Latest news with #JackShainmanGallery
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Toyin Ojih Odutola Is Drawing Up Worlds
On the eve of opening 'Ilé Oriaku,' her magisterial new exhibition of large-scale drawings — some more than six feet high, executed with equal bravura and precision in charcoal, pastel, graphite and colored pencil — Toyin Ojih Odutola was touring the show, in Jack Shainman Gallery's downtown space, calling in spirits. 'A point in Nigerian culture that I learned is that there's always ancestors with you,' said Ojih Odutola, who was born in Ilé-Ifè, Nigeria, and raised largely in Alabama. She had paused before a diptych that occupied its own little island on the gallery floor. Titled 'Lẹhin Mgbede (Before + After the Evening's Performance),' it shows characters in varying states of preparation or repose. In the backdrop — ochers and oranges in one panel, arresting pinks in the other — hover spectral faces, like witnesses from beyond. 'There's a saying that whenever you enter a room, it's not just you,' she said. 'It's all of the people who made you, entering with you. And so that's kind of what you see in the background.' Ojih Odutola, 39, is known for both her prodigious technique — her drawings often look like paintings from afar — and for her distinctive subject matter. She devises characters that are loosely based on Nigerian history and society and stages them in speculative, often gender-blurring fictional scenarios. Imagine, for example, two noble families, one Yoruba and one Igbo, united by the same-sex marriage of their scions — an elegant transgression that she developed in her breakout Whitney Museum exhibition in 2017. Or there was the conceit for her series 'Satellite,' at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 2022: A technologist in a future Lagos joins a service to remedy 'self-forgetfulness' and finds themselves in introspective dialogue with a ghostly spirit. With 'Ilé Oriaku' — in this presentation, some 31 drawings made in the last two years — Ojih Odutola is showing what is arguably her most personal work yet, and also the most plural. Personal, because its prompt was the artist's grief after the death of her grandmother in 2023; the exhibition includes a rare self-portrait, a portrait of her grandmother and a few lines of elegiac text by her mother. And plural, because that inquiry found her researching Nigerian women's protests against British colonial rule; Mbari houses, structures used for spiritual and community purposes; Nigeria's post-independence intellectual energy before the crushing Biafra War; and more. But rather than transmit such topics in a didactic manner, Ojih Odutola distills them with global references — from art history, literature, fashion, current events. The result, said Leigh Raiford, a scholar at the University of California at Berkeley who has followed her career closely, is 'propulsive, immersive and dreamlike,' with a beauty that stems partly from its 'capacity to confound.' Try as one might to wedge Ojih Odutola's work into these categories with their shibboleths and stereotypes — Nigerian, African American, Black figuration — she is always bursting out. 'The freedom and autonomy of my characters is really important to me,' she said. For instance, their gender ambiguity: 'That kind of freedom is so important, especially when any kind of diasporic African expression in the figure is so restricted. I'm trying my best to just pry open as much as I can, stretch it and expand it.' Her stance is paying off, on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2024, she received the Studio Museum in Harlem's Joyce Alexander Wein Artist Prize, while also appearing in the Nigerian Pavilion in the Venice Biennale, an ambitious presentation of Nigerian-origin artists imagining alternative Nigerian histories and futures. Aindrea Emelife, the curator of the pavilion, said that it felt vital to include Ojih Odutola precisely for the agency that the artist demands for her characters. 'Beyond their poetic force, her works reframe the portrait as a site of power,' Emelife said. 'Her speculative storytelling elevates Nigerian narratives within the canon of contemporary art, asserting their place not as exception but as foundation.' 