August News Roundup
Aspen Art Museum by Shigeru Ban, photo courtesy of Bkthomson16.
1.
World-renowned architect Shigeru Ban is best known for his innovative work with wood and paper. His most famous projects include the Centre Pompidou-Metz in Paris, a contemporary art museum with a hexagonal timber roof inspired by a traditional Chinese hat, the Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the Aspen Art Museum, featuring a wood lattice structure. Yet perhaps his most important contribution to the world of architecture is his pioneering humanitarian work designing housing for disaster victims using recycled cardboard tubes. In a recent interview, Ban discusses his relationship with materials and environmental challenges, and offers this philosophical point for designers of every discipline: “Beauty comes from solving problems well, not from adding decoration afterwards.” Read the full interview here.
2.
In the posts I’ve written for Foundational and during conversations with industry leaders on my podcast, Catching the Editor’s Eye, I have frequently discussed the cash flow dilemma that independent labels face. Because the traditional wholesale model demands that designers pay for raw materials and manufacturing upfront, brands are left highly vulnerable to retail bankruptcies and delayed payments.
This issue is once again under the spotlight as a trio of French brands—Marine Serre, Coperni, and Koché—once considered huge success stories fight to stay in business. With Marine Serre and Coperni currently in receivership and Koché operating under a corporate recovery plan since 2024, the situation serves as a stark reminder: Even a brand with a compelling creative vision can falter without financial stability, a strong direct-to-consumer channel, and evergreen carryover products that generate revenue between collections. Learn more about these brands and their challenges here.
Dansk iconic Kobenstyle Chili Red covered casserole in enameled carbon steel, originally designed by Jens Quistgaard in 1956.
3.
While some independent brands struggle to survive, others are returning to their foundational DNA. Earlier this year, Danish-American brand Dansk was rescued from liquidation by Form Portfolios, a firm based in Rhode Island and Copenhagen that preserves the legacies of iconic designers and architects. Founded in 1954, Dansk introduced Americans to Scandinavian modernism, and the idea that everyday homeware should be both beautifully designed as well as functional. This feature outlines how Dansk’s new ownership plans to restore the brand’s original lustre by reestablishing its creative direction firmly back in Copenhagen. Explore the new era of Dansk here.
4.
While millinery is a technical craft slowly disappearing from the modern fashion landscape, Austrian artisan Sassa Ann van Wyk is working hard to preserve its future. Having trained in Paris under the legendary Philip Treacy—where she mastered the art of hand-sewing couture hats and manipulating delicate materials like straw and feathers—van Wyk is now carving out her own space in the industry. As she prepares to open her own studio on Boulevard Voltaire and debut her first showroom, she is intentionally keeping her practice intimate and bespoke. Her focus on slow craftsmanship is a real-world example of how independent creators can bypass mass-market saturation. See Sassa Ann van Wyk’s creations here.
5.
The romantic, dreamy universe that Kyriaki Drakotos has created for her namesake brand is rooted in deeply personal family heritage. Inspired by childhood memories of the hand-embroidered, monogrammed silk robes her mother and aunts imported from Paris to Greece, Drakotos launched her brand in 2019 to celebrate these intimate details. Her signature hand-painted silk scarves feature intricate motifs with a hidden, hand-drawn initial that slowly reveals itself to the wearer, a lovely way of building emotional bonds with her clients. Drakotos is now adapting this intimate brand language to a newly debuted line of fine ceramics, translating her delicate scarf motifs onto heirloom bone china. Discover the world of Kyriaki Drakotos here.
Sassa Ann van Wyk image, Austrian Fashion Association.
