Fernando Alonso and Kimoa present: The FA AMF1 Collection
#Astonmartinf1 #AstonMartinF1xKimoa #TodoAlVerde
The collection, jointly designed by Kimoa and AMF1, will be on sale at Kimoa.com and other motorsport channels
Madrid, February 28, 2023. Kimoa joins forces with the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team with driver Fernando Alonso to launch the “FA AMF1 Collection”.
Kimoa’s relationship with the premier motor category is linked to its co-founder, Fernando Alonso, since the launch of the brand in 2017. With the driver joining the British team, this relationship is destined to continue. In this regard Kimoa launches its most special collection to date, with new product categories that complement the already iconic caps.
Here is the announcement of a long-awaited partnership “I am tremendously proud of what we have achieved with Kimoa over the years. The strong commitment to using recycled materials with which we have managed to combine quality, design, and responsibility with the environment, have been the result of strong investments in R&D. When presenting the project to the Aston Martin F1 team and passing its demanding quality and design standards, we knew that the effort of these years was worth it”, states Fernando Alonso.
The Fernando Alonso capsule collection of the Aston Martin F1 Team is made up of two t-shirts, one sweatshirt, one hoodie, two polo shirts, a windbreaker, and three caps. In addition, Kimoa is launching the hoodie and one of the t-shirts in kids size. The entire collection is a tribute to the flagship colours of Aston Martin with green as the main color, accented fluorine lime, and black, which merges the distinctive elements of the Asturian driver: the number 14 and his iconic logo with a lightning bolt. Reinventing the classic patterns that maintain the traditional essence of the team adapted to the new times.
This collection is the first work under the creative direction of María Núñez, who has taken special care in the details of the garments, incorporating technical finishes such as heat-sealing and silicone prints and maintaining the Kimoa philosophy with the use of recycled cotton, organic cotton, pre-consumer cotton, and recycled polyester.
The pre-order of the collection is available today at www.kimoa.com/AstonMartin . Shortly it will be available at the new SimplyEV Superstore in Wynwood, Kimoa’s preferred point of sale, the AMF1 e-comm store and other global retailers. The collection.
About Kimoa
It is a lifestyle and activewear brand, which is inspired by nature and a sustainable vision mode to create clothing and accessories that combine design with sustainability. It was born in 2017 with Fernando Alonso as co-founder of the project, and it was acquired by the American business group, Revolution Brands International, in 2021. The influence of motorsport, in terms of cutting-edge technology, is reflected both in the finish of the garments and accessories with the use of avant-garde fabrics and materials obtained from recycled materials. Free spirit, traveling, exploring, discovering, feeling the speed and above all, feeling like yourself are the engines that drive the Kimoa philosophy. www.kimoa.com/AstonMartin
About AMF1
The legendary Aston Martin marque first raced in Formula One in 1959 and returned to the sport in 2021 under the leadership of Canadian entrepreneur Lawrence Stroll. With a team of passionate people at its heart, and a talented squad of drivers – including double World Champion Fernando Alonso and Canada’s Lance Stroll – this is a team with both a rich heritage and a fresh perspective. Alongside collaborative and strategic partners, the Silverstone-based team is bringing new energy to the sport with a determination to shake up the order and compete at the sharp end. www.astonmartinf1.com
About Revolution Brands
Revolution Brands is a leading global designer, manufacturer, retailer and distributor of recreational electric vehicles, performance sports and lifestyle products and accessories. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, the organization operates as the parent company for a diverse portfolio of well-recognized brands across its core segments that include Kimoa, SimplyEV, Kimoa, MiniMotors USA providing consumers with a wide range of high-quality and future-forward products through customer service-focused e-commerce and an expanding network of retail locations.
https://www.myluxepoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/KIMOA-ALON4.jpg13791000Carloshttps://www.myluxepoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo2v-1.pngCarlos2023-03-01 09:12:392023-03-01 09:12:39Fernando Alonso and Kimoa present: The FA AMF1 Collection
Un nuevo concepto de herencia toma forma en la colección de mujer Otoño Invierno 2023 con siluetas evocadoras coloreadas en tonos eléctricos y enriquecidas con acentos opulentos.
GUCCI Fall Winter 2023 Women’s Collection Fashion Show
https://www.myluxepoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/1677276983450-1-e1677316722669.jpg13501080Carloshttps://www.myluxepoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo2v-1.pngCarlos2023-02-25 09:11:152023-02-26 08:51:44GUCCI Fall Winter 2023 Women’s Collection Fashion Show
The Amore Collection is a set of four exotic teas that been curated to celebrate love for the special people in your life. It is a collection that has some rare and exotic blends that enliven the senses.
