Yearly Archives: 2013

Guerlain Paris flagship

Guerlain reopens Paris flagship store

First opened in 1913, the Guerlain store on the Champs-Elysees is one of the city’s classic beauty locations and has recently been overhauled in a luxurious new renovation that opened last month.

Guerlain Paris flagship
Owned by French luxury giant LVMH, the brand has spared no expense on the interiors of 68 Avenue des Champs-Elysées, which now contains a luxurious polished ceiling by the Haas Brothers and four shimmering Baccarat chandeliers.

The 10,764 sq ft store has doubled in size, with new zones including a ‘hall of mirrors’, and even contains a restaurant by Michelin starred French chef Guy Martin located in the basement called ‘le 68’.

Guerlain Paris flagship 68 restaurant

American architect Peter Marino was in charge of the rennovation. Awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government last year, he is well known for his luxurious store designs for brands including Fendi, Christian Dior and Chanel among others.

Guerlain Paris flagship store

“I put something modern in the old and something old in the new,” Marino told WWD. “You’ll feel very much like you’re in a home and not in a commercial establishment.”

Gerard Cholot Le Vol des Abeilles

An additional artistic touch was added by the golden bees (one of the emblems of the Guerlain house) suspended from the ceiling by artist Gérard Cholot as part of his installation “Le Vol des Abeilles.”

Blazing City: A Solo Exhibition by Ulpiano Carrasco

In Blazing City, A Solo Exhibition by Ulpiano Carrasco, the artist paints the iconic Marina Bay in Singapore. Moved by the architecture and bright colours of the Lion City, this is Ulpiano’s first solo exhibition in Singapore and he captures the spirit of the city in a way like never before.

Ulpiano Carrasco is a widely recognized artist in Spain whose works have been described as approximating modern Van Gogh paintings. Carrasco is famous for his bold paintings that give life to traditional genres like landscapes and still life.

Ulpiano’s works are exhibited regularly in Spain, France and Miami amongst others and this is the first time he will be presenting some 13 paintings of the Singapore skyline, which encapsulates the perfect example of East meets west while he applies his trademark style and bold colours to one of the more recognisable skylines in Asia.

The exhibition will be opened 16 January 2014 at Barnadas Huang. Barnadas Huang aims to engage the community in art all kinds of art like contemporary fine art in Europe and Asia as they carry many different styles of art at accessible prices.

2014 Premiere: Corum Admiral’s Cup Seafender 47 Tourbillon Chronograph

Extreme Horology Corum Admirals Cup Seafender 47 Tourbillon Chronograph 1

Above: Corum Admiral’s Cup Seafender 47 Tourbillon Chronograph in red gold with black dial and black crocodile leather

 

Much as we hate to admit it, watch aficionados seldom are the most sociable people in the room. But the blame can definitely be pinned on our beloved watches, for (traditionally) the best examples of haute horlogerie are beautifully made but for the eyes only; they’re certainly not designed to withstand everyday turmoils of the real world. Few can fault watch owners for being precious about their watches and paranoid about errant door knobs, table edges and – the worst of them all – other watch wearers who can’t have a conversation without wild gesticulations. You know who you are…

Thankfully, watch manufactures like Corum have worked out a solution for this quandary. Enter the Admiral’s Cup Seafender 47 Tourbillon Chronograph, a high complication timepiece that blends performance with prestige. Necessarily so, because the Admiral’s Cup collection is Corum’s de facto sports watch line. Thus, even high complication Admiral’s Cup models have to be beefed up for extreme conditions.

Several elements make this watch a rare find in haute horlogerie’s upper echelons. Firstly, the watch is powered by a self-winding movement, Calibre CO 398, where most tourbillon watches are manually wound. Secondly, its movement offers top notch precision with a balance wheel that oscillates at 28,800vph (4Hz), where it is more common to find tourbillon watches oscillating at a slower frequency of 3Hz, or 21,600vph. Thirdly, the chronograph mechanism is completely integrated into the movement. Controlled by a column wheel, the functions engage and disengage via a cam-type mechanism that’s more complex than, and hence an improvement of, the traditional construct. Noticeably, Corum has chosen the cam-lever system to stay closer horological tradition.

Each component of the movement is hand-polished and chamfered, with particular attention paid to micro-millimetric proportions. The parts are made just microns larger so that when they’re polished and chamfered down to perfection, they will measure exactly the right dimensions.

