Martell, the oldest of the great Cognac houses, has collaborated with iconic French architect Jean Nouvel on a new project.
“The Martell Amber Lamp by Jean Nouvel” is a stunning object of design which will be produced in limited edition.
Nouvel was inspired by the warm colors and reflections in Martell cognac and by the way the light radiates throughout the bottle.
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Images of MINI’s Paceman concept, due to be unveiled at the Detroit motor show in January, have emerged for the first time.
The Paceman is the first Sports Activity Coupé in the premium small segment of the market.
The Paceman has been designed to combine the classic MINI concept with the defining features of the MINI Countryman and the style of a coupe.
The concept car has large headlights and chrome surrounds that extend deep into the front wings along with a contoured bonnet
The radiator grille is essentially the same as that of the Cooper S Countryman barring additional air intakes in the bumper.
The coupé-style windows taper towards the rear and the whole effect is one of a dynamic wedge shape.
The model is powered by a MINI John Cooper Works 1.6l twin-scroll turbocharged engine which develops 211 hp and 260 Nm of torque
The Paceman has yet to be given the official green light, but BMW sources say that the car should go on sale in 2012 at the top of Mini’s price range with a starting cost of over £22,000 for the front-wheel-drive version.
It will be officially revealed at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit on January 10th, 2011.
Sources: Newcarnet – Honestjohn
The Emirates Palace hotel that has been showing off an $11 million Christmas tree now says it regrets the overabundance of holiday cheer.
The Emirates Palace hotel said it regretted “attempts to overload the tradition followed by most hotels in the country” according to Gulf News.
“Putting the Christmas tree… is a tradition meant to share in celebrating occasions guests hold while they are away from their home countries and families”.
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Ukrainian billionaire Victor Pinchuk spent $6.2 million on Saturday night to entertain 300 guests at his 50th-birthday party in the posh French ski resort of Courchevel.
He not only flew in Canada’s Cirque du Soleil but also hired superchef Alain Ducasse to prepare the menu at one of Courchevel’s 11 five-star hotels.
But the steel magnate’s birthday blowout revolted many locals in an area tired of being a winter playground for the Eastern European jet set.
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The Hotel de Glace, North America’s answer to Sweden’s famous Icehotel, will open its doors on January 7.
The hotel, which is painstakingly constructed every year for a relatively short period of time, chooses a different theme for each season and has opted for “Biodiversity in all its forms” this year (which runs January 7 – March 27).
Ice sculptures and architecture will be installed in the public areas and the themed suites, offering visitors “habitats inspired by the cohabitation of all forms of life”.
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Last week, Karl Lagerfeld flew to Berlin for the filming of the 30-second commercial spot to promote special-edition models under the Style banner.
Matthias Becker, Volkswagen‘s marketing director for Germany said Lagerfeld plays himself in the commercial, photographing the cars and musing aloud.
The spot is directed by Johan Renck, the producer behind music videos for Madonna and Robbie Williams. The campaign is slated for release in Germany on Dec 22.
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Released in December for Martell Cognac, these Martell XO ads claim that their cognac beverage is “the same pleasure since 1715.”
With the help of the TBWA/MAP advertising agency, these staged prints succeed at bridging past and present with a shot of nostalgia on the rocks.
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In celebration of the festive season, Swarovski presents the 30-metre high outdoor Crystal Christmas Tree at Statue Square in Central, Hong Kong.
Inspired by urban effervescence, and a landscape dominated by skyscrapers and buildings with a seemingly endless number of windows, the Swarovski Crystal Christmas Tree towers over 30 metres high.
Rhombus-shaped mirrors in silver and gold, reminiscent of window panes, sheath the tree. They are embellished with over 20 million pieces of Swarovski crystals.
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Footwear designer Edmundo Castillo has produced a pair of LED light-up sandals to pay homage to the latest Hollywood blockbuster “Tron: The Legacy”.
Made from the same electroluminescent material used for the costumes in the film, the “Light Sandals” will be sold at Saks Fifth Avenue for $1,650 from February 1.
The Puerto Rican designer is a footwear industry veteran and formerly worked for the venerable Italian brand Sergio Rossi.
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When it comes to the world’s most expensive yacht charters, it’s hard to top Camper & Nicholsons‘ superyacht Moonlight II (ex Alysia).
At $900,000 per week she costs more for seven days at sea than most yachts pull down for a whole month.
