underscores the enduring relevance of her feminist art, while showcasing the vibrancy and variety in Linder’s practice.

Often aiming to make viewers interrogate stereotypical gender narratives, Linder uses scissors and scalpels to liberate images that were often produced to perpetuate traditional gender roles. The use of sexualized and commercialized images of the female body, contrasted against clippings of seemingly banal bourgeois household objects manufactures a playful mockery that is characteristic of Linder’s style. By repurposing these found images to tell a radically different, less restrictive narrative, she restores agency on the page and across prints thanks to the ‘violent power of the cut.’ These anarchic collisions powerfully highlight the similarity in pressures felt by women today and those felt when the works were first created; inviting viewers to question the then and now.

Installation view of Linder: Danger Came Smiling. She/She, (1981). Photo: Mark Blower. Courtesy the artist and the Hayward Gallery.

Born in Liverpool in 1954, Sterling was part of the 1970s punk scene and created art and music alongside some of the most famous British voices of that period. In the 1980s, she formed the band Ludus and performed at nightclubs such as Manchester's famous Hacienda. One of the most remembered aspects of this performance was Linder's choice of costume, where her 'meat dress', which came 20 years prior to Lady Gaga’s similar unexpected look, and black dildo commented on the heavily macho culture of the venue at the time. This same spirit can be found in all of Linder's subsequent work and is arguably what has led her to be viewed as a truly unrelenting and rabble- rousing British art hero.

This exhibition includes a photomontage reminiscent of one of her most famous works, the cover art for the single “Orgasm Addict” made for the punk band, the Buzzcocks in 1977. This work shows a woman’s naked body covered in oil with an iron as a head and perfect smiles placed strategically on her breasts. While this, along with Sterling’s other early works, relied on found images from local magazines and newspapers, her post-2006 montages matured in imagery. In the ’70s, she sourced material from men's pornographic magazines and women's homeware catalogues, later expanding to more diverse sources, creating richer juxtapositions.

Throughout the years, Linder’s process has evolved but she has continued to investigate the shifting trends in lifestyles, sex, domesticity, and fashion that propel feminist conversations and inspire necessary rebellion.

Danger Came Smiling opens today and is on view through May 5 at the Hayward Gallery,  London.

 

Linder Untitled, 1976. Tate, purchased 2007. © Linder. Photo: Tate.

 

Capturing the North: Juliet Klottrup’s Lens on Community, Identity & Belonging

text by Lara Monro

Award-winning visual artist Juliet Klottrup is redefining how we view life in the North of England, blending photography and filmmaking to document communities often left out of mainstream narratives. Her work spans rural traditions, environmental concerns, and the resilience of underrepresented groups, capturing intimate stories of identity and belonging against the backdrop of the region’s landscapes. As an Honorary Photography Teaching Fellow at the University of Cumbria, Klottrup also shares her process and encourages students to explore photography as a tool for social engagement.

Klottrup’s practice has evolved into a modern archive of Northern life, marked by projects such as Youth of the Rural North and her Class, Covid & Cumbria series exhibited alongside Grayson Perry at Blackwell, The Arts & Crafts House. Her most recent projects—Travelling Home and Skate Like a Lass—continue to reflect the depth of her socially engaged approach.


 

Travelling Home (© Juliet Klottrup, 2024)

 

Since 2019, Klottrup has been documenting the Traveller and Gypsy communities in the North West of England, focusing on their annual pilgrimage to the Appleby Horse Fair in Cumbria. Inspired by the sight of families passing by her window each summer—bow top wagons, horseback riders, and motor caravans winding along rural roads—Travelling Home became a deeply personal exploration of tradition, heritage, and resilience.

A standout figure in this series is Joe, a Traveller whose life and stories are etched into the landscape he traverses. “It was like time travel,” Klottrup recalls of her first ride with Joe through the quiet, empty roads of the Moors, listening to the rhythmic clatter of hooves and wheels. This connection led to a rich collection of portraits and an evocative short film, shot on Kodak 8mm and 16mm, to capture the timelessness of the Traveller experience. The film has been recognised at international festivals, including the London Film Festival and Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

For Klottrup, documenting these communities is as much about preserving cultural heritage as it is about challenging stereotypes. “The ongoing marginalisation of the Traveller and Gypsy community has strained relationships and hindered inclusion,” she says. Travelling Home aims to counter these misconceptions, focusing on family, ceremony, and the gentle traditions that persist in the face of societal change.

