Polly Mellen, the irrepressible and indomitable fashion editor who was the last link to a long golden age when fashion editors were fearsome creatures who ruled by fiat and a photograph in Vogue magazine, died on Dec. 11 in Salisbury, Connecticut, noted The New York Times this week. She was 100. With the photographer Richard Avedon, her longtime collaborator, Mellen created some of the most arresting images in contemporary fashion. She also worked with Irving Penn, Bert Stern, Helmut Newton and other iconic photographers. "[S]he had a supernatural talent. It was a form of fashion perfect pitch," said one editor with whom Mellen worked.

Last week Pentagram, the largest design firm in the world—and widely considered the most prestigious—released a new website commissioned by the federal government, for which illustrations created using generative AI were central to the budget and the outcome. The story was immediately picked up and critiqued by Fast Company, Graphic Design USA and others. Following is a rundown of events as they unfolded, starting with a report from Bobby Aaron Solomon: “Led by partn...