Hermès Is Coming to Williamsburg, and Other News

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Hermès is planning to open a permanent flagship in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, by 2026. 

“Hermès is moving to Williamsburg. The luxury retailer has recently signed leases for two new locations in the trendy Brooklyn neighborhood, according to urban retail and mixed-use real estate investment firm L3 Capital. Executives at L3 Capital wouldn’t comment on details, such as annual rent prices, surrounding Hermès’ move to the borough. But a source close to the matter said there will be a temporary pop-up in Williamsburg in 2023’s first quarter, followed by a permanent flagship in the same neighborhood in 2026.” [H/T WWD]

A dealer in Palm Beach faces jail time for selling cheap prints of blue-chip artworks.

“The art dealer Daniel Elie Bouaziz has been indicted by the Southern District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office on charges of wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering. The disgraced Palm Beach gallerist stands accused of selling cheap reproductions of works by artists including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Banksy, but telling buyers they were the real deal. The F.B.I. raided one of Bouaziz’s Palm Beach galleries, Danieli Fine Art, in December, and police arrested the dealer in May. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years behind bars and a fine of as much as $500,000.” [H/T Artnet News]

Cooking Sections creates a new menu inspired by regenerative eating at Serpentine.

“Inside the Zaha Hadid-designed Magazine restaurant at Serpentine Galleries, a climate solution is cooking. In the face of a global food crisis, a complex set of problems around how we consume food requires an equally involved set of solutions. Daniel Fernández Pascual and Alon Schwabe, founders of London-based studio Cooking Sections, are working across disciplines with scientists, chefs, and policymakers on their ongoing research project, Climavore. As part of ‘Back to Earth’, the Serpentine’s long-term programme featuring artistic responses to the climate emergency, Cooking Sections has created a menu of three dishes: one small, one large, and one sweet. Each aims to showcase an adaptive and ecologically conscious food system.” [H/T Wallpaper] 

Landscape architects Bureau Bas Smets will transform the area around Notre-Dame.

“Landscape architecture studio Bureau Bas Smets is set to revive the square facing Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris and transform an abandoned underground car park beneath it into a visitor center that opens onto the river Seine The overhaul, which is being led by Belgian studio Bureau Bas Smets with urban planner GRAU and heritage architecture studio Neufville-Gayet, aims to improve the square and add new facilities to the cathedral. Revealed by Paris’ mayor Anne Hidalgo, the design is the winning entry of a competition launched alongside the ongoing restoration of Notre-Dame cathedral.” [H/T Dezeen]

The U.S. federal court sues Wrigley Field for not complying with ADA requirements.

“A federal lawsuit filed against the operators of Wrigley Field, accuses the stadium—home to the Chicago Cubs and a National Historic Landmark—of not adequately renovating the venue to meet accessibility standards. The lawsuit comes in response to a major renovation and expansion on the stadium, as part of a long-term overhaul, known as “The 1060 Project”. Work undertaken in the project was subject to ADA compliance, and the court alleges proper adaptations and accommodations were not included in the realized construction.” [H/T The Architect’s Newspaper]

Shein is seeking an IPO in the United States by 2024 but faces numerous obstacles.

“Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein hopes to do an initial public offering in the United States as soon as 2024, according to a report from Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the matter. Yet it faces environmental, social and governance, or ESG, concerns that could be an obstacle to an IPO, according to the report. Previously, Shein had sought a 2022 IPO in the U.S., according to Reuters. Shein, which has a $100 billion valuation, has drawn scrutiny for its cheap product line that has been built on a fast and prolific production chain. A probe by Swiss watchdog group Public Eye said some of Shein’s manufacturers have been subjecting employees to dangerous conditions and 75-hour workweeks.” [H/T CNBC]

Today’s attractive distractions:

These oyster farmers are addressing aquaculture’s big plastics problem.

Will airbag-equipped helmets help protect more cyclists from collisions? 

Hasbro can now put your face on a custom action figure with 3D printing.

Scientists detect a radio signal “heartbeat” from billions of light years away.