The List: Our Editors’ Guide to What to See, Where to Go and What to Read in December and Beyond

The monthly briefing from Design Anthology’s editors on the most interesting things to see, places to go and books to read

Valence Jewellery Box, Erede and David Caon, Sydney
Product

Industrial designer David Caon has partnered with Erede to craft the Valence Jewellery Box. Its strong, architectural form is achieved using finely rumbled aluminium, deliberately unsealed to allow a rich patina to evolve with time. The elegant clamshell opening reveals a soft, brown suede interior, and the dished top allows for everyday pieces to be discarded and collected in a hurry. Named for connection and covering, Valence is a substantial, sculptural object for both beauty and function.

Aesop Wuxi Centre 66, Wuxi
Retail

A new Aesop store in Wuxi captures the spirit of Lake Tai, China’s third-largest freshwater lake. Transforming a basement location into an immersive, cocoon-like space, the design centres on the themes of water and erosion. Custom terrazzo, made with local eroded limestone fragments, given a honeycomb-like appearance by this process, extends across the floor and walls. Raw silk is cast in resin to form translucent functional panels and screens, and water channels, inspired by longitudinal silkworm cultivation basins, run through the space, creating a constant, gently lapping soundscape.

Type 3 MN, Ressence × Marc Newson, Antwerp
Watch

The limited-edition Ressence Type 3 MN watch combines Marc Newson’s distinctive, organic design language with brand founder Benoît Mintiens’ oil-filled technology. Limited to just 80 pieces, the watch features an upper chamber flooded with oil, which negates light refraction and creates a ‘dematerialised’ effect where time appears to float on the sapphire crystal. While the minimal hands and disc-shaped silhouette call back to Newson’s iconic 1990s Ikepod classics, the Type 3 MN modernises that aesthetic.

Klein Dytham Architecture: to Tokyo and Beyond, The Images Publishing Group, Tokyo
Book

This monograph celebrates Tokyo-based Klein Dytham Architecture's playful, thoughtful and multidisciplinary design across 76 global projects. Blending humour, experimentation and tradition, the book showcases award-winning work, from Daikanyama T-Site to the Fender flagship store, and highlights cultural contributions like PechaKucha Night. Vibrant photography captures the studio's innovative philosophy and whimsical aesthetic.

Autobiography of Hilton Seoul, Piknic, Seoul
Exhibition

A poignant farewell unfolds at the Piknic gallery with The Autobiography of Hilton Seoul, honouring the celebrated 1983 architectural work by Kimm Jong Soung. Through salvaged fragments and vivid archival records, the exhibit traces the hotel's storied life before its demolition. Visitors can experience a touch of nostalgia with the restored Christmas Charity Train before the exhibition concludes on 4 January, 2026.

Images courtesy of Piknic

Perfume D'intérieur ‘PR VII’, Public Record, Auckland
Product

New Zealand studio Public Record and Japanese perfumer Sari have collaborated on Perfume D'intérieur ‘PR VII’, a grounding room fragrance featuring notes of roasted Japanese tea, cedar, earth and stone. The dropper bottle is housed in recycled, carbonised hardwood with a raw steel lid, atop which rests a volcanic stone sourced from Auckland beaches. Fragrance is applied to the stone, allowing it to diffuse throughout the room, and the result is a scent that brings calm and presence.