Monthly Archives: November 2010

by Peter Finocchiaro at Luxury Daily

Stella McCartney has launched a redesign of its ecommerce Web site in the United States and Britain, marking the first time consumers from the latter country have been able to buy the designer’s products online.

The Web site is available at http://stellamccartney.com. The brand will extend the site to eight more countries in March 2011, with plans to bolster its mobile marketing strategy in the near future with the launch of an iPad application.

“It was time for an update, and we are offering a new design through a new platform, with new functionalities to create an enhanced consumer experience,” said Stephane Jasper, spokesman at Stella McCartney, London.

bonus video : Peter Finocchiaro, editorial assistant at Luxury Daily, New York

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By MICHELLE HIGGINS at Travel TheNewYorkTimes

When it comes to luxury in the Caribbean, there is no shortage of offerings. Want a butler for your beachfront room? Done. Need a place to park  your megayacht? No problem. How about a house on a private island, decorated by a well-known designer (like The Sanctuary at Parrot Cay, in photo, which is owned and styled by Donna Karan)? Take your pick.

While the sluggish economy has taken a toll on the lower end of the upscale market, travel agents who cater to the wealthy say that the higher end seems to be doing just fine. Whether you have the means or just the aspirations, here is a  sampling of the most over-the-top Caribbean escapes. Rates are per night for the high season, which begins in mid-November for most resorts, not including the holidays, when prices are often higher.

The best Over-the-Top Retreat: Calivigny Island

$74,300

WHERE: Off the coast of Grenada

WHAT YOU GET: Your very own 81-acre Caribbean island with six sandy beaches. The fully staffed 107,639-square-foot “beach house” includes 10 suites — each with its own entrance — and is furnished with custom-designed pieces by Oscar de la Renta. There are tennis courts, billiards, a heated freshwater swimming pool with a swim-up bar, a wine cellar and a portable outdoor movie screen for films under the stars.

OUTRAGEOUS AMENITY: A 173-foot sailing yacht, Atmosphere, which sleeps 12 people, is moored at the dock. A seven-day charter costs an additional 220,000 euros a week.

bonus Presentation :

  

By JULIA CHAPLIN at Fashion & Style – TheNewYorkTimes

A garage on Lincoln Road houses Alchemist, a “concept boutique” that shows a few designers at a time. The Soho Beach House, right, is the “it” hotel.

ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH, that bacchanal disguised as the Western Hemisphere’s most prestigious art fair, takes place Dec. 2 to 5. Once again, there will be a dizzying whirl of glamorous dinners, hush-hush viewings and after-hour soirees — a Herculean scavenger hunt crammed into four days. To help, here are 10 must-do spots to schmooze, party, dine and, oh, see art.

1. OFFSHORE

White walls are so Chelsea. Kick off your shoes, lather on the sun block and go native on “The Island,” an islet in Biscayne Bay that is being turned into an off-the-grid art spectacle. Fifteen artists including Terence Koh, Hanna Liden and Luis Gispert are doing site-specific projects in the foliage, sandbars and water.

A motorboat will whisk guests from the Mondrian hotel. “We wanted to create this feeling of being stranded on a deserted island that’s in unique contrast to the fanciness and luxuriousness of the fair,” said Shamim Momin, the curator at the Los Angeles Nomadic Division (or LAND), which organized the show with Ohwow, an arts collective.

Flagler Memorial Island; nomadicdivision.org. On view Dec. 3 from 4 to 8:30 p.m., followed by party on the Mondrian’s dock; invitation only.

2. FOOD ARTS

Who says art and food don’t mix? Certainly not Jennifer Rubell, a culinary conceptualist who treats food like an art history mash-up: a pinch of performance art here, a dash of Abstract Expressionism there. Consider her padded cell at the recent Performa gala, built from cotton-candy bricks.

For Art Basel, Ms. Rubell is hosting a breakfast at the Rubell Family Collection titled “Just Right,” engineered to wow finicky creatives. To score their meal, guests must squeeze through a jagged hole in the courtyard wall and wander through an overgrown field to an empty house. There, they will find a buffet installation: thousands of bowls and pedestals of porridge, brown sugar, raisins and milk. It’ll be the hottest brunch spot in town.

Rubell Family Collection, 95 Northwest 29th Street; rfc.museum. Dec. 1 to 5; 9 a.m. to noon.