'Ilé Oriaku,' in its New York incarnation, includes pieces that appeared in Ojih Odutola's 2024 solo exhibition at the Kunsthalle Basel, in Switzerland, along with her works from the Venice pavilion and a few new drawings. Though many have a contemplative tone, the aggregate effect is vibrant. There's a sly, quasi-Surrealist humor in compositions like 'A Flexible Spirit (Awon ohuru),' with its fractured planes and its ludic main character clad in a gauze-like veil and red gloves. 'It's one of the Mbari spirits having a good time,' Ojih Odutola said; it's also her tribute to one of her favorite paintings, 'Mirror,' by Frank Bowling. And in 'Showa Era Drag,' which has references to a Ryuichi Sakamoto album cover and a vintage Comme des Garçons outfit of Ojih Odutola's liking, and 'Congregation,' with its three figures caught gossiping or complaining, the energy approaches camp. 'This corner is like the fun times, the partying,' Ojih Odutola said. Still, the root was sorrow. Ojih Odutola moved back to Alabama during the height of the coronavirus pandemic to get away from New York, its pressure and winters, and to be close to her parents, retired chemistry and nursing professors. She was at their home near Huntsville when the news arrived from Nigeria that her grandmother, Josephine Oriaku Ojih, who was a major presence in her childhood, had died. 'I literally had a week where I was speaking gibberish,' she said of her reaction. She thought she was making sense but was incomprehensible to her parents. This shock seeped in different ways into the work, she said. 'It was this idea of trying to encapsulate in the visuals the disconnect and dissociation I was experiencing, and how words were just not sufficient.' More directly, the exhibition includes an audio track, in which we hear her grandmother, recorded in 2018, spliced with birdsong that the artist taped outside after she heard the news. 'Ilé Oriaku' extends a kind of social and psychological deconstruction long present in Ojih Odutola's work. With Yoruba and Muslim roots (on her father's side) and Igbo and Christian ones (on her mother's), and having spent formative years in the American South, she processes the accumulated cultural information as a kind of cosmos of possibility. (The title alone — 'Ilé' is 'house' in Yoruba, while 'Oriaku,' her grandmother's name, is an Igbo word — would be an unusual, even illogical juxtaposition to many Nigerian ears, yet makes inherent sense for her.) To add, say, references to 18th-century Japanese prints or classic Hollywood movies, reflects how these and other sources have shaped her tastes and ideas. 'I think it's important to understand that what you are is because of a disparate group of agents and elements,' she said. 'Not just in your family line, but globally as well. I'm very attuned to that, and it's in my pictures.' It's a far cry, yet also a coherent journey from her early exhibitions of monochrome black ballpoint portrait studies on plain white backgrounds that were technically remarkable yet verged on austere. Now she is filling the frame: 'I like the idea that you can make surfaces be activated,' she said. 'And not just the skin now. It's the entire environment.' After her grandmother's death, Ojih Odutola found herself not only going over Mrs. Ojih's life story but delving deeper back into the stories of Igbo women before her. She landed on the Aba Women's Rebellion, a key episode in colonial history when Igbo women, in late 1929 rejected an increase in taxation by the British. A woman named Nwanyeruwa confronted a tax collector who, as the story goes, grabbed her by the throat, prompting the women's mobilization. In 'Nwanyeruwa (Aba Women's Rebellion),' Ojih Odutola imagines this historical figure as a village elder, bare-chested, facing away from the viewer. She gazes at an oversize rendering of herself, clad in a purple wrap, streaking superhero-like across the backdrop. She is not the only female icon here. At the entrance of the exhibition's main area, a small portrait of the artist's grandmother, looks over the gallery. We see her bald head and neck in profile, face turned slightly toward the viewer, against yellow, green and beige pastels. She wears a ring high on her ear. Her expression is quiet — possibly judging, yet generous. The drawing — 'Must She Account for Everything?' — tries to encapsulate the essential reassurance Ojih Odutola carries from her grandmother, she said. 'It's that look of, 'I know you're worried but just go ahead. You're fine, you're OK. Go ahead, I'm behind you.''
