The Artful Life: 8 Things Galerie Editors Love This Week

1. Saint Laurent Rive Droite Paris Serves Up Exceptional Omakase

Chef Peter Park’s culinary hotspot Sushi Park has long been frequented by A-list celebrities and other Hollywood power players seeking low-key digs for a quick $400-per-head omakase fix, despite its inconspicuous location on the second floor of a drab Sunset Boulevard strip mall. One devoted regular is Saint Laurent’s artistic director Anthony Vaccarello, who worked with chef Park to bring a pop-up of the restaurant to Paris back in 2022. They recently upped the ante by opening a permanent Sushi Park location in the lower level of Saint Laurent’s newly renovated Rive Droite Paris boutique steps from Jardin des Tuileries and Place Vendôme in the first arrondissement. 

Unlike the unassuming interior of its home base, the Paris outpost looks sleek and sophisticated with dark wood-paneled walls, sculptural furniture, and custom tableware by ceramist Professor Kim. The romantic mood lighting perfectly befits the basement level—and Sushi Park’s strict no-photos policy beloved by its paparazzi-chased clientele. That didn’t stop Saint Laurent from flexing its filmmaking chops with a promotional Instagram reel directed by Pierre-Ange Carlotti, in which celebrities and house ambassadors Lourdes Leon, Dominic Sessa, and Saint Levant all race to the flagship. While it’s unclear if Saint Laurent monogrammed uni is on the menu, chef Park plans to serve up seasonal Japanese cuisine eschewing what a sign outside the L.A. location famously derides as “trendy sushi”: no California rolls, spicy tuna rolls, teriyaki, or tempura to be found. —Ryan Waddoups

2. Luke Edward Hall Introduces Collection with The Lacquer Company

English artist and illustrator Luke Edward Hall readily conjures fantastical decorative objects elevated using rich colors and spritely designs which have enlivened everything from wall coverings and textiles to tableware—even a whimsical hotel in Paris. Now the bon vivant has channeled his exuberant aesthetic into an expressive assortment with The Lacquer Company. Celebrating his love of Regency furnishings, the collection includes tables, a chest of drawers, trays, a mirror, and other home accents rendered in vivacious combinations of greens, reds, whites, and a dashing chocolate brown and pale blue. A trompe l’oeil design captures the decorative style’s bold geometries, giving the simple shapes a punctuating look.—Jill Sieracki

3. The Rug Company and Kelly Wearstler Capture Music in Motion

Music is one of Kelly Wearstler’s many creative wellsprings: the award-winning interior designer makes playlists for every city she visits and both her sons are in bands. So for her tenth collection for The Rug Company, the prolific talent sought to capture movement akin to visual rhythm across six new designs. The Crescendo collection was “conceived as artwork, and they are incredible foundation statements that set the tone for the rest of the space,” Wearstler says of the rugs, which were hand-knotted by the company’s artisanal Nepalese weavers using a combination of traditional techniques that impart rhythmic panache. There’s the rippling Arwen, an inventive take on traditional checkerboard motifs by elevating wavy blocks of silk squares using a cut-pile technique upon a wool and nettle blend base. Similar interplay distinguishes Crux, where natural light dances across radiant silk blocks to enhance variations across triangular shapes woven throughout the main motif. Runa, meanwhile, layers various tonal squares upon one another to create an eye-catching trompe l’oeil effect not unlike the chorus of notes dancing on a symphony’s sheet music. —R.W.

4. A New Boutique Hotel Opens in Mexico City

Perched on a prime corner in Mexico City’s Roma neighborhood is a bright pink 1920s mansion that is home to Casona Roma Norte, the latest in the Hamak Hotels portfolio. This 32-room boutique property is conveniently located within walking distance of some of the city’s buzziest eateries and galleries, including restaurants Maximo and Meroma or art space Kurimanzutto. The retreat’s “urban view” rooms offer an immersive peek into the vibrancy of neighborhood, while the minimal yet thoughtful interiors are the work of Simple Arquitectura. The property will ultimately offer six dining destinations (a rooftop hot spot will welcome guests later in the season), but guests checking in now have excellent options, including Japanese-meets-Sinaloan fare at Suchi, and all-day dining at Aquiles, helmed by renowned Mexican chef Aquiles Chávez.—Rima Suqi

5. Two Women-Run Latin American Galleries, Instituto de Visión, Inaugurate New Collaborative Space on New York’s Lower East Side 

Following a renovation by Morris Adjmi Architects, PROXYCO will be joining Instituto de Visión on the fifth floor of 88 Elridge Street, an arts building on New York’s Lower East Side in an exciting new collaborative approach to gallery programming. There will be two distinct exhibition galleries, which the two galleries will curate and program together, focusing on celebrating and promoting the dynamic art of Latin America.

