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Smell

Pisani Et Al.


When four friends get together, something combustible can happen. (Just ask the original cast members of Sex and the City.) Such an event transpired in a very good way when Daniela Pisani, Mariza Scotch, Robin Marino, and Lynn Shapiro got together to launch Pisani Et Al. The new collection of leather goods, home accessories, and scents celebrates the artisanal heritage of Italy. The silk pouches and bags—lightweight, often foldable, and full of pockets—are designed with travel in mind. The exceptionally well-made wallets are a very attractive proposition, too. But it’s the fragrance, De Aetna Profumo, that we can no longer bear to be without. Made by a Tuscan family that has been in the business since 1925, it combines notes of amber, sandalwood, incense, and aromatics to create something that transports its wearer to Italy, no Alitalia ticket required. ($245, pisanietal.com) —Ashley Baker

Light

Nette


Carol Han started her career as a fashion editor—first at Lucky, then at Elle. In these roles, she took notes on the changes upending the beauty industry, such as the move toward products with fewer and more pronounceable ingredients. Han noticed that same shift wasn’t happening with home-fragrance brands. Most candle companies opt for the cheap petroleum wax full of synthetic materials. So she created her own brand: Nette. Her nontoxic products are made with a coconut-soy-wax blend, scented with essential oils, and come in sleek, handmade glass vessels. The fragrances are unusual, like Sunday Chess (vanilla with notes of patchouli, resins, and amber) and Queen (layers of honey, hay, and heliotrope), but appealing. (Starting at $68, nettenyc.com) —Bridget Arsenault

Thaw

Hot-Water Bottles


Much like knitting and crocheting, activities that until very recently were strictly associated with retirement, the lowly hot-water bottle, hearkening back to the World War II era when heat was a scarce commodity, is having a moment. Chalk it up to remote work (couch life demands a hot-water bottle), or pandemic breakups (hot-water bottles are just as efficient at keeping the bed warm as your ex was), or what you will, but suddenly everyone from Matches Fashion to Shrimps is offering up their own version, complete with stylish covers. Anya Hindmarch’s target injuries. YuYu’s are made with biodegradable rubber. If you happen to have taken up crocheting, you can even make your own cover for your latest acquisition. ($275, us.anyahindmarch.com) —Julia Vitale

Watch

Speakerine


The year 1962 was glorious for French haute couture but not so great for French politics—Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent were all-powerful, but Charles de Gaulle faced coup plots and multiple assassination attempts after recognizing Algeria’s independence. Speakerine, a murder mystery that revolves around Christine Beauval (Marie Gillain), an elegant female presenter on French state television, has deliciously vintage fashion and vicious political intrigue. Mad Men will come to mind, and so will the British series The Hour, which focused on a BBC news team at the time of the Suez crisis. There are even a few Hitchcock references, though the men in power—plus ça change—seem modeled on more recent, real-life predators, such as Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Gabriel Matzneff. (amazon.com) —Alessandra Stanley

Eat

Harry’s Berries


There’s at least five months until berry season. The fare at Harry’s Berries in winter is sweeter and juicier than most pints you’ll pick up at Whole Foods—or even New York farmers markets—in July. Harry Iwamoto started his Oxnard, California, farm in 1967. Now his daughter and son-in-law grow his variety of strawberries: Seascape, Chandler, and Mara des Bois. Once available only to patrons of Southern California farmers markets, the berries have made their way to the East Coast. Still, they can be hard to find. In Los Angeles, Erewhon and McCall’s Meat and Fish Co. often stock them; in New York, try the Greene Grape in Fort Greene. The price—$18 per pint—seems laughable, until you taste them. ($18, ourharvest.com) —Jensen Davis

Wear

Loro Piana


’Tis the time of year (and pandemic) where the only real interactions we’re having are with our various screens and sofas. It’s easy to descend into a style rut of Patagonia fleeces and elasticized pants, but we urge you to resist. Instead, be contrarian by upgrading your cozy knits. The good people at Loro Piana do this with style and verve, especially when it comes to the Achillea sweater. It has just enough Fair Isle to keep the piece interesting, but not so much that it recalls the cardigans of your childhood. Layer a button-up underneath, or throw on a chunky necklace, and voilà—a highly respectable Zoom look is yours. Best of all, it even looks great with yoga pants. Promise. ($2,050; net-a-porter.com) —Ashley Baker

Issue No. 133
January 29, 2022
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Issue No. 133
January 29, 2022