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British streetwear brand Palace Skateboards has printed Sophy Rickett's 1995 photograph 'Vauxhall Bridge' on shirts and T-shirts in its Winter 2026 collection. The image shows a woman in a suit urinating in public against the backdrop of the MI6 headquarters in London. The 'Vauxhall 1995' items arrived in the seventh drop of the winter line, as a white long-sleeve shirt and T-shirts in six colors. One Photo, Two Very Different Garments On the long-sleeve shirt, the black-and-white photograph spreads across most of the front, while the sleeves, collar and back stay plain white. The T-shirts, in black, pink, grey, light blue, orange and white, carry a small rectangle at the chest instead. The artwork is identical, but the scale changes how readable it is. On the shirt, the figure and the architecture dominate; on the tees, the fabric color takes over. Rickett's 1995 'Pissing Women' series placed women in tailored clothing in various London locations, perfo...

Skincare in South Korea is no longer just about creams and serums. A survey of women aged 20 to 69 found that 22.8% now use cosmetic procedures, and 14.9% combine three or more methods. Many women still rely on cosmetics as their base, then add clinic visits, home beauty devices or inner beauty supplements depending on their skin concerns. A Mix-and-Match Approach to Skin Research firm Embrain's Opensurvey polled 1,000 women nationwide on October 27 for its 'Beauty and Procedure Trend Report 2026.' Skincare alone remains the most common routine, used exclusively by 39.2%. Only 2.6% rely on procedures alone, which suggests most people who visit clinics keep using cosmetics too. Combining skincare and procedures accounts for 6.5%, while 3.8% use all four methods: skincare, inner beauty, home devices and procedures. Home devices show the strongest link to clinic treatments. Among device users, 37.0% use them instead of procedures and 25.0% use them alongside procedures. Of 80 ...

A cough that lingers for weeks does not automatically mean Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, a bacterial cause of pneumonia often seen in young children. Early symptoms such as fever, headache, sore throat and cough look much like a common cold, so symptoms alone cannot reveal the cause. Anyone with a persistent cough, ongoing fever or worsening breathing should see a medical professional. What the Latest Korean Data Shows According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the incubation period is two to three weeks, and most people recover within three to four weeks. The cough often starts dry and may worsen or bring up phlegm. Some patients develop pneumonia, but a long-lasting cough cannot show whether pneumonia or this particular infection is the cause. Hospital-based surveillance for week 44 of 2026 found no sign of a surge. Bacterial respiratory inpatients numbered 25, down from 32 the previous week and 66 a year earlier. Mycoplasma was identified in 96 percent o...

One hundred metal pillars of varying heights stand in a regular grid, letting the surrounding forest show through while light shifts across their surfaces. This is 'Plato's Idea' at the contemporary garden of Médongaule in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, just east of Seoul. Beyond it lie a red sandstone circle, a mirrored room and a labyrinth, built on the ideas of Nietzsche, Saint-Exupéry and the Buddha. Philosophy here is meant to be felt through movement, light and reflection rather than explained in text. Ideas Built as Space Médongaule began planning in 2012, opened its Korean garden in September 2025 and unveiled the contemporary garden in 2026. The contemporary garden has two parts, the 'Island of Thought' and 'Story of Korea.' The Island of Thought draws on Plato, Nietzsche, Saint-Exupéry, Nikos Kazantzakis, the Buddha and Emmanuel Levinas. Chilean studio Pezo von Ellrichshausen designed the pillar installation. The pillars range from about 40 cm to 4...

At SEMA 2026 in Las Vegas, modified cars borrowed the look of race cars, from widebody fenders to towering rear wings. The trend reached beyond coupes to a Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan and compact hatchbacks. From Racetrack Shape to Street Style A widebody build widens the car so it can fit wider tires and a changed suspension layout, and it helps manage airflow around the body. A front splitter and a rear wing can create real downforce, but shape alone does not prove performance. Ride height, tire position and mounting angle all change how air and suspension behave. Lowering a car sharply also limits wheel travel over bumps. The show floor offered several approaches: a dark green E-Class (W211) with wider fenders, a purple and teal coupe with a splitter and wing, a white Liberty Walk build inspired by silhouette race cars, a gray fourth-generation Toyota Supra (A80) and a Honda Civic with its engine bay exposed. The lineage goes back to 1970s Group 5 racing, where cars like the Porsche...

