Monthly Archives: August 2011

My two experiences  of ‘Dinner By Heston Blumenthal’ couldn’t be more different.  When it opened, there was the man himself, charismatic bonce twinkling, schmoozing like the consummate professional he is. The menu,  with its reinvention of historic British cooking, seemed to be paradoxically new and there was an air of palpable excitement  about the place – is that Lily Allen? Sir Paul McCartney? Look at the size of Jeremy Clarkson’s head! Nobody with a profile came away unhugged by Heston. Little wonder most of the critical world came away gibbering in some kind of rapture.

Heston Blumenthal’s meat fruit, as served at Dinner. Photograph: Eddie Judd

But on this visit, the place appears to have settled into its primary role: that of a good hotel restaurant populated by suits and dressed-to-the-nines out-of-towners.

Taffety tart as served at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.

It’s undeniably beautiful, in a sleek, expensive way, with its quirky wall lamps based on jelly moulds; there’s a vast-windowed open kitchen groaning with hi-tech kit that seems to jut right into the dining space. Here Blumenthal’s first lieutenant Ashley Palmer-Watts’s brigade – no, of course Heston’s not cooking – can be seen intently beavering away, although much of the techie stuff is done  in a basement kitchen far below.

There’s an imposing, steampunky rotisserie designed by Swiss watchmaker Ebel, its only purpose appearing to be to turn the pineapple for the heavily sold tipsy cake into, well, hot pineapple.

bonus video & photos : by Guardian

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Marina living has become one of the most desirable and sought-after lifestyles in the world. Now you can enjoy it all, right in Dubai. The exclusivity, the status and the rewards of waterfront living are awaiting you at Dubai Marina. One of the world’s largest, most meticulously planned waterfront developments, Dubai Marina offers you the exhilaration and vibrancy of a chic, urban lifestyle together with all the advantages of owning a home on the water. Unobstructed views across the marina, fresh sea breezes and the experience of a lifestyle most people can only dream about.

  

In this automotive video you learn about the new 2011 Jaguar XJ saloon car series design.

  

The pre-eminent South Seas escape: beautiful overwater suites, a Pacific-side spa, and all-encompassing Four Seasons service.

Please note Sebastien Carre is no longer the General Manager of Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora

  

 by LAUREN MILLIGAN at Vogue.com

MCQ, Alexander McQueen’s younger contemporary sibling label, is gearing up to open its first standalone boutique in London.

No details can be released about the opening yet – a spokesperson said today – but confirmed the store is set to open early next year in central London, stocking the McQ collection.

Following the death of its eponymous designer last year, the label took the McQ label back in house after the expiration of its licensing agreement with SINV SpA. The autumn/winter 2011-12 collection - designed by new creative director Pina Ferlisi and set to arrive in stores in September – will be the first full McQ collection, featuring clothes and shoes, whilst the brand’s current Selfridges London installation is heading to Manchester.

bonus video: McQ –  a collection of clips from his shows, enjoy.
music: saw something, david gahan

  

Soneva Gilli by Six Senses

Take a tour through Soneva Gili, a Soneva Resort and Spa by Six Senses located in a lonely bay in the Maldives.

Soneva Fushi by Six Senses

Welcome to a luxurious experience in which the natural reality of the destination unites understated yet sophisticated style. This is Intelligent Luxury.

  

Earlier this summer, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton won a Webby Award for its digital magazine, NOWNESS.com, which it launched in early 2010.

The French fashion house — and the world’s largest luxury company, run by billionaire Bernard Arnault – says its content is editorially independent, and calls the site an “information reference.” It’s reminscent of French or Italian Vogue, with multimedia (e.g., the short film “Daphne Guinness: Undressed” was popular in fashion circles).

No matter how it’s packaged, it’s a marketing win for LVMH, and follows a new wave of advertising for luxury brands (in 2009, Burberry launched a similar site, the Art of the Trench).

McKinsey Quarterly reports that:

Many luxury-goods companies, for example, have built editorial teams to “socialize” their brands: they are transforming the customer relationship by producing blogs, digital magazines, and other content that can dramatically intensify both the frequency and depth of interactions.

Women’s Wear Daily also reported on the trend earlier this year, and spoke with Miki Berardelli, chief marketing officer for Tory Burch, about how luxury advertising is changing:

“We’re publishing content in an authentic way, and if it’s increasing our brand awareness, then it could be defined as advertising. It’s a new way of communicating with consumers. It’s taking an editorial approach to telling your brand story, and the social media space just lends itself so beautifully to that combination.”

Sites like NOWNESS blur the line between fashion and editorial, but those lines have been blurred since the inception of Vogue (1892) — just a few decades after Louis Vuitton was born (1854).

bonus video : Daphne Guinness: Undressed – Director Brennan Stasiewicz Captures Fashion’s Enigma At Home and On Display

Daphne Guinness: Undressed on Nowness.com.

  

Can electric motoring deliver a true Rolls-Royce experience? We’ve created 102EX as a working test-bed to get feedback from Owners, opinion leaders, enthusiasts and journalists on alternative drive-train technologies in ultra-luxury cars. In this film, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, introduces the car and the debate, encouraging contributions from all who are interested. Join the debate at www.electricluxury.com

  

by Cathy O’Brien at examiner.com

Salvatore Ferragamo announced today that they will host their first online trunk show on Friday, August 5. The iconic design house will feature their handbag, shoe and ready-to-wear collections during the online trunk show which will allow clients to pre-order from the fall collection. Salvatore Ferragamo will host the trunk show for three weeks; giving fashion-savvy shoppers ample time to place their fall orders. The trunk show is only being offered to customers in the United States.

Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann, granddaughter of Ingrid Bergman and a longtime friend and client of Salvatore Ferragamo, will model the fall and winter runways looks for the trunk show. “I absolutely loved being a part of the Fall 2011 Ferragamo look book, not only because the clothes are gorgeous, but also because I have been an avid admirer of Ferragamo for so many years! The materials are luxurious and the designs are fun and feminine with a hint of strong men’s tailoring. I found the collection to be glamorous and sexy but still chic and sophisticated!”

Shoppers will also be treated to the new photographs from the fall advertising campaign modeled by Daria Werbowy and Mathias Lauridsen and photographed by famed fashion photographer Mikael Jansson. The pictures were taken at the Villa d’Este in Lake Como, Italy.

The Salvatore Ferragamo online trunk show is the perfect chance for handbag fans to pre-order the handbags they love from the design house’s fall 2011 runway collection before the most popular styles are sold out.

The Salvatore Ferragamo online trunk show will go live on Friday, August 5, 2011 at ferragamo.com.

video bonus : The Making of Salvatore Ferragamo AW 2011 Campaign