+++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++ NEWS +++
Jimmy Choo at Palazzo Gallarati Scotti
3 August 2026 — Sandra Choi built the new collection around boots, declaring her aim to expand the scope of design—specifically, to “dress” the leg. The lineup ranges from the Caly OTK 85 (an over-the-knee style) to the Biker KB. The accompanying sandals and pumps—such as the Coko 100 with handmade flowers or the Issy Pump 50 with an oversized bow—feel more like accessories than standalone statements. The Cinch bag is presented in versions featuring printed leather and herringbone fabric; the collection also includes the Bar bag line. The advertising campaign featuring Africa Garcia (photographed by Francesc Planes) was shot at Palazzo Gallarati Scotti—the very same Milanese palace where the presentation took place. The brand plays up this choice by drawing a parallel with the building’s architecture: Baroque on the outside and modernist on the inside. London design brought to life by Florentine artisans. In essence, the focus on boots is a commercially conservative move disguised as a bold, trend-driven decision, given that boots sell exceptionally well regardless of the season or climate.
Locarno: 17 Films, 7,759 Submissions, and the Challenge of “Discovering” New Talent
1 August 2026 —The 79th Locarno Film Festival, running from August 5 to 15, has selected 17 films for its main competition (with a total of 223 films—including 103 world premieres—screening across various sections). However, the truly significant figure is 7,759: the number of submissions received this year, marking an increase of nearly 22% over the previous year. This suggests that while films are being produced in vast quantities, the number of festivals capable of hosting them is not keeping pace.
The inclusion of Korean director Hong Sang-soo with “Nowhere to Lay My Eyes” and Canadian director Denis Côté with “Nobody’s Violence” speaks volumes about Locarno’s current identity. Neither filmmaker needs to be “discovered” by the public; both work at a scale and pace that often find no room at larger festivals. They will be joined by Lê Bảo with “Hearing”—a co-production involving nine countries—and Basil da Cunha with “O Jacaré”. The Piazza Grande lineup also features stars such as Isabelle Huppert and Diane Kruger in Marc Fitoussi’s “All About Corinne”, as well as Caleb Landry Jones in Peter Brunner’s “Down the Arm of God”. Out of competition, Albert Serra will present a documentary about Ingrid Caven. Honorary awards will be presented to Darren Aronofsky, Isabella Rossellini, Asia Argento, and James Gray.
Gagosian quits Basel and London
31 July 2026 — In June we reported from Art Basel that Marc Glimcher had declared the mega-gallery model “beyond repair” and Pace cutting artists and staff, pivoting to the secondary market, a gallery that once aspired to infinite scale deliberately making itself smaller. Six weeks later the pattern has a second name.
Gagosian is leaving Rheinsprung 1 in Basel, opened in 2019 as an Art Basel pop-up and kept year-round for seventeen exhibitions, the last assembled to complement its fair stand this June. It has also given up Burlington Arcade in London. The gallery is not retreating though: Grosvenor Hill and Davies Street remain, and a major Magritte show opens in September. Zwirner, meanwhile, is vacating the Upper East Side townhouse it has held since 2017. Arne Glimcher told the New York Times he had always thought the whole thing unsupportable. What is happening now is the infrastructure of the boom years being measured against a market that grew four percent after two years of decline.
Venice 2026: fewer studios, fewer streamers, and almost no women
24 July 2026 — The Lido runs 2–12 September with a competition visibly lighter on studio and streaming titles than in recent years — the same recalibration Cannes performed in May, now confirmed by the second of the two festivals that set the terms.
Lee Chang-dong returns after eight years with “Possible Love”, Hirokazu Kore-eda adapts the manga “Look Back”, Werner Herzog brings “Bucking Fastard” with the Mara sisters, Nanni Moretti comes back to Venice at last. McDonagh’s “Wild Horse Nine”, set before the 1973 Chilean coup, and Zeller’s “Bunker”supply the red carpet. Of twenty competition films, one is directed by a woman — May El-Toukhy’s “Woman Unknown”. Last year it was six of twenty-one. The out-of-competition documentary strand skews the same way. Maggie Gyllenhaal presides over the jury.