Monthly Archives: April 2013

Reed Krakoff

Reed Krakoff announces departure from Coach

Reed Krakoff

Designer Reed Krakoff has announced he will be leaving American fashion and accessories label Coach.

After 16 years in the hot seat as president and executive creative director at Coach, designer Reed Krakoff is stepping down to focus on his own namesake label.

Conneticut-born Krakoff trained at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City before starting work in classic American brands Anne Klein and Ralph Lauren. He was twice awarded the CFDA award for Accessories Designer of the Year (in 2001 and 2004) for his designs at Coach.

Founded in 1941 in New York City, Coach has expanded from leather goods into a major name in luxury and has seen much of its recent growth in Asian markets. This year Coach saw a 6% increase in net income (up to $239 million) while the brand’s third quarter sales rose 7% to $1.19 billion.

“It’s been an amazing partnership, both professionally and personally,” added Coach chairman and chief executive Lew Frankfort.

Forty-nine-year-old Krakoff is parting to focus on the development of his successful men’s and women’s wear lines at Reed Krakoff. There are already rumors that the brand may be sold off to another group, with Krakoff participating in the deal.

Krakoff will continue in an advisory role at Coach until June 2014, and the brand has begun its search for a successor.

Ronaldo Jacob and Co

Cristiano Ronaldo is the new face of Jacob & Co.

Cristiano Ronaldo for Jacob and Co

After Nike and Armani, Cristiano Ronaldo is now going to be the face of the very luxurious jewelry and watch brand Jacob & Co.

The Portuguese footballer has the ideal look to represent luxurious brands. And for once, he doesn’t have to show off his six-pack to highlight the product.

Cristiano Ronaldo Jacob and Co

As Ronaldo explained, the collaboration made sense: “As a collector of the world’s finest watches, it’s obvious [to me] how much passion Jacob & Co. has for quality.”

American brand Jacob & Co has uploaded a behind-the-scenes video of the campaign which shows the footballer in casual wear (a leather jacket and sweater) and more formal attire (a black tuxedo).

Ronaldo for Jacob and Co

Ronaldo also unveiled a first image on his Facebook page in which he is wearing a Jacob & Co’s Ghost watch that caught his eye on set: “I fell in love with the new Ghost watch. It’s a perfect fit for my lifestyle as I’m constantly traveling internationally.”

Taj Mahal

World’s most expensive holiday sold to a student

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

A luxury vacation package costing $1.5 million, dubbed “the world’s most expensive holiday,” has been sold to an unnamed Chinese man.

The luxury holiday takes in all of UNESCO’s spectacular 962 World Heritage Sites, spans over 157 countries and lasts one year. Costing $1.5 million, the package was put together by luxury travel company Hurlingham Travel and sold through exclusive e-commerce site veryfirstto.com.

After first being offered last month, the luxury package has been sold to an “unnamed man from China,” according to a report in the UK’s Guardian. Though neither VeryFirstTo or Hurlingham Travel have released press statements on this matter, the report indicates that the buyer is studying for a PhD, though little else is known about the man who will embark on his luxury travels next year.

The report also indicates that the site received a total of 15 enquires into the “the world’s most expensive holiday package.”

Burberry Watches to Make Baselworld Debut

Buerberry basel stand

 

British luxury brand Burberry will be at Baselworld – the world’s biggest watch trade fair – from 25th April to 2nd May 2013. It will be the first time that Burberry will take part in this event.

The British brand will be set up in the center of the Hall of Desires 1.1, D31, where it will present its new watch collections, including its “The Britain” models inspired by the emblematic Burberry trench.

Burberry will unveil its new creations over two floors alongside other prestigious brands. The space, with an illuminated exterior, will have digital screens and interactive equipment that will allow visitors to discover the “Swiss Made” skills that go into making each Burberry watch.

MAISON RABIH KAYROUZ

Maison Rabih Kayrouz opens in Saint-Tropez

Maison Rabih Kayrouz boutique

As summer draws near, Maison Rabih Kayrouz has announced that it is opening its first boutique in Saint-Tropez. This new establishment featuring pieces by the Lebanese designer will be a stone’s throw away from the famous Place des Lices on rue Gambetta.

It was entirely designed by the architect and scenographer Christophe Martin. Customers will discover a dressing room, a mini hall of mirrors and collections of light flowing dresses and cotton pieces.

