Having & Being: The Last Pair of Pants

For ten years, the Swedish fashion brand Asket has been pursuing a bold vision: to bring fewer, but better clothes to market. This makes Asket one of the pioneers of the "less is more" movement, which has already found many supporters in fashion and is also winning over an increasing number of consumers. The key for Asket was to build a menswear collection that is timeless and whose individual pieces will endure in terms of fashion and quality – to create a best-of men's wardrobe, so to speak. Starting with basics like the perfect T-shirt and Oxford shirts, this "eternal collection" has become increasingly complete over the years, and the Swedes' quality assurance has become ever more meticulous. Whether it's jeans where every single step of production can be traced, or merino or cashmere wool whose origins are documented and made transparent almost down to the individual animal – with such elaborate measures, Asket aims to strengthen its customers' trust and product knowledge.

The brand has now announced that the 50th and final product has been added to the permanent collection. A pair of trousers woven in Italy and tailored in Portugal – "The Wool Trouser" – completes the permanent range, providing men with high-quality basics for all seasons and situations. "From the very beginning, we had a master plan for which models we would consider for our permanent collection. Since we work exclusively with permanent designs – garments that are meant to remain in our collection forever – there is only a limited number of products before one slips into the transient and wasteful world of fashion," wrote Asket co-founder August Bard Bringéus in a press release. In addition to the completed collection, the future will focus on expanding the women's collection, with the men's collection only occasionally undergoing variations and improvements. Furthermore, the brand is working on establishing a brick-and-mortar presence in several cities alongside its online presence – a boutique was recently opened in London.

If you've recently come across a bunch of young women on social media who look as if they have candied lips like apples from the Christmas market, this isn't a new glow or glossy filter. It's probably lip oil, and in case of doubt, the new "Unreal Lips Healthy Glow Nectar Oil" by Charlotte Tilbury (she's not one for short product names). It actually leaves a kind of glassy film on the lips, as if they've been sealed with cling film. Lip oil is more nourishing and moisturizing than lip gloss, but at the same time lighter and even shinier. The trend was likely triggered by John Galliano's legendary final couture show for Maison Margiela in January 2024, when the models wore makeup with a new "glass skin" effect. Since then, lip oil has been everywhere. The juicy look also extends the summer look and even tastes like it: The six nectar oils smell of watermelon, cherry, coconut, strawberry, peach, or fig.

Perhaps you've walked past this store in Berlin-Mitte, which looks a bit like those stainless steel kitchens set up exclusively for Uber Eats and Lieferando, and wondered why there are so many rings and necklaces lying around. The inspiration for the shop was indeed a so-called "dark kitchen," but it serves the finest jewelry by designer Natalia Bryantseva. The former advertising executive founded her label Avgvst in 2019, and since then, the collection and customer base have been growing steadily. There's even a pop-up store in Le Bon Marché in Paris. The new designs are called "Eclipse" and are intended to bring that "late summer glow" to the skin. The necklaces, earrings, and bracelets play with the balance between light and shadow, clarity and distortion, movement and calm. This time, the pieces were created in collaboration with Brazilian Isa Kauffman, who has previously worked for Prada, Bottega Veneta, and Y-Project. In any case, each “Eclipse” piece takes you to completely different spheres of enjoyment.