 
 

While Travelling Home explores heritage rooted in centuries-old traditions, Klottrup’s Skate Like a Lass shifts focus to contemporary grassroots communities, highlighting the inclusive, dynamic world of female and LGBTQI+ skateboarding collectives in Northern England.

The project was sparked by a chance encounter with Cumbria Cvven, a girls’ skate group in Barrow-in-Furness. There, Klottrup met Lily, a skater hosting a DIY skate jam on the roof of a disused multi-story car park, where handmade ramps created a makeshift haven for skaters of all ages and abilities. “I was inspired by the creativity and inclusivity,” Klottrup recalls. “These collectives offer more than just skateboarding—they create places of belonging, self-expression, and access.”

 

Skate Like a Lass (© Juliet Klottrup, 2025)

 

Drawing from the work of photographer Wendy Ewald, who empowered young people to tell their own stories through photography, Klottrup handed cameras to the skaters themselves. This collaborative process allowed participants to document their lives, capturing the raw, authentic energy of their communities. The project blends formal portraits with DIY documentation techniques, using Super 8, VHS, and digital formats to honor skateboarding’s rich visual history.

The results are striking: a short film—recently recognized with a Shiny Award—two exhibitions (at SHOP in Preston and Aunty Social in Blackpool), and a DIY zine co-created with the skaters. 

Though Travelling Home and Skate Like a Lass differ in subject matter, they share a common thread: a commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices and preserving the cultural fabric of Northern England. Whether capturing the timeless traditions of Traveller communities or the vibrant, rebellious spirit of grassroots skaters, Klottrup’s work is rooted in empathy, collaboration, and a deep respect for her subjects.

“There’s great value in amplifying these stories that might otherwise be overlooked,” she explains. “Both projects reflect how people create spaces of belonging—whether on rural roads or in urban skateparks.”  

As Klottrup continues to expand her practice, blending archival research with collaborative storytelling, her work serves as a vital record of Northern life—past, present, and future. Through her lens, the landscapes and communities of the North are not just documented; they are celebrated.

Skate Like a Lass will be on view @ SHOP Preston, PR1 3XA
Thursday, February 27, 6:30–8 PM
Friday, February 28, 1–4 PM
Saturday, March 1, 12–3 PM
Sunday, March 2, 12–3 PM

The exhibition will also be on view @ Aunty Social, Blackpool, FY1 3AQ March 20th - 25th, 12-3 PM

Travelling Home (© Juliet Klottrup, 2024)

Björk Releases Her Powerful and Immersive Concert Film Cornucopia Today On Apple TV

From the jagged, volcanic, icy fjords of Iceland, Björk Guðmundsdóttir—known simply by her stage name Björk—has descended on the world of popular music over the past five decades with a sensual, otherworldly presence. Her music is constantly of the moment but also seemingly years ahead of its time with a starkly alarming prescience, especially regarding the human impact on nature and the climate. Today, she presents Cornucopia, streaming on Apple TV, a cinematic encapsulation of a “digital theater” tour extravaganza that is the culmination of dozens of shows across multiple continents (a full-length version of the film will be released in theaters later this year). With a focus on the current climate crisis, Björk told us that Cornucopia utilizes the power of sci-fi and fantasy—in the vein of writers like Octavia Butler—to imagine an unimaginable future: “We will do it with any means: activism, politics, but I think one thing which is quite important also is our imagination.” A gesamtwerk of audio, visuals, and digital avatars, Cornucopia imagines this new “post-optimistic” future using music as a template. She carves into mountains of obstinance and indifference to build a pathway for hope. She imagines the first dawn after a disaster with an orchestral of flutes and choral jubilation. Amidst the devastation of the fires ravaging the landscapes of Los Angeles and the denial of climate change, the film becomes even more dire in its global message. As for the songs, Björk mines her oeuvre as a solo artist—she looks forward by looking back—as she stands beneath her avatars projected on moving curtains. She also told us this process is not new: “I've been doing the same thing over and over again, which is to tear off all the unnecessary luggage of each album or each period, and see what attaches to a live performance now and what is current now.” Cornucopia, which she calls a "modern lanterna magica" for live music, includes “Isobel” from her 1995 album Post to "Hidden Place" from her 2001 album Vespertine, and tracks from 2017’s Utopia and 2023’s Fossora. With incredible stage direction by Lucretia Martel and original visuals by Tobias Gremmler, the concert and film utilizes a wide range of bespoke musical instruments and audio architecture, from a magnetic harp, an aluphone, a circular flute, and a reverb chamber in a personal chapel. Björk expressed that working with 360-degree sound and visual software is not new—Biophilia (2011) was released with an app with songs and narration by naturalist David Attenborough, and Vulnicura (2015) came with a VR component. For Cornucopia, she brings these 21st-century technologies back into the 19th century. Once again, Björk proves that she can move backward and forward in time and peel away the binaries of our traditional understanding of the world. Ultimately, Cornucopia is a highly moving cinematic musical experience that breaks away from the constructs of conventional concert films. We are immersed, we are moved, we are weeping. 