 

Extreme Horology Corum Admirals Cup Seafender 47 Tourbillon Chronograph 4

Above: Hand-chamfering is done for the components of Calibre CO 398

 

Extreme Horology Corum Admirals Cup Seafender 47 Tourbillon Chronograph 5

Above: Satin-brushing of the bezel for the diamond-set model

 

Three variations of the Admiral’s Cup Seafender 47 Tourbillon Chronograph are available: red gold with baguette- and brilliant-cut diamonds on the case, red gold without diamond setting, and a very sexy aluminium case with charcoal grey ceramisation treatment. Done using a micro-arc oxidation technique, the aluminium case is immersed in a water bath where it underwent a complex stage of electrical, physical and chemical transformation. This patented method is ecological and lengthens the lifespan of the material and renders it harder than steel. It is also anti-abrasive and corrosion resistant, yet creates a chic, industrial finish. 

Extreme Horology Corum Admirals Cup Seafender 47 Tourbillon Chronograph

Above: Corum Admiral’s Cup Seafender 47 Tourbillon Chronograph in aluminium with charcoal grey ceramisation, grey dial and black crocodile leather 

 

Strap options for the Admiral’s Cup Seafender 47 Tourbillon Chronograph include black crocodile leather, a rubber-look leather for the non-gemset models, and brown crocodile leather for the diamond-set model. Prices start from S$89,559 for the aluminium model. The red gold model is priced at S$138,030 (without diamonds) and S$396,649 (with diamonds).

 

Extreme Horology Corum Admirals Cup Seafender 47 Tourbillon Chronograph 3

Above: Corum Admiral’s Cup Seafender 47 Tourbillon Chronograph in red gold with 60 baguette-cut diamonds on the bezel, 36 round diamonds, and black dial with black crocodile leather

Piaget: A Mythical Journey

Both integral to Southeast Asian history, the Silk Route and the Spice Route introduced the world to lustrous, exotic textiles as well as a heady array of flavours. And because travel is a theme always close to Piaget’s heart, its master craftsmen embarked on this legendary journey, traversing the path that links East and West for centuries. Fortune favours the brave, it is said, and while this was a new undertaking in terms of creativity and artisanship, the reward for Piaget was an extended collection of exquisite timepieces showcasing ancient crafts as they have never been seen before.

Hand-engraving

Piaget’s artisans engrave every landscape and motif by hand

Hand-engraving

Each and every stroke requires exorbitant amounts of care and precision

Hand-engraving

Flora and fauna carved out of gold bring life to the watches

Hand-engraving

Applying the finishing touches, the artisan buffs and polishes the edges and crevices of the masterpiece 

Hand-engraving

Piaget Altiplano Double Jeu Gold Engraving in 18k white gold with 40 brilliant-cut diamonds, upper case with hand-engraved 18k white gold Asian landscape

Hand-engraving

Piaget Emperador Gold Dial in 18k pink gold with 163 brilliant-cut diamonds, gold dial with appliques diamond and ruby-set appliques representing elephants

Bullino engraving

‘Bullino’ engraving was developed by Italian engravers and refers to extreme fine line engraving.

Bullino engraving

Named after the specialised tool used by the Italian masters, this technique was favoured for luxurious ornamentation of hunting weapons and knives.

Bullino engraving

Composed of lines and dots, the detail of the engraving is so fine that it could only be practised under a microscope.

Bullino engraving

The bullino effect is achieved by applying varying degrees of pressure. In addition, different shades of grey are achieved by engraving at different angles. When the artwork is complete, an oxidising product is then used to enhance its colour, and following that, the craftsmen would polish it with wooden pegs and a polishing paste. Finally, he applies a layer of black colour, which intensifies the masterpiece and gives it depth.

Bullino engraving

Piaget Altiplano 38MM Bullino Engraving in 18k pink gold with 78 brilliant-cut diamonds, gold dial with elephant engraved in bullino technique

Micro-mosaic

Micro-mosaic is an extremely delicate process using glass pieces to form a picture. 

Micro-mosaic

Strands of heated coloured glass are stretched to its limit, forming glass threads known as tessella.

Micro-mosaic

The tessella is then cut into fine pieces in a process called tessarae and these individual pieces are aligned onto the stucco-layered dial one piece at a time, finally producing a mosaic pattern. 

Micro-mosaic

Different coloured tessella, created by heating the micro-mosaic chips, are used to produce depth and a life-like effect. 

Micro-mosaic

The tessella is then cut into fine pieces in a process called tessarae and these individual pieces are aligned onto the stucco-layered dial one piece at a time, finally producing a mosaic pattern.