As part of the launch, Maison Rabih Kayrouz has designed a limited edition collection of summer essentials, from printed sarongs and purses to colorful pashminas.

Maison Rabih Kayrouz boutique Saint-Tropez

Richard Mille RM52 01 Skull Closeup

Richard Mille RM 52-01 Nano-Ceramic Skull Tourbillon

Richard Mille RM 52-01

The RM 52-01 Skull is is the second piece in the Skull collection (first piece launched in 2012), and features the skull design that embodies Richard Mille’s anti-conformist spirit.

This model stands out both for its choice of materials and the way it has been crafted. The RM 52-01 Skull has a manual winding tourbillon caliber built on a baseplate in PVD-treated titanium.

But the skull and back of the skull are now sculpted from 5N red gold and are hand-bevelled — giving the skull a much more distinctive presence.

For the case, Richard Mille introduces a composite nano-ceramic material known as TZP, used for the RM 52-01′s bezel and case back (finished with microblasting and hand-polishing on the corners).

The RM 52-01 is released as a limited edition of 30 timepieces. Source: Perpetuelle

VW iBeetle

Volkswagen to introduce iBeetle iPhone-equipped car

VW iBeetle

 claims that its new vehicle, being showcased this week in Shanghai and set to debut in 2014, will be the first to feature a fully integrated iPhone.

Available as a coupe or as a convertible, the iBeetle was developed in partnership with Apple and as such draws on the US technology firm’s design ethos as much as its smartphone know-how.

As such, it can be ordered in shades of black, white or silver, boasts specially conceived “disc” alloy wheels and features an aluminium effect dashboard, where the iPhone will take pride of place in a specially designed docking cradle that holds the handset in landscape mode.

Once connected, the iPhone’s and the Beetle’s interfaces become one thanks to a specially developed Beetle app and the user can make calls, send emails and text messages and access navigation as well as supplement the stereo system via the iTunes music library.

The Beetle app puts Spotify front and center, allowing users not only to stream tracks but also to share recommendations with friends (hands-free, of course). But the app also offers a number of unique features such as ‘Expert,’ which turns the iPhone into part of the instrument panel, displaying g-force generated in corners, oil and coolant temperature, a stopwatch and a compass.

In ‘Trainer‘ mode, a driver can compare route history to see average journey times and fuel economy. It also connects with Facebook and Twitter to crowdsource advice and to share tips and tricks.

Using the ‘Postcard‘ setting within the Beetle app allows the driver to send his or her current location to friends on social media networks as a digital postcard complete with a map and a photo snapped by the iPhone of the view from the driver’s seat.

The iBeetle and iBeetle convertible go on sale in Spring 2014 but Volkswagen will start taking orders in October, when it is also expected to reveal pricing.

Volkswagen iBeetle

Hoshinoya Karuizawa winter

Top eco-friendly luxury hotels

Laguna Lodge Hotel Guatemala

A resort in Australia that helped bring a species of tree back from the brink of extinction, a lodge in Guatemala that’s completely off the grid, and a Japanese oasis that offers guests luxury eco-tours are being called some of the top, green yet lavish hotel stays in the world.

It sounds like a contradiction in terms: opulent hotels that provide five-star service and amenities while respecting the environment.

Hoshinoya Karuizawa summer pond

But according to Ecoluxhotels.com, helmed by a travel journalist and an environmental consultant, the two concepts don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

Hoshinoya Karuizawa bedroom

As the world fetes the 43rd edition of Earth Day, globetrotters with deep pockets are encouraged to consider spending their money at eco-responsible properties that offer luxury experiences, guilt-free.

Hoshinoya Karuizawa guestroom

Just an hour outside Tokyo, for example, guests can find a secluded, mountainside spa resort that harnesses the power of the area’s geothermal energy to provide a luxury hot spring experience which is said to have skin-healing properties.

Hoshinoya Karuizawa autumn day

Hoshinoya Karuizawa, styled after traditional Japanese inns or ryokans, also offers guests award-winning eco-tours on foot and on bike that explore bird wildlife sanctuaries in the day, flying squirrels at night, and operates a black bear conservation program.

Hoshinoya Karuizawa dining hall

Similarly, the resort is powered by hydroelectricity generated by the area’s fast-moving streams and rivers in the mountainous surroundings, while foods are sourced from local farmer.

