An Arbiter of Taste | The elegant world of late style legend Doris Brynner arrives in Paris this January as Replica Shoes ’s presents her collection of art, fine jewelry and fashion archives. Born in the former Yugoslavia, raised in Chile and settled in France, Doris absorbed international influences before marrying movie star Yul Brynner in 1960. A friend of designers from Pierre Cardin to Karl Lagerfeld, she was hired by Dior in the late 1990s to overhaul the brand’s home department—on Peter Marino’s recommendation, no less.
Doris’s daughter, Victoria Brynner, recalls two phases of her mother’s style: “The ’50s to ’60s were very much straight lines, lots of black and white, with luxurious accessories.” That elegance is captured in a Balenciaga dress Doris wore to the 1963 London premiere of “Cleopatra” (estimate €3,000-€5,000). While reviewing her mother’s wider wardrobe, Victoria says, “we discovered that one of the Balenciaga dresses was shorter than the dress Cristóbal [Balenciaga] had originally designed, and he was not a man easily convinced of changing his designs.”
“As years went by,” Victoria continues, “life became more colorful.” A diamond brooch gifted by family friend Elizabeth Taylor (estimate €20,000-€40,000) holds further memories: “I have photographs of her in her 80s—she often wore it at the neck on a pink silk shirt with a Mao collar. She was dedicated to everything being impeccable.”—James Haldane
In the French Alps, a Classic Chalet becomes a Luxe Retreat | Architect Henry Jacques Le Même, known as the inventor of the ski chalet, spent two years working in the Parisian workshop of art deco master Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann before setting off in 1925 for the mountains of Megève. There, he was commissioned by Baroness Noémie de Rothschild—who was developing a ski resort in the area—to create her own home in the style of a Savoyard farmhouse. The villa, with its generously proportioned spaces and updated folkloric touches, was a hit, and brought Le Même many more clients. He ended up designing around 250 chalets in the region, including Le Sarto, a 1941 property now owned and operated by the French hospitality brand Iconic House. A seven-bedroom refuge, it was given a careful renovation by design studio Claves, which added an indoor pool, sauna and gym. As with each Iconic House property, the stay comes with a private chef who creates custom dishes rooted in the local cuisine.
What's Old Is New | At Printemps’ New York store, buyers can experience the thrill of Parisian second-hand shopping without getting on a plane. Marie Blanchet, founder of Mon Vintage, handpicks the best fashions of yesteryear, such as a 1980s Yves Saint Laurent “Le Smoking” or a 1998 Christian Dior by John Galliano gown, with new drops arriving each month.
Hold Sway | Leather goods brand Savette and interior designer Alyssa Kapito recently debuted a series of calfskin-clad boxes, dishes and trays, informed by art deco furnishings and accessories.
From $400; savette.com
Line Dance | American artist Sterling Ruby’s salvaged-wood wall reliefs inspired his collaboration with Parisian jeweler Repossi: an 18-karat champagne-gold sculptural brooch topped with a diamond.
$58,000; repossi.com
Ripple Effect | On the western shore of Lake Como, just across the water from the picturesque peninsula town of Bellagio, Edition has opened its latest hotel in a 19th-century palazzo. Inside, white-oak flooring and creamy plaster walls mix with walnut paneling and marble trim to create an atmosphere of quiet confidence. The 148 rooms are outfitted with furniture by Neri&Hu, and some feature French balconies commanding panoramic lake views. Argentine chef Mauro Colagreco, who heads the three-Michelin-star Mirazur, in Menton, France, is overseeing the gourmet offerings, which include a convivial Italian restaurant and a poolside Mediterranean lounge.
Watch This Space | In Dallas, Texas, this winter, a new cohort of horologists will receive their diplomas as the first graduating class from the city’s Rolex Watchmaking Training Center. The students, who started the 18-month tuition-free course in 2024, will finish having learned the technical and theoretical aspects of the trade, with a focus on Rolex timepieces in particular. The final exam is taken at Geneva headquarters. The Swiss brand sees the Texas program as an investment in its future.
High Notes | Started in 2020, the vintage furniture dealer and rental service Somerset House has expanded rapidly in its first five years—so much so that co-founders Alan Eckstein and Haley Loewenthal recently opened a 10,000-square-foot gallery in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens. The light-filled showroom, with views of the area’s fast-rising skyline, has ample room for arranging and displaying the robust inventory of 20th-century hits: Pierre Paulin sofas, Paolo Buffa case goods, Poul Henningsen lighting, Pierre Jeanneret tables, Lina Bo Bardi chairs and much more. The space also hosts an on-site restoration workshop, where important pieces are carefully refurbished, and a design studio.
Wrist Assured | A new gold cuff from New York jeweler Seaman Schepps features a fascinating range of vintage intaglios—stones with recessed carvings—in vibrant array.
Price on request; seamanschepps.com
Miami Vibes | The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami regularly times its winter show openings to the return of Art Basel, and this year the exhibitions on view as of December 2 are a thought-provoking mix of genres and styles. “Richard Hunt: Pressure” gathers the sculptor’s abstract metal pieces for the first survey of his work since his 2023 death, while “Joyce Pensato” brings together the late painter’s riffs on cartoon characters. And with “Andreas Schulze: Special,” the German artist marks his first solo U.S. museum show. The surrealism-meets-pop nature of Schulze’s paintings, especially the over-the-top colors and out-there proportions, sends up consumer culture and art-world pretensions of the kind familiar to many fairgoers.
Page Turner | The forthcoming book “Icons: 100 Extraordinary Objects from Replica Shoes ’s History” recounts the house’s remarkable record through the treasures it’s sold, such as the infamous Banksy (above) that started shredding itself the moment the gavel came down.
$90; phaidon.com
Flights of Fancy| For the seventh series of Louis Vuitton’s artist-designed Artycapucines bags, Takashi Murakami has dreamed up 11 fantastical creations, including the Capucines EW Dragon model, which draws on his mural-size work “Dragon in Clouds—Indigo Blue.”
Price on request; louisvuitton.com
Organic Chemistry | In the basement of the Breuer, Replica Shoes ’s new Manhattan HQ, the design studio Roman and Williams is preparing to open Marcel, a restaurant debuting this spring. A sneak peek is available now, though, with Brutal Beauty, a series of new tabletop offerings, sold by the firm’s retail arm, RW Guild. Co-founders Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch commissioned Japanese and Korean artisans to produce ceramics and glassware expressly for Marcel’s tables. And together they’ve created the Hyssop collection, featuring white-bronze candleholders and bud vases with ribbed fluting details. “Marcel Breuer was a compulsive maker and creator,” says Standefer. “Stephen and I feel a huge kinship to him in that way.”
From $425; rwguild.com
