
Best Alliance
Fabrics and furnishing accessories, by Raf Simons and Kvadrat
Raf Simons' polymath credentials are well established but nowhere better illustrated than in his ongoing collaborations with the textile specialist Kvadrat. Simons first turned to Kvadrat while still design chief at Jil Sander, cutting and shaping its textiles into catwalk-friendly forms. Kvadrat in turn asked the Belgian designer to create a collection of furniture fabrics. Launched earlier this year, the collection includes sculptural fabrics in mohair, polyester, cashmere and wool, as well as home accessories such as throws and cushions. And as a confirmation of the fabrics' versatility, swatches of Simons' Kvadrat effort were used in the A/W14 collection, created in collaboration with US artist Sterling Ruby.
Pictured: Model wears clothing from the Raf Simons/Sterling Ruby A/W14 collection. Also pictured is Simons' pick of classic design pieces, upholstered in his fabric collection for Kvadrat. From left, 'Refolo' sofa, by Charlotte Perriand, for Cassina, upholstered in 'Sonar 2'; 'F51' chair, by Walter Gropius, for Tecta, upholstered in 'Astor' (back and armrests) and 'Harald 2' (seat); 'Bird' chaise longue, by Tom Dixon, for Cappellini, upholstered in 'Pilot'; 'Pelican' chair, by Finn Juhl, for Onecollection, upholstered in 'Pilot' (body) and 'Haakon 2' (cushion); and 'Freeform' sofa and ottoman, by Isamu Noguchi, for Vitra, upholstered in 'Vidar 2'
Photography: Michael Rygaard; Writer: Rosa Bertoli

Best Jewellery
'Signature’ ring, by Monique Péan
When it comes to sourcing unique raw materials, jeweller Monique Péan always digs deep. In fact, the New Yorker’s procurement process is akin to an archaeological expedition, given that her petrified creations star an avant-garde offering of fossilised woolly mammoth and walrus ivory, along with agatised dinosaur bone. Since 2006, the former Goldman Sachs analyst has been working with indigenous Alaskans in the Arctic Circle to gather ivory fossils, which are the result of 10,000 years of mineralisation. When ice in this region melts and shifts, the fossils rise to the surface and are collected by Péan’s community of fossickers. The designer sets these one-of-a-kind organic forms with 18ct recycled gold and ethically sourced or repurposed diamonds.
Pictured: Fossilised woolly mammoth ivory and black diamond geometric 'Signature' ring in 18ct recycled oxidised white gold, £8,100, by Monique Péan, from Dover Street Market
Photography: Felicity Ingram; Fashion: Zoë Sinclair; Writer: Katrina Israel

Best New Brand
Lighting company Parachilna
The name of this Barcelona-based lighting company was inspired by a visit to Parachilna, a remote settlement north of Adelaide. We can't see the link between high-end lights and the Australian outback either, but at least the brand's intentions are clear. 'Parachilna was born from our love of luxury,' says its team. 'For us, luxury is about the quality of the materials and the craftsmanship that creates it.' Stephen Burks' 'Anwar' lamps, made from welded steel rods, have been followed by collections by Jaime Hayon and Jordi Veciana using hand-blown glass, ceramic and metal. We think it's a bright start.
From left: 'Aballs T Me' pendant, £830, by Jaime Hayon; combined floorlamp comprising 'Anwar P 90' base and 'Anwar 30' top, £4,581; 'Anwar T 45' pendant, £2,082, both by Stephen Burks; 'Alistair M' table lamp, £1,017; by Jordi Veciana, all for Parachilna
Photography: Paul Zak; Interiors: Maria Sobrino; Writer: Christopher Stocks

Best Smoking
We're well suited for a postprandial puff in this dedicated pavilion
Having a dedicated space for each favourite activity is a hallmark of luxury - think a library, a games room, a spa. Commissioned by a private client for a Zurich townhouse, this smoking pavilion is a worthy addition. Designed by London-based architect Gianni Botsford, it allows the owners to admire the garden while enjoying a postprandial puf and without affecting other residents. Botsford was drafted in by landscape architect Todd Longstaffe-Gowan. 'Our idea was to create a simple structure possessing a richness and complexity in its materiality that would develop relationships with the surroundings,' Botsford says. The first self-supporting translucent concrete building made from engineered precast panels, it seems solid yet light. Altogether as smooth and striking as the Philipp Plein suit we chose to spark up in.
Pictured: Suit, €1,075, by Philipp Plein. Shirt, £125; bow tie, £65, both by Hardy Amies. Shoes, £550, by Jimmy Choo. Romeo y Julieta Belicosos cigar, £20, from 1A St James Street Tobacconists
Photography: Joël Tettamanti; Writer: Ellie Stathaki; Fashion: Mathew Stevenson-Wright

Best Coffee and Cake
Bringing rigour to our sugar rush
There's a new order to our afternoon coffee break. Design studio Lucy.D collaborated with Vienna's historic Café Landtmann to create a clean, contemporary take on fancy cakes, using embossing and airbrushing techniques. Portuguese porcelain brand Vista Alegre's 'Orquestra' tableware by design duo David/Nicolas serves up a symphony of geometric patterns. And the limited-edition, stackable 'Sucabaruca' cofee set, conceived by Luca Nichetto and Lera Moiseeva for Toronto gallery Mjölk, a tribute to Jean-Paul Goude, brings a pop of colour to proceedings.
Best cake: 'Landtmann Kollektion' design cake collection, from €10 to €110, by Lucy.D, for Landtmann's Feine Patisserie. 'Orquestra' bread and butter plate, £11; square solar plate, £19; Large oval platter, £45; dinner plate, £15, all by David Raffoul and Nicolas Moussalem, for Vista Alegre. 'Tortensschaufel' cake slice, €560, by Josef Hoffmann, for Wiener Silber Manufactur. Best coffee: 'Sucabaruca Memphis Pop' coffee service, with pot, funnel and three cups, £495, by Luca Nichetto and Lera Moiseeva, for Mjölk. 'Sucabaruca' marble tray, £495, by Mjölk
Photography: Thomas Albdorf; Food: Ulrike Dorner; Writer: Sujata Burman

Best Space Race
Design goes out of this world
Space may be the final frontier, but a group of adventurous designers has been boldly going where few designers have gone before, with some rather stellar results. Germany's Jan Kath started the space race by taking images from the Hubble space telescope and turning them into hand-knotted rugs (why did no one think of that before?), while his fellow countrywoman Elisa Strozyk has been turning her tables to give them an uncanny resemblance to pictures of Earth from space. Not to be outdone, Diesel Living has collaborated with Seletti on a dinner service called 'Cosmic Diner', with designs based on the solar system - a planetary theme shared by Milan-based Dimore Studio's cast-resin 'Lampada 061'. And for Minotti, Rodolfo Dordoni all but eclipses the competition with a circular metal tabletop that orbits 360 degrees over its elliptical ebony base. We have blast-off!
Clockwise from top left, tall ceramic table, £3,450; small ceramic table, £3,000, both by Elisa Strozyk, from Mint. 'Lamp 061', price on request, by Dimore Studio. 'Cosmic Diner' plates, from £19, by Diesel Living, for Seletti. 'Benson' coffee table, £3,040, by Rodolfo Dordoni, for Minotti. 'Spacecrafted/Space 3' rug, £2,380 per sq m or £17,850 as seen, by Jan Kath
Photography: Emile Barret; Interiors: Matthew Morris; Writer: Christopher Stocks