Monthly Archives: November 2010

at Wikipedia

Harry Winston (March 1, 1896 – December 28, 1978) was an American jeweler. He donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958 after owning it for a decade, and traded the Portuguese Diamond to the Smithsonian in 1963.

Harry Winston’s father Jacob started a small jewelry business after he and Harry’s mother immigrated to the United States from Ukraine. He worked in his father’s shop growing up, and legend has it that when he was just 12 years old, he recognized a two-carat emerald in a pawn shop, bought it for 25 cents, and sold it two days later for $800.

Winston’s jewelry empire began with his acquisition of Arabella Huntington’s famous jewelry collection. The wife of railroad magnate Henry Huntington, Arabella amassed one of the world’s most prestigious collections of jewelry largely from Parisian jewelers such as Cartier. When Winston purchased the collection after her death, the designs of the collection were quite old fashioned. Winston redesigned the jewelry into more contemporary styles and showcased his unique skill at jewelry crafting. According to the Huntington museum, “He frequently boasted that Arabella’s famous necklace of pearls now adorned the necks of at least two dozen women around the world.”

Winston was among the most famous jewelers in the world, well-known to the general public. In the 1953 musical film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the song “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” includes the spoken interjection “Talk to me, Harry Winston, tell me all about it!” The Lauren Weisberger comic novel Chasing Harry Winston was published in May 2008.

Today, the Harry Winston Diamond Corporation operates eight salons in the U.S., in New York, Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, Dallas, Honolulu, Bal Harbour, Chicago, and Costa Mesa and twelve salons in other countries.

bonus video : Jewellery Label Harry Winston Bio

  

We have written before about the Necker Island and the Nymph plane. Necker Island, Sir Richard Branson’s private island paradise, is situated in the British Virgin Islands to the north of Virgin Gorda. Necker Island sits in turquoise waters surrounded by coral reefs and beautiful white sandy beaches. Necker Island is an exclusive 74-acre private island. Highest elevation is 277 feet (84 m). It consists of the 8 bedrooms in the Great House and six beautiful private Balinese Houses.

If you rent Necker Island, it can become your own private hideaway. For the ultimate honeymoon, you can hire Necker Island exclusively for just you and your other half. Simply the best private island rental for couple. Necker can be hired exclusively for up to 28 guests or if you’re not looking to hire the Island privately, you can still enjoy Necker Island holidays during Celebration Weeks when individual rooms can be booked by singles or couples to enjoy our fabulous Island paradise ’house party’ style. A team of approximately 60 fabulous staff is included when you rent Branson’s Island. Guests who stay at Necker Island will be offered the chance to enjoy the Necker Nymph plane (a 3-person aero submarine). Hire price is $25,000 while staying on the island.

  

By William Stolerman at Luxury Insider

A gorgeous 1939 Daimler DB18 Drophead Coupe that ferried Winston Churchill around the UK during his 1944 and 1949 election campaigns is heading to auction. 

Only eight units were produced by Daimler in 1939 and of those eight four were destroyed in bombing raids while a fifth was sold for scrap. As of today the only known survivor is chassis number 49531 seen above. 

Finished in silver over black coachwork with a contrasting three-position cabriolet hood, inside you’ll find green leather seats as well as beautiful, period Jaeger-LeCoultre instruments on the wooden dashboard. 

The car will be sold by Historics at Brooklands on December 4 when it is expected to fetch £200,000 – £250,000.

  

By Leah Chernikoff at Fashionista

Classic outdoor apparel label Penfield has teamed up again with Rag & Bone to create a limited edition quilted down jacket for the holiday season. Winter coats, especially quilted puffers, are not particularly flattering. That’s why we’re pushing the military anorak as the winter coat of choice. Because while quilted parkas are very good at keeping you warm, they’re also really good at rendering you into a shapeless blob.

But the Penfield for Rag & Bone quilted winter jacket manages to avoid the Michelin man-effect. It’s puffy and quilted and full of down but it’s also tailored and even looks slimming. It’s the perfect mix of Penfield’s heritage look–it comes in charcoal Schoeller wool with snap front pockets and corduroy at the shoulders–with Rag & Bone’s tailoring. The jacket is longer than most puffers that hit at the waist, accentuating the nipped-in waist.

At $895, the price is a bit steep. But the sleeves zip off so that the jacket doubles as a vest, so, if it helps at all, it’s a two for one deal. The jacket will be sold in all Rag & Bone boutiques, including their Tokyo flagship, at Bergdorf’s, Barney’s, Saks, Nordstrom’s and Shopbop.com, starting the last week in November.

video bonus : Rag & Bone Womens – NY SS2011

Similar articles in theUltimateLuxuryCommunity:  The Panama Hat, an all-time classic accessory, this summer fashion hit!

  

Experience

The allure is evident from the moment you pull into the grand porte-cochere. Bags are whisked away and you are guided, unburdened, to opulently appointed quarters. The resort features 179 guest rooms and suites including two Loft Suites with fireplaces, five Junior Suites and two Presidential Suites. From every room patrons take in sweeping views of the Roaring Fork Valley and enjoy luxurious touches such as flat-screen televisions and Bose sound systems.

