In a world where the latest polyester resins and clever production techniques can make buttons, buckles and spectacles appear to be made from tortoiseshell, stag’s horn or marble, it’s unusual to see something simply fabricated from one of nature’s most abundant materials.
It might well be, but, like cigarette cases, it can also be a thing of beauty and often very collectable. Alongside the famous French Guide Michelin, the similarly red-bound travel books from German publisher Baedeker set the standard in their day for thoroughness, entertaining writing and the ability to prompt travellers to discover pastures new.
Pininfarina was commissioned to deck out the innards of 382 luxury condos across 40 floors of the new Italo-themed tower – fittingly named '1100 Millecento' – which will dominate the skyline of Miami’s Brickell district. In each of the development's apartments, exotic woods, Italian leathers and imported stone will abound; meanwhile, automotive-related artworks and sculptures will furnish the common areas, having been procured by Ott and Pininfarina.
It's called 'Juste un Clou', or 'just a nail' – despite the fact that it's made from gold. Predictably, the nail is a revived idea from the 1970s, having originally been conceived by the legendary Italian jewellery designer, Aldo Cipullo, for Cartier New York at a time when Studio 54 was the place to be seen and Andy Warhol was everyone's darling.
Various females in the family proffered needle and thread but, having witnessed their workmanship, I decided to do the right thing and invoke the professional repair service of J. Barbour and Sons at the firm's HQ in South Shields, northeast England – and I'm pleased to report that the age of exceptional service is clearly not dead.
Ironically, the construction of the latest creation from craftsman Christopher Bennett of TMB Art Metal (London), having an all-wood frame, bears more relation to the Hawker Hurricane than its Supermarine contemporary. In the Spitfire case this is covered with bridle leather, with many parts riveted together in the aeronautical style.
The interior is finished in burgundy goatskin; although, as cases are made to order, an alternative could be the characteristic pale green of aircraft interiors of the period.
Using Apple’s Airplay wireless technology, the Beolit 12 will play music direct from an iPhone, iPad or MacBook, many of which now store the iTunes catalogue ‘in the cloud’.
The stylish loudspeaker system (it actually has two, two-inch tweeters and a four-inch sub-woofer) can also provide rich, cinema-quality sound to accompany a film viewed on an iPad or MacBook. And, via the simple-to-use Airplay connection, partygoers can invite friends to ‘be the DJ’ using their own iTunes collection. Alternatively, Spotify account-holders can stream music direct to the Beolit 12.
Post-War America enjoyed one of the nation's biggest-ever consumer booms. The American public wanted to spend in a big way, and it was down to advertising agencies to create ever-more-innovative campaigns to sway opinion away from one brand or product, and towards another.
Hence the growth of the famous agencies and the ‘Don Draper clones’ with their sharp suits, ever-present full-strength cigarettes and appreciative eye for the ladies.
Available only in the famous Knightsbridge store's ‘Harrods Technology’ department, just 12 bespoke Globetrotter cases complete with the very latest Fuji X-Pro 1 camera body and three lenses (plus hoods and filters) will be produced.
For £5,695, the dozen fortunate buyers will get the highly rated Fuji digital camera system with its ‘retro’ look concealing cutting-edge technology, all set in a Globetrotter vulcanised fibreboard case.
If it’s good enough for The Grateful Dead, it should be more than adequate for most enthusiastic Classic Drivers, riding along in their automobiles. The legendary rock group from the San Francisco Bay area used the company’s amps extensively while touring, and on McIntosh’s website a b/w photograph shows a 28,800 Watt amp in all its glory. You can only imagine the sound produced.