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Even though the Murcielago ended production earlier this month and its successor won’t begin production for a while, Lamborghini has not been spending its time idly, and will prove that by introducing the Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante, waiting buyers who do not satisfy their thirst for performance with “regular» Gallardo.
Performante is 65 kgs lighter than the previous model. To accomplish this, the Italian-German mechanics used lighter materials and especially carbon fiber and carbon composite parts both outside and in. The convertible cover is made from carbon fiber, as is the rear spoiler, diffuser and some underbody components. Inside, the transmission tunnel cover, door panels and seat shells are CF units. The front end has also been tweaked for looks and aerodynamic purposes, with improved cooling and more downforce on the front axle being two of the results, and better rear aero comes courtesy of a redesigned diffuser.

However this release is more Spartan … because it has no air conditioning and electric windows.
In terms of performance, the engine remains the same, with 5,2 lt to deliver 570 horsepower. The performance is slightly better with the first 100 km / h to be covered in 3,9 sec, while top speed is at 324 km / h. Want more? It puts out less CO2 emissions, which means better gas mileage.

  

by Inside Retailing Online

Louis Vuitton is honouring artist Ruben Toledo’s work with the release of a collector’s set of 100 postcards in fluorescent colours, a real retrospective of the illustrations created for the Louis Vuitton City Guides since 1998. The Postcard Box celebrates the 100 illustrations Toledo has created for the Louis Vuitton City Guides, images that capture in paint the guides’ distinct vision of travel and passion for detail. “My aim is to paint a portrait of a city and to draw out its special and eternal essence; to capture the unique tempo and character of each,” said Toledo.

The Louis Vuitton City Guides collection has already passed through nearly 100 cities across the world and calls on the talents of more than100 independent journalists and writers, who provide an attentive, informed commentary on the changes shaking the heart of cities, offering objective views on fashion, design, the arts and gastronomy.

These brand new City Guides, released on October 15, touch down in totally unprecedented cities. Berlin, Kyoto and Nara are also being offered for the first time in an individual volume alongside London, Los Angeles, Paris, Rome, New York and Tokyo. Meanwhile, the indispensable European City box set is adding seven new destinations to its map: Beirut, Courchevel, Gstaad, Oxford, Palma, Poto Cervo and Thessaloniki. Equipped with easy-to-use maps, the guide unlocks each city’s best treasures for both seasoned travelers and curious insiders.

The Louis Vuitton City Guide Berlin is available in French, English, and German, and explores this multifaceted German capital through more than 500 discerning addresses. Guesthouses steeped in nostalgia, little-known vegetarian restaurants, restored brasseries, quirky designers, cutting-edge fashion, hip night spots, revamped museums, and art galleries in constant flux paint the portrait of a fascinating city.

  

by AskMen UK

Wherever you go in the world, in spite of the huge variation in men’s attire, there are a few basic principles to looking good to which all stylish men adhere. Whether you’re sporting a suit or a mohawk, one of the most essential tricks for looking perpetually amazing is to cultivate habits that boost your style.

Once you incorporate these habits into your life and they become second nature, you’ll find women approaching you more often and other guys eyeing you with envy. To help you get a jump start on becoming the stylish guy that everyone wants to be (or be with), we’ve put together a list of the top 10 habits to boost your style.

Follow our tips and a more fashionable life will soon be yours.

No.1 – Pick outfits the night before they’re worn

A stylish man is a prepared man. Particularly when you have an important occasion ahead of you, like a business meeting or a big date, planning ahead is vital to ensuring all the elements of your outfit hang together as a cohesive whole. If you can’t dedicate a few minutes to selecting your apparel in advance, at least have a go-to ensemble hanging in your closet that you can turn to when you need to look fantastic in five seconds flat.

No.2 – Bookmark three fashion sites and visit them weekly

You don’t need real-time reports on what’s going on in the fashion industry, but once a week, make a point of perusing your favourite websites  just to keep up with what’s hot. Being a regular visitor on three different sites will let you cover a lot of territory, meaning you’ll have a good grasp on the major trends while also benefiting from alternative perspectives.

No.3 – Have a signature scent

Be consistent with your cologne. Women use smell as one way to decipher if you’ll have chemistry as a couple between the sheets, so once you find a fragrance that blends with your natural odour for a tantalising effect, stick with it. Also, read up on how to combine or layer products to create a very personalised and memorable scent, and to vary its intensity.

No.4 – Treat trends as calculated risks

A perennially stylish man keeps up with trends but doesn’t follow them blindly because he knows that trying every fad that comes along makes him a fashion victim rather than a fashionite. And although he’s willing to break style rules, he’s clever about which risks he takes, carefully considering factors such as his job, personality and body type  so that he never bets on a look that won’t win.