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Forum Members Review the ‘Immaculate' Ralph Lauren Fall 2025 Collection
Last season, Ralph Lauren invited the fashion pack out to The Hamptons for his spectacular Spring 2025 showcase. For the Fall 2025 season, the legendary American designer ventured back to his home turf of New York City, and welcomed guests inside the Jack Shainman Gallery in downtown Manhattan for the occasion. A bevy of A-list talent (including Naomi Watts and Anne Hathaway) sat perched front row as Ralph's latest collection made its way around the light-infused showspace, worn by models like Anok Yai, Lulu Tenney, and Layla Etengan. The affair was quintessential Ralph Lauren – modern, romantic, and bohemian in feel. On display was everything from luxurious velvet tailoring and paisley maxi-skirt suits to shirt dresses and sophisticated evening frocks. 'Always amazing!' [caioherrero] 'Sublime, from opening to closing look. Quintessential Ralph Lauren and not one single misstep. It's all just so immaculate and polished – from the casting to the Jack Shainman Gallery setting. I'm just in absolute awe…' [vogue28] 'Not his best but a beautiful and luxurious collection. What I hated is the huge quantity of bags in the first part of the show. They distracted me because Ralph has always been about clothes, and not bags that are too in your face.' [carla56] See all the looks from the Ralph Lauren Fall 2025 collection and join the conversation, here. The post Forum Members Review the 'Immaculate' Ralph Lauren Fall 2025 Collection appeared first on theFashionSpot.
Gulf Today
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Ralph Lauren stays closer to home this time with Manhattan gallery show
Ralph Lauren, known for staging elaborate runway shows in sumptuous settings like the horsey Hamptons or amid his vintage car collection, took it down a notch for a more intimate show on Thursday in a Manhattan gallery space. As celebrities like Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ariana DeBose and many others watched from the front row, Lauren presented a fall collection dubbed 'The Modern Romantics,' heavy on high ruffled necks, classics like buttery leather in everything from aviator jackets to bustiers, and soft cashmere. Evening looks were long and lacy. Lauren's models first appeared atop a balcony, then each descended a grand staircase to walk the runway. The venue, now the Jack Shainman Gallery, was built in 1898 in the Italian Renaissance Revival style. For the New York-based crowd, it was much less of a journey than Lauren's last show in the Hamptons on Long Island, which took some guests four hours from Manhattan in busy traffic. Lauren himself appeared at the end of the show to wave - from the top of the balcony. Lauren said he was celebrating 'The Modern Romantics,' an aesthetic he described as 'self-assured and unbound by rules.' Models present creations from the Ralph Lauren collection in New York City, US, on Thursday. Photos: Agencies Strutting the runway, the models displayed looks that began with a classic Lauren combination of black trousers, a high-necked ruffled white shirt, and an aviator jacket in brown distressed leather. That was followed by a filmy white midi-dress paired with a thick black leather belt, and tall black leather boots. A black leather bustier was paired with a long camel wool skirt, and white lacy ruffled shirts popped up in different ensembles - with a long camel coat, or a puffy brown cardigan. There were also white lace neckties. There were velvet jackets, including in a deep shade of purple. Outfits segued into evening with long, silky or strappy gowns, one in a white crochet theme, another in sumptuous black lace. There was a black halter gown in tiers of ruffles spiraling around the body. Hathaway, Williams and Watts sat together in the front row, each in a Lauren-style trench or wrap coat. Hathaway, her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, paired her coat with a pair of tan-colored jeans, embroidered with sequins and strategically shredded. DeBose wore a smart gray suit that would go perfectly with next month's Met Gala dress code: 'Tailored For You.' Louis-Dreyfus wore a cropped leather jacket in light brown, with white trousers. Also attending were Sadie Sink, Sarah Catherine Hook, Eiza Gonzalez, Andra Day, Kacey Musgraves and Ella Hunt, among others. 'I thought it was very much his sensibility and what he believes,' Anna Wintour, the influential Vogue editor, said after the show, noting that Lauren's fashion transcended trends. 'He's a designer that never looks to the left or to the right. He's just very clear in what he wants to say and what his customer wants, and that's one of the reasons he's so unbelievably successful.' Associated Press
