The Happy List
What caught my eye this week.
Discovery of the week: De Vroomen. This tourmaline, diamond and enamel pendant brooch, from the collection of Tina Hills, skyrocketed past its estimate of $3,000–5,000 to $100,620 at Phillips NYC.
Two of my favorite artists together: The Musée Matisse Nice and the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris have joined forces for an exhibition bringing together 160 works — haute couture garments, traditional costumes, paintings, drawings, textiles, accessories, and archival documents. Opening on June 17.
Fascinating Egypt indeed. Van Cleef & Arpels’ latest high jewelry collection has sent me down a rabbit hole of ancient history this week. If you’d like to learn more about Cleopatra, I highly recommend the BBC HistoryExtra podcast series — my companion on countless school and nursery drop-offs and pick-ups.
From A Treasured History: The Stream Family Collection sale at Christie’s New York: a quartet of exquisite Fabergé hardstone flowers proved irresistible to collectors. An enamel, gold and hardstone cactus, a jeweled pansy, a raspberry and a cornflower all achieved remarkable results (from $381,000 to $444, 500), underscoring the enduring appeal of Fabergé's miniature masterpieces.
One for the diary: Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires will be the first major UK exhibition to explore 1,600 years of art, design and architecture from one of the world's most influential cities. Opening at the V&A on November 7.
On the occasion of CIFF Nordic Signatures and Milan Men’s Fashion Week SS26, 10 Corso Como presents MONIES. ATELIER, the first exhibition in Italy dedicated to the Scandinavian jewelry brand Monies (June 19-23)
Gisele Bündchen wearing a selection of Celine charms on the cover of W. Photograph by Karim Sadli; styled by Brian Molloy.
And finally, a goodbye to one of the greats.
“If you see the world as beautiful, thrilling and mysterious, then you feel quite alive.”— David Hockney (1937-2026)
Thank you for the color, the curiosity, and the joy. You can see David Hockney: The Moon Room, at the Pace Gallery, New York, through August 14, 2026.
Happy weekend!
Sonia xx