On my radar in 2025
10 art, design & travel highlights to look forward to this year
Happy New Year everyone!! I hope you are all feeling rested and refreshed after the holidays and are ready to embrace a new year of excellent art, design and travel highlights in London, Istanbul & beyond. After a lovely break in England visiting family and friends (notwithstanding a horrific bout of flu), I am back at my desk and am getting excited about all that 2025 has to offer. From blockbuster art exhibitions and coveted design collaborations to hot hotel openings, here’s what to see, book and look forward to this year.
Wishing you all the very best for 2025.
Love Lucy Xx
Siena. The Rise of Painting 1300-1350
The National Gallery, London
8 March to 22 June 2025
There’s been much talk about this exhibition — and for good reason. Through over 100 exhibits made by artisans working in Siena, Naples, Avignon and beyond, it explores the crossover in creative energy between painters, metalworkers, weavers and carvers in early 14th-century Europe. It will also reveal how four gold-ground panel painters — Duccio, Simone Martini and the brothers Pietro and Ambrogio Lorenzetti — turned Siena into a crucible of devotional art. Divine. Book tickets here.
Cleo, Turquoise Coast
Opening summer 2025
Located opposite Cleopatra Island on the Turquoise Coast, Cleo beach club boasts boho-chic interiors that complement the natural surroundings. Part of the Naturally Luxurious Getaway group, Cleo will offer open-air dining, yoga, meditation as well as water sports, boat trips and countless nooks and crannies to while away a sun-drenched afternoon. It will be open to guests of NLG’s Perdue and Nautical hotels (highly recommended adult-only hotels in the vicinity) as well as day visitors to the region. Pull me up a sunbed.
Mickalene Thomas: All About Love
Hayward Gallery, London
11 February to May 5 2025
Mickalene Thomas is best known for her innovative collages and large-scale paintings of Black women wearing bright, patterned textiles adorned with brilliant rhinestones. The artist’s first solo show in the UK will feature paintings, photographs, collages and installations spanning two decades of creativity. Not to be missed. Book tickets here.
The Palm Springs School: Desert Modernism 1934-1975
By Alan Hess
Publisher: Rizzoli, 11 February 2025
This brilliant book is the first to fully explore the wide-ranging architecture of the Palm Springs School, from the steel-and-glass boxes of Richard Neutra to the earthy organic homes of John Lautner. Inside, you’ll find beautiful archival and contemporary photography, as well as written contributions from architects and cultural historians including Eddie Jones and Christine Madrid French. Perfect for Modernist devotees.
Cartier
V&A South Kensington, London
12 April to 16 November 2025
The V&A’s spring blockbuster will chart Cartier’s transformation from a family-owned jewellers in Paris to a globally recognised brand, while also exploring how Cartier has broadened its appeal in the worlds of cinema, music and fashion.
It includes 350 precious jewels, historic gemstones, watches and clocks, as well as previously unseen drawings from the V&A and Cartier archives. Highlights include Grace Kelly’s engagement ring and the Scroll Tiara (1902), which has been worn by both Queen Elizabeth II and Rihanna. Book tickets here.
Vakko Hotel Sumahan Bosphorus opened quietly in late 2024 but happily for us it is now accepting bookings for 2025. Vakko, a luxury Turkish hospitality brand, has transformed the 19th-century Ottoman distillery into a peaceful waterside retreat with 12 spacious rooms and suites that capture Vakko’s elegance, warmth and timeless style. Locals should book into Caviar Kaspia, serving a menu of signature dishes including the twice-baked potato topped with caviar. The beautiful vistas and sleek Art Deco interiors make this an extra special dining experience. Book now.
In 2003 the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami boldly reimagined Louis Vuitton’s storied heritage print, creating a limited-edition multicoloured collection that soon became one of the most sought-after collaborations in fashion history.
Pieces from the 2003 collection are routinely toted by A-listers including Naomi Campbell, Zendaya (the face of the 2025 campaign, above) and Kendall Jenner and are known to command eye-watering sums on the secondary market.
Vintage handbag collectors will be pleased to hear that Louis Vuitton has re-launched its iconic Murakami collection for Spring 2025. Inspired by the Japanese term kawaii —meaning cute — the new collection features over 200 pieces, including the Speedy, the Keepall, the Dauphine, and the OnTheGo, decorated in Murakami’s bright, bold hues and original characters such as the cherry-blossom face. Murakami-inspired belts, wallets, shawls and shoes are also available for purchase. Shop the collection.
Kerry James Marshall: The Histories
Royal Academy, London
20 September 2025 to 18 January 2026
The biggest UK survey of American painter Kerry James Marshall features 70 works including a new series of paintings made especially for the show and his commemorative sculpture Wake which evolves each time it is exhibited. Shown together, they reveal the ways in which Marshall fuses his own memories with art historical genres, references and styles to comment on the past, celebrate everyday life, and imagine more optimistic futures. Book tickets here.
Istanbul Biennial, across Istanbul
20 September to 23 November 2025
Curated by Christine Tohmé, the 18th Istanbul Biennial will unfold in three distinct chapters, each building on the previous one. The first chapter, which takes self-preservation and futurities as its central theme, comprises a wide range of exhibitions across the city as well as a diverse programme of accompanying talks and events.
The second chapter of the Biennial will focus on establishing a permanent educational structure and offering a quarterly public programme throughout 2026, while the third chapter (18 September- 14 November 2027) will present a series of exhibitions, publications, performances, and discursive gatherings.
The Newman, Fitzrovia, London
Opening summer 2025
I’m very excited about the opening of The Newman, an Art-Deco inspired hotel with 81 rooms, a European Brasserie and a luxury wellness floor, featuring a hydrotherapy pool, an active salt therapy room, a day spa and a fitness centre.
The interiors, which are inspired by Fitzrovia’s intriguing tapestry of Victorian nuances and Art Deco touches, nod to iconic characters from the area, among them the socialite, writer and political activist Nancy Cunard. Bookmark for dinner, a cocktail or a rejuvenating weekend massage.
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