Even for those deeply familiar with the watch industry, Roger Dubuis has a knack for releasing watches that shock and surprise. The results occasionally cause collectors and enthusiasts to do a double take, but that’s part of the appeal.

Case in point, the new Roger Dubuis Excalibur The Kabuto Legacy—an extension of the Excalibur collection that put the brand’s métiers d’art artisans back to work on an exceptional set of micro-engraved samurai helmets.

Photography courtesy of Roger Dubuis

The Roger Dubuis Excalibur collection first launched in 2005, featuring a bold new case architecture and skeletonized mechanical watch movements. The collection marked a turning point for the brand, steering its design direction toward a more contemporary aesthetic.

In 2013, Excalibur’s lore took a more central role in the collection through the first of several limited-edition Knights of the Round Table timepieces. The inaugural series was limited to 28 pieces, with each watch featuring 12 individually hand-engraved knights positioned around the dial, their swords drawn and pointed toward the center.

Photography courtesy of Roger Dubuis

The series has continued over the years with several other limited editions, but with the exception of a Chinese Zodiac reference in 2021, each has featured traditional European fighters—until now. 

Photography courtesy of Roger Dubuis

Excalibur The Kabuto Legacy is a substantial piece of hardware, especially considering its 45mm case is made of 18K pink gold. However, with this kind of micro-engraving, you need room for the work to shine. Unlike its counterparts, it doesn’t use miniature hand-sculpted figures for its hour markers; instead, it features hand-sculpted kabuto, or samurai helmets. Traditionally, kabutos served as protective armor, but they were also individualized to act as identifying marks in battle. In the thick of combat, a samurai could identify a commander by his helmet’s distinctive ornamentation.

Photography courtesy of Roger Dubuis

Here, the kabutos represent 12 commanders from Japan’s unification and the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate in the early 17th century. To ensure historical accuracy, Roger Dubuis also consulted Frederik Cryns, a professor of Japanese history who served as a historical consultant on the television series Shōgun. His expertise helped inform the interpretation of the commanders and their helmets.

Photography courtesy of Roger Dubuis

The circle begins at 12 o’clock with the shōgun, Tokugawa Ieyasu—one of the leading architects of unified Japan, whose kabuto features a fern symbolizing prosperity and longevity. The Four Heavenly Kings of the Tokugawa—legendary samurai commanders who fought alongside Ieyasu—are depicted at the 1, 2, 4, and 9 o’clock positions, flanked by other noteworthy figures of the period. The detail in each helmet is remarkable: Each is micro-sculpted from 18K pink gold and hand-engraved, requiring two to three days of work.

Photography courtesy of Roger Dubuis

At the center of the dial sits an abstract interpretation of Edo Castle, finished in a deep blue reminiscent of the indigo dye traditionally used in samurai garments. The landmark was home to the Tokugawa shōgun and served as the center of the Japanese government during the Edo period. The miniature structure’s layered construction incorporates several finishing techniques, including polishing, circular brushing, and shot-blasting, to distinguish the individual architectural elements.

Photography courtesy of Roger Dubuis

With so much handwork and traditional craftsmanship going into these pieces, one almost forgets the technical expertise beneath the art itself. The watch is powered by the Roger Dubuis RD821 self-winding caliber, which features 14 distinct finishing techniques applied to the movement components. Like other certified Roger Dubuis timepieces, this piece also receives Poinçon de Genève certification, which establishes standards for craftsmanship, finishing, and mechanical performance in Geneva watchmaking.

There’s no arguing that the Knights of the Round Table series from Roger Dubuis will always be a bit niche in terms of market appeal, but there’s something to be said for the brand’s continued investment in traditional craftsmanship and its willingness to reinterpret those techniques in unexpected ways.

Photography courtesy of Roger Dubuis

The Roger Dubuis Excalibur The Kabuto Legacy is limited to 28 pieces, with pricing available upon request.  

In a market saturated with collaborations of all shapes and sizes, it can be challenging to break through the noise. Sure, these partnerships create buzz, but collab fatigue is real. Every once in a while, though, a collaboration still manages to hit, as is the case with the latest endeavor from Spinnaker and seconde/seconde/. For the fourth year running, the duo is launching a new edition of the 50 Phantoms series.

Photography courtesy of Spinnaker

What started as a bit of cutesy wordplay—a watch inspired by the iconic Blancpain Fifty Fathoms dive watch, speckled with 50 luminous ghosts—has become something of a phenomenon among watch enthusiasts. This latest edition, offered in two distinct configurations, launches on Oct. 16 with a $600 retail price.

Photography courtesy of Spinnaker

Starting with the bolder Crazy edition, limited to an initial run of 1,500 pieces, the phantoms are clearly visible in daylight. The ghosts are scattered across a layered white dial, with printed and embossed figures positioned at different depths beneath the sapphire crystal. The arrangement creates a three-dimensional effect that becomes even more pronounced in dim light, revealing luminous shades of blue, green, white, and yellow.

