CULTURAL BULLETIN | HAPPENINGS | WORLD OF CABANA
A monthly guide to the events and exhibitions on Cabana's Radar: a global cultural bulletin and a must-read for anyone looking to keep their finger on the pulse of art and design. Read on to discover our December highlights, which span fine art, design, fashion, photography and craft, alongside a wealth of (festive) events to keep you inspired and merry this Winter.
BY TEAM CABANA | HAPPENINGS | 1 DECEMBER 2025
Course Life in the Victorian Home © Sambourne House for public event; 'Yuletide at Sambourne House'. (See our Events section.)
Whether seeking tinsel and twinkling lights or sophisticated exhibitions across the globe, Cabana’s December radar is brimming with the season’s offerings.
From the UK's artisan Christmas markets at historic Haddon Hall, to the creative force of Design Miami., lit by Florida sun, and compelling exhibitions spanning mediums and eras, there is no shortage of inspiring exhibitions and events to explore as 2025 draws to a close.
EXHIBITIONS
NEW YORK, USA
An Ecology of Quilts: The Natural History of American Textiles
Mary Alice Kenny-Sinton, Mala Pua Aloha / Garden of Aloha Quilt, Ponca City, Oklahoma, 1991, Cotton, 72 x 72 in., Museum purchase through funds provided by Northern, the Quilted Bathroom Tissue, made by James River Corp., 1991.9.1
Bringing together around 30 works from the Museum’s remarkable collection, An Ecology of Quilts traces how raw materials, trade routes, and emerging technologies shaped the artistry of quiltmaking from the 18th to the 20th century. The result is a thoughtful meditation on quilts as material histories: objects in which ecology, craftsmanship, and human connection are inseparably intertwined.
Through March 1, 2026, The American Folk Art Museum, NEW YORK, USA
LONDON, UK
Caravaggio's Cupid
Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) Cupid as Victor, © Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / Image by Google; Public Domain Mark 1.0
Caravaggio’s Victorious Cupid (1601–02) makes its first-ever UK public appearance at London’s Wallace Collection this winter, on loan from Berlin’s Gemäldegalerie. The focused display reunites the masterpiece with two ancient Roman sculptures once owned by Marchese Vincenzo Giustiniani, evoking the atmosphere of his grand Roman palazzo where the Cupid originally hung among an extraordinary cluster of Caravaggios.
Through April 13, 2026, The Wallace Collection, LONDON, UK
NEW YORK, USA
Rodin's Egypt
Naophorous (shrine) statue of Ra - Horakhty 1550 – 332 BCE (New Kingdom – Late Period) Painted limestone Egypt; Findspot unknown H. 65 cm; W. 28.5 cm; D. 8.5 cm Donation Rodin 1916 Musée Rodin
At NYU’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, Rodin’s Egypt brings more than sixty works from the Musée Rodin to New York, placing the artist’s sculptures in dialogue with the ancient Egyptian objects he avidly collected. The exhibition reveals how Egyptian forms—human, hybrid, and divine—inspired Rodin’s own experimental approach to the body, from reworked plaster fragments to figures poised on ancient vessels.
Through March 15, 2026, ISAW, NEW YORK, USA
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
Westwood | Kawakubo
Vivienne Westwood, London (fashion house), Vivienne Westwood (designer) Look 49, from the Anglomania collection, autumn–winter 1993–94. Le Cercle Républicain, Paris, March 1993. Photo © firstVIEW. Model: Kate Moss
The NGV presents a landmark exhibition pairing Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo—two self-taught, rule-breaking designers who reshaped fashion from the 1970s onward. Bringing together more than 140 pieces from the NGV and major international lenders, the show charts their shared radicalism and distinct paths, from punk provocation to experiments with form, gender, beauty, and the body.
