Silk
The Hermès silk scarf
A drawing to admire, fold and wear. The Hermès carré changes its composition every time it leaves the counter.
The Icons of Luxury
My selection of objects, materials and experiences with a lasting identity. Why they belong here, what rewards a closer look, and the work behind them.
A closer look · Watches
The Patek Philippe Calatrava 5026R
The Calatrava, with brown, black and cerulean blue straps. Original photographs and a closer look at the details that make this small watch so absorbing.
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Leatherwork
Bottega Veneta intrecciato
A signature you can follow through the leather. Bottega Veneta's weave rewards a change of distance and a closer look at the edges.
Color and culture
Cerulean blue
A Renoir dress, Miranda Priestly's sweater and a word with its roots in the sky. Three ways into a color worth looking at closely.
Outerwear
The Burberry trench coat
A coat that remembers its former jobs. Gabardine, military details and the surprisingly personal business of finding the right fit.
Watches
The IWC Portugieser
The broad dial has an old, practical explanation. How a pocket-watch idea became a lasting presence on the wrist.
Textiles
Loro Piana fabrics
Softness is the beginning of the conversation. Fiber, fabric and finish have rather more to say about the clothes we choose.
Travel
The Eastern & Oriental Express
A journey from Singapore into Malaysia, and an introduction to Belmond: its places, its approach to travel, and the people who make a luxury train feel unhurried.
Fragrance
Chanel N°5
The bottle is immediately legible; the scent asks for time. N°5, its different interpretations and the place of memory at a fragrance counter.
Writing instruments
The Montblanc Meisterstück 149
A substantial pen, a few lines of handwriting. The Meisterstück 149 becomes most interesting when its owner has something to say.
Leather goods
The Hermès Birkin
Before the status came a practical problem: somewhere to put one's things. Returning to the person at the beginning of the Birkin story.
Watches
The Rolex Submariner
Under the familiar face is a legible set of controls. A closer look at the Submariner's changing specifications and enduring purpose.
Footwear
The Gucci Horsebit loafer
Two rings, a bar and a change of inflection. The Gucci loafer's equestrian detail starts a conversation that the fit has to finish.
Leather goods
The Chanel 2.55
Quilting catches the eye; the chain changes how the bag is used. The 2.55 and the freedom contained in a practical design decision.
Hospitality knowledge
The Montecristo No. 4
A novel heard on a factory floor, a numbered format and the limits of recognition. A reference in the cultural vocabulary of hospitality.
Photography
The Leica M
A focusing ring, a viewfinder and a deliberate act of looking. The Leica M's continuity is more interesting than the idea of standing still.
Footwear
The John Lobb Lopez
A composed appearance, an exacting fit. The Lopez opens a conversation about lasts, handwork and the two businesses behind a shared name.
Motoring
The Porsche 911
Recognizable before it is identifiable. The Porsche 911's silhouette carries a family resemblance through very different cars.
Leather goods
The Lady Dior
A composed little bag with a restless set of letters. The pleasure is in the contrast.
Tailoring
The Dior Bar jacket
A waist, a shoulder and a considerable argument about proportion. Dior builds a silhouette.
Leather goods
The Dior Saddle bag
A bag that refuses the rectangle. Its curve does most of the talking.
Leather goods
The Louis Vuitton Speedy
A travel shape finds an everyday scale. The Speedy carries the family resemblance lightly.
Travel
The Louis Vuitton flat-top trunk
A flat lid sounds modest. Try stacking luggage without one.
Travel
The Louis Vuitton Keepall
The luggage has softened. The intention to leave remains.
Leather goods
The Louis Vuitton Noé
A drawstring, a generous body and an origin involving five bottles. The Noé has kept its useful shape.
Leather goods
The Louis Vuitton Alma
A curved roof over a firm base. The Alma brings a little architecture to the handbag.
Leather goods
The Louis Vuitton Neverfull
An open tote with a surprisingly adjustable outline. The side cords deserve a closer look.
Jewelry
The Tiffany Setting
Six prongs give one stone room. The setting knows what it wants us to notice.
Jewelry
Elsa Peretti’s Bone cuff
Metal follows the wrist. A cuff can feel architectural without asking the body to become a column.
Tailoring
Saint Laurent’s Le Smoking
A dinner jacket changes its wearer, and its audience. Authority can be a matter of cut.
Tailoring
Saint Laurent’s safari jacket
Pockets and a belt move from practical equipment into a different sort of statement.
Leather goods
The Balenciaga City bag
Studs, tassels and a certain disregard for standing upright. The City makes softness expressive.
Jewelry
The Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra
A familiar outline makes room for color. Repetition gives the Alhambra its rhythm.
Jewelry
The Van Cleef & Arpels Zip necklace
The fastening becomes the jewel. Then the jewel changes what it is.
Fragrance
Jo Malone London’s Lime Basil & Mandarin
Basil interrupts the citrus. A familiar freshness acquires an unexpected accent.
Scent and interiors
The Diptyque Baies candle
A small oval label introduces a room to blackcurrant and rose.
Fragrance
Diptyque’s Philosykos
A fig tree is more than its fruit. Philosykos gives the leaves and wood their turn.
Leather goods and textiles
The Prada nylon backpack
A practical fabric acquires an unexpected place in luxury. The backpack keeps the argument visible.
Leather goods
The Prada Galleria
A bag with a sense of order. Its surfaces and compartments make the composure practical.
Watches and jewelry
Bvlgari’s Serpenti
A snake gives the bracelet somewhere to go. The curve carries the identity.
Jewelry
The Bvlgari B.zero1 ring
A ring takes up space with confidence. Bands and a central spiral make a small piece of architecture.
Fragrance
Guerlain’s Shalimar
The bottle has its own silhouette. The fragrance has had a century to acquire associations.
Beauty
Guerlain’s Météorites
Powder becomes a collection of little colored spheres. The gesture changes with the form.
Travel
The Rimowa aluminum suitcase
The grooves give a protective shell its signature. Travel supplies the rest of the surface.