https://www.scmp.com/rss/325142/feed STYLE's longer reads, which track trends and innovation in the luxury world en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com By Catherine Clifford Drew Houston always knew he wanted to run a tech company. “I really admired all the great tech companies and even as a little kid, I admired the tech entrepreneurs and I always dreamed of having my own company,” says Houston, speaking with Fortune in a video posted Wednesday. “So it was something I had been thinking about and studying for a while.” The cloud storage company Houston started, Dropbox , went public in March and had a market capitalisation of more than US$13.5... https://www.scmp.com/tech/leaders-founders/article/2139869/dropboxs-ceo-reveals-four-his-favourite-books-how-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/leaders-founders/article/2139869/dropboxs-ceo-reveals-four-his-favourite-books-how-be?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Apr 2018 03:00:15 +0000 Hillary Yip Ying-hei is definitely not your average 12-year-old. On top of attending school and surviving the gruelling academic demands on a daily basis, the seventh grader also runs her own business. Growing up in the age of technology, Yip, like many other children, understands full well the significance of keeping pace with innovation and the digital transformation. That tech-savvy mindfulness prompted her to launch an online language learning application at the age of 10. The idea came to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2131399/why-everybodys-talking-about-hong-kong-12-year-old?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2131399/why-everybodys-talking-about-hong-kong-12-year-old?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Feb 2018 07:31:33 +0000 Keith Chan Keith Chan Travel companies are targeting the fast-growing segment of millennial travellers as their incomes and financial standing continue to improve. Uniworld, a boutique cruise line, has launched a new U by Uniworld brand catering to travellers, aged 21 to 45 years old, starting with four European river cruises in April this year. Henry Yu, Uniworld’s manager for Asia, says the new brand was created to broaden interest in experiential travel among young customers. “According to our survey, while 50... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/2128280/travel-companies-target-millennials-river-cruises-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/2128280/travel-companies-target-millennials-river-cruises-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jan 2018 02:33:14 +0000 Bodegas Ricla, a tiny bar just moments from Madrid’s famed square, the Plaza Mayor, is known for its vermut en grifo – vermouth on tap – and its home-cooked tapas. The vermouth (fortified wine flavoured with botanicals) is kept in barrels behind the white-and-blue-tiled bar and is served simply over ice, just a slice of orange adding a citrus lift. There’s no space for tables, so patrons perch on stools, glasses in hand, or stand, resting their plates on a wooden shelf fixed to the bottle green... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/2115022/vermouth-makes-comeback-hong-kongs-mancino-leading-trend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/2115022/vermouth-makes-comeback-hong-kongs-mancino-leading-trend?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Oct 2017 07:00:30 +0000 Start-ups are a symbol of innovation and creativity. The luxury landscape is changing because of technological advances and the success of start-ups. Many luxury brands are recognising the innovation of start-ups and even acquiring them for their technology and for future growth. The watch industry, for example, is split between watchmakers focused on carefully manufactured timepieces and the new wave of watchmakers that are embracing tech-enabled smartwatches. Brands such as Montblanc have... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2114747/luxury-brands-acquire-start-ups-smarten-and-future-proof?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2114747/luxury-brands-acquire-start-ups-smarten-and-future-proof?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Oct 2017 01:30:45 +0000 You’ve probably seen its jaw-dropping structural designs in dozens of Hollywood blockbusters, including The Hunger Games, Flight, True Lies, and In The Line Of Fire. Watch: This scene from The Hunger Games was filmed in John Portman & Associates’ Atlanta Marriott Marquis hotel   The buildings created by architectural firm John Portman & Associateshave been wowing people around world for decades, but these days its stunning projects are also wowing Chinese residents and tourists throughout... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2111284/how-futurist-architect-jack-portman-helped-build-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2111284/how-futurist-architect-jack-portman-helped-build-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Sep 2017 02:15:45 +0000 Watching Céline Dion twirl in Schiaparelli’s Crystal² dress on the balcony of the couturier’s Place Vendôme atelier for a photo shoot is so breathtaking it makes you want to capture the moment, frame it and hang it alongside the Salvador Dali masterpieces in the maison’s workshop. The regal beauty of the songstress is unequivocal, but the dress, made entirely with Swarovski crystals, is truly a work of art. The iconic singer #CelineDion wearing the Crystal² dress from the latest #Schiaparelli... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion-beauty/article/2110839/fashion-houses-create-their-own-fabrics-highlight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion-beauty/article/2110839/fashion-houses-create-their-own-fabrics-highlight?