Just 80 pieces of the unique model, described as a triumph of minimal and sophisticated design, are available in Thailand.

The TO Collection first launched in 2005 and reflects Tokujin Yoshioka’s unique approach to design. His inspirations began with the selection of a material then extracted its character, minimalising design elements.

As the result, the watches look as if they have been sculpted from a lump of metal. With a disk-shaped two-hand aluminium and simple indication system, the hands on the outer and inner circles indicate the hour and minute respectively.

This TO Champagne Gold Special Edition comes with a yellow gold PVD case, a yellow gold dial and yellow gold PVD bracelet.

Find out more by calling (02) 163 0555 or visit http://www.TrocaderoTime.com.

AMERICAN fashion’s elder statesman Ralph Lauren headlined New York Fashion Week on Monday with a dose of escapism inspired by Jamaica for his 2018 spring collection, as his iconic brand struggles to reverse falling revenue.

If the rest of Planet Fashion is focused on autumn/winter, the 78-year-old Lauren remains wedded to see-now, buy-now clothes, switching his schedule in 2016, which means that his runway clothes are immediately available in stores around the world.

On a drab February morning, he transported his guests to a |set evoking his stunning villa in Round Hill, Jamaica – a society enclave frequented over the years by the likes of Clark Gable, Grace Kelly and Ian Fleming, where John |and Jacqueline Kennedy honeymooned.

His models walked down a blue infinity-pool effect runway in front of a beach-front sitting room watched by actresses Hilary Swank and Rachel Brosnahan – star of hit “The Marvellous Mrs Maisel” show on Amazon – in the front row.

The show was a master class in the rags-to-riches designer’s unique, clean silhouette that for decades has personified upmarket East Coast style.

It opened with a calypso Caribbean beat as models walked bare foot dressed in delicate blue and white floral dresses with full skirts and flirty necklines, before giving way to models in stilettos and Bella Hadid dressed in a cocktail dress.

It then segued into classic maritime look, updated with white plastic-looking shorts worn with rain boots, giant anchor-style medallions at the neck, and with striped sweaters and a black captain-style leather jacket for men.

There was a classic white pant suit – perhaps a nod to the colour of suffragettes and the women’s power dressing look seen elsewhere on the runway this season from a designer who has not only dressed Melania Trump but Hillary Clinton.

If it was spring, there was plenty of inter-seasonal clothes, another trend increasingly used by designers when dressing a global market and with an eye on the Asian |market.

If Jamaica encapsulated a mood of escapism in difficult times, both business-wise and politically speaking, the label also proudly revived the classic Ralph Lauren navy sweater with an unapologetic US flag emblazoned on the front.

Colours were bright and energetic, with dresses in blocks of canary yellow, red, blue, red, green and white.

Lauren walked the runway at the end, dressed in jeans, a navy blazer and brown cowboy boots, giving his wife a kiss.

“In a way, it’s like the Garden of Eden,” Lauren has said of his paradise on earth in the Caribbean.

But it remains to be seen whether his quintessential blueprint can help revive sales in an industry so beloved of change.

Ralph Lauren announced on February 1 that company-wide third quarter revenue fell four per cent to $1.6 billion (Bt50.4 billion), despite growth in the Asia and European markets.

Sales at its North American stores fell 10 per cent during the crucial holiday season quarter, including a 27 per cent decrease in e-commerce. “There is still a lot of work to be done to return to industry-leading revenue and earnings growth, but these results give us confidence that we are on the right track,” said Patrice Louvet, president and chief executive officer.

VICTORIA BECKHAM made a quiet presentation of her autumn-winter collection in New York on Sunday before hightailing it to London for the 10th anniversary of her label.

The entrepreneur, mother of four and former Spice Girl broke with her traditional format for what she called “a quiet celebration of where we have come” since her first appointments in New York a decade ago.

Husband David, last month awarded a Major League Soccer franchise in Miami, sat next to Vogue editor Anna Wintour in the front row with three of the couple’s children – Romeo, Cruz and Harper.

His wife, who appeared at the end to acknowledge the applause, dressed elegantly in black pants and a sweater, unusually walked over at the end to give her family members each a quick hug.

It was a layered, working women’s approach to the coming seasons – the safari suit look, belted macs, buttoned-up collars and big belts with enormous slouch bags, worn on the shoulder half dangling open.

