IMPRESSIONISM: A POST-MODERN TRIBUTE

PHOTOGRAPHER OLIVIA BEE MAY NOT SEEM LIKE AN OBVIOUS CHOICE TO SHOOT FOR THE HOUSE OF VAN CLEEF & ARPELS.

PHOTOGRAPHER OLIVIA BEE MAY NOT SEEM LIKE AN OBVIOUS CHOICE TO SHOOT FOR THE HOUSE OF VAN CLEEF & ARPELS. BORN IN “KEEP PORTLAND WEIRD” OREGON, THE 25-YEAR-OLD IS KNOWN FOR HER RAW YET ROMANTIC DEPICTIONS OF YOUTH CULTURE THAT HAVE DRAWN HER COMPARISONS TO THE LIKES OF RYAN MCGINLEY AND NAN GOLDIN. THE FRENCH LUXURY JEWELLER HOWEVER HAS ALWAYS HAD A PLAYFUL STREAK AND AFFINITY FOR ART. THROUGH BEE’S EYES, ITS SIGNATURE BEADED PERLEE COLLECTION, WHICH NOW INCLUDES FOUR CHIC OPEN BRACELETS THAT CONCEAL WATCHES AND A TRANSFORMABLE PENDANT MADE OF THREE CONCENTRIC RINGS – THE MIDDLE, COLOURED ONE CAN BE SWITCHED OUT – ARE INTERPRETED A LA MONET PORTRAITS FROM THE DIGITAL AGE. THE RESULT IS NOT UNLIKE THE JEWELLERY ITSELF: PRETTY, STRIKING AND HARD TO BIND TO TIME AND PLACE.

TEXT IMRAN JALAL

CHEMISTRY & CLASS

How does a Baguette smell like? For Fendi, that question takes on a philosophical meaning, as Baguette is the name of its signature pochette. It also became the premise of the brand’s showcase at the recent Design Miami.

To help answer it, the label called on the French perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, who holds the patent for a leather scenting technique dating back to the 12th century. Instead of simply bottling up his interpretation Fendifrenesia – a gender-neutral blend of musky and leathery notes inspired by Fendi’s Selleria leather – it’s been used to create what’s reportedly the world’s first scented leather bag.

All in the brand’s iconic yellow hue and limited in quantity, there’s a nano Baguette available online as well as the even more exclusive regularsized version. Carried only in the Miami store, the latter sports artist/ photographer Christelle Boule’s hypnotic visualisation of Fendifrenesia. Both come with a small bottle of the scent that can be worn on the skin or used to refresh the bag’s. Seldom has a Baguette smelled so complex or luxurious.