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Sep 2017 09:30:45 +0000 Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble. Surprising things are happening in the bubbly world, and top Champagne houses are responding with a mixture of determination, defiance and refreshing innovation. It all started last year when English sparkling wines beat French Champagnes in two out of three trials in a blind tasting. The event, hosted by Britain’s Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) at the Juveniles restaurant in Paris, saw one Champagne pitted against one English sparkling wine in each of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/2110356/champagne-houses-krug-dom-perignon-and-veuve-clicquot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/2110356/champagne-houses-krug-dom-perignon-and-veuve-clicquot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Sep 2017 08:45:00 +0000 Our safari guide looks like a luxurious version of Tarzan. The blue-eyed, tanned Ralph Bousfield walks up to our group of nine on the Xakanaxa airstrip in Botswana, where we’ve just arrived via vintage A2-San planes from all corners of the world. He somehow manages to look equal parts exotic and stylishly debonair, with talisman bracelets on his right arm and a Rolex on his left. If this sounds too dreamy to be true, well, it should – Bousfield charges US$2,800 a day to take his esteemed clients... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/2104959/best-way-safari-luxury-glamping-expert-guide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/2104959/best-way-safari-luxury-glamping-expert-guide?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Aug 2017 02:00:45 +0000 Galleries in Hong Kong have been rather slow in showcasing African art, favouring instead artists from around Asia or celebrity artists from Europe and the US. Nonetheless, always forward-looking and on trend, the city has recently welcomed a series of events with African artists. Art Basel Hong Kong, for instance, organised its first panel talk specifically on Africa, “In (and out of) Frame: Africa in Perspective”, in its Salon section this year.   Africa’s art scene is set to take Asia’s... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2102604/hong-kong-eyes-african-art-continental-exhibitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2102604/hong-kong-eyes-african-art-continental-exhibitions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jul 2017 01:45:15 +0000 Canada isn’t traditionally known for its wines. Only its sweet ice wines have gained limited international recognition. Suddenly, however, the country’s dry wines are turning heads and intriguing palates. Some critics have even gone as far as to say that Canada produces some of the world’s best, if least known, chardonnays, pinot noirs, cabernet francs and rieslings. So what’s behind the sudden emergence of Canadian wines on the international stage? “Canada has long been respected as a producer... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2097492/canadian-wine-steals-spotlight-trend-towards-fresher?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2097492/canadian-wine-steals-spotlight-trend-towards-fresher?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jun 2017 02:00:00 +0000 Would you pay almost HK$600,000 to buy a watch online? Cartier believes someone would and it is right. A Panthère de Cartier white gold diamond watch was sold on Net-a-Porter within two weeks of the collection’s launch on the multibrand luxury e-commerce site. “In terms of selling, we are not seeing price resistance across the board,” says Lisa Aiken, the e-commerce site’s retail fashion director. Apart from expanding their own online stores, luxury watchmakers and high jewellers are tapping... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2096888/why-luxury-watchmakers-are-targeting-fashion-lovers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2096888/why-luxury-watchmakers-are-targeting-fashion-lovers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jun 2017 03:30:00 +0000 Why take one when you can have them all? It seems the sentiment of the-more-the-merrier is trending in high jewellery. Transformable pieces are making a strong comeback – necklaces with detachable pendants which metamorphose into brooches, tiaras which double as bracelets, and earrings that can be turned into elaborate hair combs. “Transformable jewellery is perfectly adapted to our times,” says Jean-Marc Mansvelt, CEO of Chaumet. “Women are multifaceted; they live several lives in one day and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2086717/high-jewellers-turn-heads-transformable-pieces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2086717/high-jewellers-turn-heads-transformable-pieces?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Apr 2017 00:45:30 +0000 True love knows no fear, and legendary blues guitarist B.B. King once rushed into a burning building to save his beloved Lucille. But Lucille wasn’t his wife – it was actually his Gibson 335 electric guitar. The incident is emblematic of the respect that most musicians show their instruments. That love has translated into a burgeoning guitar collector’s market over the last 30 years, with some instruments that originally sold for US$200 or less back in the 1950s selling for upwards of US$200,000... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2078410/vintage-electric-guitars-command-sky-high-prices-baby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2078410/vintage-electric-guitars-command-sky-high-prices-baby?