The Shoe That Conquered Dry Land: A Brief History of the Boat Shoe
How a sole inspired by a dog’s paw went from racing decks to frat houses to the runway—and why it’s seaworthy again.
Her Great-Grandfather Founded a Jewelry Dynasty. She’s Building Something It Never Had.
Haverhill Leach is a fifth-generation name and a first-generation jeweler, and the gap between those two things is her whole story.
The Heirlooms of 2080 Are Being Made Today
Serpentine Jewels’ Ali Galgano explores how today’s jewelry becomes tomorrow’s heirlooms, examining why collectors are increasingly drawn to bespoke design, personal provenance, unusual gemstones and pieces built to endure.
Weekly Features
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The CEOs and Billionaire Investors Governing America’s Top Universities
Some of Wall Street and Silicon Valley’s biggest names serve unpaid trustee roles at the country’s most prestigious universities. From Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to Apple’s Tim Cook, some of corporate America’s most powerful leaders also help govern elite universities.
Anne and Arthur Goldstein Reflect On the Responsibility of the Collector
The couple recently donated 70 artworks to the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University in New Jersey, bringing the total number of works they have given to the institution to 160.
The College Value Proposition Is Changing in the Age of A.I.
American University’s Casey Evans asks what parents are really paying for when A.I. can deliver much of the knowledge that once defined a college education. Evans argues that the strongest programs will be those that pair A.I. fluency with judgment, communication, adaptability and problem-solving.
Why Collectors Gift Significant Artworks to University Art Museums
A growing number of collectors are gifting significant works of art to college and university museums, and for good reason.
Safeguarding Cultural Heritage Through the Largest Art and Collectibles Transfer in History
Amidst the Great Wealth Transfer, assets of every kind, including art and collectibles, are changing hands. Private Client Select Insurance Services associate specialist of art services Maeve Zimmerman looks at how collectors can ensure that objects of cultural importance are preserved for future generations.
Business
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The Reclusive Billionaire Behind Lidl Is Germany’s Richest Person
Germany’s richest person has quietly transformed Lidl’s parent company into a sprawling business empire stretching from discount groceries to recycling, cloud computing and A.I.
In the Agentic A.I. Era, Data Control Becomes a Product Advantage
Liquid AI’s Jeffrey Li unpacks why data control will become a defining competitive advantage as A.I. agents become more proactive and personalized. Li makes the case for treating data architecture as a core product decision, not an afterthought to privacy or compliance.
The New Philanthropy Power Brokers Are Fandoms
Alltroo’s Kyle Rudolph examines why the traditional model of celebrity and athlete philanthropy is reaching its limits as small-dollar donor participation declines. The future of giving, Rudolph argues, depends on treating fan communities as active philanthropic networks capable of sustaining charitable organizations.
Who Owns Mars? Inside the $129B Reclusive Family Behind the Candy Empire
Five generations after Frank C. Mars began making candy in his kitchen, his descendants remain among America’s wealthiest families.
Six of the World’s Richest People Who Are Not Leaving Billions to Their Children
Some of the world’s wealthiest individuals have no plans to pass on their wealth to the next generation.
Art
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A Daring Antonello da Messina Heist Raises New Questions About Museum Security
The lightning-fast theft at MuMe in Messina targeted rare works by the artist, raising new questions about museum security as art values become increasingly visible.
Author Lori Gold’s Favorite Novels to Read When Contemplating the Road Not Taken
Through very different lenses, these books examine the allure of what might have been.
Leslie Lewis Sigler On Turning Heirlooms into Portraits of a Life
She treats each object in her paintings not as a mere item but as a human-like individual with its own story and thoughts.
One Fine Show: The Holy See’s “The Ear is the Eye of the Soul” at Giardino Mistico
The exhibition is a sonic prayer organized around Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), presented by the Holy See and curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers.
In Liang Fu’s Latest Work, a Vision of Humanity Touched by Relentless Entropy
“The human condition is still the main topic of my observation. It is about our living conditions today, which is something we cannot avoid, politically or geologically.”
Lifestyle
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The Most Anticipated L.A. Restaurant Openings Arriving in August
Upscale chop houses, refurbished French bistros and hearty Mediterranean cuisine give summer a delicious send-off.
From Newport to Watch Hill: How Rhode Island Perfected the Art of Summering
Rhode Island’s seaside towns have spent generations turning a seasonal escape into a full-fledged way of life.
The Legacy Brands Proving American Fashion Is Still a Family Business
As American fashion grows up, these eight companies show how ownership passes to the next generation after a label becomes a global business.
Liwei Liao Creates a Tasting Menu of His Own at The Butcher’s Counter
Dry-aged fish guru Liwei Liao has influenced how elite chefs all over the country serve seafood. Now Liao, who’s sold
Basket Case: How the Nantucket Lightship Bag Became the Ultimate Island Status Symbol
Once an if-you-know-you-know accessory, the Nantucket lightship bag is now caught up in a broader clash over influencers, old money and island authenticity.
