The $96 Million de Gunzburg Collection Just Set a New Bar for Design at Auction
The Lalanne works alone generated $64.7 million, reshaping expectations for the global design market in the process.
A Theater Lover’s Guide to London’s West End
Where to book the tickets, land the table and enjoy it all, all within a few blocks of London’s busiest stages.
In Chelsea, Canal 47 and Max Levai Are Betting On Collaboration
As the economics of running a gallery grow more demanding, cooperation is replacing competition as the operating logic for a new generation of dealers.
Business
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The Swedish Moment: How Design Is Powering Unicorn Growth
As A.I. lowers the barriers to building products and investors demand greater discipline, Pond Design’s Johanna Augustin argues that Sweden’s design-first mindset is offering a model that companies worldwide are only beginning to understand.
MrBeast Taps His Mom for Wedding Loan as He Reinvests All Earnings in Business
The YouTube star says his focus on reinvesting profits into Beast Industries leaves little room for personal spending, even for his own wedding.
Victoria Beckham Turns Around Her Fashion Brand After Years of Losses
After a long stretch of losses, Beckham says her namesake business is finally thriving, seeing double-digit revenue growth. The former Spice Girl says she is building a legacy, not a vanity project.
Anne Wojcicki on 23andMe’s Second Life
After a data breach and collapse, Anne Wojcicki is rebuilding 23andMe as a nonprofit aimed at democratizing large-scale genetic research.
Legendary Educator Esther Wojcicki and Former Student Launch $10M A.I. Health Fund
Esther Wojcicki and Mary Minno unveil a new fund and residency program to help academic founders build A.I. health care startups.
Art
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A Museum-Quality Pink Gold Patek Philippe Reference 1518 Will Hit the Block This June
The top lot in Phillips’ New York Watch Auction: XIV is fresh to market and previously unknown, with a high estimate of $2.4 million.
Diane Keaton’s Collection Heads to Bonhams, Revealing a Life Shaped by Singular Taste
Spanning fashion, film memorabilia and fine art, the series of four sales will paint an intimate portrait of one of Hollywood’s most distinctive creative minds.
One Fine Show: “Modern Art and Politics in Germany 1910-1945” at the Minneapolis Institute of Art
This time period has much to teach us, especially when it comes to the nefarious mingling of art and politics.
The Best New Discoveries of Milan Art Week 2026
At both miart and Paris Internationale, next-generation talents pushed painting, sculpture and installation art into unstable yet compelling territory.
How MEGA Art Fair Became Milan Art Week’s Social Club
“We are still an art fair and sales matter, but we are also trying to build a different kind of connection between galleries and audiences,” founder and art advisor Mattia Pozzoni told Observer.
Lifestyle
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At Kyoto’s Imperial Hotel, a New Stay in a Historic Space
One of Japan’s most storied hospitality brands debuts its first property in Kyoto.
The 10 Best Men’s Suits for a Relaxed, Well-Dressed Spring
Soft shoulders, natural fabrics and generous cuts have replaced the structured skinny suit as menswear’s default. Here are 10 worth buying right now.
The Best Destinations for a Foodie-Focused Mother-Daughter Trip Out West
From wine country mainstays to desert dining, here’s where to go for a culinary-focused girls’ trip out West.
Old Meets New at Bar Ferdinando, as a Carroll Gardens Classic Enters Its Next Chapter
In the former home of Ferdinando’s Focacceria, Sal Lamboglia blends legacy dishes with a new all-day format that runs from coffee to cocktails.
The Thoughtful Luxury Beauty Gifts for Mother’s Day
From caviar-infused creams to sculpting tools and luxury lipsticks, these are the Mother’s Day beauty gifts that go beyond the usual rotation of candles and last-minute buys.
Interviews
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How 1% for the Planet CEO Kate Williams Drives Corporate Giving Amid Nonprofit Crunch
Kate Williams is expanding 1% for the Planet, co-founded by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, driving record corporate donations worldwide.
Lukas Amacher Is Building a Chatbot for the Art World
The next time you scan a QR code at an opening, you may find yourself conversing with a digital docent.
At Edinburgh’s Lyla, Stuart Ralston Extends Hospitality Upstairs
The chef has added four rooms above his Michelin-starred restaurant, turning a long dinner into a short walk upstairs.