At 85.3 metres she also ranks as one of the world’s largest charter yachts, with a steel hull and superstructure with aluminum deckhouses.
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Jean Paul Gaultier recently combined with fellow French label Guy de Jean to decorate several of their coveted umbrellas.
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For Christmas, the Cartier panther reveals a selection of precious objects: accessories for Him and for Her, eternal diamonds, and more…
The French maker of jewelries and timepieces is promoting their seasonal offerings through their “Winter Tale” campaign which asks consumers to follow a panther cub through a winter wonderland of the luxury brand and their exclusive offerings.
The Winter Tale campaign includes a dedicated microsite at wintertale.cartier.com and the a 30-second video spot shown below.
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The Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi – already the home of the world’s first gold ATM – has unveiled an $11 million Christmas tree.
It is the “most expensive Christmas tree ever,” with a “value of over 11 million dollars,” said Hans Olbertz, general manager of Emirates Palace hotel.
Located in the gold leaf-bedecked rotunda of the hotel, the luxury christmas tree is decorated with silver and gold bows, ball-shaped ornaments and small white lights.
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A white Lexus CT 200h will be spending the Holiday season in the window of Harrods of London, the UK’s most famous luxury store.
The CT 200h will be unmissable as shoppers along London’s Brompton Road take a break from the usual Christmas window displays to see the car in full view.
The presentation has been designed so that people can access the new full hybrid luxury hatchback, plus its sister RX 450h SUV model that is also on show.
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Designer Riccardo Tisci has chosen his muse Daphne Groeneveld and albino model Stephen Thompson to star in Givenchy Spring/Summer 2011 campaign.
Photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, the white saturated image presents an unusual aesthetic, simultaneously sensual and virginal.
Tisci explained that he’s long admired albino people, reflected in the pale flesh tones that are recurrent in his designs. “They’re very near my world,” he said.
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A new luxury magazine, titled Exhibition, will be hitting newstands worldwide on January 25. The mission of Exhibition is to showcase one particular object or product in-depth for its single edition out yearly.
The first theme for the glossy magazine’s debut edition is lipstick. “The lipstick is a commercial object yet full of symbols and symbolism”.
“It is iconic, timeless, intimate and generates plenty of fantasies,” Exhibition editor in chief Jean-Christophe Husson told Women’s Wear Daily.
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Seiko Watch Corp. has developed a revolutionary new display system that it has incorporated into the world’s first Active Matrix EPD watch.
Three models are being released, each benefiting from detailed graphics and a clear, high-resolution screen that looks as clear as a top-end television screen.
With a resolution of 300 dpi and the ability to be seen at very oblique angles, the new watch “demonstrates the future of digital time,” the company said in a statement.
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The Palace of Versailles is to transform one of its satellite buildings into a luxury hotel, paving the way for a series of French projects aimed at exploiting the economic potential of listed buildings while securing their renovation.
The Hotel du Grand Controle is to be converted into a “luxury hotel,” Jean-Jacques Aillagon, president of the Chateau de Versailles, said Tuesday.
The opening of the 23-bedroom establishment, in which some rooms will look out onto the “Orangerie”, the chateau’s elaborate greenhouse, is planned for late 2011.
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Westin has become the latest global hotel chain to partner with a sportswear manufacturer, announcing a collaboration with fitness brand New Balance.
The luxury hotel brand said December 14 that it will provide guests with New Balance sneakers and sportswear to use when staying.
In-room exercise programs that include stretching, cardio and yoga will also be developed for guests by New Balance’s “Fitness Ambassador” Holly Perkins, along with tips affecting travelers such as ways to combat jet lag and nutrition advice.
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Bugatti has launched an online configurator for their Veyron model, both coupe and Grand Sport versions.
Every color imaginable is available, for both the exterior and the interior. After you are done, your creation can be viewed from every possible angle, both inside and out.
On the inside, everything from the logo on the center console to the seatbelt color can be changed to suit you needs and taste.
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Accor-owned brand Sofitel is to wrap up 2010 with a triple-whammy of hotel openings in exotic locations around the world, the company said December 13.
The five-star brand is opening properties in Austria, Mauritius and Cambodia this week, including a new flagship for Europe in Vienna.
The new Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom features a futuristic glass and steel tower which rises 18 stories high and showcases art by Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist and a living garden wall by landscape architect Patrick Blanc.
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