Having & Being: Summer in Thoughts

Every lounger from Ibiza to Cannes should be booked by now: This season, fashion brands' "beach takeovers" are taking on almost colonial characteristics. At first, it was only luxury labels like Dior and Dolce & Gabbana that descended on exclusive beach clubs and hotel terraces with all their belongings and logos. Now, almost all companies want to "pick up" customers while they're on vacation. Lacoste just set up its green umbrellas and cushions at Tigu Beach in Sestri Levante, Herno is based at Phi Beach in Sardinia, and Longchamp at Bagno Felice 1 in Forte dei Marmi. For the beach clubs, this is a practical, free makeover, for the brands, a lovely foray into the booming travel segment, and for the customers, another Instagrammable photo opportunity. "Feeling very Zebra today!" they might then post from Annex Beach in Cannes or The Unexpected Ibiza Hotel, where Roberto Cavalli has just moved in with his prints. For the sake of completeness, we should also mention the first Missoni takeover at Oku Ibiza, Jacquemus at Monte-Carlo Beach, and Burberry at The Standard Ibiza. However, no one beats Dolce & Gabbana, who have rolled out their towels from Taormina to Bodrum to Bali.

Hardly any German journalist was as closely associated with Karl Lagerfeld as Alfons Kaiser of the FAZ. Six years after Lagerfeld's death, Kaiser has turned this profound knowledge of Charlemagne's life and work into an unusual work - a graphic novel that he developed together with illustrator Simon Schwartz. It follows Lagerfeld's career in chronological detail and with delicate images - from growing up as an only child in manor houses with an impressive mother figure, through his early years in Paris, to his development into an icon and influential figure in the fashion industry. The book brings together the decisive moments of his eccentric life, but also, through small situations, repeatedly reveals personal insights into the character of this well-read, strict and quick-witted designer, whose work ethic and sure taste are admired to this day. Perfect for browsing on a shady sun lounger! And the graphic novel format is surprisingly well-suited to a Lagerfeld biography—not only because the master himself was known to have a nimble hand and loved large books and coffee-table books, but also because the comic style makes the unreal glamour and inaccessibility of the luxury world a bit more approachable, even a bit satirizing it. An effect that Karl Lagerfeld would probably have appreciated. (Published by CH Beck)

The Brits have a sense of humor. That's why Penhaligon's has just released practical travel sizes from its successful "Potions and Remedies" perfume collection, along with the slightly ironic campaign "The Great British Summer ." Theoretically, it's summer on the island, too, but it's a bit more varied than elsewhere – or rather, like it is in Germany right now. So, it's better to be prepared for anything and strap the perfume bottle to your wellies or open an umbrella in the garden. The five perfumes are supposed to be mood-lifters anyway, true to the founder's motto: "For every ill there is a cure. For every problem there is a solution." For the current weather, we're choosing "A balm of calm" with geranium, lavender, and sandalwood, and do as the Brits do: "Keep calm and carry on."

This summer has been a bit of a twist: it was forecast to be a blazing dry spell, and people had prepared themselves for weeks of longing for Nordic coolness. And now – enough of the low-sailing rain clouds – the longing for the Mediterranean is resurfacing. Of course, this doesn't change the eternal fascination with Scandinavian light-flooded days; Swedish summers and sparkling clean coastal towns remain an ideal for all Saltkrokan and Madita readers. The manufacturer La Bruket from Varberg in the province of Hallands län has attempted to translate the feeling of freshness and simultaneous July warmth into a fragrance. Beach Rose combines the aroma of cedarwood with salty notes and the scent of the typical beach rose that grows wild on white sand dunes. The mere thought of it is enough for a short mental Swedish vacation. Available as body wash, hand cream, or body lotion ( labruket.com ).