Quick wits saved a man’s life last month when a crane boom came down onto him in Nanjing UK rental company Clear View has ordered three Ruthmann truck mounted platforms US crane rental company Crane Service Inc has ordered another Liebherr LG 1800-1.0 wheeled lattice crane Haulotte has appointed Guillaume Van Hoeck as managing director Europe Czech crane rental company AG Transport has ordered an 800t LR 1800-1.0 lattice crawler German sales and rental company Kunze has added Elma cranes to its portfolio home designed by Julie Hillman.Manolo YlleraSave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products featured on Architectural Digest are independently selected by our editors we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links fashion designer Rick Owens and his wife–slash–creative partner have been making furniture—first for themselves then in limited editions for sale—most recently at a workshop in Saint-Fargeau-Ponthierry about a 45-minute drive from their home in Paris “I don’t adhere to a very cozy aesthetic,” admits Owens whose unconventional runway shows might feature a one-legged one-sleeved cashmere jumpsuit or a live human “I like something a bit austere and unsentimental.” But when they designed what Owens calls a “brutalist Bauhaus recamier,” inspiration came from an old more-frivolous-than-usual adage: “A lady never stands when she can sit and never sits when she can recline.” The bon mot (Owens thinks it was uttered by Mae West) spawned a perch with a decidedly cheerful name: the Double Bubble Conceptualized by Owens and realized by Lamy (this is how they work) shaped like a capsule on feet with its middle cut out was made first in plywood and later in concrete Rick Owens and Michèle Lamy’s double bubble in The Beverly Hills home of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi by Clements Design which is moving forward with a massive cycling network that is already transforming how city residents move throughout the city and now the entire region is getting in on the act with Réseau Vélo Île-de-France (VIF) As urban congestion reaches a tipping point and public transport systems strain under the weight […] First it was Paris, which is moving forward with a massive cycling network that is already transforming how city residents move throughout the city As urban congestion reaches a tipping point and public transport systems strain under the weight of growing demand, the Île-de-France region is moving forward with a comprehensive network of dedicated bicycle paths and lanes spanning 750 kilometers. Known as the Réseau Vélo Île-de-France (VIF) this ambitious project aims to revolutionize cycling by providing safe and efficient routes throughout the region Originally conceived in 2019 by the Île-de-France Cycling Collective the VIF initiative represents a collaborative effort to address the pressing need for enhanced cycling infrastructure With an investment of 500 million euros pledged by regional authorities this groundbreaking project is poised to become the largest express bicycle network globally By integrating cycling pathways with existing public transport corridors the VIF seeks to provide commuters with a seamless and sustainable mode of travel Map of new bicycle network surrounding Paris The heart of the VIF project lies in its commitment to safety and accessibility Recognizing the inherent risks faced by cyclists in urban environments particularly in bustling cities such as Paris the initiative prioritizes the creation of continuous and secure cycling facilities scheduled for completion between 2025 and 2030 will feature clearly marked routes inspired by the familiar color-coded systems of public transport networks One of the most eagerly anticipated routes is Line V2 which will offer cyclists a direct connection between Charles de Gaulle Airport and Vélizy-Villacoublay this ambitious project aims to provide eco-conscious travelers with a sustainable alternative to traditional modes of airport transportation The VIF initiative represents a significant step forward in promoting cycling as a viable means of transportation in Île-de-France By offering cyclists safe and convenient routes and enhance the overall quality of life for residents across the region As construction progresses and new routes come online the VIF promises to transform the way people move within and between urban centers ushering in a new era of sustainable mobility in Île-de-France Find inspiration in our Gear Guide that will keep you out on your bike through wind or rain “No one makes me lose it like the Hun.” So read the opening words of Rizzoli’s new book which not only catalogues the remarkable pieces created under the designer’s name but which also operates as a sort of love letter