Monthly Archives: January 2012

Pierre Herme cookbook Pastries

Pierre Hermé’s New Cookbook ‘Pastries’

Pierre Herme cookbook Pastries

French pastry chef Pierre Hermé is set to release a cookbook filled with some of the recipes and pastries that have made his name a powerful brand around the world.

Pierre Hermé gives readers a hundred recipes that reinvent classic French cakes and desserts into innovative new flavor combinations, like croissants filled with rose-scented almond paste and a raspberry and lychee compote.

The Saint Honoré cake is reinvented with green tea, chestnuts and passionfruit, while a ‘foie gras’ crème brûlée is adorned with caramelized mango.
Continue reading

Oscar de la Renta Beats Dr Dre headphones

Oscar de la Renta x Beats by Dr. Dre

Oscar de la Renta Beats Dr Dre headphones

There have been a string of Oscar de la Renta expansions of late, although the most unexpected comes in the launch of a partnership with rapper Dr. Dre on a pair of lavish designer headphones which double up as earmuffs.

Currently featuring on the “new arrivals” section of the Oscar de la Renta website, the fluffy “luxe silver fox” earmuffs surround a pair of Beats by Dr. Dre headphones.

Retailing at $695, this limited edition item is one of de la Renta’s more extravagant partnerships, compared to the label’s teaming up with US luxury stationery firm Mrs. John L. Strong on items such as note cards, invitations and place cards.
Continue reading

Vertu Signature Dragon cellphone

Vertu Signature Dragon cellphone

Vertu Signature Dragon cellphone

Nokia’s luxury brand Vertu is celebrating the Chinese new year with a luxury dragon-themed mobile phone based on its Signature collection.

Each quad-band dragon phone comes in stainless steel with emeralds, black steel with Rubies, or gold with diamonds.

The handsets cost about $20,800 ; buyers get a leather case, a charging base, and one year of Vertu Concierge service free.
Continue reading

Bulgari London hotel

Bulgari Hotel London to Open in April

Bulgari London hotel

Bulgari Hotel is scheduled to open in London in April in the exclusive district of Knightsbridge, just in time for the Summer Olympics and the Queen’s Jubilee events.

Bulgari Hotel is managed by Bvlgari Hotels and Resorts, a joint venture between Italian jeweller Bvlgari (owned since last year by LVMH) and Marriott International.

Bulgari Hotels and Resorts already operates properties in Milan and Bali. The opening will signify the first luxury new-build hotel in 40 years to open in the city.
Continue reading

bluefin tuna

Single tuna fetches record $736k at Japan auction

bluefin tuna

A deep-pocketed restaurateur shelled out nearly $750,000 for a tuna at Japan’s Tsukiji fish market on Thursday, smashing the record price for a single bluefin.

The 269-kilogramme fish stood at an eye-popping 56.49 million yen ($736,500) when the hammer came down in the first auction of the year.

The figure dwarfs the previous high of 32.49 million yen paid at last year’s inaugural auction at Tsukiji, a huge working market in Tokyo.
Continue reading

911 Convertible

Porsche plans three new product debuts

911 Convertible

Porsche has confirmed the launch of three new models ahead of its appearance at next week’s Detroit Auto Show.

Visitors to the show will see the 911 Cabrio for the first time. It will hit showrooms a few months after the Coupé variant of the 911 goes on sale in February.

Pricing is unannounced, but the vehicle is believed to boast a 3.8-liter V6 engine producing 294kW of power, with a seven-speed automatic transmission.
Continue reading

Mila Kunis Dior

Mila Kunis, The New Face of Dior

Mila Kunis Dior

American actress Mila Kunis has been named as the new face for the Spring Summer 2012 campaign of luxury brand Christian Dior.

Kunis is the latest in a long line of movie stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly, to be associated with Dior.

The 28-year-old actress is thrilled with her appointment, although admits her day-to-day style doesn’t always match the luxurious Dior aesthetic.
Continue reading

US designer Marc Jacobs

Louis Vuitton confirm perfume debut

US designer Marc Jacobs

Louis Vuitton has confirmed its entrance into the realm of fragrance, with master perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud heading up the scent development.

The news is significant considering the French fashion house has not marketed any perfumes since the 1920s and ’30s.

It signals another expansion following the brand’s ventures into watches in 2002, fine jewelry in 2004 and eyewear in 2005.
Continue reading

Blancpain Saint-Valentin 2012

Blancpain Saint-Valentin Chronograph 2012

Blancpain Saint-Valentin 2012

Faithful to its annual rendezvous, Blancpain once again presents an exclusive creation for Valentine’s Day, the Saint-Valentin Chronograph 2012 .

This limited series of 14 watches, each set with 2.95 carats of precious stones, offers a fresh take on the refined aesthetics of the Blancpain Women collection.

