Louis Vuitton, the French maker of laminated canvas handbags, was named the world’s most valuable luxury brand for a seventh consecutive year.

The brand, owned by LVMH, is worth $25.9 billion, a 7 percent increase from 2011, according to Millward Brown Optimor’s 2012 BrandZ study.

Hermes, in which LVMH owns a stake, rose to second place with a value of $19.1 billion, up 61 percent on last year. Rolex, the closely-held Swiss watch brand, was ranked third at $7.17 billion, a 36 percent gain.

Men’s magazine Playboy, perhaps the epitome of testosterone-driven tastemaking, has released its pick of the greatest cars of all time.

The magazine, which regularly features motoring news and interviews, compiled the list of its favorite models of all time for the May issue, now on US newsstands.

For the third year in a row, chef René Redzepi’s Copenhagen restaurant Noma has taken the top spot to be declared the best restaurant in the world.

At the 10th annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards in London Monday night, Redzepi cemented his position as the “standard bearer for the New Nordic movement” after his restaurant took home the grandiose title of best in the world.

A recent report on the world’s strongest beauty labels has highlighted the dominance of legacy brands, with long-running and affordable favorites such as Olay and Avon dominating the top ten.

Valuation firm Brand Finance’s annual ranking of the 50 biggest global beauty brands measures areas including current market value and customer loyalty, with the number one spot going to America’s Olay — which was launched in 1950.

Travel + Leisure magazine’s list of Best Sandwiches in the world ranges from humble, Vietnamese street foods like the banh mi, to a $100 sammy from Japan stuffed with hand-massaged Wagyu beef on slices of crustless white bread.

Conde Nast Traveler magazine has revealed its annual list of the hottest new hotels in the world, compiled by its editorial staff.

The Hot List takes a look at 121 newly-opened properties on 4 continents, identifying the cream of the crop as chosen for their service, food, atmosphere and amenities.