Written by Craig Landale in Essentials on the 21st April 2023

In this article, we will explore some of the coolest drops of April 2023, including fashion, technology, and lifestyle products. These include Acer's ebii E-bike, which boasts an AI-driven single-motor and modular architecture; the Carl Friedrik X SECRID Card Wallet, a limited edition RFID-blocking wallet made from premium leather and featuring patented flip-up technology; MAAP's Alt_Road apparel, inspired by untamed landscapes and designed in collaboration with renowned photographer Chris Burkard; and Automobili Lamborghini X Master & Dynamic, a third co-branded collection of headphones and earphones featuring Lamborghini's iconic design elements. We'll also take a closer look at a collaboration between Baracuta and Junya Watanabe, two design-minded brands that have joined forces to create a new collection. 

GOLDEN BEAR X CQP 

As a special season collaboration, CQP have teamed up with GOLDEN BEAR. Together, they have created a series of varsity jackets crafted in luxurious Melton wool. Thoughtfully designed, these jackets represent an aesthetic and level of quality in-line with the brands own philosophy of making outstanding products. Consciously made, tactile, high quality and long lasting. The visual campaign, shot by Milad Abedi and filmed by Gustaf Peterson is an ode to the jacket’s American and athletic heritage. Celebrating friendship and togetherness. The jackets are offered in three colourways, including two versions with an iconic off-white leather sleeve insert. The Varsity features a tonal seven snap button front, double besom pockets and a knit collar, cuff, and waistband. Other features include a tonal satin polyester body and sleeve lining for ultimate comfort and year-round wearability. Each and every component of the jacket has been thoughtfully designed in order to fit in with the CQP wardrobe. 

c-qp.com

Acer ebii E-bike 

Acer have announced the Acer ebii, an AI-driven single-motor e-bike that utilizes an intelligent vehicle control box that houses everything you need for an enjoyable and effortless ride. ebiiAssist automatically adapts to route conditions, pedalling power and rider preferences for a smoother journey. Its long-lasting battery, smart safety features, and minimalistic lightweight design enable users to navigate through the city streets in style and comfort with ease while leaving a smaller carbon footprint. The Acer ebii sets itself apart with its signature modular architecture that fits the battery pack and control box into a single compact intelligent vehicle control box. Its innovative design enables easy charging and battery transport, simple upkeep, and stress-free upgradability in a sleek and efficient design. The wheelset at the motor position has a strong single-sided fork design and a highly efficient 250/350 W motor with 48 V CAN bus and 40 Nm torque performance, enabling assisted riding of up to 25 kilometres per hour, and can be configured as a front, centre, or rear hub according to the rider’s needs. 

acer.com

Carl Friedrik X SECRID Card Wallet 

This exciting new collaboration represents the coming together of two design-minded brands to elevate a globally recognised favourite, the classic wallet. Ten years ago, brothers Niklas and Mattis Oppermann founded Carl Friedrik after seeing a gap in the market for competitively priced but high-quality accessories and so began designing small leather goods with a Scandinavian aesthetic made from premium leather. Now they are combining their classic Italian Vachetta leather with SECRID’s iconic technology creating a limited edition Cardprotector which promises to offer uncomplicated functionality for modern lifestyles. Both brands have a shared belief that design can be an antidote to overconsumption when underpinned by reliable functionality and quality that is built to last. The Carl Friedrik X SECRID Cardprotector has RFID-blocking technology for added electronic security and features Secrid’s patented flip-up technology for a seamless user experience. It also holds up to 6 cards and has a side pocket for additional cards or notes. The compact, minimal design comes in Carl Friedrik’s classic 3 leather colourways, chocolate, cognac and black, with a strong aluminium interior, automotive-inspired stitching and burnished leather edges making it built to last. This elegant and durable Cardprotector is functionally designed for your everyday essentials. 