No.5 – Shop often but buy seldom

Browse online shops frequently, become an avid window shopper or just pop into a few boutiques occasionally on your way home from work. Observe the merchandise available and make mental notes on the pieces you find yourself drawn to. Only part with your cash, however, when it’s a garment you either need or you know it will make a chic and versatile addition to your wardrobe.

No.6 – Have a reliable tailor and dry cleaner

A knowledgeable tailor and a brilliant dry cleaner are a stylish man’s secret weapons. With a nip in your shirt here and a hem in your jeans there, a tailor guarantees your ready-to-wear clothes fit you perfectly. To find a dry cleaner who will sort out your toughest stains and launder your threads in a jiffy, visit the same location each time you need your clothes cleaned so you build a relationship with the staff.

No.7 – Buy multiples

When you find something that has a fit so flattering it seems like it was made especially for you, buy at least two. Adhere to this rule particularly when the garment in question is a basic you can never own too many of, such as a classic white dress shirt or go-with-everything dark denim.

No.8 – Splurge on investment pieces

Any time you happen upon a timeless piece in a high-quality fabric, such as fine wool or cashmere, don’t hesitate to snap it up, even if that means splashing out. Although you may initially pay more for it, the cost-per-wear (CPW) ratio of an investment piece is shockingly low. Consider a camel-coloured designer trench, for example: Its price tag may be exorbitant, but after you’ve worn it several hundred times, it will have paid for itself in compliments alone and you won’t have to update your outerwear for a very long time.

No.9 – Take pride in storing clothes

Treat your clothes with respect and they’ll look new longer. Buy wooden hangers for your closet and space your clothes out so they don’t get crushed. Similarly, when packing your bags for a business trip or a holiday, you can avoid arriving with wrinkled garments if you fold clothes properly and neatly instead of bundling them into a ball and shoving them into your suitcase.

 No.10 – Have a reliable barber and see them every four weeks

You may be doing everything right, but if you neglect your hair, your efforts to be more stylish will have been in vain as the first thing others will notice about you is your unkempt head rather than your sleek suit. So, find a barber you trust and make regular appointments to keep your groomig in check.

  

A model displays a 24.78-carat Fancy Intense Pink Diamond during a press preview held in Hotel Beau Rivage, Geneva, Switzerland, Nov. 10, 2010 for Sothebys’ auction of Magnificent Jewels on Nov. 16, 2010

The 24.78 carat pink diamond was sold at CHF 45.44 million (45.62 million U.S. dollars) in an auction held by the Sotheby’s in Geneva, breaking the record for any diamonds and jewelry ever sold at an auction.

The Sotheby’s told the press afterwards that the diamond was bought by the British jeweler Laurence Graff, who had also purchased the historic ”Wittelsbach” blue diamond,  the world’s most expensive jewel sold at auction since Tuesday, a 17th century stone of 35.56 carats that fetched $24.3 million in December 2008 at rival Christie’s.
The pink diamond, graded as Fancy Intense Pink by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), is described by the Sotheby’s as “exceptionally rare and truly magnificent pink diamond of the purest, vibrant hue,” with type IIa classification which comprises less than 2 percent of all germ diamonds.

The diamond was purchased some 60 years ago from Harry Winston, well-know American jeweler who also had been the owner of the Hope Diamond, and it has been preserved as a personal collection since then.

In an interview, David Bennett, Chairmen of Sotheby’s International Jewelry Division, had estimated the pink diamond to be sold between 27-38 million dollars. ”It’s like pink champagne,” he told Reuters before the historic auction.

bonus video : SothebysTV

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by Sarah Mower | photographed by Steven Meisel at Vogue.com

Tom Ford’s comeback to womenswear after six years—­with a show achieved in spectacular style in New York on September 12—­is fashion meganews, not that he’s been sharing it with just anyone. The newly elusive former idol and inciter of the sexed-­up Gucci-­YSL nineties is doing things differently this time. He objects to the way the Internet eats up fashion images before the clothes can be bought. He despises sections of the press. Private and formal are terms he favors now. And he’d rather people didn’t “Tom” him anymore. At 49, he lets it be known he prefers “Mr. Ford.”

And here he is, being photographed by Steven Meisel the morning after he delivered the anti-publicity coup that threw bloggers, Twitterers, and reporters into a quagmire of frustration. His plans for his debut were so secret, even Julianne Moore, his close friend and star of his movie A Single Man, didn’t really know what she was letting herself in for when she turned up at his men’s store on Madison Avenue. “He asked me to do this six months ago, but I thought we’d just all be standing around at a cocktail or something. So when I got there and he said we had to walk, I said, ‘Holy cow!’ ”

bonus video : Tom Ford Fashion Designer Profile

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