Wants&needs

Enter the Dragon

In honour of the Year of the Dragon, Swiss jeweller Piaget recently launched its Dragon and Phoenix collection, featuring 24 luxury models created by 40 of the brand's most talented designers and watchmakers. Taking two of China's most iconic imperial symbols, Piaget has reinterpreted the mythical creatures in their stunning house style. The limited-edition timepieces are understated, each embellished with diamonds and other rare stones, and featuring the brand's classic ultra-thin movement and floating tourbillon movement. One of the collection's highlights is the Piaget Emparador, which offers two models in either 18K gold or 18K pink gold. The former features 226 diamonds, while the latter is embellished with 257 brilliant-cut diamonds. The back of each casing has a sapphire crystal with a dragon ideogram, while both dials are made in silver with phoenix monograms. piaget.com

Happy together

To mark the one year anniversary of the partnership between Mercedes-AMG and Ducati, the brands recently launched matching vehicles. The 'Streetfighter Yellow' models are made up of Ducati's Streetfighter 848 and Mercedes' SLK 55AMG - the former comes equipped with a revised Testastretta engine with 132 horsepower, while the latter has a V8 engine and 416 horsepower. ducati.com

Power of flower

Cimon, the New York-born, Sydney-based artist best known for his colour therapy paintings, recently collaborated with fragrance brand Chantecaille. The five scents - Frangipine, Tiare, Vetyver, Kalimantan and Petales - are embellished with Swarovski crystals and echo the 'floral scents of the fragrances', he says. Each is a limited-edition available through special order. chantecaille.com

Landscape ahoy

Acclaimed British artist David Hockney will show some of his finest landscape works at the Royal Academy of Arts, starting from January 21. Titled 'A Bigger Picture', it will showcase 50 years of the artist's vivid landscape paintings, inspired by East Yorkshire's great outdoors. The exhibition will also include iPad drawings and a series of films produced with 18 cameras. Until April 9. royalacademy.org.uk

Glamour on the bund

Once again showcasing the growing luxe factor of China, Shanghai recently unveiled Asia's first Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Located in its burgeoning Bund area, the Waldorf-Astoria Shanghai comprises two buildings: the newly opened 26-floor Waldorf Astoria Tower, and the Waldorf Club Building, located in a neo-classical heritage building that formerly housed the historical Shanghai Club. There are 237 guest rooms in the former, offering stunning views of the Bund, the Huangpu River and the Pudong skyline. The latter holds 20 exclusive Waldorf Suites, with each painstakingly restored to the building's early 20th-century glamour, featuring timber panelling, mahogany furnishings, hardwood floors as well as dedicated butler service and numerous other amenities. waldorfastoria.com