One of Paris’ picturesque squares will be named for Christo and Jeanne-Claude.
Paris will name a central square in honor of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, marking the 40th anniversary of their 1985 Pont Neuf Wrapped installation. The tribute coincides with a public exhibition along the Seine this fall, featuring works by the artists. JR, whose own bridge-wrapping project was planned for 2025, has postponed it to 2026 to make space for the celebration. Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Pont Neuf project remains one of their most ambitious public works, realized without sponsorship and executed with the help of over 300 workers.
The age of leggings is over—trousers and track pants are spelling success for designers instead.
After dominating wardrobes for years, leggings are losing ground as younger shoppers gravitate toward looser silhouettes like trousers and track pants. At brands like FP Movement and Nike, wide-leg and flared styles are outperforming traditional spandex fits, and even Lululemon has scaled back its legging offerings. Gen Z’s shift toward relaxed, mismatched activewear—alongside concerns over synthetic fabrics—has helped drive the trend. Though leggings still sell, they’re no longer the default uniform, signaling a broader change in what comfort looks like today.
Danielle Slavik, a model for Cristóbal Balenciaga, has died at the age of 81.
Danielle Slavik, who modeled for Cristóbal Balenciaga from 1964 until his retirement in 1968, has died in Paris at 81. After two decades working with designers like Chanel and Givenchy, she returned to the runway in 2022 at the request of Demna, who invited her to walk in his second Balenciaga couture show. She spoke openly about her admiration for Balenciaga and later described the honor of returning as a tribute to the couturier. Slavik made her final runway appearance in 2024 and remained a presence in fashion events until her death.
The former Barneys building in Chelsea is being converted into residential rental units.
Watermark Capital Group has acquired the former Barneys building at 101 Seventh Avenue in Chelsea and plans to convert it into a 44-unit rental development with retail on the ground floor. The project will include permanently rent-stabilized, affordable housing under the city’s 467-m conversion program. The site, which Barneys occupied from 2016 to 2019 before shuttering, has since sat vacant aside from a temporary Spirit Halloween. Watermark secured a $10.5 million loan for acquisition and pre-development, with the building’s layout and zoning already suited for residential use.
The former Barneys building in Chelsea is being converted into residential rental units.
An Italian court has placed Loro Piana under judicial administration for one year after finding the brand failed to oversee subcontractors who exploited workers in its supply chain. Investigators discovered that Chinese-owned workshops producing Loro Piana jackets forced employees to work extreme hours for low wages, with some workers living illegally on site. The ruling criticized Loro Piana for prioritizing profits over compliance and appointed an external administrator to oversee reforms. While the subcontractors are under criminal investigation, Loro Piana itself is not facing charges.
Today’s attractive distractions:
A new exhibition chronicles how dining in transit evolved over the 20th century.
An Ivy League-educated linguist sounds off on the etymology of “rizz.”
Cracker Barrel is ditching its characteristic kitsch and nobody is happy about it.
You’ve still got half of summer left—don’t sleep on these upstate art getaways.
