miho museum

Louis Vuitton will travel to Kyoto in Japan to mark its Cruise 2018 collection presentation. After Monaco, Palm Springs and Rio de Janeiro last May, Louis Vuitton will present the new collection in Japan on Sunday, May 14th. Louis Vuitton claims to have had strong ties with Japan since the end of the 19th century, with the mon (family crest)as inspirations of the Monogram canvas; the long list of renowned Japanese clients; Louis Vuitton’s first store in Tokyo in 1978; and the collaborations with Japanese contemporary artists such as Takashi Murakami, Yayoi Kusama, Rei Kawabuko and now Hiroshi Fujiwara. In true Louis Vuitton tradition, the Cruise show will be held in the outer worldly setting of the Miho Museum, designed by I.M. Pei, the architect of the Grand Louvre and its pyramids in Paris. Inaugurated in 1997, the Miho Museum was conceived to be a terrestrial paradise, inspired by Shangri-La, the legendary heaven-on-earth. Nestled in a hidden valley, the museum is revealed through a spectacular metal tunnel and a futuristic suspension bridge. This unique home to more than two thousand works of art blends exoticism with modernity, while steeped in the most luscious forest. This is the first time in the museum’s history that it will play host to such an event.

brooklyn bridge

In May this year, as part of its 40th Anniversary season, Public Art Fund will bring Descension, one of Anish Kapoor’s most viscerally arresting installations, to New York City for the first time. Sited at Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, this massive, continuously spiraling funnel of water will harness one of the most evanescent of materials and create a striking contrast with the adjacent East River. Anish Kapoor, among the most influential artists of his generation, has had a career-long engagement with space and the limits of perception. Perhaps best known for his iconic public artworks, his last major outdoor sculpture in New York City was Public Art Fund’s presentation of Sky Mirror, his 35-foot-diameter concave mirror at Rockefeller Center in 2006. With Descension, he has created a dynamic negative space that descends into the ground, disturbing the familiar boundaries of our world. In the midst of a quintessential New York park, Kapoor invites us to experience the sheer perceptual wonder of an ordinary material like water made to behave in an extraordinary way. Anish Kapoor: Descension will be on view from May 3 to September 10 at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1.

caroline de maigret

French fashion house Chanel has unveiled the third short film dedicated to its new “Gabrielle” bag, which is a nod to the first name of the brand’s founder. The film’s atmosphere and setting is very different from that of the previous two, the first of which starred Kristen Stewart and was directed by Daniel Askill, while the second, directed by Shishi Yamazaki, featured Cara Delevingne. This third instalment stars Caroline de Maigret, Chanel’s brand ambassador. The black-and-white short film is the work of the French director Olivier Assayas, and consists of a single unbroken shot. In the film Caroline is seen exploring an unmistakably Parisian apartment, when she sees an appointment with “Gabrielle” noted in her diary. The film ends with her discovering the iconic “Gabrielle” bag sitting on a mantelpiece. This is the third short film in a series about this unisex bag. The last as-yet-unreleased video will star Pharrell Williams.

swimwear collection

Karl Largerfeld and Vilebrequin have joined hands for a new capsule swimwear collection which uses the familiar nautical colors of blue and white with a refreshing touch. The 18 piece collection features details like ombre, stripes, and flaunts the silhouette of Largerfeld himself on the edges of the items, almost like a logo. The collection contains all the iconic elements of resort fashion : a polo shirt and two styles of swim shorts for men and women, a bikini, a tunic and swim shorts and accessories like a beach towel and a zip-top clutch, with prices ranging between $80 and $290,

spider carbon watch

Excalibur is the name of the iconic collection from Roger Dubuis, featuring the Excalibur Spider Full Carbon and the Excalibur Quatuor Cobalt MicroMelt. And now the Excalibur Spider Carbon is being lauded for its daring use of carbon for the case and the movement — the first watch in the world to do so. It will also be the first such watch to earn the Poinçon de Genève certification, marking a significant step forward for the official standard of Geneva watchmaking. For this watch, Roger Dubuis has introduced not only a case (and lugs) but also movement mainplate, bridges and tourbillon upper cage all in multi-layered carbon. It is this multi-layered part that caused some consternation for the Geneva Seal, which does not allow composite materials. As the watchmakers at Roger Dubuis point out though, all the layers are T700 carbon, so the material is not a composite per se. The watch is a manual-winding Calibre RD509SQ, with a 70-hour power reserve, and a 45-millimetre carbon case.

