February 12, 2026 |
TEN CRAVES IS OUR ONLINE SERIES THAT ROUNDS UP ALL THE BEST PRODUCT LAUNCHES AND MUST-KNOW FASHION HAPPENINGS WEEK IN, WEEK OUT.
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD Is Throwing Shade
Sun’s out, sunnies out. Whether you’re looking for a touch of glamour or a playful twist, the Vivienne Westwood 2026 Sun Collection has got you covered. From the minimal framing of the Franklin design to the angular silhouette of the Vera, embellished with Swarovski crystals, all the way to the retro-futurist aesthetic of the bold Chamonix style, the whole collection feels like an ode to unclouded fun, be it off-piste or pool-side. Westwood aficionados are in for a treat, as the collection also features some updated house classics, like the Vivienne design now in signature tartan check and the Costello in transparent acetate. With handmade frames and tips in ethically-sourced Acetate Renew, Vivienne Westwood brings a reinvention of vintage-inspired house codes that never stops feeling charmingly contemporary. Shop here. Cecilia Nuvola Bechini
AUSSIE SKINCARE SENSATION RATIONALE LANDS IN LONDON
For the past 30 years, a specific luxury skincare and make-up brand’s name has echoed through the offices of dermatologists world-wide, starting in Melbourne, Australia: Rationale. With its pioneering approach to evidence-based skincare designed to restore the derma’s innate luminosity, Rationale has become synonymous with scientific excellence. Now though, no transoceanic flight ticket will be needed for you to get your hands on the brand’s viral Essential Six collection – a simple stroll to Harrods will do, as the Knightsbridge department store has just welcomed Rationale for its official UK launch. Skilfully engineered formulas meet a simple philosophy: protection by day, repair by night. And that’s what the Essential Six collection’s uniquely structured system offers, (through its Strengthening Serum, Brightening Light Crème, Brilliance Tinted Serum SPF50+, Nourishing Cleanser, Refining Serum and Rejuvenating Night Crème). With days getting longer and brighter, the brand also invites you to explore its Beautiful Balm series, set to ensure optimal nourishment while preserving the skin’s natural barrier. Science-driven skincare – get that natural glow. Shop here. CNB
PALACE SKATEBOARDS LAUNCHES NEW HONG KONG STORE
Cult label Palace Skateboards has raced up the cross-continental ramp and landed in Hong Kong, where the house has opened its brand-new standalone store, the first one in the city. The Causeway Bay store façade isn’t easy to miss, with custom neon signage – a Hong Kong specialty – wrapping the brick-tiled front in flashing lights that scream street-style chic. The neon motif, carried out inside the space, is only one of the multiple ways in which Palace has decided to honour the city’s heritage: the opening coincides with the release of a selection of Hong Kong-exclusive pieces, featuring a bold mix of ancient Chinese symbols rewritten to suit Palace’s signature playfulness and an exclusive collaboration with South China FC (SCAA). The house nods to football’s longstanding influence on its visual language and designs in a limited drop that is set to fill the new neon-lit store with queues of soon-to-be Palace devotees. CNB
TIFFANY & Co. PAYS HOMAGE TO THE CRAFT OF ENAMELLING
Tick tock, tick tock… here comes a brand new arrival from Tiffany & Co.. The new Enamel Watch features a glam diamond-encrusted dial. This is then wrapped by an encircling ring of either Tiffany Blue paillonné enamel or simple white enamel. Totalling 613 diamonds of over 4ks altogether, the watch is finished with 12 signature cross-stitches – to represent the hours in a half day. Paying homage to Tiffany’s famed jewellery designer, Jean Schlumberger, whose wit and attention-to-detail is inscribed into the design, the time-marker is unfixed and moves with the wearer’s arm. Grab yourself some new arm candy and be glamorously prepared for the next occasion in which you’re asked for the time. Lillie Elston
VAN CLEEF & ARPELS STEALS HEARTS WITH NEW SOLITAIRE BOUCLE RING
Adding another relation to the Van Cleef & Arpels family of the Solitaire and Wedding Bands Collection, the house has just dropped a new bit of bling. “Imbued with poetry”, the new Solitaire Boucle Ring honours the history of the maison while delivering a lively, modern exhibition of pavé diamonds in the form of a sparkling ribbon with a bold ruby or sapphire at the centre. On the hand, the ring shapes into an interlacing pattern that plays with light, shadow and radiance. Prepare to tie the knot. Shop here. LE
ALBERT KINGSLEY MEEK Unveils His AW26 COLLECTION MUCH MORE TOGETHER