South Korea's An Seyoung (Samsung Life) won her 11th title of the season on home soil, beating Japan's Akane Yamaguchi in the Korea Open final. It was her 55th straight win, and it made her the first singles player, men's or women's, to reach 11 international titles in a season two years in a row. A Three-Game Final in Yeosu The world No. 1 faced the world No. 2 on Nov. 8 at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu in the final of the BWF World Tour Korea Open, the Badminton World Federation's international tour event. An won 21-12, 15-21, 21-16. It was her third Korea Open title, her first since 2023, and it avenged a loss to Yamaguchi in last year's final. She has now beaten Yamaguchi 11 matches in a row. An controlled the first game by moving Yamaguchi around the court and varying the pace of her attacks. She then dropped a game for the first time in the tournament. In the decider, she trailed 9-10 at one point, then ran off six straight points to lead 16-9 and held on. She...

Yuristanbek Shygaev's 2006 oil painting 'Symphony of Colors' packs the canvas with small cylindrical forms in white, black, yellow and red. Layers of coarse, fabric-like surface overlap them, turning a flat picture into a dense, almost sculptural structure. Repetition, Layering and Texture The cylinders are stacked horizontally and vertically at regular intervals, yet their length, thickness and color vary slightly. Horizontal stacks recall steps or bricks, while vertical clusters create movement in a different direction. Thin black lines and traces of red cut across the forms, adding irregular energy to the order. The palette centers on red, yellow, green and purple. A broad area of red and ochre sits near the middle as a warm focal point, while bright yellow stands out on the left. Purple and green backgrounds make the pale cylinders appear sharper. Thickly built-up paint and net-like grids let underlying colors show through, so the surface sits close to the border betwee...

On a mountain slope in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, sixteen concrete pillars rise 10 meters above the ground. This is Über House at Médongaule Garden, designed by Chilean studio Pezo von Ellrichshausen, and it sits at the highest point of the garden. Médongaule Garden is a long-term project that began in 2012. It opened its Korean Garden in September 2025 and has now unveiled its Contemporary Garden, where buildings and paths draw on thinkers such as Nietzsche, Plato and the Buddha. Pillars, Slope and Shifting Views The house is built around sixteen rectangular pillars and a thick concrete slab. Its name comes from Nietzsche's concept of the Übermensch, but the building is best read through its structure rather than its title. The pillars both support the slab and define space, letting views pass between them and changing the sense of proportion depending on where you stand. The building has three levels. The lowest follows the natural slope and takes the form of an open-air amph...

Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK), the sixth edition of the international contemporary art fair held at Kyoto's National Kyoto International Conference Hall, runs through November 9 with 63 galleries from 18 countries and regions. Fifty-two of them take part in 'Gallery Collaborations,' where Japanese hosts share booths with galleries from abroad. Shared Booths, Unequal Starting Points Japanese galleries (25) and overseas galleries (27) formed 25 joint booths. Seoul's Gallery Hyundai and Tokyo Gallery + BTAP paired Korean artist Lee Seung-taek's 'bound stones' with works by Mono-ha artists Kishio Suga and Susumu Koshimizu, comparing how postwar East Asian art rethought sculpture. TARO NASU and Hauser & Wirth linked works by Louise Bourgeois, Jenny Holzer, Glenn Ligon and others through language. Sharing a booth, however, does not mean sharing collector relationships, which galleries build over years. Large multinational galleries and smaller newcomers also g...

A bag just 18.5 cm wide now carries a price tag of 5.74 million won, roughly the cost of a used car's down payment in Korea. It is the Micro Case from a collaboration between British luggage maker Globe-Trotter and American fashion label Thom Browne. Behind the price sit a 1897 heritage, hand craftsmanship in England and a design language instantly recognizable to fashion insiders. What You Get for 5.74 Million Won The Micro Case weighs 615 g including its shoulder strap. It has a black body with red, white and navy stripes, plus leather corner guards and metal fittings that shape it into a miniature travel trunk. The same collection includes a carry-on at 7.51 million won and a large check-in case at 10.41 million won. Each piece is made by hand in England, and a single suitcase takes 98 steps and about ten days to complete. Globe-Trotter has been building travel cases since 1897, and Thom Browne contributes the tailoring-inspired look that defines his brand. Fine leather finishin...

Swiss watchmaker Piaget has capped production of its Andy Warhol Camouflage watch at 86 pieces worldwide. The official Japanese retail price is 15.2 million yen including tax. Craft, Rarity and the Price Tag The number 86 comes from 1986, the year the American pop artist Andy Warhol made his camouflage self-portrait. The watch has an 18K white gold case, 45mm by 43mm and 8.08mm thick, with a dial of 27 pieces of sodalite, turquoise, yellow gold and pink gold set using gem inlay rather than printed color. Piaget says more than 100 hours went into researching, designing and handcrafting the dial. That figure covers development, not a fixed amount of labor on each watch, so it does not directly show the cost of one piece. Inside is Piaget's in-house automatic caliber 501P1: 20.8mm wide, 3.63mm thick, beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, with 23 jewels and a 40-hour power reserve. It shows hours and minutes only, with no complications such as a tourbillon, so the price leans on preci...

