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Prince Gyasi for Maison Martell.

Maison Martell is painting the town red — and orange and electric pink — in its latest collaboration. The oldest of the great cognac houses has welcomed Ghanaian visual artist Prince Gyasi as its new creative partner, opening a collaboration that brings his saturated colours and surreal compositions to the historic Château de Chanteloup in Cognac.

Gyasi has been invited to reinterpret more than three centuries of the French Maison’s history through his distinctive visual language. The partnership begins with a film directed by TJ Sawyer and conceived creatively by Gyasi, in which the estate gradually transforms into a vivid world shaped by the artist’s imagination.

As Gyasi moves through the grounds, traditional French classical music gives way to Afrobeats, while the château’s familiar surroundings shift into a palette of bold, saturated colours. At the centre of the film, a golden Ghanaian pushcart provides an unexpected visual link between the worlds of Cognac and Accra, bringing Gyasi’s own cultural references into a setting steeped in French history.

“Colour is how I understand and communicate the world,” says Gyasi. “At Château de Chanteloup, I found a meeting point between heritage and imagination, and between the worlds of Cognac and Accra. This dialogue gives me the freedom to bring those influences together through my own perspective and to shape how the collaboration develops.”

Prince Gyasi for Maison Martell.

Founded by Jean Martell in 1715, the Maison has built its reputation on generations of cognac-making expertise, while maintaining a longstanding interest in new forms of creative expression. Its historic swift emblem, a symbol of freedom and forward motion, offers a fitting counterpart to Gyasi’s approach, which brings established traditions into conversation with contemporary African culture.

Born in Accra, Gyasi began taking photographs as a teenager using an iPhone before developing a practice spanning photography, film, fashion and design. His work is instantly recognisable for its intense colour combinations and surreal compositions, often placing familiar subjects in dreamlike settings. In 2024, he became the first African artist to photograph and creative-direct the Pirelli Calendar, marking the calendar’s 50th anniversary and further establishing his presence across contemporary art and fashion.

For Sébastien Borda, Vice President of Marketing Prestige at Pernod Ricard, the partnership reflects Martell’s continued openness to new ideas. “For more than three centuries, Martell has combined respect for its heritage with an openness to new ideas and forms of expression. Prince Gyasi’s creative vision resonates deeply with that spirit.”

Château de Chanteloup in Cognac, Maison Martell.

The film marks the first chapter of the Martell and Gyasi collaboration, with further creative projects set to be unveiled in the coming weeks. Discover more here.

photography. courtesy of Maison Martell
words. Gennaro Costanzo

Victor Kunda for adidas & Mercedes-Benz.

The adidas Samba has been to football terraces, fashion weeks and just about every street corner in between — but it still has a few unexpected moves left. Now, in partnership with Mercedes-Benz, the iconic three-stripe silhouette is taking a distinctly automotive turn. The two German giants have announced the launch of the limited-edition ‘adidas Samba OG x Mercedes-Benz’, arriving as part of the automotive marque’s ‘140 Years of Innovation’ anniversary celebrations.

Marking the opening chapter of a long-term strategic partnership between the two companies, the collaborative trainer launch serves as the foundation for a series of future projects and collections to come. “What unites us is a shared passion for iconic design, innovation and creating experiences that people truly connect with,” says Christina Schenck, Vice President Digital & Communications and Investor Relations at Mercedes-Benz AG.

Design-wise, the shoes borrow directly from one of the automotive brand’s most recognisable interiors. The sneaker’s leather upper is finished with a quilted diamond-stitch pattern inspired by the seating of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, bringing a distinctly automotive detail to the low-profile football classic. The three-pointed Mercedes-Benz star is emblazoned across the tongue, while the shoe arrives in three monochromatic colourways: Magic Beige, Grey Five and Black.

Victor Kunda for adidas & Mercedes-Benz.

Mariona Roma & Niklas Rueth for adidas & Mercedes-Benz.

The accompanying campaign features an internet-savvy cast including internet style icons Aki & Koichi, British fashion content creator Victor Kunda and digital style duo Mariona Roma & Niklas Rueth.

The launch also coincides with the latest leg of Mercedes-Benz’s ongoing ‘140 Years. 140 Places.’ journey, in which three custom S-Class saloons — nicknamed ‘Bertha’, ‘Carl’ and ‘Gottlieb’ — are travelling almost 65,000 kilometres across six continents. The cars are scheduled to arrive at adidas’ global headquarters in Herzogenaurach right on time for the release, before beginning the final stretch back to Stuttgart.

