In Brief: Banana Republic Taps Narciso Rodriguez, Ron Arad Gets Digital, <em>New York'</em>s 'The Cut' Expands

Composed of 5,600 silicon rods that function as a digital canvas, Ron Arad's “720°” debuts tomorrow at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. • As Banana Republic prepares to roll out its Anna Karenina-inspired holiday collection (velvet! lace! cryptic messages! tragic ends!), the Gap-owned brand has tapped Narciso Rodriguez to act as an advisor. The designer starts the consulting gig on Monday, August 20 and will work in partnership with Simon Kneen, Banana Republic's executive vice president of design and creative director. In announcing the new relationship yesterday, the company praised Rodriguez's "modern aesthetic and passion for great American sportswear." Look for his influence beginning with the fall 2013 collection. • Ron Arad goes digital with "720°," a multimedia installation opening tomorrow at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The monumental work, part of the 2012 Jerusalem Season of Culture festival and nestled in the museum's Isamu Noguchi-designed Billy Rose Art Garden, consists of 5,600 hanging silicon rods that act as a 360-degree canvas. Evening screenings will loop film and video works by the likes of Christian Marclay, David Shrigley, and Ori Gersht. For a more immersive experience, visitors can push back the rods and step inside to watch from the interior. • New York magazine's The Cut is in expansion mode. The fashion blog relaunched this week as a standalone fashion and lifestyle website with a more magazine-like format and a focus on top-notch imagery. With a photo gallery that offers full-screen images, zoom functionality, and alternate views, The Cut is also investing in both original photography—fashion shoots, street style, product coverage—and archives of vintage photographs to populate unique celebrity “Look Books.” They had us at the Brigitte Bardot slideshow. • Nike is proceeding with its plan to unload Cole Haan (Umbro is also bound for the auction block), and investors are lining up to kick the tires. Private equity firms TPG Capital Management and Apax Partners are among the interested parties, according to a report from Reuters, which estimates that the company will sell for around $500 million. Cole Haan was acquired by Nike in 1988 for $80 million. • In intriguing future book news, MIT Media Lab scientist and entrepreneur David Rose has inked a deal with Scribner to publish his Enchanted Objects, billed as "an optimistic vision for the intuitive, effortless, and human-centered technology of the future."

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In Brief: Banana Republic Taps Narciso Rodriguez, Ron Arad Gets Digital, New York's 'The Cut' Expands

Stephanie Murg

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Stephanie Murg