For the second year running, London restaurant The Ledbury has been named the top restaurant in the UK in the National Restaurant Awards 2011.
Helmed by Aussie chef Brett Graham, the two Michelin-starred eatery has been on a continuous winning streak in the past few months.
Monday night’s win follows in the heels of the 2012 London Restaurants Survey where 5,500 Zagat readers voted Graham’s food the best in London.
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Wally has created a breakthrough yachting concept with the launch of a completely new idea. The Wally//Otto is the only One Design Maxi racing fleet.
Otto has been designed to sail with a limited crew and limited sail inventory to minimize campaign costs and maximize enjoyment.
The Otto also features a unique aft ’guest experience’ area where guests can enjoy the racing in comfort and safety, removed from the operations of the racing crew.
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Louis Vuitton continues to develop its iconic “Tambour” design with the addition of this new ultra high-end model, the Tambour Minute Repeater.
The timepiece comes in a 44mm white/pink/yellow gold case (your choice), manual wind mechanical Louis Vuitton Caliber 178, and smoked sapphire crystal displays.
To catch up with the hottest fashion trend, the Louis Vuitton watch is endowed with a smoked skeletonized dial.
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The De Beers Azulea Collection is a range of elegant rings crafted in four colours of gold, to be worn alone for everyday sparkle, or stacked for a contemporary statement.
With inspiration taken from the mesmerising horizon line, the single diamond in each horizon band is carefully set as a focal point to evoke light.
Anagrama projected an exclusive and elegant atmosphere for Theurel & Thomas, the first patisserie in Mexico specialized in French macarons.
One of the most important extensions of a brand, which has a business based in store selling, is the design and ambiance of the stores.
The Theurel & Thomas pâtisserie has an enlightened space with an exclusivity and elegant atmosphere.
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Watchmaker Vacheron Constantin has opened its 28th boutique—and its first-ever in the United States—on New York’s Madison Avenue.
The new outpost will join Vacheron Constantin’s existing boutiques in other cosmopolitan capitals like Moscow, Shanghai, Dubai and Geneva.
Ideally situated on the corner of 64th Street and Madison Avenue, in a historic building reminiscent of a 15th century Florentine palace, the exceptional location pays tribute to fine Italian art and the brand’s classic aesthetic.
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The castles and châteaux of Europe are not only spectacular historical landmarks, but are also used by the world’s wealthiest as luxurious holiday sanctuaries.
Insignia Lifestyle Management has teamed up with Eloise Napier to look at some of the most beautiful castle residences Europe has to offer for a truly indulgent getaway.
Château Bagnols, France
With its moat, formal gardens and twelve metre thick walls, the 13th century Château Bagnols rapidly transports visitors back to a bygone age of romance and chivalry. The other-worldly sensation is enhanced by four-poster beds, vast intricately carved open fireplaces and beautiful trompe l’oeils.
A Michelin starred restaurant serves mouth-watering food and a complimentary decanter of wine is delivered to your room each day.
Situated in the heart of the Beaujolais country, there are vines as far as the eye can see – true paradise for oenophiles.
Close your eyes and picture your ideal fairytale castle. The chances are that it will bear an uncanny resemblance to 13th century Ashford Castle, which positively bristles with crenulations, turrets and arrow-slit windows.
The interior is a panoply of oak panelled walls, simmering portraits and crystal chandeliers; the bedrooms are more cosy, with lashings of chintz chandeliers and comfortable armchairs to sink into.
The estate covers 350 acres of wooded parkland and the activities on offer are numerous, including falconry, horse-riding, golf archery and salmon fishing.
Its picturesque setting, overlooking Loch Corrib, as well as its friendly staff has made it a favourite with Hollywood celebrities looking for discretion and originality.
Dromoland Castle, Ireland
Dromoland Castle’s history stretches back over 1,500 years; suits of armour guard its corridors, while huge life-size portraits cling to the walls.
The atmosphere is one of stately grandeur – ideal for guests, such as George W Bush, in search of splendid isolation. Having said that, the castle is only a short drive away from Shannon airport so it is easily reached.
Last year saw the launch of its luxury spa which features 100% organic products from Voya; it provides the perfect recuperative haven after a couple of rounds on the castle’s 18-hole golf course.
There is also an on-site golf academy where you can perfect your swing under the expert guidance of a resident PGA professional golfer.
