Monthly Archives: December 2010

Christie’s App for iPad

Christie's auction iPad app

Christie’s International, the world’s leading art business, has launched its new, free App designed specifically for users of the Apple iPad.

The new App takes users on a tour of Christie’s upcoming auctions and enables “at a glance” browsing of hundreds of luxury items and objects to be sold in the company’s salerooms worldwide.

Christie’s offers over 450 auctions annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewelry, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more.
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Honeysuckle pantone

Color of the Year for 2011: Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle pantone

According to leading color guide Pantone, 18-2120 Honeysuckle, a dynamic reddish pink, will be defining the mood of 2011 given its “uplifting” qualities.

In the official report, Pantone Color Institute Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman says, “In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits.

“Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color, that gets the adrenaline going– perfect to ward off the blues.”
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Oslo opera house

Oslo – the world’s most expensive city

Oslo opera house

Oslo has topped a list of the world’s most expensive cities compiled by price comparison site PriceRunner.

The Norwegian capital was the most expensive city of 32 countries surveyed in the International Price Comparison survey, topping the list for the fourth year running.

The survey, which looked at a range of products that included everyday items such as milk and petrol as well as luxury items and technology, found that prices in the city were a third more expensive on average than the global average.
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Birds of America book

Bird book sets new world record at London auction

Birds of America book

A rare copy of John James Audubon’s ‘Birds of America’ set a new world record for a printed book at auction Tuesday, selling for 7.3 million pounds in London.

The four-volume book was subject to competitive bidding on the phones and in Sotheby’s New Bond Street galleries, and sold for 7,321,250 pounds.

Originally estimated to sell for between four and six million pounds, the book was bought by London dealer Michael Tollemache.
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Ralph Lauren Sporting Watch

Ralph Lauren Sporting Watch

Ralph Lauren Sporting Watch

The new Ralph Lauren Sporting Watch draws its inspirations from Ralph Lauren’s antique car, the 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic coupe.

The watch’s aesthetics combine the luxurious wood finish of the Bugatti with a matte black dial, all of which are reminiscent of the car’s interior.

Arabic numerals for increased legibility, arrow-shaped hour and minute hands, as well as an elm burl frame, are all among the highlights of the new product.

The Ralph Lauren Sporting watch is powered by a manual-winding mechanical movement, caliber RL98295, made by IWC, featuring a power reserve of 45 hours.

This timepiece features a sapphire crystal case back, revealing the movement’s Côtes de Genève and Perlage finish work on the plate.

The new Ralph Lauren Sporting Watch carries a price tag of $13,200. Autoevolution

Ralph Lauren Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe

Neckless Bulgari exhibition

Bulgari Takes Paris With 125th Anniversary Exhibit

Neckless Bulgari exhibition

The venerable Italian fine jewelry house Bulgari is commemorating its 125th anniversary with a huge exhibit at the Grand Palais in Paris.

The exhibition will retrace the main chapters in Bulgari’s history and the evolution of the esthetic that made the brand a driving force of the “Italian school,” from the opening of the first shop on Via Sistina in 1884 through the modern day.

This fascinating saga is illustrated by more than 600 masterpieces of jewelry, watch- and clockmaking, and the decorative arts, including some one hundred exclusive pieces that will be on public display for the first time.
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Lady Grey Dior

Marion Cotillard in “Lady Grey London” – The Film

Lady Grey Dior

Marion Cotillard is one lady, four cities: filmed and photographed by today’s most important directors and photographers.

After Paris in “The Lady Noire Affair”, Marion Cotillard became “Lady Rouge” the sultry songstress in New York in a clip by Jonas Akerlund, before going back in time in David Lynch’s love story entitled “Lady Blue Shanghai”.

In the finale, we discover what’s inside her bag in a fantastical silent film by director John Cameron Mitchell, “Lady Grey London” (below).
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Airstar Avenue Incheon airport

The world’s first Louis Vuitton airport store

Airstar Avenue Incheon airport

Shilla Duty Free has struck a landmark agreement to open the world’s first Louis Vuitton airport store, at Incheon International Airport.

The luxury brand has traditionally rejected the airport retailing channel – though it is present in downtown travel retail through selected Gallerias run by fellow LVMH subsidiary DFS, and through high-class Korean retailers such as Shilla and Lotte.

Shilla said: “Louis Vuitton’s opening of a store in Incheon International Airport is being considered as a monumental achievement in the global tourism industry.
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Five Weeks In a Balloon Van Cleef and Arpels

Five Weeks In a Balloon by Van Cleef and Arpels

Five Weeks In a Balloon Van Cleef and Arpels

Van Cleef & Arpels is going to unveil a new timepiece inspired by Les Voyages Extraordinaires, a famous novel written by Jules Verne.