carlfriedrik.com

MAAP Alt_Road apparel 

To celebrate the launch of the latest Alt_Road collection, MAAP has teamed up with renowned outdoor photographer and adventurer, Chris Burkard. Alt_Road is about immersing ourselves in wild landscapes that inspire and restore us. Burkard promotes the preservation of untamed places everywhere by capturing stories that inspire us to think deeper about our relationship with nature. It’s an ethos that aligns with the essence of the Alt_Road collection, resulting in Burkard being MAAP’s new ambassador. Alt_Road’s philosophy is simple: an exploration of thought and potential. Chris and the MAAP team put the new Alt_Road collection through its paces during an epic, off-the-grid 300km ride that took them venturing into Chris’ ‘backyard’ near his home in California, the grasslands over the Carrizo Plain. The largest single native grassland remaining in California, the changing landscapes of the Carrizo Plain provided the ideal terrains for the Alt_Road collection. 

maap.cc

Automobili Lamborghini X Master & Dynamic 

Automobili Lamborghini and Master & Dynamic, the New York brand leader in the world of premium audio devices, create a third co-branded collection of headphones and earphones. The collection includes MW75 Active Noise-Cancelling Wireless Headphones, MG20 Wireless Gaming Headphones, MW08 Sport True Wireless Earphones, for a range of high-tech audio systems with Automobili Lamborghini design elements. The third installment of the collaboration features the custom design of the MW75 Active Noise-Cancelling Wireless Headphones and MW08 Sport True Wireless Earphones that reflect the bold language of Automobili Lamborghini and the iconic "Y" on the glass plates. The MG20 Wireless Gaming headphones, on the other hand, have a graphic pattern in shades of Shock Green, the distinctive color of super sports cars and are made of leather and sapphire crystal front glass. The MW75 wireless headphones offer Adaptive Active Noise-Cancelling, which automatically adjusts the cancellation of ambient noise, for an unprecedented listening experience. Made of aluminum, leather and tempered glass, the MW75 headphones are perfect for daily and extended use. The MG20, the first true luxury gaming headset, has a detachable microphone and an internal alternative system for clear communication both in game and on the move. Constructed from magnesium and featuring a low-latency adapter, the MG20 Wireless Gaming Headset is designed to raise the bar for any gaming setup. The MW08 Sport True wireless headphones offer uninterrupted sound performance and perfect stainlessness, they also feature a Kevlar charging case, which offers up to 42 hours of battery life. 

lamborghinistore.com

Baracuta X Junya Watanabe 

Baracuta has announced its latest collaboration with Junya Watanabe of eYe Junya Watanabe, one of the world's most influential designers, born in Tokyo. Together, the two brands have created a unique version of Baracuta's iconic G9 Harrington Jacket, which promises to be a true collector's item. This collaboration combines Baracuta's expertise in craftsmanship and tradition with Watanabe's unparalleled creative flair, resulting in a fusion of British heritage and avant-garde style that is both innovative and distinctive. Watanabe's contribution to the project has been significant. By modifying the jacket and adding a hood, he has transformed the classic G9 Harrington Jacket into a new, oversized silhouette that is both bold and daring. What's more, the hood is constructed in a completely contrasting colour - orange – compared to the navy body, which makes for an eye-catching detail that sets this piece apart from its predecessors. The hood is finished with white drawstrings. Other changes made to Baracuta’s iconic G9 Harrington jacket is the colour of the zip. Matching the white drawstring, the full zip is made evident. It doesn’t stop there, along the inside of the zip, a windbreaker flap can be found in the same orange as the hood. Finally, the unmistakable Baracuta two button dog ear collar has been replaced to allow for the innovative orange hood. 

uk.baracuta.com

Spinnaker GMT Dumas Watch 

The new Dumas GMT Automatic range not only features an independent GMT dual time hand, which reads off a secondary time zone, but the external uni-directional 24-hour bezel allows for an additional third time zone to be read at a glance. This function is made possible by the Seiko TMI NH34 GMT automatic movement which runs the Dumas GMT Automatic from within, ensuring precision and reliability. This new timepiece has an octagonal 44mm case size which ensures a comfortable, reliable fit for the wearer in depths of up to 300m. The bi-colour bezels featured in this range are carefully balanced with an assembly of weighted hour and minute 'plongeur' style hands, and round indexes coated in Swiss Super-LumiNova for maximum visibility in low light conditions. This new iteration of the well-loved Spinnaker Dumas celebrates Frédéric Dumas and his legacy, a brave and adventurous diver who pioneered many new diving techniques that are practised today. Becoming a champion competitive swimmer in adolescence, Dumas progressed to becoming a free diving legend before he entered the arena of professional scuba diving. He was the first to test the AquaLung, the world's first open-circuit, self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, and his keen passion for world history enabled him to contribute significantly to marine archaeology. 