With its diamond-set bezel and lugs, caseband set with four diamonds and a heart-shaped ruby, crown adorned with a diamond and pushpieces covered with cabochon-cut rubies, the white gold case sparkles with dazzling splendour.
Continue reading

versace for h&m cruise collection

Versace for H&M Cruise collection highlights

versace for h&m cruise collection

The first images from the Versace for H&M Cruise collection have been revealed, with highlights including pastel-colored dresses, separates and accessories.

While the first collection was dominated by gold and bright vintage Versace prints, the Cruise collection has more of a fruity feel, and also features beachwear and lingerie.

The Cruise collection comprises 24 womenswear items and 14 for men, with creations for the latter including fresh denim and minimalistic T-shirts.
Continue reading

David Beckham H&M Underwear Ad

Beckham models own H&M Bodywear line

David Beckham H&M Underwear Ad

The first images from David Beckham’s Bodywear collection for H&M have been revealed, with the soccer star modeling the line himself.

Despite having previously posed in underpants for designer label Emporio Armani, this is the first time the star is posing in his own underwear creations

The debut range, which will be available from February 2, includes briefs, boxers, tank tops, T-shirts, pajamas and long underwear.
Continue reading

Fireworks harbour St Barts

Roman Abramovich’s $5M New Year’s Bash

On Saturday night, Roman Abramovich opened his French Caribbean paradise, the 70-acre Gouverneur Bay Estate, to 400 guests for a New Year’s Eve party.

Fireworks harbour St Barts

The Russian oligarch’s guests were informed to dress “island chic.” and were treated to a show from Red Hot Chili Peppers, a buffet and a DJ.

This party cost a reported $5 million and attracted a host of big-names including Rupert Murdoch, George Lucas, Marc Jacobs, Martha Stewart, Mischa Barton, Harvey Weinstein, Georgina Chapman and Jimmy Buffett.

Roman Abramovich Dasha Zhukova new year

Platters of canapés greeted the guests when they arrived, catered by St Barts restaurateur Xavier Pinet and Michelin-star chef Thomas Chiarelli.

Dishes included Russian dumplings filled with island-caught Mahi Mahi and pancakes with a vodka and lemon zest sauce.

Locally caught langoustines, lobster and tuna were also served as sushi and Aquitaine caviar topped blinis canapés.

Chilled vodka and crates of Cristal Roederer and Ruinart champagne were on tap for the guests.

Gouverneur Bay Estate

Many guests stayed on the Russian’s 536ft super-yacht Eclipse – the world’s largest private yacht with two helicopter pads, a submarine and two swimming pools.

Abramovich’s New Year’s Eve party last year featured a performance by the Black Eyed Peas and was attended by celebrities such as Demi Moore, Salma Hayek, David Geffen, and Ellen DeGeneres.

superyacht Eclipse st barths

St Barts is a well-known celebrity magnet, and is part of the French West Indies, along with Guadeloupe, Martinique, and St Martin.

Sources & Photos: Dailymail – Telegraph

Qantas A380 first class

Qantas A380 First Class Suite

Qantas A380 Social area

The first class cabin of Qantas’s A380 super-jumbos, designed by Marc Newson, looks astonishingly like the U.S.S. Enterprise in Star Trek, reports Daily Mail.

The interior includes LCD touch panels, leather seating, plants, sheepskin-covered full-length beds and more than 1,000 videos to choose from.

Each berth even has a dresser for storing clothes – naturally, pyjamas are provided and there are just 14 berths in the whole cabin.
Continue reading

Coach Year of the Dragon Accessories

Coach rolls out the ‘Year of the Dragon Collection’

Coach Year of the Dragon Accessories

In celebration of the Year of the Dragon, Coach has collaborated with Chinese artist Zhang Lan to put his stamp on a collection of exclusive items.

Mr. Lan’s dragon illustration, in the traditional style of ink painting, adorns Coach’s iconic tote shape, as well as an assortment of matching small leather goods.

The gold design pops against a backdrop of the brand’s Signature pattern in mahogany.
Continue reading

Bentley automobile logo

Luxury carmaker Bentley sales surge in 2011

Bentley automobile logo

Luxury carmaker Bentley says that its sales surged last year on the back of strong performances in China and the United States, the world’s two biggest auto markets.

Total sales soared 37 percent to 7,003 vehicles last year, said Volkswagen‘s upmarket British-based division in a results statement.

Bentley, which is headquartered in Crewe, England, said sales rocketed by 69 percent in December alone to 1,059 cars, compared with the same month in 2010.
Continue reading

Montblanc Collection Villeret 1858 Vintage Tachydate

MontBlanc Villeret Vintage tachydate

Montblanc Collection Villeret 1858 Vintage Tachydate

The Montblanc Vintage Tachydate is part of the Collection Villeret 1858 collection.

This elegant new timepiece is the first chronograph+date display in the collection and features a new in-house caliber developed specifically for the watch.

The double-ring tachy scale is elegantly laid-out on the dial and the date on this Montblanc is shown via a small sub-dial at 6 o’clock.
Continue reading