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"Chic ! meets" : Pierre Hardy in his Paris - "A potted history" of the Trabant - "Rising trends" : Kids' design - "What to do with" dried "Grisons" beef? - "Rising trends" : The Soho Hotel

"Chic ! meets" : Pierre Hardy in his Paris
Shoe designer Pierre Hardy, who designs for major names such as Hermès, Dior and Balenciaga, created his own line of shoes in 1999. Today, he reveals his Paris to us.

"A potted history" of the Trabant
Trabant is a nickname meaning "companion, servant and butler". Trabants are a little makeshift, but people hold them in high esteem, as they are very agreeable little cars. The car's mission was to facilitate the lives of Germans, transporting them at a lesser cost. It was made out of cheap materials, as the communists of its time didn't want to depend on imports from capitalist countries. So the bodywork was made out of papier maché, and reinforced with synthetic resin. In 1957, when the first car left the factory, it could be spotted driving around town, just like a new toy. And just for fun, do you know what the rear defrost strip is for? So you don't freeze your hands off when you're pushing it!

"Rising trends" : Kids' design
Whether in fashion or design, designers are increasingly turning to the world of children. Parents want children's rooms to look like their own. And so boutiques dedicated to "mini-design" are opening up, where you can buy, for example, a mini Thonet Chair. Designer Matali Crasset, has turned her children's bedroom into her own laboratory to test out her design work for kids.

"What to do with" dried "Grisons" beef?
A strong cheese, brushed with a plant-based brine, according to a secret recipe. And some dried beef, to which are added Alpine herbs and spices. Appenzeller and "Grisons" beef are two typically Swiss ingredients to which chef Flora Mikoula has given an Asian twist.

"Rising trends" : The Soho Hotel
The Soho Hotel opened up in London's Soho district in Autumn 2005 on the site of a former parking lot. The restaurant walls still bear witness to its origins. Kit Kemp designed its 90 rooms and penthouses, all of them different. Must-sees are a projection room for Sunday film sessions, and Botero's great copper cat that guards the entrance to the hotel.