“The fragrance was developed by Marie Salamagne, at Firmenich. It is composed of Iris Absolute and a precisely calibrated accord of different musks. The Firabs iris, chosen for Nacre, is a very rare quality. It combines the rich, creamy facet of iris, with a powdery, almost talc-like note. Mother-of-Pearl is a semi-precious stone produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer. A sign of luxury and elegance, it was used in marquetry in the 19th century to adorn daily objects of the Haute Bourgeoisie.
The Mother-of-Pearl used on the Privé Nacre bottle comes from New Zealand oysters. Very thin films (around 3/10 of a millimeter) are extracted from the shells and glued on a plate that is then lacquered. Each Mother-of-Pearl film is different which makes every plate unique.
Each of the 1,000 pieces of Nacre is then numbered, on the bottle and the box, in order to give a last touch of exclusivity to this already very singular fragrance.”

Giorgio Armani Privé La Femme Nacre is available in 100 ml for £500 ($785 USD).

[ Giorgio Armani Beauty ]

‘It’s really charming,’ Marc Jacobs told WWD of the collaboration. ‘It has the essence of the spirit of her work.’ The Louis Vuitton designer designated Vuitton’s monogram and Kusama’s dots as ‘both timeless and endless.’

The limited-edition Kusama collection will include silk pajama separates, trench coats and even a wristwatch. The French Maison plans to introduce an iPhone app dedicated to the artist, that will allow users to customize their own photos with the artist’s favorite motifs. Video preview after the jump.

Photos: Franck Mura/WWD

Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin

“A game, a thought, that through friendship and mutual respect has become true. When I was asked to shoot a short movie for Prada, I did not think that I could really be myself, but the reality is that in the total freedom I was given, I had the opportunity to reunite my favorite group of people on set and just have fun. The chance to dwell on what the fashion world represents nowadays and the fact that it is accompanied by so many stereotypes is fascinating and at the same time a bit upsetting, but you definitely can not ignore it. It’s very refreshing to know that there are still places open to irony and wit and, for sure, Prada is one of them.” – Roman Polanski

Directed by Roman Polanski
Starring Helena Bonham Carter, Ben Kingsley
Screenplay Roman Polanski and Ronald Harwood
Music Alexandre Desplat
Production Designer Dean Tavoularis
Director of Photography Eduardo Serra
Editor Hervé de Luze
Executive Producer Max Brun
Produced by Hi! Production and R.P. Productions

Photos: Steven Meisel / Courtesy of Dior

Book Description:

“Paul Smith has created one of the world’s most successful fashion brands. In this richly illustrated book—which includes many photos taken by Paul Smith himself—excerpts from interviews with the designer recount his history and explain how he approaches design.

This talented creator finds inspiration everywhere: personal photographs, musicians, scrawled messages on Post-it notes, electronic gadgets, and more. From A for Architecture to Z for Zebra, this alphabetical manual not only highlights the eclectic sources of inspiration behind his unforgettable designs, but also the unique way in which Paul Smith sees the world, suggesting how he has continually been able to anticipate and reimagine trends in popular culture since opening his first small boutique in 1970.”

Paul Smith will be signing copies of his new book ‘Paul Smith A-Z’ today 18th May at his Covent Garden Shop from 12:30-1:30pm.

Paul Smith
40-44 Floral Street
London
WC2E 8TB

Photos: Rankin

“The first monograph on the luxury house Bottega Veneta, renowned for its superb craftsmanship and understated, no-logo elegance. Bottega Veneta’s illustrious history reaches back to a time when the brand was known primarily for its soft, handcrafted leather handbags. Today, the house is renowned not only for its coveted leather goods but also for a remarkable range of luxury products. Now, as then, the brand stands for the discreet sophistication and refined individuality captured in its famous line, “When your own initials are enough.” This beautifully designed monograph, the first book to explore the world of Bottega Veneta, is the rich result of a collaborative effort between creative director Tomas Maier, designer Sam Shahid, and many of today’s leading lights of fashion journalism.With luxury craftsmanship at its core, Bottega Veneta is an illustrative tour de force through the materials, artisanship, and extraordinary products that have made the Italian label one of the most eminent luxury goods houses. Tomas Maier’s understated design sensibility, a mixture of restraint and passion, has become the hallmark of the Bottega Veneta brand. This is the ultimate volume for the true connoisseur of luxury handcraftsmanship.”

Pre-order your copy through Amazon before the October 2 release.

Photos: Sølve Sundsbø

1991 – Rich satin bag, $995

Fall/Winter ’05 – Brushed calf leather frame bag with embossed Prada logo, $2,595

Fall/Winter 03 – Printed canvas and leather small clutch bag, $1,895

Photos Courtesy of Prada

Photos: Zimbio

Photos: Giorgio Armani [ via: Fashionista ]

The collection features jewelry, sunglasses, shoes, bags and a trolley and will go on sale in-store worldwide and online from 4 October 2012. We can’t wait.

Photos: Greg Kadel

Photo Credit: Terry Richardson

Photos Courtesy of Giorgio Armani

Mary Clerté & Edouard Bertrand created this new advertising campaign for Hermès to promote the new “Petit H“ collection. Animated by Victor Haegelin the video sees pieces such as the famous Kelly bag become a wall clock, thanks to an upcycling initiative. Petit h, the Hermès atelier of re-creation will bring its special travelling sale at the Hermes Kurfurstendamm Store, Berlin from 24 April – 12 May 2012.

Photo: Patrick Demarchelier

“Philippe Starck has been wonderfully supportive of my design endeavours, so when he asked me if I would interpret his Mademoiselle chair for Kartell, I was excited about the idea of two icons collaborating in this way. The Kravitz Design take on the Mademoiselle chair is haute couture meets rock and roll” – said Lenny Kravitz .

Philippe Starck stated: “An environment is made of materiality; wood, stone, metal … but also made of immateriality such as light, temperature, memories and also sounds and music. Lenny proved at the highest level he could create an entire musical universe. It is now time for him to translate the magic of his music into materiality, into chairs, into lamps … A new experience for Lenny, a new territory for us”.

[ Kartell ]

Photo: Ellen von Unwerth

Atlanta de Cadenet Taylor

Cara Delevingne and Azaelia Banks

Dree Hemingway

Emma Watson and Emma Hill

Lily Collins and Kate Bosworth

Photo Courtesy of Mulberry