Between the lines

South Korean artist Leo Park gifts his drawing to staff from Fortnum & Mason at The Royal Exchange

In early January, The Royal Exchange welcomed a very special guest in Leo Park – a talented 12-year-old artist from South Korea. His intricate illustrations and watercolours capture architecture and city landscapes in extraordinary detail, and we were delighted to spot The Royal Exchange among his many wonderful creations. To say thank you, Fortnum & Mason invited Leo to The Royal Exchange for an exclusive tour of the building and to learn more about our history. Leo offered his drawing of The Royal Exchange as a gift to Fortnums and he will return in the summer to draw our courtyard. We’re sure that there are many great things to come from this talented young artist – watch this space.
Follow @draw_vengers to see more of Leo Park’s work

Flower power

January is a time to celebrate all things new. And with this in mind, luxury fragrance house Jo Malone London has just released a new collection dedicated entirely to the rose. Including colognes, diffusers and candles, the new range features four distinctive scents that offer a different interpretation of what the brand describes as the ‘queen of the flower’.

‘Over the years, we’ve created many different rose fragrances for many different collections,’ explains Jo Malone London global head of fragrance, Céline Roux. ‘Almost unconsciously, we keep coming back to the rose, so it just felt natural that we should celebrate this timeless flower with a collection of its own.’
Discover the new collection in person at Jo Malone London at The Royal Exchange 

Bags of style

Some people feel a bit low once the excitement of the festive season has passed. But there’s no need to succumb to the January blues when you can indulge in January sales instead. This month, luxury leather goods brand Aspinal of London is offering a very generous 60% off selected items throughout the whole of January. If your Christmas gifts didn’t quite tick everything off your list, now is your chance to treat yourself to what you really want. Enjoy shopping the Aspinal of London sale in store at The Royal Exchange

Work up a sweat

Speaking of snapping up a bargain, Scandi-French menswear brand Ron Dorff has just unveiled its new-season fitness collection – alongside its winter sale where many items are up to 40% off. It’s the perfect excuse to prepare yourself for a year of healthy habits and tick off any fitness goals that made it on to your list of New Year’s resolutions. Discover more in store at Ron Dorff at The Royal Exchange 

Hit the beach

After months of disrupted travel plans and restrictions, we’re all dreaming of escaping to sunnier climates. It was during the first lockdown that the designers at heritage British jewellers Boodles began daydreaming of travel and escapism. This led to the brand-new BEACH collection, launched in stores this January. This ravishing new collection features delicate pieces all made from sand and sea resistant SMO gold (single mine origin), and also introduces Boodles’ first-ever anklet. ‘I am very excited about this collection, launching in the height of winter, particularly as it will be the first time in Boodles history that we have designed and created a BEACH anklet.’ commented Honour Wainwright, 6th generation of the Boodles family. If you’re lucky enough to be jetting off for some winter sun, or you’re planning your escape to sun-kissed shores later in the year, this elegant new collection will give you plenty of summer inspiration. Discover the collection in store at Boodles at The Royal Exchange

Animal farm

Luxury goods brand Hermès is championing a stunning 100% silk twill scarf this January, designed by French multi-disciplinary artist Emeline Piot. La Legende de la Foret is available at The Royal Exchange and features an incredibly intricate illustration of a stag surrounded by woodland creatures. Almost hypnotic in its complexity and beauty, the scarf comes in a range of vibrant colourways. Carre 90cm twill 100% silk La Legende de la Foret scarf, £370, available in store at Hermès at The Royal Exchange

Specs appeal 

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Morpheus in Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures and Venus Castina Productions’ “THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo by Murray Close

When it was released in 1999, The Matrix was a groundbreaking film. Not just for its visionary fight sequences and cinematography but also for its cyberpunk fashion, which saw floor-grazing leather trench coats and jet-black sunglasses soar in popularity. Now, more than two decades later, Neo, Trinity and Morpheus are back for The Matrix Resurrections. This time around, bespoke eyewear designer Tom Davies designed the characters’ signature glasses, including a new version of Morpheus’s famous nose-clip sunglasses. In fact, Davies supplied over 200 bespoke frames for the new film, and has just revealed a limited-edition new collection of frames featured in the movie available online and in-store at The Royal Exchange. ‘The glasses worn by the characters in The Matrix series are a key element of each look, so this was the most creatively challenging Hollywood commission I have ever had,’ commented Davies. ‘I was very conscious of the need both to pay tribute to the original designs but also to produce something new. It was evolution, not revolution.’ Shop the new collection in store at Tom Davies The Royal Exchange and online at iwearbritain.com