Month: May 2020

China home-built aircraft carrier conducting sea trials

By Jean J. Brown 3 days ago

BEIJING (AP) — China’s Defense Ministry said the navy’s only entirely home-built aircraft is carrying out sea trials to test weapons and equipment and enhance training of the crew.

Ministry spokesperson Ren Guoqiang said Friday the exercises were being conducted as planned, apparently unaffected by the country’s coronavirus outbreak.

The Shandong’s commissioning last year by Chinese President Xi Jinping underscored the country’s rise as a regional naval power at a time of tensions with the U.S. and others over trade, Taiwan and the South China Sea.

It is the second Chinese aircraft carrier to enter service after the Liaoning, which was originally purchased as a hulk from Ukraine and entirely refurbished.

Both are based on a Soviet design with a ”ski jump” style flight deck for takeoffs rather than the flat decks used by much larger U.S. aircraft carriers. It is powered by a conventional oil-fueled steam turbine power plant,

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Inside a Mecca of Midcentury Brazilian Art and Design

By Jean J. Brown 4 days ago

Brazilian design dealer Ulysses De Santi and his husband, Graham Steele, didn’t normally spend long periods of time together. They had different responsibilities, and very different rhythms. “Graham is extremely social, hyperactive, and his schedule was always insane,” says De Santi, who’s been sheltering at home with Steele since the pandemic upended life as we know it. “So just to be able to have him here is such a gift.” As a senior director at Hauser & Wirth, an art gallery with outposts in Asia, Europe and North America, Steele was used to jetting across the globe, sometimes having breakfast in one continent and dinner in another. By contrast, De Santi is an introvert. “He would happily be socially isolating for the next five years,” says Steele, only half-jokingly.

The couple’s personality contrasts extend to their design sensibilities: One is a minimalist and the other a maximalist. And yet in

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35 decorative rugs that will turn any outdoor space into an oasis

By Jean J. Brown 4 days ago

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Summer is around the corner, and if you plan on spending lots of time at home, now is the perfect time to invest in your outdoor space.

From an outdoor fire pit to inflatable kiddie pools (or even a fun pool float!), there are plenty of ways to turn your backyard into an oasis. And let’s not forget about revamping that outdoor living area or a patio.

One way to add texture or color to any outdoor living space is with an outdoor rug. It offers comfort, helps reduce mold or mildew in moisture-prone areas and is an easy way to upgrade

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Without End-of-Year School Fashion Shows, How Are Design Graduates Showcasing Their Work?

By Jean J. Brown 4 days ago

Finishing thesis collections and showcasing them from quarantine has created both challenges and opportunities for fashion school grads.

Michelle Hill, a B.F.A. Accessory Design graduate at SCAD, presents her final collection digitally.
Michelle Hill, a B.F.A. Accessory Design graduate at SCAD, presents her final collection digitally.

While marquee-name designers are still trying figure out if and how they’ll approach Spring 2021 fashion shows come September, a different group of designers has already been forced to navigate this challenge, and without much time to prepare.

Typically, May is when prominent design schools hold runway events — sometimes doubling as fundraisers — where at least a selection of graduating students get to showcase their work. They might also get their garments judged in-person by faculty and/or a jury of industry professionals. Potential employers can be among the audience members. 

For many graduating students, these runway shows represent everything they’ve been working toward throughout their undergraduate and graduate careers. They enter fashion school as freshmen or first-year

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