Constance Wu as Rachel in *Crazy Rich Asians.*
Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros

Galerie’s 10 Most Popular Stories of 2018

From the opulent jewelry in Crazy Rich Asians to Wes Anderson’s curatorial debut, here’s what took off with our readers this year

From the blockbuster movie Crazy Rich Asians to a peek at the private rooms inside Buckingham Palace, Galerie has covered a plethora of noteworthy art and design stories in 2018. We wanted to know what took off with our readers, so we’ve compiled a list of our most-read stories of the year. See below for the highlights.

Constance Wu as Rachel in Crazy Rich Asians. Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros

1. Take a Look at the Opulent—and Real—High-End Jewelry of Crazy Rich Asians
After its highly anticipated August debut, the film Crazy Rich Asians became not only a box-office smash but also a cultural touchstone as the first film to feature an all-Asian cast since 1992. To explore the great lengths that were gone to to give the movie its authentically over-the-top feel, Galerie spoke with the experts who made it happen, including Eric Wind, a former watch specialist at Christie’s, and Kevin Kwan, who penned the bestselling novel the film is based on.

Wes Anderson and his partner, Juman Malouf, in Vienna. Photo: Courtesy of Kunshistorisches Museum

2. Wes Anderson Curates His First Art Exhibition
Celebrated filmmaker Wes Anderson revealed in July that he would be stepping into the surprising role of exhibition curator with a show at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Along with his partner, the author, illustrator, and costume designer Juman Malouf, Anderson pulled objects from the institution’s 14 collections to craft a truly unique show, which opened on November 6.

The penthouse features a dramatic three-story staircase designed by Hadid herself. Photo: Scott Frances

3. A $50 Million Penthouse Designed by Zaha Hadid Comes to Market
Photos of the showstopping triplex at the Zaha Hadid–designed 520 West 28th condominium made a splash when they were released in November. Sales at the spectacular residential building on New York’s west side began three years ago, but the penthouse, known as the crown jewel of an already stunning building, was only recently completed. The edifice is the late architect’s only completed building in the city.

Robin Williams onstage at the Metropolitan Opera; the photo is included in the sale. Photo: Arthur Grace

4. Robin Williams’s Eclectic Art Collection Hits the Auction Block
In the wake of his sudden 2014 death, the late actor Robin Williams left a trove of more than 300 pieces of art, furniture, timepieces, and memorabilia that spanned his diverse interests and those of his wife of 20 years, film producer and philanthropist Marsha Garces Williams. The Sotheby’s sale featured works by Banksy, Niki de Saint-Phalle, and Yoshitomo Nara.

Recommended: Elizabeth Margulies Selects Her Top Five Emerging Artists of 2018

In the main courtyard, Maite Bulgari with her daughters, Carlotta (left) and Marina, reclining on a Pablo Paniagua–designed daybed. Photo: Ricardo Labougle

5. Inside the Bulgari Family’s Opulent Marrakech Riad
Galerie’s Spring issue featured the extraordinary riad of Maite Carpio Bulgari and her husband, Paolo Bulgari, chairman of the famed Italian jewelry and luxury-goods dynasty (and great-grandson of its founder). Madrid-based designer Pablo Paniagua infused the glamorous residence with “a Moroccan sensibility with an Andalusian essence.”

Mickalene Thomas and Polly Apfelbaum’s creations for Lady Dior #3, on display at the Design District boutique during Art Basel in Miami Beach. Photo: Courtesy of Dior

6. Dior Enlists 11 Women Artists to Create Chic New Handbag Collection
Artist Mickalene Thomas was one of 11 renowned talents who were given carte blanche to reinterpret the Lady Dior handbag. Thomas was fêted along with the other contributing talent at a swanky VIP reception at Dior’s Design District boutique during Art Basel in Miami Beach.

The home of Le Corbusier, the Swiss-French architect who pioneered modern architecture. Photo: © flc-adagp, by Olivier Martin-Gambier and Antoine Mercusot

7. Le Corbusier’s Restored Paris Home Opens to the Public
After two years of renovations, the Paris studio where famed Swiss-born architect Le Corbusier lived for nearly 30 years reopened to the public in October. The apartment—which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016—is part of Immeuble Molitor, a complex of 15 apartments that Le Corbusier designed in the 1930s with his cousin Pierre Jeanneret.

The State Dining Room in Buckingham Palace. Photo: Ashley Hicks/Courtesy of Rizzoli

8. Get a Rare Glimpse of the Royal Family’s Private Rooms at Buckingham Palace
For the first time in decades, an extraordinary selection of Buckingham Palace’s private rooms were captured on camera, compiled in the book Buckingham Palace: The Interiors (Rizzoli, $55). British photographer Ashley Hicks, the son of Lady Pamela Hicks and the legendary interior designer David Hicks, was granted ten days to shoot the opulent drawing rooms, halls, and corridors of the royal family’s residence.

Alain Ducasse’s restaurant in Le Meurice in Paris takes inspiration from Versailles. Photo: Pierre Monetta

9. 9 of the Most Beautiful Restaurants in Paris
This roundup featured delightful dining destinations that are reason enough to book a trip to the City of Light. From an ornate grand siècle–inspired dining room to a modern gem in one of the city’s only skyscrapers, these are nine of the most glamorous places to dine in Paris.

Recommended: 10 of the Most Architecturally Significant Homes to Hit the Market in 2018

Supermodel Eugenia Silva in her Madrid living room. Photo: Ricardo Labougle

10. Inside Supermodel Eugenia Silva’s Gorgeous Home in Madrid
Our Fall issue featured the elegant full-floor Madrid apartment of supermodel Eugenia Silva, who collects pieces by Bosco Sodi, Joan Miró, Antonio Saura, and Andreas Gursky. Interior design firm Casa Muñoz devised the chic setting for the global trendsetter’s family.

Cover: Constance Wu as Rachel in *Crazy Rich Asians.*
Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros

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