Premieres today at 7pm PT on Apple TV. You can also purchase the Cornucopia Book here with images by Santiago Felipe

Editor’s note: these quotes are from an upcoming larger collaboration with the artist.

Watch The Prescient New Music Video For Ross Simonini's "Theme of No Need"


text by Ross Simonini


Two weeks before my home was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, I created a video of a man racing through fire. At the time of its creation, I was not concerned about fire, and yet only days later, I would be racing through a fiery landscape of my community. Fire has since defined my life. 

I believe art comes outside of time, from the place of dreams, where experiences occur outside the tedious march of causality. It can be divinatory, but I do not care to burden it with this kind of heavy meaning. I prefer to make and enjoy art without the technology of meaning, remaining in a liminal state as I work. Living in this state, however, has been one of the greatest challenges of my life.

“Theme of No Need” is the first single off the independently released album, Themes Vol. 1, out March 21st.

Love & Everything In Between

Norman wears coat by Stamm & sunglasses by Marni.
Roman wears sneakers by Reebok, jeans by The Kooples, tie by Versace & jacket by Anni Salonen.

Art Direction & Styling by Stef Woods
Photography by Ryan Molnar
Producer by Austin Huq
Casting by Cameron Nedrick
Styling Assistance by Dasha Vorobeva
Photography Assistance by Emi Iguchi, Camilo Gonzalez & Mackenzie Walker
Hair by Noriko Takayama|
HMU by Anri Omori|
HMU by Erika Leadbeater

What is love?

How do we know when we're in it - or out of it?
Can we even be sure we've found it in the first place?

During Autumn 2024, I sat down with five Berlin-based couples, each living their own unique love story, to explore what love means to them. I wanted to hear about their experiences with love and how they articulate this complex emotion.

Although I began without predetermined themes, common threads quickly emerged as I completed each interview. These included healing from toxic relationships, grappling with codependency, and navigating open relationship dynamics. Despite these challenges, I was struck by their self-awareness and commitment to building healthier, more authentic relationships.

Roman & Norman

As we’re sat in the back garden of their home in Brieselang, 1 hour outside of Berlin, Roman begins to recite a love note that he sent to his partner, Norman, just after they first met.

Dear Norman, across all the ages, all the journeys and time, I whisper in your ear, it is great to meet you again, and I look forward to all the adventures ahead of us. I love you. Roman - 7th November 2004.

Their love story began nearly two decades ago with a chance encounter in Berlin. Norman, working as a Spiritual Guide and Healer, had a last-minute opening due to a cancellation. Roman, a new client, filled that slot. When their eyes first met, they both experienced what they describe as a "loud silence," accompanied by an "intense flow of intimacy." This moment sparked a brief but passionate love affair in Berlin, which ended when Norman returned to his home in Sydney.

What followed was a slow-burning connection, built over years of meetings in cities like Berlin, San Francisco, and L.A. Both were cautious at first - Norman had just ended a 26-year relationship and was hesitant about dating an actor, while Roman was unsure about commitment. Their bond deepened with each encounter, eventually leading to Norman booking a one-way ticket to Berlin.

