Dolce & Gabbana has teamed up with regular collaborator Carbondale Studio on the refurbishment of its Canton Road boutique in Hong Kong. Mosaic is an embellishment often employed by the architecture studio’s founder Eric Carlson. In summer 2019, Gabbana’s newly opened Rome boutique featured two majestic domes set with tiled gold and red stones. On Canton Road, a mosaic of the bauhinia flower, a symbol of the city of Hong Kong, welcomes guests at the boutique’s entrance. Inside, Italian white vein silver marble, polished smoked redgum wood and sparkling mirrored ceilings make up the luxurious materials used in the store’s two-floor interior, which houses the brand’s opulent ready-to-wear, accessories and fine jewellery collections for men and women.
Stream dream
24 April
Forget trawling Netflix this weekend. Instead of endlessly searching for the perfect downtime watch, we recommend a click onto Dior’s youtube channel, where the French maison is streaming for the first time, the 1949 documentary ‘Haute-Couture’. This Henri A Lavorel-directed dive into its founders 1949 Haute Couture collection, contains intimate at-work scenes, where viewers can watch Monsieur Dior sketch, fit toiles in his atelier and even make finishing touches to the collection’s final pieces. Should you want to delve even more into Dior’s archive, the brand is also hosting a virtual tour of its groundbreaking Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition, which was shown at both the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris from 2017 to 2018 and the London’s V&A last year.
Great escape
23 April
We’re all in need of some salt-sprayed escapism right now. So it’s with sun-drenched delight that we welcome Loewe’s latest Paula’s Ibiza offering – a fully fledged women’s and men’s collection brimming with Balearic-inspired, poolside-ready delights. Water lily detail shoppers, bags in the forms of dolphins, octopuses and whales, tie-dye print sweaters and bucket hats and dresses cascading with ruffles – pieces in the collection revel in kaleidoscopic tones, humour and punchy prints, bringing together the bohemian, club-cool and beachside culture that Ibiza is famed for. To accompany the collection, creative director Jonathan Anderson teamed up with regular collaborator Gray Sorrenti on a portfolio of escapist images, shot in New Delhi. Time to dress up and daydream.
That’s a wrap
20 April
In this moment of domestic downtime, we’ve been taking stock of the items that bring us most joy when simply moving around the home. High on our hot list is a stack of bold Hermès towels, imagined in prismatic hues and graphic patterns, which ensure that our drying sessions post shower or bath, have a touch of uplifting technicolor. If your lucky enough to have a patch of outside space, we also recommend using them as something soft to lie on, as you dream of a getaway a touch more tropical. Pictured: Carre Taquin Beach Towel, 3 Surfs Beach Towel, Voile Sur Galilee Beach Towel, all by Hermès.
Craft works
17 April
Tod’s T Factory project has already seen Alessandro Dell’acqua and Alber Elbaz on its collaborative roster, and now the Italian label has commissioned burgeoning Japanese talent Mame Kurogouchi to reinterpret its heritage-steeped designs. Kurogouchi found particular aesthetic affinity in both her and Tod’s affection for craft. ‘We both strive to give contemporary relevance to a special and endangered form of knowledge that is not to be found in books, but that can only be learned through experience,’ she explains. The result is a collection of dresses, outerwear, shoes and bags in timeless black, navy blue and tan, featuring traditional Japanese flourishes, including leather embroidery that nods to kogin zashi quilting. ‘I founded Mame Kurogouchi exactly on the idea to rediscover crafts that in Japan were in danger to disappear,’ its founder adds. Her aim just got even more international reach.
Pig out
15 April
Beloved nose-to-tail dining revolutionary St JOHN has temporarily shuttered its doors in London, but fans of the restaurant can still purchase its wine selection online – the 10-litre Bag in Box proving a particular favourite. If you’re also keen to offer sartorial support, we also suggest a visit to Dover Street Market’s online outpost, which is stocking a host of collaborative styles from Junya Watanabe MAN’s S/S 2020 collection, including a t-shirt printed with the restaurant’s famed pig logo. When St JOHN’s London locations reopen their doors in the future, we suggest sporting it for your first visit.