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Crystal Candy; Giorgio Armani's new fragrances; Swarovksi watches; follow your iPhone; Moet & Chandon in the pink; at home with YSL

The Crystal Candy Set; Giorgio Armani's new Onde fragrance; Swarovksi watches; iPhone applications; The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge; A very good year for Moet & Chandon

Objet lessons
The Crystal Candy Set, a limited edition series of ceramic and crystal vessels that Spanish esigner Jaime Hayon (pictured) created for French heavyweight Baccarat, made a huge impact when shown at Paris’ premier decor fair, Maison & Objet, says Alexandra Gordon, VOGUE Living Style Editor. Here is her pick of key trends and designers.Man style was a thread that ran through the fair, from bedlinen such as Yves Delorme’s black and white “Taylor” range to grey flannel wools from Ulf Moritz, Loro Piano and Lorca. Hound’s-tooth check adorned chests and folding chairs from Seletti and porcelain from Asiatides. Multicoloured plaids offered a more relaxed option to this urban, mostly monochromatic palette.

Elsewhere was plenty of colour, with purple and green reigning supreme. Fluorescent colours are starting to pop up in more casual textiles from Boussac and Creation Baumann and objects by D Lab and Adonde. There was also a return to the classics. Toile de jouy was everywhere and old-fashioned florals were seen at fashion-forward stands such as Etro and Kenzo Home. Furniture shapes were retrospective, too, with Baxter, Fendi and Donghia presenting new versions of the perennial classic, the Chesterfield sofa. For a full report on Maison & Objet, see the May/June issue of VOGUE Living (on sale April 22), which is guest-edited by Catherine Martin.

Pulling power
I wanted to capture the magnetism I feel in the presence of a sensuous woman,” declared Giorgio Armani and, in an attempt to do just that, he’s come up with a trilogy of “neo-Oriental” fragrances called Onde. Beautifully bottled and adorned with silky tassels, they promise an “empire for the senses” or, as onde means waves in Italian, perhaps a wave towards other worlds. Vertige is a bold floral blend of frangipani, jasmine, black liquorice and patchouli that nods to India and the Kama Sutra; Mystere is an intriguing mix of amber, Moroccan rose, vanilla and spices redolent of an exotic Middle East; and Extase, a woody oriental with mimosa, jasmine, narcissus, cedar, musk and pink pepper, takes its inspirations from the art of the geishas. Available at David Jones and Myer, the fragrances are $145 for 50ml.

Watch it
This month sees the 114-year-old Austrian brand Swarovski enter the watch business. Since 1895 Swarovski has been the world’s leading producer of cut crystal and this venture into the world of horology has been three years in the making. The collection comprises 45 models designed under the direction of Nathalie Colin. Pictured are Piazza Crystal, $1010; and Octea Sport Black, $1300. Stockists: 1300 791 599.

Zoom ahead
Without a doubt, the Apple iPhone 3G is the coolest gadget of the moment. Some 15,000 downloadable applications are available for the chic, sleek phone. Some are pure entertainment and others are incredibly practical, from restaurant guides to cinema timetables to where your nearest public convenience is. Need an interactive map to locate your nearest Chanel boutique? It’s there.

Forward-thinking fashion brands Chanel, Ralph Lauren and Costume National recently launched free applications for the iPhone in an attempt to further engage with their customers. These applications are far more than just advertising on your phone. Users can view runway images and video and use the touch-screen capabilities of the iPhone to zoom in and look at products in detail.

It’s the closest you can get to running your hands over a garment without going into a store. The Ralph Lauren application, for example, utilises the accelerometer technology in the iPhone to give users different views of a product. Turn the iPhone in your hand and the handbag you’re looking at turns to show you another view. Plus, there’s a comprehensive library of videos to give you an insight into the story behind each of the collections.

All three applications have store location information, which means calling (or getting Google Maps directions to) your nearest store is just a press of the finger away.

For the record
For the record Their art collection may have been broken up and sold – for €373.9 million ($735 million) – but you can still get a glimpse into the way Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge lived. A new book, available next month from Thames & Hudson, shows the pair’s entire collection in situ in their various homes for the first time. Designed by Peter Saville and written by Robert Murphy, The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge ($180) is a beautiful record of one of the 20th-century’s greatest art collections.

Coming up rose
Global warming, it seems, has been good for the champagne business. “It’s true, yes,” says Benoit Gouez, chef de cave for Moet & Chandon, “but so long as it doesn’t get too much hotter.”  In August 2003, France experienced a record heatwave that resulted in a rapid maturation of fruit and the earliest harvest in 181 years. And the winter that preceded it was no less extreme, with frost and snow well into February. It could have been a disaster but no, says Gouez: “The 2003 Grand Vintage Rose is a very powerful wine. From an extraordinary year we have produced an incomparable champagne.”