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"Rising trends" : Senderens, the starred-chef's revolution - "A potted history" of Doc Martens - "Rising trends" : The Dutch design boom - "What to do with" Griotte cherries ? - "A week with"... The world of Serge Lutens

"Rising trends" : Senderens, the starred-chef's revolution
He is unique, rare and cheeky. At the age of 66, Parisian chef Alain Senderens has given back his three Michelin stars and changed his restaurant from the "Lucas Carton" to the "Senderens". His concept is to maintain gastronomic standards, but to make the food more accessible, with a less stuffy waiter service, and a more palatable bill!

"A potted history" of Doc Martens
The story of Doc Martens doesn't begin in Britain but in Germany.
In the winter of 1946, in the village of Seeshaupt in Bavaria, Doctor Klaus Martens injured himself while skiing. He created an orthopaedic sole equipped with air cushions and patented his invention. It met with incredible success, albeit local, and his clients were elderly. His second life started in 1959 when an English company bought the patent, modified the name to make it more English-sounding, and produced its first model. This first model was worn by firemen, dockers and pump attendants and was quickly adopted by working-class youth. Their strong leather and indestructible sole made them the ideal shoes for walking the streets. They soon became an integral part of Skinhead and Punk fashion, and still enjoy a cult following today. "Docs" as they have come to be known, transcend eras and appeal to the new alternative trends. Over 50 million pairs have been sold throughout the world since they were launched. And they are not just for the most subversive among us - in 2007, Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto revisited the mythical model, and created a limited edition.

"Rising trends" : The Dutch design boom
Droog! In Dutch, the word that sounds more like a sneeze means "dry". It's also the name of a group of iconoclastic designers who have been shaking up the world of furniture since 1993. Their style now has its own following, giving rise to a highly talented generation of designers whose astonishing and moving creations manage to reconcile the demands of art with those of industry. Why does design flourish in Holland like nowhere else?

"What to do with" Griotte cherries ?
European populations have been eating cherries since the 4th millennium B.C. There are two kinds - sweet ones and acidic ones, including the griotte with its light and sour flesh. Chef Pierre Gagnaire has concocted a recipe of cheese and griottes.

"A week with"... The world of Serge Lutens
Serge Lutens is a visionary aesthetic who is perpetually reinventing himself. Having spent more than thiry years perfecting the world of make-up for Dior and Shiseido, he then turned his hand to the world of fragrance. In 1992 he opened the Salons du Palais Royale, a secret and sophisticated place dedicated to his intoxicating fragrances.