There were scarf hemlines and layering – suitable for the global customer who travels or lives in warmer climes – and a smattering of animal print to break up the olive, sand, brown, black and grey.

Shoes were flat, with overhanging buckle strips for a collection that had an undeniable London feel, rather austere and slightly androgynous.

She selected an imposing Upper East Side Beaux-Art mansion, which she called a “more intimate space that allows for the construction and details of the garments to be seen from a new perspective”.

Next season Beckham leaves New York to celebrate in London the 10th anniversary of a label that has transformed her from 1990s pop star into bona fide designer admired by editors and with a loyal following.

She and the four other members of the Spice Girls, the best-selling female group ever, sent fans into overdrive by announcing earlier this month plans to explore “incredible new opportunities” in the future.

Speaking to British Vogue, Beckham hit down the idea that she would get back on the road, but was warm about what the original “Girl Power” band might do in a post #MeToo world, a reference to the social media movement against sexual harassment.

“I’m not going on tour. The girls aren’t going on tour,” she said.

“There’s something so strong in the message of what the Spice Girls stood for. What is that in the future? What does that look like? We were just bouncing ideas around, brainstorming.

“This is what I do,” she added, glancing over at her collection.

Wang in the office, Plein in outer space at NY Fashion Week

Alexander Wang, the designer who embodies the downtown New York cool so beloved of off-duty models, and Philipp Plein offered contrasting perspectives on the point of Fashion Week on Saturday. Is it about the clothes or the mother of all stunts?

For Wang, the US wunderkind and ex-creative director of Balenciaga, the clothes spoke for themselves, giving autumn-winter an ode to power-dressing and the working woman in his trademark black.

His models, including Kaia Gerber, powered out under strip lighting on an office-cubicle set – the kind of dull grey space that no one who can afford his clothes would ever get paid enough to work in.

For his final shebang before going off piste and showing in June and December, outside the traditional Fashion Week calendar, Wang’s woman is very much post-#MeToo and the sexual harassment watershed.

She is no-nonsense, zipped up and dressed for business, predominately kitted out in leather, and a sprinkling of hot pink – the same colour as the hats worn by women marching against the Trump administration.

Hair was swept back by banana clips, skirts short, tights black sheer and eyes hidden behind dark glasses. Silver studs covered backpacks and gloves, almost like armour.

There was little cleavage, but high necklines, sporty anoraks and digital bank account-style numbers printed onto leggings.

“The business model needs to change because the consumer has changed,” Stephanie Horton, chief strategy officer at the label, has said of the forthcoming timetable switch that some expect to catch on.

But for Plein, the so-called bad boy of fashion, whose flamboyance, bling and flashiness has had the style establishment up in arms, the point is the experience, the buzz and the chaos.

The German-born, Swiss-based designer put on a futuristic display at the Brooklyn Naval Yard, fake snow falling from the ceiling and coating his guests, many of whom were soaked by heavy rain and infuriated by bouncers’ seemingly chaotic policy on opening the doors.

Known for his extravagant staging, the show kicked off an hour late with hip hop trio Migos, Plein-branded snow mobiles roaring on the runway, a smoke-spewing, deafeningly loud space ship coming down to land and a Transformers-style robot walking hand in hand with a cat-suited model.

The backdrop was aluminium-foil style-mountains, the room bathed in blue light and the music anything from hip hop and |body-jarring thumping bass to Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon”.

His models wore skin-tight ski suits and knee-high fur boots, kicking up the fake snow with pink hair and silver teddy bear bags, while his men wore Philipp Plein-emblazoned leather jackets and Playboy hoodies.

At the end the models danced under the red strobe lighting of the make-believe space ship, writhing in aluminium-coloured puffer pants, sequinned tracksuits and fur coats with transparent overlay.

“In fashion, we’re all playing with the same weapons,” the 39-year-old designer told BBC News in an interview. “The difference is brand positioning and imaging. People in the luxury fashion industry buy brands, and when you buy a brand you buy a dream, an emotion, a name.”

Other highlights saw designer Kerby Jean-Raymond, known for his political approach to fashion, debut his Pyer Moss collaboration with Reebok by paying homage to black cowboys and the history of minorities.

