In the idyllic Alpine town of Wattens, Austria, Daniel Swarovski founded the crystal company that would eventually become an international household name. In 1995, the Swarovski Kristallwelten (Crystal Worlds)—a playground for the brand’s most ardent enthusiasts—was unveiled near where the Swarovski enterprise started, 120 years ago.

Designer Matteo Gottardi’s utilitarian approach to his New York–based menswear label W.R.K is no fleeting ethos. In fact, it’s a style philosophy he takes very seriously, to the point where every item he and his team have churned out since launching in the spring of 2011 is built around a very simple yet ambitious question: What will make this garment the most functional for this man?

In April, Amsterdam welcomed the new location of the Eye Film Institute Netherlands. Its original residence in Vondelpark in the city centre was upgraded to a permanent address right on the banks of the IJ river just north of Central Station.

In the 1980s, the designers known as the Antwerp Six (Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Van Saene, Marina Yee, and Dirk Bikkembergs) put the Belgian city on the fashion map. These days, it’s all-purpose concept boutiques that are stirring up quite the fuss in this town.