The Amore Collection is a set of four exotic teas
Every box comes with an infuser that is designed to brew a perfect cup of tea, The Brook37 Signature infusers are 100% handmade by artisans in India. The family of artisans have been in the business of hand crafting infusers for generations and have perfected the art of designing them. Each infuser takes 3 days to make and are specially designed to steep and soak our special long leaf teas.
https://www.myluxepoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SSP_89_800-x-800_800x800.webp800800Maria Ghttps://www.myluxepoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo2v-1.pngMaria G2023-02-11 10:13:092023-02-11 10:13:09The Amore Collection is a set of four exotic teas
BUGATTI and legendary optical designer larry sands launch the first-ever Bugatti eyewear collection
Launched at a prestigious private event at the hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan, Italy, Collection One brings together the essence of the Bugatti brand as the pinnacle in automobile luxury, performance and design with the genius of Larry D. Sands, a freethinking pioneer in the optical fashion space.
The nine-style set comprising of 37 pieces available in different materials – including palladium, 925 sterling silver, carbon fiber and Macassar ebony – melds heritage with modernity, delivering a visual identity that is stimulated by past and present iconic Bugatti design languages but reinterpreted in contemporary optical aesthetic form that embodies the world of tomorrow. Taking inspiration from Ettore Bugatti’s vision – “If comparable, it is no longer Bugatti” – Collection One successfully captures and transfers Bugatti’s core values into exclusive eyewear pieces that are at the vanguard of fashion, creating desirable and luxurious accessories. Such hallmarks can only be envisioned, formed and then fully realized by a true leader in their respected field, which is why Bugatti sought to collaborate with the very best when launching its new eyewear collection.
To state that Larry is a trendsetter in the optical fashion world would be an understatement; his career, spanning over 60 years, is legendary, having helped shape, create and execute an incredibly wide range of eyewear pieces and collections for the leading fashion houses and eyewear brands.
“When I got the call from Bugatti, I was a little surprised, but to be approached by the world’s most powerful and luxurious auto manufacturer, to create their eyewear, was an honor,” he said. “Everything I do is unexpected, and Bugatti Eyewear is some of my most unexpected work yet. Expectation is the enemy of creativity.”
The creative synthesis between Larry and Bugattito create eyewear that stands true to Ettore’s vision took two years to complete. Harnessing the alchemy that can be brought to the fore when two pioneering visionaries work together, Collection One goes beyond current design norms and boundaries.
Materials and manufacturing techniques never seen before in the eyewear industry were developed and employed to create Collection One. Each piece is meticulously crafted in Japan, from solid 925 sterling silver trim with genuine 18k gold and palladium; the most expensive materials in the world.
The use of Positive Vapor Deposition (PVD) – a process in which a solid material is vaporized in a vacuum and deposited onto the surface of the product – is another key breakthrough for the eyewear industry that’s been first successfully employed during the creation of Collection One. The PVD acts as a Diamond Like Coating, a surface that is highly resistant to wear and is also used throughout the development and production of Bugatti automobiles.
The use of carbon fiber and Macassar ebony is another impeccable design iteration that pays homage to Bugatti’s automobiles, as does the use of the famed red enamel Macaron. An intricate custom wirecore, developed in sheets to mirror the timeless grill pattern that adorns each Bugatti hyper sports car’s horseshoe radiator, forms an exquisite fusion of the ‘then’ and ‘now’ on each of the 37 examples.
Wiebke Ståhl, Managing Director of Bugatti International, added: “The decision to partner with such an auspicious, revered and experienced artist as Larry Sands is testament to our shared design ideals and vision for outstanding quality to achieve truly iconic products. Creating this new luxury eyewear is also key to our portfolio as it closes a strategic gap in Bugattis diversified brand lifestyle collection; I couldn’t be more excited to finally launch our new Bugatti Eyewear!”
Collection One was showcased at the MIDO Optical Trade Show on February 4 2023 in Milan, Italy, and will be available in highly exclusive boutiques. Retail prices from $1,295 to $15,000. Further information will be available soon on www.bugattieyewear.com.