Photography courtesy of Spinnaker

In contrast, the Quiet edition narrows its initial availability to 850 pieces, and its phantoms are, as the name suggests, much less conspicuous. At first glance, the matte white dial appears relatively conventional, with silver hour markers and little indication of what lies beneath. But shine the included UV flashlight across its surface, and 50 hidden ghosts reveal themselves. This is easily the most understated edition of the 50 Phantoms series to date, but that’s not the only notable change. The Quiet is also the slimmest watch in the series thus far, with a case measuring 11.8mm thick compared to the Crazy’s 12.15mm.

Photography courtesy of Spinnaker

Both variants are part of Spinnaker’s Fleuss collection, measuring 40mm in diameter and powered by the Miyota 9039 automatic movement. They feature stainless steel cases and polished white ceramic bezels with an undulating edge inspired by the hem of a ghost’s sheet. It’s a small but clever detail that carries the collaboration’s playful character beyond the dial.

Photography courtesy of Spinnaker

Each watch comes with a stainless steel bracelet and two additional straps at no extra charge. An orange nylon strap provides a bold contrasting accent, while a white silicone strap creates a more monochromatic look. On the Crazy edition, the silicone strap features ghost-shaped cutouts, while the Quiet’s strap glows in the dark.

Photography courtesy of Spinnaker

The watchmaking industry has a propensity to take itself a little too seriously at times, and both Spinnaker and seconde/seconde/ have made room for levity in their respective approaches to watch design. Romaric André, the French artist behind seconde/seconde/, first made a name for himself by modifying vintage watches, introducing clever and playful changes to the hands of timepieces from Rolex, Omega, and other established brands. Spinnaker, meanwhile, has built its identity around colorful, relatively affordable watches that stand in contrast to the more conservative offerings of many traditional watchmakers.

Photography courtesy of Romaric André / seconde/seconde/

The 50 Phantoms series brings those sensibilities together, balancing the familiar proportions and mechanics of a dive watch with an irreverent design approach. Four years in, the collaboration is still finding new ways to play with the same simple idea. This year’s editions take that concept in opposite directions: one puts its ghosts on full display, while the other makes discovering them part of the experience.

Photography courtesy of Spinnaker

The Spinnaker x seconde/seconde/ Fleuss 40 Automatic 2026 Edition launches Oct. 16, 2026, at 12:30 a.m. EDT, with both the Crazy and Quiet editions priced at $600 each. Those who ⁠sign up in advance on spinnaker.com will receive access to the collection one hour before the official launch. 

When talking about luxury fashion, there are certain conventions that consumers have come to expect: sumptuous materials, opulent detailing, and conceptual—if not impractical—design.

Fortunately, Freitag designer Anne Bachmann doesn’t dabble in conventions.

Photography courtesy of Freitag

“I am fascinated by the effortless beauty of objects that were never designed to please,” she says, referring to the used truck tarps repurposed to create Freitag’s newest collection of high-end bags. The Reference collection launched Oct. 8 with four new bag designs that blend artistic upcycling and luxury. With an “elevated, minimalist aesthetic,” the Reference collection highlights what Freitag does best: tell a story through sustainable, unconventional, one-of-a-kind materials.

Photography by Timothy Schaumburg; courtesy of Freitag

When conceiving the design, Bachmann imagined a collection that transcended the typical bag experience. She aimed to create something practical, but elegant; one-of-a-kind, yet ever-evolving. Used truck tarps, one of the company’s famed upcycled materials, became a central element of the collection, with their previous life informing the bags’ design.

Tarps repurposed for the Reference collection. Photography courtesy of Freitag.

“Because we cut our bags from used truck tarps, every one-of-a-kind piece already starts out with its own history, character, and unique patina,” Bachmann explains. “And as you take it out into the world, it picks up your own daily scuffs, and becomes a real companion.” It also doesn’t hurt that the sturdy tarpaulins make for a bag that is as durable as it is stylish.

Photography by Timothy Schaumburg; courtesy of Freitag

Each of the collection’s four bags is designed with a trapezoidal silhouette, creating a light, dynamic flow without compromising its sculptural elegance. While there are core colorways—white, silver, red, blue, and a limited-edition black—the variation from bag to bag means each purchase is a unique work of art. Sourced across Europe and hand-selected by the production and sourcing teams based in Zurich, the tarp “patina,” or markings that uniquely adorn each bag, was a pivotal consideration when building each piece.

Photography courtesy of Freitag

“Every tarp ages differently on the road, creating subtle variations in color and character before they reach us. Hand-picking the variations in patina, meaning the beautiful marks that weather, environment, and even tree branches leave behind on the tarp during their first life, became equally as important as the colorways,” Bachmann adds.

