Internet Microdoses

Diamond prices hit a century low as natural 1-carat stones average ~$4,200, down from $6,000 in 2021. De Beers, once the global leader, is sitting on roughly $2 billion in unsold stock while lab-grown stones flood the market at 80% of the cost. Diamonds may be forever, but their market dominance is another story.

Jil Sander opened a records store in Ginza, reviving Cisco Records in its Tokyo flagship. The shop previously shaped Shibuya’s subculture scene before closing in 2007. It’s further proof that luxury brands still have power to move the needle.

Lego announced its largest set ever: a 12,506-piece replica of the Sagrada Família cathedral. The real one has been under construction since 1882 and will finally be completed this year. The Lego version honestly might take just as long to build.

Hideo Kojima and Nicolas Winding Refn take over the Hotel Chelsea for Satellites II — the fourteenth edition of Prada Mode. Opening June 5, it’s the sequel to their Prada Aoyama Tokyo collab last summer. Even if you’ve just played Death Stranding, you know to expect the unexpected when these two team up.

LVMH just posted its worst Q1 ever as shares dropped 28% — a steeper slide than during COVID or the 2008 financial crisis. CEO Bernard Arnault himself personally lost $55.4 billion. New creative directors — Jonathan Anderson at Dior, Proenza Schouler at Loewe — were meant to boost interest, but tariffs and global spending decline are proving hard to design around.