Paul Smith and his favorite briefcase which he brings along for some escapism in case a meeting gets boring.

Familiar faces gathered at The International Herald Tribune’s tenth luxury conference where personalities such as Karl Lagerfeld, Christopher Bailey, the Missonis and Diego Della Valle were part of the impressive line-up. While their views were inspiring and even reassuring – that craftsmanship and heritage are important keys to success – Paul Smith gently observed – as he did at the same conference eight years ago – that travelling is not what it used to be. Todays shop tend to look the same all over the world, when travelling used to be an adventure.

The designer own approach to globalization has been to act global and think local. While his Parisian boutique is located in a old café with both its name and scruffy interiours intact his Los Angeles store is situated in a large, pink bunker which on the inside resembles a film set. As the luxury industry is colonizing the emerging markets at a staggering pace his views were a welcome reminder of the industry’s role in local cultures.

“If fashion wants to be relevant people have to learn to think different, that is my best advice…Stop doing things that are logic. Logic is predictable,” said Paul Smith.

Ralph Lauren’s take on thinking differently : A digital lightshow on their New Bond Street façade which marked Ralphlauren.com’s 10^th anniversary. “Merchentainment” is what David Lauren dubbed the house’s ventures into the digital age where a magazine and even a tennis clinic have helped create brand awareness across the globe.

Some people create art which moves you by its depressive nature. One such is the film director, David Lynch who is also an avid painter and who just opened an exhibition in Gl. Strand in Copenhagen. The world is ugly, argues Lynch, and his works only reflect tiny fractions of all the ugliness in the world. In his cartoonish cult film, Blue Velvet, which was aired on the same day as the opening, Lynch even let his then-wife, Isabella Rosselini surrender to an asthmatic beast. Others have taken a different approach. In the world of fashion the images are generally an homage to beauty and estheticism. One example is the young, Australian artist, Michael Zavros who was recently commissioned to make portraits of iconic personalities such as Grace Kelly and Debbie Harry for the designer, Tommy Hilfiger. In an era of airbrushing the images are perhaps too perfect –  though, Zavros’ work is probably what most people would prefer on their walls.

http://www.booooooom.com/2009/09/18/michael-zavros-painter/