Photography courtesy of Freitag

Of course, as the cliché goes, the devil is in the details. That is especially true for a streamlined design like the four featured in the Reference collection. To further elevate the design, each bag features a new label and magnetic clasp unique to the collection. To say Bachmann’s inspiration for the distinct clasp was serendipitous would be to discredit the thoughtfulness of the design; the idea came to her in Freitag’s Zurich factory when she noticed a peculiar hook mechanism on heavy-duty shelving.

Photography by Timothy Schaumburg; courtesy of Freitag

“I would describe it as opportunistic wandering,” she says of the moment. “Strolling through a space or an urban environment without a specific destination, keeping yourself completely open and receptive so you actually catch a spark of inspiration when it hits.”

The intersection of form and function creates a luxury experience that Bachmann hopes will naturally build an attachment that transcends typical fashion. “Emotional attachment prevents waste,” she says. “What we love and share a history with, we rarely throw away.”

Photography courtesy of Freitag

True to Freitag, the Reference collection extends the brand’s circular approach without sacrificing style or craftsmanship. To further encourage a long relationship between bag and owner, each bag comes with a detachable repair kit that can be taken apart and used to repair the bag with its original tarp material.

If there is one tried-and-true element of luxury, it’s exclusivity—the knowledge that the piece you own is the only one in the world like it. The Reference collection promises that every bag created is built to grow and evolve with every use.

Is there any logo more iconic than the Nike swoosh? Unlikely. In fact, it’s arguably the most recognizable symbol in sports. But how did a small running company become a global powerhouse? Vitra Design Museum set out to find out, gaining unprecedented access to the Department of Nike Archives (DNA) to curate Nike: Form Follows Motion. First presented in Germany in 2024, the exhibition is now on view at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York through March 2027.

Installation view of Nike: Form Follows Motion at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY. Photo: Jenna Bascom. Courtesy of the Museum of Arts and Design

Vitra Design Museum had been considering an exhibition about sports and design for years. When it approached Nike, the museum learned the extent of the company’s private archive, opening the door to a collaboration.

Installation view of Nike: Form Follows Motion at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY. Photo: Jenna Bascom. Courtesy of the Museum of Arts and Design

“I was able to draw on the extraordinary depth and breadth of DNA’s holdings, including objects, documents, prototypes, study models, and material research, as well as some current designs from the company,” exhibition curator Glenn Adamson says.

Installation view of Nike: Form Follows Motion at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY. Photo: Jenna Bascom. Courtesy of the Museum of Arts and Design

And what a time to bring Nike: Form Follows Motion to New York City, in a year when the Knicks won their first NBA championship in 53 years and the 2026 World Cup final was played just across the river.

Objects from Frank Rudy, who invented the Air Technology, from the Department of Nike Archives (DNA). Photography by Alastair Philip Wiper; courtesy of Nike.

“Having the exhibition travel right to the heart of New York couldn’t feel more appropriate,” Adamson says. “Nike has a very special relationship to New York City, going back at least to the early 1980s … when hip hop broke, coming out of Queens and Harlem. And the hip-hop community was very interested in streetwear generally, brands like Nike especially.”

A graffiti installation by Faust on the MAD Store doors. Photography courtesy of the artist.

Further connecting the exhibition to New York’s counterculture, renowned graffiti artist Faust, whose work is quintessentially NYC, created the cover of the book accompanying the installation and added his signature graffiti to the museum store door.

An early mechanical Shox prototype, c.1981. Photography from the Department of Nike Archives; courtesy of the Museum of Art and Design.

So what exactly is being exhibited at Nike: Form Follows Motion? Beyond the finished products most visitors will recognize, the exhibition focuses heavily on what usually remains unseen: prototypes, experiments, sketches, and design studies.

Familiar products like the Waffle Trainer, Air Force 1, Air Jordan, Air Max, Flyknit, and Vaporfly are displayed next to rare one-offs.

Various lasts, jigs, silicone pads, and fixtures from Nike’s Advanced Product Creation Center. Photography by Alastair Philip Wiper; courtesy of Nike.

The exhibition is presented in four sections across two floors of MAD. “Track” explains Nike’s origins, founded in the ’60s by Phil Knight and his former track coach Bill Bowerman.

“Air” transitions to the ’80s, when Nike’s pressurized Air cushioning became a major focus of the company’s design development. The technology was made visible for the first time in the 1987 Air Max, and sketches, notes, and prototypes reveal how it evolved.

Photography by Bernhard Strauss; courtesy of Vitra Design Museum

“Sensation” explores the Nike Sport Research Lab, which studies the body in motion, evaluates the science behind the shoe, and examines Nike’s research into circular manufacturing, material sourcing, and recycling.

Finally, “Relation” is the exhibition’s grand finale, showcasing 50 transformative and often avant-garde footwear styles alongside hip-hop music videos, explicitly illustrating the correlation between Nike and streetwear culture.