https://www.myluxepoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/05-BUGATTI_Eyewear-1-e1675700126861.jpg9001600Carloshttps://www.myluxepoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo2v-1.pngCarlos2023-02-06 16:10:052023-02-06 16:10:05BUGATTI and legendary optical designer larry sands launch the first-ever Bugatti eyewear collection
Sotheby’s Hong Kong Presents the Most Significant Chinese Works of Art Sale Series to Take Place in the Last Decade
Hong Kong
Convergence of the Finest Private Collections from the World’s Greatest Chinese Art Collectors
Dr Wou Kiuan, Mr Joseph Lau & Sir Joseph Hotung, and more
(Left to Right)
The Private Collection of Joseph Lau
A Fine Blue and White ‘Lotus Scroll’ Vase, Meiping, Ming Dynasty, Yongle Period
Est: HK$ 25 – 35 million / US$ 3.2 – 4.5 million
The Dr Wou Kiuan Collection
A Magnificent Ruby-Ground Yangcai ‘Trigrams’ Reticulated Vase,
Seal Mark and Period of Qianlong
Est: HK$ 60 – 120 million / US$ 7.6 – 15.3 million
The Personal Collection of the late Sir Joseph Hotung
A Unique and Highly Important Moulded Blue and White Barbed ‘Fish’ Charger, Yuan Dynasty
Est: HK$ 30 – 50 million / US$ 3.8 – 6.4 million
Auction: 8 – 9 October 2022
This October, Sotheby’s Hong Kong presents the most significant Chinese Works of Art sale series with the convergence of the finest private collections from the world’s greatest Chinese art collectors including Dr Wou Kiuan, Mr Joseph Lau and Sir Joseph Hotung. The star lot of this season is a Magnificent Ruby-Ground yangcai ‘Trigrams’ Reticulated Vase from the Qianlong period (Est: HK$ 60 – 120 million / US$ 7.6 – 15.3 million) from the Dr Wou Kiuan Collection Part II, a carefully curated sale presenting six masterpieces from the 18th century. The collection of Joseph Lau, comprising 11 imperial gems, occupies pride of place among the very finest ever assembled in the field. At the heart of Sir Joseph Hotung’s personal collection is an array of masterpieces which charts many of the peaks in China’s long history, from the Neolithic Period to the Qing dynasty. Adding to this season’s strong line-up of renowned private collections are a selection of Ming and Qing jades from the collection of Victor Shaw and a group of archaic artworks from an important Japanese collection.
This Autumn sale series marks a once-in-a lifetime opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts of Chinese art. Very rarely will you see such a superlative line-up from the world’s most celebrated Chinese art collections. We will be offering fresh to market masterpieces in almost each and every field of Chinese art and this is possibly the most anticipated sale series Sotheby’s has ever hosted.
NICOLAS CHOW, CHAIRMAN, ASIA AND CHAIRMAN, CHINESE WORKS OF ART
These illustrious private collections not only showcase the impeccable taste, vision and passion of this century’s most influential Chinese art collectors, but also offer a window to the extraordinary depth and breadth of Chinese art forms.
XIBO WANG, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART
A Journey Through China’s History: The Dr Wou Kiuan Collection Part II
Following on from the success of Part I in New York in March and the record-breaking first Hong Kong chapter in April, the carefully curated sale presents six masterpieces from the 18th century showcasing the unparalleled technical mastery in the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen, including a group of enamelled porcelains formerly from the Fonthill heirlooms which have not surfaced the market in around half a century. Highlights include a Qianlong magnificent and possibly unique ruby-ground yangcai ‘trigrams’ reticulated vase, corroborated by the court archives to have been made either in 1743 or immediately thereafter. The vase is a tangible testament to the unprecedented and unparalleled culmination of technical virtuosity in porcelain production between 1741 and 1743, fuelled by an imperial reprimand from the Qianlong Emperor. (Catalogue essay available upon request)
A MAGNIFICENT RUBY-GROUND YANGCAI ‘TRIGRAMS’ RETICULATED VASE,
SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG
H. 31 CM
EST: HK$ 60,000,000 – 120,000,000 / US$ 7,644,000 – 15,287,000
Another highlight also endowed with the Fonthill provenance is a magnificent pair of yangcai ‘butterfly’ vases superbly enamelled on a bright pink ground in a manner imbued with Western influences and fired to perfection.
A MAGNIFICENT PAIR OF YANGCAI ‘BUTTERFLY’ VASES,
SEAL MARKS AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG
H. 47 CM
EST: HK$ 40,000,000 – 60,000,000 / US$ 5,096,000 – 7,644,000
Gems of Imperial Porcelain from the Private Collection of Joseph Lau Part II
The name Joseph Lau resonates with collectors around the globe and it is one that stands for excellence. Chinese art stands at the genesis of Joseph Lau’s adventure with art and it is on Chinese art that he cut his exacting eye before expanding his horizons. Lau assembled one of the finest collections of Chinese porcelain ever, articulated around masterpieces, each representative of the best of a certain period and type, and handpicked from the most prestigious collections.
This season’s offerings include a very fine blue and white porcelain dating from the Yongle period in the early 15th century, the pinnacle of underglaze-blue decorated wares and a period much celebrated for imperial patronage in the arts.
A FINE BLUE AND WHITE ‘LOTUS SCROLL’ VASE, MEIPING,
MING DYNASTY, YONGLE PERIOD
31.4 CM
EST: HK$ 25,000,000 – 35,000,000 / US$ 3,185,000 – 4,459,000
This meiping decorated with a lotus scroll is remarkably elegant in its potting and represents the epitome of that classic shape. Similar examples are known in the palace museums in Beijing and Taipei as well as in the Middle Eastern Royal collections of the Ottoman sultans which attest to their universal appeal and high status.
