#obsessed: Top picks from Prada, Van Cleef & Arpels, Montblanc, and more

This month, #legend is #obsessed with the latest from Prada, Van Cleef & Arpels, Montblanc, Byredo, Dior, and Gucci

Material gains

Nothing short of a revolutionary evolution of an iconic nylon fabric, the Prada Re-Nylon Collection is made from an innovative material born from the regeneration of plastic waste collected from the ocean and landfills. As its name suggests, Re-Nylon represents the next step in fabric technology and sustainable luxury – a fabric that can be infinitely regenerated without losing quality. In celebration of the latest collection, Prada has collaborated with National Geographic CreativeWorks on a series of docu-films. It has also launched the Prada Re-Nylon for Sea Beyond collection with 1% of proceeds benefitting the education programme. 

Ladies first

Dating back to the 1930s as a source of inspiration for Van Cleef & Arpels creations, the ladybug embodies a value the maison holds dear: luck. Now, in the latest tribute to the little beetles, Van Cleef & Arpels’ craftsmen have combined the time-honoured métier d’art of enamel and the softness of rose gold to create an enchanting clip and Between the Finger ring. The champlevé enamel technique used for the wings consists of carving hollows into gold, which are then filled with multiple layers of enamel before firing. The pieces are finished with an onyx head, and diamonds and rose gold elements to reinforce the ladybug’s silhouette. 

Character study

First published in 1925, just one year after Montblanc first introduced its iconic Meisterstück writing instrument, The Great Gatsby is one of the most iconic books of the 20th century. Now, in unusual twist on its Great Characters collection that pays homage to the individuals whose accomplishments have left an indelible mark on humankind, Montblanc is introducing a collection based on the central character of the F. Scott Fitzgerald masterpiece. Each of the five editions in the Homage to The Great Gatsby collection evokes a different aspect of the character’s life, while recurring elements include a crest with Jay Gatsby’s initials. 

Guess whoo

Part of byredo’s Kantha collection of leather goods that double as one-of-a-kind pieces of art, The Whoo bag is made from supple, full-grain calf leather with a natural finish that develops a rich patina over time that enhances its unique personality. The full-grain leather is reinforced with suede leather for added structure and suppleness, and each bag is decorated with one of six different coloured semi-precious stones. The sleek and stripped-down campaign for The Whoo Bag, shot in black and white by Luis Alberto Rodriguez, allows all the delicate details and the collection’s emblematic contrasting stitching to stand out. 

The art of fashion

The Lady Dior has come to represent much more than a handbag. Since 2016, for the
Dior Lady Art project, the French fashion house has given international artists carte blanche to transform the iconic bag into a dream canvas onto which they transpose their vision, their universe, their singularity. Hailing from China and South Korea to the US and Canada, the 11 artists bringing their unique perspective to this year’s ninth edition include Sara Flores, Jeffrey Gibson, Woo Kukwon, Danielle Mckinney, Duy Anh Nhan Duc, Hayal Pozanti, Faith Ringgold, Vaughn Spann, Anna Weyant, Liang Yuanwei and Huang Yuxing. 

Secret garden

Harnessing the power of alchemy, Gucci’s newest fragrances capture fleeting moments and distil them into eternal emotions. The Alchemist’s Garden collection is created through a dynamic process inspired by the four alchemical stages of matter transformation, each linked to one of the four elements: Substratum (earth), Vaporum (air), Liquidum (water) and Ignis (fire). From the best-selling Tears from the Moon to the new Vanilla Firenze, Fiori di Neroli and Osmanthus Nectar, each scent comes in a coloured bottle defined by its process of transmutation and is designed to be layered with other scents from the collection. 

Also see: #review: Is Captain America's Brave New World worth exploring?