upstairs at ronnie’s | the new chapter of soho’s jazz icon

In the midst of the buzzy men’s fashion week in Paris, Kenzo opted for a homecoming of sorts. To present the maison’s Autumn/Winter 2026 collection, Creative Director Nigo opened the doors to Kenzo Takada’s former residence, located in the heart of the Bastille district. The sweeping 1,600-square-metre house was designed by Takada and his partner, architect Xavier de Castella, and completed in 1993. Though Castella did not live to see the finished home – the first stage of construction was completed in 1989, just a year before his death – Takada lived there until 2009. 

Originally imagined as a private sanctuary, or “oasis house,” the space was designed to promote meditation and rest. Yet, in keeping with Takada’s boundless creativity, it also played host to photoshoots, showrooms, and parties. The interiors seamlessly married French and Japanese aesthetics – much like the maison itself – and were partly modelled on Takada’s father’s teahouse in Himeji, Hyōgo Province. 

A dedicated space for tea ceremonies subtly referenced the teahouse, while traditional tatami floor mats and shoji sliding doors were among Takada’s many Japanese design choices. He even installed an indoor swimming pool. Outside, a Japanese garden flourishes with bamboo, junipers, mosses, maple trees, and cherry trees, bringing a sense of tranquillity to both the exterior and interior of the property. A koi carp pond sits just beyond a grand window, where Takada was known to meditate in a specific spot – one that Nigo himself recreated during his first visit to the house. In 2018, the residence was redesigned by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and is now owned by Isabelle and Olivier Chouvet, co-founders of global luxury marketing and communications firm The Independents.

For the presentation, the library room guided guests through Kenzo’s archive. Sketches, editorials, and archival looks – such as an Autumn/Winter 1983 men’s quilted jacket and an Autumn/Winter 1987 women’s embroidered jacket – traced the maison’s evolution since its founding in 1970. This retrospective not only reaffirmed Takada’s unwavering vision but also highlighted how Nigo has thoughtfully built upon his legacy. In the kitchen, Nigo’s regular coffee spot, Télescope, created a bespoke menu for guests, featuring matcha cookies, mini ham sandwiches with shiso, and fresh goat cheese wrapped in nori leaf with ume.

The Autumn/Winter collection echoed many of the house’s own qualities. Like the interiors in which it was shown, it was a melange of French and Japanese design. Nigo played with cultures, codes, and archetypes, effortlessly combining varsity graphics, flannel cowboy shirts, Chinese pankou detailing, Italian tailoring, and kimonos. Presented within oak-panelled rooms framed by greenery, the collection felt deeply connected to the house – and its storied past.

photography. Courtesy of Kenzo
words. Amber Louise

Winning a local car show is nice, but taking home a trophy that declares your vehicle superior to every other top-tier winner on the planet is a different league entirely. The Peninsula Paris became the centre of the automotive universe this week as it crowned a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B with ‘The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award.’ This is the sort of accolade that settles arguments before they even start, marking the car as the undisputed monarch of the classic circuit.

Qualifying for this award is harder than getting a table at a new hotspot on opening night. To even be invited, a car must have already won ‘Best of Show’ at a major international Concours d’Elegance during the previous year. This specific Alfa Romeo punched its ticket by dominating at ‘The Amelia 2025’ before arriving in Paris for the gala on 26 January. The event drew a crowd as high-profile as the machinery, including Nicole Kidman, who watched as the Italian thoroughbred took the top honour.

Sir Michael Kadoorie launched this initiative in 2015 alongside co-founders William E. ‘Chip’ Connor, Bruce Meyer and Christian Philippsen because they shared a desire to celebrate the best of what defines the automotive world. They wanted to create a global benchmark that brings the elite of the international concours scene together in one place. It serves as a way to honour the highest art of restoration while ensuring these mechanical cultural assets are preserved for future generations to appreciate.