20 years later, their love continues to grow stronger, rooted in open communication - even when it’s hard - and a commitment to preserving their individual identities.

You must be you. He must be He. I must be me.
Expect nothing from that personality. That's who they are. - Norman

Norman and Roman’s enduring love story can be defined by a profound respect for one another and a commitment to staying calm, even in challenging moments. Throughout their two decades together, they’ve embraced a philosophy of stepping back from confrontation and revisiting sensitive topics when they’re both ready - often over a cup of tea. For them, every challenge is an opportunity for growth, rather than a battle to be won.

As Norman put it:

Life's too short. The older you get, the shorter it gets. I've maybe, if I'm lucky, got 10-15 years to get to 95, maybe 100. I don't know, and it would be a blessing to live to that. But you know, time runs out, so why spend a moment fighting about something that's so insignificant? Come - on.

Jota & Dianna

Jota wears shirt by Moschino, trousers by Javier Guijarro & boots by Vivienne Westwood.
Dianna wears top & skirt by Javier Guijarro & bracelet by Uncommon Matters.

I didn’t use Grindr often because of the challenges of being a trans woman and dealing with cisgender men who didn’t know how to relate to trans bodies. But one day, I saw Jota’s profile - and I was enchanted. - Dianna

After breaking the ice, Dianna recalls the sheer joy she felt upon discovering that Jota was Brazilian - meaning she could speak in her own language. What followed was a marathon video call that lasted eight hours, leaving Dianna with an undeniable feeling:

When the call ended, that’s when I truly realised I was in love.

At the time, Dianna was living in Norway and Jota in Germany, but they embraced the distance, using it as an opportunity to explore each other’s worlds through conversation. It wasn’t until three months later that they would meet in person for the first time.

When we first met in Berlin, in between conversations and affection, we realised that we were no longer in a casual relationship, and that we were already walking a path together. - Dianna

A pivotal trip to Brazil would bring their relationship to even greater depths. Sharing five transformative months there, they closed the distance that had defined their connection, no longer speaking through a phone, but enjoying the closeness and intimacy of being together in daily life.

Now, as they celebrate one year together, Dianna and Jota reflect fondly of their journey of love, connection, and growth.

Growing together as a Brazilian trans black couple living in Berlin brings challenges and opportunities for connection, understanding and mutual support. We created our own safe space, and at the same time we honour our individual identity by respecting our own journey. - Jota

Lara & Valeria

Lara wears suit by David Koma, stockings by Falke & sneakers by Our Legacy.
Valeria wears top by Caterina Giovanelli, skirt by Anni Salonen & shoes by Our Legacy.

I feel like love is like a building, you know. So the first level would be like, lust. Like, you wanna make out with the person. And then infatuation, and then it starts building and building. I would not say infatuation is not love, but you need to nurture it. You still need to go further up the ladder. And the further up you go, the bigger this feeling of safety gets, you know. - Lara

Lara and Valeria first met at a karaoke bar, where they bonded while giving advice to a mutual friend stuck in a toxic relationship, not knowing this would mark the start of a much deeper connection. They met again weeks later at KitKat, where they found themselves talking for hours in the smoking area. The conversation drifted from life and love to Valeria’s open marriage, which she had been navigating for the past year.

There was just this instant chemistry, this warmth between us. It felt different from anything I'd experienced before. - Valeria

As their relationship deepened over the following months, Valeria faced the truth about her marriage. “I was codependent on him, and he was codependent on me” she admitted. “We would have gradually destroyed each other.” Lara, seeing the emotional toll and protecting herself, gave Valeria an ultimatum - this led to a brief separation, during which both reflected on what they truly wanted.

While on a soul-searching trip to Portugal, Valeria gained clarity through conversations with elderly strangers who offered her some sage wisdom. After returning to Berlin, she made the hard decision to end her marriage and committed to building a life with Lara. Now, Lara and Valeria share a home in Berlin, navigating a love that feels both hard-won and deeply cherished.

It hurt. It hurt a lot, but it was also empowering, because I knew it was the right thing to do.
- Valeria

Lin & Alexius

Lin wears sweater by Marine Serre & jeans by Dhruv Kapoor.
Alexius wears hat by A Cold Wall, hoodie by Stamm, jeans by Anni Salonen & boots by Rombaut.

