© monocle

yes, the monocle country fayre is back! today monocle magazine kicks off the two-day event [sat + sun: 11am-5pm] on the premises of its headquarters in london. both a celebration of summer and a global take on an english tradition, there'll be market stalls hosted by the magazine's fav countries - this time it's colombia and once again sweden - and a range of preferred retailers and brands, including drake's london, lagom design, kitsuné, daunt books, hentsch man and the knowledgeable allpress coffee roasters will be present with their coffee cart. it's an event for old and young, and as such the event features a jolly mix of additional fun activities.there's a petting zoo, plenty of summery apéritifs, the monocle tombola, games and some cool gigs as well. ah, and there's good food of course, provided by the magazine's very own monocle café. come on down! location: midori house, 1 dorset  street, courtyard [marylebone].

© monocle

© fondation d'entreprise hermès / photo: tadzio / sébastien gschwind - un genre humain [2011]

opening on fri - jun 21 at palais de tokyo in paris is the massive nouvelles vagues showcase which emphasizes the emergence of the curator. as one if the exhibitors that fills up pretty much all of the venue, fondation d'entreprise hermès - a special foundation of luxury brand hermès that promotes traditional craft skills, supports the creative arts, related education and training, and all with an environmental as well -  participates with a sophisticated presentation of its own called condensation. the nouvelles vagues show is a large-scale event organized by 21 international young curators, working individually or in groups, and have been selected by a jury from over 500 candidates.

the hermès presentation is curated by gaël charbau who has brought together works created as part of a series of special artist residencies that have been sponsored by the fondation d’entreprise hermès. the show is conceived as an encounter between the realms of dream interpretation and alchemy, and is structured around formal and narrative echoes that leads the viewer to the heart of matter, along a path dotted with works by various artists. this will be the first public showcase of these works. participating artists include sébastien gschwind, marie-anne franqueville, andrés ramirez, atsunobu kohira and félix pinquier. location: palais de tokyo, 13 avenue du président wilson [champs-élysées].

© fondation d'entreprise hermès / photo: tadzio / andrés ramirez - lost in love [detail of silk printing, 2012] and félix pinquier - station [2012]

© trunk - men's treasure trove

in a previous post we talked about trunk, an exclusive menswear store that's part of monocle magazine's london-based parent group. today it opens trunk labs, a separate accessories shop, also located on chiltern street. featuring a concise retail space of approx. 30 sqm. [323 sq.ft.], the décor is one of warm greys - and yes, that includes the concrete floor - and stylish mid-century furniture sourced from specialty furniture retailer century. and some of these pieces are actually up for sale.

so, what else does trunk labs carry? targeting a savvy and style-conscious demographic, it stocks a tightly edited selection of men's accessories in the widest sense of the word. shoppers not only come across coveted luggage, accessories, bags and shoes, but also ties, shoes, small leather goods, grooming products, stationery, eyewear and, as said. furniture pieces. these are sourced from japan, australia, germany, italy, the u.k, and other nations known for good taste and a sense of high quality. happy shopping, guys! location: 34 chiltern street [marylebone].

© trunk - what would you pick?

© wft gallery

jorge carlos smith is a jack of all trades with a cosmopolitan background. born in mozambique with ancestral roots in macau, he was raised in the u.k. and portugal. next to being a hotelier, smith is also an avid collector of 1970s jazz + funk vinyl, a cook, an occasional dj, a designer, a closet artist and founding partner of both the wtf and phuket 346 hospitality venues. currently on at wtf gallery is blur, a multimedia installation by smith that presents a mix of painting, drawing, neon woks, sound and scent boxes that offer an interaction with the viewer in a most personal collection of ideas, thoughts and memories. the show aims to create a relationship with the viewer, bridging both reality and imagination, triggering ideas, thoughts and emotions [on through jul 18]. location: 7 sukhumvit soi 51 [sukhumvit].

