Jonathan Anderson’s Art Boost, Paul Smith’s Suite, Cornejo Links With Mutu
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ALL FOR ART: British fashion label JW Anderson has named the Hepworth Wakefield gallery in West Yorkshire, England, as the inaugural recipient of the JW Anderson Collections Fund.
Conceived by brand creative director Jonathan Anderson, the fund aims to support the acquisition of works by museums across the U.K. A collecting institution will receive 50,000 pounds a year to acquire works by artists who are underrepresented in the U.K.
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With the funding, Hepworth Wakefield purchased a large-scale charcoal drawing by Jake Grewal. The piece will be displayed at the gallery in spring 2023.
“I’ve always loved visiting collections in the U.K. and draw a huge amount of inspiration from them. They are the heart of any institution and make each museum unique. As funding to build these collections in the U.K. becomes increasingly limited, I wanted to find a way to make sure museums can continue to grow, in particular by looking at the work of emerging artists or those who aren’t well represented in collections across the country,” Anderson said.
Simon Wallis, director at the Hepworth Wakefield, added: “As a public art gallery, we rely entirely on philanthropy to be able to continue to strategically develop our collection.…Vital initiatives such as the JW Anderson Collections Fund are very rare and it’s a testament to Jonathan Anderson’s long-standing desire to support and nurture creativity in the U.K.
“We are enormously grateful to him for supporting our work and enabling us to add outstanding new works of art to Wakefield’s collection, one that he became very familiar with in 2016 when he worked with us to curate his critically acclaimed ‘Disobedient Bodies’ exhibition,'” Wallis said.
Anderson has drawn inspiration from contemporary art for the collections at his brand, as well as Loewe, where he has been the creative director since 2013.
For the fall 2023 JW Anderson collection shown last week in London, the designer collaborated with his hero Michael Clark, melding his own archives with those of the maverick Scottish choreographer known for marrying classical dance with contemporary art and popular culture. — TIANWEI ZHANG
A SUITE OF SMITH: The suite life of Paul Smith is now available at Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair, London.
The British fashion designer has created a suite at the hotel in collaboration with Rocco Forte Hotels’ director of design Olga Polizzi.
The hotel room features items from Smith’s office in his Covent Garden headquarters, including a Christopher Simon Sykes photograph of Chatsworth House library; his 1970s leather desk chair by Mario Bellini; limited-edition prints from photographer Julian Broad; blankets and cushions from Smith’s 2022 homeware collection, and a selection of art and design books.
“Being asked to design a space for such an iconic Mayfair institution is a great privilege — and I’ve had a great deal of fun in the process. Just like Brown’s does with its rooms, we design every Paul Smith shop differently to celebrate the area’s individuality, which is just one other reason the project appealed to me,” said Smith, who hopes that the items in the suite will inspire the incoming guests.
Polizzi was heavily influenced by the Paul Smith store on Albemarle Street, which is near the hotel, such as a geometric patterned Maharam headboard; banana door handles; a robot figurine made from a vintage camera, and striped fireplace tiles.
“It is elegant, bright and happy and has a lovely sense of fun. The sitting room is full of interest with its wall of pictures, smart sofas and flamboyant cushions. The bedroom is strikingly different, with its sense of calm and space,” Polizzi said.
Prices for the suite start at 5,500 pounds a night. — HIKMAT MOHAMMED
MARIA AND MUTU: Maria Cornejo has collaborated with artist Wangechi Mutu to mark the artist’s forthcoming solo survey exhibition at the New Museum in Manhattan.
Cornejo, a longtime fan of the Kenyan-born artist, created an exclusive dress featuring a digital print of Mutu’s “History of the Different Classes of Uterine Tumors.” The piece is from Mutu’s 2004-05 series of collages made using vintage medical prints.
“As a woman, I’ve always been concerned about our right to decide what is best for ourselves and our bodies,” said Mutu in a statement about the dress collaboration. “These prints were made on illustrations showing diseases that afflict the female sexual reproductive system and remind me that our bodies are being weaponized against us, but that we can also use them to fight inequality and injustice. In many countries where the right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy does not exist, and in the United States where rights are being stripped away, women are not safe or free until all of us are safe and free.”
The silk dress retails for $795 and will be available to purchase at the New Museum store and in the Zero + Maria Cornejo online shop and NoHo boutique starting Tuesday.
Mutu and Cornejo previously collaborated in 2014 to mark the 15th anniversary of the brand; the designer tapped 15 artists, including Mutu, to select their favorite Zero Maria + Cornejo pieces.
“Wangechi Mutu: Intertwined” opens to the public on March 2 and will remain open through June 4. The survey exhibition will feature more than 100 of Mutu’s works including collage, sculpture, painting, video and performance. — KRISTEN TAUER
KELLY CURATES: Sotheby’s is teaming up with Kelly Rowland for its latest Contemporary Curated auction.
