Everything Lavender from Chanel
Where: Chanel beauty counters
When: Right now
What It Is: When I was pulling together ideas for our Mother's Day gift guide, I kept adding lavender eyeshadows and soft purple lipstick to the list. They didn't make it in: lavender makeup doesn't seem quite right to gift—it's a bit too odd, both sweet and strange, the color of dream sequences and of decay. If you give just anyone a lavender eyeshadow or lip gloss, they might wonder, Why this color? Do you really think this is me? So don't give it to just anyone. Buy it only for the most magical people you know. And definitely buy it for yourself.
Why It’s Worth a Look: The best lavenders this season come courtesy of Chanel Cometes Collective makeup artist Ammy Drammeh. Grab her Charming Lilac Rouge Coco Baume lip shine before it sells out, and keep your eyes open for restocks of her ethereal Mauve Sucré eyeshadow. Other inimitable Chanel purples? Style Ombre et Contour in Mauve Chromé and Ombre Essentiel in Lilas Poudré.
–Emily Dougherty, Beauty Editor
Girl On Girl by Sophie Gilbert
Where: Penguin Random House
What It Is: What exactly happened to feminism in the 21st century? With the overturning of Roe v. Wade and abortion bans, the women's rights movement can feel elusive as ever. In her new book, Atlantic culture writer Sophie Gilbert makes a brilliant case that the cultural production of the 1990s and early aughts are to blame. There's a darker side, she argues, to Britney Spears and Bridget Jones that reverberates today.
Why It's Worth a Look: Girl on Girl is meticulously researched. Gibert covers a ton of popular terrain, weaving through decades of film, music, fashion, reality TV, and tabloid journalism to make her case that "riott girrl" feminism collapsed into a heap of soft-peddled misogyny. Reading this book feels like having drinks with your badass British girlfriend, the one who explains every media reference of the last 25 years—and why they might just be dooming us now.
–Jacoba Urist, New York & Hamptons Arts Editor
DoughGirl Cupcakes
Where: Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
What It Is: A true cupcake. Think super moist, perfect frosting-to-cupcake ratio, and in all the flavors you want to eat. I had (yes, all three) Red Velvet, Strawberry, and Birthday Cake (a flavor sure to win over adults and kids alike). They were all delicious, but the strawberry cupcake was my personal fave that I will be going back for time and time again.
Why It’s Worth a Look: I think everyone should be armed with an excellent place to get cupcakes as it makes for total happiness in most situations.
–Mina Stone, Food Editor
Angelic Transmissions hosted by Jarrett Earnest and Leigha Mason
Where: East Village Radio, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify
When: Whenever! New episodes air live every other Monday, 12-2PM ET, and are archived as podcasts shortly after.
What It Is: Critic-curator Jarrett Earnest questions guests with sassy directness and rare insight; artist Leigha Mason’s oracular interlocution sets up the cultural nexus of topics with eerie efficiency.
Why It’s Worth a Listen: In an era where dilettantism masquerades as eclecticism, the interlocking catholic tastes and rigor of this duo elevates the form of the conversational podcast. Case in point: their most recent episode covers aesthetic terrain from an analysis of Charli XCX’s recent Barclay’s Center performance to a revealing and poignant interview with painter Salman Toor about his own hit shows on view now in New York. Am I biased because Earnest is a contributor to the Critics’ Table and I have myself been an Angelic Transmissions guest? Definitely not!
–Johanna Fateman, Co-Chief Art Critic
King
Where: West Village, New York
What It Is: A chilled out fine dining restaurant brought to you by the exceptional Clare de Boer, Jess Shadbolt, and Annie Shi. With a seasonal menu bearing the best this month and week have to offer, this menu, which changes daily, is redefining commitment issues in the culinary world, featuring simple food with influences from Southern France and Italy. It’s been around for a few years now—I’m late to this, clearly.
Why It’s Worth a Look: For my fellow New Yorkers and friends passing through, it is universally acknowledged that the weather in the city has been… confused. The seasons are changing, and sweaters are coming on and off, but for those who are still unsure of what season we are in, let King be your compass. Also, if you stop by and end up enjoying your meal (you will) and have plans to go upstate, stop by their sister restaurant, Stissing House, for what was the best meal I’ve had so far this year—King coming in second place, of course.
–Cristina Macaya, Editorial Assistant
JETTY by Sam Fleischner
Where: Anthology Film Archives, New York
When: Wednesday, May 14 – Tuesday, May 20
What It Is: The U.S. premiere run of JETTY, 2024, directed by Sam Fleischner, shot on Super-16mm film, with cinematography by Oliver Lanzenberg, and an original score by pop experimentalists Animal Collective. This meditative nonfiction film, running under an hour, documents two years of a decades-long federal project installing granite jetties to protect the Rockaways from the effects of diminishing beaches.
Why It’s Worth a Look (and Listen): I'll call it ambient landscape. The film documents an experience familiar to me but one I'd never sought to name before: the charting of the subtle shifts in a familiar landscape. Seasons are the most obvious example of this, but the warming accompanying climate change, almost imperceptible until punctuated by catastrophic events, like a hurricane, is another. The enormous earth-moving machines—the monsters, friendly or not, of the film—are also working to slowly change the environment as they install the jetties. The film's field recordings and sound design are already one of its best features before the soundtrack by Animal Collective swells in to join along, in what feels like a live improvisation, with the musicians (I imagine) before a set of analog synthesizers and effects, deep in the pocket responding to, but never overtaking, what we too are hearing (and seeing). Voices fade in and out but no one narrator guides you. It's the filmic equivalent of ambient music. And it's calmly glorious.
— John Vincler, Co-Chief Art Critic
“Functional Relationships: Artist-Made Furniture”
Where: Guild Hall
When: May 4 – July 13
What It Is: Summer is descending upon New York, and thus our attention turns back to the East End. It’s calling to us, saying, “Please shut your work laptop, pack up the car, and actually get some sun in.” The litany of arts institutions out on Long Island are preparing their best shows for the influx of visitors and among them is a particularly exciting round-up of artist-made furniture.
Why It’s Worth a Look: “Functional Relationships” has an all-star roster of talent and explores lesser-known aspects of these artists’ oeuvres, with selections from John Chamberlain, Mary Heilmann, Donald Judd, Julian Schnabel, and more. Guild Hall also commissioned participating artist Almond Zigmund to create a site-specific environment, “Wading Room,” featuring furniture made for public use, including pieces by Zigmund and other artist-made objects. Not only can you touch the art in this gallery, you can sit, lounge, and trek across these chairs, rugs, stools, and more.
–Sophie Lee, Associate Digital Editor
Your Local Tea House
Where: Probably have one around the corner from you
What It Is: Like a coffee shop... but tea.
Why It's Worth a Look: As a caffeine addict who doesn't drink coffee, options outside my house are few and far between. (Few things are worse than a fake iced tea, i.e. one where the tea bag is still sitting in the cup of tea that hasn't been steeped long enough, and is watered down after too much ice has been thrown on top of it.) And as someone who works from home, I'm also always on the hunt for third spaces so I don't become a total recluse. Enter the new trend of tea houses: shops that focus on the ceremony of tea making, have plenty of drink options (and knowledgeable staff!), and are way more vibey than most of the coffee shops I frequent. In LA, my two favorites are Tea at Shiloh and Steep—both of which offer a large selection of teas, a respite from the noise of the city, and a sense of community and belonging I often crave.
–Kristin Corpuz, Social Editor
