Acne Studios Nearly Doubles Its Footprint in Soho, and Other News

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Acne Studios Nearly Doubles Its Footprint in Soho

When Acne Studios creative director Jonny Johansson was tasked with expanding the Swedish label’s boutique in Soho, New York, he immediately looked to the neighborhood’s architectural character. He tapped Barcelona-based studio Arquitectura-G, which devised a muted space that plays with translucency and angles with both subtlety and sophistication. Since the brand’s Soho location has long been the best-selling out of its seven outposts in the United States and would house everything from menswear and womenswear to shoes and accessories, a tasteful intervention was needed. 

Arquitectura-G delivered on that promise. Inside, an artificial landscape of translucent glass panels forms a series of triangular fitting rooms that contrast the glass-colored wall-to-wall carpeting by longtime collaborator Kasthall. The muted hue pervades the entire space to create a calm atmosphere, compounded with lighting by French designer Benoit Lalloz that follows the ceiling’s lines and brings out the building’s industrial character. “When we create a store, it’s really important for us to work with the city and the actual space,” Acne Studios CEO Mattias Magnusson told WWD. “That’s why I’m so proud of how they’ve taken care of the building while infusing our DNA into it.”

Milanese design gallery Nilufar Depot transforms its space into a pop-up bookshop.

Running through Feb. 27, Bookings offers a well-curated mix of art and design tomes from independent publishers such as Walther König, Roma Publications, Mousse, and Nero. The local studio Kings’ vision for the installation, which features a series of blue bookcases by the Italian brand Situèr, is for it to foster a “Russian Doll” effect—within a gallery containing art and design is a bookshop containing culture. “I see Depot as an ever-changing space, I believe ‘cross-contamination’ between different worlds is key to fostering creative dialogue in the industry,” Nilufar founder Nina Yashar tells Wallpaper. “Over the past years, the hall has hosted dinner parties, concerts, DJ sets, amazing artists, performances and a lot more. Together with Kings, we imagined a truly unique cultural space that offers visitors the opportunity to connect with the place itself and the culture contained in it, an inspirational collection of publications and rare books.”

A group of heritage experts approve a proposal to modernize Notre-Dame cathedral.

The two-year-long process to renovate the fire-stricken Notre-Dame has been long, arduous, and mired in controversy. One major point of contention has involved whether or not to modernize the cathedral or restore it to its prior state. Now, France’s National Heritage and Architecture Commission has approved proposals for a revamp that will bring a more modern look to the structure through the installation of 20th- and 21st-century artworks and new lighting effects. Not everyone is on board—opponents fear the changes will debase the historic structure and disfigure the harmony of its Gothic architecture. Renovations are slated to wrap up by 2024, when Paris is scheduled to host the Olympic Games. 

Snøhetta unveils a winning proposal for the Klyyga Urban Square in Helsinki.

With the goal of revitalizing the Finnish capital’s downtown, west of the Helsinki railway station, the project will center around a renovation of the historic Vltava Building, which will become a hybrid timber structure. With the help of local partners Davidsson Tarkela Oy and WSPE, co-consciousness is at the heart of the indoor-outdoor concept with special attention paid to energy harvesting, material use, social sustainability, and green mobility.  

Brian Eno dreams up a glowing turntable that mimics his famed Lightbox works.

Brian Eno may have pioneered ambient music as we know it, but the creative multi-hyphenate also enjoys a fruitful visual art practice dedicated to exploring the potential of light. Besides lenticular printing and etchings that draw from the Light and Space movement, Eno also fashions kaleidoscopic light boxes whose atmospheric colorscapes mimic that of James Turrell. They’re now available in turntable form thanks to London’s Paul Stolper Gallery, which recently debuted it in a limited run of 50. “The light from it was tangible as if caught in a cloud of vapor,” Eno said in a statement. “We sat watching for ages, transfixed by this totally new experience of light as a physical presence.” 

Nike acquires RTFKT, a platform known for selling virtual sneakers in the metaverse. 

Nike has made a major investment in the metaverse with the acquisition of RTFKT, a fashion platform that sells virtual sneakers. The move marks one of the most significant moves by a legacy brand to enter the ever-increasing metaverse. RTFKT, founded in early 2020, has quickly gained leverage for high-profile collaborations with artists such as Jeff Staple and Takashi Murakami that were perhaps influenced by Nike itself. “This acquisition is another step that accelerates Nike’s digital transformation and allows us to serve athletes and creators at the intersection of sport, creativity, gaming, and culture,” John Donahue, Nike’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “We’re acquiring a very talented team of creators with an authentic and connected brand.” Terms of the deal weren’t immediately disclosed. 

The Omicron variant is disrupting plans to return to the Fashion Week calendar.

Though fashion capitals like New York, London, Milan, and Paris enjoyed in-person runway shows in the fall, the Omicron variant is disrupting plans to return to the traditional calendar. The U.S. has instituted new rules on which international visitors can enter the country and how long they must quarantine, potentially causing difficulty for foreign models, designers, and editors attending stateside runway shows. It still remains to be seen if such restrictions will still be effective in February when the next New York Fashion Week is scheduled.

Today’s attractive distractions:

This new line of “emotional clothing” responds to the wearer’s stress levels.

Dior, Fendi, and Ralph Lauren are now letting users try on clothes in Snapchat.

In his latest series, Martin Reznik gives furniture a cryptic film noir makeover.

Adele’s creative director weighs in on building the superstar’s visual universe.