Micro-mosaic

Piaget Protocole XXL Micromosaic in 18k white gold with micromosaic, white gold dial with micromosaic Asian landscape

Precious Thread Embroidery

The art of embroidery is undoubtedly rooted in the history of China (being the first country to produce silk and excel in this art form), so Piaget pays tribute to this time-honoured craft with two Altiplano models.

Precious Thread Embroidery

To make the dials, silk is first attached to a support after being stretched, and the pine or plum blossom tree motif is then traced out in lines. 

Precious Thread Embroidery

The artist uses a needle to form a cannetille (a small filigree-type element which is essentially a very small spirally twisted gold thread) and then weaves it in and out of the silk in the straight-stitching technique. 

Precious Thread Embroidery

One by one, each individual pine needle is materialises. The tree’s branches are made of raised satin stitches (a combination of back-stitching and straight-stitching). No less than six hours of work and two metres of thread goes into every dial.

Precious Thread Embroidery

Piaget Altiplano 38MM Precious Thread Embroidery in 18k white gold with 78 brilliant-cut diamonds, black silk dial with precious thread embroidery in pine tree design

Audi TT 2010

New Audi TT confirmed for 2014 launch

The third generation of the Audi TT will arrive on the market in 2014. The new model will be lighter, making it sportier than its predecessors and closing the gap with its main rival, the Porsche Boxster.

Audi TT 2010

Audi hopes to shave 60kg from the weight of the car thus improving its performance and fuel efficiency. To achieve this, the manufacturer will use a greater quantity of aluminum for the bodywork and will base the model on the MQB platform, developed by Volkswagen and already found in the Audi A3.

According to a number of automobile news websites, the highly anticipated Audi TT could be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, which takes place from March 6-16, 2014.

Stella Artois Crystal Chalice

Stella Artois releases Swarovski Crystal Chalice

Sparkling wine may be a traditional holiday beverage in many cultures, but this season beer also gets some added sparkle, thanks to a collaboration between Swarovski and Stella Artois.

Stella Artois Crystal Chalice

Swarovski and the Belgian brewery have released the ‘Crystal Chalice’, a version of the traditional Stella Artois beer glass studded with gems, to mark the holiday season. Each chalice features a platinum rim and was hand-blown in Turkey before being sent to Austria to be studded with crystals.

The design retains the brand’s traditional curved shape, which helps to retain the drink’s aromas. A select number of the handwash-only glasses are available to buy at Fancy for a crystal cool $500.

Swarovski Chalice

The glass is the latest Swarovski collaboration on a festive beverage, following last month’s launch of mini crystal-studded bottles of Moet & Chandon sold in vending machines in Selfridges.

3d printed dress

3D Printing Hits The Fashion World

This year saw 3D printing hit the headlines as one of the most exciting technologies out there, so how did planet fashion respond, and what’s in store for the future?

3d printed dress

While 3D printing has still not entered the average home, it’s on its way to affordability, and as we know, wherever there’s a trend, fashion will follow.

Neiman Marcus recently teamed up with 3D printing company Shapeways to offer a 3D-printed sterling silver pendant designed by Roger Pearce.

Plenty of different brands across the lifestyle sector experimented with the technology this year, including Nike, which created the Vapor Laser Talon, a prototype football cleat that uses Selective Laser Sintering technology to create a lighter, stronger baseplate.

Lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret also got in on the act, commissioning a specially 3D-printed ‘Snowflake’ costume for its famed runway show. Designed by architect Bradley Rothenberg of Shapeways and embellished with Swarovski crystals, the pieces sat over model Lindsay Ellingson’s underwear and featured a corset and snowflake style ‘wings’.

Meanwhile, emerging Dutch designer and Lady Gaga favorite, Iris Van Herpen was the major fashion figure to use the technology on the runway in 2013. Van Herpen worked with two 3D printing companies — Stratasys and Materialise — as well as MIT professor Neri Oxman and Austrian architect Julia Koerner for her January haute couture collection, ‘VOLTAGE’.

SEE ALSO: DOM PERIGNON X IRIS VAN HERPEN

The 3D printing process completely eliminates the seams and cuts usually required to build a ‘normal’ couture outfit. One dress was composed by superimposing multiple layers of thin woven lines, which produced a flexible, organic form when fitted to the body.

“I find the process of 3D printing fascinating because I believe it will only be a matter of time before we see the clothing we wear today produced with this technology,” explained Van Herpen.

Cut and customization

In the future, 3D printing won’t just mean that clothes will fit better (with items made to order according to body scans), but will also allow customers to customize their pieces fully (a trend already kicked off by Burberry with their Runway Made to Order personalization service).

