Fabulous Friday News
- 13 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Wrapping up the week with a global selection of positive news nuggets.
Body Shop
The striking orange breastplate worn by Kim Kardashian at last week’s Met Gala was painted by “none other than the owner of an auto repair shop in Kent”, said The Mirror. Martyn Smith said the outfit’s creators, Keir Malem and Patrick Whitaker, would only tell him that the job was “for a ‘famous person’” - leaving Smith stunned to see photos of Kardashian sporting the breastplate on the red carpet from his home in south east England. “I thought it looked just as good on her as it did the day I finished it, if not better,” he said.
Drive & Listen
A website where you pick any city from more than 100 around the world and drive through it via dashcam footage, with the local radio station playing in the background.
Keynote Surprise
The recent commencement ceremony at North Carolina State’s Wilson College of Textiles came with a surprise for graduates that had them standing and cheering. They learned that any student loans taken out for their final year of school would be covered by none other than their keynote speaker, Anil Kochhar. During the address, the philanthropist announced that he and his wife, Marilyn Kochhar, were giving the gift in honor of his late father, Prakash Chand Kochhar. Prakash moved to Raleigh from India to earn his bachelor’s degree in textile manufacturing from NC State in 1950 and his master’s degree from the same program in 1952. “Marilyn and I hope that all of you leave Reynolds Coliseum today not only with a degree but with greater freedom to pursue your goals, take risks, and build the lives you’ve worked so hard to achieve.”
3 Savile Row
The Beatles are headed back to one of the band's most famous sites with a new fan experience in London. Apple Corps Ltd, the company founded by the Fab Four, has announced that it will open a new seven-floor fan experience at the company's early headquarters. The building is the place where the band's Let It Be album was recorded and its rooftop was the site of the Beatles' last public performance in January 1969. The attraction will allow fans access to the rooftop, studios and extensive Beatles archives. “It was such a trip to get back to 3 Savile Row recently and have a look around. There are so many special memories within the walls, not to mention the rooftop. The team have put together some really impressive plans and I’m excited for people to see it when it’s ready,” Paul McCartney said in a statement announcing the attraction.
Inspired by Nature
Many architects are inspired by nature, but few projects have dared to make a nearly manmade replica of its source. The upcoming 595 West Georgia Street, planned for downtown Vancouver, draws influence from sea sponges - specifically, the Venus’ flower basket found primarily in the nearby Pacific Ocean. The result is an exciting building that proves that nature is the greatest architect of them all. With a proposed height of 1,033 feet, it would become Vancouver’s tallest building, standing out in a city known for its glittering skyscrapers overlooking the mountains and the ocean. The sea sponge inspiration will take the form of a diagrid exoskeleton. It will wrap the building and provide much of the supporting structure in an earthquake-prone area, and allow for expansive column-free interiors while minimizing material use.
One of Only Four
It’s likely that if you see this curvaceous two-door coupe on a concours lawn, you might think it to be some 1960s-era Maserati or Alfa Romeo. You’d be wrong. It is, in fact, a Jaguar. Back in 1955, Jaguar experimented with offering bare-bones, rolling-chassis versions of its newly launched XK140 coupe to European coachbuilders. Only 10 of these were supplied, four of which went to Turin’s famous Carrozzeria Ghia. And this red beauty is one of the four examples of the Jaguar XK140 bodied by Carrozzeria Ghia, and it's up for grabs through Mecum Auctions on 16 May with a price estimate of up to $500,000.
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” Audrey Hepburn
On This Day
15 May 1863: The historic Salon des Refusés opened in Paris this day in 1863, following Napoleon III's decree to showcase over 2,800 artworks rejected by the official Salon jury. This landmark exhibition featured prominent avant-garde artists, including Édouard Manet (who famously showed Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe - pictured above), Paul Cézanne and Camille Pissarro. The exhibition became a major cultural event, showing the modern, experimental style that would soon become Impressionism. The event solidified the reputation of the rejected artists and marked a crucial, revolutionary shift in the art world, proving that official, conservative salons no longer dictated artistic value
Today's Articles
Living Roofs: Popularized in the Netherlands, the first US city starts planting green roofs on bus stops.
Mood Boosting Video
Life is Full of Options: But just be careful which button you decide to press.