Called the “Five Weeks In a Balloon”, this new piece from the French exquisite jewellery and watchmaker debuts at the SIHH 2011 in Geneva.

The eye-paralyzing dial is embellished with champleve enamel and inlaid with mother-of-pearl. It demonstrates a hot-air balloon flowing into the air of Zanzibar.
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Louis Vuitton S/S 2011 ft Scott Campbell [video]

Louis Vuitton introduces the first step of the video diptyque dedicated to the men’s Spring/Summer 2011 collections.

This season is embodied by the artist and tatooist Scott Campbell, who collaborated on the runway collection presented in June 2010 in Paris.

The clip invites you to follow Scott Campbell in his New York creative universe before leaving to a mysterious destination to be revealed very soon…
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David August unveils the world’s priciest iPad case

David August, is introducing a new collection of exotic leather goods including an iPad cover that retails for $6,900.

Crafted of the world’s finest alligator skin hand cut and stitched in Italy by a skilled family of artisans, the collection of five luxe pieces is available in both a glazed and matte finish in over 20 different colors.

The collection also includes a laptop case, a Dopp kit, a watch holder, and a change tray. All together, the collection costs $37,800.
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Hotel Indigo Shanghai bedroom

Hotel Indigo Opens In Shanghai

InterContinental has confirmed that it is to launch boutique Hotel Indigo brand in Asia-Pacific, opening the first property in Shanghai by the end of the year.

The new Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund will sit alongside luxury properties such as Fairmont’s Peace Hotel and the Peninsula Shanghai, although it’s set to offer travelers an altogether different style of service — and likely a different price range.

The 184-room property eschews the grandness favoured by its competitors for the more distinctive, design-led approach common to Hotel Indigo, which prides itself on reflecting the culture, character and history of its neighbourhoods.
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China falls in love with life in the fast lane of luxury

While in traditional markets luxury car makers might still be feeling the effects of the world financial crises of 2008, in mainland China things have never been better with astonishing growth figures being recorded as the nation’s new wealthy treat themselves to the world’s most high-end modes of transport.

The likes of Bentley, BMW and Audi are currently undergoing massive expansion throughout China and it appears the bigger the car the better as far as the Chinese are concerned.

Hence Rolls-Royce sold 500 cars in Great China (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan) in the first 10 months of this year and predicts it will sell 800 in the next 12 months.
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Prada Private: Customizable Sunglasses

Prada is introducing PradaPrivate, a collection of sunglasses that enables wearers to customize the letters and symbols on the temple of their frames.

The Prada sunglass customization allows for two letters, numbers, and symbols to be placed on the temple arms of their shades.

Each sunglass arm has a tiny removable section that screws on and off, allowing the letters, symbols and numbers to be screwed on in any configuration.
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Dior Lady Grey London: the teaser

For the forth installment of the Lady Dior saga, Marion Cotillard takes on London in Lady Grey and you can now discover the teaser on Luxuo (below).

John Cameron Mitchell brings Lady Dior, the character played by Marion, to life as she steals the hearts of two men in this epic finale to her four city adventure.

Unveil the mystery and celebrate the iconic Lady Dior on December 8, 2010 at www.LadyDior.com

Dita Von Teese’s Cointreau Coffret

Cointreau and its International Brand Ambassador, Dita Von Teese, collaborated to create the Cointreau Cocktail Coffret.

The Coffret and boudoir set is a beautiful box that delicately cradles a custom-designed bottle of Cointreau, two cocktail glasses and a pink cobbler shaker.

Covered in soft silky fabrics in powder pink shades of pearl, it becomes an ornate jewel box complete with a concealed trapdoor, and a small golden key – perfect for storing one’s most precious treasures.
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Paul Smith Limited Edition Chess Set

Paul Smith has released a limited edition hand made chess set ($900) including board storage case and pieces box.

It features the multi stripe leather trim around the base – the top of the board has a leather black and white check with red outline and white contrast stitching.

The top is embossed with the Paul Smith signature, and the bottom is covered in purple suede.
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Robb Report Reveals 21 Ultimate Gifts

Looking for the perfect gift for someone who has (almost) everything?

Then the December issue of Robb Report is a must-have with its exclusive “Ultimate Gift Guide,” perfect for those for whom cost is no object.

This year, the magazine brings readers 21 exclusive items worth a total estimated value of more than $100 million.
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