A FINE AND OUTSTANDING DOUCAI AND FAMILLE-ROSE ‘SANDUO’ MOONFLASK,
SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG
31.3 CM
EST: HK$ 20,000,000 – 30,000,000 / US$ 2,548,000 – 3,822,000
This magnificent circular flask brilliantly enamelled with fruit represents a particularly ambitious and unusual combination of the doucai and fencai schemes, which brings out the ripe fruit. The present example is superior in all aspects, from the quality of the painting, richness of the cobalt, clarity of the glaze to its pristine condition.
Hotung: The Personal Collection of the late Sir Joseph Hotung
The late Sir Joseph Hotung (1930-2021) was respected and revered in the art world for his jade collection and for his philanthropy. What is much less known is his discriminating eye for the quality and design, and the personal collection formed at his house in London as a backdrop to his life – seen only by a privileged few. The series of dedicated sales begin in Hong Kong with a focus on the Chinese masterpieces in his collection and are divided into Evening and Day sales. The works on offer, ranging from Neolithic jades and bronzes from Shang – Han dynasties to Ming dynasty furniture and modern Chinese paintings, each represent the most sought-after of their period and type. Highlights include a unique and highly important moulded blue and white barbed ‘fish’ charger from the Yuan dynasty and an important and outstanding bronze male chimera, bixie, from the Han dynasty, the latter endowed with a prestigious provenance and illustration history tracing back to as early as the 1920s in Paris.
A UNIQUE AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT MOULDED BLUE AND WHITE BARBED ‘FISH’ CHARGER,
YUAN DYNASTY
47.8 CM
EST: HK$ 30,000,000 – 50,000,000 / US$ 3,822,000 – 6,370,000
This dish is unique and was done with an attention to detail that is exceptional even among this rare group of relief-moulded dishes of the Yuan dynasty. Not only is its relief decoration extraordinarily crisp and detailed, but the popular fish design is here also rendered in a highly individual manner that knows few close comparisons. It is a masterpiece that combines the best and rarest Yuan blue-and-white styles.
AN IMPORTANT AND OUTSTANDING BRONZE MALE CHIMERA, BIXIE,
HAN DYNASTY
L. 27 CM, H. 18 CM
EST: HK$ 6,000,000 – 8,000,000 / US$ 764,500 – 1,019,000
This Han dynasty bronze chimera, powerfully rendered with vitality and strength, is a tour de force of Chinese bronzes at their peak. In addition to the prestigious Stoclet provenance, the sculpture’s publication and exhibition history can be traced back to as early as the first half of the 20th century, setting it apart from other archaic bronzes in private hands and even the most important museum examples.
Important Chinese Art including Jades from the Victor Shaw Collection
The Important Chinese Art auction presents a tightly curated sale including masterworks spanning five millennia, from the Neolithic period through to the Qing dynasty. Highlights include an extremely rare Qianlong period chenxiang mirror ‘raree’ cabinet and a Shang dynasty marble frog.
The ‘raree’ box, possibly commissioned in the 17th year (1752), is set with a mirror flanked by two circular holes through which the Qianlong Emperor would have peeped through to view painted pictures, one of which being his most poignant and enigmatically titled double-portrait, ‘One or Two?’ The powerfully carved box cabinet not only showcases the influence of Western mechanism in 18th century court in China, but is possibly the only example known to be employed by the Qianlong Emperor to ponder on the nuances between the literal reflection of the self and self-identity.
AN IMPORTANT AND SUPERBLY CARVED IMPERIAL CHENXIANGMU MIRROR ‘RAREE’ CABINET,
QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD,
POSSIBLY COMMISSIONED IN THE 17TH YEAR (1752)
75.5 BY 16 BY H. 66 CM
EST: HK$ 5,000,000 – 8,000,000 / US$ 637,000 – 1,019,000
The Shang dynasty marble frog belongs to a very rare group of marble carvings marking the dawn of Chinese sculpture. Ever so skilfully and minimalistically carved, the sculpture has truly stood the test of time in its timeless aesthetic. Also from the same important Japanese collection as the marble frog is a group of archaic artworks, including a splendidly decorated gold and silver inlaid sword-hilt, also not seen on the market for over 30 years.
AN OUTSTANDING CARVED MARBLE RECUMBENT FROG,
SHANG DYNASTY
25.3 BY 15.4 BY H. 12.5 CM
EST: HK$ 3,000,000 – 4,000,000 / US$ 382,000 – 509,600
AN EXCEPTIONAL AND RARE GOLD AND SILVER-INLAID BRONZE SWORD HILT,
LATE EASTERN ZHOU – EARLY WESTERN HAN DYNASTY
17.5 CM
EST: HK$ 1,500,000 – 2,000,000 / US$ 191,000 – 255,000
The sale also includes a carefully selected group of Ming – Qing jades from the collection of Victor Shaw (1935-2020), who was renowned not only for his discerning eye but also his philanthropic pursuits.