“What I wanted to do is start talking about subcultures of America, different people who were left out,” said the 30-year-old.

“We started with the story of the American cowboy, which was rewritten and whitewashed. But the original cowboy was a black man.”

Christian Siriano, a plus-size diversity advocate and red carpet designer who has dressed Hollywood and Michelle Obama, celebrated 10 years in the business with Whoopi Goldberg and Meg Ryan front row.

It was a collection that showcased diversity in all shapes, sizes and colours under a theme dubbed the “ultimate royal dinner party”.

Men, women and trans models walked the red-carpeted runway in the hallowed environs of New York’s Masonic Hall for the London-trained designer’s collection inspired by late-18th-century British art.

“It isn’t such a serious thing. Getting dressed should be a fun thing in the morning,” Siriano told Fashionista.com.

The collection is the fruit of a collaboration between Parisian chic icon Ines de la Fressange and Uniqlo Special Project Design Director Naoki Takizawa. The range emphasises the French designer’s belief that all women can wear clothes that are both seductive and comfortable.

Celebrating de la Fressange’s recollections of boating scenes and vibrant architecture during holidays in port towns around Europe, the range builds on her desire to offer wardrobe essentials that are also fashionable including pyjamas.

The collection features cobalt blue and red and a variety of prints featuring borders, checks, dots, flowers, and star patterns. Her signature navy blue and indigo are also showcased in new ways.

Key items include gingham check cotton parkas, soft easy pants in delightful spring patterns, and 1960s-style cache-coeur dresses with ruffles. The effortless style extends to the elegantly relaxing pyjamas, which are in prints identical to those used in the collection’s tops, pants, and dresses.

After spending her childhood in the south of France, de la Fressange became an international fashion model in 1975. She was Chanel’s star model from 1983 to 1990 and the muse of designer Karl Lagerfeld. In 2013, she launched her own brand, Ines de la Fressange Paris, and continues to embody modern Parisian chic as an art director.

Take a look at the special collection at http://www.Uniqlo.com/inesparis.

Let your feelings blossom and grow with stunning jewellery in blooming hearts. Depicting a tree of love, the season’s must-have gift – a gorgeous necklace in a beaded heart-shaped frame – is a solid statement of love and style.

Show the shape of your heart with strikingly intricate rings in sterling silver and Pandora rose gold. Each design features delicate heart details from beautiful stone cuts to dangling padlocks. They are stackable and can be mixed and matched to match your whim. Alluring heart motifs also take centre stage on a minimalist pair of ‘90s-inspired chain earrings in sterling silver. Two pink cubic zirconia stones add a final touch to the ravishing design to evoke a loving reaction.

Matters of the heart are beautifully expressed with two-tone half hoop earrings. Featuring two hearts – one in sterling silver, one in luxurious 14k gold – they give any look a loving touch. Then seal your promise of love with a pair of padlock-themed earrings. Romantic heart shapes meet industrial feel in this hand-finished duo in sterling silver.

Emojis are taking the world by storm – and so is emoji-inspired jewellery. Featuring perfectly kissable lip patterns, striking sterling silver and Murano glass charms, they are yet another way to speak the language of love.

And now there are new pieces being added, in which coloured dials take centre stage.

The fashionable chromatic variations are perfectly in line with the classic and understated spirit of the collection. The sunray-blue dial shows the hours, minutes and seconds with rhodium-plated hands that stand out subtly. The blue model is available with an alligator strap of the same colour for total harmony.

The blue edition comes in several diameters, so that men and women can find the watch best suited to their wrists (perfect for Valentine’s Day, by the way).

The 42mm steel model is fitted with an automatic L888 calibre and complemented with a stainless steel bracelet (Bt76,100).

The 25.5mm steel model has an automatic L592 calibre and stainless steel bracelet (Bt64,800).

For him, there is also the 42mm steel model with an automatic L888 calibre and blue alligator strap (Bt76,100).

For her, the 29mm steel model has an automatic L592 calibre and the same elegant blue alligator strap (Bt81,200).

The new colour block collection comes in modern shades of solid monochromes, fruity cherry and plum and floral cornflower and lilac.

The brand’s most loved essential bag styles including the Henshall, Saxham, Lozenge and Medium Duo Cross Body, have been thoughtfully lined with one of two iconic Cath Kidston prints, Island or Busby Bunch.