So, could computer code soon replace fine needlework? And what will be the first big luxury brand to create a mainstream 3D printed product? Well, it may not be quite that simple.

If the very idea of 3D printing is a revolutionary democratization of the manufacturing process, allowing you to produce complicated items from your own home computer, then it may well prove a little hard to swallow for luxury companies (and their clients), who rely on a heavy aura of exclusivity.

Haute couture labels charge their eyewatering prices for their one-off gowns due to the extraordinary level of handcrafted skill and seasoned technique that goes into their manufacture. Ateliers packed with highly trained artisans produce fine appliqué and needlework for an elite global clientèle. They’re not likely to be under any pressure to change.

And the luxury industry as a whole is full of these sorts of specializations. Hermès handbag customers, for instance, pay a premium for the centuries-old leatherworking techniques which are passed down through generations in the company’s workshops.

The recent LVMH ‘Journées Particulières‘ event this summer sought to show off the importance of the company’s many different skilled workers, by giving lucky members of the public the chance to see them at work.

Creativity and legality

Beyond dresses and bags, how will brands respond to copyright issues when fans or rivals can print off their own bootleg copies of accessories at home? For all the creativity unleashed in the design studios of Chanel and Dior, there will be equal amounts elsewhere bursting to get out.

Companies like Continuum are already pushing the envelope, crafting shoes which mix 3D printed frames with handcut mirrors.

Despite the many issues already emerging, 3D printing is certainly going to shake things up. As usual, perhaps some kind of mix of robotic craft with a human touch is the way forward?

Martin Creed at Southbank Centre

Winner of the 2001 Turner Prize, Martin Creed is recognized around the world for his minimalistic approach to art. Stripping away all the unnecessary, he transformed everyday materials and actions into works of art. Some pieces include works made out of Blu-Tack, broccoli and balloons and believe it or not, he won the Turner Prize for an empty room in which the lights turn on and off.

Creed’s works crosses all paths of artistic media, including music and his works will be shown at Southbank Centre from 29th January to 27th April 2014. The exhibition will be the first major survey of Creed’s work, ranging from the most minimal moments to extravagant room-sized installations.

Martin Creed was born in Wakefield in 1968 and is one of the UK’s most well-known and versatile artists. Known for his minimalistic art pieces, art is a part of life for Creed. Creed also composes music and has written for orchestras and ensembles.

Martin Creed At Southbank Centre

Visitors will be able to hear Creed’s Work No.409 when they visit Southbank Centre every day. Amongst the works that will be on show, one of them will be Work No 319, a room half-filled with balloons as well as a clay sculpture of a clenched fist that he made when he was just a schoolboy. Larger scale works will include Work No 1,000, never before seen in the UK, which comprises 1,000 prints made with spears of broccoli, in the manner of potato prints, and using 1,000 different shades of paint; seen from a distance “it resembles a huge colourful mural”.

Most of Creed’s works uses real objects such as doorbells, metronomes, ceramic tiles and items of furniture and Creed says that his art is concerned with “nothing in particular”. By focusing on the insignificant, Creed is able to transform apparently meaningless details into significant matter and it shifts out attention to the invisible structures which shape our experiences.

WOW December Out Now

Wow Festive W3000 H3000 2

 

SINGAPORE, December 20 2013 – WOW, Singapore’s leading Watch publication since 2001, celebrates its 30th issue with reports, features and photos shootings of over 300 watches to buy this season.

The 30th issue of WOW rounds off the year featuring no fewer than 345 beautiful timepieces to set your heart racing. An exceptional Roger Dubuis high complication graces the cover, reinforcing two elements that define high watchmaking: Technicality and handcraftsmanship.

Among the numerous highlights, there is an in-depth feature on minute repeaters, a comprehensive selection of two-counter chronographs, the full story on Asia Pacific’s most important luxury watch event, Watches & Wonders, and a luscious gift guide for all budgets. This issue is also particularly tactile, as it includes the customary Patek Philippe bookmark in addition to a special art card section embossed with larger-than-life guilloché motifs.

Plus, 2014 is off to an exhilarating start as Richemont brands Cartier, Piaget, Panerai and Montblanc release ground-breaking novelties. See perpetual calendars as you’ve never seen them before; discover an ultra-thin watch that’s so thin it literally only has one side; get ready for a new breed of moon phase complications… This issue of WOW is not to be missed.