A RARE WHITE JADE ‘GARDEN AND LADY’ OPENWORK BOULDER,
QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD
H. 10.8 CM
EST: HK$ 700,000 – 900,000 / US$ 89,000 – 115,000
A WHITE JADE ARCHAISTIC ‘DUCK AND LOTUS’ GROUP,
QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY
13.8 CM
EST: HK$ 500,000 – 600,000 / US$ 63,700 – 76,500FOTOGRAPHY & TEXT “Courtesy Sotheby’s”.
https://www.myluxepoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/descarga-1.webp684684Maria Ghttps://www.myluxepoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo2v-1.pngMaria G2022-09-20 20:06:502022-09-20 20:52:05Sotheby’s Hong Kong Presents the Most Significant Chinese Works of Art Sale Series to Take Place in the Last Decade
Manolo Blahnik diseñó la colección Verano 2022 desde el idílico entorno de sus queridas Islas Canarias.
LA COLECCIÓN VERANO 2022 HA LLEGADO
Manolo Blahnik diseñó la colección Verano 2022 desde el idílico entorno de sus queridas Islas Canarias. Bajo la vívida luz del sol de verano con la suave brisa del océano, reflexionó sobre las últimas cinco décadas de estilo exuberante y se inspiró en un conjunto de referencias típicamente ecléctico: Londres en los años 60 y 70, figuras históricas elegantes, artistas talentosos, diseñadores revolucionarios y destinos encantadores.
Manolo Blahnik diseñó la colección Verano 2022 desde el idílico entorno de sus queridas Islas Canarias.
Mirando al Londres de sus años formativos en los años 60 y 70, Manolo reinventó estampados florales icónicos con margaritas en bonitos tonos pastel y brillos ácidos con un talón curvo retro en el destalonado SURRIENTASLI y el mule MAYSALEBI .
Tienda Maysalebi
Manolo encuentra una inspiración recurrente en los estilos icónicos de las mujeres de todas las épocas. Esta temporada canalizó la feminidad atemporal de Audrey Hepburn con colores vivos y delicados lazos hechos a mano. También miró a Rita de Acosta, una elegante socialité considerada “la mujer más pintoresca de América”, quien inspiró una serie de elegantes encajes con brillantes perlas.
Comprar qué perla
Fabetamu – Próximamente
El amor sin límites de Manolo por la belleza de Sicilia brilla esta temporada a través de un nuevo estampado de delicadas conchas marinas en tonos saturados con curvas orgánicas, esparcidas sobre el salón KUNGHI y la bailarina RUBY.
Si – Próximamente
Comprar Traclo
Las emotivas obras de la escultora británica Barbara Hepworth inspiraron una dinámica línea en forma de lágrima en contraste de colores suaves. Manolo continuó con este uso de líneas ondulantes para una espectacular silueta tallada en una paleta neutra, que evoca el minimalismo austero del iconoclasta arquitecto estadounidense Louis I. Kahn.
Tienda Fiocco
La última colección de Manolo se basa en referencias de todas partes para una edición cohesiva de creaciones espectaculares. Como siempre, la artesanía prístina y los detalles encantadores están a la vanguardia de cada estilo. La positividad está imbuida en su uso característico de colores pop, favorecedoras siluetas femeninas y sentido de atemporalidad.
https://www.myluxepoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/thumbnail_4.jpg800800Maria Ghttps://www.myluxepoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/logo2v-1.pngMaria G2022-07-24 20:51:232022-07-26 00:25:53Manolo Blahnik diseñó la colección Verano 2022 desde el idílico entorno de sus queridas Islas Canarias.
The Dior Print high jewelry collection was presented at an exceptional event on June 4 at the Grand Hotel Timeo in Taormina, Sicily. Its 137 pieces -by Victoire de Castellane- sublimely celebrate the art of haute couture through a poetic gala.
Giving a third dimension to the power of prints and patterns, these precious creations were revealed alongside haute couture silhouettes imagined by Maria Grazia Chiuri through a dreamlike double staging. During the cocktail, lively paintings inspired by antiquity highlighted the long white dresses that reinvent the peplum technique.
The dinner was followed by a magical parade in which trompe l’oeil velvet and embroideries that evoke lace and guipure animated daring models. The enchanting show was a true blend of Parisian chic with Italian dolce vita.
Having long wished to “draw prints on jewelry,” Victoire de Castellane brings the idea to life. Liberty prints, checks, stripes, and tie-dye are among the ultra-precious motifs in the Dior Print high jewelry collection, comprising 137 joyful, virtuoso pieces that seem to swirl like a haute couture gown. After exploring lace in Dior Dior Dior in 2018, textile dye effects in Tie & Dior in 2020, and braids in Galons Dior in January 2022, Victoire de Castellane opens a new chapter in the history of Dior high jewelry, whose collections always build on preceding storylines.
