Bond Street’s finest. Photo by Gary Knight LUX selects the best fine – and high – jewellery pieces that are as big on style as they are on bling. Compiled by James Gurney Eyes on you: An alfresco lunch meeting demands a soupçon of city cool, and bejewelled sunglasses edge up the glamour. From Cartier to Boucheron to Pomellato, luxury houses offer divine takes on summer shades. Designed around house motifs and with the artistry of the main collections, the crystal-embellished Divas’ Dream by Bulgari are a glittering example. bulgari.com Good natured: It takes a jewellery maison ..read more

Carolina in the Florence atelier with her father She shot to success when Sarah Jessica Parker wore her brand’s Lucky bracelet in Sex and the City in 2002, and she has gone on to fuse playful designs with her family’s fine- jewellery tradition. Carolina Bucci talks to LUX’s Samantha Welsh about creating and developing her own brand vision LUX: Were you expected to join the family business? Carolina Bucci: My family has made fine jewellery in Florence since 1885, and my father joined the business in his teens. He was clear there was no obligation for us to join, but that if we were intereste ..read more

Fashion designer Manolo Blahnik is something of a legend within the shoe industry. His career truly kicked off in 1969 after meeting US Vogue Editor in Chief, Diana Vreeland; after that, he devoted himself to designing shoes, opening the first Manolo Blahnik store in Chelsea, London, the next year. He speaks to Trudy Ross about his design philosophy, dressing for yourself and looking to the future LUX: You’ve said before that shoes are in your DNA. Can you share the story of how you first decided to spend your career designing them? Manolo Blahnik: It was all thanks to Mrs Vreeland. When I met ..read more

From the Durazzi Milano AW23 presentation In the eighth part of our Italy art focus series, curated by Umberta Beretta, LUX speaks to Ilenia Durazzi who worked for major fashion brands including Margiela before establishing her luxury womenswear brand, Durazzi Milano, in Milan, championed by artist Maurizio Cattelan LUX: What is your design philosophy? Ilenia Durazzi: I design clothes with an architectural approach to the study of physical volumes in tailoring. I love minimal models with essential lines, made special by a detail, an accessory, in which I concentrate the most unconventional ..read more

For romance, drama and style, look no further than the latest in high jewellery. Compiled by James Gurney Deco delight: The platinum Claustra necklace was presented this year as part of Cartier‘s Le Voyage Recommencé collection, which reaches back tot he Art Deco creations of Louis Cartier and Jeanne Toussaint. This brilliant piece is built around white diamonds, openwork spaces and onyx. The Claustra’s geometric perfection makes colours around it more intense under its cool fire. cartier.com       Hear me roar: Two of Coco Chanel‘s obsessions, tweed and her Leo sta ..read more

First looks, Giambattista Valli Haute Couture 25 Giambattista Valli moves as easily in the classical world of haute couture as in the contemporary world of social media and in the boardroom as CEO of his brand. Harriet Quick talks to the modern couturier as he prepares to take his maison to the next level Environments have a way of seeping into the psyche of a designer and a brand. Rome-born designer Giambattista Valli is currently in the throes of bidding adieu to the wood-panelled, fresco-ceilinged lateral space in Paris that has been home to his brand since its inception in 2005. “It’s m ..read more

Step into Autumn with an edit from personal shopping service luminaire.com. Compiled by Harriet Quick and Isabel Froemming Elbow room Opera gloves are the accessory for now, perfectly bringing a touch of haute couture elegance to casual looks. This above-the-elbow pair by stealth-luxury brand The Row are cut from the softest lamb leather and lend a soignée touch to the simple slip dress. Think Audrey Hepburn in breakfast at Tiffany’s and add a cocktail ring on top. therow.com Adorn me Emblematic costume jewellery from Virginie Viard‘s Métiers d’art collection for Chanel creates a ..read more

Petra Diamonds – Cullinan Diamond Mine – Boodles Site Visit Boodles, the globally-renowned sixth generation family business, is pioneering sustainability in the diamond and jewellery industry, using technology to trace each diamond and working closely with their workers and the mines to ensure a healthy environment for both the community and the land. Here, Honour and Jody Wainwright, descendants of the founders of Boodles, speak to Samantha Welsh about the company’s values and commitment to sustainable practices LUX: What are Boodles’ values that make you a leader among the ‘best of Britis ..read more

Every watch collector knows you can’t just walk into a luxury boutique and expect to buy an in-demand timepiece, any more than you can walk into a gallery and pick up the latest Richard Prince. The space between demand and supply can be acute, and some watches acquire a status beyond value or taste. Here are six of the best compiled by James Gurney   An icon returns: Demand for Zenith’s heritage re-issues such as this Defy Revival is intense. It’s easy to see why. The faceted octagonal case and 14-sided bezel combined with the steel ladder bracelet, gives the £6,100 Defy a charact ..read more

Lucrezia Grazioli’s design on the runway Istituto Marangoni unveiled the collections of its ten most outstanding designers in their graduate showcase this month. Trudy Ross spoke to School Director Valérie Berdah Levy and Designer of the Year Hyun Jik Yoo on sustainability, creativity, and digital fashion If you were anywhere near Pennington Street last Tuesday 11th of July, you would have caught sight of a number of impeccably dressed young people, formidable in dark glasses, loose bold cuts and striking accessories, walking the streets of East London. There would be no need to ask where t ..read more