Ferragamo exhibition in Florence/Galerie Magazine

Fun fact about Salvatore Ferragamo: he made his name and rose to great fame not in Italy, but in the United States. Specifically: Hollywood. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Ferragamo’s first store, on the corner of Hollywood and Las Palmas across from Grauman’s Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles. The brand is commemorating this centenary with “Salvatore Ferragamo 1898-1960,” a retrospective at the Museo Ferragamo in Florence. Read all about it here. ...

St. Regis Kanai/Alexa

When viewed from above, the new St. Regis Kanai resort resembles a deconstructed Olympic logo — a series of circular and semi-circular shapes set on the shores of the Riviera Maya in Mexico. It’s meant to be a celestial schematic, inspired by the 1,000-plus-star constellation Pleiades and designed by Edmonds International, which was challenged with building a resort that would incorporate — but not interfere with — a seemingly endless sea of protected mangroves that cover the area. The firm’s solution? A design that hovers over the trees, with a series of elevated wooden walkways connecting buildings and a beach. Read the...

Bridges to Prosperity/HTSI The Financial Times

Of all the stories I've written, this is one of my favorites. It is a profile of an organization that builds bridges to connect rurally isolated communities in Africa. To date, the organization has built more than 480 trail bridges in 21 countries, connecting 1.7 million formerly isolated people to the resources they need. Most are completed within 12 weeks, using local labour and materials contributed by the host country’s government, at an approximate cost of $100,000 each. On average, each bridge pays for itself within two years. This year, the organisation hopes to complete eight bridges in Uganda and 35 in Rwanda, with...

F3 racer Jamie Chadwick profile/Alexa

There was only one woman in the starting formation at the final Indy NXT race of the year at Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., last month: Jamie Chadwick. The 25-year-old British racer and new Rolex Testimonee is a standout in an undeniably male-dominated sport, and the first woman to compete full time in the Indy NXT circuit in more than a decade. Read more about her here....

Rolex new Perpetual 1908/Alexa

Rolex is considered a “one and done” timepiece by many — and for good reason. The iconic watchmaker’s Datejust, Submariner, Daytona, and other styles are timeless, contemporary heirlooms, often passed down through generations. But technically speaking, these ever-popular models are not considered dress watches. Why? Find out here....

New leather boxes by Hermes/Galerie Magazine

Since the creation of Hermès there’s always been a degree of imperfection, because it’s the work of a hand, not a machine,” declares Alexis Fabry, co–artistic director of the revered maison’s home collection. “These irregularities are part of the charm of an object.” Now the Patine d’Hermès collection of boxes, introduced earlier this year in Milan, brings that ethos to an entirely new level by combining the craftsmanship of artisans in both France and Japan. Read the entire story here.  Photo: Adam Friedlander, styled by Rebecca Bartoshesky ...

Christie’s auction of Meisel photos of Madonna/Galerie

When it first debuted 30 years ago this month, the book SEX rocked the world. It featured over 100 erotic photographs of Madonna shot by Steven Meisel, packaged in a metal covered spiral-bound book and wrapped in silver mylar. Priced at what now seems like a reasonable $50, it was packaged with a CD single of the song “Erotic.” SEX spent three weeks on the New York Times best seller list and sold 1.5 million copies worldwide. To this day,  it remains the best and fastest selling coffee table book of all time, despite being banned in several countries. Read the...

Carla Fernandez for Ballroom Marfa/T, The New York Times

When the West Texas contemporary art foundation Ballroom Marfa held its annual summer party at the Bridgehampton, N.Y., home of co-founder Virginia Lebermann last month, guests were greeted by a long table set in a grove of tulip trees. A dinner of Mexican-inspired dishes by the chef Yann Nury was served on and alongside tableware and décor created by the Mexico City-based fashion designer and artist Carla Fernández in collaboration with Mexican artisans. The collection is now being sold to benefit Ballroom Marfa. A setting for four people includes clay plates in a mottled black finish, speckled ceramic cups, wooden napkin...

Ken Fulk profile in Hemispheres/United Airlines

Mestiz showroom in San Miguel/T List, The New York Times

Last month, the architect and designer Daniel Valero opened a showroom off an alleyway in San Miguel de Allende’s Centro neighborhood, filling it with exuberant pieces inspired by Mexico’s artisans and natural surroundings. A red triangular table, set with spiky ceramic bowls, sits under a bendy fuchsia wicker lamp. Born in Saltillo, Mexico, Valero studied architecture at Tecnológico de Monterrey and earned a master’s degree in textile design from the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris before founding his company, Mestiz, in 2015. When Valero collaborates with craftspeople, he adheres to their traditional techniques. “I try to use...