from Owens to his wife and partner the Hun in question (it must be said that here Hun refers to Atilla The rather than the more prosaic alternative) I find comfort in a fashion system that gives me a strict structure […] her organic chaos can really fistfuck my concrete brutalism So my best bet is to throw her the ball and marvel at whatever direction she runs with it… because it’s gonna end up turning out great.” “Yes sitting across from me at Dover Street Market where she is in the midst of installing a series of pieces to celebrate the launch of the book – alongside a new presentation of her jewellery collection which features golden nuggets imprinted with her own bitemarks she picks up a necklace and holds it between her (gold and diamond) teeth Lamy is just over five foot tall; tattooed and bejewelled; her fingers (and lips) are stained black; she is draped in Rick Owens She is a formidable presence – and not the sort of woman you’d imagine striking such a pose When Lamy and Owens first started out making furniture it was purpose-built; their marital bed was the first thing that they created long before they thought that their work might evolve into the sort of thing to be exhibited at global art galleries me with Les Deux Cafés…” She is referring to the Los Angeles carpark which she transformed into a bacchanalian restaurant that played host to Hollywood’s glitterati and creative types; as Chris Wallace noted in AnOther Magazine S/S16 “Les Deux Cafés amounted to something like social engineering altering a great many people’s lives and changing the way the city itself behaved and channelling the currents of taste and culture.” of creating a physical locale to inspire a sort of sociocultural dynamism is what Lamy is better at than almost anyone else you could imagine Her ability to curate spaces and people are inextricably interlinked – you certainly can’t picture her hosting her salons anywhere banal or prefabricated – and it is her own intimate kind of hospitality that permeates each of the pieces such objects might easily appear ominously sterile but they are instead imbued with resounding warmth “Part of the romance invested in the furniture is the look on the faces of the guys who work on it when she sweeps into their studios in the jewellery furs and smoke – her love for them and their love for her is a big part of every piece,” writes Owens It is true: stand in front of one of the moose antler chairs or beside one of the white marble benches and they invite interaction – “you have to be there but the book gives a particularly beautiful indication of that spirit It is this energy which best defines the Rick Owens brand (in spite of the fact that the furniture is Lamy’s “baby,” it is branded under her husband’s name – “it does not embarrass me at all,” she says “the sparkle that started it all is him; after that it is a collaboration and everybody that matters knows”): an aesthetic that could easily be perceived as dark and inaccessible is instead invested with a hedonistic romance “Michèle’s world is always going to be more attractive than mine,” Owens once said to Susannah Frankel “Her chaos is full of warmth and my environment would be much more rigid and cold without her.” These pieces resplendent with warmth and rigidity alike are perhaps the clearest manifestation of the pair’s unique dynamic “What are the odds that we would be together for 27 years when we were coming from such different worlds?” Lamy grins now Rick Owens: Furniture is available now The original Red Ball Express counted 6,000 lorries from the United States Armed Forces which carried 412,000 tonnes of ammunition and supplies from Normandy to the frontlines between 25 August and 16 November 1944 A Belgian club of collectors for allied military vehicles from WWII organised this year's edition of the Red Ball Express Convoy About 100 lorries convened near Saint-Lô in Normandy for the historical re-enactment Accompanied by numerous all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles the lorry convoy used the same roads as the original Express in 1944 The five-stage journey began on 18 July and led to Argentan and finally Saint-Michel near the Belgian border The convoy completed a total of 650 kilometres Five Luxembourgers participated in this year's re-enactment of the historical event They used two lorries of the type 'GMC' and one of the type 'Diamond' The team set out on 15 July and arrived in Saint-Lô two days later they made it back to the Grand Duchy and were happy to announce that their 80-year-old vehicles did not suffer a single breakdown over the 1,500 kilometre journey Jean-Paul Baatz (Driver of a Diamond T 981)Christian Wagner (Driver of a GMC 352)Marc Vezin (Driver of a GMC 353 ST-5)Esther Wagener Guy Eisen