Interviews
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At Chishuru, Adejoké Bakare Is Cooking West African Cuisine on Her Own Terms
The chef behind Chishuru is expanding London’s idea of fine dining with a menu rooted in Nigeria, Ghana and the broader West African culinary canon.
“It’s About Time”: At 86, Gladys Nilsson Gets Her First Major Retrospective
“A retrospective is by definition looking backward, but Gladys is always forward-facing,” Francesca Wilmott, the curator of “Gleefully Askew” at Crocker Art Museum, told Observer.
Inside the Calvert Brothers’ Art Club for Everyone
Clayton and Parker Calvert launched the NYC Culture Club during the pandemic to give artists greater visibility, collectors new inroads and the public an accessible way to engage with contemporary art.
Fine Art Insurance Is Often Worth More for What It Prevents Than What It Pays Out
Private Client Select’s Matt Sweitzer explains how advanced planning, staff training, better data and site-specific risk assessments can help protect irreplaceable artworks.
The Essentials With Joey Wölffer: Horses, Sag Harbor Haunts and Carrying on the Family Business
The co-owner of Wölffer Estate Vineyard on her lifelong love of horses, favorite Hamptons spots and running the family business alongside her brother and husband.
Power Lists
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Observer’s 2026 A.I. Power Index: Who Controls the Capital Flow in A.I
Power in artificial intelligence no longer moves through the channels everyone learned to watch.
Observer New Media Power List: Call for Submissions
Nominations are open for Observer’s 2026 New Media Power List
The 50 Most Powerful PR Firms of 2026
This year’s honorees are emblematic of a notable shift in public relations from responsive publicity to proactive leadership in the moments that matter most.
Wall-to-Wall Cultural Capital: Inside Observer’s Art Power Index Party
Under the dim lights of the Lower East Side’s Maison Nur, art world luminaries gathered to celebrate Observer’s Art Power Index—and each other. From the impassioned speeches to the sharp tailoring and Damien Hirst over the bar, the evening embodied our legacy of chronicling power with style.
2025 Nightlife & Dining Power Index
Humanity is still the most vital ingredient in hospitality, and that isn’t changing anytime soon.
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The Continuing Reinvention of Willem de Kooning
“Willem de Kooning Drawing” at the Art Institute of Chicago reveals the artist as a master draftsman across seven decades of work.
Nine Dynastic Sagas That Consider the Architecture of Inherited Power
Spanning Renaissance Florence, Jackie Onassis’s Manhattan and 1990s Morocco, these titles trace what happens when wealth and legacy become inseparable.
Art, Death and Taxes: What Collectors Need to Know About Creating a Legacy That Lasts
Without a will or a plan, even a museum-quality collection can become kindling for tax fires and family feuds.
With an Inherited Watch Collection, Doing Less Is the Smartest Move
Inherited collections are one of the places where historically or horologically significant watches tend to surface, according to specialists from Sotheby’s and Phillips, making due diligence vital.
The Runway-Ready Fashion of ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Is Coming to Christie’s
With pieces including Miranda Priestly’s Dries Van Noten and Schiaparelli jackets and Andy Sachs’ stained Gabriela Hearst dress and iconic cerulean sweater, you can “get your gorgeous on in time for fall,” according to Meryl Streep.
The 2026 Genesis G70 Prestige Graphite Maxes Out on Features While Amping Up Performance
When Korea’s Hyundai split its Genesis models off from the fancier end of its line and gathered them into its own higher-end make, its Pacific rivals suddenly had a stylish, function-packed competitor.
The Bad Planning That Leaves Many Artist Estates Tangled in Lawsuits
Estate planning isn’t just for art collectors.
Larry Ellison’s Decades-Long Obsession With Competitive Sailing
Larry Ellison’s decades in competitive sailing led from America’s Cup victories to SailGP, now a global league with 13 privately owned teams.
America’s Family-Owned Restaurant Legends, From Hamburgers to Cheesesteaks
Spanning a a New Orleans dining room to a Texas smokehouse, these iconic American institutions have stayed in the same families for generations
Joshua Foulquier Built a Restaurant Around the Art His Mother Loved
On the walls of Chez Fifi in New York’s Upper East Side are works by Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Joan Miró and other artists that she collected over decades.
The Future of an Art Collection Is Decided Long Before It Changes Hands
Leading art advisor Megan Fox Kelly explores why the art world’s quietest months are often the most important for collectors. She contends that careful documentation, provenance research, appraisals and thoughtful legacy planning are what preserve an art collection’s value and ensure it can be successfully passed to the next generation.
Judy Glickman Lauder’s Vast Trove of Photography Is a Portrait of Its Collector
Spanning quotidian moments to historic pinnacles, the touring exhibition “Presence: The Photography Collection of Judy Glickman Lauder” examines different facets of the human experience.