PROXYCO, which was founded in New York by Alexandra Morris and Laura Saenz, will be opening in the new space with a dynamic new show of works by Camilo Godoy, a multidisciplinary artist born in Bogotá, Colombia. Titled “Términos Indignos,” the exhibition will include a powerful performance that the artist originally developed over a decade ago. Instituto de Visión, meanwhile, which was founded by Beatríz López and Omayra Alvarado-Jensen in Colombia, will present a vibrant show of work by Nancy Friedemann-Sánchez, a Colombo-American interdisciplinary artist. Titled “Mopa Mopa Imaginaries,” one of the show’s highlights is the artist’s “Cornucopia,” series. “Our collaborative approach emerged organically from a longstanding relationship of respect and admiration between our two galleries,” says Morris and Saenz. “Run by women and dedicated to supporting artists from Latin America, we have much in common across our foundations, our values, our challenges, and our missions, and also so much that we can learn from one another,” adds López and Alvarado-Jensen. “We hope that the artistic dialogues and exchanges we foster through our collaboration will make 88 Eldridge Street a vital destination for anyone interested in learning more about contemporary artists from Latin America.”—Lucy Rees

6. La Prairie to Debut Exclusive Spa Experience at The St. Regis Aspen Resort

La Prairie has announced its first-ever Aspen pop-up in collaboration with The St. Regis. Offering premiere Swiss skincare treatments, products, and spa services, the partnership will see La Prairie transform two dedicated rooms within the resort’s Rakxa Wellness Spa. Luxury treatments offered will include the aptly named La Prairie Après Ski Luxury or Hydration facial, and the La Prairie Lift and Contour Glass Skin Facial. All services will feature products from the brand’s most coveted collections including Skin Caviar, Platinum Rare, White Caviar, and Pure Gold.—Alexandria Sillo

7. THC Beverage Louie Louie Celebrates Mardi Gras with Limited-edition Packaging

As the interest in THC beverages gains momentum, Louie Louie has carved out a niche as the “good time” seltzer with roots in New Orleans. Given its strong tie to the Crescent City, the fizzy drink set apart by its delicious gourmet flavors, including Hibiscus Cherry, Ginger Cucumber, and Satsuma has collaborated with Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief Juan Pardo, who is both a musician and a children’s book author, just in time for Fat Tuesday. The limited-edition packaging of Louie Louie’s Blackberry Lemon celebrates the important cultural tradition of Mardi Gras Indians, who are revered for their elaborate handmade costumes and unique musical style. Cans depicting the Big Chief in his full regalia are available through March 4 on Louie Louie’s website as well as select locations in New Orleans.—Jacqueline Terrebonne

8. Spectacular Coral Gables Palazzo Now Houses Luxury Handbag Flagship

More and more fashion brands are finding footing in the home space, lending their inspired aesthetic to furniture, tableware, and textiles. Currently making waves in the market is Christopher King, a long-time entrepreneur in luxury goods whose namesake collection of leather goods, accessories, and made-to-order furnishings opened the doors to an unparalleled flagship in Coral Gables, Florida. Located with in a 12,000-square-foot circa-1920s Mediterranean manse once home to the city’s founder, George Merrick, Christopher King displays the breadth of the brand’s offerings while celebrating its Italian craftsmanship. “Preserving the original historic elements of the building was essential. Equally important was ensuring that every piece—lighting, furniture, and decor—was authentically Italian,” says King, who drew inspiration from a beautiful villa in Fiesole for the space. “From the mirrors and crystal chandeliers to the lamps and artwork, everything is from the 19th and 20th centuries and has been carefully curated to create a rich, ambient atmosphere.”

Additionally, the location also hosts a elegant event space where guests can mingle beneath a beautifully gilded coffered ceiling. “The moment I stepped through the main entrance and saw the stairwell, I knew this was the place. It had an undeniable presence, a sense of history that immediately spoke to me,” suggests King. “I wanted to create an experience that feels like stepping into my own castle — a place where you can shop, dine, drink wine, and be entertained. It’s immersive, intimate, and authentic to both me and my brand.”—J.S.