Most collectors would settle for any 8C, but this chassis comes with a backstory that sounds like it was written for cinema. It was originally owned by Giuseppe ‘Nino’ Farina, the man who etched his name in history as the first official Formula 1 World Champion in 1950. While many of its siblings wore Touring coachwork, Farina kept it in the family by commissioning Stabilimenti Farina to sculpt the body. The result is the only 8C 2900B in existence with this specific design, making it a singular piece of motoring history.

Deborah Keller accepted the prize for the Keller Collection and noted that the car “embodies the golden era of Italian automotive design and outstanding craftsmanship.” The vehicle was in a partially restored state when acquired but underwent a complete transformation finished in 1995. Since then, it has been busy collecting silverware at Pebble Beach and even winning the ‘Parade of Elegance’ after completing the Rally Monte Carlo. “Every time I see it, I am reminded why such magnificent automobiles deserve to be preserved and celebrated,” Keller said.

Taking the title required fending off six other nominees that represent the absolute peak of collecting. The Alfa had to outshine heavyweights like a 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500K Spezial Roadster and a 1954 Ferrari 375 MM. The jury panel responsible for this difficult decision included industry titans such as Gordon Murray and Jay Leno. Co-founder of the awards, Christian Philippsen, described the winner as “the pinnacle of pre-war high-performance engineering,” and it is hard to argue with that assessment.

Anyone hoping to see this masterpiece in the metal can head to Rétromobile from 28 January to 1 February. Find out more here.

photography. courtesy of Agence Pancake, Peninsula Paris
words. Gennaro Costanzo

The Peninsula is turning its hotels into something like a travelling gallery this spring. For Hong Kong Arts Month in March 2026, the group will stage the latest edition of ‘Art in Resonance,’ the commissioning programme that asks artists to make work specifically for hotel spaces (from façades to lobbies) and this year it does so in close creative conversation with the Victoria & Albert Museum.

The programme invites work to be imagined with the building in mind. The result is site-specific art that plays with how guests and the public move through a place: a façade that reads from the street, a ceramic field in the lobby, a carpet that lives underfoot. 

Three commissions lead the Hong Kong presentation. Angel Hui has been asked to transform the hotel’s exterior with a piece intended for everyone on the street to see. Hui, who was recently chosen to represent Hong Kong at the 61st Venice Biennale, brings a contemporary attention to questions of identity and belonging; placing her work on the façade makes the hotel part of the city’s public life.

Inside, Albert Yonathan Setyawan – an Indonesian artist based in Tokyo – will install a contemplative ceramic work in The Lobby. Curated by Dr Louis Copplestone, the V&A’s Curator for South-East Asia, Setyawan’s piece draws on ritual, repetition and sacred space, offering a moment of calm in one of the building’s busiest rooms. Dr Copplestone’s scholarship and long experience with Asian visual culture help shape the commission’s dialogue between material and meaning.

On the first-floor landing by The Verandah, architect-artist Dr William Lim teams up with Tai Ping, the luxury carpet house, on a woven piece that explores materiality and memory. It’s Tai Ping’s second year participating in ‘Art in Resonance’ and the project continues the hotel’s interest in collaborations that blend craft, design and public art.

The programme also keeps its earlier projects in circulation. Lin Fanglu’s ‘She’s Bestowed Love,’ shown at The Peninsula Hong Kong in 2025, is currently on display at the V&A South Kensington as part of ‘Dimensions: Contemporary Chinese Studio Crafts’ through September 2026. A portion of that work is also scheduled to appear at The Peninsula London in February.

“We are proud to continue our partnership with the V&A,” says Benjamin Vuchot, Chief Executive Officer of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels. “This collaboration represents our shared vision to present world-class, immersive and intentional art experiences that transcend borders and resonate with audiences around the world.”

Discover more here.

photography. courtesy of Angel Hui, Jake Chen, Terry Tam
words. Gennaro Costanzo