Innehållsförteckning för January 2025 från Wallpaper

Commercial and art photography are typically situated in opposition. But for a host of contemporary photographers, the fusion of commercial, editorial and personal work opens a rich dialogue between these seemingly disparate parts. We profile five photographers that have each forged a multifaceted, distinctive career in image-making. For some, this involves maintaining a consistent aesthetic and conceptual approach, whether photographing a luxury car or a stack of papers. Others seek inspiration in the contrast, finding value in both the creative boundaries provided by commercial work and the limitless possibilities of their personal practice. These artists celebrate the power of collaboration, whether learning from the teams that shape commercial projects alongside them, or welcoming art directors into the often-solo pursuit of documentary photography. In branching across traditionally separated formats and regimented…

‘We wanted to create an eye-catching moment as guests enter the hotel’ We expect to find design-forward hotels in cities such as London, New York and Copenhagen, so when Puro Hotels opened its first property in Wrocław in 2010, we sat up and took notice. The brand has since grown to include seven hotels across Poland, putting the country on the design map thanks to a vibrant approach that blends the local heritage with a bold, contemporary aesthetic by the likes of studios such as Conran and Partners and De Salles Flint. Puro Poznań recently emerged from a top-to-toe overhaul, just in time for its tenth anniversary. As with the brand’s other properties, the design, led by London-based studio Holloway Li, has been informed by the hotel’s location, drawing on…

How does someone become a designer? It used to happen like this: design school to trade show to design studio to (for the lucky ones) having work picked-up by a manufacturer and thereby joining the cabal of known names within design. The pools we fished from as scouts, manufacturers, buyers and media were shallow. We could list ten design schools of pedigree, five ‘emerging talent’ sections at fairs, and a handful of braver manufacturers who acted as incubators; and together, we birthed the new generation of design talent into the industry. It was all very safe and chummy. Everyone wanted to be Philippe Starck. Thank goodness the industry – if we can even call it that – is weirder now. It is certainly more wonderful for it. We might lament…

Paths of glory Welcome to 2025. As we reach the first quarter-milestone of the 21st century, we might have been tempted to look back and reflect; instead, we forge on, with our annual Next Generation issue, marking not only the regenerative power of a new year, but also the fresh voices and bold ideas we are likely to meet along the way. The aim of this issue is to highlight those under-the-wire individuals and barely-there practices that nevertheless point to where the world might be headed. Our architecture & environment director Ellie Stathaki has put together an edit of young architects from India whose work addresses the issues caused by the rapid pace of development in the country. For our ‘Stars Ascending’ story, acting global design director Hugo Macdonald worked…

Lev Tanju loves to shop, though he’s trying to stop. Recent purchases have included a S/S15 Chanel satchel adorned with badges and peace signs from an LA consignment store (‘to me, it’s better than a painting’), a vintage Chrome Hearts belt (the brand is a current obsession), clothes to play golf (‘weird vintage knitwear and Gore-Tex’), and Charvet slippers from Paris. The Croydon-born designer admits he needs to ‘minimise’ and have a wardrobe clear-out. ‘I probably have around 200 T-shirts, then wear the same three every day. I buy things because I love them and never wear them. But I still appreciate them being there.’ It is Tanju’s unabashed love of clothes that has ensured the success of Palace, the skatewear label he co-founded in 2009 with Gareth Skewis. The…

It has been a good year for British-born painter George Rouy, who, in 2024, became one of the youngest artists to join Hauser & Wirth, in a representation announced in collaboration with Hannah Barry Gallery. Originally from Kent, he won a place in 2012 to study painting at Camberwell College of Arts. ‘When I was at art school, painting wasn’t as popular as it is now, but it’s had a resurgence,’ says Rouy. ‘At the time, it felt like it wasn’t the cool thing to do, but I went through the process over the years, trying to search for what figuration in art meant.’ After graduating in 2015, he was inspired by French, Dutch and medieval paintings in his early figurative works for group shows. A bold, more confrontational portrait…

Taking place beneath the striking dome at Louvre Abu Dhabi, ‘Art Here 2024’, curated by writer and lecturer Simon Njami, showcases the five artworks shortlisted for this year’s Richard Mille Art Prize. Now in its fourth year, the show offers a platform for emerging and established contemporary artists from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and North Africa, underscoring the museum’s dedication to cultural dialogue and innovation via a showcase of the area’s rich creative scene. This year, artists were invited to explore the theme of ‘awakenings’ for their submissions, with each shortlisted artist’s site-specific installation offering a unique interpretation of this concept, their works creating a tangible experience that invites viewers to explore the intricate layers of awareness, openness and vision within the artistic narrative. Meanwhile, the museum’s silvery…

