Every two weeks, T&C puts together an assortment of the best design news and happenings— everything from interior projects that pique our interest to auctions of note, and must-have products on the market.

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Vladimir Kagan’s First-Ever Chair and Table Get a Second Life

The first designs that Vladimir Kagan, the mid-century modern American furniture designer who was inducted into Design Magazine’s Designer Hall of Fame in 2009, produced were for his parent’s home in 1947: one chair, one table. The angular chair was outfitted with a leather face and headrest with a wooden back and legs that slightly protruded outward. The wooden desk table echoed the chair’s shape but had legs that resembled a Narwhal’s horn. These versions were the first of his designs to hit the market, and in 1948, made them available at the first Kagan store on the Upper East Side in New York City but were phased out by 1950.

Vladimir Kagan, who died in 2016, was a maestro of mid-century modern furniture design. He was known to use organically sculpted wood. Interestingly, these two original designs were more angular than his other works, suggesting the designer’s progression.

Almost 75 years later, Kagan’s apprentice, Chris Eitel, the director of design and product at Vladimir Kagan Design Group, is bringing these original designs back to life. In partnership with Holly Hunt, Eitel has given these designs a slight facelift. The silhouette of the chairs remains the same, but one iteration offers armrests. The table has lost the “horns” and instead is simplified by only featuring wood.

The collection is now available on hollyhunt.com.

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L.A. Happenings: Michael Kors Moves In On Rodeo Drive, Tiffany’s Take’s Over the Beverly Estate for One Night

Los Angeles is busy. Last Friday, Tiffany’s celebrated the launch of its Blue Book 2024 Celeste Collection at the Beverly Estate in Los Angeles, California. Household names like Anya Taylor-Joy, Gal Gadot, Reese Witherspoon, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley came together in the famed home to toast to Tiffany’s latest collection of high jewelry: a celebration of Jean Schlumberger’s fascination with celestial motifs.

And, if that weren’t buzzy enough, there’s a new retail destination worth visiting: Michael Kors has just opened a 1,500-square-foot store at 242 N. Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

“Beverly Hills is one of the few places in the world where you can get the speed of big-city life blended with a resort-like glamour,” Kors says. “From the impressive architecture to restaurants, world-class people-watching and shopping, it has the best of everything… Rodeo Drive is a very special place for me personally, as my family moved to Beverly Hills back in the ’70s and the street has always been an epicenter of luxury and glamour.”

The residential feeling of Michael Kors’s new store is the first of its type for the brand. This is seen in the intimate setting and additional design elements such as added lounging furniture and resting stools.

From the design front, the space feels equal parts luxury shopping experience and cozy residential. There’s a mix of materials, such as blackened steel, raw concrete brass, and Calacatta marble with warm textiles in neutral hues. From the shopping front, well, that’s boundless: the recent Spring/Summer 2024 collection will be available to shop, as well as signature pieces.

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So Long, Venice Biennale; Hello, Frieze New York!

This past month, art and design enthusiasts ping-ponged between Milan for Salone and Venice for the 60th annual Venice Biennale. Highlights from the Biennale (which was curated by Adriano Pedrosa, the Brazilian curator and artistic director of the São Paulo Museum of Art) include a Maria Taniguchi exhibit from Silverlens Gallery, Frank Auerbach’s exhibition at the Palazzo da Mosto, and the first-ever Benin Pavillion featuring artists Hazoumè, Quenum, Akpo, and Bello.

Presented by Max Levai, Frank Auerbach: Starting Again marks a return to the city in which Frank Auerbach won the Golden Lion at the Biennale in 1986.

That artistic energy is making its way to New York from May 1 through May 5 for Frieze New York. Led by Christine Messineo, the fair will present over 60 leading galleries at The Shed. Solo exhibitions include Alex Katz, Sterling Ruby, Elias Sime, and Haegue Yang. Additionally, Issey Miyake will debut as a Frieze Week Partner, celebrating the US launch of their brand A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit frieze.com.

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Three Questions With… Jean Lin of Colony

This month Jean Lin, the owner and curator behind the design co-op Colony, is looking back and moving forward simultaneously. To begin, she’s just moved into a brand-new retail space in Tribeca after being headquartered at the bustling 324 Canal Street. Lin, as a New Yorker does, threw a party to celebrate, complete with a dancing lion show and a line outside the door of people waiting to partake in the celebrations. “I’m terrible with change. So up until the party, I was like ‘yeah, this is weird.’ But it’s good now,” she says. Reflections seem to come naturally with change, and with that in mind, Lin is releasing her first book, What We Keep, which will feature profiles of designers, artists, and other creatives who have inspired Lin as well as photography by Brooke Holm.

After 10 years at their Canal Street location, Colony recently found a new home in Tribeca.

T&C: Why the title What We Keep? It implies sentimental thought.

Lin: I love this question. The original version of the introduction was twice as long and in it, I talk about how my ex-boyfriend and I moved a lot. Every time we moved, we went through this ritual of what we got rid of and what we kept. I realized this is something we all go through, whether that’s transitioning from young adulthood to adulthood, to becoming the people we are today. It’s not just about designers or aesthetically driven people. It’s about every time you move and change and what objects you choose to come with you. While this book is very personal, it also feels very universal.

T&C: Who are the people featured and why them? What have you learned from them?

Lin: Many are good friends who have been collaborators. Some are people that I thought were interesting. Some of them are just icons that exist in design, like Mira Nakashima. They each represent my understanding of the industry and world we inhabit. Even though the book is a wide net of creatives, I do think there’s a greater understanding of each other and their roles, and a deep respect for how they contribute to a beautiful world.

T&C: What do you keep?

Lin: Boxes. It’s not something purposeful, I just find them delightful and beautiful. No matter if it’s china, or porcelain, or woodwork. They are telling of the era they are from, the purpose they served, and the person that made them.