A sketch of Air Max by Tinker Hatfield, 1986. Image courtesy of Nike.

“What’s really special … is that we have so many rarities from the archives,” Adamson explains. “That would include very early relics that are now unique objects [and] a lot of prototypes that show how these designs—which are very technically involved—were actually invented and developed.”

Thanks to the wealth of material from the DNA, including more than 200,000 objects that had never before been presented to the public as a curated collection, Adamson says the exhibition offers a glimpse of Nike’s “design process on the fly.”

Installation view of Nike: Form Follows Motion at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY. Photo: Jenna Bascom. Courtesy of the Museum of Arts and Design

Nike: Form Follows Motion is on view at the Museum of Arts & Design in New York until Mar. 7, 2027.

Growing up in a creative family, Toast CEO Suzie de Rohan Willner developed a deep appreciation for art, design, and craftsmanship. That interest still shapes how she approaches her work, sometimes in unexpected ways. When Toast Creative Director Laura Shippey introduced her to the work of Lee Krasner, de Rohan Willner was struck not only by the artist’s confidence, but by her willingness to tear apart earlier works and transform their fragments into entirely new compositions.

For de Rohan Willner, Krasner’s approach has a clear parallel with Toast’s own commitment to extending the life of existing materials. Through initiatives including Toast Repair, Renewed, and Reworn, damaged and unwanted garments become a starting point for visible mending, creative alteration, and reuse rather than waste. It’s an outlook that reflects de Rohan Willner’s broader interest in craft, experimentation, and finding new possibilities in familiar materials.

Photography courtesy of Toast

Today, Suzie de Rohan Willner joins us for Friday Five to share the artists, architecture, and personal influences that continue to shape her perspective, along with a look at several recent Toast projects.

Suzie de Rohan Willner’s 5 Inspirations

Photography by Suzie de Rohan Willner

1. Anni Albers

I am inspired by how Anni Albers transformed textiles from a traditional craft into a respected art form. She believed design is learned through direct experimentation with material. She asked what the material wanted to do before asking how it should look.

Photography by Suzie de Rohan Willner

2. Ruth Asawa

Ruth Asawa’s looped-wire sculptures reimagine an industrial material as something organic and seemingly soft. I love that tension between strength and lightness—forms that feel weightless yet are anything but fragile.

Photography by Suzie de Rohan Willner

3. The Glass House

Architect Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut, dissolves the boundary between architecture and landscape. Its full-height glass walls create a continuous conversation between interior life and the natural world outside—a reminder that the best design frames what already exists.

4. Isamu Noguchi

Sculptor Isamu Noguchi moved fluidly between disciplines—stone sculpture, furniture, paper lanterns, public gardens—without ever losing his voice. I am inspired by that refusal to be confined to a single medium.

5. The sculptural doors at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral

William Mitchell was my stepfather, and a passionate pioneer of concrete as an artistic medium, with a brutalist, tactile, craft-led aesthetic. He researched a place’s historical resonance deeply, then answered it with a juxtaposed modernity that takes your breath away. His courage in his work has stayed with me.

Recent Projects by Toast

Photography courtesy of Toast

A Shared Table in Wales

This past spring, to launch Toast’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection, A Shared Table, we returned to Wales, the brand’s birthplace, for a locally produced luncheon with members of our community on farmland surrounding Llansteffan Castle. As the wind blew across the hillside, reminding us of the inseparable bond between landscape and community, guests wrapped themselves in Toast blankets to keep cozy.

Photography courtesy of Toast

A Lightness of Being at Somerset House

To celebrate the Spring/Summer 2025 collection, A Lightness of Being, we gathered members of the Toast community at Somerset House in London to witness a series of installations expressing the weightlessness of flight, opportunity in experimentation, and freedom in play. Dancers Francesca Matthys and Masumi Saito, dressed head-to-toe in the collection, performed a piece that explored how clothing, creativity, and gesture intersect.

Photography courtesy of Toast

Toast Renewed By Meta Struycken

I love these pieces by Dutch textile artist Meta Struycken, whose work often explores miniature garments. For the launch of the first Toast Renewed By capsule, Meta designed eight full-size pieces using returned and damaged Toast items and fabric remnants from her studio, demonstrating the creative power of repair and renewal. Traditional handcraft techniques, like embroidery, appliqué, and quilting, extend the life of garments and reframe repair as an art form in itself.

Photography courtesy of Toast

Marking the Turn: FW26 Collection

The theme of our Fall/Winter 2026 collection is Marking the Turn, where we consider the rituals and rites that signal our movement through the seasons, particularly marked by moments of gathering. Each piece represents a different moment in the transition from summer to autumn to winter, translating the language of folk traditions through handcraft techniques, color palettes, and forms that reference the simple functionality of the past.

