THE PLAY’S THE THING: Despite her formidable workload as Dior’s artistic director of women’s collections, Maria Grazia Chiuri is moonlighting with a personal project: restoring a historic theater in her hometown of Rome.
The Teatro della Cometa, or Comet Theater, went dark during the pandemic and the designer purchased the 250-seat, horseshoe-shaped venue in order to give it a second life.
“I want to renovate this little theater because it’s an important part of the history of Rome, and I hope that next year it will be finished,” Chiuri told WWD. “It has a beautiful history, and there’s also a link with New York.”
She characterized the investment as “something to give back to my city, which I really love and also because it’s a creative project.”
The designer lamented that performance spaces can be overlooked by tourists in a city rich in historical monuments, and also by locals because there is so much entertainment content now available on streaming services.
“I think theater is something very important because it’s a forum for creativity, and a forum for the public to gather around it,” she said.
As for the renovation, “I didn’t expect that it would be so intense. Because to renovate a theater is something very complex, especially in Rome because we have very strict restrictions for all the buildings. The complexity is crazy, but I’m very happy.” — MILES SOCHA
HOW AMUSING: They brought their kids to the amusement park.
Actor Jason Sudeikis and artist Nikolai Haas with his wife, stylist Djuna Bel, were among those who took their sons and daughters out for a night of attractions on Thursday in Los Angeles. But it was no ordinary park.
For the first time in nearly four decades — since 1987 — Luna Luna came back to life. Unveiled in Hamburg, Germany, the park showcases rides and games crafted by world-renowned artists, from Salvador Dalí to Jean-Michel Basquiat. André Heller is behind the original project, creating two attractions himself (an inflatable piece that housed a cafe and playful wedding chapel) and commissioning the likes of Basquiat, Keith Haring and David Hockney for a “museum of the future.” And that’s exactly what it’s become.
Guests, munching on popcorn and corndogs, wandered through the 60,000-square-foot space admiring the art, posing with roaming performers and learning about the rebuilding of the rides (which are in fact not for riding, though some are in motion). It’s a fantastical lineup: there’s a Ferris wheel by Basquiat, a carousel by Haring, an “enchanted tree” forest pavilion by Hockney, a Dalí mirrored funhouse (designed for the 1939 New York World’s Fair), a Sonia Delaunay archway and a Kenny Scharf wave swinger. Scharf, born and now residing in L.A., was among the VIP visitors, who included artists Martine Syms, Jonas Wood and Maripol, as well as actor Shay Mitchell, singer Giveon and photographer Catherine Opie.
There’s another big-name — and a surprising one — behind Luna Luna’s revival. Rapper-actor Drake invested in its restoration with his entertainment company DreamCrew, for a reported $100 million. Something Special Studios’ Michael Goldberg, chief experience officer at Luna Luna, is among the partners with Anthony Gonzales, Daniel McClean and Justin Wills. Helen Molesworth acted as curatorial adviser and Lumi Tan as curatorial director.
The story goes that Luna Luna has been in Texas all this time, sitting in storage inside 44 shipping containers. It was meant to travel to California after Germany years ago but due to a dispute it was left and forgotten — until now.
Dubbed “the world’s first art amusement park,” the experience returns as “Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy” in L.A. It’s located just east of downtown at 1601 East 6th Street and open now through spring 2024, with tickets found at lunaluna.com. — RYMA CHIKHOUNE
BONDI BOUND: Australian womenswear brand Dissh has opened a store in Bondi, near Bondi Beach in Sydney.
The 1,292-square-foot boutique is the brand’s seventh Dissh location, all of which are located in Australia. The shop is designed in collaboration with Brahman Perera, one of Australia’s leading interior designers, and the Dissh store design team. They worked closely with an environmental consultant and every element has sustainability at its forefront, from the building processes to the responsibly sourced materials and the store’s 100 percent renewable energy contract.
Eighty-five percent of the furniture is second hand, reclaimed or sustainability sourced. Changing rooms feature smart lighting, allowing customers to play with different moods during their try-on sessions. The custom ceramic flute wall scones are made by Melbourne artist Sarah Nedovic.
Dissh, whose owner and director is Lucy Henry-Hicks, is owned, run and led by women. The brand is known for its feminine silhouettes and easy-going pieces that reflect its Aussie roots. Dissh offers clothing and accessories. — LISA LOCKWOOD
SINGAPORE OPENING: Purple, the global public relations firm that’s now part of the Together Group, has expanded into Singapore with an office and a team of six at the heart of the city state’s Central Business District.
As the second branch in Asia after Hong Kong, the Singapore location is dedicated to providing physical support for Purple’s global clients in Southeast Asia, as well as securing more clients spanning hospitality, design, fashion, beauty and wellness within the market who are focused on building their brand in Singapore and the surrounding region.
Fergus Lawlor, chief executive officer of Purple, which was founded 25 years ago in London, said Asia has always been an exciting market for the firm.
“We have been operating in Hong Kong since 2019, and post-COVID-19 we have seen that office grow exponentially. With our Hong Kong office acting as our regional head, Singapore is the next natural, logical step for business growth,” Lawlor said.
Laura Derry Southwood, Asia Pacific managing director at Purple, said the company has built a team that is adept in the Singapore market but also is equipped with knowledge and expertise in South East Asian markets like Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
“We have had an arm’s-length presence in the market for some time now so that when the time came to officially launch our office, we had already built a strong track record of results and can demonstrate strong credentials and client case studies,” she added.
Singapore is the public relations firm’s sixth global location after London, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Miami. — TIANWEI ZHANG
