In Hlíðarfjall, a resort near Akureyri in northern Iceland, Mr. Kobayashi flew 291 meters, or 954.72 feet. Using the natural takeoff table, he hit a top speed of 107 kilometers per hour, or 66.5 miles per hour.

Out now, the brand's fall/winter 2024 assortment is made up of biophilic shapes, minimalistic concepts and earth tones. All of which appropriately align well with Nordic culture, blending in with the Danish buildings that they are being spotlit in. Specifically, Roche Bobois heads to historic sites such as the Ordrupgaard Museum to present its picks, using an extension designed by architect Zaha Hadid as a background for the Cigale table by Andrea Casati.

From Denmark to Norway, prestige is increasingly showing enthusiasm for the north. Luxury companies across categories are pouring resources into Nordic nations, framing them as the setting of fashion campaigns, hosting Arctic automotive retreats and, among other activations, opening five-star hotels in the area. As the international community discovers a love for all things hygge and biophilic, Scandinavia and its trademark trends are proving to be in the midst of defining the landscape of tomorrow.

German automaker Mercedes-Benz is hosting adventures in cold-weather climates come 2024. The company will offer consumers the chance to improve their driving skills on the frozen waters of Sweden's Lake Galtisjaure as soon as next year. Professionals will guide those of all experience levels through a series of three to five-day courses, as Mercedes-AMG's Experience on Ice program teaches participants how to safely navigate in winter conditions from the comfort of the brand's luxury models.

Richemont-owned Belgian leather goods house Delvaux is looking to a medieval art genre for a new collection. Norse symbolism emanates throughout the spring/summer 2024 array, the 11 handbags dancing with jewel tones, animal imagery and themes of heraldry. With a special focus on shared mythologies, Delvaux worked with Belgian creator Kasper Bosmans to bring the vision to life, tapping into the surging art market that many luxury fashion labels are likewise moving to benefit from.

Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin is shining a light on both climate change’s impact on northern ecosystems and the resilience of the horology label's products. Working with American artist Zaria Forman, the brand’s latest “One of Not Many” campaign– a series that since 2018 has highlighted individuals who reflect the maison’s values — reveals the shifts occurring in Arctic landscapes. The creative is shown capturing melting glaciers, crumbling icebergs and warming black sand beaches at the top of the world, all the while donning a timepiece from the Overseas collection, which like her, overcomes the elements without missing a beat.

International hotel, river cruise and rail company Orient Express is stealing the show on the silver screen. For the newly-released blockbuster, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, the company built a replica of its historic, art deco-era trains. Orient Express is taking viewers behind the scenes in a new activation, showing off technical know-how and creative spirit just in time for the film’s premiere. “The Mission: Impossible team has taken the use of trains as locations to a whole new level,” said Simon Pielow, cofounder of Luxury Train Club, Swindon. “We have enjoyed for some years providing trains, carriages, and rail facilities such as stations for movies and more, but we acknowledge that Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning has hugely raised the bar!”

British watchmaker Bremont is celebrating the resilience of Norwegian mountaineer Kristin Harila. The brand ambassador is once more setting out on a quest to become the fastest person and first woman to ever summit the planet’s 14 highest peaks in one climbing season. Wearing a Bremont watch, she conquered the first of the mountains at the end of April, supported by the company for a second time – the first time was deterred by permit-related barriers.

As modern cabin company NevelHaus grows, Luxury Daily exclusively presents the announcement of architect Adam Rolston’s global expansion with the custom home building company. Cofounded by two NYC-based luxury developers in 2020, the turnkey platform offers a sustainable way to build eco-friendly footprints at speed. NevelHaus is calling in the creative director of INC Architecture & Design, the New York studio backing the company's rise, owned by Mr. Rolston himself — the designer is responsible for such projects as the meetings and event spaces present at the TWA Hotel at the JFK Airport and 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge — tapping the planner's expertise in a move that now seeks to bring his biophilic influences to properties beyond the continental United States.

Swiss watch brand Hublot is sponsoring an ambitious expedition of Jean-Louis Étienne, who is planning to use the Polar POD to explore the Southern Ocean for three years, starting in 2024.

I grew up in the age where Megan Fox was the beauty standard. She’s tall and tan, with pouty lips and long dark hair. That has never been what I look like. Because of this, I used to wish that I looked differently. I had days when I loved myself, and days when I didn’t, but the love rarely included love for my body or appearance. I didn’t see that as a negative thing, or let it eat me up with a desire for cosmetic surgeries or anything. I took pride in my strength, and my athletic abilities, and

As a Scandi-American, I grew up with coziness at the center of our home. Hygge was key in the way we decorated, interacted with the seasons, and viewed the world. My mother hung dried lavender from our garden from the ceilings in our living room, and the cottage I grew up in was filled with handmade blankets, candles, warm hues, baked goodies, and piles of sweaters. The seasons were at the core of our lives, as they are for fellow Danish and Norwegian people, and all other Nordic nationalities.

As a Norwegian and Danish person, the biggest challenge of becoming a vegan was losing my heritage. I thought that if I cut out animal products, I wouldn’t be able to eat the way my family fed me, or the way my ancestors fed themselves. Like most people, I was told my whole life that Norsemen ate a meat-heavy diet. I pictured huge men around fires eating spits of salmon during long winters. It wasn’t until I did a semester-long research project on the topic that I realized that Vikings were a l

Per capita, Iceland has the highest number of writers in the world. One in ten people in Iceland have published a book, and one in four people work in a creative field. The country is home to countless number of artists and creatives, with many musicians from the tiny island nation in the north gaining global popularity. Literature is the oldest of those arts practiced in Iceland, however, and the famous sagas are still read by Icelanders faithfully today. The capital city of Reykjavik is design

Every year, The World Happiness Report is conducted and sent out to measure which countries are the happiest. They take into consideration a plethora of data, such as citizens’ general satisfaction with life, access to clean water, and other factors that would affect someone’s quality of life. This year, the report took into consideration the COVID-19 emergency, factoring in the way countries handled the crisis. While every country has its problems, the top 10 countries on this year’s report we

Seasonal depression is very real, yet Scandinavians, who live in almost total darkness for months on end, seem to thrive in the wintertime. That’s not to say that it’s easy for them, but it can be argued that they have tackled the age-old question of “How can I be happy in such a dark time?” Countless studies have been done on this, since for decades the region has baffled people by consistently making the top five spots on the world’s Happiness Index, annually. People associate the darker mont

The Northern Lights are on many people’s bucket lists. It’s hard to imagine just how mesmerizing the dancing glow is until one sees it in person. It’s calming, mystifying, and magnificent. Since the beginning of humankind, they have been capturing imaginations and hearts. Their earliest depiction dates back to 30,000 BCE, captured in cave paintings. The earliest written account of someone observing the Northern Lights is from 2,600 BCE. Galileo dubbed them Aurora Borealis after the goddess of th

With the weather turning colder in the northern hemisphere, many are looking to the arctic countries for tips on how to make the most of the chilling temperatures. Scandinavia is famous for hygge, and many in non-Scandinavian countries have adopted the practice to learn to enjoy the colder months. While hygge is so important, it’s a good idea to note that since Scandinavians are so used to the cold, they have more to give than just hygge when it comes to chilly-living tips. So if you’re wanting