Hoshinoya Karuizawa winter

Here are a few other picks for the greenest luxury hotels in the world, as chosen by Ecoluxhotels.com:

Laguna Lodge, Guatemala

Set in the lush, tropical jungles of Guatemala, the five-star boutique hotel offers sweeping views of Lake Atitlan and a trio of volcanic peaks in the distance.

Laguna Lodge Hotel jaguar suite

Suites are carved out of the area’s volcanic stone, adobe and palm and decorated in indigenous Mayan antiques.

Laguna Lodge Hotel

The lodge is also powered entirely from renewable solar energy and is off-grid, reuses grey water, collects rainwater and grows organic vegetables. Meals are meat-free.

www.thelagunalodge.com

Laguna Lodge Hotel Guatemala pool

The Scarlet, Cornwall

Set along the Cornish coast, the airy, seaside British resort is pitched as an Ayurvedic-inspired spa that tries to echo the rugged surroundings into its design.

Scarlet Hotel England

In addition to offering classes like ‘laughter yoga’, transformational dance, surfing and horse riding, the wellness retreat also offers day-long sustainability courses.

Scarlet Hotel England outdoor

Eco measures include the harvesting of water, the collection of rain water and the use of solar energy.

www.scarlethotel.co.uk

Scarlet Hotel England room

Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, Australia

Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort bar

Deep within the Greater Blue Mountains, three hours from Sydney, guests staying at the Wolgan Valley Resort choose from 40 luxury suites styled after traditional, rural Australian homesteads, each with its own private terrace and swimming pool.

Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort australia

Billed as Australia’s first luxury conservation-based resort, the property is also the first to achieve internationally accredited carbon neutral certification through cabonNZero which it’s maintained for three years in a row thanks to its rehabilitation programs and use of renewable energy.

Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort suite

By the end of last year, more than 200,000 trees were planted in wildlife corridors, for example, including the reintroduction of the Wollemi Pine, one of the world’s rarest trees, which was thought to be extinct.

www.wolganvalley.com

Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort

Garonga Safari Camp, South Africa

A luxury safari sanctuary that promises intimate wildlife encounters with four of the five iconic African land animals, Garonga is glamping at its finest.

Garonga Safari Camp South Africa

Guests stay in spacious, airy tents outfitted with wooden decks, hammocks, large, draped beds and indoor and outdoor showers.

Garonga Safari Camp

Activities include safaris, spa services, wilderness walks, outdoor bush-baths and sleep-outs. Ssustainability measures include the conversion of food and natural waste into natural gas, which is used to power the kitchen stove.

Garonga Safari Camp room

The site also harnesses solar power, harvests grey water and grows its own vegetables while its fleet of vehicles is powered by biodiesel.

www.garonga.com

Garonga Safari Camp photo

RollsRoyce Ghost Alpine Trial Centenary

Rolls-Royce Ghost Alpine Trial Centenary

Rolls-Royce Ghost Alpine Trial Centenary

The Rolls-Royce Ghost Alpine Trial Centenary Edition, which honors the automaker’s 1913 Alpine Trials cars, debuted at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show.

Four Rolls Royce Silver Ghosts embarked a century ago (1913) on the Austrian Alpine Trials, which was the benchmark for automotive endurance at the time.

Rolls-Royce Ghost Alpine Trial Centenary front panel

In performing without fault over 1820 grueling miles of near impassable mountain terrain, the Rolls-Royce Works Team and privateer entrant James Radley helped cement the marque’s reputation for reliability and mechanical excellence.

The Alpine Trial Centenary Ghost takes close inspiration from Radley’s Silver Ghost with a bespoke “baby-blue” paint hue, and black grille and wheels.

Rolls-Royce Ghost Alpine Trial Centenary clock

Inside, the clock displays the stages of the rally and timings, while inlays to rear picnic tables and the front fascia represent the topography and distances of the Alpine route, and the headliner matches the hood of Radley’s car.

The Special Edition car will join Radley 1913 Silver Ghost to take part in a faithful re-enactment of the classic rally, starting in Vienna on 14 June 2013.

Rolls-Royce Alpine Trial Centenary Ghost

Hotel Ritz Paris

Masterpiece found at Ritz sold to New York’s Met

Charles Le Brun Painting Ritz Paris

A 400-year-old masterpiece that only came to light during a renovation at Paris’s Ritz hotel has been sold for 1.44 million euros ($1.88 million) to New York’s Metropolitan Museum.

