week 9.
From Elton’s junk to fancy plates, this is what caught our attention these past days
Hermès Tressages Équestres Tableware Collection
We all know Hermès is THE place to go to for understated elegance, superb craftsmanship and enduring classic style when it comes to bags, small leather goods and even clothing (if you can afford the eye-watering price tags) but the legendary brand can also help make your dining room look rather special too. They have produced fine porcelain tableware for a long time but the designs are often (somewhat surprisingly) rather garish and flashy. Not so the new Tressage Équestres collection that uses pared-back, graphic motifs based very abstractly on saddlery. Still far from cheap, a bowl here and a teacup there will at least nod to a rather more upmarket life than an Ikea mug would.
Louis Vuitton x Tyler the Creator
As far as we are concerned, the jury is still out on Pharrell’s tenure at Louis Vuitton: there have been some fun accessories and the energy is great but that last western-influenced show made our eyes bleed in its very literal take on cowboy style. But maybe a helping hand in the shape of Tyler the Creator might rein Mr Williams in a bit. Their new collab collection, to be launched in March, has all the street style (mixed with golfing imagery) that we hoped for and is actually desirable rather than fancy dress. A bunch of quirky accessories include a dog-shaped bag, some great sandals and – rather bizarrely – a cereal bowl. Still better than the stetsons and chaps we saw recently though.
Jacquemus + Nike – Le sac Swoosh
We are actively trying to avoid Jacquemus collabs these days – there is at least one a week it seems – BUT his partnership with Nike has led to some cool sneakers in the past so we were interested if he would do more of his very successful Nike J Force 1. No sign of them yet but he has produced a bag that is SURE to become a meme sensation: the Swoosh – a cross-body bag in the shape of Nike’s instantly recognisable logo. No worries that it is of a size and form that virtually nothing will fit in it, the bag – available for forward order at €420 – will fly out of the stores as speedily as its launch model, Sha’Carri Richardson aka the fastest woman on earth.
Aspesi x Zalando
Robin was a lucky guy last week as he was taken to Milan for a day to preview the new capsule collection developed by the super-stylish Italian brand Aspesi exclusively for Zalando. Famous for their excellent technical fabrics that are always rendered in urban rather than overtly sporty styles, Aspesi showed a mix of nylon shirts, cropped jackets and printed t-shirts in a collection called Cinema Club that celebrates the golden age of Italian film. Following lunch at a hidden gem Milanese restaurant, our trusty editor joined a themed party to drink more than a few negronis – check out our latest reel for evidence of a good time.
Elton John’s Auction at Christie’s
The art world holds its breath when Elton John decides to have a bit of a clear out at home: after all, he had a Banksy and a Damien Hirst in his ‘to go’ pile when he recently decided to sell up his Atlanta apartment. Culminating in a two-day auction at Christie’s in New York, items such as his grand piano, monogrammed platform boots worn on stage and a lot of BIG framed glasses went under the hammer, all raising way more money than the already-high estimates. What caught our eye though were the insanely expensive and very ugly watches: a leopard print dial Rolex Daytona for example fetched $176k – that proved talent and money do not automatically translate to good taste.
