© herbert bayer - postcard no. 11 for the bauhaus exhibition in weimar [1923]

the biggest bauhaus exhibition in the u.k. in the past few decades is currently on at the barbican art gallery. elaborating on the movement's expressionist beginnings to a pioneering model uniting art and technology, this showcase presents its utopian vision to change society in the aftermath of the first world war. the show explores the diverse artistic production that made up its turbulent 14-year history and delves into the subjects at the heart of the school: art, culture, life, politics and society, and the changing technology of the age. on display is a rich array of painting, sculpture, design, architecture, film, photography, textiles, ceramics, theatre and installation by various bauhaus creatives such as martin gropius, ludwig mies von der rohe and lászló moholy-nagy, in addition to works by lesser-known bauhaus artists and students. a special events program is launched alongside the exhibition [on through aug 12]. location: silk street [city].

© josef albers - set of four stacking tables [c. 1927]

© cos - first store in italy

after launching a rather stunning pop-up store at last month's salone del mobile a pre-taster, swedish fashion brand cos opens a permanent foothold in downtown milan. the store measures a spacious 400 sqm. spread over three floors, and is the first of a series of store openings in major cities across italy. the shop interior is similar to other cos stores, featuring minimal design in a light colour scheme that's typically scandinavian. the new store carries the brand's complete men's + women's apparel, accessories and shoe collections. location: corso venezia 5 [duomo].

© cos - scandinavian shop interior

© daniel mirer - blue door, columbus, ohio

photographer daniel mirer hails from new york but currently resides in the netherlands. his new show architorspace opens at amsterdam's gallery vassie on sat - may 26 [3pm-6pm], and is an exploration of architecture and its interior spaces. they're examples of the uneasiness one experiences in enclosed public environments. these environments are transitional spaces, junctures between rooms and corridors, and usually indeterminate places designed without a determined use. the hallways and corridors are areas that are particularly banal and evoke a feeling of familiarity. they reveal no history, identity or specific functionality, yet have become so common in post-industrial society. location: langestraat 47 [centrum].

© daniel mirer - record explosion and yellow building, columbus, ohio

kyle field, nathaniel russell and alia shawkat are three artists from california who explore the literal and abstracted meanings of a greeting. their group show greetings, opening at brachfeld gallery on thu - may 24 [6pm-10pm] is a multimedia showcase. the trio will many pieces on display that were created back home, but also a series that have especially been created for this show in france during an intensive creative residency in a medieval village in burgundy during the weeks leading up to the opening. as said, they explore the implications of the concepts behind greetings while existing and creating as foreigners in an unfamiliar setting. during this time they'll also realize the collaborative musical experience that will be performed at the opening event. field has been performing and recording for years under the name little wings while russell plays and records music under the name birds of america and shawkat has recently been performing jazz standards in both new york and los angeles. location: 78 rue des archives [marais].

© brachfeld gallery

© alexander wang / jonathan leijonhufvud - kicking off a major expansion in asia

popular with fashion crowds around the planet, alexander wang could open up shop just about anywhere. but after opening his very first store in new york last year, the designer wisely turns to the booming far east for expansion, launching a second flagship in beijing. the store measures a grand 565 sqm. spread over two floors of a modern structure in swanky sanlitun village, the chinese capital's nucleus of high-end lifestyle. the design of the retail space is a collab of wang and paris-based architect joseph dirand, and in terms of aesthetics it's pretty much an extrapolation of the new york flagship store's sleek concept, featuring a strong focus on raw materials with an emphasis on marble and bronze used in sculptural statements. upon entering shoppers are greeted by the strong elements of these raw materials that create striking statements with a monolithic marble wall cut from one stone and bearing the resemblance to a rorschach inkblot test. marble reappears in the staircase that is between one polished bronze and one mirrored wall.

a mirrored bronze sculptural prism bisects the upper floor, along with angular walls embedded with multi-faceted bronze shelving. except for a 1950s vintage de sede black leather sofa on the ground level, all furniture and fixtures are customized, such as the blackened bronze bars, infinity tables of marble plates framed in blackened bronze, and a concrete sofa with goat hair and a leather ottoman with straps. the new store carries the brand's entire men's + women's collections, in addition to the recently launched objects collection. needless to say that with a fashion brand as sought after as alexander wang, the invite to the store opening party was beijing's hottest ticket of the month. held in an underground parking right below the new store, it pulled a mixed crowd of celebs, including zoe kravitz and her beau penn badgley, top model du juan and rockband the super vc. none other than diplo and a$ap rocky flew in for exclusive gigs while deejays paul devro and wordy spinned records. location: sanlitun village north, 11 sanlitun lu, building 3, shop 15-25 [sanlitun]. 

© alexander wang / jonathan leijonhufvud - edgy new york glam arrives in beijing

it's not only the stunning blue shade - yes, our fav colour! - but also the military style that makes us lust after closed's malibu blue jacket. made of rugged cotton canvas, it's a pretty versatile piece that goes with almost anything and allows us to transition from sporty to an occasion that requires one to dress it up a few notches. closed's malibu blue jacket will be available from the end of next month at the brand's own shops and various multibrand stores across the planet, including american rag [los angeles], nida [san francisco], start [london], le bon marché [paris] and c-clad [seoul].

© closed - that's right, you're looking at your new jacket.

keep your eyes peeled for the soon to launch cultizm x april77 co-designed denim project. dedicated to delivering the worlds finest jeans, founders of both companies have decided to come together on this unique collaboration. the results? an all new joey american white selvedge and the dictator american red selvedge. while both models will be made of the finest cone denim, the dictator will feature a 13.5 oz fabric from 100% cotton, the joey model will be made of a mixed fabric of 93% cotton, 6% polyester and 1% spandex and weigh in at 11oz. stay tuned for more info...

© moncler - bonjour cannes!

now this is what we call excellent timing! with the eyes of the world set on the pack of celebs that have descended upon sunny cannes for the annual film festival, moncler has launched its newest store there as part of an ambitious global expansion. nestled on a prestigious downtown thoroughfare, the store measures 77 sqm. and features an interior of french boiserie in carved wood with embossed floral motifs for the walls and honey-coloured marble floors, crafted by paris-based design practice gilles & boissier. the store carries moncler's men’s, women’s and accessories lines, in addition to the moncler gamme rouge, moncler gamme bleu and moncler grenoble collections. location: 14 boulevard de la croisette [downtown].

© moncler - winter-proof moncler trophies

© converse - green bike anyone?

converse spices up cityscapes across europe with its latest creative campaign. dubbed just add colour, it recently amsterdam's scenic canal district with a dash of colour. the campaign is an eclectic mix of the brand's key visuals and edgy street art, presented in the context of a guerilla art showcase at iconic city locations. in a number of cities local street artists will be invited to participate in the showcase and make their mark.

© converse - colour injected inner city

© bernard delettrez - the pop-up store at le bon marché

a pop-up store full of innovative high-end bling recently opened at le bon marché, one of the leading department stores in paris. for this special showcase, appropriately dubbed les nouveaux portés to demonstrate a different approach to jewellery and wearing jewellery, a string of top designers were invited to display their finest. taking center stage at the pop-up is italian master bernard delettrez whose latest collection is a renewed celebration of nature and its many intricate creatures, captured in designs of precious metals and gems. the other participating designers are repossi, as29, alexandre vauthier and aurélie bidermann [on through jun 2]. location: 24 rue de sèvres [st.-germain].

© bernard delettrez - strikingly unusual bling