While Couture remains an endless source of inspiration for the House, it is with matchless audacity that the new Dior Print borrows its designs. The whimsical concept – transposing the motif of a two-dimensional fabric onto three-dimensional jewelry – gave rise to 35 “printed” parures adorned with checks and stripes, tie-dye color gradations, geometric motifs and Liberty prints that mesmerize while their extreme fluidity caresses the skin like a silky breeze.
Each print motif is conceived like fabric in miniature, with the couturier’s hand apparent in seemingly crisp-cut earrings, ribbon-like undulations forming chokers and plastrons, and floral embellishments transposed into rings and necklaces. Not to mention cushion-like volumes that are mastered to perfection on flamboyant drop earrings, pendants and sensual, voluminous cufflinks. The color associations in which Dior excels play an essential role in highlighting each piece’s motifs. The Dior Print collection stands out for the realism of its prints, which are literally transcended by the beauty of the stones used and the exceptional savoir-faire of the Parisian ateliers in which they are made.
In order for the motifs to translate to jewelry’s reduced scale, the jewelers adjusted both the types of setting and the density of gem placement. “When ribbons undulate, the print must follow,” Victoire de Castellane stipulated. To ensure that the checks and stripes perfectly match the movement and contours of each jewel, special attention was given to relief and perspective. “As with couture, it’s a process that requires a series of adjustments. The work is all the more precise due to the settings’ curved surfaces, which distort prints and lines,» notes the Creative Director of Dior Joaillerie. Showing extraordinary mastery, the 137 pieces in the Dior Print collection beckon French high jewelry down paths that are as dazzling as they are unexpected: for the masterpiece parure, Victoire de Castellane brings together floral prints and stripes. The necklace — an interlacing of multicolored ribbons in three colors of gold — is a technical feat. To create its articulated links, master jewelers borrowed a specialized savoir-faire from watchmaking, while the mashup of printed motifs brimming with multicolored gems is nothing less than spectacular. In the same spirit, Dior mixes flowers and stripes with bold gems on jewels emblematic for the originality of their style, such as a necklace in noble metal worked like fabric, a ravishing 11.92-carat Colombian emerald nestled in its folds.
DIOR PRINT In the family of check motifs, Dior reinterprets navy in sapphires and diamonds. From this classically masculine print, Victoire de Castellane coaxes out the essence of truly feminine chic, for example on a ribbon necklace adorned with an extraordinary 12.07-carat Madagascar sapphire, a double ring set with a nearly six-carat Ceylon sapphire, or drop earrings whose edges appear sliced clean, as if snipped with scissors. Elsewhere, stripes mingle with flowers whose petals are striated with pink, violet and blue sapphires, white diamonds, and mauve amethysts on rings, necklaces, earrings and an eye-catching secret watch. The color and quality of center stones appear enhanced, such as a 8.02-carat lilac sapphire from Madagascar on the pistil of the Dior Print Emerald necklace. Floral motifs, meanwhile, are magnified by a ruby, spinel and yellow diamond Liberty print embellishing white gold braiding as well as pendants and rings with cushion-cut gems. Among the jewels in this ensemble, Victoire de Castellane designed two ribbon necklaces that enlace the neck: one illuminates its wearer with a marvelous 10.05-carat cushion-cut D Flawless white diamond.
The other features a dazzling 3.04-carat Fancy Vivid yellow diamond. In a less figurative register, Dior Print celebrates abstract motifs that bring a new energy to classic high jewelry parures. In a “crazy tossing of stones,” the Creative Director of Dior Joaillerie turns a tangle of different-sized diamonds into a random, graphic – and highly beautiful – symphony of rings, cuffs and asymmetrical necklaces. Among the most spectacular are a 11.58-carat D Flawless pear diamond, a 14.66 carat Burmese sapphire, and a 10.27 carat ruby from Mozambique. Gems of character for a collection with an outsized personality. And for which the high jewelry workshops of Paris have
This exhibition explores British royal encounters with Japan over a period of 350 years.
From samurai armour sent to James I in 1613, to a Coronation gift for HM The Queen in 1953, Japanese treasures have reached the British Court through trade, travel and treaties.
Each object on display reflects materials and techniques particular to Japan. Uniquely, many were commissioned or presented by the Japanese Imperial Family. Together, they reveal the ceremonial, diplomatic and artistic exchange linking the two courts of East and West.
… an exquisite, intricate, truly diverting parade of treasures ★★★★
THE TELEGRAPH
The Royal Collectionholds some of the most significant examples of Japanese art and design in the western world. For the first time, highlights from this outstanding collection are brought together to tell the story of 300 years of diplomatic, artistic and cultural exchange between the British and Japanese royal and imperial families. The exhibition includes rare pieces of porcelain and lacquer, samurai armour, embroidered screens and diplomatic gifts from the reigns of James I to Her Majesty The Queen. Together, they offer a unique insight into the worlds of ritual, honour and artistry linking the courts and cultures of Britain and Japan.
