The Black Book for November 2014

Cb Men's Essential Boots; Dunhill Namiki Tanabata Fountain Pen; Zip necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels; Chopard's flagship store in Dubai; and Feb31st Giano sunglasses.

Men’s shoes from Cb Made in Italy. Courtesy: Cb Made in Italy

Cb Men’s Essential Boots

The “Made in Italy” stamp typically marks an item as something of a higher value, particularly when it pertains to shoes. Add in handcrafted and you’ve got a product that is as much of an investment as it is an accessory. The shoes of Cb fall under both categories, offering versatility and practicality – a priority for the brand’s founder, Cecilia Bringheli, since she first created Cb in 2010. The brand’s recently launched a fall/winter 2014 collection of Men’s Essential Boots features a mix of chukka and ankle styles, which are available in a variety of coloured leathers, as well as suede. There is also the choice of either a genuine leather or rubber sole.

Dunhill Namiki Tanabata Fountain Pen

East meets West is the underlying concept of the dunhill Namiki Tanabata Fountain Pen, which is priced at Dh320,000. Stemming from a long-held relationship dating back to the 1930s between dunhill and the Japanese pen manufacturer Namiki, the pen depicts The Prince in the Sky and the Princess on Earth – a Japanese folk tale about a husband and wife separated by the Milky Way. The name Tanabata comes from the Japanese star festival, which sees people writing their wishes or poems on oblong cards of various colours, and hanging them from bamboo plants in their gardens on the night of July 7. The pen took six months to create, with the Maki-e artist Seiki Chida applying extremely thin layers of lacquer to the body, before carefully carving patterns and pictures out of gold, silver and mother-of-pearl onto the wet lacquer. This Tanabata Fountain Pen is one of only 15 pieces ever created, and each is signed and numbered by Chida.

Zip necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels

To celebrate its 10th anniversary in the region, Van Cleef & Arpels has unveiled its newest creation: the Zip necklace, which consists of diamonds, emeralds and sapphires in a yellow gold setting. Offering a slightly different take on the house’s customary style, the piece offers an added touch of quirkiness and verticality. The necklace has a working zipper, allowing for it to be worn either partially done up around the neck or entirely closed to form a bracelet. The brand also marked its decennial in the Middle East with the launch of a new-look boutique at The Dubai Mall. “Van Cleef & Arpels has been part of the luxury landscape of the UAE since 2004, and today, we are very pleased to reopen our doors to our dear friends of the maison,” said Alban Belloir, the brand’s managing director for the Middle East and India, during the event at the end of October.

Chopard’s flagship store in Dubai

Also newly reopened is the Chopard boutique in The Dubai Mall, which is the flagship store for the Middle East. The space was redesigned by the French architect Thierry W Despont and is divided into three sections: a men's lounge, a high-jewellery room and a fully dedicated accessories area. Caroline Scheufele, the co-president of Chopard and head of the brand's distribution network, said, "With these new environments, we want to encourage our clients to discover the multiple facets of the Chopard universe." One of the many pieces available at the boutique is the Imperiale watch, which is newly available with a green dial. The popular women's timepiece, which was redesigned in 2010, features Roman numerals and curved hands (said to symbolise daggers) and comes in either 18-carat rose gold with amethysts and diamonds or 18K rose gold and stainless steel with amethysts. www.chopard.com

Feb31st Giano Sunglasses

Sunglasses are as important a part of your outfit as your clothes, shoes and jewellery – as FEB31st is well aware. The ever-stylish Italian brand has unveiled its new autumn/winter collection, which includes these vintage-style frames, Giano, available in chromatic combinations such as classic monochrome, midnight blue, black cherry and maplewood. The frames, starting from Dh2,500, also come in wood shades such as teak and macassar, and are all created by the brand’s head designer, Valerio Cometti, in Italy. In addition to pre-made items, FEB31st also offers a bespoke service where customers can create their own personalised pair of glasses, selecting everything from the frame size and shape down to a personalised engraving.