Most wanted Clothing, accessories and tech that tell a story and defy the ordinary

Most wanted

Clothing, accessories and tech that are thoughtful, expressive, beautiful and good

OAO Works

With his 89 Hangers project, Canadian designer Omer Arbel has turned a humble object into something covetable. It’s the result of manipulating 3D scans of conventional hangers and casting them in solid brass, giving them an intentional element of distortion that makes them look like they were made by hand rather than by machine. Arbel is best known for his lighting brand, Bocci, and is here exploring similar territory in terms of eschewing uniformity for more unpredictably formed objects; this side venture, OAO Works, also makes sandcast brass vessels and multicoloured glassware.

£80 for four; oaoworks.com

Elvis & Kresse

A chance encounter with the London Fire Brigade led to the formation of Elvis & Kresse: once its founders discovered that decommissioned firehoses were being sent off to landfill, they looked for ways that it could be reused. The result is a range of robust bags and accessories such as wallets and iPad cases, including this smart and practical overnight bag, which features a lining made from reclaimed military parachute silk. Not content with rescuing more than 175 tonnes of hose from landfill, Elvis & Kresse also gives back by donating half of its profits to the Fire Fighters Charity. Now that’s heroic.

£285; elvisandkresse.com

Good News

If the sneaker industry is generally murky in its ecocredentials, putting its best foot forward is London brand Good News. Its simple, go-with-everything designs (such as the Bagger 2 high-tops pictured) feature organic uppers, made without toxins or pesticides, chemical fertilizer or GMO seeds; a footbed made from an eco-friendly formulation containing bio-oil and recycled rubber; and an outsole made from recycled rubber pellets from old tyres and shoes. Good News also partners with charities, creating the Good Luck Shoes initiative to provide footwear to migrants arriving in Italy.

£120; goodnews.london

Bang & Olufsen

Beosound Stage is Bang & Olufsen’s long-awaited, first-ever soundbar, and, typically for the electronics brand, it has put discerning design on a par with superior sound. Fellow Danes Norm Architects were behind the design side: the product’s slim frame is available in aluminium, bronze or smoked oak (pictured): the timber version manages to pull off an almost vintage look, with traditionally crafted dovetail joints at its curved corners and a textured fabric for the speaker. Inside, a three-channel sound system and Dolby Atmos make for a powerful and immersive listening experience.

£1,250; bang-olufsen.com

&Daughter

Summer has its moments, style-wise, but it can’t beat that November day when you pull on your granny’s old-but-perfect Aran. Father and daughter Columba and Buffy Reid want to recreate that feeling of quality, comfort and timelessness with their knitwear brand, &Daughter. Foregoing the world of fast fashion, they’re harnessing generations of superior craftsmanship and championing smallbatch making to create beautiful but useful staples, such as this Bansha fair isle sweater. The knitwear is made in the craft epicentres of Donegal and Hawick, from the finest 100% natural local yarns.

£285; and-daughter.com