CNN
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams among A-listers at Ralph Lauren show
In the borderlands between New York City's Tribeca and Financial District, Ralph Lauren — the man whose name is synonymous with a certain well-heeled, sporty, and nostalgic vein of American style — staged his latest runway show on Thursday. Among the crowd were Anne Hathaway, Condé Nast's Anna Wintour, 'Stranger Things' star Sadie Sink, and Sarah Catherine Hook, riding high off her turn in the recently concluded 'The White Lotus,' season 3. (Hook was overheard saying that the first thing her character, Piper Ratliff, wears in the show is, as it happens, a Ralph Lauren dress.) Actors Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michelle Williams, Naomi Watts, Ariana Debose, and Eiza Gonzalez were also in attendance. Lauren's chosen venue — Jack Shainman Gallery — echoed golden age Gotham, with its marble columns, towering windows, and coffered ceilings. Here, Lauren's fall 2025 womenswear designs glimmered with the spirit of family heirlooms in the making: a collection meant to last the ages and, importantly, to appeal to all ages. Speaking to CNN ahead of the show, Lauren explained that the collection, titled 'The Modern Romantics', was 'a celebration of individual style and timeless sophistication,' with 'each piece reflect(ing) the confidence of a woman who defines style on her own terms.' The result was a mash-up of Ralph Lauren signatures that felt broodier, a little more bohemian, and, in that, perhaps a touch more eclectic. See the Victorian or Edwardian collars beneath barn jackets, outerwear that juxtaposed finished leather and brushed suede (these were excellent), leather bustiers styled with riding boots, and frilly dresses with dark floral prints (instead of Lauren's usual palette of off-white, cream and equine brown). The finale gown with a mermaid tail bonded by lace insets marked one of the most experimental looks the designer has shown in recent memory. While Ralph Lauren's sales rose 11 per cent in the three months ending December 28, 2024 to $2.1 billion, prompting the company to raise the outlook for its 2025 full-year fiscal revenue, no brand is immune to the world's mounting geopolitical challenges. The luxury sector is grappling with some of its slowest growth in years, as well as US President Trump's quickly evolving tariff plans, which threaten to drive up clothing prices. Over a phone call with CNN a few days before the show, Patrice Louvet, CEO and president of Ralph Lauren Corporation, acknowledged the 'relatively volatile' environment. Emphasizing Ralph Lauren's resilience, he noted that throughout 2024 the brand 'saw strong responses across generations.' Louvet has been focused on maintaining a constant presence in customers' lives by translating the well-developed Ralph Lauren ethos — one of good-life Americana — into experiences that can be enjoyed by a greater number of people. Younger age groups, he noted, are a focus. Ralph's Coffee, which has outposts in over 35 locations including New York, London, Beijing, Doha and Tokyo, reaches 4 million people a year, according to Louvet. 'The population that's consuming Ralph's is disproportionately younger consumers,' he added. These patrons are likely drawn by the cafés' Instagram-friendly feel, with its preppy green-striped branding and playful merchandise, including oversized stuffed animal Polo bears in situ, which make for great pictures. Sports have also been key in broadening Ralph Lauren's cultural relevance. The brand regularly invests in sponsorships and partnerships that range from baseball activations in Japan to support for tennis and golf via the US Open, Wimbledon and the Ryder Cup. It will also be a title sponsor at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy, as it was at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, France. 'We're making sure we engage with the younger generation while continuing to delight and surprise our 30-year-olds, our 50-year-olds, our 80-year-olds,' said Louvet. 'It's one of the challenges (we constantly pose) to our marketing team.' Consistency is key, he believes. '(Other brands) kind of have moments, and then (they) go quiet. And then there's another moment, a show, or something with an influencer, and then it's quiet again,' said Louvet. 'Our philosophy is 'no, we have to always be on.''