spinnaker-watches.com

Keen Spring/Summer 2023 UNEEK 

Creating innovative hybrid footwear and encouraging time spent outside, KEEN continue to evolve the UNEEK’s design by challenging Japanese based brands Loftman and Bamboo Shoots to produce their custom colour designs for the iconic UNEEK silhouette. Taking inspiration from the American original sneaker culture, Kai Kazuhiko of Bamboo Shoots and Makoto Kimura of Loftman have created new colour directions based on traditional “MADE IN USA” sneakers. Both Bamboo Shoots and Loftman hold popular retail spaces across the Kanot and Kansai regions of Japan respectively, with the in-house designer’s possessing a unique home-grown style perspective, resulting in a modern interpretation of American-made design from a Japanese point of view for KEEN’s brand staple, the UNEEK. The UNEEK’s patented interlocking cord system with two polyester elastic cords conform to the foot’s movement for a superior fit, combined with a microfiber heel for a soft hold. Bungee laces make for easy on/off wear further enhancing comfort and ease, a design specification originated by KEEN. 

keenfootwear.de

Ruggable X Basquiat 

Basquiat’s graphic and striking aesthetic is seen throughout this capsule collection of 22 awe-inspiring designs that are as functional as they are unique. Ruggable’s signature durable, stain-resistant, and machine-washable rugs, allow you to make a statement and bring Basquiat's vision to your home, without worrying about ruining it with spills or stains. The collection includes 15 rugs and 7 doormats, all featuring bold and eye-catching designs that showcase iconic symbols that Basquiat’s known for in his work. Add some artistic flair to your home with the Pegasus Rug featuring Basquiat’s hand-drawn linework, or create a centrepiece with the Jump Blue Rug for the perfect pop of colour. One for the melomaniac - the Beat Bop Rug features the cover art of a song Basquiat produced and will add exciting contrast to any space. 

ruggable.co.uk

Acqua di Parma Limited Edition Home Collection 

As notes of Acqua di Parma’s Home Collection fragrances waft through the space, memories of singular moments linger. A quiet walk by the lake, a gentle morning awakening, the breeze of the countryside. Where the scent encapsulates a state of being intertwined with our Italian ‘arte di vivere’ the art of Italian living, the new Italian Moments Limited Edition amplifies the narrative with patterns and colours that transports the imagination right into the essence of the fragrance. The limited-edition range of candles and diffusers in notes of Luce di Colonia, Buongiorno, and La Casa sul Lago feature vivacious and multi-coloured labels and packaging with iconography that captures the spirit of every distinct moment. With Luce di Colonia, the design imagines a window that opens into a world of dynamic Italian icons inspired by the scent’s quintessential essence, golden fruits, sunflowers, arches, and the sun. Elegantly timeless, the decorative label radiates brightness just like the fragrance’s harmonious blend of citrus essences, floral notes, and elegant, warm, woody accents. Steeped in the morning light is Buongiorno, dressed in illustrative details depicting the gorgeous landscapes of the countryside. With scenes of rolling hills, majestic trees, greeneries, and quaint homes, it is an invitation to wake up to a captivating view across arches and suggestive lunettes of Italian homes. The fragrance is reminiscent of freshly cut grass and natural wood tones softened by moss that lends warmth, roundness, and comfort. 

johnlewis.com

Acer ebii E-bike, Carl Friedrik X SECRID Card Wallet, MAAP Alt_Road apparel, Automobili Lamborghini X Master & Dynamic, Baracuta X Junya Watanabe, and Spinnaker GMT Dumas Watch.