The painting by 17th century artist Charles Le Brun (1619-1690) had adorned one of the suites in which fashion designer Coco Chanel lived for more than 30 years.

Its presence came as news to hotel management when it was discovered in July 2012, a month before the Ritz closed its doors for a two-year renovation.

“The Met does not yet have a work by Charles Le Brun (so) this completes its collection of 17th century paintings,” said Christie’s expert Olivier Lefeuvre.

The painting is expected to go on display in New York from the end of May.

Proceeds from the sale will go to the foundation established by Ritz owner Mohamed Al Fayed in memory of his son Dodi, the late boyfriend of Princess Diana.

yves saint laurent rouge pur couture

Yves Saint Laurent beauty expanding to China

yves saint laurent rouge pur couture

YSL cosmetics owner L’Oréal Luxe is pushing ahead with expansions plan to meet the booming demand for luxury skin care in China.

This May, China’s first ever YSL beauty counter will open in the Shanghai branch of high-end Japanese department store Isetan on Nanjing Road, the city’s busiest shopping street.

“We want to keep innovating and surprising the Chinese consumer. Yves Saint Laurent is a beautiful brand that belongs to French haute couture. Chinese consumers, they want the best,” said Nicolas Hieronimus, president of L’Oréal Luxe, reported WWD.

By 2015 the company is expecting China to be its biggest market: “In this country, the sky has no limit because the Chinese have such an appetite for luxury that we can only be excited for the future,” Hieronimus added. “This is just the beginning.”

As more and more Asian customers flock to the brand, special YSL fragrance, makeup, and skin-care lines will be launched specifically for the region.

Brands from the L’Oréal Luxe stable are currently sold in 972 department stores, 140 Sephora stores and 68 airport retail spaces throughout China. Big L’Oréal Luxe players in the market include Lancôme, which first entered China in 1993, Kiehl’s, and Chinese luxury skincare label Yue-Sai.

prada marfa

Prada launches creative writing contest

prada marfa

Milan-based luxury brand Prada is teaming up with Italian publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore for a new international writing contest called Prada Journal.

What are the realities that our eyes give back to us? And how are these realities filtered through lenses?

That’s the question posed by Prada as the theme of this latest artistic endeavour: an international short story competition designed to uncover and promote promising new literary talent.

Judged by Prada and Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, the contest’s winners will receive €5,000 and will see their winning story published as an online e-book, with a paper version distributed in Prada boutiques.

The details of the competition are tucked away safely in the terms and conditions on the Prada Journal site.  You’re free to write about whatever you fancy, with a focus on “views of the world. Images, marks, ideas,” but Prada advises that it won’t be publishing anything “sexually explicit or suggestive.” You must also do your best to avoid promoting “alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, firearms/weapons.”

Stories need to be roughly 4,000 – 8,000 words, although with typical Prada exactitude, they’d prefer “a minimum of 10 (ten) pages and a maximum of 20 (twenty) pages on A4 sized sheets, each page to contain approximately 400 words, written in Bodoni -DTC dim. 11 style.”

The contest starts April 18, with final entries due by June 18. Winners will be announced on December 31, 2013 and you can enter the competion by sending your efforts to pradajournal@prada.com.

Ferrari FF Dubai Police

New Dubai Police sports cars rolled out

Ferrari FF joins Lamborghini on Dubai Police

The Dubai Police have unveiled a Ferrari FF as the latest addition to its fleet of patrol vehicles.

As a quick reminder, the Ferrari FF, which stands for “Ferrari Four”, because of its four seats and four-wheel drive, is a grand tourer which was unveiled by the Maranello based automaker on the 1st of March 2011 during the Geneva Motor Show.

The FF, which is powered by a 651-horsepower 6.3-liter V-12, accelerates to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 208 mph.

News of the $250,000 Ferrari FF patrol car comes just one week after Dubai Police authorities confirmed the addition of another Italian supercar, a $550,000 Lamborghini Aventador.

This was added to the Chevrolet Camaro, which was confirmed last month by the authority, with images of its two-door prototype also being released online.

In a statement, Dubai Police has confirmed it will soon introduce sports cars into its fleet to enhance its patrolling abilities.

