When it comes to fashion, Fendi is one of my Big Three. From their luxury home furnishings to their iconic bags, I just can’t quit this house. And one of my favorite leather goods, the cheeky Peekaboo, just received an artful makeover from the brand’s “Rock the Craft” initiative, which celebrates craftsmanship through creative cross-pollination and industry collaborations. Visual artist Edoardo Piermattei worked with FENDI’s leather and fur artisans to translate his pigmented cement language from its very rigid original form to soft traces of leather and wisps of fur. I’m always amazed at what novel techniques might reveal about traditional materials. Art is better when it’s practiced together.
The graphic arts and gestalt theory have been significant throughlines connecting seemingly disparate interests throughout my career, whether those be academic, professional, or otherwise. Every object is responsible for some level of visual communication, but one of my favorite forms is print ephemera. Studio Vedèt, a Milan-based creative media agency, just released a beautiful booklet showcasing Craft is a Verb, the 2026-2027 Heimtextil Trend theme curated by Alcova. Its theme and production are equally informed by authentic human craft as it explores the act of making in an age when AI is inescapable. Studio Vedèt led by example, executing their design masterfully with custom typography created with ChatGPT.
Photo: Courtesy of Gallery Fumi
My personal taste is more a study of contrasts: hyper-minimal Italian furniture in a classical palazzo; crisp white bone china situated within a maximalist tablescape; brick and mortar architecture filled with ethereal home furnishings. Think patent leathers, polished marbles, and mirrored glass galore. My latest fixation has been on British artist Sam Orlando Miller’s newest work featured at Gallery Fumi. The orthogonal mirror, Futuro Socchiuso, captures and manipulates light using reflective, faceted pieces of garnet and bronze color. Fuchsia flirts with rust for a spectacular light show for passersby.
Photo: Courtesy of AWAY
While black will always reign supreme, oxblood red is a close second when it comes to an iconic, moody color – or one that I’m eager to personally embrace. I find myself collecting more and more objects in this particular shade as it has moved from fashion to home furnishings and now on to my favorite luggage brand AWAY. Each piece perfectly pairs a polycarbonate shell in my favorite inky hue with a satin-like aluminum frame, which expresses itself on the corners, closure, and technical hardware. What I appreciate most is the subtle reference to luxury leather goods while rejecting the premise that it is too precious to enjoy.
Photo: Courtesy of Monacelli Press
I remember my first encounter with architect Tom Kundig’s work vividly: Syracuse University freshman year at the school’s warehouse location downtown in fall 2006. A lecturer flashed images of his weekend cabin in Washington State, given the moniker Delta Shelter, across the projection screen. Its patinated shutters, elegant stilts, and kinetic capabilities were a gateway drug to aspirational, architectural design. It was quite a special moment visiting his studio recently, a few decades removed, to hear him speak of his team and their accomplishments to date. While this book is referred to as a “definitive collection,” Tom definitely isn’t done yet.
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