Château Les Crayères, France
The monarchical grandeur of Versailles meets sublime haute cuisine at this palatial establishment in Reims, “the champagne capital” of France.
A former protégé of Alain Ducasse, Didier Elena, heads the Château Les Crayères’ formidable restaurant (two Michelin stars) where you can expect to eat such delicacies as fois gras with white truffles and cod with peppered artichokes.
Service is utterly impeccable and you will experience nothing other than ultimate indulgence.
The château is set in seven hectares of landscaped parkland which provides the perfect excuse for walking off lunch and building up an appetite for dinner.
Leave yourself time out to explore Reims with its cathedral, cardinal’s palace and the maze-like cellars of Maison de Pommery which run underground for 18km.
Relais la Suvera, Italy
Relais la Suvera has been in the family of its current owners, the Marquis Ricci Paracciani, on and off since 1123. Once a papal villa, the palazzo has now been turned into a five star hotel.
However, history is never far away and this Tuscan gem even has its own museum which houses antiquities going back hundreds and hundreds of years.
The high-ceilinged interiors are decorated in sumptuous Renaissance style, with golden four-poster beds and lavishly upholstered chaise longues.
Meals can be eaten outside, with gourmet specialities including pheasant paté flavoured with vin santo and pistachios, along with homemade agnolotti pasta stuffed with sirloin of senese pork.
For those of an active persuasion, added entertainment comes in the form of mountain biking, horse-riding and exploring local antique markets.
Hotel Schloss Fuschl, Austria
Salzburg is one of the most romantic cities in Austria, the birthplace of Mozart and home to a cornucopia of stunning Baroque architecture – so impressive that it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.
Situated on Lake Fuschl, just outside Salzburg, stands Schloss Fuschl – a former hunting lodge that was built in 1450.
Guests can either stay in the main building, where there are 39 luxurious suites, or in one of six lakeside cottages, each of which has its own sauna and private terrace.
A 24-hour butler service is available, as well as limitless tours in one of the hotel’s vintage Rolls Royces. There are three restaurants to choose from, as well as an impressive cellar to sample.
Visitors in the winter should make the most of the skiing opportunities, which include 130km of cross-country tracks; Kitzbuhel, famous for its downhill ski race, is just over an hour’s drive away.
Inverlochy Castle Hotel, Scotland
Standing almost in the shadow of Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest and most imposing mountain, Inverlochy Castle is the quintessential Highland baronial abode.
When Queen Victoria came to stay for a week in 1873 she wrote of the castle: “I never saw a lovelier or more romantic spot.”
Little has changed in the intervening century – elegantly apportioned rooms have panoramic views over the adjacent loch, open fires roar in the hall and drawing room, and the food in Matthew Gray’s restaurant (one Michelin star) is sublime.
As you delight in the Isle of Skye crab on grilled fillet of turbot with calvo nero, stop eating for a moment or two to appreciate the elaborate furniture in the dining room which was donated to the castle by the King of Norway.
Amberley Castle, England
A true medieval stronghold built relatively shortly after the Norman invasion of England, Amberley Castle sports many of the accoutrements that you would associate with ancient warfare – a 60ft high surrounding wall, crenelated battlements and a two tonne oak portcullis which is ceremoniously lowered at midnight.
Peacocks roam the grounds outside, but on the inside the castle is über luxurious; each bedroom has an en-suite whirlpool bathroom and more antiques than you would find in Buckingham Palace.
New York is to be the home to Norwegian Cruise Line‘s new 4,000-passenger ship when she launches, city officials confirmed October 7.
The Norwegian Breakaway is set to be the largest ship ever to home port in NYC and will enter service in 2013, departing on a planned 88 cruises in less than two years.
Breakaway will boast new rooms designed to invoke a boutique hotel and a luxury private area called ‘The Haven’, complete with 24-hour butler service, a poolside valet and white-tablecloth in-room dining.
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German luxury sportscar maker Porsche is putting up for sale a Bavarian castle snapped up for six million euros ($8 million) in 2006.
“We are parting company with this estate,” a spokesman told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, after the paper said Porsche was selling Schloss Bullachberg, near the famous Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria.
Porsche had purchased the castle five years ago, hoping to transform the 180,000-square-metre, building into a luxury hotel.
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For their perfume Aire Loco which was launched in the fall of 2009, Loewe designed an advertising campaign which relies on an elaborate atmospheric build-up and a mild sense of surreal insanity.