But what will truly define your stay is the impeccable St. Regis standard of service, including airport transport by Mercedes Benz, twice-daily housekeeping service with evening turndown, 24-hour room service and personal butlers for all suite guests.

With every need fulfilled, you will spend your days as you please. Experience the majesty of Aspen Snowmass Resort, 4,000 awe-inspiring acres of terrain spread across four mountains. Take the ride of a lifetime on the Silver Queen Gondola, a journey that transports you from the heart of downtown Aspen to the 11,212-foot summit of Aspen Mountain. Or simply enjoy all the resort has to offer: a shimmering heated pool, 24-hour fitness center, Remede Spa and 20,000 square feet of meeting and function space.

The St. Regis Aspen Resort, is a perfect environment for superb winter skiing, summer sports and the arts.

video bonus by Just Luxe

  

by Hannah Elliott at Forbes

Bernard Arnault and his wife, Hélène Mercier.

The annual Forbes Most Powerful People list launched last night, and it packed a few surprises. Most notably, China’s president Hu Jintao topped Barack Obama as the most powerful man in the world. (Michelle Obama, on the other hand, was No. 1 on the Most Powerful Women list that came out last month – go figure.) The first 20 or so entries are full of heads of state (Angela Merkel,  Dmitry Medvedev, Nicholas Sarkozy), religious leaders (Pope Benedict XVI) and executives (Steve Jobs, Bill Gates). But there is one fashion-related entry on the list: Bernard Arnault, the head of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, ranked at No. 43.

Arnault, 61, is valued at $27.5 billion this year (he was worth an estimated $16.5billion in 2009). He’s ranked No. 7 on the Forbes list of the world’s billionaires–which goes to show that money alone doesn’t equal power. You’ve got to have real influence, too. Influence is one thing he has in spades. LVMH owns Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi, Céline, Pucci, Thomas Pink, Berluti, Loewe, TAG Heuer, Hublot, Zenith, Moët et Chandon, Krug, Dom Pèrignon, Hennessy, Belvedere, Guerlain, Sephora and Le Bon Marché–among many other luxury and retail brands. (Arnault also controls Carrefour, the second-largest retailer in the world, surpassed only by Wal-Mart.)

bonus video : Bernard Arnault CEO LVMH talks about luxury

Similar articles in theUltimateLuxuryCommunity : Swarovski, Tiffany Top Jewelry Brands for Digital: L2 Digital IQ Study , NeuroFocus Tracks Perception of Luxury , Wealthy Individuals Use Social Media More Than Most Americans , Why Fashion Seemingly Snubs the Internet: A Defensive , World’s top 10 most powerful luxury brands in 2010 , What Location Based Social Network is Right For Your Fashion Brand? , Top 10 Luxury Travel Trends for 2011. Video with VP of Conde Nast Traveler Chris Mitchell

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at TrendHunter

The CrystalRoc Samsung Galaxy Tab is the world’s most stunning tablet encrusted with 5700 Swarovski Bright Crystals.

CrystalRoc Samsung Galaxy Tab is the World’s Most Exclusive Tablet

Samsung has collaborated with CrystalRoc and Micro Anvika to bedazzle the Galaxy Tab. Each and every crystal was hand-applied to create the world’s most exclusive tablet computer. The CrystalRoc Samsung Galaxy Tab is the ultimate luxurious gadget fit for a diva or any geek who wants some eye-catching attention.

  

A small Quiz for the weekend. Who lives in a house like this? Imagine, who would have such taste and live in such opulence?

- American  Billionaire?
- Saudi Prince?
- Louis  XIV  of  France ?  

OR ELSE?

the answer : This Mansion is in Harare and belongs  to The  President of Zimbabwe  - Robert  Mugabe . The correct answer was given by Bronwyn Grey on Wed 10th Nov. 2010. Bravo Bronwyn!

Give us Your answer at support@ultimate-luxury-community.com The correct answer in a few days.

  

by Top10List

Materialistic pleasures are so treasured in today’s world that very few people stop to think about other virtues in life. When it comes to living, some people live comfortably, others live extravagantly. Then there are these people who reside in the lap of luxury-literally!

1. Antilla

The most expensive house in the world is in India, owned by Mukesh Ambani. It is worth a whopping 1 billion dollars and has 27 floors. The house has a plush health club and a garage that can hold over 150 cars. Why? Just because this business tycoon has a personal collection of 168 cars. The house is made entirely of glass and is 570 feet tall.

2. William Randolph Hearst’s Mansion

This house was initially owned by William Randolph Hearst and has three swimming pools, 29 bedrooms as well as a state of the art movie theater and discotheque. The mansion was put up for sale since 2007 and taken off a year later when nobody showed any interest in it.  It is worth 165 million dollars and stretches across 6 acres of land.

3. Elena Franchuk’s Victorian Villa

This house is located in the Kensington district in London was bought recently for about 161 million dollars. This 5-storey house has a 10 bedroom villa, an indoor swimming pool, a panic room, move theater and a sauna plus gym.

(more…)