Yearly Archives: 2009

Eiffel Tower glitters and dazzles for New Year’s Eve

The Eiffel Tower will become a “giant Chistmas tree” as Paris rings in the New Year with a spectacular light and music show, city officials said Wednesday.

The “unique and magical” display will round off a year which saw the tower, one of the world’s most visited sites, mark its 120th birthday and usher in a new decade.

The fete begins at 11:30 pm with the 12-minute display that has been shown every night since October to mark the anniversary, using state-of-the-art LED spotlights.
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Abramovich to Splash $5Million on New Year’s Bash

Daria Zhukova Roman Abramovich

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich will be hosting what promises to be one of the most extravagant bashes anywhere to see in the new decade.

He and his girlfriend Daria Zhukova, are expected to spend up to $4.8m on a beach party for 250 people on the Caribbean resort island of Saint Barthélemy.

The London Times reports that the singer Prince is to perform for them for a fee said to be $760,000.
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champagne flute

Celebrating the New Year with the latest art of champagne

As popping corks announce the New Year, champagne lovers can expect some radical new trends in the art of savouring a tipple that for centuries has been associated with celebration.

The true connoisseur should ditch the traditional long-stemmed flutes and the saucer-shaped coupes and instead start drinking the sparkling white wine from elongated, tulip-shaped glasses, say the experts.

And those seeking to be truly avant-garde should start serving the finest bubbly from carafes.
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Ikkar Transforming Yacht

French designer Julien Anglade, has come up with a hybrid yacht concept harking back to the golden days of luxury ocean cruises.

The 150-metre IKKAR accommodates 50 passengers in ultimate luxury along with a crew of 60 to look after them.

the hybrid yacht is capable of changing its shape according to the location as well as comfort of the passengers.
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The Designers’ Christmas Trees

hermestree2

On December 08, 2009 Marie Christiane Marek hosted “The Designers’ Christmas Trees” at the Cite de l’architecture et du patrimoine in Paris.

World-famous designers have sold 20 Christmas trees for a total of 41,500€ to be donated to The Foundation headed by France’s First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.

Since 1996 several famous names have taken part, including Stella McCartney, Jean Paul Gaultier and Marc Jacobs.
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The AA Super Yacht by Arnaud Answeeuw

Described as an “ultra contemporary design”, this 91-metre superyacht concept has just been unveiled by French designer Arnaud Anseeuw.

Named ‘AA’, the futuristic project has been inspired by advanced technologies and aerospace developments.

It is equipped with fuel cell propulsion and has the option to have its own satellite to create a personal network between a fleet of yachts.
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Brigitte Bardot eclair by Fauchon

After launching the famous eclair Mona Lisa, Fauchon introduces its latest gourmandise from its Tribute Collection featuring French actress Brigitte Bardot.

The patisserie is delicately flavoured with rose and almond and decorated with a photo of BB from 1959 by Sam Lévin.

In 2008 Fauchon created a new chocolate printing technique that enable to display images. And this is the first treat of their French classic collection.
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Pharos Marine unveils superyacht Orcageno

The Egyptian design studio Pharos Marine has unveiled plans for a 60-meter dual-fuel hydrogen-diesel electric superyacht, the Orcageno.

Dual-fuel engines can run on either diesel or liquid hydrogen, that latter fluid being stored in specially designed tanks in the bow.

The Orcageno has room for 12 guests and 14 crew. It contains a spa and health center, sun deck Jacuzzi, and an open-air lounge for the owner’s cabin.
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Shang Xia store Beijing

Hermes launches Shang Xia brand in China

This spring, Hermes plans to launch a new brand, called Shang Xia (meaning “topsy-turvy” in Mandarin), in the lucrative Chinese market.

It’s an interesting move from Hermes, who generally tends to buy all or part of existing brands.

Shang Xia will include ready-to-wear and decorative arts inspired by Chinese culture and traditions of craftsmanship.
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Luxury hotels in 2009

Tourism in 2009 defied the credit crunch, gave us even more spectacular resorts and offered up unparalleled levels of luxury.

A round-up of the year’s best luxury travel places and openings.

1 -The New Yorker Hotel

Located in an 80-year-old Art Deco building, the legendary New Yorker Hotel completed a five-year $70 million renovation project in January.

2 – Mandarin Oriental Sanya, China

Private villas with individual plunge pools are standard lodgings at the Mandarin Oriental Sanya resort on Hainan Island, just off the Vietnam coast.

The resort opened in March.


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eiffel tower

Eiffel Tower is the world’s favorite landmark

The Eiffel Tower is the world’s favorite landmark, according to the results of a survey released Wednesday.

The iconic Parisian structure was named the greatest structure by 16 percent of travelers surveyed, well ahead of its nearest rivals, St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Rome and India’s Taj Mahal.

The Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty in the US came fourth, fifth and sixth place, each with seven percent of the vote.
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Gucci Spring Summer 2010 ad campaign

If you want to escape for a moment from winter, heavy jackets, boots and sweaters look at the new Gucci Spring/Summer 2010 campaign.

Shot in Palm Beach, the campaign features models Natasha Poly, and Ryan Kennedy photographed by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott.

Both the models and photographer were hired once again for this campaign after doing an amazing job with their cruise collection.
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Bugatti unveils 3 exotic models for Dubai

Bugatti chose the Dubai Motor Show to conclude its Centenary celebrations by unveiling three special editions of the Veyron supercar.

The “Sang d’Argent” and the Grand Sport “Soleil de Nuit” are one-off models while the “Nocturne” will be limited to five cars only, all of them available exclusively to Middle East customers.

The first two are one-offs, priced at €1.45 million and €1.55 million respectively, while the Nocturne is limited to five examples and priced at €1.65 million.
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Shop sale fetches record price in Hong Kong

A company run by Hong Kong‘s best-known entertainment mogul has paid a record 108 million US dollars for a shop in one of the busiest districts.

The sale of the 1,212 square foot outlet comes as the city’s government tries to contain soaring property costs due to fears they are getting out of control.

The price works out to about $90,000 per square foot, making it the city’s most expensive retail space, the South China Morning Post reported.
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Own an island in the Bahamas

It’s not often a whole island comes up for sale in the Bahamas, let alone one with substantial cliffs, deep-water moorings and some of the best beaches in the Caribbean.

Great Whale Cay, 30 minutes by boat from Nassau, is for sale for $80 million and has all the possibilities to become an exclusive retreat for the right buyer.

There are historic buildings (Great house, lighthouse, and church) on this 850-acre L-shaped island, rare flora and fauna and watersports and diving.
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