Who in their right mind would allow Nick Foulkes to get behind the wheel of a priceless Bugatti? Nick is an esteemed expert in the world of jewellery and watches, a committed advocate for the Scottish tartan and tweed industries, and a valued HTSI contributor. A classic-racing-car driver? Not so much.

Thankfully, the specialist Oliver Way, who completed the restoration of the Type 39 Bugatti featured in this week’s pages, also concluded that Nick should not be left alone behind the wheel. Instead, Nick accompanied him as a passenger for a spin shortly before the car stars in a new exhibition on the Bugatti family opening at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in June. The car sits at the centre of a story about the generations of Bugattis who revolutionised the modern era with their innovative designs. Some were dedicated to furniture, others to bronze and glass. As Nick writes: “Ettore [of the automobile] was just one scion of a remarkable dynasty of artists whose impact on European creativity during the first four decades of the past century was felt around the world.”

More Jazz Age wonders. This month sees the unveiling of another type of restoration: Picasso’s legendary Le Train Bleu front cloth, commissioned for the prelude to the one-act ballet choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska for Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in 1924. The dance, set on the French Riviera, was the result of an extraordinary confluence of artists, from Jean Cocteau (who wrote the scenario) to the costumes made by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. The hanging has been undergoing a lengthy restoration at the V&A’s east London outpost and HTSI’s Sara Semic had the first glimpse of its return to glory. We also got the chance to shoot it alongside company members of the English National Ballet wearing reinterpretations of Chanel’s costumes. The collaboration seals a long partnership between the French couture house and the English National Ballet. Photographer Vivek Vadoliya has captured this unique moment as the brand celebrates 100 years since it first arrived in the UK. 

Have you bought a fragrance lately? Increasingly the people determining your purchase are a tribe of scent influencers online. We meet a sample study, including the 19-year-old @therealcologneboy, Jatin Arora, who has amassed more than two million followers on TikTok from his home in Winnipeg, and the veteran scent expert Luca Turin, who has been lured out of retirement via Substack to share his take on a market that has cheered him with its huge rise in niche and artisan perfumery. They make for a motley assortment, but their insights are a treat. I’m particularly charmed by Turin’s belief in the majesty of OG scents such as Brut and Old Spice.

Lastly, to the Grand Palais in Paris, which has just unveiled a new brasserie, conceived by interior designer Joseph Dirand and restaurateurs Gilles and Claire Malafosse, to conjure up the spirit of the belle époque. Simon Kuper went to visit days before the official opening – and was completely blown away. OK, so he loves Paris and the self-assured theatre of hospitality at which the city excels (though he’s pleasantly surprised that in this instance the waiters have been recruited for their charm). The brasserie is in its infancy, so only time will tell how well it does. But while he witnessed a different kind of performance to that delivered by Bronislava Nijinska, it all made for an exceptional ballet.

‌

‌

THREE MORE STORIES TO READ THIS WEEK

Gene Gallagher is charting his own course With Oasis frontman Liam and All Saints’ Nicole Appleton as parents, a career in music was inevitable. But can his band Villanelle cut through? The 10 best summer bags for the city Get carried away in Lisbon Jeremy O Harris’s guide to Williamstown Theatre Festival The playwright and actor tours the event’s ‘hallowed’ Berkshires home

‌