Lin and Alexius' romance is the freshest of the five, but despite only reconnecting three months prior to our meeting, their story was seven years in the making. They first met in Lisbon, during a formative period of both their lives, through a shared circle of queer friends. Although they didn’t develop beyond friends-of-friends at the time, they had definitely noticed each other.

Now fast forward to July 2024, they had long lost touch - only to randomly reconnect on the dance-floor at a Christopher Street Day party in Berlin. From that moment, they spent the following days in a whirlwind together, finally returning to Lin’s apartment after countless hours dancing around the city.

One month later I had to go back to Slovenia to pick up a piece of furniture that I created for a client here, so I got a van, and I said, “Hey, do you want to come with me? It's a 12 hour drive. We can meet each other's parents, but it won't be like a vacation. We have to work.” And he's like, “Yeah, let's go”. We spent most the time in Slovenia, but we also visited Trieste, where his mum resides. - Lin

Sharing this trip together proved to be a catalyst for their romance. During the long drive, a simple card game sparked intimate conversations, allowing them to learn more about each other’s inner worlds, and meeting each other’s parents along the way highlighted the natural ease they found together. Through these moments, they came to fully appreciate the quiet, steady love that was unfolding between them.

I used to think love had to be passionate. Had to be like going insane, crazy, waiting on the end of the phone for a message. And that was my experience with love. My first boyfriend in New York was exactly like this. My first French boyfriend as well. There's this French word—’déchirant’— that means you’ve been cut open, like your insides are being torn apart. For me, that was love. With Lin, I started experiencing calmer love, and slowly, it was like this cut that I had in myself, was slowly healing. And right now I feel good about myself. I feel good about my life. I don't need that kind of love anymore. - Alexius

Kim & Bene

Bene wears glasses by Prada, t-shirt by Marni & string vest stylist’s own.

Kim wears dress by Hauser Collective, tights by Falke, bracelets by La Manso & shoes by Nodaleto.

Berlin is a very quick city when it comes to love. Berlin is not a love city. Berlin does not keep your love safe. You have to do it on your own. Otherwise, the city will grab you—with dark energy sometimes. - Kim

Kim and Bene first crossed paths three years ago in Neukölln. At the time, Kim was in a relationship, and Bene was nursing a bruised heart from his own past. Their early conversations revealed a shared understanding, as both carried scars from toxic relationships. Whilst Bene described himself, at the time, as guarded but vulnerable, Kim became a calm and reassuring presence.

What followed was a natural and pressure-free progression. They spent time together as part of a close-knit friend group, sharing nights out in Berlin, becoming closer friends. Two years later, at a festival, their connection quietly evolved - and they shared their first kiss. Yet, even as they embarked on this new chapter, life brought its challenges - Kim still lived with her ex, with whom she shares a child. But, their relationship, grounded in patience and mutual respect, peacefully prevailed.

Everything fitted into place naturally. It always felt natural. It was not planned. And for sure, there were ups and downs - because it's also not easy to understand what you're feeling. Love means that you are verletzbar (vulnerable), and that you can get hurt. - Bene

Kim and Bene have built a love defined by calmness, trust, and the healing they’ve found in one another.

In the past I had mistaken my true feelings for being in love - and that quickly fades when you realise. You can confuse being in love with someone who is pushing the right buttons for you. The older I get the more I realise what love really means to me. It makes me feel calm. It’s not always just a rollercoaster. It feels like a mixture between butterflies and calmness. I had to realise that I was deeply, calmly in love with someone. Like the calm love I have with Bene. - Kim

 

Love is as varied as the people who experience it, and these stories are just glimpses into what it can mean. Whether you find inspiration, validation, or simply curiosity in these reflections, their purpose is to offer insight rather than answers. Love is a journey we each define for ourselves.

 

YG Walks the Runway for Willy Chavarria’s SS25 Show for the Second Consecutive Year

Photo credit: Visuddhi UNG / @visualisation_ 

NEW YORK [September 7, 2024] On Saturday, Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum rapper YG kicked off New York Fashion Week 2025 with a commanding appearance in Willy Chavarria’s highly anticipated Spring 2025 América collection. Walking the runway in an embroidered two-piece windbreaker and sweats, paired with a black bandana, leather gloves, and heeled loafers, YG effortlessly fused his musical style with urban high fashion, setting a bold tone for the week ahead.