“The future of fashion is bright and it’s made-to-order” is what Albert Kingsley Meek’s AW26 collection appears to announce. The ESMOD Paris graduate (2019) spent his post-grad years working for the likes of Vivienne Westwood, Wales Bonner and Kwaidan Editions, only to launch his eponymous, London-based brand in early 2025. His philosophy: sustainable, ethically-crafted garments reinventing the gendered norms of traditional menswear. The brand’s AW26 collection pushes it all a step further, showcasing a series of looks made entirely of locally-sourced, unblended, low-impact materials or dead stock fabrics, each exclusively made-to-order. Among the most striking designs are a wool tweed pleated shirt dress, a textured linen double-breasted jacket with matching shorts and a candid ivory silk coat. The collection is out now and made-to-order with a two-to-six week lead time, with bespoke sizing available upon request. Shop here. CNB
Mugler And David Hoyle Team Up To Teach You ‘How To Wear Mugler’
Through a fabulously theatrical lens of camp, drama and full-blown transformation, Mugler teams up with performance artiste David Hoyle for something a little bit extra (rightfully so). This collab riffs off the Mugler SS26 pre-collection called The Wardrobe of Identities, and comes to fruition in a series of snappy video episodes which depict Hoyle as both host and provocateur – teaching viewers not only how to dress in Mugler, but to embody its essence. In these under-a-minute skits, his commentary reflects the architectural symbolism of current creative director Miguel Castro Freitas’s very first designs for the maison. Expect sharp wit, exaggerated gestures and a shared flair for outrageously glamorous spirit, to be watched on your iPhone or the silver screen. Deliciously unbuttoned and stitched together with creative liberty – when asked the best time to drink champagne, Hoyle doesn’t hesitate. “Any time of the day”. We’ll cheers to that. LE
Marchesi 1824 Lands In Harrods’ Chocolate Hall
Harrods’s famous food hall has just been bestowed with an exclusive corner showcasing the magnificence that is Marchesi 1824‘s cocoa delicacies. This collab brings a curated selection of artisanally-crafted Marchesi 1824 chocolates to the centre of London, with warm regards from Milan. Reflecting the heritage of the sweet-maker’s historic Milanese pastry shop, the pop-up will allow guests to discover palatable creations such as pralines, cremini, dragées, biscuits and the refined Grand Cru – which all centre around cocoa origins. Watch out for the exclusive Grand Cru Venezuela cocoa mass; Marchesi’s latest labour of love reserved especially for Harrods customers. With a rich and compassionate 74 per cent cocoa content, mouth-wateringly elegant taste profiles are taken to the next level. Truffle up your mood this Valentine’s season – regardless of your relationship status, Marchesi has you covered. LE
Maison Margiela Gives Public Access To Its Archives
Maison Margiela has been busy preparing a double delight for fans. The team have thoroughly studied their archive folders which go all the way back to the maison’s founding in 1988, and have made aspects of these public for the very first time – giving tabi-clad followers a rare and especially special sneak peek. For the first time ever, the maison’s internal Dropbox folders, for operations and research alike, are now open to the public eye. For China-based followers (or travellers, if you are committed), Maison Margiela will be hosting a series of interactive events that highlight some of the most creative and unique aspects of the house. Spanning across April 1 to April 12, Margiela will provide two weeks of exhibitions, a show and various immersive experiences, under the telling title MaisonMargiela/Folders. Thematically responding to the characteristics of memory and reinvention within the maison, they include the AW26 show in Shanghai, Creative Laboratory exhibition (Shanghai), Our History of Masks exhibition (Beijing), Tabi Collectors exhibition (Chengdu) and Atelier experience (Shenzhen). Ooh la la. LE
Lynda Benglis Is Showing At The Barbican
This spring, the Barbican hands its new Level 2 gallery to Lynda Benglis – and she doesn’t hold back. Encounters: Giacometti x Lynda Benglis – Back at Ya (February 12 – May 31) pairs nearly 30 never-before-seen works by the Louisiana-born sculptor with historic pieces by Alberto Giacometti, including Woman with Chariot (1943-45) and Half Length of a Man (1965).
A postminimal pioneer who has spent five decades collapsing the boundaries between painting and sculpture, Benglis is major. Collected by MoMA, the Met and Tate, and represented by Pace, she has become a touchstone for fashion’s more sculptural minds – her poured latex, high-gloss polyurethane and molten metal works echoing in the liquid silhouettes and fetish finishes of designers like Jonathan Anderson for Loewe.
Here, her ghostly white paper reliefs – handmade over chicken wire and studded with cast sparkles, acrylic and coal tempera – leave her Santa Fe studio walls for the first time. Installed alongside fragments of Giacometti’s own studio, the show sets up a taut exchange: his attenuated, war-shadowed figures meeting her fleshy, erotic surfaces in a gallery that feels part stage set, part laboratory. Discover more here. Emily Phillips
Top image: photography courtesy of Vivienne Westwood.