The concept was inspired by the colour and design experimentation that takes place in the Cath Kidston studio – the designers are constantly on the look out for luxurious and eye-catching pieces to sit with the brand’s heritage prints to create modern and wearable combinations. This modern collection features 11 unique shades to match everyday with the multifunctional leather pieces adding a bold pop of colour and a touch of luxury to a wardrobe.

The leather capsule collection is available at its flagship store on the first floor of Central World.

For details, call (02) 252 9813 or visit http://www.CathKidston.co.th.

Highlights include ruffle dresses patched with lace and crystals, Palazzo pants worn with a Himalayan poppy off-shoulder shirt, lace gowns embroidered with sequins as well as a new range of athleisure separates. Romance underscores the colour palette with dresses in blush rosette, liquid sky and white, printed with vivid flowers and Indian pattern forms.

The lotus in full bloom

Reflecting beauty, purity and self-fulfilment, the lotus flower reflects the harmonious universe of Van Cleef and Arpels. In the Lotus collection, it blossoms in a hitherto unseen form, with an intricate openwork motif and delicate proportions. A bracelet, earrings and a pendant in white gold trace a glittering diamond corolla against the skin. Slightly inclined petals are superimposed on two levels, creating an effect of relief and movement. The jewellery house is also presenting a redesigned version of its emblematic Lotus Between the Finger Ring. Check them out at the Van Cleef and Arpels boutique.

Coccinelle and loving it

Make a splash this Valentine’s Day by carrying the iconic Coccinelle Arlettis bag. Crafted from textured leather in a classic heart shape pattern and in the cheerful shade of romantic red and lovely pink, it is detailed with the brand’s signature closure with the characteristic inverted “C”closure and gold hardware as well as a detachable top handle and shoulder strap.

Brightening overnight

Botanics is a complete natural skincare range that uses a variety of powerful plant extracts and combines them with the know-how of the world’s leading plant experts at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The latest addition to the brand is the newly repackaged whitening range. Boasting seven products, the range provides all you need for a full whitening regime both day and night. The light textured Night Cream claims to replenish skin’s lost moisture and help lighten skin, meaning that you’ll waken to lighter and more radiant skin.

Successful collaboration returns

This season, Japanese global retailer, Uniqlo is to team up with luxury fashion designer JW Anderson for the second time for men and women and will launch at selected Uniqlo stores and online on April 20. The line highlights Anderson’s unique take on the Brighton culture, fusing quality fabrics with a fabulous fit and functionality. Featuring vividly striped T-shirts and knit polo shirts reminiscent of beachwear, as well as dresses, seersucker bomber jackets, flared skirts, and blouses with JW Anderson’s iconic ruffles and ribbons. T-shirts, knits and bags with seagull prints whimsically celebrate the joy of British seaside life. The range also incorporates work wear elements, such as 1950s-style denim jackets and tunic shirts inspired by traditional British police uniforms, as well as such quintessentially JW Anderson touches as stripes and patchwork on shirts and skirts.

AS IF heartstrings weren’t already singing at the approach of Valentine’s Day, there’s a lovely new scent in the air – Atelier Cologne – with a wonderfully romantic story behind it.

Christophe Cervasel, who with his wife and business partner Sylvie Ganter co-founded Atelier Cologne, was in Bangkok recently to introduce the line of colognes.

“Sylvie came for a job interview at LVHM, the perfume company where I was working,” says Cervasel, “and at the end she said, ‘Au revoir.’ I said, ‘You speak French!’ She said, ‘I am French – you didn’t read my resume!’

“She looked at me like I was the stupidest man in the world and then left, not happy. I thought I’d probably never see her again, but she called me to say she was no longer interested in the job and planned to start her own company instead.

“She asked for advice, but I convinced her to work with me – start her business, but with my money, which would be easier. And finally she accepted. 

“We were colleagues for one year, then I decided I needed a change and left the company, and then she left too. But we both love cologne and wanted to really concentrate on our passion. When I proposed to Sylvie, she became my partner in business and in real life.

“Sometime it’s crazy when you do something without thinking it through, but if your heart is really in it, it only makes you happy.”

They launched Atelier Cologne in 2009.