Along the cobbled streets of San Miguel de Allende, vibrant colours seep from every corner; from homes painted in bright shades of blue and red, and doorways framed with marigolds, to La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, a 17th-century church with a dusty pink neo-Gothic façade created in 1880 by self-taught architect Zeferino Gutiérrez. Bright hues can be found in less obvious places, too: a sunny yellow courtyard tucked behind old wooden doors or, hidden deep inside a former convent, a geometric mural by Mexican painter David Alfaro Siqueiros. Even the sky seems a richer shade of blue. ‘It wasn’t always this colourful,’ says Daniel Valero, founder of local design studio Mestiz. ‘San Miguel has been through different phases, from being a prominent city, before independence, to a ghost town,’…

Asprey asprey.com Astell & Kern astellnkern.com Bang & Olufsen bang-olufsen.com Bottega Veneta bottegaveneta.com Burberry burberry.com Celine celine.com Chanel chanel.com Church’s church-footwear.com Coach coach.com Completedworks completedworks.com Dior dior.com Dunhill dunhill.com Falke falke.com Fila Plus fila-plus.com Givenchy givenchy.com Gucci gucci.com Isabel Marant isabelmarant.com Jimmy Choo jimmychoo.com Lanvin lanvin.com Lindberg lindberg.com Loewe loewe.com Louis Vuitton louisvuitton.com Marshall marshall.com McQueen by Seán McGirr alexandermcqueen.com Meze Audio mezeaudio.com MM6 maisonmargiela.com Numeroventuno by Alessandro Dell’Acqua numeroventuno.com Paula Rowan paularowan.com Prada prada.com Rabanne rabanne.com Roberto Cavalli robertocavalli.com Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello ysl.com Valentino valentino.com Valentino Garavani valentino.com Versace versace.com…

Photography: Neil Godwin at Future Studios for Wallpaper* Art direction: Sophie Gladstone Balancing act A table lamp offers an illuminating ode to the joys of childhood Putting together our annual issue that celebrates the next generation of talent, we were charmed by Matthew McCormick’s first table lamp, which the Vancouver designer has named after his son Ben. McCormick is better known for his large-scale lighting sculptures that cascade down stairwells and light up grand lobbies, so ‘Ben’ is an altogether more intimate object, as befits the youngster behind its inspiration. The hand-carved stone bases, available in marble or Roman travertine, are topped by a blown glass globe. The precarious angle of the different elements mimics Ben’s penchant for balancing objects, and the resulting form has a gentle incline, not unlike…

‘We have to inspire people to understand that they can bring their own vision to the workbench more than just taking over the workshop from their father’ The relationship between craft and design can be tumultuous. To many people, craft preserves the past, while design forges the future. And yet, in the past decade, we have witnessed an overwhelming resurgence in the practice of craft in the field of design. As the consequences of our globalised, homogenised and rampantly commercial behaviours become ever-more evident, we are re-evaluating the potential of craft, not just as a substitute for our wanton ways, but as a solution for our ignominious ills. The power of mind, hand and material meeting the needs of people in time and place is the original purpose of both…

Gino Sarfatti’s ‘Model 600’ lamp has a hacky sack for a base, and we have long admired this idiosyncratic component for combining cheery charm with perfect performance. Filled with lead pellets, it needs only a nudge or a thud to achieve any desired position, and is endlessly satisfying to prod absent-mindedly while lost in a Zoom call. Sarfatti designed the ‘Model 600’ in 1966, the same year that Bottega Veneta was founded in Vicenza. So there’s a pleasing full circle-ness to the news that the Italian fashion house has partnered with Flos on a special edition of Sarfatti’s lamp. For anyone who needs reminding, the ‘Model 600’ was originally manufactured by Arteluce, the lighting company Sarfatti founded in 1939, and subsequently sold to Flos in 1973. What’s new and noteworthy…

Architecture studio 31/44 often works with tight, underused or unloved urban plots, transforming them into homes that stand out, but don’t shout out their genius. Six Columns, in south east London, is a case in point, and one so expertly executed that it has just won RIBA House of the Year 2024, the UK’s most prestigious accolade in the field. Flagged back in 2016 in our Architects’ Directory for its flair as an emerging firm, the studio has since gone from strength to strength, picking up a Manser Medal and numerous RIBA awards over the years. But winning RIBA House of the Year is more than just another feather in the studio’s cap. Conceived and designed as practice co-founder William Burges’ own home, it’s a personal and richly layered project…