Managing editor of WOW, Celine Yap, adds, “2013 has been a year packed with excitement for WOW because not only have we officially become a quarterly magazine, we also confirm that WOW Jewellery will be a yearly supplement. Also, beginning in 2014, WOW will be published in new markets Vietnam and the Middle East, so watch connoisseurs across a greater region will be able to enjoy the in-depth features and insightful photo spreads we have planned.”

Says Publisher and CEO, Olivier Burlot, “WOW is more than ever the leading and best circulated watch magazine in Singapore and across the South-East Asia region. With this opulent Festive issue, watch lovers and collectors will be delighted and also tempted by the latest watch novelties. A successful team work at WOW led by talented Celine Yap and experienced Ashok Soman.”

About WOW

WOW is the best established, most widely read and most respected watch magazine in South East Asia. Published in Asia’s key markets – Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and very soon Vietnam and the Middle East – WOW is committed to providing its affluent and discerning readers with the most specific and detailed information about the best in watches and watchmaking, key trends, latest innovations and the talented men and women behind the timepieces. A must read for watch collectors and watch aficionados.

In Singapore, WOW is available at all major bookstores across the island and is also delivered to over 1,200 highly selected high-end airport lounges, marinas, golf, country and members-only clubs as well as clinics.

About Heart Media

Heart Media, the publisher of L’OFFICIEL Singapore, ART REPUBLIK, WOW, WOW Jewellery, MEN’S FOLIO, FORM, ROOM, PALACE magazines, is committed to publishing market leading magazines and digital media which connect with the region’s affluent and brand-conscious consumers through their chosen lifestyle activities. Heart Media’s titles have established solid reputations in their respective sectors with illustrious track records. Each one has built a strong market presence across Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

With a vision to strengthen its regional growth and offices in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Hong Kong and Shanghai, Heart Media is regarded as one of Asia’s fastest growing media and publishing houses.

For more information, please visit: www.heart-media.com

Or contact Mr. Nicholas Tan at info@heart-media.com Tel: (+65) 6733 9931

2014 Premiere: Breguet Classique Grande Complication Tourbillon Extra-Thin Automatic 5377

2014 Preview Breguet Classique Grande Complication Tourbillon Extra Thin Automatic 5377

 

A watch that needs little introduction, the Classique by Breguet has a place in every watch connoisseur’s essential collection. This new model for 2014 raises the stakes for an existing complication launched in 2013. Cased in platinum, the Classique Grande Complication Tourbillon Extra-Thin Automatic 5377 is distinguished by its off-centre tourbillon with a carriage and balance in titanium which oscillates at a high frequency of 28,800vph (4hz) – a rare find even in the exalted world of haute horlogerie. With a balance spring made of silicon and an escapement constructed of silicon and anti-magnetic steel, this spectacular timepiece also contains a high-energy barrel providing no less than 90 hours of power reserve.

To keep the height of the movement down to 3mm in a case 7mm in height, Breguet’s watchmakers have placed the bi-directional platinum winding rotor on the periphery of the movement. Stylistically, the white gold dial of this 42mm watch is decorated with four kinds of guilloché: a hobnail pattern for the hours and minutes chapter; a barleycorn surround; a straight chevron pattern for the power-reserve indicator at 8:30; cross-hatching to outline each feature. A blue sapphire endstone at the centre of the tourbillon bridge draws the eye down from the hands.

This watch is paired with a black leather strap with triple-blade folding clasp and is also available in rose gold.

 

Are we looking at the mirror of the future?

iMirror

The iMirror looks like a normal full-length mirror, but behind the reflective panel is a touchscreen computer with voice commands and even facial recognition technology.

Its makers, Posh View, claim that the average adult spends over 168 hours a year in front of the mirror and that much of that time could be much more entertaining and productive. How about catching up on the latest cat videos while brushing your teeth or literally following a how-to guide when applying new makeup shades for the first time or attempting to tie a bow tie or Windsor knot?

Best thought of as an absolutely huge tablet, capable of running ‘full-length’ apps, the iMirror connects to a home’s wi-fi network and has a built-in camera which it uses to recognize who is staring into it.

Facial recognition means that it’s able of pre-loading favored apps or other settings based on the family member’s preferences — whether it’s CNN and the weather forecast, the inbox or, in the case of children, nothing other than their reflection, after all they spend far too much time in front of screens watching TV programs or playing video games.

As well as being equipped for multiple accounts, the iMirror is touch-sensitive meaning it can be navigated just like a tablet or smartphone but it also responds to voice commands, which is useful seeing as people are usually brushing their hair, shaving, dressing or brushing their teeth when using a mirror, meaning their hands are otherwise engaged.

