Christian Louboutin for your nails, New York in a bottle and poetry by Chanel: August’s product releases go beyond beauty.

Richard Skinner tells Richard Fitzpatrick why the weird and wonderful ways of the real-life Erik Satie provided such great material for his new novella

THE fashion world welcomes fabulous eccentrics. Attention is vital for survival, so those who strike a dramatic, individual, colourful presence get media space and transform column inches into lucrative fashion roles.

This Georgian secretaire is included in Woodwards auction with an estimate of €1000 - €2000.

It began as a coffee table book — ex-Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld took photos of models, actors, and musicians, all wearing Chanel's classic coat. Now, the Little Black Jacket is a major exhibition, opening in London next month.

WHILE the Oscars is an overblown act of worship of Hollywood by Hollywood, where the stars and directors are perceived as gods, the Cannes Film Festival is a bit more European.

It is 44 years since Time Magazine placed London, The Swinging Capital on its cover and declared: “In a once sedate world of faded splendor, everything new, uninhibited and kinky is blooming.” The cast may change, but the characters remain the same, writes Allan Prosser

Those with a liking for avant-garde films will enjoy Two Films by Jean Cocteau (Optimum, €24.99) which brings together his debut work Le Sang d’un Poete and his final work Testament d’Orphée.

The bicycle flight at the end of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial has been named the most magical movie moment of all time.