Dior Joaillerie
For the first edit of the Rose des Vents collection in 2015, artistic director Victoire de Castellane reinterpreted Christian Dior’s favourite flower, the rose, and a much-loved symbol, the star – which the French designer looked upon as a lucky charm on his many travels – in the form of a wind rose. Taking the shape of an eight-pointed star, the wind rose was an early navigational device. In May, the high-jewellery house extended the collection to include a range of new pieces that incorporate the wind rose design. These include solo and stud earrings, two delicate bracelets and three smaller-sized rings. De Castellane also turned to one of her own favourite materials, green malachite, for some of the new pieces, including a medallion, a short necklace and a sautoir-style neckpiece, which can be either worn long or looped twice around the neck. Meanwhile, in October, the brand will unveil a series of lucky charms, which can be clustered, constellation-like, on to Dior’s popular gilt bib necklace and around a rose gold bracelet.
The Rug Company x Paul Smith
Paul Smith has fond recollections of an afternoon he spent in Brighton with his dad, who captured a photograph of a young Smith sitting atop a “flying carpet” superimposed over the city’s Regency Oriental Pavilion. This memory formed the inspiration for the British designer’s latest collaboration with The Rug Company, for which he created a series of carpets for the United Kingdom-based brand, which also has a showroom in Al Quoz, Dubai. These were displayed at the Milan Design Fair earlier this year and, in keeping with Smith’s childhood memories, were suspended magic-carpet-like from his via Manzoni showroom. The pieces will be available to buy this autumn and include: the silk Albemarle rug in steely grey (pictured), inspired by the facade of Smith’s London boutique on Albemarle street; the Overlay rug, which will be available as a runner, and features saturated colours in a cascading effect; and the Carnival Pale rug, which has 52 pastel colours, and plays with stripes, layered effects and transparency, hand-woven by The Rug Company’s artisans in Nepal.
Prada
For the latest additions to the Prada Olfactories collection, designer Miuccia Prada and perfumer Daniela Andrièr linked scents to the topographical features of the Orient. From the smell of the night air before a storm to the aromas carried by the wind across an arid landscape, the four unisex Les Mirages fragrances meld notes that are at once potent and nostalgic. Midnight Train reimagines the scents from aromatic cities cutting through the dusty heat in the form of cedarwood, citrus, patchouli and amber. Dark Light combines musk, vanilla, angelique and the resins of myrrh and opoponax gum. Paying homage to the region’s favourite floral scent, Miracle of the Rose combines rose absolute with patchouli, oud and tobacco, while Soleil Au Zenith blends sweet-smelling ylang-ylang, vanilla and peach with spicy sandalwood, nutmeg, cinnamon and cumin. Each perfume comes in a silk pouch with patterns inspired by the brand’s prints and colour combinations, and appliquéd with a Prada insignia. The perfumes are available at Prada boutiques across the UAE and at Tryano in Abu Dhabi from this month, and cost Dh1,200 for 100ml.
Bottega Veneta
The new City Knot handbag is part of the Italian label’s so-called “early fall” 2017 collection, and is available in three iterations. Creative director Tomas Maier looked to the Bottega archives in a bid to pay homage to the materials and textures of some of the brand’s most iconic handbags. Accordingly, the City Knot shoulder bag is available in French calf leather in shades of moss green, cement and light calvados, while a second version combines Nero calf leather with a front panel in leopard-print leather (pictured). The third edit features the butterfly emblem that was introduced in the brand’s collections from the 1970s, while the bag itself is crafted using the new Capra Lissata technique, a shiny-leather treatment that imitates the textures of the archive pieces. At once compact and functional, the bag has three inner compartments and the main body is outlined by hand-painted edges. The straps come with metal details and adjustable handles, while the twist-knot closure is reminiscent of the popular Knot Clutch. As for Bottega’s signature intrecciato motif, it has been reinterpreted as an engraved embellishment on the City Knot’s gold buckles.
Read this and more stories in Luxury magazine, out with The National on Thursday, June 15.
pmunyal@thenational.ae
