The Artful Life: 7 Things Galerie Editors Love This Week

1. Studio Nordic and Past Lives Studio Construct an Immaculate Joint Showroom

Carly Krieger and Therés Loren discovered they had quite a bit in common: their respective businesses, Past Lives Studio and Studio Nordic, share a focus on Scandinavian design; they built their firms through a combination of online sales, pop-ups, and design services; and viewed opening a physical showroom as the most logical next step in their growth. “From the day I started Studio Nordic, I wanted to create a physical destination in New York for 20th-century Scandinavian design, showcasing furniture that’s both beautiful and practical,” says Lorén, who launched the studio after a career in fashion. They recently joined forces to open The Showroom, a pristine bricks-and-mortar in New York City’s Flatiron District that embodies their shared sensibilities across a robust collection of furniture and decorative arts. 

Much of the collection span styles, regions, and eras, yielding immaculate pairings thanks to their embrace of movements such as Viennese Secession, French Art Deco, Swedish Grace, and Italian Modernism. A fiberglass Studio Tetrarch Tovaglia cocktail table, for example, is paired with a 19th-century Aubusson tapestry .Swedish pewter jugs join Italian handblown glass objects, Japanese patinated bronze vases, and Danish silver bowls. Studio Nordic’s collection will include classic Scandi furnishings by Bruno Mathsson, Carl Malmsten, Otto Schulz, Børge Mogensen, and more; furniture by Cuff Studio is also included, marking the California brand’s East Coast debut after recently launching its most adventurous collection yet. “Design is a never-ending journey of peeling back layers and unearthing something new and exciting,” Krieger adds. “For so long, these arrangements and ideas have been living in my mind. The Showroom is a place for these ideas to finally come to life.” —Ryan Waddoups

2. Tiffany & Co. Unveils New HardWear Campaign Celebrating Love and Strength, Starring Mikey Madison, Greta Lee, and Anna Weyant 

Tiffany & Co. has launched an exciting new HardWear by Tiffany campaign starring the House’s latest ambassadors, actors Mikey Madison, Greta Lee and the artist Anna Weyant. Shot by the celebrated photographer and director Harley Weir, the campaign is centered on the theme of love’s transformative strength. A series of short films and imagery depict these trailblazing women wearing pieces from the iconic HardWear collection as they each share their personal definitions of strength. “When I’m questioning my own power,” says Mikey Madison wearing a diamond-encrusted HardWear by Tiffany gold necklace, earrings, and bracelets, “I think of things that seem fragile, but aren’t.” Greta Lee, meanwhile, adorned in pavé diamond and gold pieces from the collection says: “When a family’s love is unconditional, loving yourself is inevitable. Where love goes, strength follows.” The Gagosian artist Anna Weyant adds, “I believe the people who hold onto joy, through everything, are the strongest people alive.”—Lucy Rees 

3. Washington D.C.’s Fine Dining Destination Albi Reopens with Fresh Design and Menu

Since opening the doors in 2020, James Beard-award winning chef Michael Rafidi has impressed D.C. locals and tourists alike with his sumptuous take on Palestinian cuisine, bringing a contemporary fine-dining edge to comforting dishes. Now, Michelin-starred restaurant Albi has been restored to full glory and boasts an updated design and exciting new culinary offerings. Boasting a moody and romantic redesign courtesy of Klein Agency, guests can enjoy seasonal small plates including classic dips and mezze as well as larger dishes which celebrate the flavors of the region, such as crab upside-down rice dish with new potato and sprouted cauliflower, served with crab dagga gazawiya, smashed green tomatillo, dill seed, and chilis as well as Smoked Duck Mujadarra, a riff on a classic lentils and rice recipe, with aged duck breast and tamarind-glazed leg, served with duck fat fried rice and garlic yogurt. For larger groups, the altered “Sofra” family-style menu, previously a chef’s tasting menu with a more firm menu, has been adjusted to be completely customizable and spontaneous, encouraging dialogue and discussion round these historic dishes. Book a table here.— Shelby Black

4. Prada Expands New York Fifth Avenue Presence with Dedicated Men’s Store

Prada recently opened an all-new dedicated men’s boutique on Fifth Avenue in New York, which harmoniously connects to the iconic fashion house’s existing location. The men’s collection, which includes ready-to-wear, leather goods, footwear, and accessories, is spread across two floors spanning 13,000 square feet with an interior that blends tradition with contemporary through signature Prada design elements. The black-and-white checkered floor and pastel green tones found throughout the first floor are inspired by the original Prada boutique in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Lush seats styled in green velvet and black leather, complemented by dark wood and steel furnishings complete the space.—Alexandria Sillo

5. Tatiana Trouvé Opens at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice

This week, the Italian artist Tatiana Trouvé opens her most ambitious exhibition to date at the Palazzo Grassi. Transforming the grand interior of the space is a vast labyrinth of physical and imaginary spaces, filled with sculptures and drawings. Kicking off with an installation conceived for the atrium of the Palazzo Grassi, this major solo exhibition brings together a selection of works from her “The Guardians” series, a grouping of large-scale drawings from the series “Les Dessouvenus”, and 70 works on paper that will be exhibited for the first time. Visitors will also discover new sculptures and drawings that capture momentous events such as the global pandemic of 2020, where she drew over the front pages of the world’s leading newspapers during a period of isolation in her studio.—L.R.

6. French Perfumer Marc-Antoine Barrois Debuts a Celestial-Inspired Fragrance

In the Middle Ages, Arabic astronomers discovered Al-Debaran, a giant red star that burns 400 times brighter than the sun and endures as a luminous symbol of hope and optimism. The celestial body resonated with French couturier and perfumer Marc-Antoine Barrois, who is expanding his namesake collection of haute fragrances with Aldebaran, an elegant tuberose-forward perfume inspired by how the Provençal blossoms are exclusively harvested at night, when their olfactory powers reach a zenith. To create the mesmeric scent, Barrois tapped the genius of renowned perfumer Quentin Bisch, a longtime collaborator who helped Barrois craft a series of fragrances such as B683 that solidified the house’s distinguished standing in the realm of Haute Parfumerie. Aldebaran recently debuted at Milan Design Week alongside his first-ever furniture collection in a sensory installation that Barrois co-created with designer Antoine Bouillot. —R.W.

7. Aquazzura Opens First Hospitality Space at Rocco Forte Hotel in Rome

With their bright, citrus shades, playful design details, and beachy materials, Aquazzura’s summer sandals conjure heady afternoon parties and late-night dancing in glamorous, tropical settings. Now, a new bar, opening April 10 at Rome’s famed Hotel de Russie, a Rocco Forte Hotel, provides the ideal destination as the celebrated fashion brand transforms the resort’s garden courtyard into a heavenly boîte for zesty seasonal cocktails. Taking cues from the Aquazzura Casa Secret Garden tableware collection, design studio Casa do Passadiço installed custom Portuguese tiles hand-painted with cheerful lemon motifs that echo the surrounding fruit trees. Black-and-white stripe awnings, green trellis, and chic metal furnishings add to the Edenic setting where Matteo Capezzuoli crafts refreshing summer drinks like the Agave Nero—Aquazzura founder Edgardo Osorio’s tequila-based interpretation of an espresso martini—as well as an ever-changing margarita menu. Here, chef Fulvio Pierangelini produces a tantalizing assortment of tapas—like tuna crudo, red snapper ceviche, and grilled octopus glazed with chimichurri and passion fruit—served on Aquazzura plates.—Jill Sieracki