Espadrille express at La Manual Alpargatera
Summer’s nearly over, you protest! Well, here’s a not-so-little-secret - September is fabulous in the Mediterranean, not to mention swathes of the Northern Hemisphere, when there’s plenty of warmth left so you can keep your twinkle toes on show, and the August hordes have thinned. Besides, they’re gearing up for spring down south, from Sydney to Rio. To make sure you’ll always have your breeziest foot forward, we’ve uncovered these darling cobblers in Barcelona and Miami cranking out beautiful handmade footwear for your sand-exfoliated tootsies, plus there’s one just for you too, fellas. Best of all, they won’t cost you any of your tanned arms or legs. Read more…
Trig suits for dapper chappies
Seize Sur Vingt, Paul Stuart, Thom Browne, Barker Black – it’s a roll call of essential style addresses for the modern (and in the money) dandy. Well, we were trembling with excitement in our hand-stitched wingtips when we heard that Kirk Miller, who’d earned his stripes at the above mentioned establishments, has gone out on his own with Miller’s Oath tailor and menswear in downtown New York, inspired by and a tribute to Kirk’s great granddad’s store in South Dakota.
Simple Scents-ibility
In a world where perfumes are known for their celebrity endorsements and packaging, it’s easy to forget that fragrances are about personal style and taste. Frau Tonis Parfum in Berlin is a fresh reminder. Step into their minimalist, lab-white shop in Mitte, the city’s centre of hip, and you’ll find an array of simple glass flacons lining the shelves.
Capital cottons
Silk pouches, embroidered quilts, brocade throws - what fabulous souvenirs they’d make from your travels through Shanghai and Beijing, if only you could find your way through all the gaudy, mass-manufactured crud being peddled throughout the Middle Kingdom. Well, thank heavens for Shanghai Trio, who set up in their namesake city twelve years ago, and have just opened their first branch in Beijing, dedicated to injecting clean-lined, Franco-Sino sensibility into a range of home linens, apparel and accessories while keeping traditional craft techniques alive.
The LUXElife Travel Q&A
Easy, Tiger
The dapper Robert Verdi shares his impeccable tips on travel, life, style and the universe…
Who are you and what are you wearing?
Robert Verdi – TV personality, lifestyle expert and celebrity stylist, having dressed the likes of Eva Longoria and Tony Parker, Hugh Jackman, Terrence Howard, Kathy Griffin, Kristen Wiig, Joy Behar, Ana Ortiz, Sandra Bernhard, Mariska Hargitay, Bobby Flay and Jolie Fisher. I’m wearing sunglasses, always sunglasses!
Wick tease - you know you want it
The summer holiday season is upon us and fabulous London perfumer, Ormonde Jayne, has released a set of scentsational travel candles and perfumes that pass the practical hand carry and style test. Not only are they chic and highly portable, it’s also a guarantee that you’ll always smell as fresh as frangipani, or osmanthus, or jasmine, whether in Bali, Beirut or en route.
Class eco glass at Grasshopper 510
Bucktown, Chicago, it’s a solid, no nonsense name for a once gritty neighbourhood built on the backs of Eastern European immigrants, now tapped with the gentrification wand. Hipsters, yuppies and artists have moved in, century-old clapboard cottages are making way for low-rise lofts and farms have long gone, replaced by funky, out there and independent stores burning bright in the retail and design scene. The main boutique strip of Nth Damen cleaves Bucktown right down the middle, but get your walking boots on for this half-mile of women’s and home style.
Purrrr... Hello, gorgeous
Introducing the ultimate luxury travel accessory. To celebrate the Year of The Tiger, Shanghai Tang and LUXE City Guides have launched the stunning limited edition, heirloom White Tiger Chest - the epitome of style for the discerning and sophisticated traveller. Each individually numbered and engraved collector’s box is handmade in maple and ebony veneer marquetry, lined in kumquat silk satin and contains thirty fabulous LUXE City Guides. Go get it, Tiger!
Andiamo… [Photo by E|...|/Flickr]
Alfa Romeo, risotto, Giorgio, Milano! It’s true this city is the heart of mwah-mwah, ciao-ciao and super labels, where the removal of one’s sunglasses is a surgical procedure and popping into the deli without stillies is simply illegal. The architecture ain’t nothing compared to sisters Florence and Rome, but the shopping, oh, the shopping! And it’s not just the biggies on fabled brand blvd Via Montenapoleone, or fashionista Mecca Corso Como - we’ve dug up little pockets of style all over town, and Via Gian Giacomo is one of our faves. Purses out…
From gallery to table
While the world continues to fall over itself to get into the overheated mainland Chinese art market, little neighbour Hong Kong has its own burgeoning contemporary art scene, boosted by the arrival of Asia’s premier art fair, ARTHK. Our latest divine find however, is art on a plate, literally, courtesy of six of the hottest HK names to watch – Angela Su, Tsang Kin Wah, Wilson Shieh, Konstantin Bessmertny, Fung Ming Chip and Richard Winkworth…
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