The iMirror is still in its prototype stage (at the moment, each iMirror is built by hand in a workshop in Canada to customer specification), and in an attempt to bring the product to a mass market and streamline production before next summer, Posh View has launched a Kickstarter campaign in order to raise $200,000, which, if successful will price the iMirror at $2,750.

However, even if the crowdfunding campaign fails to hit the target, Posh View still aims to bring iMirror to market in a number of sizes, but it will take just that little bit longer.

swiss watches

10 terms to know when buying a luxury watch

Like any other science, horology — the study of timekeeping, clocks and watches — has its own ultra-specialized vocabulary, which can be intimidating to the uninitiated.

To help newcomers to the watch world, we have provided an explanation of 10 essential terms below.

swiss watches

Picking up this vocabulary may not make you an expert, but it will almost certainly come in handy next time you are looking to purchase a new timepiece.

Aperture
A small opening on the dial providing an additional indication (usually month, day or moonphase).

Bezel
This ring-shaped piece surrounds the dial of the watch and joins the case (see below) to the crystal (the cover over the dial). Though generally stationary, some bezels can be rotated by hand, as is the case on diving watches, which are traditionally equipped with rotating bezels with markings to help divers calculate the amount of time needed to return to the surface.

Case
This usually round, box-like component can be considered as the shell of the watch. The case contains the movement, dial and hands.

Complication
This term refers to a watch’s additional functions outside of its standard ability to show hours and minutes. Chronographs with stop and start functions, moonphase displays, date indicators and chiming mechanisms are some of the most common complications found on watches.

Chronograph
This complication allows the wearer to measure short stretches of time, for example to time a lap at the race track, using a separate timer. Chronograph functions have become especially popular on men’s watches over the past century.

Crown
Sometimes also called a winder, this is the small dial that allows the wearer to wind the movement and set the time.

Dial
Also called the face, this is the disk where the time, date and any other additional indications are displayed.

Lugs 
These are the small projections on the case used to attach the strap or bracelet.

Movement
This is the complex ensemble of parts that make the watch run, a little like the engine in a car. There are three main types: battery-powered quartz movements, self-winding mechanical movements or hand-wound mechanical movements.

Second time-zone indicator
Among the easier terms to decipher, this complication indicates the time in a second time zone thanks to an additional hand or a separate dial.

Lamborghini Huracan

Meet the Lamborghini Huracán

Lamborghini has taken the wraps off the eagerly awaited Gallardo replacement, but fans and potential owners hoping to see it in the flesh will have to wait until the Geneva Motor Show in March to do so.

Lamborghini claims that the Huracán is new from the ground up and, while that’s no doubt true, the end result bears a striking resemblance to the company’s current flagship Aventador. The same angular headlamps and the same sharp lines feature, although this is a much more compact car.

Lamborghini Huracan

Still, saying that a car looks too much like a Lamborghini Aventador is not exactly a criticism of it. However, good looks only go so far and for a vehicle to be greeted with open arms into the supercar club, it had better be able to perform, too.

And, on paper at least, it appears that Lamborghini’s new baby will have no problems. The 5.2-liter V10 engine has been tweaked to deliver 610HP, and because so much carbon fiber and aluminum has been used in the car’s construction, it only weighs 1,422kg; that’s a power-to-weight ratio of just 2.33kg per horse power.

Lamborghini also claims that the new car is good for a 0-100km/h time of 3.2 seconds and a 0-200km/h time of 9.9 seconds, yet somehow, the engine meets the latest EU6 emissions regulations.

Some purists will be upset that the new car cannot be specified with a traditional manual transmission. A seven-speed, dual-clutch paddle-shift unit is standard. But so is active four-wheel drive and carbon-ceramic brakes, which means that it will be able to stop as quickly as it accelerates.

Lamborghini Huracan interior

The biggest difference over the car it replaces can be seen in the cabin. Most of the Gallardo’s instruments and dashboard elements were lifted straight out of an Audi (well, the German carmaker is its owner).

The Huracán’s cabin is much more exciting and is dominated by a central 12.3-inch touch screen which can be customized to display everything from how the engine is revving to maps and infotainment functions. Lamborghini says that the first deliveries will take place in Spring 2014.

Pas dans le Vide

Glass box suspended over the French Alps

It’s an invitation that’s not for the fainthearted: ‘Step into the Void’ is the name of a transparent glass cube that simulates the sensation of stepping off the mountain cliff in the French Alps.