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Mar 2017 00:30:30 +0000 Liang Tao was left stunned by the buying power of his fans after all 80 of the 14,900 yuan (HK$16,800) Givenchy bags he co-created sold out within 12 minutes on WeChat. The 25-year-old founder of fashion blog Mr. Bags is among the rising band of Chinese entrepreneurs converting digital influence into sales, and attracting the attention of luxury brands eager to cash in on the huge “fan economy”. “The fan economy has transformed from relying mainly on merchandise to being spontaneously... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2078380/chinese-digital-influencers-fuel-massive-fan-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2078380/chinese-digital-influencers-fuel-massive-fan-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Mar 2017 08:30:15 +0000 Once the preserve of nobles and royals of both sexes – Boucheron and Van Cleef & Arpels can recall massive orders of spectacular necklaces and brooches from maharajas out to impress others with signs of their power – the jewellery scene is dominated by women today. If a man was ever involved, it was likely to be while whipping out his credit card out to pay for a purchase or going down on one knee to propose. That’s starting to change, with more jewellery brands eager to cater to men’s needs and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2071048/luxury-brands-are-leading-boom-mens-jewellery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2071048/luxury-brands-are-leading-boom-mens-jewellery?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Feb 2017 06:15:30 +0000 The art of polo is distinctly Persian. The word “polo”, meaning “ball”, is derived from Balti, spoken in the region of Baltistan in Pakistan. But, today, the game of polo is finding a shiny, new vitality among the billionaires in China. For them, the elite allure of the game, and the skill involved in playing it, make it perfectly suited to a luxury lifestyle. In China’s Tang dynasty (617 - 908AD) emperors played with the finest horses they could breed. The sport was enjoyed in one of the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2069853/how-polo-became-sport-chinas-billionaires?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2069853/how-polo-became-sport-chinas-billionaires?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Feb 2017 07:00:00 +0000 We all love to see the sexy stuff. The bleeding-edge vehicles that draw the crowds at any serious and important car show. But what exactly do they do besides draw crowds and stimulate dreams? And whatever they did before, do they still do it? The term concept car is not fully defined. It can mean anything from something straight off the dreamer drawing board all the way up to relatively finished products a few steps shy of production readiness. Some concept cars are displayed just to gauge... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2068753/concept-cars-move-us-between-dreams-and-reality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2068753/concept-cars-move-us-between-dreams-and-reality?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Feb 2017 01:00:30 +0000 Private planes and jets used to be for billionaires and celebrities. The skies were filled with Louis Vuitton trunks and plenty of businessmen setting their own agendas for where and when to send those wheels up. However, in the last few years things have changed – although private jetting is still utterly niche – and a whole new market has opened up, where tech is leading the charge. The traditional model of private aviation needed to be disrupted – and fliers are rejoicing. Today, you can go... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/2061965/demand-private-jet-charters-gain-popularity-thanks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/2061965/demand-private-jet-charters-gain-popularity-thanks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Jan 2017 07:00:15 +0000 Think of South Korea today – K-pop, karaoke and plastic surgery will surely come to mind, followed by images of Seoul’s cutting-edge districts, where the latest trends in food, fashion and art are being cooked up and served to a public hungry for the new. It’s almost hard to imagine that 40 years earlier, the avant-garde was embodied by a loose group of artists, among them Lee Ufan, Park Seo-Bo, Chung Chang-Sup and Kim Whan-ki, whose meditative monochrome paintings were inspired by processes,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2053829/south-koreas-monochrome-painting-movement-art-worlds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2053829/south-koreas-monochrome-painting-movement-art-worlds?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Dec 2016 03:00:45 +0000 A small but very powerful transformation is taking the dining world by storm. So small, indeed, it’s microscopic. Despite its size, it’s a process that has been harnessed by every culture in history and is behind some of our favourite food and drink today – it’s fermentation. From Asia’s top chefs refining age-old recipes of kimchi, miso and fermented tofu to artisan producers around the world making craft beers, all-natural sourdough bread, or the finest organic chocolate, to “food nerds”... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/2040649/fermentation-unleashes-global-food-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/2040649/fermentation-unleashes-global-food-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Nov 2016 13:45:00 +0000 Global art icons Ai Weiwei and Zeng Fanzhi, step aside. Song Yige, Wang Yuyang, Song Ta and Zhang Ruyi are in the vanguard of young Chinese artists breaking with tradition and using new technologies wherever possible. "We are used to associating Chinese artists with the Cultural Revolution and now the younger generation have a refreshed approach from their predecessors," says Alexander Platon, senior director at Marlborough Fine Art in London. "Their ideology and their individual experiences are... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2008451/breaking-tradition-new-generation-chinese-artists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2008451/breaking-tradition-new-generation-chinese-artists?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Sep 2016 13:30:30 +0000 In the skincare world, technology is a double-edged sword. Advances have allowed luxury brands to develop significantly more effective products, but internet-saavy consumers are also more aware of their skin’s mercurial and demanding needs, which change from season to season, and from day to night. The most successful brands have been able to harness technology to address these needs, and the biggest breakthroughs in skincare this season have happened, almost paradoxically, through technological... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion-beauty/article/2007788/savvy-skincare-consumers-know-what-really-matters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion-beauty/article/2007788/savvy-skincare-consumers-know-what-really-matters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Sep 2016 13:30:30 +0000 From the appearance of teenager Willow Smith in the front row at Chanel's show to Elie Saab's unveiling of matching mother-daughter gowns at July's Paris Haute Couture Week, it seems the prestigious couture trade is responding in full to the rising interest it is receiving from a dynamic new generation of customers, and is keeping its modernisation in tune with the fast-changing fashion realm. "Pop stars, ultraprivileged twentysomethings and tastemakers are more and more interested in couture,"... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion-beauty/article/2008503/couture-receives-injection-vitality-and-street-cred?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion-beauty/article/2008503/couture-receives-injection-vitality-and-street-cred?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Sep 2016 13:30:15 +0000 Fendi CEO Pietro Beccari's wish was granted last month when the Italian luxury maison showed its latest haute couture in Rome. Models marched across a transparent runway over the capital's Trevi Fountain, which had been freshly restored, thanks to the brand's generous €2.5million (HK$21.4 million) donation. Surely, that was more than a few coins tossed into the iconic monument. "It's beyond anyone's imagination - definitely, a dream came true for me," says Beccari in his office on top of the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/1995564/italian-heritage-why-tods-renovated-colosseum-and-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/1995564/italian-heritage-why-tods-renovated-colosseum-and-why?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Aug 2016 14:15:00 +0000 Showing up in yoga pants and sneakers anywhere outside of the gym was once frowned upon, yet today's street-style icons and professionals alike flaunt their healthy lifestyle on the go by donning limited-edition trainers matched with high-performance sportswear and smart-tech gear. It's apparent that the athleisure trend is here to stay. Moncler President Remo Ruffini talks about innovation  The term athleisure - recently included in the 2016 Merriam-Webster's Dictionary - refers to casual... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion-beauty/article/1983046/brand-new-lifestyle-luxury-fashion-brands-are?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion-beauty/article/1983046/brand-new-lifestyle-luxury-fashion-brands-are?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Jul 2016 15:00:00 +0000 It is a hipster's paradise that we live in. In this day and age, it's perfectly acceptable to start your day with a chia seed smoothie, get your blood pumping with a session of piloxing (pilates/boxing), begin your grooming routine with a dab of beard oil and most notably, start putting quinoa in everything from your lunch to your face cream. "Superfood is a marketing term used to describe foods that are nutrient powerhouses that pack large doses of antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1955215/superfoods-packed-antioxidants-vitamins-and-minerals-are-being?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1955215/superfoods-packed-antioxidants-vitamins-and-minerals-are-being?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jun 2016 14:45:00 +0000 Shenzhen-born, Central Saint Martins-trained designer Angel Chen's fashion show could have easily been mistaken as a teenage rave party. For her latest Fight Club collection, models with smudged smoky eyes and hand-applied face paint donned asymmetrical dresses, embroidered parkas and acid-coloured faux fur. The collection featured a mix of Asian subculture references from Japanese Bozusuku and Wabori gang tattoos. At the tender age of 24, Chen has already landed prestigious stockists such as... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1955200/young-contemporary-fashion-designers-are-stamping-their-mark-global?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1955200/young-contemporary-fashion-designers-are-stamping-their-mark-global?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jun 2016 14:45:00 +0000 King of heels Manolo Blahnik might be old school, but his collaboration with millennial superstar Rihanna is a match made in heaven. "It's very exciting for an old boy like me to be working with a young kid like her, a very talented young kid," Blahnik says on the phone from his studio in Mayfair, London. The 73-year-old shoemaker co-designed a capsule collection of six styles titled "Denim Desserts" with the pop diva, which arrived in stores in Hong Kong earlier this month. The aptly titled... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1939104/luxury-shoe-designer-manolo-blahnik-loves-his-job-and-sticks-his-own?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1939104/luxury-shoe-designer-manolo-blahnik-loves-his-job-and-sticks-his-own?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 May 2016 13:45:30 +0000 Long before the birth of social media and dating apps, erotic pocket watches - depicting graphic sexual encounters on the caseback - were given to women by daring suitors. Today, modern interpretations of the centuries-old tradition, including wristwatches, are as highly sought after by collectors as their antique counterparts. "The interest in erotic pocket watches at auctions is high whenever we have such lots," says Thomas Perazzi, head of Christie's Geneva Watch Department. "We have... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1931551/erotic-pocket-watches-and-wristwatches-can-be-good-investment-long?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1931551/erotic-pocket-watches-and-wristwatches-can-be-good-investment-long?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Apr 2016 15:00:45 +0000 The concept of healthy holidays is nothing new. Health farms, weight-loss retreats, spa sanctuaries and fitness boot camps have been around for decades, yet in recent years a newly flourishing segment within the travel industry known as "wellness tourism" has taken centre stage. Loosely defined as "travel associated with the goal of maintaining or enhancing one's personal well-being", this health-focused niche includes the pursuit of physical, mental, spiritual or environmental "wellness" while... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1916708/wellness-tourism-blossoms-asia-resorts-offer-integrated-health?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1916708/wellness-tourism-blossoms-asia-resorts-offer-integrated-health?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Mar 2016 14:45:15 +0000 Bespoke suits at the menswear label Ciccio can easily set back a discerning gentleman a cool HK$35,000. However, despite its Italian-sounding name and its classic Italian looks, Ciccio suits are not made in Naples or Florence, but in an atelier in Tokyo's trendy Aoyama district. The label comes from the nickname of its founder, Noriyuki Ueki, who had a stint with master tailor Antonio Pascariello in Naples about 12 years ago. Ciccio is one of the new breed of Japanese brands - albeit the most... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1916689/japanese-tailors-transform-bespoke-suiting-their-blend-meticulous?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1916689/japanese-tailors-transform-bespoke-suiting-their-blend-meticulous?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Mar 2016 14:45:15 +0000 The boundaries are blurring these days. Gone are the days when luxury maisons were known for a single product category. Fashion houses are expanding into watches and fine jewellery, and high jewellers are opening resorts and launching furniture collections. Montblanc's creative director Zaim Kamal, responsible for four different product offerings of the maison from watches to leather goods, writing instruments and jewellery, set up a whatsapp group for all members from his core design teams five... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1905931/luxury-maisons-are-branching-out-different-products-their-signature?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1905931/luxury-maisons-are-branching-out-different-products-their-signature?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Feb 2016 13:30:15 +0000 Next time you happen to spill wine on a cherished piece of arm candy, take a leaf out of designer Dylan Ryu's book. "I spilled red wine on my mum's Christian Dior purse and I couldn't remove the wine stain," Ryu says. "So, instead, I added lace and vintage tape to cover it up. It was in that particular moment that I discovered the beauty of reinventing vintage bags." Now, the Korean designer's reworked vintage Chanel flap bags and Hermès Birkins are stocked at prestigious boutiques such as 10... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1896552/reworked-vintage-items-bags-watches-are-highly-sought-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1896552/reworked-vintage-items-bags-watches-are-highly-sought-after?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Jan 2016 15:15:00 +0000 They used to say that money could buy you anything except happiness. Now it seems it can be used to rent anything except that. If the idea of paying for the temporary or fractional ownership of a holiday villa has long been an established idea even for the very wealthy - the same who might lease a private jet or yacht rather than deal with the maintenance costs and hassles - increasingly that idea is being extended to many other top-end products, from clothing to canvasses. While resourceful... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1862781/cars-private-jets-jewellery-watches-and-even-art-people-prefer-rent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1862781/cars-private-jets-jewellery-watches-and-even-art-people-prefer-rent?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2015 14:00:30 +0000 Grand feu is almost a lost art in luxury watchmaking. The delicate technique that heats layers of enamelling powder in an oven at temperatures up to 1,000 degrees Celsius to achieve a subtle patina is extremely costly and time-consuming. Yet, to untrained eyes, the discreet decorative effect could easily be overlooked compared to otherwise lavishly decorated skeletonised or diamond-paved dials. The technique has been revived by high-end watchmakers from Patek Philippe to Jaeger-LeCoultre and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1853100/subtle-luxury-new-trend-watchmaking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1853100/subtle-luxury-new-trend-watchmaking?