© wtf gallery

© prahran hotel / peter clarke photography

what makes a cool neighbourhood is defined by a myriad of factors. but if you ask us, architecture and a good variety of stores and hospitality venues is key. melbourne's prahran neighbourhood has all the prerequisites, in addition to a cosmopolitan demographic, and in recent years it has slowly emerged as a nucleus of hipster life. adding up to this growing reputation is the recently revamped prahran hotel, one of the area's notable watering holes with a history that dates back to the 1940s. owned by sand hill road, a local hospitality group with a string of establishments further north in richmond, prahran hotel reopened after a striking make-over that took two years to complete.

local practice techne architects was enlisted to come up with a bold new design that would match the true values of the bar. as a result the 1970s extension was demolished and replaced by a eye-popping wing that incorporates 17 custom-made concrete pipes. these are stacked like beer kegs, that invite the eye from the street-front through to the interiors with a selection being reserved for booth seating for two, six or 12 people, finished with leather banquette seating and timber paneling. inside, a courtyard has been created, shaded by a chinese elm tree and with a five metre-long bar and collapsible tables that give way to ample room for your slickest dance moves on weekends.

the original bar remains very much at the heart of prahran hotel's concept, and it has served as a source of inspiration for the new wing's interior design. the venue now boasts three separate bars and a function room with views of the courtyard, and accessed by a steel gantry that connects the indoor various spaces. and as drinks and food go hand in hand, the menu here offers plenty of options of simple but tasty bar fare, from chicken parmas and steaks, to salads and seafoods. mind you, friday nights [from 5pm] at prahran hotel is dedicated to karma kegs, where a whole keg of carlton draught beer is tapped and you only pay whatever you feel is 'karmically fair', and with all funds raised being donated to a nominated charity. location: 82 high street [prahran].

© prahran hotel / peter clarke photography

© artcrank - the cinema paradiso part of the event at the grand palais

anyone who has recently visited paris should have noticed that even though it's a big town with huge flows of motorized traffic on the street, there's quite a few people out there who rely on bikes for their daily transportation needs. in 2007 the city council launched vélib', a public bike sharing system with 18,000 bikes and some 1,200 bike stations across central paris and some of its suburbs. currently on at the grand palais [1] is the cinema paradiso element of the vélib' x paris showcase, presented by bicycle-promoting collective artcrank. since 2007 they stage live events across the planet, featuring bicycle-inspired posters created by local artists.

the debut edition in paris has a tweaked formula as it partners with vélib' and kicks off with a set-up that aims to recreate the fun experience of cinema at the heart of the grand palais through four differently conceived spaces: a cinema, a restaurant, a game zone and a club. obviously, there's also the poster show and this time it features work by american and british artists next to local ones, including emy rojas and gaspard le quiniou, rebecca j. kaye, adam turman. brandon lockfoot and dezzig. the event at grand palais ends jun 21, but will then transfer to cité de la mode et du design [2] where it's put on display through oct 6. location [1]: 21 avenue franklin roosevelt [champs-élysées]. location [2]: 34 quai d'austerlitz [salpêtrière].

© artcrank - cool bikes and cool posters

© la fábrica - a revamped venue in downtown madrid

founded in 1995, la fábrica is a private enterprise focused on promoting the development of contemporary culture. it does so by launching a wide range of cultural projects in various fields, ranging from photography, fine arts and literature, to cinema, music and performing arts. many of these events have contributed significantly to madrid's cultural buzz in recent years. la fábrica's downtown venue has recently seen a major revamp that has turned it into a more hospitable cultural hub with a number of up-to-date facilities spread over two floors. the ground floor features la fábrica's very own store.

it stocks books and magazines on photography and art by international publishers, select artisanal objects such as ceramics by sargaledos and quirky design items by andrésgallardo, and even bottles of exclusive spanish wines and fresh flowers. down a flight of stars a sleek new exhibition space is situated, which currently hosts a presentation of works by japanese photographer noboyushi araki. this versatile space will also be used for training sessions, workshops and other events. also situated on street level and next to the store is la fábrica's café where visitors can unwind and enjoy a range of drinks and bites in a stylish and homey setting. location: calle de la verónica 13 [cortes].

