- Just a few short months after being named Designer of the Year at Maison&Objet, Faye Toogood has a new show of her work at Friedman Benda. The designer’s third solo exhibition at the 1stDibs seller’s gallery, it features the latest addition to her Assemblage series.
- At the top of this week, Vogue shared that the best-dressed celebrities and most interesting designers are fixated on belted bags. Not to be confused with belt bags or fanny packs, these are purses that feature belt design elements, often inspired by those sported by the Birkin bag, the iconic Hermés accessory that turned 40 in 2024. Raf Simons, Tom Ford and Miuccia Prada are among the many designers who have crafted versions of belted bags that mimic the Birkin bag’s belt detail.
- René Magritte dethroned Pablo Picasso at auction last year, according to Artnet, which combed through a year’s worth of data. The Surrealist painter’s works generated the highest auction total of 2024, at $312.3 million — over $90 million more than those by Picasso, which realized $221.6 million in sales. Notably, Magritte’s 1954 Empire of Light sold for $121 million at Christie’s in November. Although Magritte is best known as one of Surrealism’s most talented artists, his famous 1943 painting, The Fifth Season, can be interpreted as a formal break from the movement.
- Down in New York’s Soho neighborhood, per Dezeen, Louis Vuitton and Takashi Murakami have opened a pop-up filled with the vibrant hues we associate with the Japanese artist. Open through the end of January, it is the latest product of the decades-long collaboration between the luxury fashion house and Murakami.