Bill Gates is one of the most influential figures in technology history. But who is the man behind Microsoft, the visionary who launched a revolution and later sought to change the world through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation? In his autobiography Source Code, Gates shares personal insights into his journey – beyond business successes and billion-dollar deals.

It was a simple observation that led Paul Tsalikis to see the hotel industry with new eyes: hotel amenities were  mostly non-branded, poor quality products that didn’t reflect the luxurious surroundings and guest experience of the hotel. For Tsalikis, founder of VANITY GROUP, the question arose: Why don’t exclusive luxury hotels collaborate with equally luxurious designer brands to create an experience that truly complements the ambiance?

Door number 14 opens gently and leads quietly into a room of silence, where Scandinavian design philosophies meet Japanese wisdom. The Danish Norm Architects have been studying the Far East for a long time and have incorporated their findings into numerous projects. Together with Gestalten Verlag, they have published Stillness, a book that we are giving away at the quietest time of the year.

In collaboration with Alex Israel, Louis Vuitton presents Ocean BLVD, a unique invitation to a three-dimensional, iconic walk along Los Angeles Boulevard, as part of the Maison’s Ocean fragrance collection. Alluding to the style of the Californian city, the exceptional piece reflects Alex Israel’s work “Sunset Coast Drive”, a miniature model of a street in 2022.

On the occasion of Louis Vuitton’s first Voyager show, which took place in Shanghai on 18 April, the Maison is now unveiling its extended collaboration with artist Sun Yitian. Known for her photorealistic paintings of toys and other mass-produced items, she has created an exclusive series that brings the Pre-Fall 2024-Collection to life in a colourful way. The collaboration spans ready-to-wear, leather goods, trunks, accessories and fragrances.

If bags could talk, they would certainly tell us many stories. But what stories can someone tell us who has been designing bags herself – and has been doing so successfully for a long time? We asked designer Ina Kent for an interview and found out what her first bag looked like in the 1970s, what she thinks of gender-specific bags and that she regularly carries watermelons…