December 7, 2025 - April 19, 2026, NGV International, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
CHICHESTER, UK
William Nicholson
William Nicholson (1872 – 1949), The Silver Casket and Red Leather Box 1920
Pallant House Gallery present a major retrospective on William Nicholson, the acclaimed British artist, spanning his entire versatile career—from iconic still lifes, landscapes, and portraits, to playful book illustrations and bold poster designs. Rarely seen works, intimate family portraits, and pieces inspired by his travels and wartime experiences offer a fresh perspective on a master of Modern British art.
Through May 10, 2026, Pallant House Gallery, CHICHESTER, UK
PETWORTH, UK
Jane Bown: Play Shadow at Newlands House
Mick Jagger © The Estate of Jane Bown.
Jane Bown: Play Shadow at Newlands House Gallery celebrates the powerful photography of Jane Bown, whose black-and-white portraits reveal the humanity behind her subjects. Featuring rarely-before seen images alongside archival material, the exhibition explores her mastery of natural light, composition, and emotional presence, from cultural icons to intimate sitters.
Through February 15, 2026, Newlands House, PETWORTH, UK
CLEVELAND, USA
Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses
Necklace in gold with silk cord, sardonyx cameo, ruby, and diamonds, c. 1984 Bulgari (Italian, est. 1884). Gold, silk, sardonyx, ruby, diamonds; 35 x 3.9 cm (13 3/4 x 1 9/16 in.). Bvlgari Heritage Collection. Bvlgari
Renaissance to Runway traces how Italian fashion—from Versace and Valentino to Ferragamo and Capucci—draws inspiration from the art and aesthetics of the Renaissance, Mannerist, and early Baroque periods. More than 100 modern and contemporary designs are shown in dialogue with historic Italian artworks, revealing how the great houses of the past and present have shaped style, power, and identity across five centuries.
Through February 1, 2026, The Cleveland Museum of Art, CLEVELAND, USA
LONDON, UK
Dirty Looks: Desire and Decay at the Barbican
Comme des Garçons, Autumn/Winter 2005, Broken Bride ©Catwalkpictures.
A provocative exploration of fifty years of fashion embracing dirt, decay, and imperfection. From McQueen and Westwood to rising voices like Elena Velez, over 100 looks reveal how distressed, decomposed, and upcycled aesthetics challenge beauty, luxury, and sustainability.
Through January 25, 2026, The Barbican, LONDON, UK
WINCHESTER, UK
Beauty of the Earth: The Art of May, Jane and William Morris
Acanthus and Vine tapestry by William Morris, 1879 © Society of Antiquaries of London (Kelmscott Manor)
Beauty of the Earth celebrates the creative legacy of William, Jane, and May Morris, tracing how gardens, orchards, and wild hedgerows shaped their radical vision of beauty and craft. Featuring over 50 objects—from embroidered keepsake books to lyrical wallpapers and tapestries—the exhibition shines new light on Jane and May’s rarely seen creations, placing them alongside William at the heart of the Arts and Crafts movement.
Through February 4, 2026, The Arc, WINCHESTER, UK
LONDON, UK
The View from Here: Contemporary Art from the Middle East and North Africa
Zaina El-Said (Jordan), Two Worlds, digital collage, 2018. Reproduced with permission from the artist Zaina El-Said. Courtesy of Durham University
To mark a 100 years of Leighton House’s opening as a public museum, the former home and studio of Lord Leighton presents The View from Here, the third chapter of its centenary celebrations, and a collaboration with Durham University’s Oriental Museum. Showcasing emerging artists from the MENA region, the exhibition explores heritage, memory, and identity through inventive assemblage and collage, offering a fresh contemporary counterpoint to the historic Victorian setting.
Through March 1, 2026, Leighton House, LONDON, UK
LONDON, UK
Wright of Derby: From the Shadows
Joseph Wright of Derby A Philosopher Giving That Lecture on the Orrery in Which a Lamp Is Put in Place, 1764-1766 Oil on canvas 147.3 x 203.2 cm Derby Museum and Art Gallery (1884-168) © Derby Museums X12392
The National Gallery presents a landmark exhibition devoted to Joseph Wright of Derby’s atmospheric night pieces—striking scenes where faces glow against deep shadow as they contemplate instruments, specimens, and sculptural forms. Bringing together more than 20 works, the show reassesses Wright not simply as an Enlightenment painter of illumination, but as an artist drawn to darker currents—mortality, doubt, wonder, and the sublime.
