For the jewelry and accessories designer Kara Ross, 2013 has been a breakout year. It marks the 10th anniversary of her eponymous brand and fine-jewelry collection, and it coincides with the appearance of her work in three major museum exhibitions. The final coup among her accomplishments: opening her first boutique just in time for holiday shopping.  
The boutique is located in New York City at 655 Madison Avenue—steps away from Barneys and directly opposite the clubby restaurant Le Bilbouquet; the neig…

Mulberry may be known for making brightly colored leather bags for women, but its latest release—a series of canvas-and-leather carryalls—is built for men. The five-piece capsule collection is being sold exclusively by the online retailer Mr Porter and is the first collaboration of men’s bags for the brand. The styles, which are available in limited editions of under 100, comprise a briefcase ($950), a messenger bag ($950), and three weekend duffels ($950–$1,195) in black, tan, or blue. Each piece features Mul…

The Masters of Modern Jewellery—the first jewelry exhibition to open at London’s Beetles + Huxley Gallery—is showcasing 70 one-of-a-kind pieces through December 25, from some of the most esteemed jewelers in the world. Shaun Leane of London, Sevan B?cack? of Istanbul, and the London-based newcomers Sophia Mann and Lauren Adriana are among the 25 designers chosen by the curator Joanna Hardy for their use of old-world techniques and visually engaging designs that enhance the wearer.
“There are three things I lo…

Etro has created a limited run of leather guitar cases with eclectic hand-tooled details inspired by charrería (Mexican rodeo), the national sport of Mexico. On one of his many trips to Mexico, Kean Etro—menswear designer for the family-owned-and-operated label—was inspired by the sport, which is engaged in alongside mariachi music at annual competitions. Kean Etro integrated the experience into his spring 2014 clothing collection with patchwork details in leather, suede, and canvas; his most poignant iteratio…

Until recently, wireless audio technology was unable to deliver sound quality approaching that of a traditional wired system. However, thanks to the introduction of a new wireless standard developed by the Wireless Speaker and Audio Association (WiSA), audiophiles who want to avoid unsightly cables cluttering their living rooms now have options—and rather stylish ones, at that. The new Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 17, 18, and 19 speakers incorporate technology that the Danish company calls Immaculate Wireless Sou…

The 167-year-old Swiss watch manufacturer Ulysse Nardin opened its first stand-alone boutique in New York City at the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park. This marks the brand’s third boutique in the United States, following openings in Boca Raton and just outside Miami. “New York is a showcase, a window to the world,” said CEO Patrik Hoffmann at the store opening in late November.
With just 18 boutiques worldwide—Geneva, Paris, and Singapore opened earlier this year—Hoffmann says Ulysse Nardin will remain a …

The renowned Dutch megayacht designers Frank Laupman and Perry van Oossanen, the naval architects behind the 213-foot multiple-award-winning Heesen-built yacht Galactica Star, have teamed up again—this time for a considerably smaller but nonetheless promising project. Under Laupman’s brand, Omega Architects, the duo has designed a 31-foot limousine tender—the firm’s first tender. Laupman and van Oossanen designed the tender with a similar forward-leaning structure to that of the 240-foot megayacht that will ho…

The New York–born, Paris-based jeweler Joel A. Rosenthal, whose small atelier is known by his initials JAR, is recognized by a relatively small number of international jewelry lovers with the right connections to get an appointment at his Place Vendôme salon to buy one of his lavish creations. Despite his elusiveness, the press-averse designer is being celebrated with a large retrospective, Jewels by JAR, at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art through March 9, 2014—an unprecedented honor for a living contemp…

A 317-year-old violin that was stolen in 2010 from the acclaimed international soloist Min-Jin Kym has been recovered in near-perfect condition and will be sold through the fine-instrument auction house Tarisio on December 18. The Stradivarius violin—one of about 600 remaining instruments built by the Italian craftsman Antonio Stradivarius in the late 17th and early 18th centuries—was valued at $1.9 million at the time it was stolen from Kym in London’s Euston train station. The Korean-born, London-based …

L’Apogée Courchevel, the newest member of the prestigious Oetker Collection of hotels, has opened in the exclusive French ski town of Courchevel 1850.
Why Go: Courchevel 1850 draws an international crowd during the winter season thanks to access to the world’s largest ski resort and a high concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants. Guests of l’Apogée ski onto the slopes from the hotel’s ski room in warmed boots and can return for lunch in its Champagne lounge (try the hot dogs with Périgord truffle). For …