Open Tabs · 10.03.25
Projects, links, and notes worth saving this week across art, design, and lesbian creative culture.
African Style Archive
My favorite new follow: African Style Archive, curated by London-based Tosin Adeosun (@motown_gal). She documents and celebrates African fashion history and its global influence. Bonus: their Spotify playlist has been on repeat all week.
One Hundred Years of Art Deco
From October 22, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris opens 1925–2025: One Hundred Years of Art Deco, the largest Art Deco collection in the world. It apparently kicks off on the legendary Orient Express (whatever that means, I’m in). Exhibition →
Stella McCartney’s Pollution-Eating Denim
At Paris Fashion Week, Stella debuted denim woven with PURE.TECH—a fabric that literally absorbs air pollutants. Clothes that clean the air while you wear them. Story →
GIRLS. On Boredom, Rebellion and Being In-Between
At MoMu in Antwerp, GIRLS dives into the cultural weight of girlhood, with works by Sofia Coppola, Louise Bourgeois, and more. On view through February 1, 2026. Exhibition →
Why Platform Design Is Cultural Design
Loved this essay on how digital platforms don’t just shape behavior—they shape culture. Designers need cultural literacy, not just technical skills. I thought this was interesting:
“If platform design is cultural design, then designers need more than technical fluency. They need cultural literacy—the ability to anticipate social consequences, recognize embedded biases, and see users as co-authors rather than passive consumers. This requires designing with awareness of how features reshape labor, identity, and expression, and supporting systems flexible enough to accommodate diverse values rather than enforcing uniformity.”
Graphic Designers at Milan Fashion Week
A fun perspective: what graphic designers noticed at fashion week. Post →
Eavesdrop Open Call
Eavesdrop magazine is accepting poetry, creative nonfiction, and visual art for their first anthology Our Queer Histories. Submit →
Lagos Street Markets Inspiring Design
Wallpaper explores how Lagos’ markets inspire a new generation of Nigerian creatives—including friends of the gallery, Sandia and Tolu of Salù Iwadi Studio. Read →
Rose B. Simpson’s Painted Cars
Rose B. Simpson welds and restores old cars like clay, then paints them like pottery. Two of her lowriders are now on view at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. Profile →
Saint Heron Community Library
Solange launched a free digital library of rare Black and brown literature through Saint Heron. U.S.-based readers can borrow for 45 days, free.
Upstate Woman Submissions
Upstate Woman is calling for writing and art exploring rural women’s lives and perspectives. Submit →
Open House New York
This weekend, 300 hidden NYC spots open their doors. Tickets went live today—I’m eyeing the Herb Lubalin Study Center, the Billion Oyster Project, and Printemps. Plan →
Embroidery as Archive
Vogue India profiles women from Kutch to Tamil Nadu preserving identity through embroidery. “What looks like ornament is often archive, where a woman’s hand records migrations, marriages and myths.” Read →
Murano Glass Cubes for Bottega Veneta
Bottega’s Summer 2026 show featured translucent Murano glass stools by 6:AM, connecting Venetian craft with Milanese fashion spectacle. Designboom →
Chinatown Pretty
Photographer Andria Lo spent a decade documenting the super-fashionable elders of America’s Chinatowns. Chinatown Pretty, made with writer Valerie Luu, captures the colorful, mishmash-y street style of seniors across U.S. Chinatowns. Read →
