CULTURE

In the latest chapter in his ongoing relationship with the Paris National Opera, Christian Lacroix has designed the costumes for “Le Palais de Cristal,” a ballet by George Balanchine first created in 1947, which is being reprised in May, says WWD. Fo... READ MORE

Christian Dior is celebrating its visual heritage with an exhibition called “The Legendary Images: Great Photographers and Dior.” The show, scheduled to run from May 3rd through September 21st at the Christian Dior Museum in Granville, France, will d... READ MORE

Bulgari has pledged to invest $2 million into restoring Rome's famous Spanish Steps. The project, slated to begin in 2015, will work to restore the iconic Italian landmark after Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi asked for private investors to help ... READ MORE

Japanese designer Issey Miyake will showcase his creations as part of “Gathering: from domestic craft to contemporary process,” an exhibition of contemporary designers curated by trend forecaster Li Edelkoort that will go on show at the Design Museum... READ MORE

Jil Sander celebrated its Jil Bag with an exhibition at the company’s flagship store in Milan. Organized in collaboration with the Italian edition of Flair magazine, the exhibition, called “An artistic interpretation of artisanal excellence,” collect... READ MORE

Ann Demeulemeester, who dispatched a hand-written letter last November to reveal her exit from fashion, is now working on a book. The hardcover Rizzoli tome, written by the Belgian designer and with an introduction by musician Patti Smith, is due out... READ MORE

Giorgio Armani renews his bond with cinema through a project involving six prestigious international film schools. Each team created a short film capturing the distinct beauty of their metropolis using the Frames of Life eyewear collection as a ‘filt... READ MORE

The Gucci Museo in Florence is aiming to reach a global online audience. A new website, GucciMuseo.com, has now launchd and is translated into eight languages. It is divided into three sections: The Archive, Gucci and the Arts, and The Museo. Social ... READ MORE

Karl Lagerfeld has signed a deal to help design a 270-room hotel in Macau, southern China. The Chanel helmer said that the hotel would be "kind of 19th-century style, but I want it modern at the same time". The 20-storey tower is set to open in 2017... READ MORE

Hermès has partnered with the United States Equestrian Federation Inc., the sport’s national governing body. Hermès is now the title sponsor of the U.S. Show Jumping Team, which will compete with Hermès products for the first time on March 28th at th... READ MORE

Raf Simons has followed in the footsteps of Karl Lagerfeld, Carine Roitfeld and Valentino by inviting a film crew into the Christian Dior atelier to follow to creation of his debut couture collection for the storied French fashion house. Entitled Di... READ MORE

Dries Van Noten has laid bare his inspirations in an exhibition at Les Arts Décoratifs in Paris. The showcase, which opens Saturday for a six-month run, groups blue-chip artworks, fashion treasures from the Paris museum’s archive, and other objects f... READ MORE