Explore the Exhibition
Description
This splendid and understated armour was sent to James I of England by Tokugawa Hidetada, third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who ruled as the second shōgun of the Tokugawa dynasty from 1605 to 1623. Some sources have suggested that the armour may once have been owned by Takeda Katsuyori (1546 – 82), a daimyō who had fought, and lost, against Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Tenmokuzan in 1582.
The armour is of the body-wrapped (dōmaru) type, which hinges around the body and fastens on the right. The ‘pumpkin-shaped’ helmet (akodanari kabuto) is signed by Iwai Yozaemon, one of the main armourers to the ruling Tokugawa family. Armours by Iwai Yozaemon in other European royal collections indicate that this was a popular diplomatic gift from the Tokugawa family, easily available from a regular and reliable source.
The helmet has a very wide, almost flat neck guard (shikoro), small turn-backs (fukikaeshi) and visor (mabizashi) decorated in gold lacquer with stylised clouds. The akodanari helmet has prominent vertical rivet lines and is lacquered black. A raised area at the back of the helmet bowl may have been designed to accommodate the chonmage, the samurai hairstyle which consisted of a shaved pate with the hair oiled and tied at the back of the head in a queue. This distinctive form of helmet was extremely popular during the Muromachi period (1392–1573) and the traditional style would have appealed to the Tokugawa family who were conservative in their tastes. The face-mask (sōmen) has a fearsome appearance, although the whiskers have possibly been trimmed over the years.
Much of the armour is laced in red and blue silk in a chequerboard pattern. The lamellae (kozane) are individual pieces of iron lacquered and laced together – a technique known as hon-kozane (‘true’ kozane), which creates a more flexible armour.
Continuing the conservative style, the shoulder guards (sode) are very large for an armour of this period. The solid iron upper areas of the cuirass (dō) are decorated with gold lacquer dragons whose red lacquer tongues chase stylised clouds, possibly symbolising the Buddhist pearl of enlightenment, on a black lacquer ground. The rims (fukurin) and other metal fittings are of engraved and pierced shakudō and gilt-copper alloy. Interestingly, the small fittings to secure the cuirass have a discreet motif of a paulownia (kiri) leaf, an imperial symbol later adopted by the Tokugawa family. The sleeves (kote) are decorated in a similar fashion and have fine, though faded, silk with auspicious motifs and areas of iron mail. The greaves (suneate) are decorated with further stylised clouds in gold lacquer on black.
Text adapted from Japan: Courts and Culture (2020).
Provenance
Sent to James I by Shōgun Tokugawa Hidetada, 1613
This is one of the ‘two varnished armours’ given to Captain John Saris of the East India Company at Edo on 19 September 1613. Saris returned to Plymouth with the gifts in September 1614, but no account of their delivery to James I survives. The pair were almost certainly the first Japanese armours to arrive in Britain. By the mid-seventeenth century, they appear to have been separated, for only one was recorded at the Tower of London in 1660. The present armour was stored in a lacquer box in the Armoury at St James’s Palace, where it was inventoried in 1649–51 by the Commonwealth government for the posthumous sale of Charles I’s possessions. At that time, it was described as an ‘Indian Armor’ and purchased by Major Bas on 23 October 1651 for £10.
Following the Interregnum, the armour was returned to the Royal Collection, but confusion about both pieces’ provenance abounded. The armour at the Tower was for example described in 1662 as a present to Charles II ‘from the Emperor Mougul’, in India. As late as 1916, the present armour was confused with another in the Royal Armouries which had in fact been given to Philip II of Spain in 1585. At that time, it was in reality mounted on the wall of the Grand Vestibule at Windsor Castle, with other Japanese items from the Royal Collection.
Inspired by our deep-rooted connection to nature for nearly 200 years, The Macallan Harmony Collection is an exploration into the world of sustainable packaging. It fuses innovative techniques with materials from the natural world at the end of their life to see them reborn with a renewed purpose.
The Macallan Harmony Collection
An exceptionally rich single malt whisky characterised by its deep, dark chocolate profile.
The Harmony Collection Rich Cacao is now out of stock but can be found in specialist whisky retailers globally.
AN EXPLORATION OF CHOCOLATE
The Macallan Harmony Collection
Continuing our long-standing partnership with the Roca brothers, The Harmony Collection Rich Cacao is a collaboration with Jordi Roca and Casa Cacao to bring the worlds of chocolate and whisky to life.
The Harmony Collection Rich Cacao is the first release in a series exploring the world of sustainable packaging. It brings together innovative techniques with materials from the natural world at the end of their life, to see them reborn with a renewed purpose.
