Week 13.
Rimowa Hammerschlag collection
As we head towards proper vacation season it’s maybe time we reviewed our luggage and invested in something new and, if this happens, we are going to be very tempted by the new limited edition Hammerschlag collection from Rimowa. As anyone who paid attention in their school German lessons will know, the name means ‘hammer hit’ and refers to the textured, dimpled surface which looks like it has been struck multiple times with a craftsman’s hammer (a technique used in silversmiths for centuries). Apart from giving a lovely tactile appearance, it also masks bumps and scrapes that happen at the hands of less-than-careful baggage handlers. Needless to say, the cases are not cheap, but with an ad campaign featuring a specially composed piece of music by Nils Frahm, you are buying into a seriously classy act here.
Tudor Black Bay Chrono Pink
A couple of days ago, Tudor partnered with Inter Miami FC and became the official timekeeper of David Beckham’s co-owned football team. At the same time, the Swiss watchmaker released Black Bay Chrono Pink. Considering the fact that David is the brand’s ambassador and the official colour of the team is light pink, it makes sense right? However, Tudor actually claims that this colourway was co-created with Jay Chou (a Taiwanese singer and musician, another brand’s ambassador). But there is also the bike race Giro d’Italia (and their special pink jersey), where the brand is the official timekeeper as well. Seems that Tudor follows their “Born to Dare” motto and no matter what the truth is with this move, they can hit different markets at once. Apart from the pink dial and the “Jubilee-inspired” bracelet the watch has the same specs as the primary model and we love it. So maybe we could become ambassadors too, Tudor?
Gant 240 Mulberry Street Collection & Remake
Gant, the American-via-Swedish kings of preppy style, really seem to be on a roll these days. First, we got super excited about the summer drop of their very design-lead capsule collection – named (maybe a little long-windedly) Gant 240 Mulberry Street Collection after the location of their Nolita studio – with its up-market reworkings of Ivy League classics. Then the brand announced a new Gant Remake initiative in conjunction with Zalando and Highsnobiety which uses fabrics from previous collections transformed into cool streetwear styles that use dead stock in a sustainable and interesting way. At least we can now look like we play baseball even if we have no clue about the actual game.
Amazing Space men’s collection
Women across Europe can now sleep easily knowing that their husbands and boyfriends won’t be stealing their luxurious Amazing Space skincare products every morning: from now on they can have their very own! The Copenhagen-based brand that works in tandem with the uber-swanky spa of the same name in the Hotel D’angleterre just released a small men’s collection comprising a moisturiser with SPF, an aftershave soother and a face wash that doubles as a shaving gel. All smell very fresh with hints of cucumber, geranium and mint and are packaged in masculine grey tubes that won’t raise eyebrows in the locker room.
Pierpaolo Piccioli and Valentino Parting Ways
It seems some of the major fashion houses should have revolving doors fitted on them. We were just recovering from the news that Dries was stepping down from his eponymous brand when a second fashion thunderbolt hit – Pierpaolo Piccioli was leaving Valentino after twenty-five years in the company. Known as much for his easy-going and humble personality as his spectacular work that repositioned the somewhat staid Roman house into something much younger and more relevant, Piccioli has a deep understanding of craft and a stunning eye for colour. He was also an early adopter in creating couture looks for men that used the skills of the atelier without losing sight of a masculine vibe. We already know that Alessandro Michele, maximalist ex-Gucci designer, is replacing him but where is HE going? We can’t wait to find out.
