What’s Happening: Basquiat is appearing on everything from Coach handbags and whiskey bottles to phone cases and rugs. The anti-capitalist painter would likely bristle at his commercialization, but selling out simply means something different today.

The Download: How we perceive deceased artists largely hinges on the inheritors of their estate. Ana Mendieta may not have yet achieved her ambition of becoming “bigger than Frida,” but her sister and niece have both taken great measures to uphold the prolific Cuban-American painter’s legacy through interviews and gallery exhibitions. The deception that blocked Aaliyah’s silky R&B from streaming for two decades after she died in a plane crash contrasts her otherwise angelic image. Thanks to the organizational prowess of Francesco Melzi, the pupil who inherited Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, the High Renaissance polymath’s ruminations on art and science were able to see the light.

Then there’s the conundrum of Jean-Michel Basquiat, the gifted New York painter whose graffiti-inflected style propelled him to global stardom during his short life. More than three decades after his death, in 1988 of a heroin overdose, Basquiat’s Neo-expressionist paintings have reached astonishing levels of commercialization: they appear on Coach handbags, Ligne Blanche homewares, Doc Martens, bottles of Great Jones whiskey, and even Ruggable rugs. The saturation prompted Hypebeast to ponder if the endless Basquiat brand collaborations risk stoking consumer fatigue—especially among Gen Z-ers who may question why corporations suddenly care about an artist whose work ripples with anti-capitalism and references to Black cultural history, and was positioned as an outsider during his life.

Basquiat’s estate is managed by his two sisters, but licensing is handled by Artestar, an agency and creative consultancy that also represents high-profile artists like Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf. Where snobbish art-world critics used to bristle at the notion of consumerism and selling out, others are embracing the financial returns possible by recasting artists as brands, especially as social networks like Instagram and TikTok bring their work to a wider fan base. There’s also the reality that Basquiat’s art is difficult to view unless an over-marketed immersive experience comes along. Buying a Uniqlo T-shirt with his markings, spending $110 million on a single canvas, or going out of your way to forge an entire exhibition suddenly seems like a palatable prospect with Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s endorsement.

In Their Own Words: “Things have changed a great deal,” David Stark, Artestar’s president, told Jing Daily. “It’s not only accepted now, but these brand partnerships are also expected in some way. When I speak to artists about doing collaborations now, they’re very enthusiastic, whereas 10 to 15 years ago, they were very cautious about doing anything. The product has to be great, but it’s the emotional connection to the consumer—that’s what it’s about. We’re really thinking about storytelling.”

Surface Says: Basquiat and his friend Al Diaz used to scrawl anti-capitalist messages around New York. One seems particularly apt: SAMO (same old shit).

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Audo Copenhagen was, until recently, known as Menu. The company’s recent acquisition of by Lassen, and subsequent acquisition Design Holding, inspired design and brand director Joachim Kornbek Engell-Hansen to move Audo forward under its new moniker. A family business through and through, Menu was founded by Engell-Hansen’s grandfather. Thanks to the stewardship of Engell-Hansen and his father, along with an appetite for Danish-designed furniture, Audo has cultivated a stable of covetable products from celebrated designers.

We’d be remiss not to mention that there’s even more to Audo than its tranquil showrooms and standout collaborators. In Copenhagen, its showroom is located within Audo House: a sprawling modern residence, restaurant, concept shop, and collaborative workspace conceived of by Engell-Hansen’s father, Bjarne. Realized by frequent collaborators Norm Architects, it gives the impression that the company isn’t just building a community, but is in the process of establishing its own light-filled, minimalist brand universe. We spoke with Engell-Hansen about advancing a multi-generational creative vision, the significance of community building, and personal favorites from Audo’s portfolio.

Lexington, Kentucky, is renowned for its bourbon legacy and equestrian prowess. Its hotels? Not so much. But a recently debuted boutique gem is changing that perception. Situated on the historic grounds of the Ashland Distillery, the city’s inaugural registered bourbon producer from 1865, The Manchester is a suave addition to the city’s hotel landscape. American designer Jenny Bukovec, with hoteliers Nik Feldman and Hank Morris, has meticulously crafted interiors and 125 guest rooms that pay homage to the locale.

From the lobby’s brickwork, reminiscent of the district’s historic rickhouses, to the equestrian-themed restaurant, Granddam, adorned with walnut wainscoting and teal leather banquettes, every corner tells a story. Settle in for some table-side juleps and farm-fresh Appalachian dishes (confit rabbit ravioli, 12-hour braised wild boar) or head upstairs to the hotel’s pièce de résistance, Lost Palm, a rooftop bar channeling Art Deco vibes with a nod to the 1960s South Florida horse racing scene. With room categories spanning from standard suites to handsome bunk beds and a 7th-floor gym boasting upscale tanned leather equipment, the property offers guests a refined introduction to Bluegrass culture.

Even though Udaan Park is one of Udaipur’s only publicly accessible open spaces, the city had long neglected it, letting the park become a rocky, run-down lot with scant accessibility and few visitors. Enter Studio Saar, which revitalized the park into a destination that pays subtle homage to its surroundings.

Besides forging new links to the nearby Swaroop Sagar Lake through a series of terraced landscapes, the firm added a wheelchair-accessible maze, built a games area with swings and tunnels, and planted medicinal herb gardens. But the crown jewel is a breathtaking canopy comprising hundreds of recycled plastic avian shapes that reference the flocks of migratory starlings known to fly over the area en masse, all rendered in a traditional Indian color palette.

The summer of Barbie has reached dizzying new heights. In Hollywood’s history, only 28 men had ever directed billion-dollar movies, but that now changes with Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote and directed Barbie with Noah Baumbach. Thanks in part to a thunderous marketing campaign, the film has entrenched itself in the cultural zeitgeist, already surpassing $1 billion in global ticket sales just two weeks after hitting theaters. Its success challenges the stubborn Hollywood myth that movies targeted at women have limited appeal. If the (admittedly impressive) numbers for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer say anything, that notion is being thrown out of the Barbie Dreamhouse’s lavish floor-to-ceiling windows.

When: Until Oct. 8

Where: Museo Jumex, Mexico City

What: Exploring office culture with a playful twist, Argentine artist Amalia Pica cleverly uses repurposed materials like shredded paper, office furniture, and stationery to create works that mock bureaucratic systems. Visitors must navigate an absurd questionnaire as a bureaucratic obstacle to enter the gallery, while stacks of papers, topped with bronze paperweights made from household items, symbolize the blurred lines between office and home in the age of remote work. Pica boldly carves out a space for joy and play amidst the oppressive and complicated reality of paperwork-dominated lives.

Holly Hunt offers exquisite and highly customizable pieces for residential and commercial properties. Founded in 1983 by Holly Hunt, the Chicago-based brand pioneered a new style of luxury interiors with an elegant, streamlined aesthetic and timeless color palette, drawing both residential and commercial design trade seeking distinctive and custom pieces.

Surface Says: Holly Hunt’s discerning selection streamlines the process of outfitting interiors with modern, designer pieces from ceiling to floor.

These jiggly concoctions served at bars are nothing like college Jell-O shots.

A Queens intersection gets renamed to honor Indian reformer B.R. Ambedkar.

Though it dates to the 19th century, Brooklyn’s bathhouse scene is bustling.

Was silphion—once regarded as a miracle plant—really eaten into extinction?