Trina Turk has spent three decades building a visual vocabulary around unapologetic color and pattern. For her latest collaboration with FLOR, the designer went back through the archives to see what might work at an entirely different scale: underfoot.

Three new rugs expand the Trina Turk x FLOR collection, which first launched in 2024, bringing the collaboration to 12 designs. Rather than developing the latest additions independently from Turk’s fashion work, the team revisited prints and color combinations from both Trina Turk and Mr Turk, translating familiar motifs into FLOR’s modular carpet system.

Easy Does It in Spice. Photography courtesy of FLOR

“For this collection, we returned to the archives and revisited prints and color combinations that felt quintessentially ‘Trina Turk,’” Turk tells Design Milk. “There’s a confidence and optimism to the collection that feels rooted in our original brand DNA, but interpreted in a fresh way for interiors.”

Midnight Muse in Navy. Photography courtesy of FLOR.

That translation involved more than simply enlarging a print. Fashion and flooring operate at dramatically different scales, and the collection experiments with pattern size and placement to make Turk’s graphic sensibility work across an interior. Midcentury modern design—and particularly the geometry, color, and escapism associated with Palm Springs—provides another through line.

“We wanted the collection to feel vibrant, graphic, and expressive, while still being livable and versatile,” Turk says.

Go With the Flow in Butterscotch. Photography courtesy of FLOR.

Each of the three designs takes a different route through the archives. Go With The Flow leans into the geometric side of Mr Turk, using a curved pattern available in Olive, Butterscotch, Black, and Coral. Midnight Muse draws from radiating prints including Turk’s Coppelia pattern, translating their movement and layered color into Berry, Fawn, and Navy versions. And Easy Does It takes a more abstract approach, using tonal shifts and texture in Tundra, Maize, Spice, and Turquoise.

Midnight Muse in Fawn. Photography courtesy of FLOR.

For Turk, FLOR’s tile-based format also offers an interesting counterpoint to the expressive patterns. Individual carpet tiles can be configured into area rugs of different dimensions, allowing a relatively bold design language to adapt to the room rather than demanding that the room adapt to a predetermined rug.

“What makes FLOR such a great partner is that the system is incredibly flexible and functional, while still allowing for a strong design point of view,” Turk explains. “The collection gives people permission to take more creative risks with interiors in a way that still feels approachable and practical.”

Go With the Flow in Black. Photography courtesy of FLOR.

The three new Trina Turk x FLOR designs are available now as part of FLOR’s Fall 2026 collection.

Editorial Transparency: This article was developed with the assistance of AI tools, which may have been used for research, outlining, editing, or copy refinement. Reporting, fact-checking, and editorial decisions were made by the Design Milk editorial team.

For a dog whose everyday wardrobe consists of little more than a red collar, Snoopy has developed a surprisingly impressive fashion résumé. Over the decades, designers including Chanel, Hermès, Dior, Armani, and Givenchy have dressed the Peanuts character, with some of those creations appearing in a 1990 exhibition at the Louvre in Paris. Now, a new generation of designers is getting its turn.

Courtesy of Peanuts Worldwide

Opening Sept. 2 in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, Snoopy in Style NYC brings together archival fashion, new designer commissions, and installations exploring the Peanuts character’s influence across fashion, sports, music, and popular culture. The 16,000-square-foot exhibition follows a previous presentation in Paris, but expands the concept for New York with 10 immersive zones curated by The Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center.

Snoopy and Woodstock designs by BODE. Courtesy of Peanuts Worldwide.

Fashion is at the center of the exhibition, with BODE, Christopher John Rogers, Coach, Collina Strada, GAPStudio designed by Zac Posen, Kith, Levi’s, LUAR, Sandy Liang, and others creating new looks for Snoopy and Woodstock.

Snoopy and Woodstock clothing designed by STAPLE. Courtesy of Peanuts Worldwide.

“They all have a way of interpreting looks for him that display some semblance of their own taste, but give Snoopy the personality and style he deserves,” explains Melissa Menta, SVP of global brand and communications at Peanuts, adding that the designers were given complete freedom in their interpretations.

Courtesy of Peanuts Worldwide

By placing archival pieces alongside the new commissions, Snoopy in Style NYC also creates a timeline of sorts, showing how different generations of designers have interpreted the same deceptively simple character.

“Snoopy is the only character who can claim a decades-long relationship with designers dating back to the early ’80s,” Menta says. “It’s been incredible to see designers embrace designing for Snoopy and see how they make him ‘their own’ with their designs.”

Courtesy of Peanuts Worldwide

That adaptability may have something to do with Snoopy’s original design. Charles M. Schulz gave him relatively few visual ingredients to work with: a white body, black ears and nose, and an economical hand-drawn line. What Snoopy lacks in visual complexity, however, he makes up for in personality.

“What I think is really at the heart of it for designers is the simple art and beauty of Charles Schulz’s line,” Menta explains. “That, coupled with the multi-faceted personality of Snoopy, makes it easy for designers to want to make their own mark.”