Bottega Veneta is putting Moomin comic panels, dialogue and all, onto leather goods for a 23-piece collaboration launching in Japan in November 2026. The small bifold wallet with black-and-white comic art starts at 119,900 yen. From Newspaper Strip to Intrecciato Leather Moomin first appeared in 1945 in 'The Moomins and the Great Flood' by Finnish author Tove Jansson. The comic strip began in 1954 in London's Evening News, reaching adult readers as well as children, and it poked fun at greed, social status and vanity. Her brother Lars Jansson joined the strip in the late 1950s and took over the drawing in 1960, and it ran until 1975. So the artwork is not the work of Tove alone. Bottega Veneta did not simply borrow Moomin's round face. It printed multi-panel comic sections, including expressions, English dialogue and panel borders, onto its woven intrecciato leather. The medium bifold wallet costs 138,600 yen, and the Large Pinacoteca tote, reversible and covered in sce...

At SEMA 2026 in Las Vegas, builders showed supercars from the 1980s and 1990s that had been stretched, widened and rebuilt, including a Ferrari Testarossa with two extra wheels and a Bugatti EB110 that grew about 20 cm wider. A McLaren 750S wearing 1990s Mercedes-Benz race car styling and an air-suspended Lamborghini Huracan rounded out the show, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center from November 3 to 6. How Far Did the Builders Go? The Ferrari F6, built by Gas Monkey Garage, keeps the Testarossa's low body and long side intakes but adds a rear axle. The original 4.9-liter V12 is gone, replaced by a supercharged 6.2-liter GM LT4 V8 that the builder rates at about 1,200 horsepower. The drivetrain, frame and rear suspension were rebuilt. It is a 6x4 layout, so the two front wheels steer and the four rear wheels drive. The Bugatti EB110, owned by collector Greg Park, took a gentler path. Designer Jon Sibal drew the widebody look and Phiaro Bespoke made new fenders, side skirts, int...

British label JW Anderson and American footwear brand UGG have launched their first collaboration for Fall/Winter 2026, putting a penny loafer strap on a suede boot. The round toe, roomy suede body and shearling lining of classic UGG remain, while the vamp gets a new structure. Loafer Details on a Familiar Boot The collection arrived on October 15 with two styles: a Loafer Boot built on the Classic Ultra Mini and a Loafer based on the Tasman. Both come in Chestnut, Khaki and Orange. In the US, the Loafer is priced at 300 dollars and the Loafer Boot at 400 dollars. Designer Jonathan Anderson added a saddle strap across the instep and box stitching around the toe. The soft suede, shearling lining, rounded toe and sole are carried over from the originals. The campaign, shot by Tanya and Zhenya Posternak with styling by Benjamin Bruno, features model and actor Kaia Gerber in a khaki boot with a black one-shoulder dress and a chestnut boot with wide denim. Musician Dev Hynes wears the low c...

Pharrell Williams has rebuilt Louis Vuitton's travel bags and shoes for the Spring/Summer 2027 men's pre-collection. Under the theme 'Whatever the Weather,' the bags look sun-faded, mixed with suede and rain-like details, while the footwear borrows thick soles from outdoor gear. Wear and Tear, by Design The worn textures, raindrops and mud marks are not the result of long use. They were designed from the start. The Monogram Reporter, inspired by 1980s workwear and outdoor equipment, pairs coated canvas with brown suede and leather in faded blue and yellow Monogram. It appears on the Keepall, Nil, Flaneur and Christopher, as well as hard-sided trunks and watch cases. A related Monogram Surplus Brut uses laser-printed denim that looks washed out by rain. The Keepall 35 even carries glossy, three-dimensionally printed raindrops. Footwear gets the same treatment. The LV Drop 300 combines mohair, mesh and suede, while the LV Ranger is a lightweight walking boot in black sued...