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Sep 2015 13:30:45 +0000 Wrapping up our phone interview just a little past 5.30am Los Angeles time, Robert Simonds couldn't wait for the rest of the day to start. "I'm off to have more fun," enthuses the chairman and CEO of American film and television studio STX Entertainment. A fun ride would be an understatement to describe the past 12 months for Simonds. The veteran film producer, most famous for his star-driven, highly profitable comedies such as This Means War and The Pink Panther, started his own studio last... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1826472/chinese-investors-hollywood-are-reaping-rewards-award-winning-films?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1826472/chinese-investors-hollywood-are-reaping-rewards-award-winning-films?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jul 2015 12:00:45 +0000 Step into any sophisticated shindig anywhere in the world holding a Hermès Birkin bag, and immediately be identified as a woman of considerable means and taste. Walk into the same event carrying a Lady Dior, and after Rihanna's recent endorsement of it, it looks fresh again. Even Prada's nylon backpack from the 1980s has a retro-relevance to it. All three were "It" bags in their time. Some of these bags, such as the Birkin, became an icon. Not all enjoyed the same status. The term "It" bag - it... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1826476/while-it-bags-were-once-objects-desire-they-now-have-evolved?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1826476/while-it-bags-were-once-objects-desire-they-now-have-evolved?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jul 2015 12:00:30 +0000 The last time you were crippled with the flu, chances are you spent a good few days wearing PJs and a morose expression, and the idea of exercise - strenuous or otherwise - was laughable. You certainly didn't walk onto a tennis court in front of dozens of cameras and win the French Open for the third time in your career. Serena Williams did exactly that last month, and she did so in front of a crowd of thousands while still looking impossibly stylish in neon purple and orange. The tennis star is... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1826481/serena-williams-rules-womens-tennis-while-also-making-her-mark?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1826481/serena-williams-rules-womens-tennis-while-also-making-her-mark?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jul 2015 12:00:30 +0000 Moynat's creative director, Ramesh Nair, often wonders whether proud owners of his creations are aware of all the "invisible" details that contribute to the maison's subtle luxuriousness. The French leather goods brand's signature smooth-edge finishing requires an artisan to hand-polish the leather fibre before applying a layer of paint, a process that needs repeating seven or eight times. "Simplicity does not mean a lack of complexity," says Nair at Moynat's atelier, a few blocks from its... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1811239/quality-accessories-highlight-superior-craftsmanship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1811239/quality-accessories-highlight-superior-craftsmanship?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jun 2015 14:00:15 +0000 Artists such as Petr Pavlensky can be hard to stomach. The Russian protest artist highlights criticism of Russia's regime with shocking acts, including sewing his mouth shut and wrapping himself in barbed wire. For Pavlensky, "an artist has no right not to take a stand". Pavlensky joins the ranks of global artists including Stelarc, Zhu Yu and Mao Sugiyama. Their ever more graphic and grotesque projects transform artists into activists - destined to use their art as provocation to rattle... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1811263/line-between-traditional-and-controversial-art-blurred-radical?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1811263/line-between-traditional-and-controversial-art-blurred-radical?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jun 2015 14:00:15 +0000 Out with the old and in with the new. That’s the mentality which plagues our society. From fashion to technology, we are constantly after the latest and newest models. In interior design, it seems we have adopted a similar approach. In recent years, though, the world of interiors has seen an interest in luxury upcycling. Instead of being tossed aside and replaced by new furnishings, objects are getting reimagined, upgraded and upcycled, giving them a chance to be useful again. “Luxury upcycling... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1809039/luxury-upcycling-gaining-momentum-world-interior-design?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1809039/luxury-upcycling-gaining-momentum-world-interior-design?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jun 2015 14:00:00 +0000 A deep and satisfying fascination with royalty isn't new. The first king in the history of the world dates back to 2500 BC: attested directly from archaeology is the King of Kish, Enmebaragesi. His name was inscribed on an alabaster vase and found at the Sumerian city of Nippur - unearthed in today's Iraq. Since then, monarchies have been revered, hated, exulted and abolished. One of the remaining intrigues is the ancillary world that is executed around royalty - from royally appointed craftsmen... