Architecture News

The year 2025 marked a period of significant achievement for Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault, the creative minds behind the KNWLS brand. Approaching its tenth anniversary, the label celebrated notable successes, including a highly popular collaboration with Nike and the release of a capsule collection with Miss Sixty. The designers also contributed their expertise to a prominent Italian denim brand and presented their inaugural runway show in Milan during Fashion Week. These intensive endeavors, while rewarding, led to a recognition of the need for better workload management. Consequently, the duo decided to reduce their commitments to the denim brand, while maintaining their ongoing partnership with Nike, reflecting a strategic shift towards sustained creative balance.

The KNWLS Fall 2026 collection exemplifies the brand's adeptness at integrating historical influences with modern design. Drawing inspiration from the Victorian era, the collection features refined silhouettes, including cinched waists, voluminous sleeves, and intricate ruffles, presented in a sophisticated palette of blacks, browns, and grays. This historical foundation is seamlessly interwoven with KNWLS's signature aesthetic of subtle allure, evident in pieces such as a leather corset top with delicate ruching reminiscent of antique lingerie, and a striking leather jacket with broad, abbreviated sleeves and a detachable collar that reinterprets traditional ruffs. The jacket, crafted from skived nappa leather bonded to neoprene, showcases both fluidity and sculptural precision.

Further exploring their creative vision, the designers ingeniously repurposed vintage men's pocket square scarves into a series of prints. These were then applied to ethereal blouses and skirts, meticulously constructed with harness-inspired collars and belts. A notable piece is a slip dress, drawing inspiration from 1930s antique undergarments, which appears deconstructed and reassembled with hooks, clasps, and strings, conveying a sense of artful disarray that, upon closer inspection, reveals meticulous anatomical construction. To anchor these looks firmly in the present, many ensembles are accessorized with new, affordably priced belts featuring elliptical, lacquered metal buckles that evoke miniature spacecraft. The collection also introduces a distinctive interpretation of preppy style, featuring fine merino sweaters with striped mohair V-necks, blouson bodices, and sculpted waists. This season marks a successful realization of the duo's long-standing aspiration to elevate their designs and appeal to a more mature audience, a progression particularly evident when comparing their main collections with the more sensual silhouettes developed through their collaboration with Nike.

Instead of a conventional runway presentation, the Fall 2026 collection was unveiled at an exquisitely curated pop-up store situated near Denmark Street. The collection's lookbook, captured by the acclaimed photographer and director Aidan Zamiri, was showcased within burnished-metal frames on the walls. These displays were complemented by artworks from the designers' extended network of friends and collaborators, enriching the immersive experience. The pop-up also featured a thoughtfully selected array of books from the celebrated dealer Studio Nocturne, alongside innovative concertina racks and industrial-inspired changing rooms designed by Emilia Margulies. These bespoke fixtures are destined to be relocated to the KNWLS studio, establishing a more permanent and refined fitting area. Knowles expressed immense enthusiasm for the opportunity to cultivate such a unique environment and to collaborate with individuals they deeply admire and respect. As they navigate 2026, embracing a quest for balance both personally and professionally, Knowles and Arsenault appear to be embarking on an exceptionally promising chapter.

In the realm of high-end horology, the watches adorning the wrists of public figures often capture significant attention. This piece delves into the impressive collection of timepieces sported by celebrated personalities like Michael Jordan, Dwayne Johnson, Tiger Woods, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Norman Powell. Each watch, a testament to intricate craftsmanship and innovative design, reflects the individual's taste for exceptional luxury and precision engineering. From the complex mechanics of tourbillons to the dazzling aesthetics of gem-encrusted dials, these selections offer a fascinating insight into the fusion of celebrity status and haute horlogerie.

Michael Jordan, co-owner of the 23XI Racing team, was seen celebrating Tyler Reddick's victory at the Daytona 500 wearing a Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon 30° Technique. This choice highlights Jordan's preference for sophisticated and technically advanced timepieces, moving beyond the more commonly associated Rolex Daytona, despite the track's namesake connection. The Greubel Forsey model, a complex skeletonized watch, features an innovative double tourbillon system designed to counteract gravitational errors, showcasing a marvel of Swiss watchmaking artistry. Its substantial titanium case, at 47.5mm, houses an intricate mechanism with a 120-hour power reserve, luminous white gold hands, and meticulous finishing, affirming Jordan's discerning eye for horological excellence.

Dwayne Johnson made a striking appearance at the 8th Annual American Black Film Festival Honors, sporting a Chopard Alpine Eagle Summit. This particular model, a gem-set variant of Chopard's luxury sports watch, is crafted from 18K white gold and boasts a captivating Zinal blue dial. The dial, adorned with 3.02 carats of blue and purple sapphires on its bezel, transitions between hues reminiscent of an eagle's iris, created through a specialized PVD treatment. This selection underscores Johnson's affinity for watches that combine robust design with opulent detailing and a touch of natural inspiration.

Golfer Tiger Woods, known for his formidable presence, has been observed wearing a Rolex Sea-Dweller ref. 126660 during high-stakes games. Despite its considerable size and weight at 44mm wide and nearly 18mm thick, this robust stainless steel sports watch is engineered for extreme depths, reaching nearly 4,000 feet. Woods's ability to effortlessly wear such a substantial piece during an intense game speaks to his unique style and the watch's impressive durability and prestige. This choice solidifies the Sea-Dweller's status as a formidable companion for those who demand both strength and precision.

Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks power forward, showcased a unique David Candaux DC7 Genesis during the NBA All-Star Weekend. This bespoke timepiece, a collaboration with artist Miguel Angel (Saturno), draws inspiration from the Genesis narrative. It features a biplanar tourbillon and a symmetrically designed hand-wound cal. 1700 movement, making it a miniature work of art that also tells time. The watch, complete with a rubber strap in the Knicks' signature orange, exemplifies Towns's inclination for custom-made, artistically inclined watches that reflect his personal style and affiliations.

Miami Heat guard Norman Powell was spotted during All-Star Weekend with an H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Flying Hours Aventurine. This watch, a standout piece from Moser's collection, is celebrated for its unique complication rooted in 17th-century clock design. Instead of traditional hands, it utilizes rotating satellite arms to indicate the hours, a sophisticated departure from conventional time-telling. The Aventurine dial, glittering like a night sky, enhances the watch's visual appeal, making it a captivating blend of historical horology and modern aesthetics, perfectly complementing Powell's elegant bespoke attire.

The array of luxury watches chosen by these prominent figures offers a comprehensive look into the intricate world of high-end timepieces. Each selection, from Michael Jordan's Greubel Forsey to Norman Powell's H. Moser & Cie, reflects not only a personal aesthetic but also a deep appreciation for the innovation, heritage, and meticulous artistry embedded in each horological creation. These watches are more than just instruments for telling time; they are statements of style, status, and an enduring admiration for the zenith of watchmaking achievement.