The auction house has joined forced with the Grammy-winning former Destiny’s Child musician for its biannual auction series, with Rowland working closely with Sotheby’s specialists to curate six paintings.
“As a first-time curator, I have always felt that art is a personal means of expression, and I wanted to highlight a group of works that speak to my experience and how I connect with art,” Rowland said. “Combining my voice and vision with Sotheby’s paves the way for younger generations to recognize themselves in art. There are so many young people and young artists who want to be a part of this art world. This is a beautiful way to fuse these worlds together and to allow this conversation to start.”
Rowland’s collection includes pieces like “The Dunk” by Ernie Barnes, “Stormy Weather” by Peter Bradley, “Playing Reggae Records at the Pace House #2” by Reggie Burrows Hodges, “Red, Green, Black, Blues” by Stanley Whitney, “Four Ladies with Gold Hat” by Barnes and “Gretchen (Men in the City)” by Robert Longo. The paintings range in estimated prices, ranging as low as $25,000 to as high as $700,000.
“As an artist, singer, songwriter turned collector, what I look for is when a piece has its own rhythm,” Rowland said about the collection. “I’m especially inspired by art when it comes to movement. My first exposure to art was through figurative works that I could identify with, because as a kid, the world around me didn’t look the way I did. Today, I find myself gravitating toward more abstract pieces that meld motion, energy and color — those feelings of being onstage.”
In addition to Rowland’s collection, Sotheby’s is auctioning another collection of six pieces of artwork, called “Home Coming: Queer Artists Support the Ali Forney Center,” with proceeds benefiting the organization.
Sotheby’s live Contemporary Curated auction will take place on March 9 with the exhibition on view from March 3 to 8. — LAYLA ILCHI
PITTI’S NEW PRESIDENT: Kiton’s chief executive officer Antonio De Matteis has been named Pitti Immagine’s new president.
He succeeds Claudio Marenzi, Herno’s president and CEO, who held the role since 2017.
“I want to thank the president who preceded me and outgoing members of the board for the great achievements over the past years that contributed to Pitti Immagine’s strength, wide-ranging offer and competitiveness,” De Matteis said. “It’s an honor to be named president of such an important event globally and with support from the new board I’m committed to continue along the same trajectory,” he added.
The trade show operator is best known for leading menswear trade fair Pitti Uomo, in addition to Pitti Filati, Pitti Bimbo and Pitti Fragranze dedicated to yarnmakers, childrenswear and fragrances, respectively. It also operates Taste centered on food, Testo on books, and Super on contemporary fashion.
“Leveraging my experience and vision I’m trustful we will soon work on new and exciting projects,” De Matteis offered.
The board confirmed Antonella Mani as vice president and members Raffaello Napoleone, current CEO of Pitti Immagine, and Niccolò Ricci. Newly appointed members include Ercole Botto Poala, CEO of textile maker Reda and current president of industry association Confindustria Moda; Niccolò Moschini, corporate communication and institutional affair director at Kering Italia, and Marco Palmieri, president of Piquadro, among others.
Mansi thanked Marenzi for leading the trade show operator out of the pandemic years and stressed that challenges in the next three years include expanding the operator’s reach and relevance across industries. Additionally, as reported, Florence’s Fortezza da Basso venue is poised to undergo renovation works sometime this year leaving the operator in need to find solutions to smoothly hold its trade events. — MARTINO CARRERA
FOR THE BULLS: Don C is kicking off his role with the Chicago Bulls with a capsule collection.
The NBA team revealed Thursday that it is releasing the first collection designed by Don C since the streetwear designer was appointed its creative strategy and design adviser last winter. The collection is described as “at the cross section of luxury, sports, streetwear and style,” according to the team.
“Collaborating with sports entities is nothing new for me, but as a native Chicagoan and longtime Bulls fan, designing this collection is a dream come true,” Don C said. “I wanted to show through my designs that the Bulls are not just a sports team. It’s a brand that influences style and culture, a dynasty, an organization with a championship mentality. You can go anywhere in the world and see someone repping the Bulls. That’s why I decided to incorporate the style of other sports gear to further drive home that the Bulls’ impact goes beyond the court. The team’s logo can be on a rugby, coach’s jacket or hockey jersey and it still feels authentic. That’s how powerful the brand is.”
The unisex, eight-piece collection takes inspiration from other sports gear, including styles like hockey and rugby jerseys and track suits. The collection also offers styles such as T-shirts, jackets and beanies.
The styles incorporate the NBA team’s black, white and red colorway and popular bull logo. The jerseys are also inspired by the Chicago Bulls’ 2022-23 City Edition jersey, which released in November in collaboration with Nike.
The Don C x Chicago Bulls collection will be available for purchase starting Friday at the Madhouse Team Store at the United Center arena in Chicago. Prices for the collection range from $40 to $150. — L.I.
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