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1752484/luxury-products-fit-kings-and-queens-now-available-discerning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1752484/luxury-products-fit-kings-and-queens-now-available-discerning?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2015 15:30:15 +0000 The essence of wine is romance. Apart from its ancient roots, it is the visceral production process and that deep enjoyment of the final product that lend it its ardour and mystique. Most of us are familiar with the long trusted wine regions of the world - Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Stellenbosch - but lesser known are the small groups of vintners rediscovering alternative fountainheads to wine creation, such as vineyards located in regions known primarily for their volcanic activity. The making, and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1723887/volcanic-soils-produce-unique-wines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1723887/volcanic-soils-produce-unique-wines?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2015 15:15:00 +0000 American Rachelle Simpson, winner of the first ever Red Bull Women's World Series cliff-diving championship held last year, says, "cliff diving has so many exciting things to offer". "From the amazing locations all over the world, to the rush that overtakes you as you speed towards the water. If you are brave enough to take the plunge, you join an exclusive group of only a few hundred in the world." The first recorded cliff dive in history took place in 1770, when a Hawaiian king named Kahekili... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1723878/cliff-diving-gaining-popularity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1723878/cliff-diving-gaining-popularity?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2015 15:15:00 +0000 It is clear that we stick out like a sore thumb at the Emmdale Roadhouse. "So what are you fellas doing here?" asks the barman. Emmdale is an isolated stop in the vast undulating plain of pink and burnt orange at the heart of Australia. "We're doing a pub crawl," I tell him. He raises an eyebrow in a manner at once sceptical and disapproving. Outback pubs can be hundreds of kilometres apart, and I've only ordered a coffee. We've just arrived from Melbourne, 1,000km away. But instead of 11 hours... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1694215/explore-heart-australia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1694215/explore-heart-australia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2015 14:45:45 +0000 Eleanor Lam is no stranger to high society's glitter and glamour. Her father is entertainment tycoon Peter Lam, and her mother is actress-turned-socialite Lynn Hsieh. Lam is used to being in the spotlight but, even for her, the Parisian Le Bal des Débutantes was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. "It's a night filled with glamour and excitement and, of course, gorgeous gowns," she says. "Any girl would enjoy being dolled up and trying on fabulous gowns." Lam was among the 24 young women from... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1694191/high-society-women-are-brought-together-during-special-ball?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1694191/high-society-women-are-brought-together-during-special-ball?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2015 14:45:45 +0000 Luxury has changed, hopefully forever. No longer consumed with the proverbial over-bling and showing off, the realm of luxury now values the privilege of access and the freedom of time more than anything else. And so, heli-snowboarding in remote, uncharted terrain surges as the curator. In the last few years, the seekers of true luxury in the snow sphere have started moving away from the big-name resorts, the overrun fancy hotel rooms and even the expect-to-find destinations - something else has... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1670453/luxury-heli-snowboarding-gains-popularity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1670453/luxury-heli-snowboarding-gains-popularity?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2015 13:45:45 +0000 There used to be a curious visual prejudice when it came to alcohol. Whiskies and brandies, rich and lusty in their swirling amber hues, were the tipples of choice for many, while wines in ruby red or liquid gold were popular everyday drinks - leaving white spirits such as gin to literally pale in comparison. Not that we need any encouragement to add another spirit to our liquid arsenal, but gin - previously banished to the dusty shelves of past generations - has experienced a refreshing revival... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1670455/gin-back-demand-bars-hong-kong-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1670455/gin-back-demand-bars-hong-kong-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2015 13:45:45 +0000 To look at the rate of international expansion of several hotel groups out of their native Asia in recent years, one might imagine that they had run out of room on this side of the world. The last five years have seen Shangri-La hotels open in Vancouver, Paris, Toronto, Istanbul and London, and it has 20 more in development, as far afield as Qatar and Ghana. This year also saw The Peninsula open in Paris - the brand's first outpost in Europe. The Banyan Tree Group has opened in Mexico, to be... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1670430/asian-hotels-bring-their-brand-hospitality-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1670430/asian-hotels-bring-their-brand-hospitality-west?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2015 13:45:30 +0000