© la fábrica - the retail space, exhibition space and café [top to bottom]

© richard gilligan - malmö, sweden

opening today [6.30pm-9pm] at the streetmachine store in copenhagen is an exhibition by photographer richard gilligan. simply entitled diy, gilligan's interesting photographs document the infrastructure of movement within skateboarding which operates outside civic and societal norms. through the use of skater-constructed spaces - usually an adaptation of existing, but often abandoned sites in both urban and rural settings - today's savvy skateboarder increasingly likes to play in unconventional places. these often illegal temporary spots are constructed by using found materials and gilligan has spent the past four years them tracking across the u.s. and europe. presented by carhartt wip, the show is both part of a european exhibition tour and this year's edition of the copenhagen photo festival, and gilligan will also be giving a lecture on the project this evening at 7pm. location: kronprinsensgade 3 [indre by].

© richard gilligan - basel, switzerland [top] and the diy book [bottom]

built by italian starchitect renzo piano, maison hermès in ginza is the glittering flagship store and japan headquarters of french luxury brand hermès. opened in 2001 it set the current trend for signature megastores in the japanese capital and is an architectural extrapolation of the brand's high standards in creatiivity and innovation. as such the store's window displays very much reflect these core values and are oftem hailed for their exuberance and superior craftsmanship. currently on display is an installation of french artist le gentil garçon. called boyon boyon, it features frivolous and summer-infused scenes, inspired by the renowned surrealist works of belgian painter rené magritte, of suspended mannequins - obviously clad in the latest hermès fashions - that mimick acrobatic movements of trampoline jumping [on display through jul 17]. location: 5-4-19 ginza [ginza].

© hermès japon / photography: satoshi asakawa

© chanel - three floors of parisian chic

london is one of the planet's leading shopping destinations, and with that perspective the fashion brand synonymous to parisian chic has pulled out all the stops for a new flagship store on new bond street, one of the city's most prestigious addresses. we're obviously talking chanel's major retail statement, one that sees the full spectrum of the brand's luxury collections showcased across no less than 12,000 sq.ft. [1,115 sqm.] on three separate floors. the store has been designed by peter marino, the new york-based architect who has previously worked on other chanel flagships worldwide.

it's structured around an atrium at the core of the building and features an interior that combines a lavish mix of materials such as soft gold and bronze with reflective glass, marble and lacquer. different textures are subtly put in contrast while at the same being captured in a modern archtectural scheme. adding another sophisticated layer are various specially commissioned artworks and contemporary and antique furniture pieces. upon entering the flagship, shoppers find a setting with hand-woven wall panels and inlay floors that's inspired by coco chanel's famed apartment on rue cambon in paris.

this space features separate areas dedicated to watches, fine jewellery and accessories. presented elsewhere on the ground floor are costume jewellery, small leather goods, bags, separate walls for shades. scarves and belts, and counters laden with chanel beauty products. one floor up the brand's ready-to-wear collections are presented in a homey yet equally plush environment with an imposing antique fireplace and artworks by karl lagerfeld, richard deacon and other artists. die-hard chanel fans will surely drool over selected pieces from the paris-édimbourg 2012-2013 métiers d'art collection.

both ready-to-wear rooms have a series of try-on salons, and there's also a double shoe room filled with trophies. a giant swirling pearl-necklace sculpture by french contemporary artist jean-michel othoniel dangles playfully from the ceiling inside the atrium, and is best viewed from the second floor. this floor is conceptualized as a gallery space, and is decorated with paintings, prints and sculptures, mixed and matched with chinese carpets consoles and lacquered walls. a third ready-to-wear space is situated here. needless to say that the opening party was a jolly tête-à-tête, attended by chanel dignitaries, architect peter marino and excited london a-listers. location: 158-159 new bond street [mayfair].

© chanel - inside the new flagship store