In time for the Qixi Festival, often branded in the occident as the Chinese Valentine’s Day, Net-à-Porter has unveiled its social media campaign featuring five short romantic videos, of people meeting their loved ones at different ages. In addition, celebrity couple model Emma Pei (裴蓓) and Rojamtic Wang (王朱筱寅), who had appeared together promoting Princess Cruises in 2016, have appeared in the new Net-à-Porter campaign.
   The retailer will also launch an art exhibition centred around the festival, in association with Leica, featuring the works of photographers Tan Sibo (覃斯波), Vincent Keyue Zhang (章轲越), and Laurent Bu. Bloggers and illustrators will also publish their works.
   Participating brands in the promotion include: Buccellati, which is offering an exclusive, limited-edition series of necklaces and bracelets; Ahkah, with a little red heart necklace and bracelet; and Baume & Mercier, with an exclusive Net-à-Porter Classima ladies’ mechanical watch.
   The promotion began on the 19th in the lead-up to the Qixi Festival on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, or August 25 on the Gregorian calendar this year. There are limited-edition greeting cards with love poems and special packaging. More information can be found via Tmall or Taobao, using the keyword NAP, or visit the Net-à-Porter Tmall store.

The Simpsons might not be part of the cultural Zeitgeist in the same way it was in the early 1990s, but over the last 30 years it’s built up a immense following—enough for it to remain a tempting licensing target. Vans is the latest, and arguably one of the higher-profile, fashion brands to pay tribute to Springfield’s yellow-skinned family, with a collection of footwear, apparel and accessories.
   The Simpsons family appears on the Sk8-Hi shoes, both in their original form from The Tracey Ullman Show and in their definitive form once they were spun off into their own series; individual characters can be found on Old Skool and Sk8-Hi designs. There are Lisa Simpson items with ‘Lisa Simpson for president’ slogans; a Sk8-Lo shoe design features Bart Simpson’s ‘El Barto’ graffiti tag. Subsidiary characters get a look-in, too, with Krusty the Klown, the Bouvier sisters, Otto, Moe, Lenny, Carl and Barney, and even Itchy and Scratchy, and Blinky the three-eyed fish. Socks, caps, fleece hoodies, and T-shirts complete the collection.
   In New Zealand, the collection will be available from August 15. More information can be found at vans.co.nz/thesimpsons.

Alessandro Simonetti

Actor and musician Quincy Brown is the new face of Coach’s watch collection.
   The first campaign featuring Brown broke Monday, as Coach launches its C001 watch line. Brown has been photographed by Alessandro Simonetti.
   The C001 range comprises six styles, with numerous options including rubber straps, and stainless steel and ionic-plated bracelets. All feature a unique world time analogue–digital movement, removable case-guard, and a layered dial.
   â€˜Quincy is the perfect ambassador to represent this collection. In addition to being true to himself and his art, passionate, enthusiastic, and an all-around good person who cares about the world we live in, Quincy also embodies what Coach stands for: authentic style,’ said Dawn Hurley, vice-president of Coach Watches Movado Group.
   Brown added, ‘Working with Coach has been a dream because it’s about so much more than the æsthetic. We’re not only aligned on values—they’ve always allowed me to be the real me. Finding a partnership like that is priceless. I’m so proud to be part of the C001 watch campaign. In my opinion, time is the most valuable asset in our lives, especially now. We all have the same 24 hours, but it’s what you do with it that genuinely defines who you are.’
   Both Coach and Movado have made a donation to Feeding America to commemorate the launch.
   The watches are available exclusively at coach.com.

Malo Cashmere has released its autumn–winter 2020–1 collections for men and women, dubbed Heritage & Future. The Italian label likens its textures, patterns and geometric designs to the architecture of Firenze, which inspired the collection. The theme is based around mesh and weaves, reinterpreting its Florentine heritage in a contemporary way. Colours are natural, reflecting the land, planets and minerals. As befitting the label, the yarns are of the highest quality, and wearers can be assured of comfort.

Sterling Forever has the answer to one of 2020’s questions: what earrings go with my face mask? Given that most masks—with the exception of translucent and transparent ones—obscure the face, the ears do have it, being one way we might be able to identify someone. Sterling Forever has a comprehensive earring sets’ page, with plenty of designs.

We never thought we’d see Airstream’s brand extended to footwear, but Sanuk, a division of Deckers Brands, has done such that with its capsule-collection collaboration with the manufacturer of trailers and coaches.
   The jandals don’t look like Airstream trailers, but some of the footwear has some stylistic connections, such as the men’s Vagabond design, which has a modernist simplicity to its lines. Sanuk points out there are embroidered trailer patches, pink lawn flamingo prints and green turf soles—perhaps the connection is in the idea of travel and relaxation?
   That aside, the shoes do look comfortable, and the prices are a very reasonable US$35 to US$55. More at www.sanuk.com.

Stanley Moss

The experienced traveller returning today will discover the Venice of 40 years ago.
   It is amazing, starting with uncrowded passageways, the ability to navigate the streets to admire the architecture, and it’s quiet. The droves of Asian visitors have disappeared, nor does one find Americans. Mainly we encounter German tourists, a few French, but mostly Italian speakers. It’s obvious that the rest of the world has shut down. Many of the stores remain shuttered.
   Today I visited the fish market at Rialto Mercato, found Argentine shrimps; went to the produce stand, got a bag of those amazing Sicilian tomatoes; visited the cheese store and got a hunk of Reggiano, some meaty Cerignola olives; and stopped by the coffee store for fresh ground Etiopiano. I went by Rizzardini’s pastry shop and splurged on a pallet of eight pieces to take home.
   I have no problem finding an open table with an unobstructed view, manned by an agreeable waiter, one simply happy to see business reappear. I take out my little watercolour kit, colours, brushes, my postcard-sized pad, order a drink, sketch, then paint at my own pace.
   The weather has turned perfect, and it gets dark around 9 p.m. Venice is the ideal city for getting lost. I’ve been here more times than I can count, but the coolest thing today is the ability to meander down dead-end passages and have to double back on my own steps. It’s too empty to navigate Venice the old way, stop and go, bumping into shoulders, walking downwind of cigarettes, craning one’s neck for landmarks. That Venice has disappeared, and the days of yore are thankfully returned.—Stanley Moss, Travel Editor

Stanley Moss

Stefano Lanza

In another sign of Italy beginning to open up again in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Malo, the Florentine cashmere knitwear brand, will open a new boutique in Verona, at 41, Corso Porta Borsari, behind Piazza della Erbe, on July 14. And it appears to be the first in a line of openings.
   â€˜The opening of a new boutique in the historic center of Verona represents another important step for the company and also a strong sign of trust … By the end of the year, we also set another ambitious goal: the opening of a boutique in New York,’ says Malo president Walter Maiocchi.
   The Verona boutique is the second in the Veneto, with the first in Venezia.
   Maiocchi continues, ‘We are convinced that the “real” and online must go hand in hand, without one going to the detriment of the other. In December 2019, we launched the e-boutique on our website, and during the lockdown, it was a source of great satisfaction. However, in addition to this possibility, we want to offer our customers more and more boutiques where they can live the Malo experience, touching our fine yarns and our precious garments with their hands. A real sensory world that allows them to really perceive the quality of our “made in Italy”, which we love to define as “made in Malo”.’

Filippo P.

Stefano Lanza