Valentino Couture SS13

Marie-Louise von Haselberg
Feature
There has been much talk of late of a new era in fashion, both in couture and pret-a-porter. A desire for beautiful yet wearable clothes and the sea change in certain fashion houses, both in appointments and di...

House of leaves

Cristina Bodgan
Avant Art, Feature
  Every house needs a foundation to stand on – this house of leaves is built on the David Roberts Art Foundation (DRAF) in London. Inside it, you dwell among artworks, intellectuals, resident curato...

Chanel Couture SS 13

Marie-Louise von Haselberg
News
Paris’ two big fashion power houses have clearly squared up against each other for this season’s couture offerings –  it’s the battle of the botanicals. Yesterday saw the carefully pruned gardens of Dior, today...

Christian Dior Couture SS13

Marie-Louise von Haselberg
News
The second couture offering by Raf Simons for the house of Dior was a charming bouquet containing the tight buds of spring and the beautiful, full flowers of early summer. This collection was a far cry from ...

No wallflower

Michelle Shi
Avant Art, Feature
Inside the Chinese film industry, only a lucky few girls go far beyond simply being well-known in China. But those who are selected by legendary director Zhang Yimou, one of the few directors to achieve int...

Off the beaten slope

Thea Macaulay
Europe, Switzerland, Travel
It was a sign of good things to come – Swiss hospitality less than an hour after arriving, courtesy of a kindly stranger on the train offering to share his Toblerone. In search of a tranquil Alpine retreat,...