In the spirit of our first-ever Food Issue (now on newsstands), I’ve been sniffing out fragrances with a dash of far-flung flavor. Here, four new favorites that are inspired by palate as much as place:
Creed Father-and–son team Oliver and Erwin Creed developed Acqua Fiorentina (from $130) around a top note of greengage plum, which they picked from a Florentine orchard.
It's notoriously hard to find within the continental U.S., but this summer, shave ice has officially arrived on the east and west coasts. If you’ve ever been to Oahu’s North Shore, you’ve probably been to Matsumoto’s, a veritable mecca for the stuff. If not, let me explain: they do not crush their ice; as its name implies, it’s shaved (but drop the final d, thank you very much) off a big block. The result? Ultra-light, even powdery flakes that hold onto flavor much better than your standard snow cone and make converts of the most enthusiastic slushy slurpers.
You know it as a staple of American Roots Music, but did you know that the banjo’s true roots lie in Africa? Grammy-winning Fleckstones frontman Béla Fleck (a banjo virtuoso if there ever was one) took five weeks off from his day job to explore his instrument’s origins—in Uganda, Tanzania, Gambia, and Mali. He did a fair share of jamming along the way, with everyone from the Jatta Family in Gambia—whose music revolves around the akonting, the banjo’s three-string predecessor—to Malian singer and international superstar Oumou Sangare. Sascha Paladino, his half-brother, got it all on film. The result?Throw Down Your Heart, a moving documentary with a stunning soundtrack that transports you to Africa via Bluegrass country (film and album both out now).
If you want to catch the act live, you’re in luck: next month Fleck will hit Bonnaroo and Telluride with Malian kora master Toumani Diabate, and on July 5 he’ll take New York’s Central Park SummerStage with Sangare herself. See belafleck.com for a complete tour schedule.
Christine Ajudua is an editorial assistant at Travel + Leisure.
After several false starts since last fall, we can now finally (finally!) say: The British are coming! And they’ve never looked better. Tomorrow, Topshop—translator of London’s latest runway trends for the High Street—opens on Broadway (near Broome Street).
Modeled after its Oxford Circus flagship, the brand’s first American location is a whopping 40,000-sq.-ft., six-level space in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. The first two floors display women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories, including a bohemian collection by Kate Moss and collaborations with cutting-edge UK labels like Preen and Emma Cook; the lower level is reserved for Topman, featuring a “T” room (read: short-sleeve shirts) and a “Smart” area with tailored pieces and knitwear. Meanwhile, a team of Style Advisors will be on hand for private consultations, and available via text for same-day deliveries—possibly the coolest "Help" since The Beatles.
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