As in the recent evolution of men’s swim trunks, the eyewear market has experienced a renaissance of its own this season. With an array of fresh styles and innovative frames, the latest shades will not only shield the sun, they will distinguish your look. Here are a few of our favorite new releases. – Christina Garofalo
This season, Gucci launched a special collection of men’s Bamboo glasses in gold, $620, and black, $465. Both have a bamboo detail on the bridge and temples, a nod to the company’s heritage. …

Hotel Arts Barcelona is giving guests the chance to explore Spain’s Costa Brava and nearby villages in their choice of a 1986 Rolls-Royce Corniche II Cabrio, a 1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II, a 1963 Bentley S3 Continental, or a 1959 Cadillac Series 62 Cabrio. Guests who book the hotel’s Vintage Car Excursions (from about $1,100 for a half-day) will be picked up in their chosen car and taken on a chauffeur-driven tour of, for instance, the hills of Mount Collserola, where they can visit the famous Labyrinth o…

Glenfiddich 50 Year Old, one of the rarest single-malt whiskies ever released by the scotch distillery, will be available to taste for one night only, Wednesday, September 4, at the San Antonio cocktail bar 1919. Priced from $25,000 to $27,000 per bottle, the extremely limited-edition whisky—just 50 bottles were released this year worldwide—will be the showpiece in a tasting that also includes five other single malts, among them the Glenfiddich 30 Year Old and 1974 Vintage. The tasting will be presented along …

Since its debut in 2011, Inspirato has been leading the charge for next-generation destination clubs, offering exceptional homes in exciting locales with little up-front membership costs and no blackout dates. Now, the Denver-based company is furthering its member experience with the launch of a new venture that will guarantee access to some of the most sought-after events in the world.
Called Access, the new service highlights Inspirato’s focus on experiences—something Brent Handler, one of Inspirato’s cofou…

The U.S.-based Indian Motorcycle is offering its first collections of new bikes since being acquired by Polaris Industries in 2011. Manufactured in Polaris’s state-of-the-art facilities, which also produce Victory motorcycles, the three inaugural Indian Chief models maintain the signature handcrafted leather details associated with the brand’s 112-year-old heritage while adding the all-new Thunder Stroke 111 engine, a 49-degree, air-cooled V-twin with a 6-speed overdrive transmission and 119 ft lbs of torque. …

A variant of Jaguar’s new F-Type roadster, called Project 7, was developed as a way to pay homage to the marque’s seven victories at Le Mans between 1951 and 1990. The vehicle, only one of which was produced, showcases the powertrain of the supercharged V-8 F-Type and incorporates unique design elements that connect the car to Jaguar’s racing heritage. The concept vehicle made its debut in July at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, in the UK, and is expected to be shown during the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Ele…

Automotive buffs will have a new destination this fall, when Canada’s first top-level concours d’elegance makes its debut. Held on September 14 at the Cobble Beach Golf Resort Community in Kemble, Ontario, the inaugural Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance will feature more than 100 pristine automobiles from the past 100 years.
Highlights will include the 1978 Ferrari 312T3 F1 that won Gilles Villeneuve his first Formula 1 Grand Prix; a 2013 Allard J2X MKII, handcrafted in Montreal, which will be shown alongside …

When the 100th anniversary of Aston Martin was celebrated in July with a display at London’s Kensington Gardens, much of the focus was on cars ranging from the earliest production models to the DBR1 that won at Le Mans in 1959—not to mention the DB5 of James Bond fame. But perhaps the most underappreciated aspect of Aston’s history is its long association with Italian coachbuilders, most notably the Turin-based design house Zagato, which unveiled two all-new customized Astons commissioned specifically to comme…

The new Shangri-La Hotel, Qufu opened this month, steps from the Temple of Confucius, the Mansion of Confucius, and the Cemetery of Confucius, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Sites in the great philosopher’s birthplace, Qufu, China. The hotel has 325 rooms and suites, many of which overlook the Yi River, the old city wall, or the Temple of Confucius. There are two restaurants—one that serves Cantonese and Shandong regional cuisine and one that serves international fare—and a tea lounge in the l…

Chances are you may have noticed some new fixtures on the back bars of your favorite cocktail lounges. No, we’re not referring to lights or libations per se, but rather to wooden barrels—relatively small, 3-liter ones, as compared to the larger oaken casks normally used to store aging spirits and wines. These bar-sized barrels contain premixed cocktails that are developing increased depth, flavor, and finesse. And it’s all accomplished by the relatively simple process of premixing a large batch of cocktails an…