CASA CACAO
In 2020, the Roca brothers opened Casa Cacao, a hotel and chocolate factory in central Girona, Spain, the same town as their three Michelin star restaurant El Celler de Can Roca. Led by pastry chef Jordi Roca, Casa Cacaocomprises 15 hotel bedrooms, a chocolate workshop, chocolate shop and chocolate factory.
The Macallan Whisky Maker Polly Logan travelled to Girona to visit Casa Cacao, and she immersed herself in the world of chocolate, exploring their chocolate-making process and learning about the distinctive flavour profiles.
Working in collaboration with Jordi Roca, acknowledged as one of the best and most creative pastry chefs in the world, and with exceptional chocolatier, Damian Allsop, I went on a journey of discovery, learning of the craftsmanship, passion and creativity which goes into making chocolate.
Polly Logan The Macallan Whisky Maker
A collaboration with renowned pastry chef Jordi Roca of three Michelin star restaurant El Celler de Can Roca, this release brings the worlds of chocolate and whisky to life. To create the first limited edition whisky in a new annual release series, The Macallan Whisky Maker Polly Logan embarked on a unique journey to Girona, Spain, where she immersed herself in the world of chocolate, exploring the chocolate-making process and uncovering the distinctive flavour profiles at Casa Cacao.
Polly worked with Jordi Roca, owner of the famed chocolate boutique and hotel, Casa Cacao and the youngest of the acclaimed Roca brothers. As part of the exploration, she also spent time with master chocolatier of Casa Cacao, Damien Allsop.
SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION
In homage to its chocolate influence, The Macallan Harmony Collection Rich Cacao is presented in a 100% recyclable gift box, made using discarded husks from cacao pods.
A by-product in the chocolate-making process, these husks would have been sent to landfill or destroyed but have now been reborn with a renewed purpose.
BRINGING TOGETHER CHOCOLATE AND WHISKY
Through this unique experience, Polly took inspiration from the duo’s passion, knowledge and creativity to create The Macallan Harmony Collection Rich Cacao. She explored The Macallan’s maturing casks to seek out whisky with rare indulgent chocolate notes that would harmoniously pair with fine chocolates for a rich and unique tasting experience.
Both take time and exceptional attention to detail, with even the slightest changes to the process encouraging different aromas and flavours to emerge.
Polly Logan The Macallan Whisky Maker
THE EXPERIENCE
COLOUR
Toasted cacao beans
AROMA
Chocolate fondant, honey, oak, zesty lime and ginger
PALATE
Dark chocolate, honey, dates, vanilla and cinnamon.
FINISH
Long with rich chocolate.
ABV
44%
For this expression, I sought out a specific chocolate note in The Macallan’s traditional sherry seasoned European oak casks and combined this with a vanilla note imparted by sherry seasoned American oak casks to sweeten the slightly bitter chocolate note I had found. This exquisite single malt offers a delightful whisky and chocolate pairing experience and the chance to elevate the enjoyment of The Macallan to a new dimension.
ASPENX Prada, a limited-edition collection of elevated ski performance
Introducing ASPENX Prada, a limited-edition collection of elevated ski performance wear inspired by the vibrant energy and atmosphere of Aspen. Designed by Prada with Aspen’s ski professionals and artist Paula Crown, the ASPENX Prada collection is comprised of a thoughtfully curated selection of womenswear and menswear intended to optimize performance, comfort, and style in the snow.
Catered to a community of creatives, athletes, and fashion connoisseurs alike, the high-performance line harmoniously blends the technical excellence of Aspen with Prada’s inherent sleekness and world-class craftsmanship to create a statement-making ensemble built for ultimate movement and mobility. The signature graphic – a visual of red, white, and black slashes – was designed by Paula Crown for an ultra-modern and striking appearance.
Catered to a community of creatives, athletes, and fashion connoisseurs alike, the high-performance line harmoniously blends the technical excellence of Aspen with Prada’s world-class craftsmanship; the result is a statement-making ensemble built for ultimate movement and mobility.
“More than a fashion collection, this collaboration is a physical representation of the one-of-a-kind spirit of Aspen just ahead of the destination’s 75th anniversary. Built for uninhibited exploration, the capsule complements ASPENX’s founding vision of new possibilities, and I am beyond pleased to work with such a revered house as Prada on this momentous occasion.”
The collection’s two outerwear styles – The Extreme-Tex Jacket and Extreme-Tex Ski Jacket – feature optimal insulation and waterproof capabilities achieved through their hero fabric, Extreme-Tex, a three-layer fabric researched and developed exclusively by Prada, as well as Graphene® padding designed to regulate body temperature.
The limited-edition ASPENX Prada collection will be exclusively available for sale on ASPENX.com starting December 15 and at the soon-to-be-open ASPENX store in Aspen’s Gondola Plaza beginning December 20.