Through May 10, 2026, National Gallery, LONDON, UK
MASSACHUSETTS, USA
Shadow Visionaries French Artists Against the Current, 1840–70
Charles Marville, The Mummified Cat (Le chat momifié), c. 1862, albumen silver print from glass negative. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gilman Collection, gift of The Howard Gilman Foundation, 2005, 2005.100.205
Shadow Visionaries spotlights mid-19th-century French artists who pushed back against Realism, embracing darkness, fantasy, and the irrational. Featuring prints, drawings, and photographs, the exhibition brings together figures such as Victor Hugo, Charles Meryon, Rodolphe Bresdin, and pioneering photographers to reveal an alternative visual language shaped by memory, melancholy, and spiritual intensity.
December 20, 2025 - March 8, 2026, The Clark Art Institute, MASSACHUSETTS, USA
NASHVILLE, USA
Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm
Paul McCartney. George Harrison. Miami Beach, February, 1964. © 1964 Paul McCartney under exclusive license to MPL Archive LLP
Beatlemania in full force! The touring National Portrait Gallery exhibition comes to Nashville, presenting a rare glimpse of The Beatles at the dawn of their success through photographs taken by Paul McCartney between December 1963 and February 1964. Capturing gigs in Liverpool and London, as well as their iconic Ed Sullivan performance, these intimate images—most never before seen—offer a personal perspective on the band’s astonishing leap from local fame to global phenomenon.
Through January 26, 2026, Frist Art Museum, NASHVILLE, USA
PARIS, FRANCE
Azzedine Alaïa and Christian Dior, Two Masters of Haute Couture
© LAZIZ HAMAN Azzedien Alaïa’s Dresse
Azzedine Alaïa’s brief but formative encounter with the house of Dior in 1956 sparked a lifelong admiration that shaped his pursuit of sculptural, precision-cut silhouettes. This exhibition brings nearly 70 creations by Alaïa and Christian Dior into dialogue, revealing shared signatures—cinched waists, architectural curves, and a refined palette of blacks and greys.
December 15, 2025 - May 25, 2026, Fondation Azzedine Alaïa, PARIS, FRANCE
LONDON, UK
Costume Couture: Sixty Years of Cosprop
Left: Dress Detail © Cosprop, Jon Stokes, Julia Buckmiller Right: Jefferson in Paris Detail © Cosprop, Jon Stokes, Julia Buckmiller
The Fashion and Textile Museum celebrates Cosprop, the legendary London costume house behind some of film and television’s most memorable period looks—from A Room with a View and Pride and Prejudice to Out of Africa, Downton Abbey and Peaky Blinders. The exhibition highlights Cosprop’s hallmark of historical authenticity, exquisite craftsmanship, and couture-level detail. Alongside iconic outfits worn by stars including Helena Bonham Carter, Meryl Streep, Maggie Smith, and Colin Firth, visitors can explore the behind-the-scenes artistry—from mood boards and hand-dyeing to draping and breakdown work—that defined Cosprop’s impact on screen.
Through March 6, 2026, Fashion and Textile Museum, LONDON, UK
CHARLOTTENLUND, DENMARK
Plant Fever. The World on the Windowsill
Martinus Rørbye, Udsigt fra kunstnerens vindue, 1823-1827. Statens Museum for Kunst, open.smk.dk, public domain
Plant Fever. The World on the Windowsill explores the journeys of (once thought to be exotic) plants into Danish homes from the 19th century to today. Through historic paintings and contemporary works, the exhibition shows how these verdant companions sparked a plant craze, shaped daily life, reflected colonial histories, and continue to inspire new ways of connecting with nature.
