In this week’s edition of Worth Noting, today marks the opening of Issey Miyake’s new 13,000 square-foot flagship on Madison Ave and 26th Street. Overlooking Madison Square Park, the two-floor Beaux-Arts structure features details like aluminum and stainless steel fixtures, a transparent glass staircase, and massive windows that illuminates the space with natural light.

The space will be home to brand’s such as Issey Miyake’s mainline, IM MEN, HOMME PLISSÉ ISSEY MIYAKE, a full range of their fragrances and accessories, and much more. It will also feature a gallery space called MADO that will host rotating exhibitions and is the first-ever gallery space in an ISSEY MIYAKE store outside of Japan.

ISSEY MIYAKE / NEW YORK is now open at 45 Madison Avenue.

Travis Scott unveils his first Cactus Jack Collection for Oakley

Oakley’s Chief Visionary Officer, Travis Scott, has unveiled his first collection of eyewear that will be branded under his Cactus Jack label. The collection will feature popular styles like the Plantaris (middle) and Eye Jacket Redux as well as an update to the classic Straight Jacket style from 1999 in Cactus Jack’s signature color scheme.

Infinite Machine unveils a new array of color options for the Olto e-bike

Infinite Machine’s futuristic range of e-bikes just got a bit more vibrant with a new color wrap option for the Olto (from $3,495). If you’re not familiar with Infinite Machine, the brand’s e-bikes are fully electric with batteries that deliver about 40 miles of range and can hit a top speed of 28 mph.

The Armoury and Naoya Hida & Co. unveil their third collaborative timepiece with the debut of the Reference Type 4A-2 Floating Feathers. Exploring the intricate detail and structure of a bird’s feathers, The Armoury’s co-founder Mark Cho and designer Elliot Hammer enlisted the help of master engraver Keisuke Kano, who hand-engraved the feather motif in Argentium silver.

The dial is also fitted with 60 hand-polished 18k yellow gold minute markers and equally intricate are the set of solid 18k yellow gold hands, which are accompanied by a blued steel seconds hand with a “caviar spoon” counterweight.

This all comes housed in a 36mm Type 4 case, a design that takes inspiration from 1960s watch cases. Made entirely in Japan, the case is finished in 904L stainless steel and is paired to a calf leather strap from Jean Rousseau. Inside is the Caliber 3020CS, a hand-wound movement with a “click-and-click” spring, a custom-designed backplate for stability, and it has a power reserve of 45 hours.

The Armoury x Naoya & Hida Co. Reference Type 4A-2 Floating Feathers will be available via application on May 17th to May 20th. Only ten examples of the watch will be produced this year and deliveries are set for 2027.

$33,00, thearmoury.com

Most of us could do without an extra screen in their lives and if you’re thinking of getting a smartwatch for fitness reasons, you’re probably dreading the idea of having another piece of tech annoying you with notifications. Enter the Fitbit Air, a new competitor to products like Whoop that ditches screen for a streamlined fitness band.

Packing a powerful set of sensors and a week’s worth of battery life, Fitbit Air can track steps, calories, distance, cardio load, sleep, heart rate, blood oxygen, and much more. And you can enhance the experience with Google Health Premium that gives you Gemini-powered coaching for $10 a month.

The band features a one-size-fits-all design to fit a variety of wrist sizes and you can accessorize it with different styles of bands in fabric or silicone. And when you’re running out of juice, the band requires just five minutes of charging to get a full day’s worth of battery life. Let’s see your smartwatch do that.

The Fitbit Air is now available for pre-order and ships out later this month.

From $99, amazon.com

Bose has revamped its home audio lineup with the debut of its new Lifestyle Collection. The new range features a wireless smart speaker, soundbar, and a subwoofer, offering everything you need for powerful, room-filling sound.

Designed to be the speaker for everyone, the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ($299) has a compact design that uses the company’s Direct/Reflecting speaker technology that consists of two front-facing and one up-firing driver that helps deliver an immersive listening experience in a compact package.