For Michael Batz, Motorsport Category GM at adidas, the collaboration brings together two brands with equally established visual identities. “It is a great privilege to collaborate with such an enduring and renowned brand as Mercedes-Benz,” he says. “Together, we have reimagined the adidas Samba with iconic design details that bring together two centres of excellence, both known for pushing boundaries while staying true to what makes them distinctive.”

Mariona Roma for adidas & Mercedes-Benz.

Aki & Koichi for adidas & Mercedes-Benz.

The adidas Samba OG x Mercedes-Benz will be available to order online and in selected adidas stores from 13 October. Find out more here.

photography. courtesy of adidas & Mercedes-Benz
words. Gennaro Costanzo

Buccellati, Furry collection.

Buccellati is inviting its inner circle to look at silverware from a completely different angle — preferably through the bottom of an exquisite crystal glass. The high jewellery Maison has renewed its partnership with interior designer Chahan Minassian to open an intimate, double-height Caviar Bar inside the historic family flagship at Via Montenapoleone 23 in Milan. Tucked away in a private courtyard space inside Palazzo Gavazzi, the project transforms the brand’s legendary ‘Art de la Table’ silverware archive into a fully functional hospitality environment.

The Caviar Bar was designed following the features of the signature ‘Caviar’ collection, famed for a dense surface texture composed of entirely hand-crafted silver microspheres. Minassian has taken that micro-beaded motif and expanded it across a room lined with vaulted surfaces entirely garbed in custom mirrored panels, rendered in nuanced tones of copper, silver and smoky grey. 

Visitors enter through an atmospheric gallery that recalls the ceremonial sequences of 19th-century Milanese palazzi. This path then opens into a main salon dominated by dramatic verticality, where a glazed mezzanine level overlooks the lounge seating, bespoke bistro tables and a central bar arranged to host conversational intimacy. “The objective was to create an interior that felt welcoming and lived-in while preserving the architectural grandeur of Palazzo Gavazzi,” Minassian explains. “The mirrors introduce light, movement and depth, while the materials, textiles and Murano glass bring warmth and intimacy.”

Caviar Bar by Giulio Ghirardi.

Caviar Bar by Giulio Ghirardi.

The double-height lounge combines antique Murano glass chandeliers with custom-designed velvet sofas, Fortuny fabrics and richly textured leathers, establishing a residential mood where guests sip drinks alongside new additions to the Caviar lineup. The spherical design motif — reinterpreted by Andrea Buccellati from an original drawing — adorns a comprehensive new flatware set, ice buckets, champagne flutes, trays and two distinct sizes of caviar serving bowls, all finished with a delicate crown of silver microspheres.

But that’s not all. The bar also serves as the active setting for the house’s most eccentric silverware collections, treating centuries of Italian bottega craft as dynamic tabletop accents. For instance, the tablespace highlights the ‘Furry’ collection, a series of realistic silver animal sculptures first devised in the 1960s by Gianmaria Buccellati. The unique hair-like manual technique involves hand-fraying paper-thin silver sheets over plaster moulds to create hyper-detailed deer, eagles and flamingos. These sit alongside smaller, tender creatures like squirrels, sparrows, dogs, koalas, monkeys and oryxes, complemented by feathered birds that look alive. To accent the experience, the Maison has also integrated its new ‘Furry’ bowls collection, displaying textured, decorative silver receptacles across the lounges.

Buccellati, Nature collection.

Buccellati, Caviar and Jam Jar collections.

The remaining corners of the bar introduce a playful splash of colour via the ‘Jam Jar’ collection. Here, the pieces fuse hand-blown Murano glass bases with sculpted silver lids shaped like delicate botanical foliage, expanding this season to include a realistic, deep-purple blackberry jar. These additions join the existing pieces shaped like lemons, oranges, plums, apples, pears, mushrooms, pumpkins and peaches. To heighten the tablescape’s decorative appeal, matching miniature place card holders — designed as tiny replicas of fruits and vegetables — are also scattered across the settings. 

The venue rounds out its study of the natural world with the ‘Nature’ collection, showcasing silver triptych bowls inspired by flower petals, leaf-shaped picture frames and monumental table centrepieces. These include the historic ‘Armatae Flores’ — a majestic centrepiece composed of a handcrafted garland of artichokes grafted onto a silicified wooden base — and the theatrical poppy centrepiece, featuring light silver blooms rising from a functional floral container.

The new Buccellati Caviar Bar is open for private client commissions and hospitality bookings at the Milan flagship. Discover all the new Buccellati collections here. 

photography. courtesy of Giulio Ghirardi (interiors), Buccellati
words. Gennaro Costanzo