Today, the fashion and jewelry industries are placing an increasing emphasis on environmental protection. Paris, the global leader in fashion and luxury jewelry, has recently embraced a new category of luxury: lab-grown diamonds. The city's nerve center, Place Vendôme, which is home to Napoleon's famous column and the renowned Ritz hotel, is also the heart of the high-end jewelry industry, featuring flagship stores of prestigious brands such as Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, and Cartier located nearby.

During the Paris haute couture season, these luxury brands presented extravagant displays of multi-million-dollar necklaces and watches. However, two new names, Courbet and Maison Mazarin, stood out among them. These stylish and innovative labels are based on lab-grown diamonds.

Photo: www.en.courbet.com

The surprising development in the jewelry industry is the increasing influence of lab-grown diamonds, which has attracted significant investments from luxury industry leaders. Last month, LVMH, a giant in the luxury sector, acquired a significant stake in Lusix, an Israeli lab diamond specialist, in a €90 million funding round, despite none of its own brands using lab-grown diamonds. Meanwhile, Chanel Corp. invested in Courbet, acquiring a 13% stake in the company during its most recent funding round, which valued the brand at €60 million.

According to Marie-Ann Wachtmeister, the creative director of Chez Courbet, "The expansion of lab-grown diamonds is like an avalanche, unstoppable. Lab-grown diamonds have a significantly lower environmental impact, a more streamlined supply chain, and a better cost structure, and there is a great deal of innovation taking place in this area."

BFC reveals preliminary London Fashion week schedule

London Fashion Week's (LFW) provisional schedule has been revealed by the British Fashion Council (BFC). The event, which will take place from September 15th to 19th, will continue with its digital-physical hybrid format. While the final schedule will not be available until August, it has been confirmed that the lineup will include both menswear and womenswear designers, breaking away from the traditional womenswear-only schedule.

Notable designers such as Daniel Lee's latest collection for Burberry, JW Anderson, Erdem, and Simone Rocha will be among the highlights of the event. The winner of this year's BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund, 16Arlington, will be returning to the schedule, along with Chopova Lowena and Molly Goddard, who are the recipients of the BFC Fashion Trust 2023.

The list of designers showcasing their collections at LFW will also include Asai, Dilara Findikoglu, Eudon Choi, Fashion East, Knwls, Palmer//Harding, Phoebe English, Richard Quinn, and Roksanda. In addition, there will be debutants such as Eirinn Hayhow, Holzweiler, BFC Fashion Trust 2023 recipient Piferi, Spencer Badu, and SRVC.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of BFC Newgen, LFW will continue its year-long celebration. The Newgen Show Space will be located at The Old Selfridges Hotel, featuring new names such as Aaron Esh, Derrick, Kazna Asker, The Winter House, and Tolu Coker.

Photo: www.britishfashioncouncil.co.uk

The Upstate Art Weekend in New York is back for its largest edition yet

For those planning to visit Upstate New York to attend the fourth edition of the expansive art event, keep an eye out for the following featured exhibitions and events. Upstate Art Weekend, which will take place from July 21st to 24th, is set to return to the areas north of New York City this summer, with over 130 participating venues, a significant increase from the 23-participant event in its inaugural year of 2020.

 

The serene art journey, led by curator, fair director, and co-founder of the Stoneleaf Retreat artist residency, Helen Toomer, offers extended hours at major institutional venues such as Dia Beacon and Storm King Art Center, along with featured events at local non-profits, pop-up spaces, and commercial galleries. This highly anticipated event attracts thousands of visitors annually, and this year's edition will showcase numerous screenings, open studios, performances, and workshops.

Even though the Hudson Valley region has recently experienced record-breaking floods, its art scene is still set to have a busy and ambitious weekend, with so many events that the logistics can become overwhelming. "It's impossible to do everything," says Toomer, "This event was created to highlight the incredible organizations in the region and establish enduring connections with visitors, encouraging them to return."