Through January 11, 2026, Ordrupgaard, CHARLOTTENLUND, DENMARK
BOSTON, USA
One Hundred Stitches, One Hundred Villages:
The Beauty of Patchwork from Rural China
Textile Sample , 2019 Zheng Yunyang (Chinese) Chinese Patchwork * Joel Alvord and Lisa Schmid Alvord Fund * Reproduced with Permission * Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The MFA Boston is brining together vibrant Chinese patchwork textiles from northern villages, drawn from Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Gansu, and Shaanxi. The works reveal inventive compositions, local styles, and personal artistry rarely seen outside their communities—creativity, improvisation, and cultural heritage merge, offering a fresh perspective on an art form both practical and profoundly expressive.
December 6, 2025 - May 3, 2026, MFA, BOSTON, USA
LAST CHANCE
PARIS, FRANCE
Immarcescible Limoges Renaissance Enamels and their Collectors
© Galerie Kugel, Paris
For five centuries, Renaissance Limoges enamels have captivated collectors with their unfading shine and their remarkable ability to defy time and never fade. On show until 10 December at Galerie Kugel in Paris, this remarkable exhibition traces not only the history of these luminous works but also that of their passionate, visionary collectors.
Through December 10, 2025, Galerie Kugel, PARIS, FRANCE
EVENTS
LONDON, UK
The Cabana Store
The Cabana Store, 29 Sloane Street, London, SW1X, Open Monday-Sunday
London Calling: Come and visit us in London until 23 December, where the Cabana store on Sloane Street will be your cozy winter refuge. Join us for cultural events (check our Instagram for details), and browse the full range of Casa Cabana homewares, along with magazines, travel guides, a curated edit of our favorite brands, and much more.
Through 23 December, 2025, Cabana Pop-Up Store, LONDON, UK
MIAMI, USA
Design Miami.
FENDI presents Fonderia Fendi by Conie Vallese at Design Miami 2025 (Image FENDI)
Design Miami. returns to Pride Park this December, celebrating its 21st edition and the culmination of its 20th-anniversary year under the theme Make. Believe., curated by Glenn Adamson. With a focus on the fair's legacy and future momentum, the fair highlights the creators and processes defining design today.
December 2 – 7, 2025, Pride Park, MIAMI, USA
BAKEWELL, UK
Mercatum — Christmas Artisan Markets at Haddon Hall
Mercatum 2024 © Haddon Hall
Set within Haddon Manor's historic rooms and gardens, the Mercatum Christmas Artisan Market features over 250 artisans offering handmade ceramics, textiles, jewellery, fine chocolate, and seasonal treasures. Visitors can explore twinkling chalets in the Lower Courtyard and watch daily craft demonstrations—from basket weaving to wreath-making—bringing the magic of Christmas to life in this enchanting 900-year-old setting.
December 3 – 7 & December 10 - 14, 2025, Haddon Hall, BAKEWELL, UK
MIAMI BEACH, USA
Art Basel Miami Beach
Art Basel Miami Beach © Portia Munson
The world's leading contemporary art fair, Art Basel, promises an electrifying edition with its curated exhibitions, public art installations, and dynamic programming. A world-class experience that celebrates the latest in contemporary art with established as well as up-and-coming artists from across the globe, all under one roof.
December 5 – 7, 2025, Miami Beach Convention Center, MIAMI BEACH, USA
LONDON, UK
Yuletide at Sambourne House
Morning Room, detail Sambourne House © RBKC. Image Jaron James
Travel back in time to a Victorian Christmas at Sambourne House, where the season comes alive through period decorations, festive refreshments, and a guided tour led by Mrs Reffle, the family housekeeper. Wander the beautifully preserved home of illustrator Linley Sambourne, enhanced by a new immersive soundscape in the dining room, and discover the traditions, stories, and atmosphere that shaped Christmas as we know it.
December 11, 2025, Sambourne House, LONDON, UK
Read Latest Articles
