Design & Technology,Hotels

The new buzz in hotels

The new buzz in hotels

The world’s population of bees has declined at an alarming rate in the past two years, which is why Dr Adam Bates and his colleagues at the University of Birmingham have been building a chain of ‘hotels’ for the beleagured insects.   [Read more...]

Style,Where to buy

It’s the age of the wooden tie!

It’s the age of the wooden tie!

It’s the unlikeliest style fad we’ve heard of since the snood or ridiculously short trousers, but if it’s good enough for tie aficionado Jon Snow then it’s got to be worth investigating. Ladies and, more pertinently, gentlemen, we give you (drum roll please)… the wooden tie. [Read more...]

Food & Drink,Top Fives

Top five London diners

Top five London diners

Soho’s Ed’s Diner is famed for its Fifties themed rockabilly stylings and delicious milkshakes, but it’s not the only one. Here are five more Fonzie-friendly London diners: [Read more...]

Drink,Wine for the weekend

Wine for the weekend – Domaine les Yeuses ‘Les Epices’ Syrah 2007

Wine for the weekend – Domaine les Yeuses ‘Les Epices’ Syrah 2007

Vin de Pays = plonk, non? Perhaps in some cases (we’d normally be reaching for a AOC in preference), but not when it comes to this cheeky syrah from Domaine Les Yeuses. [Read more...]

Photography,Style

Introducing the African dandies

Introducing the African dandies

Of all the style tribes in the world there are few harder to understand than les sapeurs of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Dressed in a style that’s either a wildly exuberant homage to, or a mockery of, formal European dress the scope for projecting post-colonial politics onto their wild outfits is near limitless. To dig a little deeper, we spoke to Italian photographer Daniele Tamagni, who’s exhibition, Gentlemen of Bacongo, opened last night. [Read more...]

Design,Where to buy

Knoll’s house party

Knoll’s house party

These days we’re more weekend wanderer than weekend warrior so we couldn’t help but notice the arrival of a cool new showroom in Clerkenwell in recent weeks. On further investigation we learned it was designed by Italian architect Piero Lissoni and is the new HQ of interior design gurus Knoll – hence all those lovely pieces in the huge plate glass window. [Read more...]

Shoes,Style

Where Blue Velvet meets blue suede

Where Blue Velvet meets blue suede

Sneaker design is a long way from Easy Rider but then Dennis Hopper has long been something of a renaissance man. His latest project is this re-design of Italian brand Hogan’s wildly popular Interactive trainer; only 99 pairs of which have been made, and proceeds go to American art charity LAND. £225, www.hoganworld.com

Music,What we're listening to

The only way to Warp Xmas

The only way to Warp Xmas

From the slanted ambient experiments of Boards of Canada to the chopped-up electro compositions of Squarepusher and Autechre, Sheffield-founded Warp Records have had their finger firmly on the pulse of envelope-pushing, genre-defying music since 1989. [Read more...]