You’ll also find CleanBass technology and a proprietary QuietPort acoustic opening to appease the low-frequency obsessives and you can pair two speakers together to double the performance.

For home theater setups, Bose’s Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar ($1,099) is the company’s first big soundbar redesign in over a decade, packing six full-range drivers into one speaker unit. This driver array features two up-firing speakers, four front-facing speakers, and two proprietary Bose PhaseGuide drivers, allowing for more than enough horsepower to drive technologies like Dolby Atmos.

Both models can also be paired with the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer ($899), which uses the previously mentioned CleanBass technology and QuietPort opening to enhance low-frequency performance.

The Bose Lifestyle Collection is now available.

$299-$1,099, amazon.com

If you want to turn the Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package into an absolute track weapon, Porsche is now offering an optional Manthey Kit upgrade that increases downforce and boosts drivetrain performance. Porsche worked closely with Manthey to apply their performance DNA to the EV world and with a new lap record of 6:55.553 set at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, you could safely say that it was a successful translation.

The track-focused kit centers around an aerodynamic update that significantly increases downforce. At 124 mph, downforce has been increased from 209 to 683 lbs and when you hit the updated top speed of 192 mph, the Manthey Kit produces about 1631 lbs of downforce, maximizing cornering speed and overall stability.

So what else do you get? The Manthey Kit will include a special set of lightweight wheels, Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tires, a new rear wing with enlarged end plates, an optimized front diffuser, a rear diffuser with extended fins, enlarged lair deflectors on the underbody, and carbon aerodiscs have been added to the rear wheels.

Pricing and availability have not yet been announced.

porsche.com

Post Archive Faction unveils its latest collaboration with District Vision, debuting a new take on the eyewear brand’s Koharu Eclipse silhouette. As with the previous collaborations, the sunglasses feature custom-cut lenses that create unique lens designs while also optimizing airflow.

Featuring three styles, the centerpiece of the collection is the Lichen colorway with aggressive lens cuts and ventilation holes at the center that have been arranged in a cascading pattern. The two other styles retain the “Eclipse” lens shape but also adds unique lens cuts and ventilation patterns.

All three frames feature adjustable nose pads and temple tips with grade 2 titanium cores for added durability and each frame is fitted with their D+ therapeutic-grade polycarbonate lenses that have been finished with anti-reflective and oleophobic coatings.

The Koharu Eclipse PAF is now available for pre-order.

€395 (approx. $464), districtvision.com

Db’s bold new entry into the aluminum luggage segment comes at a time when a certain German manufacturer isn’t having the best time with its brand image at the moment. And if you know anything about Db, they didn’t just build an alternative, they specially engineered a new approach with features that are an attempt to fix everything that’s wrong with aluminum suitcases.

First off, the company removed any exterior rivets to make it easier to repair and an “EdgeFrame” enhances rigidity and impact protection. There’s also a CenterFrame element that helps to improve load distribution and repairability and they even paid special attention to the wheel housings that serve a structural purpose, have better ground clearance, and enhanced shock absorption.

It also features a silent trolley handle with a unibody aluminum housing and all together you’re looking at a weight of 12 lbs and a carry-on-friendly capacity of 36L.

The Ramverk Alu is now available.

$999, dbjourney.com

By Dan Paley

Like the classic Porsche 911s it restores, Singer is now rallying its bespoke design prowess to reimagine Willow Springs International Raceway, the legendary California track known since 1953 as “the fastest road in the West.”

At the heart of the rebirth is the exclusive Singer Drivers Club, which aims to reenvision Willow Springs as a world-class motorsports destination with best-in-class facilities, high-performance driving, and five-star hospitality.

It’s all part of an ongoing transformation under the new ownership of CrossHarbor Capital Partners, the group behind Yellowstone Club, the only private mountain ski resort in the world. Like Yellowstone Club, which offers lifts and runs tied to the public Big Sky Resort, Singer Drivers Club members will have access to Willow’s public road courses while enjoying an exclusive experience.