This collaboration between the West Coast icon and the visionary designer builds on the success of last year’s acclaimed showcase, which celebrated the release of the brand’s Spring 2024 collection, New Life.

Call The Miranda July Hotline Now 833 526 8880

The Prada Fall/Winter 2024 advertising campaign, titled ‘Now That We Are Here,’ is based on dialogue, on conversation between individuals - not just conveying knowledge and exchanging experience, but also as expressions of intimacy and presence. In a real-life mirror of the telephone interchanges at the heart of the campaign’s still and motion imagery, Prada collaborates with American filmmaker, artist, and writer Miranda July to bring these fantasized conversations to life. Billboards across key cities worldwide— Milan, Los Angeles, New York, London and Bangkok—advertise a dedicated toll-free phone number, allowing the public to interact from their own devices. Callers can “dial in” to speak with Miranda July, or rather, with July’s voice, which interprets conversation with the caller according to a pre-programmed script written by July herself. Combining the provocative with the quotidian, the intellectual with the instinctive, the scripted calls have a multitude of variations, randomly selected and triggered by caller responses. Spanning from ironic advice to seemingly friendly conversation to surreal and unexpected scenarios, each interaction tells an individual story determined by interaction - another form of dialogue. In July’s own words and her own voice, this Prada hotline combines technology with gestures to the analogue. It also seems to lift the lid on the campaign itself - allowing an audience to ‘listen in’ to the fragmented conversations hinted at. Ambiguous, abstract, possibly revelatory, each caller enters a unique exchange—with July, and with Prada—to unravel the meaning behind the image.

Summergust by Charlotte Helwig & Natalia Farnaus

Fake fur stole DIESEL
Latex briefs & socks stylist's own

photography by Charlotte Helwig
styling by Natalia Farnaus
Ine Michelmann via Modelwerk
makeup by Leana Ardeleanu
hair by Noriko Takayama
lighting by Max Muthig
photography assistant Emi Iguchi
set design by Georgina Bates

 
 

Nappa leather high-neck blouse JOSEPH
Raffia dress JIMENA GUZMAN
Nude briefs WOLFORD

 
 

Statement shoulder midi dress SPORTMAX

 
 

Velvet dress TRANSE PARIS
Sheer tights FALKE 
Shoes stylist's own

Double-layered blazer SPORTMAX 
Double-layered midi skirt SPORTMAX 
Leather triangle bra ZANA BAYNE 

 
 

Ruched crop top NICKLAS SKOVGAARD
Sequin skirt NICKLAS SKOVGAARD

 
 

Leather triangle bra ZANA BAYNE
Cotton briefs WOLFORD

Statement shoulder midi dress SPORTMAX
Stretch Napa-leather boots SPORTMAX

 

Distressed t-shirt stylist's own
Bustier top with leather bra JIMENA GUZMAN
Leather briefs JIMENA GUZMAN

Single-breasted coat DIESEL

 
 

Blazer worn back to front T/SEHNE
Tassle skirt TIM RYAN

 

Highlights From The Inaugural Aspen Art Fair At The Historic Jerome Hotel

In the former silver mining town of Aspen, Colorado, art week brings an exotically curious international crowd. Billionaire collector home tours, dinners, exhibitions, activations, and art fairs take over the tiny, quaint city nine-thousand feet in the Rockies. The air is thin, rare, and rich in this alpine ecosystem of nature that meets the nostalgia of the American West with the hyper-commerce of the 21st century. A newcomer on the scene, The Aspen Art Fair, feels like it's been there all along. Ideally situated at the historic five-star Jerome Hotel, which opened in 1889 and is now part of Auberge Resorts’ portfolio, the fair presented thirty international exhibitors and curatorial projects from more than twelve countries. Cozily tucked into bottom-floor bungalows, the fair follows the grand tradition of hotel art fairs, like the Gramercy International Art Fair at the Gramercy Hotel in New York and Felix at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.  Co-founded by art world veterans Becca Hoffman and Robert Chase, the Aspen Art Fair included a stellar list of galleries, including Galerie Gmurzynska from Zürich, Perrotin, and Southern Guild from Cape Town, South Africa. With the general art market in a post-pandemic slump, Hoffman, who is also the founder of the women-led 74th Arts, which organizes global art fair experiences in cities around the globe, knows full well the power of boutique. “We need to rethink how we connect on culture, in citywide environments. How do we have more intimate opportunities for engagement, education, connection, and commerce?” Hoffman—tough as nails and ultra-savvy—told us on the third to last day of the fair. With Aspen being 1,390 times smaller than the population of New York and a super concentration of centimillionaires, Aspen is the perfect environment for art and commerce. With works ranging from Picasso to Paola Pivi to Fairfield Porter and Richard Diebenkorn, the Aspen Art Fair is both refreshing and exhilarating.

