What’s the Hype?

You’d have to be living under a rock to have missed the global frenzy around the Audemars Piguet x Swatch collaboration. Overcrowding and safety concerns even led to the cancellation of the launch at Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates. We understand that it is a cool pop-art-inspired timepiece, but queue for days to have it first? We don’t quite understand that.

Something you don’t usually see in the fashion world, Giambattista Valli has regained full ownership of his namesake house after buying back the stake held by Artémis, the investment arm of the Pinault family. The move puts the designer back into creative and operational control, marking the end of years of outside control and a return to independence for the brand he founded in 2005.

Burt’s Bees partnered with Grillo’s Pickles to launch a limited-edition Fresh Cucumber Dill Lip Balm. It blends Burt’s Bees’ classic beeswax-based formula with a savoury-sweet scent profile inspired by pickles – cucumber, dill and a hint of citrus-like brightness. Can we say that maybe, just maybe, food-inspired beauty products might be crossing a line? Or is this a cool summer idea?

At the 2026 London Marathon, Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe finished the race in under two hours wearing the new adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3. That made history in the sport, and the shoes sold out almost immediately. It was impressive to see that one race effectively achieved what would normally take years of global campaigns. Well done, both!