That experience includes a dedicated concierge team that arranges vehicle transport and storage, track day bookings, and travel. A food and beverage program is underway at Streets Paddock House, where a swanky bar and an indoor/outdoor lounge offer views of the dramatic Streets of Willow course. A Whale’s Tale Courtyard provides a private bar and lounge, locker rooms, and professional-grade F1A Advanced SimRacing simulators for members to sharpen their skills off the track.

While the hospitality promises excellence, a true world-class circuit must keep its focus on the driving experience. Singer, along with track operator Sonoma Raceway, achieves just that with track enhancements, a pair of legitimate automotive heavyweights, and a fleet of dream cars.

As far as personnel, private driver coaching will be offered by the likes of Alex Waters, a Silverstone-certified coach with experience at every level from karting to F1. Formula 1 World Champion and frequent grid-side commentator, Jenson Button, serves as an ambassador for Singer Drivers Club, adding an air of championship-caliber cachet.

As for cars, members have access to a fleet of Porsche 718 Cayman GT4RS Clubsports. VBOX video and data analysis complete the expert package, and six driving circuits spread across the striking Mojave landscape offer plenty of technical twists and turns for driver development.

We warmed up our tires against Mr. Button on his namesake Jenson Button Karting Circuit, then got behind the wheel of a GT4RS under the tutelage of Mr. Waters, and finally rode shotgun in an exhilarating hot lap around Streets of Willow with Mr. Button at the wheel. On full display was the progress from one level to the next that driver club members stand to gain.

It’s also clear to see the improvements made to the track over the last year by Le Mans winner and track designer Alex Wurz, head of Wurz Design. Special attention was paid to enhancing the safety standards at both Big Willow and Streets of Willow to a level consistent with FIA 2 class circuits, with new layouts, asphalt, barriers and runoff specifications.

Equally important for the renovation of a 70-year-old icon beloved by the California racing community is to balance heritage and access with modernization and exclusivity. Willow Springs has long stood at the heart of Southern California race and car culture, offering track days for enthusiasts, testing grounds for engineering teams, and backdrops for cinema, including Ford v Ferrari and Sung Kang’s upcoming indie Drifter.

Singer and CrossHarbor plan to honor that history by ensuring track accessibility to the general public during renovations and for decades to come.

The several hundred-million-dollar project will continue to unfold over the coming years, with track enhancements scheduled over the next three summers. Next year will see the completion of a member clubhouse high above Turn 4 on Big Willow with a restaurant, lounge, and outdoor terrace. Premium hospitality amenities to follow include a spa and fitness facility, member garages, residences, and a hotel.

The Singers Drivers Club is now open. Memberships are currently by invitation only and the club will be capped at 400 members. Singer vehicle ownership is not required.

Memberships start at $450,000, singervehicledesign.com

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Lexus continues to make aggressive moves in the EV segment and today they introduced their latest model, the TZ. The TZ takes on competitors such as Rivian, Lucid, and Kia with a three-row model that focuses on a luxury-driven, lounge-like atmosphere that also happens to be very family-friendly.

When it comes to performance, the TZ features a DIRECT4 AWD system that produces 400 hp and can get from 0-62 in 5.4 seconds. The range-topping 95.82kWh battery gives you about 300 miles of range and charging will take 35 minutes to get you from 10-80%. It will also launch with a NACS port so you have access to the Supercharger network.

The SUV will also feature Dynamic Rear Steering that can adjust the angle of the rear wheels by up to 4 degrees to improve maneuverability and you have MacPherson struts to enhance ride comfort. 20″ and 22″ wheel options are available, which have also been acoustically tuned for quietness and aerodynamic adjustments have been made to the exterior to help reduce wind noise.

This aerodynamic form results in an exterior that is both sculpted and informed by the brand’s current design language. The boxy form brings hints of the GX while the dramatic character lines are a nod to the brand’s performance heritage. A reimagined front-end translates their signature grille for the EV era and an illuminated badge adds a subtle light signature.

Lexus has placed a deeper focus on interior materials in recent years and the TZ is no exception with options such as Forged Bamboo trim elements that use Shikoku bamboo fibers that are mixed with resin while bio-based UltraSuede offers a plant-based leather-alternative.