Sharon Stone's Eternal Failure Is An Eternal Success

Courtesy Gallery 181 Fremont Residences San Francisco/Moanalani Jeffrey Photo Agency

John Steinbeck once said, “San Francisco is a golden handcuff with the key thrown away.” Indeed, San Francisco is a beautiful prison of imagination—a city so unusual it seems unreal. For the inimitable actress and now esteemed painter Sharon Stone, San Francisco was a place to die and be reborn as an artist. In her new exhibition, “My Eternal Failure,” on view at Gallery 181 at San Francisco's 181 Fremont Residences until August 31st, these days of vulnerability are explored in a series of large-scale, abstract paintings that exemplify Stone’s adeptness at shape, color, and composition.  Heartbreak and a 2001 brain injury in San Francisco allowed Stone to see colors in a whole new way—her prismatic kaleidoscopic palette is like a psychotropic wellspring. “I want this exhibition to serve as a vehicle for self-forgiveness, and I hope it can help others do the same by letting go of societal stigmas and imposed perceptions,” says Stone. “In this way, failures become sources of strength, and to face them is to keep growing. The exhibition’s title My Eternal Failure is freeing for me.”

 

Jester, by Sharon Stone, 2023 (acrylic on canvas), 36” x 18”

 

Each Person Is A Portal: Read Our Interview of Seffa Klein on the Occasion of Her Solo Exhibition @ Galerie Poggi in Paris →

 
 

The human race has been gazing at the stars with a sense of wonderment since time immemorial. These cogitations have inspired the creation of everything from religious mythologies to monumental earthworks to marine navigation, space navigation and innumerable inventions in between. It is a universal human experience where most of us encounter our first existential ponderings and Seffa Klein is no exception. What is exceptional about her experience is that she comes from a family of artists whose careers have been dedicated to exploring universal truths in the realms of art, science, and spirituality, which has afforded her the unique opportunity to engage with these profound questions further in the light of day rather than extinguishing them. While most of us are told to invest our time and energy in more realistic endeavors, the Klein family is deeply rooted in the belief that this is as real as it gets. Gallerist Jérôme Poggi recognized this unique quality of the Klein family as one of artists who foster each other’s practices rather than competing with one another, which inspired him to curate a solo exhibition of Seffa Klein’s works alongside selected works from Yves Klein, Rotraut, Marie Raymond, and Günther Uecker, who are respectively her grandparents, great-grandparent, and great-uncle. See the exhibition before it closes tomorrow, July 13. Read more.

The First UN Conference Dedicated to Ocean Literacy Meets in Venice for World Oceans Day Organized by Prada Group & UNESCO

On June 7th and 8th, for World Oceans Day, the first United Nations conference dedicated to ocean literacy entitled “Ocean Literacy World Conference” took place in Venice. The event, organized by the Prada Group and UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission represents an important milestone in the partnership between the two organizations which, since 2019, have been working side by side to develop the SEA BEYOND educational program aimed at raising awareness among the younger generations on the health and protection of the ocean.

