The Osmothèque: France’s library of smells is a breath of fresh air

The collection in Versailles has the formula of every new fragrance and also stocks sniffing samples of classic perfumes to conjure up your most cherished memories. Original-formula Old Spice, anyone?

More PA than PR: welcome to the world of luxury public relations

From babysitting and dog walking to booking taxis and fixing make-up, the list of ridiculous demands made by my luxury clients is endless

Lab-grown leather is coming, but is the industry ready for it?

A startup, Modern Meadow, is attempting to develop a biomaterial alternative to leather as prices rise. Will it succeed – and will it have a market?

Bright lights, big trees: Dutch designer imagines an ‘urban forest’

City links: Blueprints for a neighbourhood of tree houses and smiley-face signals to reduce road rage feature in this week’s best city stories

Maratona dles Dolomites: a bike race of ups and downs (and little else)

The famous event in Italy’s beautiful South Tyrol is 86 stunning miles long – but with 4,000 metres of climbing. Could Peter Walker take it in the 30C-plus heat?