The French fashion house supports women in Africa who are HIV positive by enlisting their help in creating 4 limited edition dolls.

Women in Swaziland, who are HIV positive, have been employed by Lanvin to hand stitch and embroider 4 fabric dolls. The dolls are due to go on sale in November to coincide with the launch of Lavin’s first childrenswear range – Lanvin Petite.

Each doll will be dressed in a miniature version of one of the mainline Lanvin Petite outfits. The style of the dolls’ bodies and faces are also based on creative director, Alber Elbaz’s sketches.

The concept of creating the dolls is in honour of Jeanne Lanvin, the founder of the brand, who liked to make clothes for children and dolls. This is not the first time that Lanvin have experimented with dolls and scaled down outfits.

In 1945/6 the brand showcased their latest collection by modelling them on miniature dolls to ensure that they didn’t waste fabric. The collection was called Théâtre de la Mode and consisted of around 200 dolls – created by artists including Jean Cocteau, one of the most multi-talented artists of the 20^th Century.

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20 years after Christian Louboutin took the fashion world by storm with his red-soled shoes, the French designer is releasing a book that documents his most striking designs to date.

The book offers a comprehensive guide to the Louboutin label, which is a favourite amongst celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Victoria Beckham and the Kardashian sisters. Various celebrities are snapped wearing the shoes everywhere, from running errands at the shops, to prestigious red carpet events.

The pink faux leather exterior and the gold gilded pages make the book as much of a masterpiece as the shoes themselves. It also features a 5 piece fold out cover.

Shoe enthusiasts can expect to admire the beautiful craftsmanship of Louboutin’s one-of-a-kind creations, including the “Dita Cabaret” crystal-studded shoes that were designed especially for burlesque star, Dita Von Teese.

The book is also divided into 6 chapters. The first is a biography of Christian Louboutin, the second shows various interior shots of the brand’s international stores, the third charts 20 years of Louboutin design, number 4 takes an intimate look at the designer’s homes in Paris and Egypt, whist 5 and 6 explore his collaboration with director, David Lynch.

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The Cote d’Azur is world renowned for its enviable climate, healthy diet and luxurious lifestyle with people donning jewellery to die for, but less is known about the region’s ‘black gold’ or even ‘black diamonds’ as they have been referred as.

Across Provence many ‘Carpentras’ or more simply put ‘truffle markets’ take place as is the most important meeting place of the week for local gourmets. Referred to locally as ‘black gold’ or ‘black diamonds’, these precious nuggets are like gold dust – an essential ingredient in enhancing the Cote d’Azur’s legendary, influential and mouth-watering cuisine.

In the dark winter mornings on the Cote d’Azur, the markets are full of locals selling these ‘treasures’ to buyers donning designer purses pulled out from designer handbags, whom, despite their obvious wealth, want to purchase this scrumptious local delicacy for the best possible price.

All ‘deals’ are done in the secrecy of a trunk in the car, with buyers handling and weighing this black gold like it was gold itself.

Asides bartering the locals for the biggest, blackest and cheapest pieces of black gold and diamonds, visitors to the Cote d’Azur can try their hand at cooking with truffles.

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Monaco’s landscape and surrounding terrain has undoubtedly influenced the urban architecture of this autonomous state.

Its narrow steep streets and rocky hills sharply protruding from the coast are conveyed in the architectural makeup of Monaco, where the buildings have been built into the hills because of a limited amount of space and because of this restriction, high-rise buildings dominate the urban landscape.

Its close proximity to the Mediterranean Ocean has also influenced the architectural landscape of this inspiring city. Local materials, such as marble, terra-cotta tiles and granite, are the visible material many buildings in Monaco have been made from.

Monaco, like the rest of the Cote d’Azur, enjoys a mild year-round climate. Being located on the Mediterranean coastline, temperatures rarely fall below 8 degrees Celsius in the winter and can soar well into the 30s and 40s during the summer months. Because of its warm climate, Monaco was built with a huge emphasis on public spaces and outdoor living. Squares, terraces and balconies, therefore dominate the urban character of this independent municipal.

The architecture and urban planning of Monaco that has been so obviously influenced and shaped by its geographical location has inspired many a city and town sharing the same stunning and unique geographical attributes of Monaco. Many other Mediterranean communities, in countries such as France and Spain, that also enjoy a year-round mild climates focus on outdoor living as being a priority of its architecture.

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