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Influential magazine Condé Nast Traveler has named the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong as the best hotel in the world in its annual Readers’ Choice survey.
The publication, announcing the results ahead of the November issue, revealed the Shanghai hotel’s victory ahead of Peninsula House in the Dominican Republic, which won second place, October 11.
The Four Seasons Sharm El Sheikh won third place, while the Safari Lodges at Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa came in fourth.
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A renowned yacht designer has unveiled a new concept yacht based on the luxury vehicles of supercar maker Aston Martin.
The Aston Martin Voyage boat was inspired by Aston Martin vehicles such as the Vantage, Rapide, DBS and Virage and was unveiled last week.
De Basto, a Miami-based custom yacht designer, put together the concept as a way to test whether the car brand’s signature design could be transposed onto water.
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America’s master of big-impact gowns Oscar de la Renta releases his first perfume in a decade.
Developed by Jean Marc Chaillan and Carlos Benaïm, the new fragrance has been named Live in Love, after the tattoo of de la Renta’s atelier director.
A green floral, Live in Love, is composed of bergamot, ginger orchid, hyacinth, muguet, galbanum, jasmine Sambac, orange blossom, rose, white woods, musk, amber, sandalwood, and cedar, and sells for $58 to $98.
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BMW will introduce the next generation of head lights – laser lighting on its BMW i8 – that could cut energy use in half compared to LED lights.
The laser beam headlights will be twice as efficient as LEDs, and can be up to 1,000 times stronger.
BMW will use miniscule 10-micron long laser diodes, which is 100 times smaller than LED units, in the vehicle.
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While designers are trying to target Western customers with affordable fashion chain collaborations or diffusion lines, their haute couture branches are almost single-handedly being kept alive by clients in the wealthy Gulf countries.
“I want to be different from others,” a buyer explains. “What I want is unique pieces, extravagant and chic. I do not want to pay 6,000 euros for a dress, as it happened to me with a Pucci outfit recently, and see it on somebody else the same evening.”
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Gwyneth Paltrow, an award-winning actress, singer, author and style icon, will be the star of the Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 fashion advertising campaign.
The campaign, which was shot by Peter Lindbergh on a Manhattahn rooftop, will be featured in Asia and Europe, including France, Spain, the U.K., Portugal, and China.
“I grew up in New York City and I’ve always thought of Coach as the quintessential New York brand,” the star said in a statement.
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Nokia’s luxury phones brand Vertu is about to release its first phone to feature a touchscreen, the Constellation T.
Vertu Constellation T is made with exquisite materials, including sapphire, diamond and other precious metals and jewelry.
However, the main attraction for those who are familiar with the company’s products is the 3.5-inch qHD AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display.
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One of China’s tallest buildings has opened for business in the nation’s ‘wealthiest village’ of Huaxi, a symbol of the country’s breakneck economic growth.
The Longxi International Hotel is 328 metres (1,082-feet) high and cost $470 million to build, an official in Huaxi told AFP.
There are around 10 taller buildings in China — including the Shanghai World Financial Center, the third highest in the world — but all of these are in major cities.
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If someone can pull it off, it’s him: German designer Karl Lagerfeld introduces an ironically self-referencing perfume next week.
Launching in European Sephora stores on October 11, Karleidoscope — which comes in a kaleidoscope-shaped bottle — features notes of violet, angelica, freesia, heliotrope, patchouli, tonka bean, and benzoin.
“I love to play with words, as I love to play with scents,” Lagerfeld told Women’s Wear Daily. “A fragrance is not made to be explained by words.
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French luxury goods maker Hermes has launched a limited edition Indian sari range to “connect” with Indian culture as it target buyers in new markets.
Indian women may wear Western dress to the office during the day but for weddings and other formal occasions they often prefer to wear six-yard (five and a half metre) elegantly draped saris, reflecting the strong pull of tradition.
“This is part of our effort to connect to India’s culture and to the tradition of elegance of Indian women,” Bertrand Michaud, president of Hermes India, told AFP.
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The new Horizon RP110 superyacht Lady Gaga, which is the first motor yacht above 100 feet built for the Chinese market, was launched by Horizon Yachts.
The Lady Gaga motor yacht by Horizon has just successfully completed her sea trial, with delivery to her owner in China set for later this month.
Horizon created a unique exterior design for yacht Lady Gaga, one that is a radical departure from previous launches of RP series and includes both a vertical window line and wide body to allow for increased interior space.
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