ferrari go kart track

Norwegian Cruise Line’s brand new ship Norwegian Joy boasts an incredible kind of on-board attraction: a Ferrari-themed race track on the deck, which has the distinction of being the first automotive race track at sea! Well, yes, it’s a go-kart race track, but a race track nonetheless. The bi-level looping race course is designed to accommodate 10 karts will feature the signature Ferrari red along with the company’s branding. Norwegian Cruise Lines has teamed up with Scuderia Ferrari Watches for this luxury track. The brand will also install a watch store next door to it on the ship. Guests who stay in the higher-end cabins of The Haven and Concierge class will be given complimentary rides, while others will pay to ride the unique feature. The Norwegian Joy’s is a 3,850-passenger vessel built at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

aston martin

Aston Martin recently debuted its V8 Vantage S Great Britain edition at the Shanghai Auto Show, and it’s going to be available only in China. Although mechanically identical to a standard V8 Vantage, this special edition car flaunts unique cosmetic enhancements. Built by the company’s ‘Q’ bespoke services division, this latest beauty boasts a unique paint finish in Stratus White with blue-tinted wing mirrors and rear light inserts, custom embroidery and handmade badges that boast a Union Flag pattern, while a final exterior reference to the British flag can be found on the brakes, which boast red calipers.  Inside, metal rotary switches are finished in anodized blue, the seats feature the wave quilting pattern usually reserved for its Zagato co-designed cars, there’s Aurora Blue leather and Union Jack embroidered details. With all of those Great Britain references, we do wonder why it is meant only for China !

luxury shades

Ray Ban has unveiled the 2017 edition of the classic aviator shades, which join the two tear-drop shaped sides in a single piece, wrap-around style that continues the lens across the bridge to form a shield. The Ray-Ban Blaze Shooter Sunglasses are available in six colors: pink, violet, and orange mirror lenses, alongside two shades of green; classic and dark.  The frames are gold, black, silver, and bronze and each includes the cross-bridge support behind the central shield.  As usual, each Ray-Ban lens is especially UV-coated to reduce glare while maintaining a stylish look and excellent viability. And the shades are priced at $170.

mercedes wagen

If the Mercedes G-Wagen is your dream vehicle, your dream just got better. The G-Box by Ququq can turn the iconic Mercedes G-Class into a two-person camper in just two minutes. The G-Box is a combination of a compact kitchen and a small bed that slots into the cargo bay of a G-Wagen. The kitchen kit consists of a large wood-and-aluminum box containing a two-burner gas stove with wind blocker, and a set of large water bottles and stainless steel bowls that creates a simple, gravity-powered sink. The box along with the kitchen box weighs 80 pounds while the 77 x 50 inch cold foam mattress adds another 55 pounds. The mattress is deployed when the rear seat is folded down. The QUQUQ B-Box for the Mercedes-Benz G-Class is currently available in Europe for a price of €2,590 ($2,900).

fingerprint scanner cards

Yes, that’s right. MasterCard has recently unveiled its first payment card with biometric fingerprint scanner. So you can relax and forget about remembering those passwords. The payment cards have been introduced in South Africa first, following successful trials with a local bank and retailer. The technology is expected to move to Europe and Asia soon. The card is no thicker than a regular credit card, with a small, thumbnail-sized rectangle at the top right corner being the fingerprint sensor, easily accessible when you stick the card into a payment terminal. For now, though, the biometric verification can only be used for in-store purchases.