BAD GIRLFRIEND

Marc by Marc Jacobs’ new designers Luella Bartley and Katie Hillier take it to the streets in their first collection with a revolutionary new look.

Inside the New York Times Building at Eighth Avenue and 40th Street, a lot of light is shed. Most of the time, it emanates from the pages of business or world news, but on a good day it shines right through the windows. On the sixth floor, in a corner on the building’s eastern side, a woman patiently waits by her desk to capture it.

There’s a reason that a tiny volcanic island at the edge of the Arctic Circle has produced some mesmerizingly original minds, whether in music (Björk, Sigur Rós), art (Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir), or even food (Siggi’s Skyr). Cloaked in darkness and frigidity for half the year, it’s as if creativity shields Icelanders from their harsh but beautiful home.

Launched in Reykjavík in 2011, the dark, minimalist, leather-heavy womenswear of Kalda represents a bit of a departure from typical Icelandic lines. No patterned woolen sweaters here, just simplicity and a few well-placed details. “I’ve always been attracted to opposites in life,” explains designer Katrin Alda about her process. A black lambskin motorcycle jacket from Spring 2014 sold out almost immediately.

Spend some time this holiday weekend with “Swarmageddon,” a clear-eyed tale of forgiveness and redemption—or the lack thereof. Justin Tyler Keenan’s story is the latest edition of The Last Word, our ongoing series of original short fiction.

For Prabal Gurung, it all goes back to women. “At the onset of every collection, whether it’s fashion or beauty, I ask myself, ‘Who is this woman? Who is the woman wearing these clothes? If this woman was to wear makeup, what would she want?’ It turns out to be more than just the clothes and makeup—it’s the notion she stands for.” The Nepalese design wunderkind has become a household name in the five years since launching his namesake collection, and the success is due in part to his innate understanding of his customers. According to Gurung, the Prabal woman has always been associated with an intelligent and confident worldview, one evident in his sleek silhouettes, refined clientele, and, now, a well-edited beauty collaboration with MAC Cosmetics.

Propagator of the “Superflat” movement, Takashi Murakami treads past his infamous reputation for creating superficial work in his new show at Gagosian in New York.

The young Japanese architect’s enchanting designs challenge our expectations in a new group show at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

It was in the midst of Australia’s financial crisis back in 2008 that artist Benedict dos Remedios decided to make the move from Sydney to New York in search of new beginnings.

With a degree in fine arts from Australia’s National Art School and a collection of work already under his belt, dos Remedios was excited to begin the next chapter of his life. That isn’t to say he wanted to disconnect with his past, but rather to begin exploring a new body of work inspired by the rush of the metropolis.

“I believe in a dialogue between past and present,” explains Carmen March, the creative director of Pedro del Hierro. “It gives an intellectual tension to the collections that feels, somehow, timeless.”

This exchange is evident in the collections helmed by March ever since she joined the Cortefiel Group in 2012, marking a new era for the popular Spanish label.