Cardi B attended Paris Fashion Week, where she was seen wearing a crow costume, marking a shift away from traditional French fashion greetings like "bonjour".
Carrie-Ann Lee's Botanical Art Masterclass in Taipei
7.8.25
Carrie-Ann Lee, president of the Botanical Art Society (Singapore) and founder of Botanical Art Journey, is launching a week-long masterclass in Taipei led by Taiwanese artist Annie Chen, combining indoor and outdoor sketching to capture nature's details. In 2026, two retreats will be hosted in Chiang Mai, Thailand, focusing on graphite and watercolour techniques, with field visits to the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden and Doi Inthanon National Park. Meanwhile, Lim Zi Hui, founder of Feels Like Om, is hosting intimate experiences in Sikkim, India, where guests immerse themselves in local life, foraging, cooking, and learning traditional handloom techniques.
Close Your Eyes, a boy band, has had a promising start since its debut 100 days ago. The group won first place at SBS's "The Show" and KBS's "Music Bank" with their lead track "All My Poetry" from the EP "Eternalt". Japanese member Kenshin was overwhelmed with emotion during their first music show win, indicating a strong reaction to their performance.
Czech Filmmaker's 'Broken Voices' Premieres at KVIFF
7.8.25
A Czech filmmaker has written a script for the feature drama "Broken Voices" after the #MeToo movement gained momentum in 2017, with the film premiering at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) and competing in the Crystal Globe Competition.
Demna, the creative director of Balenciaga, is set to leave his position after 10 years at the helm of the French fashion house during Paris Haute Couture Week. Demna's final collection will be unveiled on Wednesday and marks a significant change for the brand. He has been credited with reviving sales at Gucci under Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault, but will be succeeded by Italian designer Pierpaolo Piccioli in October. The event is expected to feature a range of high-profile designers, including Kim Kardashian and Charli XCX, who have been fans of Demna's work.
Renowned Palestinian artist Fathi Ghaben, known as the "Van Gogh of Gaza", has died at 77 due to chest and lung issues that required urgent medical treatment. The news comes amidst ongoing tensions in the region, with the Israel-Hamas war still affecting Palestine. In response, the Palestine Museum US has launched an NFT collection to support Gazan artists, including a non-fungible token of work by artist Mohammed Alhaj. Meanwhile, students have ended a pro-Palestine boycott of Goldsmiths CCA after the gallery cut ties with donors who were also supporters of Israeli artists Candida and Zak Gertler. The Gaza Biennale is also underway, featuring over 50 Palestinian artists in an effort to provide support and relief for the community.
The French parliament has voted to return a "talking drum" looted from the Ebrie tribe in Ivory Coast in 1916. This is part of France's efforts to repatriate tens of thousands of artworks and artefacts taken during its colonial era, including the Nefertiti bust, Rosetta Stone, and Dendera Zodiac, which are currently held in museums in Germany, the UK, and France. The British Museum has refused to return these items, while the Netherlands has handed back 119 Benin Bronzes sculptures to Nigeria. In contrast, Germany agreed to return 1,100 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria in 2022, and the Netherlands recently returned another 119 sculptures.
Harry Styles made a surprise return to Glastonbury Festival after taking time off to focus on his mental health following a diagnosis of Tourette's syndrome. The singer shared footage of his performance alongside a post announcing his comeback, which was met with excitement from fans and famous friends such as Sam Fender and Alanis Morissette. Styles' new song, described as "brutally honest," addresses mental health challenges of self-doubt and despair, featuring lyrics like "Most nights I fear that I'm not enough." The singer is set to head on the road in September, jokingly saying it's about time he got back to work.
Hasselblad Foundation Honors Tsai and Starzec with Prize
7.8.25
The Hasselblad Foundation has awarded Tin Bang Tsai and Paweł Starzec with a major prize for their works, praising their "strong artistic integrity and powerful documentary expression". This is the second major award given by the foundation this year, following Sophie Ristelhueber's win in March.