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Christian Barker

Once considered a relic of the hippie era, watches with dials made from exotic stones, like turquoise lapis lazuli and opal, are enjoying a renaissance – the world’s luxury watchmakers are taking note.

Boucheron cites the 80s Rubik’s Cube and New Wave, Stephen Webster channels New Romantic pop, Tiffany & Co. and Piaget are inspired by 70s disco, while Chanel looks back to its 30s Jazz Age collection

From Middle Eastern belly dancing and Indian Karthak and European ballet, dance forms from all corners of the global have embraced bling – and today’s high jewellery maisons haven’t forgotten

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In a return to historical codes, men are once again embracing bold – as well as seriously valuable – jewellery led by today’s royalty: rappers and Hollywood stars

The much-loved sports car has stayed faithful to its distinctive look for decades, while Ferraris and Lamborghinis are continually replaced with newer models

Famously inspired by WWI’s battlefields, Louis Cartier’s masterpiece continues to shine more than a century later, embraced by fashion icons from Ralph Lauren to Tom Ford, and Princess Diana to Frank Sinatra

Considering investing in high jewellery? Rarity is a most valuable commodity, apart from colour, clarity, cut and carat … but don’t forget your personal style too

The luxury brand went from humble saddlery to gentleman’s fashion house over the centuries – with its pens being particularly covetable, some going for millions at auction today

Emotional baggage? The classic clutch contains numerous nods to Coco’s upbringing at Aubazine Abbey orphanage – from the distinctive diamond-shaped quilting to the red velvet interior

Beyoncé, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez … the list of famous faces photographed by Patrick Demarchelier is seemingly endless – but his final years saw him fall from grace in some circles

Millionaires and celebrities hoard dozens of the expensive bags, but its namesake has only ever owned five or six, just using one at a time – and donating it to charity before replacing it

Royals made the ornate jewelled boxes popular in the 16th century – now they go for top dollar at auctions, with Bonhams selling a gold example with Napoleon Bonaparte’s cipher for US$91,000

Loafers were created for King George VI in the 1920s, Gucci put its own spin on them upon opening its first Manhattan boutique, and now you can spot them in Ridley Scott’s new film …

Multi-talented and always stylish, Porter discusses his personal and family connections to fashion and art, quoting author Toni Morrison on its importance now: ‘that is how civilisations heal’

The extravagant cost in time and money makes haute couture – literally ‘high sewing’ – the pinnacle of the fashion industry, so which brands get to wear the exclusive label?

A round-up of post-pandemic trends, running from patchwork and metallics to disco bling and ski glam, heralds a renaissance that recalls that of 100 years ago

Yves Saint Laurent’s Le Smoking jacket is seen as a touchstone of modern workplace attire for women, but what role did Queen Victoria’s son and his ‘invention’ of the tuxedo play?

Craig’s pink tuxedo at the premiere of No Time to Die marked a departure from the usual hyper-masculine Bond style, setting the internet ablaze – so how has the 007 wardrobe changed over the years?

Scene-setting brands from Louis Vuitton to Gucci are offering looser and larger cuts, 70s colours and fabrics like leather and velvet as they signal our ‘new normal’

‘Fat, short, really ugly’ is how one relative described Al Pacino’s appearance in the movie – so how much does Ridley Scott’s new true crime biopic match with reality?

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Manolo Blahnik defines Sex and the City as much as its Manhattan setting, thanks to Carrie Bradshaw’s wardrobe – so what’s the cast wearing in the sequel, and will it have the same lasting impact?

From David Bowie and Stanley Ho, to US presidents and their servicemen, old Hong Kong’s tailors made clothes for everyone – but are TST’s famous suit makers going out of fashion?

Anti-fashion designer Jenny Beavan dressed Emma Stone and Emma Thompson in 47 and 33 different looks each, respectively – playfully riffing on fashion history from Dior to Westwood and McQueen

Dignified in military-inspired dress tailored by London’s finest outfitters, the ever-dapper duke was a loyal foil to Queen Elizabeth II, his wife of 73 years

Appalled by the Simon Cowell-led pop idol culture of the early 2000s, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo created well-dressed robot alter egos – and made the look entirely their own