This included the presentation of the first SEA BEYOND Ideas Box, the result of a collaboration with the international NGO Bibliothèques Sans Frontières, which aims to facilitate access to education for children and young citizens in vulnerable communities. Designed by Philippe Starck in 2014, the Ideas Box is a mobile multimedia center of over 100 square meters, equipped with internet connection, tablets, laptops and over 250 books and games, as well as hundreds of training materials. To celebrate the Ideas Box’s tenth anniversary, Philippe Starck and Patrick Weil, Founder and President of Bibliothèques Sans Frontières, told the story of its inception in a dedicated conversation. The contents of the media center were curated by UNESCO's ocean literacy team in collaboration with Bibliothèques Sans Frontières and a selection will also be integrated into those already operating in metropolitan France and overseas regions (8 Ideas Boxes), Burundi (4 Ideas Boxes) and Ivory Coast (6 Ideas Boxes). The teams responsible for managing the individual Ideas Boxes will be trained by UNESCO’s ocean literacy team.

The conference brought together 131 delegates from UNESCO Member States and ocean literacy experts from around the world to contribute to the “Venice Declaration for Ocean Literacy,” a collective document that in ten points contains concrete recommendations to rebalance the relationship between the ocean and human beings. The declaration will be shared with UN Member States on July 2nd in New York to help shape the agenda for the UN Ocean Conference to be held in Nice, June, 2025.

The Perfect Specimen: Read Our Interview of Lauren Lee McCarthy On Her Exhibition "Bodily Autonomy" @ Mandeville Art Gallery In San Diego →

medical pamphlet with man spitting into a vial says "So You've Decided to Exchange Saliva"

Installation view, Lauren Lee McCarthy: Bodily Autonomy at UC San Diego Mandeville Art Gallery. March 2-May 25, 2024. Photo by Pablo Mason. With support from Creative Capital.

When asked to read through a long list of terms and conditions before giving consent, most of us have developed a reflexive response of scrolling to the bottom and trudging ahead. There’s a miniature risk/benefit analysis that we all conduct, which includes a completely unknown potential risk in the distant future, and the near future benefit of moving on. Time is such a valuable commodity that we regularly find ourselves sharing everything from personal data, browsing data, biometric data, and more. Oftentimes, there’s no contract at all. You may have thought you were showing all of your friends how your looks changed from 2009 to 2019, but you were really training someone’s private surveillance software. The list of myopic, nefarious applications that we serve by giving ourselves away to faceless data farms in exchange for what often amounts to a forgettable laugh is endless. In Lauren Lee McCarthy’s Bodily Autonomy exhibition at UC San Diego’s Mandeville Art Gallery, she explores two very specific aspects of the way that we engage with science and technology. With “Surrogate,” she created an application where couples and individuals who are interested in hiring her as a surrogate mother are invited to dictate everything from her eating and sleeping habits, to her daily activities, and more. While these requests are not actually fulfilled, the application itself challenges notions of reproduction, genetic selection, and commerce. With “Saliva” she has created a saliva exchange station that is activated every Thursday from 6-8pm where visitors are invited to give and receive samples of their own saliva. Each participant is given agency to label their sample as they prefer and they provide the conditions for what happens to it (scout’s honor). Doreen A. Ríos, a PhD candidate in Art History, Theory, and Criticism at UC San Diego and an independent curator and researcher, spoke with McCarthy to discuss the implications of these technologies and the imperative within the work to embody a more transparent form of participation. Read more.

Louis Vuitton's Spring 2024 Men's Capsule Collection Is A Fusion of Visions

 
 

creative direction by Tyler, the Creator and Pharrell Williams

Louis Vuitton’s iconic imagery is a staple in the fashion world, unique and identifiable amidst the ever-changing tides of trends. Despite this classic style that cements the brand’s singular voice, their ability to evolve and innovate that image is constant. The 2024 Men’s Capsule Collection displays this innovation while still staying true to the brand’s face by staging an instinctive union between the visual universes, combining the distinctive artistic voices of the Menswear Creative Director Pharrell Williams with long time friend of him and the brand, Tyler, the Creator. Fusing the signature preppy sophistication popularized by the artist with the elegant dandy dressing established by Pharrell Williams at the Maison, it evokes the brand’s common palette of earthy creams and browns, as well as muted yet still vibrant blues and greens to support the pops of bright color that bring the air of spring into this lineup. The emblem of the collection being a craggy monogram, hand-drawn by the artist himself. Throughout the collection you can feel the creative collaboration take place and see the marriage of these two’s strong visions come together.