What’s Happening: The rise of creators like Tanner Leatherstein, who uses his tannery and leather goods expertise to weigh in on the value of Louis Vuitton, Goyard, and Christian Louboutin, speaks to consumers’ growing appetite for transparency and longevity in their wardrobes.

The Download: Volkan Yilmaz, better known online as Tanner Leatherstein, has captivated more than 1.5 million followers across TikTok and Instagram by wielding a scalpel against all manner of bags, wallets, shoes, and belts from luxury fashion houses and mid-market brands. There’s a bit of a thrill to seeing Leatherstein rip the seams of a purse that costs more than many Americans’ monthly rents or even mortgages. But watch enough of his videos and you’ll notice that he never comments on whether each piece is “worth it.” Instead he estimates the cost of their materials and production, leaving the viewer to draw their own conclusions about the value of a markup of anywhere from three to ten times the cost of the thing.

Other creators, like Why Don’t I Have Anything to Wear author Andrea Cheong, and pharmacist-by-day Jennifer Wang, wield criticism as their tools of choice, breaking down for their followers which items are “worth it,” or not, from fan-favorite brands. Instead of high-fashion houses, Cheong and Wang look at more accessible offerings from the likes of Reformation, COS, Mango, and Zara, as well as designer-adjacent brands like Sandro, Ganni, and Anine Bing (Cheong has also scrutinized true designer garments by The Row.) Creators like Cheong and Wang meet viewers where they—and their budgets—are, arming them with the knowledge needed to identify shoddy workmanship. After all, habits like analyzing fiber composition, and examining seams, snags, shedding, and loose threads, can all be second-nature to someone in the industry, but not necessarily to everyone else.

For those who already know their alpaca knits from acrylic-blend knitwear, fourth-generation dry cleaner Zach Pozniak dispenses wisdom from behind the handle of the family business @jeeves_ny. Though at least one Surface editor can vouch for the expertise of its cleaners, tailors, and couriers, Pozniak shows the ease with which hand-washing and some stain treating can be done at home. He even calls out high-end fashion houses, like Prada—twice—and Dolce & Gabbana, for their use of misleading laundry care tags and difficult-to-clean material combinations. The opaque nature of algorithms makes it tough to tell just how prevalent these creators and those like them are. Still, it’s not hard to imagine a growing corner of the internet that has become fed up with the chasm between Shein hauls and paying four figures for a blouse that might not even come with the correct care instructions.

In Their Own Words: “Overpaying may sound crazy to you and me, but for some, that’s what makes them love something even more,” Leatherstein says as he wrenches a red-bottomed sole from a pair of $795 Louboutin Pigalle pumps. “If you take a closer look, most luxury brands follow the same formula,” he continues. “Good quality, unique, and eye-catching design, and [a] hefty price tag. But if prestige isn’t your thing, there are quite a bit of affordable alternatives that offer great design and quality materials without breaking the bank.”

Surface Says: With any luck, creators like these will democratize the process of actually finding those alternatives.

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Drawing inspiration from the Algarve’s rich history of craftsmanship, Austa brings a dynamic restaurant, coffee shop, and shoppable pantry to Portugal’s culinary acclaimed town of Almancil. With the region’s vast resources at its disposal, Lisbon-based Studio Gameiro filled the beautifully tactile space with custom pieces such as a moleanos stone bar and bench crafted from ancient rock salt sourced in nearby market town Loulé. Studio Gameiro’s collaboration with local artisans extends to bespoke wooden and aluminum furniture, echoing traditional Portuguese designs. Earthy beige and tan-lime stucco walls not only pay homage to the Algarve’s mining heritage but also bring an element of geological splendor to the forefront, offering guests an immersive experience.

The rotating seasonal menu includes many ingredients plucked fresh from the on-site garden just before service, from a dish of wild foraged mushrooms, burnt butter, and fermented garlic to grilled cauliflower with almonds and smoked paprika. To wash it down, an eccentric wine list introduces patrons to small batch and low-intervention wines from specialty Iberian producers.

We’ve entered the Year of the Dragon—and Fendi is paying tribute to the Chinese zodiac by adorning its staple bags with dragon-type Pokémon. The latest installment of the “Friends of Fendi” lineup sees the Italian label’s artistic directors Silvia Venturini Fendi and Kim Jones join forces with Fragment founder Hiroshi Fujiwara, known as the “godfather of streetwear” and a noted idol of Jones’s. Pieces from the resulting collection reinterpret the classic Fendi logo in brown and tobacco shades while adding an unexpected bright yellow to the mix. It’s about the same shade as mascot Pikachu’s electric fur, but also close to the color of Dragonite—a bipedal reptilian Pokémon and the collection’s shining star.

Tributes to Dragonite land in the form of a Baguette emblazoned with a leather 3D marquetry image of the Pokémon, or a mini version adorned with its pint-sized pre-evolution Dratini, a light blue serpentine creature. The main highlight, though, is a leather Dragonite “totem” created by Fendi artisans as a limited-edition collector’s item that required 30 hours of manual workmanship per item. It may be an indulgent homage to the beloved creature, but Pokémon fans weren’t thrilled with the $2,300 plush’s use of calf and lamb leather—the cornerstones of the franchise are “nature and animal friends,” Tama Hero, a Pokémon YouTuber with 631,000 subscribers, wrote on X. “Jackets, bags, shoes, they can be durable and last,” she continued, pointing out how calfskin is rarely a co-product of the meat industry. “This has no logical utility.”

Laura Torregrossa’s passion for marble furniture was fueled by her Sicilian family’s creative legacy—her grandfather was a marble maker, her mother an architect, and her father a bespoke furniture craftsman. In 2020, she founded the furniture company Marbera to transform precious natural stones into one-of-a-kind furnishings that bring out the beauty of buried gems. Now based in Paris, she and her partner Cyril Zbirou handpick stones from quarries around the world before transforming them into coffee tables, stools, lamps, and vases that infuse the ancient character, boundless versatility, and emotional resonance of marble into wherever they reside.

When: Jan. 8–Feb. 3

Where: Broadway Gallery, New York

What: Art adviser Benjamin Godsill and Vanity Fair columnist Nate Freeman bring the free-flowing energy of their Nota Bene podcast to this group show, which gathers art from the community they’ve cultivated over the past three years. Taken together, the “friends of the pod”—Sterling Ruby, Lily Stockman, Hilary Pecis, and Kyle Christensen-Knowles, among others—create a playful antidote to staid gallery shows.

The French fashion house has been in operation for just under 80 years, but its line of hair couture is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the beauty house has released a triad of hair fragrances, named for its founding year. The collection embodies Balmain’s straightforward elegance, with each scent named for a hero note: Cardamom, Ginger, or Vetiver. $177

The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering more than 100 academic degree programs in more than 40 majors across its locations in Atlanta and Savannah; Lacoste, France; and online via SCAD eLearning. SCAD’s curriculum is enhanced by professional-level technology, equipment, and learning resources, as well as opportunities for internships, professional certifications, and projects with corporate partners.

Surface Says: SCAD leverages its vast industry relationships and flourishing alumni network to equip the designers of tomorrow to thrive in a continuously evolving landscape.

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This forensic entomologist uses insects to help solve high-profile murders.