If you’re ever tempted to get a tattoo, Kim Kardashian’s legendary advice about not putting a bumper sticker on a Bentley will inevitably come to mind. Yet on Wednesday evening, Bentley itself flipped that pop-culture rule completely on its head.
Guests leaving 180 Studios on The Strand walked away with cheeky ‘Bentley Boy’ and ‘Bentley Girl’ decals alongside a sample of ‘Become’, the house fragrance. The occasion for this rare bit of brand mythology?
Bentley has finally entered the electric conversation, choosing London as the setting to drop a glimpse into the future of luxury motoring.
The global unveiling of the Torcal marks a massive milestone: it is Bentley’s first-ever fully electric production vehicle, introducing an entirely new fourth model line to the historic British marque. Deep racing green dominated the room, casting a moody glow across the main attraction.
The Torcal debuted in a luminous, forest-green finish, while a second slate-grey version sat close by, giving attendees an unhurried look at the revised architecture from every angle. Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh , ‘Bridgerton’ star Simone Ashley and Jodie Turner-Smith led a highly polished crowd that gathered to watch the sheets come off the five-metre luxury SUV.
The silhouette represents a heavy structural shift without losing the hand-finished nuances that make a Bentley recognisable from a mile away. A classic long bonnet, short overhangs, and a vertical front nose are framed by a new illuminated diamond grille, flowing backward into pronounced rear haunches.
The design team has visualised the posture as a “resting beast” — a title that fits the car’s sense of contained muscle. “The Torcal is a Bentley first and foremost, created by hand by people who care, using the best available materials and technology to blend heritage with cutting-edge innovation,” says Bentley Chairman and CEO Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser.
The engineering tucked beneath the floorboards is where things get genuinely radical. The Torcal deploys twin electric motors, with the core model pushing out an imposing 821 PS and 1,155 Nm of torque.
Step up to the Torcal S, and those figures climb to a staggering 888 PS and 1,350 Nm when Launch Control is active. The S variant will rocket to 60mph in just 2.8 seconds, though the suspension tuning feels fully geared towards buttery refinement.
Bentley Active Ride brings independently controlled dampers to each wheel, while all-wheel steering reduces the turning circle to around 11 metres. The battery offers up to 600km of WLTP range, with 10–80 per cent charging in 16 minutes on a 400kW supply.
Simone Ashley, Jodie Turner-Smith and more by Claire Menary.
Inside, the cabin treatment feels wonderfully tactile. The standard 16-speaker audio setup can be swapped out for a massive 28-speaker Naim sound system, running parallel to a Dynamic Waterfall Lighting matrix that uses more than 450 LEDs to react directly to the car’s throttle acceleration.
Bentley has also developed a 100 per cent Merino wool automotive fabric with Somerset weavers Fox Brothers , alongside new walnut finishes made partly from responsibly sourced off-cuts. It arrives as the opening statement for the brand’s next design and electronic era, loading the Strand with enough sustainable craft and heavy engineering to make the electric transition feel surprisingly real.
The new Bentley Torcal luxury electric SUV will be available for early commissions later this season. Find out more here .
photography. courtesy of Claire Menary and Bentley words. Gennaro Costanzo
Le Creuset has turned its attention to the final frontier, launching a limited-edition cookware collection to mark the 60th anniversary of ‘Star Trek’. Released in time for the annual Star Trek Day, the collaboration brings the 1960s television series’ most recognisable symbols directly into the kitchen, mapping decades of space exploration onto classic French cast iron and stoneware.
The pieces balance the everyday usefulness of Le Creuset cookware with details made for anyone who knows their Starfleet Delta from their Klingon Trefoil. At the centre of the cast-iron selection is the Enterprise Casserole Dish, featuring a relief of the NCC-1701 starship emerging from the brand’s familiar concentric rings, before the design is finished with a custom metallic Starfleet Delta lid knob and a hidden engraving inside the lid.
Its Klingon counterpart takes a more imposing route, with the Gourmet Casserole Pot drawing on the sharp lines of the Bird of Prey and finished with a Klingon Trefoil knob, while the traditional battle cry ‘Qapla’ is embossed inside the lid. Anyone who already has a Le Creuset collection can also buy both heat-resistant metal knobs separately, giving existing cookware its own small intergalactic upgrade.
The stoneware follows the same idea with a lighter touch, bringing some of the iconic franchise’s most familiar characters and spacecraft to the dining table without losing sight of what these pieces are actually designed to do. The Galileo Shuttle Baking Dish takes its structural cues from the iconic shuttlecraft and works as an oven-to-table piece, while three Mini Cocottes are dedicated to Balok, the Gorn and the Talosians.