The interior also features a panoramic roof, standard ambient lighting with six Japanese-inspired themes, and a 21-speaker Mark Levinson audio system adds an immersive touch of hi-fi to the spacious interior.

The Lexus TZ will be available later this year.

lexususa.com

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Designer and Tom Ford Creative Director Haider Ackermann releases a collection of eyewear with none other than Jacques Marie Mage. Described as “a collection that embodies the acclaimed designer’s passion for bold individuality and artisanship, the limited-edition styles include styles like the Balthazar (above), which takes the round silhouette and wraps the brand’s signature acetate in black leather.

Founder Jerôme Mage on the collection:

“We designed a beautiful collection of three frames that really represent Haider’s deep fashion instinct, and the polish and sophistication his work is known for. They are really exceptional and represent the best of Haider through the lens of JMM’s unparalleled fabrication and craftsmanship.” 

The collection also includes new silhouettes like the Gaspard, a 1960s-inspired frame with a unique monobrow element with hairline detailing that anchors a pair of thick acetate eyerims. Another style worth noting is the Melchior, an angular shape with polished metal accents that are inspired by nautical motifs.

The Haider Ackermann collection is now available.

$1,295-$1,695, jacquesmariemage.com

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With a career that includes names like Laura Mercier, Virgil Abloh, and Pat McGrath, GAMINE founder Melanie Dir has quite a bit of experience to draw from when it comes to building a brand. And that doesn’t even touch her childhood, growing up around all things fragrance, following in the footsteps of her father, renowned Master Perfumer Claude Dir.

Melane Dir on GAMINE:

“With GAMINE, I constructed a new system built on three codes: global, grit and luxury” says Dir. “Global is perspective — multi-generational and cross-cultural, shaped by movement, art, and lived experience rather than geography. Grit is tension — the raw pulse within refinement, where street-born authenticity meets artistic precision. It is the sensory friction that keeps GAMINE human. Luxury is mastery — rooted in perfumery’s classical savoir-faire and rigorous discipline, propelled forward through molecular innovation and design materials. These codes never exist apart. They operate in dialogue — tension and structure, movement and discipline — forming a singular universe. Together, they shape compositions engineered with precision and depth to establish a distinct signature identity.”

Available in three scents, GAMINE comes in a collection of eau de parfum “Bricks,” that combine custom-designed eco-rubber and weighted glass while “Transit” takes a page out of the EDC playbook with a tool-like carrier that can store their Solid Fragrances.

These three scents include: Heroic Dose, an “aromatric herbaceous” scent that features notes of Côte d’Azur Cypress, Blue Hemp, Salty Marine Air, Chocolat Noir, Saffron, French Hay, Vetiver Bourbon Absolute, Cumin, and Patchouli.

1000g, an “earthy floral” option brings notes of Nepal Pepper, Blue Chamomile, Lavande de Provence, Rose Absolute, Iris, Olibanum Incense, Oud, Oakmoss, and Ambramone.

Last but not least is Altered States, a “resinous wood” fragrance with notes of Nutmeg, Cardamom, Plum, Black Truffle, Jasmine Sambac, Namibia Bushman Candle, Sandalwood, Tonka Absolute, and Guaiac Wood.

GAMINE is now available.

$75-$290, gamineparfums.com

reMarkable introduces its newest paper tablet with the launch of the Paper Pure. Featuring a third-generation black-and-white display with the same textured writing surface as the Paper Pro, the new model replicates the feel of ink on paper, a writing/sketching experience that takes just 21 milliseconds for digital ink to appear on screen.

The tablet also boasts its longest-lasting battery in the lineup with up to three weeks of charge, based on an hour of daily usage. Other note-worthy specs (see what we did there) include a 50% boost in performance over the reMarkable 2, a higher contrast screen, easy repairability, and yes, it includes a “Marker” for all your note-taking needs.

The reMarkable Paper Pure is now available.

From $399, remarkable.com