This month's chic list.
This month's chic list.
The exhibition invites visitors to discover Tiffany’s most treasured diamonds, like the legendary Tiffany yellow diamond Lady Gaga wore to this year’s Oscars
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
Tiffany & Co. is unveiling a first of its kind exhibition in Shanghai called “Vision Virtuosity”, spotlighting significant moments and milestones in the brand’s 180-year long history. Visitors will get a chance to experience its legacy through six themed sections—including one based on Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the classic ’60s film starring Audrey Hepburn, which helped cement Tiffany & Co.’s position in popular culture. Other unmissable segments of the exhibit include the staggering 128.5-carat Tiffany Diamond, famed for being one of the largest yellow diamonds ever to be discovered, and the original 1845 Tiffany Blue Book, the United States’ first mail-order catalogue. From the evolution of the Tiffany box in the brand’s hallmark robin’s egg blue shade, to the design story behind the coveted Tiffany ring setting, the exhibit will allow visitors to revel in the rich and decorated history of the brand, from 23 September to 10 November at Fosun Foundation Shanghai.
The Guggenheim Museum BIlbao is worth a visit for its architecture alone
SPLIT SCREEN
Widely admired as one of the most spectacular works of contemporary architecture, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao houses modern and contemporary artworks within its interior that are as jawdropping as its Frank Gehry-designed exterior. This month, venture forth to check out Jesper Just: This Nameless Spectacle, a double-screen video installation by Jesper Just, a Danish artist known for his use of film technologies as a vehicle for exploring complex issues like voyeurism, urban life and gender conflict. For the film, Just tapped transgender actress and singer Marie-France Garcia to portray the main character in an open-ended dramatic act where two seemingly unconnected characters find themselves intertwined through a series of ambiguous events. Hosted in the Film & Video gallery of the museum, the installation will run till 20 October.
Gwen Stefani is just one of the acts headlining the Grand Prix concerts this year
FAST & FURIOUS
The Singapore Grand Prix is back, bigger and better than ever. The thrilling motor races are only half the fun with every race night ending in full concerts staged by international stars, making the event a staple for motor-heads and music fans everywhere. This year’s line-up includes powerhouses like Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gwen Stefani, Fatboy Slim, Hans Zimmer, Swedish House Mafia and more, along with a slew of after-parties that will keep the adrenaline pumping till dawn.
Visit singaporegp.sg
From top: Built with distinctively Singaporean touches like Wayang timber used in local opera and getai performances, the space also boasts diamondpatterned walls reminiscent of Singapore’s old National Theatre. The aircon vents are on the floor to maintain acoustic integrity
HOUSE WARMING
Homegrown theatre company Wild Rice has come a long way since it was founded back in 2000 and this July, they marked a significant milestone—moving into a new home. The 20,000sqft, three-storey high space at Funan Mall comprises offices, rehearsal rooms, a performance studio and the Ngee Ann Kongsi Theatre, which seats 358 people. This theatre also features Singapore’s first thrust stage, a staging configuration that juts out into the audience, ensuring greater intimacy because no audience member will ever be more than 12m away.
Ivan Heng in Stella Kon’s Emily of Emerald Hill
To celebrate their new space, Wild Rice will host a series of productions from now through to the end of the year, starting with Stella Kon’s Emily of Emerald Hill this month. Directed by Glen Goei, with acclaimed actor and Wild Rice founding director Ivan Heng playing the lead, the production will bring to life the story of Emily Gan, who overcomes all odds to emerge as the matriarch of a distinguished Peranakan household.
Tickets or a season pass to the new theatre are available at sistic.com.
Clockwise from top: Margaret Atwood’s new book Testaments. The author Margaret Atwood. A scene from the current TV adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale
BLESSED BE THE FRUIT
Thirty-four years after it was first published, Margaret Atwood’s seminal feminist dystopian novel,The Handmaid’s Tale, remains as searing and shocking as when it first launched, and seems to be even more culturally relevant today. A 2017 TV adaptation resonated so powerfully with audiences that it forged past its original source material into its second and third season, and has just been renewed for a fourth. Now, fans can rejoice as Atwood finally produces fresh fodder for The Handmaid’s Tale universe, in the form of a sequel called Testaments. Picking up 15 years after the ending of the original story, the book will feature testaments from three female narrators from her fictional world of Gilead. Available from 10 September at all major bookstores.
The Verdon Collection at Furniture China
DESIGN BOOM
This September, architecture and design take centre stage in major cities around the globe.
MAISON & OBJET
Known internationally as one of the most significant interior design, home decor, architecture and lifestyle events of the year, Maison & Objet will be taking place in Paris from 6 to 10 September, tucked within Paris Design Week. This edition of the celebrated design fair will be focused on the theme of work—specifically, the evolving role of interior design in today’s workspaces. The fair will also honour Paris-based architect Laura Gonzalez as Designer of the Year, as well as spotlight work from six handpicked up-and-coming designers.
Visit maison-objet.com
LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL
Back for its 17th edition, the London Design Festival will run from 14 to 22 September this year, with a programme of events and installations across the city. As the festival’s collaborating partner, the V&A Museum of Art and Design will host specially commissioned projects by internationally renowned designers.
Visit londondesignfestival.com
VIENNA DESIGN WEEK
Austria’s biggest design festival is Vienna Design week, which hosts designers from all over Europe from 27 Sept to 6 Oct. Aiming to introduce the innovations and concepts of design to a wider audience, the festival will spotlight Finland’s multi-faceted design history this year—from modern designers like Alvar Aalto, to Nokia mobile phones and Finnish saunas.
Visit viennadesignweek.at
FURNITURE CHINA
In true Chinese fashion, Shanghai will host one of the world’s biggest furniture and design expos from 9 to 12 September. An integrated expo line-up will highlight contemporary and European classical furniture, as well as materials and manufacturing machines. With in-depth seminars on relevant topics like colour trends in furniture design, this fair is not one to be missed for design professionals.
Visit www.furniture-china.cn
PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES
