Monthly Archives: August 2010

Edun’s Bono and Ali Hewson in Louis Vuitton Ad

Bono and and his wife Ali Hewson star in the newest of Louis Vuitton’s “core values” ads shot by Annie Leibovitz.

The couple, who were shot in South Africa, wear clothing by Edun, Hewson’s sustainable fashion line. in which LVMH took a 49 percent stake last year.

it’s the first time the U2 front man has appeared in an ad without his band, and the first time a label other than Vuitton is getting a fashion credit.
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Statue of Liberty’s Nose Up for Auction

A copper chunk of nose, crafted to fit Lady Liberty’s face during her 1980s restoration, will be auctioned next month.

“It’s the tip of the nose with the area around the nostrils. It doesn’t sound like it would be, but it’s fairly attractive looking,” said Arlan Ettinger, president of Guernsey’s Auction House.

President Arlan Ettinger told The Associated Press that the 2-foot-long copper casting is one of the four castings that were made.
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Zara is Launching Online Shopping

Europe’s largest clothing retailer, Spain’s Inditex, is taking its flagship Zara brand online, but it can expect stiff competition from other giants of high-street fashion already well-established in cyberspace.

Zara‘s virtual boutique will be available on Thursday in selected European markets: Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal and Britain.

From 2011, it will be expanded to the United States, Japan and South Korea.
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Protesters decry Murakami show at Versailles

Protesters decry takashi Murakami show at Versailles

A show of outlandish sculptures by a Japanese artist in the Chateau of Versailles near Paris has enraged traditionalists who say it dishonours France’s past.

From September 14 to December 12, visitors to Versailles will see eye-grabbing multicoloured statues in silver, fibreglass and metal by Takashi Murakami alongside the chateau’s ornate murals and chandeliers.

“The Chateau de Versailles is one of the greatest symbols of Western history,” Murakami said in a statement on the museum’s website.
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Middle Eastern airlines embrace in-flight connectivity

Egypt Air has become the latest airline in the Middle East region to offer in-flight connectivity to passengers.

The Egyptian flag-carrier equipped its latest A330-300 with the technology, which allows passengers to use GSM, SMS and GPRS services from their mobile providers on board.

Passengers will also be able to use wifi connections throughout the flight, said the airline, thanks to an arrangement with OnAir which will see the technology rolled out across the fleet.
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India dreams of success with ‘chateau mango’

Researchers in India say they have developed a wine made from mangoes that they hope might one day compete with the traditional grape-based variety.

Scientists at the Central Institute of Subtropical Horticultural Research in Lucknow have produced wines using three types of mango native to the local state of Uttar Pradesh — the Dussehri, Langra, and Chausa.

India is the world’s largest mango producer and is home to nearly 1,000 varieties of the succulent and juicy fruit — something the researchers hope could be harnessed into a new drinks industry.
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The Mira Hong Kong x Lindt Chocolate Mooncake

Coco, the cafe-patisserie at The Mira Hong Kong, is collaborating with Lindt Chocolate to create this year’s mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn festival.

These chocolate mooncake come in four sophisticated flavours (sour, sweet, bitter and spicy) boxed in designer packaging to reflect Coco’s couture roots.
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Most eco friendly hotels in the world

How to find a green hotel

Many hotels promise to be green nowadays, but where can travelers find more information to help them choose the most eco-friendly hotel?

Online booking site Travelocity believes that travelers actually prefer green hotels. According to its statistics, eco-friendly properties get higher reviews than their non-green counterparts.

For many consumers, search sites such as Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz will be the first stop in booking a hotel and all three have tried to make it easier.
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Limited edition EV set for Paris debut

Mercedes-Benz is to produce a limited-edition electric version of its A-class, according to reports in the US.

The “E-Cell” version of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class will debut at the Paris Motor Show, a spokesperson for the company told the New York Times.

The vehicle, which will go on sale from early next year, will have a range of 124 miles (200 km) and will have performance “equivalent to or slightly faster than the gas versions of the A-Class,” said the report.
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Sofitel launches its iPad application “The Kiosk”

French hotel chain Sofitel launched an iPad newspaper service for guests July 26, in a move that could mean a fresh start for the dwindling tradition of the morning newspaper in hotels.

The luxury chain has launched “The Kiosk,” a customer-only iPad app which offers a selection of interactive daily magazines and newspapers and will be provided to guests on an iPad for the duration of their stay.

Guests can choose from publications such as Le Monde in France, the Independent and Vogue in the UK, Bild or Die Welt in Germany or La Repubblica in Italy.
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New York’s 15 Penn Plaza approved

City authorities on Wednesday approved plans to build a 67-floor skyscraper near New York City’s tallest structure, the Empire State Building, over objections from owners of the iconic landmark.

The full city council overwhelmingly approved the project in a 47-1 vote. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has already voiced support for the building.

The new skyscraper, currently named 15 Penn Plaza and designed by the architectural firm Pelli Clarke Pelli, will go up two blocks from the Empire State building and across the street from Penn Station, a major bus and rail hub.
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Chanel Unveils The Bleu De Chanel Ad

Shot earlier this year, we finally have a look at Martin Scorsese’s spot for Chanel’s fragrance for men, Bleu, starring French actor Gaspard Ulliel.

The one minute advert was released yesterday, and it features all the grit and energy that the legendary director is famous for.

The tagline is “Be unexpected.” It features a young man, French actor Gaspard Ulliel, deciding to do just that, presumably after dabbing on a touch of Bleu.
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Christina Hendricks – “London Fog” Ad Campaign

Award-nominated actress Christina Hendricks will appear in London Fog’s fall marketing campaign shot in Los Angeles by photographer Nino Muñoz.

Hendricks stars in AMC’s award winning series, Mad Men, and was recently named “Best-Looking Woman In America” by Esquire magazine.

The alluring black and white campaign features Hendricks posing seductively in London Fog outerwear and accessories.
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Corinthia Hotels Announces Corinthia Hotel London

Maltese luxury brand Corinthia has released further details on its forthcoming flagship property, which will open early next year.

The Corinthia London will be the ninth hotel for the brand and its highest-profile property so far, with the firm promising a “true grand hotel for the 21st century.”

Although Corinthia currently operates properties in Hungary, Prague, St Petersburg and Lisbon, the London property will be the brand’s first in a major global city and one of the major London openings of 2011.
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Dolce & Gabbana To Close D&G Shops In Japan

Dolce & Gabbana To Close D&G Shops In Japan

Dolce & Gabbana has announced that is dramatically scaling back operations in Japan of its D&G line, which is aimed at the younger fashion market.

They blamed the decision to halt the distribution of the D&G ready-to-wear lines, leather accessories and shoe collections in Japan on the scarcity of available locations for its boutiques and the widespread availability of counterfeit products.

The decision to regroup in Japan comes in the wake of Versace and French Connection UK leaving the market entirely within the last year.
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Paul Smith china

Thomas Goode, recognized by connoisseurs as the best fine bone China producer in the world, brings us Paul Smith china, made to original Victorian values.

The multi stripes are achieved on the fine bone china by a way of slide lithographing, which is fired and fuses to the surface of the wares.

The finer details are then expertly hand painted and glazed. The gold used on the detailing is a liquid gold leaf (28%), equivalent of 22 carat gold.
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