In the US, Globe-Trotter's Centenary carry-on sells for $2,695, while the version made with American fashion brand Thom Browne costs $4,250. That is a gap of $1,555, or about 57.7 percent, for two cases with the same exterior size and empty weight. Same Case, Different Details Both carry-ons measure 42 x 56 x 21 cm and weigh 4.2 kg when empty, and they share the same basic travel case structure. The Thom Browne collaboration carry-on is priced at 7.51 million won in South Korea. The Micro Case costs 5.74 million won and the Check-in costs 10.41 million won. The collection, which blends British luggage-making know-how with the design of an American fashion label, was unveiled on October 30, 2026. Globe-Trotter was founded in 1897 and has long built its cases from a vulcanised fibreboard body, leather corner protectors and metal locks. The Thom Browne pieces follow the same materials and construction. What changes is the finer leather specification, the colors, the interior fabric an...

Slathering on heavy moisturizer and face oil but still feeling that tight, cracking sensation by evening? The real culprit may not be your cream but your cleansing routine. Dermatologists, including experts from the Korean Dermatological Association, point to the squeaky-clean double cleanse as a major reason winter skin barriers break down. The Squeaky-Clean Trap The outermost layer of your skin acts as a barrier that blocks harmful substances and keeps moisture in. Think of it as a brick wall: skin cells are the bricks, while ceramides, cholesterol and free fatty acids are the mortar that fills the gaps. A cleansing oil or water followed by an alkaline foam cleanser, scrubbed in hard, can strip away not only makeup and grime but also the natural lipids that hold that mortar together. That squeaky feeling after washing is not freshness. It means the protective oil film is gone. Once the barrier is damaged, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), the rate at which water evaporates from skin,...

The first newly built train set for the Gimpo Goldline, the driverless light rail serving a commuter city west of Seoul, arrived at the Gimpo Han River Depot on November 6. Gimpo City plans to put it into passenger service at the end of December after further testing. From Factory to Track in One Night Built at Hyundai Rotem's Changwon plant, the train left the factory on November 5 and reached the depot the next day, where a crane lowered the car bodies onto bogies on the track. City officials had carried out final shipment inspections from November 2 to 4, checking documents, parts, interior equipment, safety features and transport readiness. Next comes a 1,000 km trial run on the depot tracks and main line to confirm that the vehicles work smoothly with the signaling and communication systems. Once all tests are passed, the train enters service. When the expansion is complete, daily train sets will rise from 29 to 34, cars from 58 to 68, and daily runs from 518 to 524. Peak-hour...

Hong Ji-suk studied microbiology at Seoul National University, moved into management information systems and HR, and later turned to brand strategy and art. Today she leads Art Token and runs the Art Cube 2R2 gallery, two ventures that treat an artist's time as something worth preserving. From Living Systems to Art Her training in microbiology taught her to watch small changes and relationships. HR consulting, including SAP HR system work, shifted that attention to people and organizations. Studying brands then showed her how images are passed on and remembered, and she came to see art as a powerful language of communication. She studied art history, painted herself, joined a collective that exhibits every year, and showed work in France. A key figure in her story is Bang Hae-ja, an artist who spent decades building her own language of light with hanji (traditional Korean mulberry paper) and natural pigments. They met at Healience Sunmaeul, a nature-based wellness retreat in Korea,...

A 5,790-euro espresso machine still needs its insides cleaned with detergent every one to two weeks. Depending on conditions of use, it also needs a yearly check by a professional technician. That applies to the limited-edition Linea Micra, a collaboration between Porsche and Italian espresso maker La Marzocco. It wears the design language of a 1972 sports car, but it works like any other machine: it heats water and uses pressure to extract coffee. Beauty on the Outside, Maintenance on the Inside The Porsche edition went on sale on October 30, with a recommended European price of 5,790 euros. That is about 63.3 percent above the standard model's German starting price of 3,546.20 euros. The cup rail echoes the colors and ducktail spoiler of the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7, and the machine also has custom-made handles and limited-edition trim. The styling is different, but the upkeep is not. To last for years, the brewing unit, boiler, water supply and steam system all need regular ca...

Disney+ original series 'The Remarried Empress' is drawing strong reviews from overseas outlets after its debut, positioning itself as a fresh live-action take on Korean romance fantasy. It follows Empress Navier, played by Shin Min-a, through a collapsing marriage, a remarriage and the power politics of an imperial court. A Royal Romance With Real Stakes The first four episodes arrived on Nov. 3, one day earlier than planned. Screen Rant reportedly called it the best K-drama of the year, while Collider and RIOTUS praised how immersive the story is in its fictional empire. The series also made The New York Times' list of must-watch shows for November. The story begins when Navier, empress of the Eastern Empire, is told by Emperor Sovieshu that he wants a divorce. Sovieshu has fallen for Rastah, a runaway slave. Navier agrees on one condition: that he approve her remarriage to Prince Heinley of the Western Kingdom. Shin Min-a plays Navier, with Joo Ji-hoon as Sovieshu, Lee J...