The authorities said the sport cars were built according to Dubai Police specifications and “will help to facilitate policing on highways.”

Qantas New Uniform

Miranda Kerr models new Qantas uniforms

Qantas New Uniform 2013

Aussie supermodel Miranda Kerr helped show off Qantas Airways’ new employee uniforms, the first makeover in 10 years, conceived by homegrown designer Martin Grant.

The airline’s 12,600 ground and in-flight crew will sport the new look which includes trench overcoats for both male and female employees, a trilby hat made from recycled bottle tops, and strong, diagonal stripes in the the carrier’s trademark poppy red, alongside a splash of fuschia pink.

Male employees will serve as Qantas ambassadors in French navy suiting and white shirts.

The Qantas wardrobe will be made up of 35 different garments and required the use of 15 types of fabrics including premium superfine Australian Merino wool for the suiting.

Qantas Unveils New Uniform

Meanwhile, American Airlines announced that it had tapped designers Ken Kaufman and Isaac Franco of KaufmanFranco to reimagine their employee uniforms within the next two years.

And last year, Banana Republic outfitted employees from Virgin America with pencil skirts, dresses, and silk scarves for women, leather jackets and striped sleeve sweaters for men.

Miranda Kerr Qantas New Uniform

mercedes benz gla front

Mercedes Debuts New Compact GLA SUV

Mercedes GLA

Mercedes has confirmed that it will be taking the wraps off its latest premium SUV concept, the GLA, at Auto Shanghai, the doors to which officially open on April 21.

Conceived to help owners “escape the everyday” at 4.38 meters long and 1.97 meters wide, the GLA is small enough to negotiate busy city centers but thanks to permanent four-wheel drive should make for a willing leisure-time companion too.

Under the hood is a four-cylinder, 2-liter turbocharged petrol engine capable of pumping out 211bhp via a seven-speed double-clutch automatic transmission.

The inside of the cabin benefits from prodigious use of leather and aluminium. Other interesting interior touches include light-emitting air vents that shine blue when the air conditioning is set below 22°C and start to glow a brighter red as the heat is turned up.

Mercedes GLA interior

The car also boasts externally mounted 3D/HD cameras that give the driver a clear, birds-eye view of everything surrounding the car, but that can also be removed and mounted on a helmet or mountain bike so that families can record their adventures.

The cameras can also be operated to make films or take still photos while the car is in motion and, thanks to an integrated, front-mounted lens, can project those images directly on to a wall or any other vertical surface, essentially turning the car into a mobile drive-in cinema.

“The Concept GLA marks a new approach for us in the compact SUV segment — this is a sporty and more coupé-like evolution of this category of vehicle,” commented Dr Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Mercedes-Benz Cars, Sales and Marketing.

Underwater Spa

First Underwater Spa Opens in the Maldives

Huvafen Fushi Maldives

Huvafen Fushi, a luxury resort in the Maldives that claims to have the world’s first underwater spa, is offering an innovative new menu of wellness packages.

The spa, named LIME, offers a window to the amazing diversity of ocean life designed with soft furnishings and fabrics that echo the colors and textures of the surrounding corals and sponges.

Underwater Spa

The underwater treatment rooms took 12 months to construct and are made of a solid-cast resin to create an underwater structure that could be set in the open ocean with minimal disturbance to the ecosystem of the Maldives.

underwater spa LIME

According to the hotel the resin is five inches thick and it provides infinitely better clarity than the cheaper option of laminated glass.

ithaa

The Maldives is home to the world’s first underwater restaurant: Ithaa at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. The restaurant is 16 feet below sea level and has 180-degree views of reef and marine life.

Huvafen Fushi Spa Resort

Sigrid Agren

Chanel releases new ‘Rouge Chanel’ video

Collection Avant Premiere by Chanel

Parisian luxury house Chanel has unveiled a new film starring Franco-Swedish beauty Sigrid Agren for the Hollywood-inspired Avant-Première beauty collection.

The thirty-second video, titled “Le Rouge Chanel: Beyond Color,” sees the face of the brand’s new Collection Avant-Première de Chanel, Sigrid Agren, showing off her bright red lips on a luxurious poolside location.

Inspired by classic French cinema, the collection features eight Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Sheer Lipshines, six Rouge Coco Hydrating Crème Lip Colours, and four Le Vernis nail varnishes.

