Rendez vous de mois SEPTEMBER: Michael Keute

This month hottie-man-date is a gym trainer Michael Keute from New York, photographed by Rick Day. Lets have a drink or dinner or...? ;)

Ben van Berkel: profile

Utrecht-born Ben Van Berkel is one of the architecture world's most active star professionals and one of The Netherlands' most well known contemporary architects. He studied architecture at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam and at the Architectural Association in London, before co-founding the independent practice Van Berkel & Bos Architectuurbureau in Amsterdam in 1988, with colleague Caroline Bos.










The practice immediately made a strong impact with their work, which received international critical acclaim. The Moebius house, and the NMR facilities for the University of Utrecht stand out, alongside one of their very first projects, the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam. This is also one of the architect's favorite projects: 'I was young when I designed it and I never really thought that it would become such a symbol for the city,' he explains proudly.











Following their success and the practice's growth, the two founders decided to establish a new firm in 1998, and thus UNStudio (United Net Studio), a network of specialists in architecture, urban development and infrastructure. UNStudio's completed work includes the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, a facade and interior renovation for the Galleria Department store in Seoul, and a private villa in up-state New York.











Their current projects count the Graz Music Theatre (MUMUTH), which we presented on this year's Architects Directory shoot, and the highly anticipated, luxurious Five Franklin Place condominiums in New York's Tribeca district, which the architect discusses in more detail in our latest issue, W*115.











Today, the Director of UNStudio is overseeing the firm's 36 ongoing projects, varying from masterplans, to buildings, products and studies, while currently getting ready for the launch of their Venice installation as part of this year's Architecture Biennale headline show, curated by Aaron Betsky.

Comme des Garçons collaboration

If the adage is true that two heads think better than one then the creative commingling of Louis Vuitton and Comme des Garcons should be something very special. And indeed it is.









Louis Vuitton caused a stir last year setting up shop inside the LA MoCA during Takashi Murakami's retrospective. The temporary store within a store (or museum in that case) was clearly a success though because this is what they’ve done again. This time they’ve taken on retail guerrilla masters Comme de Garçons, opening a temporary store within their shop on Kottodori in Tokyo’s Omotesando district.

Kawakubo has redesigned the entire store in honour of Louis Vuitton’s monogram, celebrating the brand’s 30th anniversary in Japan. As well as an installation of the historic trunks in the middle of the store, Kawakubo has designed six one-off bags, inspired by her love of the brand, to be revealed exclusively in W*115, on sale on Thursday 11th September.


More than just an irreverent poke at the brand that made guerrilla cool, it’s the realisation of Comme founder Rei Kawakubo’s dream. The indomitable Kawakubo, one of Wallpaper’s Guest Editors for W*115, speaks of her time in 1978 when as a fledgling designer she witnessed Louis Vuitton’s first store opening in Tokyo. She was astounded by the level of French craftsmanship and historic luxury that she saw in the brand.

Speaking of the collaboration Kawakubo said: 'These are party bags to celebrate the 30 years of Louis Vuitton in Japan. it has been a remarkably exciting opportunity for me to have been able to participate in Louis Vuitton's traditional design and heritage.'