Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors' picks of the week

Welcome to Out of Office: a week in the life of the Wallpaper* editors.

A week at Frieze

Hannah Silver, Arts, Watches & Jewellery Editor

For gallerists, collectors and art editors, it’s been one of the busiest weeks of the year in London, as Frieze hit the capital (read more in our live blog). From the fair’s vantage point in Regent's Park, art trends are set, art deals are made, and artists unite for a few days of art-world gossip and big business. It has been a good vibe this year: hectic, but thrilling, with the emphasis firmly on both the established and the emerging.

Most exciting are the exhibitions and events that spring up around the capital during the fair. In one day alone this week, I whizzed from Joy Gregory at the Whitechapel Gallery to Marina Abramović at Saatchi Yates, Nicolas Party at Hauser & Wirth, Lee Miller at Tate Britain and on to Wayne Thiebaud’s gorgeously painted American pies at The Courtauld. And still, the list of things to see is reassuringly long – showing London’s art scene is still very much thriving.

An exploration of urban forests

Ellie Stathaki, Architecture and Environment Director

'My chat with Lebanese architect Adib Dada of TheOtherDada over a morning coffee at The Standard this week reignited my interest in urban forests. Dada is not only an architect but also a reforestation and rewilding expert and has been working on sites across Beirut for some years now. It's an approach he takes with private projects across the Middle East too, such as his eco home design Landform, which not only ticked the boxes that allowed it to become BREEAM Certified, but is also an interesting and important experiment in learning how to build sustainably in contemporary desert environments. We had covered his Dubai Art Jameel pavilion before but I am watching keenly what he will be up to in the future.'

A theatrical must-see

Gabriel Annouka, Senior Designer

This week I had the pleasure of attending Oscar Wilde’s classic The Importance of Being Earnest at the Noël Coward Theatre, courtesy of a birthday present from a dear friend. Scene stealers were the fabulous Kitty Hawthorne and Jessica Whitehurst, playing the sharp-witted Gwendolen Fairfax and the vivacious Cecily Cardew. The performance overflowed with physical comedy as well as wit. Stephen Fry’s portrayal of Lady Bracknell, iconic and grand. What a fabulous cast and run! The whole show was ridiculous and joyously so; even the final moment, when the cast takes their bows, became another burst of euphoria: the actors transformed into a cascade of gorgeous flowers, stepping forward one by one, smiling, skipping and soaking up the applause from a brilliantly colourful stage. A must-see before the season ends on January 10, 2026.

A long-overdue meeting

Anna Fixsen, US editor

In a globalised world, remote work is pretty much de rigueur. But nothing beats working face-to-face – especially when you work for a team like Wallpaper*’s bright crew of writers and editors. These last 10 days, I have been in London, first on a wonderful visit with my mum, during which we saw all of the city’s sights (Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Kensington Palace and The V&A to see Marie Antoinette Style…do I need to go on?). The latter half of my trip, though, I got the opportunity to work remotely from Wallpaper*’s HQ, based in a Grade II Listed 1840s terrace in Paddington. It was the first time meeting many of my UK colleagues IRL. In between meetings, there were coffee breaks, treks to the Salad Project and, of course, sessions at local watering holes. Teamwork makes the dream work, as they say – and what a dream team we have.

A clever cocktail

Bridget Downing, Executive Editor

New to negronis, I tried a delicious and pretty orange blossom one – Beefeater Gin, orange blossom, dry vermouth, and Campari – at the Golden Square outpost of London Italian restaurant chain Bancone this week. I’m definitely a convert. They also have a classic and a white variation on the menu, but meanwhile, I looked up Wallpaper* entertaining director Melina Keays’ own classic negroni recipe to try at home. Cheers, Melina.

An electric performance

Sofia de la Cruz, Travel Editor

London’s own Little Simz returned to the stage with a performance that was equal parts rage and grace. Framed as a homecoming, her set at The O2 unfurled with the confidence of an artist entirely in command of her craft: fierce, fluid, and unapologetic. At one point, the arena turned into a club when Simz swapped the mic for a DJ deck. From the endearing childhood video of the rapper opening the show to an unexpected appearance by Emma Corrin and a closing piano sonata by Sampha, the night exceeded all expectations. For the next few days, I’ll be recovering from post-concert-of-a-lifetime depression.