In 2023, I lost my soul dog, Chubbs. He had been with me for 14 years through every apartment, every move, and even a cross-country relocation from Texas to New York. When he passed, it felt like someone had pulled the anchor from my life. I didn't just lose my dog; I lost my sense of safety and the steady presence that had guided every chapter of my adult life. The grief felt overwhelming.
When my husband and I told people we were selling everything we owned to travel full time, most assumed we were either having a midlife crisis or chasing an early retirement fantasy. The truth is, it was neither. It was something we couldn't quite explain at the time, only that we felt called to do it. We were 50-something empty nesters with 35 years of marriage under our belt.
I've been a little bit concerned about what was going on with ice Spice's career in the last year. She released the Y2K album in 2024. Since then, it's been a string of singles that have been a bit up and down. But finally, we have something that's an undeniable up and that's. So Thootie the new single. It's with the Dominican star Tokischa, and this is a Dembow rhythm. Much like the sexy drill that Ice Spice got famous with. This is up tempo, rough around the edges, and undeniably sensual.
Before Scandinavian design became synonymous with pale wood floors and clean-lined chairs, it was a response to everyday life in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland). It developed in response to the region's long, sun-deprived winters, shaping its emphasis on natural materials, usefulness, and bright interiors. Beyond its cozy sense of "hygge," the Danish concept of contented well-being, Scandinavian design is also philosophical. It reflects an investment in craftsmanship and the belief that well-made objects can - and should - improve daily living.
For many years I was also on the receiving end of gifts that were lovingly wrapped and gifted. I understand that for many people the best part of Christmas is to send a beautifully wrapped and thoughtful gift. I've discovered that when people ask, What do you want? or I need a list for you/your family, it's coming from a place of love, not to terrorize you.
Her mother had a habit, in Siesbye's childhood, of giving away her daughter's toys to other children; as an adult, Siesbye started to treat herself to gifts. On that trip, she came home one afternoon to find that the leopard was gone: her mother had gifted it to the young daughter of family friends. Later, visiting these friends, Siesbye told the little girl that she would like the toy back when the child was done playing with it.
John Nixon, the late Australian avant-garde artist, would sometimes save the shells from his boiled eggs and sprinkle them across blank paint, creating his own starry night. Other times he'd set himself rules, such as painting only in orange for five years. It was 1996 and he was becoming a father, so he wanted a streamlined practice plus, what other artist was associated with orange?
In today's era, where beauty typically demands doing the most, it's liberating to opt out occasionally, even if it's just one thing. My FYP was a shrine to chrome hues, 3D and rhinestone designs, aura nails, and more - all of which I'd screenshot to show my tech. People rarely saw me without colorful, intricate tips; they were a source of social-media likes and IRL compliments. Birthday nails were a thing. Wedding nails, too (pastel tie-dye, in case you were wondering).
When I packed up my New York apartment for the last time, it wasn't just a physical move. I was going through a profound emotional shift, a decision to rethink what success meant to me. A year prior, I had moved from Dallas to chase a dream editorial role, believing that life in the city would be the ultimate marker of success. But after a sudden layoff, the skyline that once inspired me started to feel like a cage.
Mazda Motor Corp. rolled out a new, flatter version of its logo at the Japan Mobility Show 2025 in October that did away with the dimensional, beveled silver chrome effect the logomark used to have in favor of a solid black line. The new M mark is more angular, too, evoking a pair of wings that was first introduced in 1997. The company says it designed the flat new logo for improved visibility, especially in digital environments. That also makes it late to the party.
In our fast-paced world, the idea of having less has never felt so relevant. Japandi champions a mindful approach to minimalism, moving away from sterile, empty spaces towards ones that are uncluttered yet inviting. It is all about curating your belongings, keeping only what is essential and brings you joy or serves a purpose, thereby reducing visual noise and mental clutter.
Until I was 12 I was in the French school system, where theatre was Moliere, Corneille, Racine. Going to the theatre meant The Sound of Music or My Fair Lady. Then it was decided I would switch to school in England. So, at 13, I arrived at Westminster school. It was 1968, and the world opened up. I went to see a school production of Waiting for Godot in French in a small room with a little stage, and I was sitting at the back.
Happy Birthday: Simplify your life. Distance yourself from drama, taking on more than you can handle and changes at home that are likely to cost more than you anticipate. Excess is the enemy, making this a good year to consider minimalization across the board. Donate what you no longer use, size down or cut back on expensive subscriptions or other promotions you no longer have the time or desire to pursue. Your numbers are 9, 14, 21, 27, 32, 35, 46.
Sidero Labs has been developing Talos Linux, an immutable operating system purpose-built exclusively for running Kubernetes, alongside Omni, a cluster lifecycle management platform. InfoQ met the Sidero team in Amsterdam during the TalosCon 2025 and had conversations about their approach to simplifying Kubernetes operations through minimalism and security-first design. The concept for Talos emerged from practical frustrations with traditional operating systems in enterprise environments.
I kept just a few precious memories, like undeveloped disposable cameras, and my clothes in boxes tucked away at my parents' house. I had quit my job, and in just a few short hours I would be taking the biggest leap of my life: heading to an RV dealership with a $75,000 cashier's check to purchase a converted cargo van so that I could live in it full-time.
When you talk about modern fashion legacies, that of Jil Sander is a tricky one. Mainly because it's both everything and nothing. A minimalist who helped shape the direction of late-1990s fashion, a period subject to sporadic revival for the past 15 years or so, Sander's resolutely stripped-back perfectionism has proved tricky to emulate without hollow imitation. Plus the woman herself, now 81, is very much alive and kicking,
Jerry Lorenzo 's Fear of God has spent the last decade perfecting a singular vision - one that balances reverence for American craftsmanship with an elevated, almost spiritual minimalism. For Collection Nine, the brand takes a significant step forward by presenting its first-ever womenswear collection, a moment that feels both inevitable and groundbreaking. This debut isn't just an expansion of the Fear of God universe - it's a full expression of what Lorenzo has been building toward,
"A study in contrast, materiality and craftsmanship." That was how Cos described its Autumn/Winter 2025 collection at New York Fashion Week, the fourth consecutive September the London-based brand has crossed the Atlantic. For a house steeped in urban minimalism, the city is a natural stage - its architecture and relentless movement a mirror of Cos's own design philosophy, a refined quiet cutting through the bustle.
If I'm being totally honest, taking down the living room gallery wall was part of a larger restart in 2025 for me. Approximately 10 to 20 frames of crowded, colorful artwork on the walls were beginning to feel overwhelming to me (in addition to some other overwhelming stuff going on). I was seeking something simpler, and I really liked AT contributor Jessie Quinn's idea of creating gallery clusters - groupings of just one to three frames.
After last summer's BRAT attack, it felt like minimalist album art was back with a bang (for better or for worse). While I'm all for the rise of anti-design, there's a stark difference between counter-cultural creations and plain underwhelming art, and sadly, pop star Justin Bieber's latest album fits into the latter category. Swag II, the successor of Bieber's recent album, Swag, features a painfully innocuous album cover that's undoubtedly functional but disappointingly flat.
"Finding an apartment in New York can feel like the Wild West. I had looked at so many places, and even lost a few. Walking into my apartment for the first time, I immediately felt its spirit," Breaker begins. Though he's not sure of the unit's exact square footage, the one-bedroom is clearly on the smaller side.