“The world has many countries and cultures,” Cervasel says, “but everybody likes cologne, which we find very reassuring, because shows that all people have something in common. An Italian man living in Germany made the first cologne and it was popularised by the French. Over the centuries, the eau de cologne formula has remained simple – citrus, such as orange, lemon or neroli, plus alcohol and water.

“We decided to keep the citrus in all of our products. It’s very important to feel fresh and clean when we’re working mentally a lot.

“The citrus essential oils in cologne are fresh, lively and elegant, but unfortunately they are also very volatile and don’t last long on the skin. After years of research, we managed to create a formula that stays fresh, elegant and transparent but is exceptionally long lasting, like pure perfume.”

The innovation entails high-quality natural essential oils rendered as concentrated as possible. Each variant of Cologne Absolue has an average oil concentration of 18 per cent, whereas traditional eau de cologne is usually 5 per cent or less. Each Atelier Cologne creation can be described as “pure perfume in the air”.

“We also make sure our cologne is unisex, because they are natural on the skin and will change from one person to another,” says Cervasel. “We recommend trying it on the skin before buying. It’s so interesting to see what men and women choose – sometimes it’s very surprising!”

Powerful memories and treasured emotions are the genesis of each Atelier Cologne perfume. Stories are the basis for each |creation and offer a unique approach to the choice of a Cologne Absolue.

“By nature, Atelier Cologne’s influences are wide-ranging and multicultural. Our adventure began in New York, our perfumes are 100 per cent made in France, our collections are inspired by travels around the world and our natural ingredients come from more than 50 different countries. This diversity makes our stories universal,” Cervasel says.

Orange Sanguine was the first cologne produced at Atelier Cologne.

“Everyone was here, gathered on the terrace for breakfast, and the scent of fresh oranges was diffusing in the yellow heat. A symphony of their laughter and waves hitting the cliffs played in the air.”

Of Oolang Infini, the back-story goes, “His breath fogged the window while he watched new snow wall upon the frozen lake. He came here to catch up on his writing and escape the city. At that moment, the fireplace crackled, ice settled in his glass and his thoughts made their way back to the ink.”

The choices in perfumes can depend on mood, clothing, the occasion or the weather. “The richness and refinement of our Colognes Absolues help each individual reveal their own character, and the endless facets of their personality.”

The Atelier Cologne boutique at King Power Rangnam also offers an engraving service so customers can personalise their purchases.

Clients can also choose leather cases in more than 15 different colours and have their name, initials or short message engraved on the leather. The process takes less than five minutes.

Now he’s launched his debut collection “Frozen Eternity of Glamour” that’s inspired by the shimmering and flickering reflection of an iceberg in the sunlight as well as by the classic tale.

The founder and creative director said, “My mother has been in the clothing business all her life so it’s only naturally that it became part of my life too. I have grown to love it more and more.  One day I realised that my dream was to have my own brand of wedding dress.  I want to prove to the world that Thai designers can shine as brightly as global design icons. The brand focuses on intricate design and unique details and hand-made embroidery.  With Italian imported fabrics combined with high quality Austrian Swarovski crystals, a bride will feel and look like a princess on this important day.”

The 40 dresses in the Frozen Eternity of Glamour collection come in a white tone accented by peach and nude colours combined with stunning French lace. They were launched recently at CentralWorld’s Eden Zone to guests who included Prawpreya Chumsai Na Ayuthaya, Pitcharada Somkul, Nasha Jungkankul, Atita Sutadarat, Maruwut Buranasilpin , Srisuphang Morris, Areerat Krissanasmit, Napat Na Takuathung, Apipawadee Sanitwong Na Ayudhya, Dollawat Bhangsapha, Bongkojthip Bhirombhakdi, Kalyarat Arkaradejdachachai, Natmada and Natprapa Choonhavan and Karuna Vatchanaphukka. In keeping with the name, the 40 luxurious wedding dresses were presented on a glassy runway with Janie Tienphosuwan modelling in the finale. Well-known make-up artist Chatchai Piangapichart also took part, presenting the make-up trends for 2018.

Mirror Mirror Bangkok is in Pattanakarn Soi 46. Call (097) 0865512 or visit the Facebook fan page: Wedding dress by MirrorMirror.