Jean Cooney Is Back at Creative Time and Ready to Take New Risks
She has built a career around staging impossible projects in improbable places.
Charles Chemin Has Been Training to Lead Watermill His Whole Life
“I feel lucky. To prolong a 42-year-long, almost filial relation and 33 years of work companionship in a form of artistic dialogue beyond death is a chance that very few people get.”
Power Lists
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Observer New Media Power List: Call for Submissions
Nominations are open for Observer’s 2026 New Media Power List
The 50 Most Powerful PR Firms of 2026
This year’s honorees are emblematic of a notable shift in public relations from responsive publicity to proactive leadership in the moments that matter most.
Wall-to-Wall Cultural Capital: Inside Observer’s Art Power Index Party
Under the dim lights of the Lower East Side’s Maison Nur, art world luminaries gathered to celebrate Observer’s Art Power Index—and each other. From the impassioned speeches to the sharp tailoring and Damien Hirst over the bar, the evening embodied our legacy of chronicling power with style.
2025 Nightlife & Dining Power Index
Humanity is still the most vital ingredient in hospitality, and that isn’t changing anytime soon.
Observer’s 2025 Art Power Index: The Art Market’s Most Influential People
Their acquisitions, affinities and approbations move the needle on valuation and redefine how art is made, shown and sold.
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Apple’s New CEO John Ternus Faces Test Leading Former Rivals and Senior Peers
Apple selects longtime executive John Ternus as its new CEO, signaling continuity while facing challenges in A.I. and breakthrough products.
Why Robots Observe, But Humans Still Decide
As data centers scale and autonomous systems become more common, Micropolis Robotics’ Alexander Rugaev unpacks an operational boundary: machines can observe, but not decide. Robots are increasingly present, but critical judgment remains firmly human.
Are Companies’ A.I. Ambitions on a Collision Course With Their Sustainability Goals?
GaiaLens’ Seb Kirk examines a growing tension at the heart of corporate innovation. As companies accelerate A.I. adoption, rising energy demands and infrastructure costs are beginning to strain sustainability commitments, exposing a gap between ambition and operational reality.
Paris Internationale Expands to Milan, Testing New Ground
Paris Internationale’s first edition in Milan drew a mix of curiosity and confidence, with early sales and strong participation suggesting opportunity, even as galleries weighed what a second fair might mean for Milan’s evolving ecosystem.
What Happens When a Sitter Hates Their Portrait?
The best portrait painters are part artist, part diplomat and part psychologist—and even then, there are no guarantees.
miart’s Three-Tier Experiment Reflects a Changing Milan
At its 30th edition, miart spread galleries across three floors in a move that unsettled some exhibitors while sharpening distinctions between its offerings. The fair’s mix of modern and contemporary work, steady sales and candid self-assessment revealed a scene still defining its identity, but gaining momentum.
The 14 Executives Now Driving Anthropic’s Future After Its Labs Buildout
Mike Krieger and Ben Mann now head Anthropic Labs as the company reshapes leadership ahead of its high-stakes IPO.
Travel Consciously at California’s Most Sustainably-Driven Hotels
From the coastline to the vineyards, California’s sustainable hotels are rewriting the rulebook on luxury.
Connie Ballmer Gives Record $80M to NPR as Public Media Faces Cuts
Connie Ballmer’s $80 million donation will help fund NPR’s digital strategy as public broadcasters confront funding cuts and uncertain budgets.
Netflix’s Course Correction Under Film Chief Dan Lin As Streaming Reality Sets In
Under film chief Dan Lin, Netflix is dialing back its original movie volume as data reveals TV drives sustained engagement and subscriber retention.
The 10 Most Notable Restaurants Opening in New York City This April
From a multi-venue Midtown complex to the rebirth of a famed focaccia spot, these are New York’s most exciting openings this month.
The Anti-A.I. Aesthetic: Why Brands Are Proving Their Humanity
Getty Images’ Dr. Rebecca Swift unpacks the growing consumer backlash against A.I.-generated imagery in advertising. While generative A.I. continues to reshape creative workflows, audiences are increasingly scrutinizing how visuals are made, rewarding brands that foreground human craft, texture and intentionality.