The Easel

7th April 2026

In the garden of the surreal

Rachael Garrahan | Ursula | 20th March 2026

Dismissed by Coco Chanel as “that Italian artist who’s making clothes”, Schiaparelli was “one of the most dazzlingly inventive designers of the 20th century”. She had a “comet-like” rise to fashion fame in 1930’s Paris with clothes that were “witty, not just pretty”. Later artistic collaborations – Giacometti, Cocteau, Schlumberger and most frequently Dali – made her an avant-garde figure,  “prescient” according to one writer.. However, as tastes changed after WW2, both surrealism and her business foundered.

How much can we learn from the Shakers today? Many artists and designers are trying to find out

Alexander Luckman | The Architect's Newpaper | 18th February 2026

As a religious group the Shakers have nearly gone, but their material culture still looms large. Seeing work as a kind of prayer, they brought a religious sensibility to everything they made. Tools, clothing and most famously furniture, all display meticulous craftsmanship. Most have an austere design but not all. A plain looking sewing box has a “gorgeous inlaid lid”, exuberant artistry meant only for the user. The Shakers belief in simple durability is, says one writer, significant “for this era of egregious glut and waste”.

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