CNN
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams among A-listers at Ralph Lauren show
In the borderlands between New York City's Tribeca and Financial District, Ralph Lauren — the man whose name is synonymous with a certain well-heeled, sporty, and nostalgic vein of American style — staged his latest runway show on Thursday. Among the crowd were Anne Hathaway, Condé Nast's Anna Wintour, 'Stranger Things' star Sadie Sink, and Sarah Catherine Hook, riding high off her turn in the recently concluded 'The White Lotus,' season 3. (Hook was overheard saying that the first thing her character, Piper Ratliff, wears in the show is, as it happens, a Ralph Lauren dress.) Actors Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michelle Williams, Naomi Watts, Ariana Debose, and Eiza Gonzalez were also in attendance. Lauren's chosen venue — Jack Shainman Gallery — echoed golden age Gotham, with its marble columns, towering windows, and coffered ceilings. Here, Lauren's fall 2025 womenswear designs glimmered with the spirit of family heirlooms in the making: a collection meant to last the ages and, importantly, to appeal to all ages. Speaking to CNN ahead of the show, Lauren explained that the collection, titled 'The Modern Romantics', was 'a celebration of individual style and timeless sophistication,' with 'each piece reflect(ing) the confidence of a woman who defines style on her own terms.' The result was a mash-up of Ralph Lauren signatures that felt broodier, a little more bohemian, and, in that, perhaps a touch more eclectic. See the Victorian or Edwardian collars beneath barn jackets, outerwear that juxtaposed finished leather and brushed suede (these were excellent), leather bustiers styled with riding boots, and frilly dresses with dark floral prints (instead of Lauren's usual palette of off-white, cream and equine brown). The finale gown with a mermaid tail bonded by lace insets marked one of the most experimental looks the designer has shown in recent memory. While Ralph Lauren's sales rose 11 per cent in the three months ending December 28, 2024 to $2.1 billion, prompting the company to raise the outlook for its 2025 full-year fiscal revenue, no brand is immune to the world's mounting geopolitical challenges. The luxury sector is grappling with some of its slowest growth in years, as well as US President Trump's quickly evolving tariff plans, which threaten to drive up clothing prices. Over a phone call with CNN a few days before the show, Patrice Louvet, CEO and president of Ralph Lauren Corporation, acknowledged the 'relatively volatile' environment. Emphasizing Ralph Lauren's resilience, he noted that throughout 2024 the brand 'saw strong responses across generations.' Louvet has been focused on maintaining a constant presence in customers' lives by translating the well-developed Ralph Lauren ethos — one of good-life Americana — into experiences that can be enjoyed by a greater number of people. Younger age groups, he noted, are a focus. Ralph's Coffee, which has outposts in over 35 locations including New York, London, Beijing, Doha and Tokyo, reaches 4 million people a year, according to Louvet. 'The population that's consuming Ralph's is disproportionately younger consumers,' he added. These patrons are likely drawn by the cafés' Instagram-friendly feel, with its preppy green-striped branding and playful merchandise, including oversized stuffed animal Polo bears in situ, which make for great pictures. Sports have also been key in broadening Ralph Lauren's cultural relevance. The brand regularly invests in sponsorships and partnerships that range from baseball activations in Japan to support for tennis and golf via the US Open, Wimbledon and the Ryder Cup. It will also be a title sponsor at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy, as it was at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, France. 'We're making sure we engage with the younger generation while continuing to delight and surprise our 30-year-olds, our 50-year-olds, our 80-year-olds,' said Louvet. 'It's one of the challenges (we constantly pose) to our marketing team.' Consistency is key, he believes. '(Other brands) kind of have moments, and then (they) go quiet. And then there's another moment, a show, or something with an influencer, and then it's quiet again,' said Louvet. 'Our philosophy is 'no, we have to always be on.''