Courtesy of Peanuts Worldwide

Beyond fashion, the exhibition features a dedicated tennis installation that explores Schulz’s relationship to the sport, including his friendship with Billie Jean King and his advocacy for Title IX and the Women’s Sports Foundation. Joe Cool’s Listening Lounge turns to another part of Peanuts history, celebrating the music of Vince Guaraldi through a DJ booth, rare albums, archival material, and music-inspired merchandise. The New York edition also highlights the comic strip’s link to the city, including the fact that the newspaper syndicate that originally debuted Peanuts was based there.

Courtesy of Peanuts Worldwide

For a character first drawn in 1950, Snoopy has proved unusually capable of moving between mediums and generations without requiring much reinvention. His costumes change, as do the designers dressing him and the cultural worlds surrounding him, but that spare silhouette remains instantly recognizable.

Designs by Christopher John Rogers. Courtesy of Peanuts Worldwide.

Snoopy in Style NYC is on view at 25 Little West 12th Street in New York City until Sept. 26.

Editorial Transparency: This article was developed with the assistance of AI tools, which may have been used for research, outlining, editing, or copy refinement. Reporting, fact-checking, and editorial decisions were made by the Design Milk editorial team.

In the 17 years since Singer Vehicle Design was founded, the California-based company has become one of the most recognizable names in the world of restomods, restoring and modifying classic Porsche 911s through what it calls “reimagining.” At Monterey Car Week 2026, Singer took that approach somewhere new, revealing its first collaboration with Louis Vuitton.

Photography courtesy of Singer Vehicle Design

The partnership produced two distinctly different cars. The Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic combines Louis Vuitton’s saffron, cobalt blue, and yellow with the fashion house’s long history of travel, luggage, and watchmaking. Its counterpart, the Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic Turbo, was conceived with Louis Vuitton Artistic Director of Women’s Collections Nicolas Ghesquière and takes a more unexpected nautical turn.

The Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic. Photography courtesy of Singer Vehicle Design.

According to Singer’s founder and executive chairman Rob Dickinson, the twin 911s were years in the making, with teams traveling between Paris, California, and England throughout the process.

Sketch courtesy of Singer Vehicle Design

“We were constantly exchanging ideas, with an enormous volume of renderings, digital design data, paint, and leather samples, and then photographs of the cars as they evolved,” he says. “Our two houses brought different expertise to the project, but we share the same standards and the same ambition. Every major decision was made together.”

Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic Turbo. Photography courtesy of Singer Vehicle Design.

What became an unusually comprehensive collaboration began with something much smaller: a Singer client wanted a Louis Vuitton clock installed in their car. Louis Vuitton approached Singer about creating it, and Singer chief strategy officer Mazen Fawaz says the conversation quickly expanded until “the collaboration was extended to encompass every element of the car.”

Photography courtesy of Singer Vehicle Design

Word of the project also traveled within Louis Vuitton, eventually reaching Ghesquière. “This in turn led to a collaboration on a second car, which became the turbocharged cabriolet,” Fawaz explains.

Photography courtesy of Singer Vehicle Design

The original coupe shows just how far the project moved beyond a dashboard accessory. La Fabrique du Temps, Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking workshop in Switzerland, developed a removable mechanical clock inspired by the house’s signature Tambour watch, but integrating it convincingly meant Singer couldn’t simply drop the timepiece into the existing dashboard. The surrounding speedometer, tachometer, and gauges were ultimately redesigned to speak the same visual language, turning what began as one new component into a roughly year-long exercise in rethinking the instrument panel.

Photography courtesy of Singer Vehicle Design

That same level of attention extends throughout the cabin. Natural-toned leather references the cowhide associated with Louis Vuitton luggage, with yellow stitching and diamond embossing adding subtler connections to the house’s leatherwork. Even the hardware received attention: Plastic components that might normally go unnoticed gave way to metal switches, locks, vents, and controls, finished with techniques borrowed from watchmaking.

Photography courtesy of Singer Vehicle Design

Outside, the saffron bodywork is paired with cobalt blue accents and a specially designed roof rack that can carry luggage, skis, or a surfboard. That emphasis on packing for the road reaches surprisingly far back into Louis Vuitton’s history, as the house began making automobile-specific trunks in the late 19th century.

Photography courtesy of Singer Vehicle Design

The drop-top Classic Turbo takes the collaboration in an entirely different direction. Conceived with Ghesquière, the Calcaire Lutétien white cabriolet looks to classic motorboats for many of its cues. Wood becomes a defining material, appearing on the bumpers and throughout the storage areas, including a rear luggage deck whose varnished finish recalls the deck of a runabout. Even the lightweight white roof contributes to the nautical character, its stretched form evoking a sail.

