Terroir is a biannual travel journal out of Singapore. An incredible labour of love, publisher Benjamin Hoh prints each page on his home printer, binding and glueing every issue in a process which magculture estimate at about 10 hours per magazine.  We appreciate their efforts. The look of the magazine is beautiful, as is the photography inside. This issue, no.2,  features Japan in all its technicolour glory, a perfect subject for the Terroir treatment.

“Growing up in safe and sheltered Singapore where everything runs like clockwork, even the slightest bit of haphazardness and spontaneity when exploring foreign lands might seem strangely attractive and romantic. Terroir is a bespoke bi-annual magazine that seeks to collaborate with and showcase Singaporean perspectives on travel and what various places meant to them” You’ll have to part with $125 dollars for a copy but rest assured it has been made with care and craft. Find it here.

A few new styles from Hermès, luggage for Spring/Summer 2012. These are at the luxury end of luxury, it would be crude to mention prices but you could probably swap the suitcase for a mid-sized car. Wheeled leather and herringbone cases and two styles of lockable travel bag, surprisingly heavy duty and undeniably smart – if you’re going to do it in style you can’t go wrong with Hermès.

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We take a look at part two of the excellent Gypsy Gentlemen Series. Following up on his New York visit, tattooer and painter Marcus Kuhn takes us to Austin, Texas, uncovering the city with the help of fellow artists, Tony Hundahl and Steve Byrne. “The second in a series of films chronicling the travels of the gypsy gentleman. A travel documentary profiling the world’s greatest tattooers and the world’s most fascinating places.” Thanks to Reference Council for the heads up. Catch up with Part 1 here.

The 12 acre Hotel Bel Air, just above Sunset Drive, has reopened with a modern makeover after two years under construction. Having originally welcomed its first visitors in 1946 this legendary venue – all tropical plants, oval swimming pools and Swan Lakes no less – has retained much of its old Hollywood charm, with the addition of hi-tech gadegtry from Bang and Olufsen and slick interiors courtesy of designer Alexandra Champalimaud. More over here.

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CLAE Shoes shares with you all a recent video they produced during their last trip to Vietnam’s Ho Chi Mihn City, whee the line spent time signing off on their forthcoming Autumn/Winter 2012 collection. It very well captures the people, environment and streets of the city and surroundings.

Premium basics makers, Etiquette, worked with British trunk maker, Globe-Trotter, on the new “Koi Clouds” edition trolley case. Etiquette customizes the special edition trunk with their  signature Japanese-inspired “Koi Clouds” pattern cloth lining and fully constructed by hand.  The trunk will be available this February for $1600.

More look after the click.

The desert setting of Hotel Lautner has us intrigued. Always on the lookout for unique destination offerings, the Lautner is situated in the San Jacinto Valley of Palm Desert, CA. Designed by architect, John Lautner, the hotel was recently restored in March 2011 by designers Tracy Beckmann and Ryan Trowbridge. Just two hours east of Los Angeles, the Lautner is a desert destination with mid-century modern charm.

More look after the click.

CR Blog introduces us to these stylish posters used to advertise the merits of London Transport. 20 designs from the 1930s and earlier will be on show at the ‘Painting by numbers – making sense of statistics’ exhibition at the London Transport Museum in January. Concerned with promoting the service as well as explaining the cost of providing it (as CR points out ‘no doubt passengers in 1938 were just as upset at fare increases as they are today’), they’re a incredible example of commuter communication at its best.

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Nowness displays the personal photo collection of designer Alexander Girard. Featuring family and friends on their travels, these vacation snaps have clearly been taken with a creative eye.

Born in NYC, raised in Florence, Alexander travelled extensively throughout his life, picking up ideas and inspiration for his own work and adding to his vast collection of folk art now housed at the Museum of International Folk Art in New Mexico. Girard’s textile work for Herman Miller has become legendary in these mid century obsessed times. Having collaborated with the likes of the Eames’ and Georg Jensen, he stands alongside them in the 20 century hall of design fame.

More looks after the click.

Before the days of ‘Your name on a grain of rice” and ‘I heart…’ t-shirts, travellers collected souvenir labels. Attached to your oversized hard luggage, everyone knew where you’d spent your summers, meaning you didn’t even have to brag about it to your fellow passengers. Louis Vuitton’s nephew Gaston-Louis collected over 3,000 of them before his death in 1970. The company has recreated some prize examples for this boxset of 30 postcards, see more at LV. (Wallpaper)