STYLE & FITNESS
Pent Gym Equipment
Polish entrepreneur Marcin Raczek and his wife, Jagoda, founded Pent to import a refined design sensibility to gym equipment, crafting its entire range in-house. Dumbbells, kettlebells, and jump ropes come in stainless steel or bronze with black or brown leather trim. The Ana set, which features a wooden bench and essential accessories in a single unit, includes an exercise mat, rope, range of weights, and balls, plus a leather-colored stretching roller. The firm also masterminds whole-room, design-centric gym spaces for commercial and private clients worldwide. From $9,510; pentfitness.com
Black Box VR Exercise System
Forget Mirror and Tonal. Imagine a walk-in closet that’s an immersive, virtual reality workout system. Step inside and slip on a Black Box VR headset while sliding your hands into loops attached to the cable machine stashed within. Work out in virtually any scene, including a superhero-style, action-filled adventure, punching through enemy gates to try and destroy an enemy crystal. All the while you’re exercising key muscle groups without realizing the reps. The Idaho-based firm’s residential installations can fit in spaces as small as 10 square feet. $80,000–$100,000; blackbox-vr.com
Teckell Ciclotte Exercise Bike
Italian industrial designer Luca Schieppati resolved to create an at-home exercise bike that customers wouldn’t want to stash away. The result: Teckell Ciclotte is a futuristic riff on a high-wheel penny-farthing bicycle that doesn’t sacrifice performance for appearance. The ergonomic design has five spinning positions, with resistance control via Bluetooth and it syncs with the Kinomap app for progress-tracking on countless virtual routes. Its minimalist form makes it seem as though the components are floating when the bike is not in use, but functionally, the machine is as rugged as a road bike once you climb aboard. $14,500; ciclotte.com
Crasqí Beachwear
Spot Crasqí swimwear on the most exclusive beaches from Canouan to Formentera. The passion project of a pair of Venezuelan sisters, Astrid and Alexandra Pedregal, launched a decade ago to address a boyfriend’s poor choice in boxy swimwear. Their body-skimming, flattering designs in bold patterns are feather-light, quick-drying, and sustainable; each pair is made from six upcycled water bottles. Newly launched: linen shirts and beachwear for men, as well as a capsule collection of women’s dresses. Men’s shorts, $180; crasqi.com
Executive Chefs at Home
Born from a pandemic pivot, Executive Chefs at Home books top chef talent on short- or long-term assignments across the United States; key markets include South Florida and the Hamptons. NYC-based chef Brian Arruda started the agency when restaurants shuttered and there was new demand for high-end chefs to come cook in private settings, upgrading dinner party catering to Michelin levels. Gift cards available; executivechefsathome.com
Malbon Sportswear
Los Angeles–based Stephen Malbon and his wife, Erica, are street-style veterans (he founded creative agency Frank151) whose designs bring a rebellious, disruptive style to the staid chino-and-polo scene on the greens. Their 6-year-old line Malbon ranges from plaid trousers to bucket hats, and recently expanded into womenswear, a nod to lady golfers being the fastest-growing demographic in the sport. The new range includes pants, windbreakers, and vests in brighter colors than the brand’s classic designs, as well as skirts and dresses that can also be worn for tennis and pickleball. From $25; malbongolf.com
NLA Collection Purses
Natalie Amoils founded her namesake accessories line NLA Collection last year after attending several weddings and post-COVID, in-person events and spotting a gap in the market for evening bags. She kicked off with wristlets in black and white silk, offered via Instagram; the reaction was so strong that she segued into a full line of purses. All are handmade in Los Angeles from a silky satin fabric and look like the love child of a Speedy bag and a scrunchie with an invisible magnetic closure. Colors range from bridal-ready, including an ivory version dotted with pearls, to brighter shades such as fuchsia, dark green, and teal. $250–$395; nlacollection.com
Nohrd Fitness Equipment
German firm Nohrd designs and manufacturers its high-end fitness equipment pieces in Lower Saxony from woods such as cherry and walnut and vegetable-tanned leather. A follow-up to its best-known WaterRower is a range of sleek machines with a similar aesthetic. For cardio, the curved, manual treadmill Sprintbok is near-silent and virtually maintenance free. The WaterGrinder facilitates a hand-cranked workout that targets the core and upper body—the wooden seat can be adjusted to several heights and allows for pushing and pulling reps both seated and standing up. From $2,225; nohrd.com
Propeaq Travel Glasses
Were these glasses the reason that England’s women’s team came so close to the World Cup title? Each player wore a pair en route Down Under to stave off jet lag. Netherlands-based start-up Propeaq claims its wearable device controls your body clock via a set of interchangeable lenses: one blue, the other red. Pair your pair with its app, and input flight times and time zones. Prompts will direct you when to wear each color to either dampen the production of daylight chemicals in the brain or ramp up sleep-inducing hormones. $210; propeaq.com
Jurgi Sports Bags
Lithuanian-born, Philly-based designer Jurgita Stahlecker started her line two years ago, cannily using the connections she established in manufacturing while living in Istanbul. She tapped into the ateliers there that still use leather from small local tanneries and hand-make every Jurgi piece from start to finish; fewer than 10 people are involved in any given piece in her line, and she’s able to produce small runs of interesting, quirky designs thanks to this close connection with her manufacturer. The tennis racket bag is typical of the brand aesthetic, combining textures and materials—in this case, canvas and leather—with room for two rackets in every bag and available in three colorways, from neutral browns to a statement combination of navy canvas and pigeon gray leather. $240; jurgibrand.com
