MEXICO CITY gets its design due

This year, Mexico City becomes the first destination in the Americas to be named the World Design Capital (wdccdmx2018.com). The honor is not to be taken lightly: The yearlong event will not only draw world-class exhibitions and innovators, but will also cement the Mexican capital’s standing as a mecca for the arts.

The 2018 program will focus on socially responsible design, with an emphasis on creating more livable, international cities. Utterly international—if not always livable— Mexico City has given the design faithful plenty to hold dear in the last few years, with contemporary museums like the avantgarde Museo Jumex (fundacionjumex.org) and fairs like Zona Maco (zsonamaco.com) adding to the long-revered local scene established by such institutions as Casa

Luis Barragán and Casa Azul. Design is also part of the package at hotels like Las Alcobas Mexico City (lasalcobas.com) — a Yabu Pushelberg creation that will debut a host of renovations later this year—and Hotel Habita (hotelhabita.com), a sleek boutique in upscale Polanco. Even the culinary scene comes with a touch of the inventive, whether it’s “living mole” at Enrique Olvera’s recent revival of Pujol (pujol.com.mx) or mezcal cocktails topped with ants at Fifty Mils (fiftymils.com), the new speakeasy-style bar at the Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City. —Natasha wolff