Photography courtesy of Singer Vehicle Design

The clock is also handled differently, with the timepiece positioned in the center console. Gold-toned gauges and natural leather continue the material palette, while the varnished wood compartment behind the seats has been shaped around both the car’s luggage and removable roof. One of the more playful references appears at the gearshift, where a leather drawstring borrows the familiar closure of Louis Vuitton’s Noé bag.

Photography courtesy of Singer Vehicle Design

Both cars are accompanied by bespoke capsule collections that carry their individual design languages beyond the vehicles themselves. Clothing, helmets, driving accessories, and luggage were developed around each car, with some pieces designed specifically around how they would be transported. For the coupe, that means a Louis Vuitton surfboard and a pair of skis that can ride on the roof rack.

Photography courtesy of Singer Vehicle Design

“Witnessing the absolute confidence of an organization like Louis Vuitton at the peak of its powers, and channeling that focus through Singer’s own unique lens was pretty thrilling and also challenging,” Dickinson says. “This was an incredible joint effort from the team, which I think highlights the celebration not just of cars but of the human element—the craftsmanship, art, and engineering that lies at the heart of both companies.”

Photography courtesy of Singer Vehicle Design

The two cars mark the first collaboration between Singer and Louis Vuitton, but perhaps not the last. “If the opportunity arose to work with the team at Louis Vuitton again,” Fawaz says, “we’d be up for the challenge.”

For now, the brands are planning to take the cars—and elements of their accompanying collections—to additional locations around the world in the coming months.

Photography courtesy of Singer Vehicle Design

With tiny unicorns, rocking horses, shrimp, skulls, lips, and sneakers, Cj Hendry’s newest exhibition is a mélange of roughly a million pastel beads that reference the artist’s visual world. On view at Salon 94 Design on New York’s Upper East Side from August 6-16, the aptly named Pastel invites visitors to interact with the art by reaching (or diving?) into a vast, swimming pool-sized pit of chunky plastic beads.

Photography by Alexis Salas

The impetus for this exhibit was the beading room at Space Club, an indoor children’s play space in Brooklyn, which has a long jewelry-making table with trays of beads. Hendry witnessed children—and adults—throwing themselves into the trays to touch and feel the beads and search for treasures. She decided to make the bead “tray” more accessible by expanding it to approximately 20 by 30 feet and more than two feet deep.

“When I think about it, all of my exhibitions do have a very childlike, play element to them because that’s always where my head goes,” the artist says.

Photography by Alexis Salas

Donning Cj Hendry–branded socks, Pastel visitors can wade through the beads and string together a bracelet or necklace or simply find beads to keep as a souvenir. Beads cost $1 each (or $50 for a canister of 75).

“I bet Salon 94 has never sold art for a dollar,” Hendry quips.

Photography by Alexis Salas

An Instagram sensation with close to a million followers (and counting), Hendry has attracted an alt-audience that might not be the typical gallery-going crowd. “What we’re building with Pastel should not be in Salon 94,” she says. “My world… as an ‘artist’ and Salon 94 as this proper, mega, real gallery colliding is just absurd.” But that’s part of the reason why the renowned gallery struck her as an ideal location for this installation.

Photography by Alexis Salas

“Salon 94 Design understands the importance of experimentation and audience connection,” she says. “This exhibition creates a bridge between the world I’ve built and a more traditional gallery context.”

Beyond the bead pit—Pastel’s centerpiece, occupying the entire first floor of the gallery—visitors can also view Hendry’s signature photorealistic drawings and sculptures upstairs.

Photography by Alexis Salas

Pastel is on view until Aug. 16 at Salon 94 Design, 3 E. 89th St. in New York City. The gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Collectible edition prints featuring the exhibition’s 24 hyper-realistic drawings will be sold on cjhendrystudio.com on Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. ET.

Even when summer is in full swing, elevated streetwear stops for no temperature. If anyone understands that, it’s Adidas.

In time for the hottest days of the year, Adidas has released the next generation of Climacool, the ultra-breathable silhouette that has been a staple in the brand’s lineup for more than two decades. Featuring new colorways and updated silhouettes that balance performance and fashion, the FW26 Climacool Laced continues Adidas’ exploration of 3D-printed footwear, using additive manufacturing to shape both the shoe’s performance and its sculptural form.

Photography courtesy of Adidas

The design combines a sculpted lattice silhouette made of ultra-light synthetic materials that allow 360-degree airflow and breathability, creating an open structure that keeps weight to a minimum while maximizing ventilation. Designed and printed as a single piece, with the upper and midsole made from the same material, the shoe achieves a seamless construction that would be difficult to replicate through traditional manufacturing techniques.

Photography courtesy of Adidas

The fit of the shoe hugs the foot like a second skin, creating the feel that the Climacool is simply an extension of the wearer. With a focus on comfort and fit, the latest silhouette is produced using Adidas’ Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) process, building the shoe layer by layer over approximately 24 hours. What results is a continuous form free of sharp transitions, where the lattice geometry provides cushioning, airflow, and structure simultaneously. According to the brand, the FW26 Climacool is also the lightest iteration of the silhouette to date.