The Spock Mug gets an especially playful treatment, with a sculpted handle following the Vulcan’s silhouette and gold detailing around the rim inspired by Starfleet uniform codes.
That same attention to detail extends into the smaller kitchen accessories, where the ‘Live Long & Prosper’ Spoon Rest puts one of ‘Star Trek’s most known phrases on the worktop and a matching 15-inch embroidered Oven Glove picks up elements of Spock’s uniform alongside his unmistakable Vulcan greeting. Even the preparation tools have joined the mission, with the Communi-Grater taking its form from the classic Starfleet communicator while combining a stainless-steel grating blade with a folding design that makes it easy to store once dinner is over.
The limited Le Creuset x ‘Star Trek’ collection is available now across selected brand boutiques, premium stockists and online. Discover the full range here .
photography. courtesy of Le Creuset words. Gennaro Costanzo
With a couture archive as expansive as Dior ’s, it was only a matter of time before the clothes started escaping the wardrobe. For her latest Haute Couture collection , artistic director Cordelia de Castellane has literalised that sentiment, lifting the folds, cinched waists and structures of Christian Dior’s most celebrated mid-century runway looks and turning them into fine white porcelain.
Comprising two architectural vases and a sculptural carafe, the trio shifts the visual language of the haute couture atelier straight onto the dining table.
Each piece is modelled after a specific historical blueprint: the elegantly draped Théâtre de verdure, the curved petals of the Tulipe, and the crisp, geometric pleats of the Plissé. To capture the movement of the original fabric, artisans construct bespoke moulds that mimic every curve and fabric roll. Liquid porcelain is then poured into the structures, allowed to set and later carefully freed by hand before beginning a demanding manual finishing process.
Once the raw porcelain is carefully sanded down to a soft finish, tiny raised dragonflies are individually sculpted and applied to the surface of the Théâtre de verdure carafe — a nod to the house’s long-standing fixation with botanical gardens. The references are easy to spot across the selection.
Tulipe takes cues from the rounded, flower-like form of its namesake, while Plissé translates the folds of fabric into a permanent three-dimensional structure. A final plunge into an enamel bath followed by high-temperature firing coaxes out the shifting shadows and milky iridescence of the ceramic.
The wider Haute Couture Maison collection extends the same approach beyond porcelain, with silver-finish metal pieces, a navy calfskin round box, the Dior Macaron trinket tray and a wood-effect rectangular vase joining the line.
The new Dior Maison haute couture porcelain pieces are available now in flagships and online. Discover more here .
photography. courtesy of Sophie Tajan for Dior words. Gennaro Costanzo
During this year’s edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, W Hotels brought its signature storytelling series ‘ Hotel Tales ‘ to Toronto with actress Avantika Vandanapu at the centre of an intimate evening celebrating creativity, culture and connection. For this instalment in the series, which has been celebrated by the likes of Chloë Sevigny, Ziwe and Orville Peck , W Toronto became the setting, spotlighting Vandanapu and her experience discovering the city through the distinctive lens of W Hotels.
Her instalment celebrates the welcoming spirit of W Hotels and how a simple recommendation can easily turn into a spontaneous night with the tagline: “You had to be there. Next time, be there.”
To mark the occasion, W Hotels hosted an intimate Connector’s Dinner at TONO by Akira Back , the signature dining destination within the newly reimagined W Toronto. Held on Thursday, September 10, the evening brought together a curated group of media, creatives and cultural tastemakers from across Toronto.
Located in the heart of Yorkville, a pocket of the city where fashion, culture, design and nightlife intersect, W Toronto has recently unveiled a significant transformation that reimagines the hotel as a dynamic cultural destination.
Designed by acclaimed studio Chapi Chapo Design, the refreshed interiors pay homage to Yorkville’s bohemian roots through vibrant spaces and jewel-toned guestrooms, complemented by a curated collection of local artwork celebrating the city’s diversity and creative spirit. Over dinner and drinks, guests gathered to celebrate Vandanapu’s latest chapter in Hotel Tales while embracing the spirit at the heart of the series: unexpected encounters, new perspectives and the people shaping contemporary culture.
The evening reflected W Hotels’ continued focus on connecting guests with the people, places and experiences defining the cultural landscape. Against the backdrop of TIFF, Toronto provided a fitting setting for a night centred on storytelling and discovery.
Learn more about W Toronto at marriott.com .