Sculptural Shoes
Hand-finished at Paris' Lemarié atelier, Roger Vivier Haute Couture's Boxes sandal may be better suited to a modern-art museum display than to a shoe store. But intrepid buyers need not worry: although they look precarious, wearing them, says designer Bruno Frisoni, "is like placing your foot on a console."
Sound/Speakers
With all the sleek MP3 players out there, it's about time sound systems got a streamlined makeover to match. British acoustic-technology specialist KEF's curvy Ross Lovegrove-designed Muon loudspeakers (front and rear views) are formed using molded sheets of aluminum. More than 6½ ft. (2 m) high, the four-way speaker system delivers superior sound with its six-figure price tag. At a fraction of the size and price but just as attractive are the Icon headphones ($79) from Philips and Swarovski's Active Crystals collaboration. A fashion accessory unto themselves, they make technology feel like jewelry.
Shagreen
Decorators love textured materials, and this season, elegant shagreen, or stingray, is the material of choice for home accessories. Armani Casa offers bar utensils in black shagreen and Williams-Sonoma Home uses shagreen to cover chic jewelry boxes.