Pas dans le Vide

Located atop the Aiguille du Midi, altitude 3842 meters, in the Mont Blanc Massif range, daredevils step into the glass box “Pas dans le Vide” suspended more than 1,000 meters off the valley floor for an unparalleled panoramic view of their snowy surroundings.

Three years in the making, the structure is built from three layers of tempered glass and can withstand winds of more than 220 km/h and a maximum temperature of 60°.

Mont Blanc Glass Box

The attraction is accessible by the Aiguille du Midi cable car, a 20-minute journey from Chamonix.

Gresso Radical

Gresso launches $2000 titanium smartphone

The Gresso Radical is a luxury smartphone with an exterior that’s built to last. The body is milled out of a single plate of titanium — a process so challenging that even the most high-tech machines take nine hours to do it — and then polished by hand for four hours, it is a wonderful piece of minimalist design.

Gresso Radical

Even the phone’s home and menu keys are made from solid titanium. Then there’s the rear panel, accentuated with tinted Gorilla Glass for a subtle black contrast against the mildly reflective metal.

However, less consideration was paid to what’s inside. The phone uses a quad-core processor, but only of the 1.2 GHz variety, and its operating system uses Android 4.1.2 — a shortcoming seen not just with this phone but with a host of other premium handsets, from the latest Vertu phone to any number of Porsche-designed BlackBerry handsets, whose internal components don’t measure up to what’s inside the latest Samsung Galaxy SIV or Galaxy Note III.

The base model costs $1800 or, for $2300, potential customers can specify an 18k white or yellow gold front-facing Gresso badge. The Gresso Radical is limited to just 999 examples.

Instagram

Instagram and Pinterest are changing the hotel industry

Hotel chains are increasingly leveraging the power of Instagram to reach a broader audience, with Starwood the latest to integrate the photo-sharing feature across its nine brands around the world.

Instagram

Using the hashtag #SPGLife, guests can now add photos of their Starwood experience at properties like the St. Regis, the Westin, Le Meridien, Sheraton and W to an Instagram guest gallery.

It’s estimated that Starwood guests staying at the chain’s 1,150 properties around the world capture and share an average of 40,000 images a month on Instagram.

Currently, photos on the guest gallery include beachfront photos of the W Maldives as well as food porn of a traditional English breakfast at the St. Regis Singapore.

W Hotel Maldives

Perhaps one of the biggest Instagram pioneers of the hotel industry, however, remains the 1888 Hotel in Sydney, Australia, a boutique property that billed itself as the world’s first Instagram hotel for hinging its decor and services on the photo-sharing app when it opened this year.

In a bid to attract and serve a digitally savvy clientele, the hotel offers a free night’s stay to Instagram users with more than 10,000 followers — in other words, lots of clout — and has likewise dedicated a “selfie space” where guests can take photos of themselves, hashtag it #1888hotel and see their photo appear instantaneously on screens near the reception desk.

1888 hotel

Similarly, the Four Seasons claimed authority on the photo sharing site Pinterest, with the Pin. Pack. Go feature. After a traveler creates boards pinned with photos of their ideal vacation and specifying their destination city, a virtual concierge from the Four Seasons will offer personalized recommendations and itineraries based on the user’s Pinterest board.

Meanwhile, both Condé Nast Traveler and luxury travel company Cox & Kings predict that geolocating mediums like Facebook and Instagram will play increasingly bigger roles in the travel industry in 2014, either as an advertising platform for hotels or as a “Wish you were here” postcard by guests.

Gisele Bundchen Louis Vuitton

Marc Jacobs’ all-star final Louis Vuitton campaign

Louis Vuitton has celebrated outgoing creative director Marc Jacobs‘s legacy with a stunning new campaign. Featuring a series of the American designer’s muses, the photos were shot by Steven Meisel with makeup by Pat McGrath and hair by Guido Palau.

Gisele Bundchen Louis Vuitton

The chosen women include actresses Catherine Deneuve and Fan Bingbing, director Sofia Coppola, and models Gisele Bündchen, Caroline de Maigret and Edie Campbell.

Edie Campbell Louis Vuitton

Edie Campbell was the winner of the 2013 British Fashion Award for ‘model of the year’, and was handpicked by Marc Jacobs to open the designer’s final show at Louis Vuitton, in which she wore a stunning black headdress with her body plastered in Stephen Sprouse’s famed graffiti imagery.

Catherine Deneuve Louis Vuitton

For the new campaign, the models were all photographed against simple backgrounds, designed to show off new seasonal variations of the iconic Noé bag with a range of feathered, monogrammed, alligator, crystal and sequined finishes.

