Takashi Murakami gets into the fashion game and launches a flowery footwear brand.

Takashi Murakami has launched his own footwear brand, Ohana Hatake. Its debut silhouette is a pair of colorful EVA foam slides inspired by traditional Japanese house slippers that are available via raffle on the brand’s website for $120. 

Singapore’s CapitaSpring Tower by BIG and CRA wins the International High Rise award.

CapitaSpring tower in Singapore has received the 2024/25 International High-Rise Award for its integration of greenery and public spaces. The prize jury praised its innovation in combining urban density with open, accessible spaces, care of imaginative design by Bjarke Ingels Group and Carlo Ratti Associati. 

Phillip Lim has stepped down from his namesake fashion label, 3.1 Phillip Lim.

Phillip Lim is stepping down from his role as creative director of 3.1 Phillip Lim, the brand he co-founded with CEO Wen Zhou in 2005. In a joint statement, the duo announced that Zhou will now lead the brand independently as Lim pursues new ventures that are yet to be announced. 

Fashion industry giants like LVMH and Kering are among those sitting out COP29.

Fashion giants including Kering and LVMH are largely opting out of COP29, citing the event’s controversial location in Baku, Azerbaijan, and the rapid succession of recent climate conferences. Some countries, like Papua New Guinea, sat out of the conference entirely. 

The Vatican, Microsoft, and Iconem unveil a Gen-AI version of St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Vatican, Microsoft, and Iconem have created a digital replica of St. Peter’s Basilica, allowing the public to virtually explore its historical and architectural highlights, including areas like the Tomb of Pope Paul III. The project uses both AI and advanced imagery to uncover previously hidden details, like a Roman-era mosaic and Archimedean spiral ceiling.

Today’s attractive distractions:

Fred Tomaselli’s cosmic bird murals land in the New York City subway. 

John Mayer and director McG are buying Jim Henson’s Hollywood lot.

Louis Vuitton’s Manhattan flagship is done up as a monumental trunk. 

Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night inspires this Bosnian landscape artist.