The 21-year-old model, who was picked by Chanel as the face of the beauty collection, was born to a French mother and a Swedish father on the tropical island of Martinique. Previously the face of Chanel’s Chance fragrance, she has also starred in major campaigns for Prada, Nicole Farhi and Stella McCartney.

The Collection Avant-Première hit stores on April 5.

designer christian lacroix

Christian Lacroix To Design Schiaparelli Couture Line

christian lacroix monnaie de paris

French designer Christian Lacroix has been tapped to create a 15-piece couture collection as a “one-time tribute to Elsa Schiaparelli.”

The collection will be unveiled in July during the couture shows in Paris, at 21 Place Vendôme – the location of Schiaparelli’s original workshop. Each of the unique pieces will be reinterpretations of the late designer’s most famous creations.

The couture collection will be followed by a series of contributions from different artists, all taking place at the Schiaparelli maison. An annual “rendez-vous” will be held, during which contemporary artists and creatives will be asked to give their interpretation of the late designer.

Schiaparelli closed in the 1950s amid claims original designer Elsa went bankrupt. The new launch’s first line was due to be shown in January, but, lacking a head designer, the date has been moved back.

Yesterday, rumors surfaced that Marco Zanini, currently the head designer at Rochas, would take on the permanent position of creative director at Schiaparelli.

Lacroix launched his own-name fashion house in 1987 and was creative director at Emilio Pucci between 2002 and 2005. He filed for bankruptcy in 2009, following which his label ceased production.

Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas

Royal Caribbean’s ship Quantum of the Seas

Quantum of the Seas

Royal Caribbean has released details on the newest addition to its fleet set to sail next year, the Quantum of the Seas, an 18-deck ship that can carry 4,180 guests.

Among some of the most innovative and exclusive features are a controlled chamber that can simulate the sensation of skydiving; a glass-walled lift that carries guests 90 meters above the sea; and a space that doubles as a bumper car attraction and a roller skating rink.

Here’s a virtual tour that gives an artist’s rendering of the newest generation of luxury liners, pitched as a game-changer in the industry.

Quantum of the Seas North Star

North Star

One of the star attractions of the new Quantum of the Seas, the glass capsule can lift guests to heights of 90 meters above sea level. Inside the capsule, guests can enjoy 360-degree views of ocean vistas.

Quantum of the Seas Bumper to bumper

Bumper to bumper

Touted as a first, guests will also be able to go bumper to bumper at the SeaPlex, a multi-functional entertainment space.

Quantum of the Seas RipCord

RipCord

Another exclusive: skydiving in a controlled chamber.

Quantum of the Seas Two70

Two70°

Named for the panoramic 270° views offered by the floor-to-ceiling windows, the Two70° room is meant as a meeting and relaxing room for guests.

Quantum of the Seas The Royal Loft

The Royal Loft

The Royal Loft Suite is a luxurious two-level suite with a spacious dining room and living room area for entertaining, a private deck and views of the ocean.

A Russian Billionaire Bought Aristotle Onassis’ Island

skorpios island

The daughter of Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev has bought the Greek resort island where shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis famously married Jacqueline Kennedy in the 1960s.

Greek media reports on Saturday placed the value of Skorpios island at over $100 million and said Ekaterina Rybolovleva, 24, wanted it not only for leisure but also business purposes.

She purchased Skorpios, in the Ionian Sea off western Greece, from Onassis’ 28-year-old granddaughter, Athena Onassis Roussel, the only surviving descendant of the shipping magnate.

Aristotle Onassis purchased Skorpios in 1963 and turned the barren island into a luxury resort by planting thousands of trees and importing sand. In 1968 he married Jacqueline Kennedy, widow of the assassinated U.S. president John F. Kennedy.

After Aristotle Onassis’s death in 1975, Skorpios passed to his daughter Christina, who died of a heart attack at 37 in the late 1980s after a history of drug abuse, weight issues and four failed marriages.

Onassis, his son Alexander, who was killed in an airplane crash aged 25, and Christina were buried on Skorpios. Athena Onassis Roussel was three when her mother died.

The island is covered with 200 species of trees, brought by Onassis to once deserted island. The island has several beaches, best known is East Beach, where Onassis brought sand from the island of Salamis.

Source: DailyMail

skorpios island home