The eight single-page portraits, will appear in the February 2014 issues of magazines worldwide.

Not Against Interpretation: Untitled

Do names and titles attach meaning to a piece of art? For example, does knowing that painting X was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci and is titled “Mona Lisa” give the painting its significance? To a certain extent, yes. However, to what extent does a name or a title define the meaning of art?

In July 2013, the Singapore Art Museum held their second series of the “Not Against Interpretation: Untitled” exhibition. The exhibition encourages the audience to embrace open-endedness by devoting the show to untitled artwork by Singaporean artists such as Cheo Chi Hiang, Chua Ek Kay and Goh Beng Kwan amongst others.

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Angeline Choo’s Untitled or Angeline Choo’s Junk Food For Butterflies (courtesy of SAM’s Kim May). Photo: SAM

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Anthony Poon’s Untitled (Octagonal — Red/Gold) or Anthony Poon’s SMRT 2050 Map (courtesy of a museum-goer). Photo: SAM.

When viewing art, most people would study the title then associate it with the artwork after. However, this exhibition showcases a collection of drawings, paintings, prints and sculptures all titled, ‘Untitled’. As none of the works of art have a title, this exploits the ‘openness’ of contemporary art, the face that it can be interpreted in many ways and it acts as an opportunity for the audience to interpret the artworks in their own way.

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Tang Mun Kit’s Untitled or Tang Mun Kit’s Sumatran Plantation July 2013 (courtesy of a museum-goer). Photo: SAM.

The audience is also encouraged to engage with the artworks as they are invited to give their own titles to the works. After inserting the labels into slots placed beside the works, other subsequent viewers can then see the gamut of titles each work inspired. This interactive element creates a whole different experience for the audience and truly encourages the idea of open-endedness thinking in art.

The exhibition runs till 27 April 2014 at the Singapore Art Museum.

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Rihanna For Balmain

Rihanna For Balmain

The Parisian fashion brand has unveiled its Spring-Summer 2014 advertising campaign, which features the Barbadian pop star Rihanna.

Styled by regular collaborator Mel Ottenberg, the pop star was photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin in New York City in early November 2013.

Rihanna For Balmain

Olivier Rousteing, Balmain’s Creative Director was clearly very excited about the collaboration: “dreams do come true… When the woman that inspires you wears your creations, your vision feels complete.”

“Not compromising, fresh, modern, the icon of my generation, Rihanna embodies my vision of Balmain in this new campaign. In front of the camera, she makes you feel like she is the only girl in the world.”

New York Palace lobby

Martin Katz Jewel Suite at New York Palace Hotel

In lieu of a complimentary fruit basket or bottle of bubbly, a luxury hotel in New York City is giving away diamond rings with your reservation. The catch? A one-night’s stay costs $25,000.

New York Palace lobby

Guests of The New York Palace’s Jewel Suite, designed by jeweler to the stars Martin Katz, stay in a 5,000-square foot, three-level apartment bedecked in gemstones and rich, plush fabrics on the building’s 53rd floor.

New York Palace room

The suite, complete with its own private roof-top deck and garden with an elevated spa, offers an unparalleled view of the NYC skyline.

New York Palace suite dining room

Guests of the Martin Katz Jewel Suite are treated to exclusive amenities including a complimentary, original Martin Katz Diamond Microband Ring, valued at $2,500, a rare private consultation with Katz himself, champagne, white roses, Michel Richard white chocolate diamond truffles, a Maybach house car service, and Maître d’étage service to fulfill guest’s every whim.

Jewel Suite Living RoomJewel Suite Jewel Suite Viewing RoomJewel Suite Stair caseNew York Palace suiteJewel Suite Hot TubJewel Suite Terrace

Acids handbag collection

Loewe launches the Acids collection

On the heels of its collection designed in partnership with Junya Watanabe, Loewe has presented a new range of handbags in vibrant, eye-catching colors. The collection hits stores this January.

Drawing inspiration from the peacock, one of the brand’s signature symbols, Loewe chose a range of showy electric colors for this handbag collection, highlighting its expertise in the art of leather dyeing.

Acids handbag collection

The Spanish luxury brand has chosen flashy colors ranging from electric blue to neon green, along with fire truck red and sunshine yellow. All of the items in the “Acids” collection are accented with gold details (locks, clasps and rings).

While Loewe’s official brand ambassador is Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, the brand has chosen to present this latest collection on its own, next to a statue of the peacock that inspired it.

Loewe’s Acids collection will be available in select stores from January 2014.