Photography courtesy of Adidas

The latest colorways put the shoe’s intricate geometry on full display. Bold pops of “solar turbo,” a luminescent electric pink, contrast with black detailing to emphasize the rhythm of the printed lattice. Created as one single piece, crafted layer by layer, the Climacool Laced illustrates how digital fabrication can blur the line between engineering and industrial design, resulting in a shoe whose visual identity is inseparable from the way it’s made.

Photography courtesy of Adidas

Designed for both men and women, with sizes ranging from 4 to 14, the Climacool Laced shoes are available through Adidas, starting at $160.

MB&F, one of independent watchmaking’s most inventive brands, celebrated a major milestone earlier this month with the opening of the first-ever MB&F Lounge in New York City. The concept space blends business operations with a hospitality-minded showroom and lounge. It is MB&F’s second directly managed retail venture, following the opening of the MB&F M.A.D.Gallery in Geneva 15 years ago, and marks a significant expansion of the brand’s U.S. presence after more than two decades of working through retail partners across the country.

Photography courtesy of MB&F

The new MB&F Lounge is located on the fifth floor of Manhattan’s historic Fuller Building, at the corner of Madison Avenue and 57th Street. The vision behind the space was to allow guests to discover exceptional timepieces at a more relaxed pace and spend time surrounded by mechanical art. Designed in collaboration with Swiss-based Voltige Design & Architecture, the Lounge is flooded with natural light and characterized by flowing architectural lines, warm wood finishes, and a curated mix of objects that make it feel more like a private salon than a traditional retail space.

Photography courtesy of MB&F

Given that MB&F produces only 400 to 500 watches each year, the Lounge isn’t intended to function like a traditional luxury boutique. Instead, it reflects the independent watchmaker’s emphasis on cultivating relationships with collectors, offering a more intimate setting where visitors can discover the brand’s timepieces and connect with the people behind them.

Photography courtesy of MB&F

To mark the opening, MB&F also introduced a 25-piece LM101 EVO NYC Edition available exclusively through the New York Lounge. The original LM101 debuted in 2014; last year, MB&F marked its 20th anniversary by introducing the EVO, adding increased water resistance, a screw-down crown, a longer 60-hour power reserve, and a Super-LumiNova-enhanced display.

The LM101 EVO NYC Edition maintains those updates and marks the first time the model has been offered in an 18K rose gold case. Paired with a black PVD-treated dial plate featuring a sunray-brushed finish, the combination gives the watch a dressier character despite its integrated rubber strap. Turning the watch over reveals a caseback engraved “MB&F NYC,” a subtle tribute to the Lounge’s opening.

Photography courtesy of MB&F

The MB&F Lounge New York is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. by appointment only at 595 Madison Avenue, Suite 506, in New York City.

Los Angeles‑based contemporary womenswear brand Staud is best known for statement purses with bold silhouettes, patterns, and prints. From the spherical Moon Bag that went purse-platinum in 2019 to the beaded Tommy bags emblazoned with tinned sardines that went TikTok viral a few summers ago, Staud routinely delivers products with a bold—often joyful—vision. Their latest offering? A new homeware line full of organic shapes, hand-crafted textures, and vintage goods.

Courtesy of Staud.

Courtesy of Staud.

Launched in April, Staud Home combines ceramics, leather home goods, textile pieces, and vintage finds—sourced personally by founder Sarah Staudinger. At the center of the collection, Staudinger’s ceramics practice grounds the line-up in a richly textural and hand-formed materiality—from the handmade ceramic vase bookends to a speckled table lamp.

Courtesy of Staud.

Courtesy of Staud.

“Over the past 10 years, we’ve been building the world of Staud piece by piece, Staudinger explains. “Home felt like a natural next step, a way to bring that same sense of personality, individuality, and ease into the spaces we live in. This collection is especially personal to me because it was inspired in part by my own growing interest in ceramics and the kinds of objects that make a space feel unique and alive.”

Courtesy of Staud.

Courtesy of Staud.

Courtesy of Staud.

And the collection certainly feels alive. Staud Home allows human craft to shine—from the grooved ceramics to woven netting and more—creating a home that feels personal and singular. Plus, select products are one-of-a-kind, such as a ceramic sheep vases, glazed catchalls, trays, and even a ceramic tic-tac-toe set in algae green.

Courtesy of Staud.

Courtesy of Staud.

Extending its range past the wardrobe and into the house, Staud Home conjures up images of intimate dinner parties, candle-lit reading, and open windows in the warm Los-Angeles sun. And for Tommy bag-lovers, there are still a few beaded options (a bedazzled “Do Not Disturb” door sign and a beaded martini set are just two examples).