Monthly Archives: June 2013

Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 India

Lamborghini Launches India Edition Gallardo

Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 India

Italian super luxury car-maker Automobili Lamborghini on Wednesday rolled out an exclusive limited edition of Gallardo LP550-2 for sports car enthusiasts in the country.

The Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 India Edition comes in the three colors of the Indian flag: arancio borealis (pearl orange), bianco monocerus (white) andverde ithaca (pearl green).

In addition, the supercar is adorned with Indian tricolor stripes that run from the front bonnet to the rear engine bonnet, including over the roof.

The tricolor theme continues in the black interior, with green stitching on the driver’s seat, orange on the passenger’s, and white on the dash, doors and center console.

Under the hood lies the familiar 5.2-liter V10, rated at 550 and 398 lb-ft of torque, hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission. The Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 can reach a top speed of 320 km/h and accelerate to 100 km/h from a standing start in 3.9 seconds.

The limited-edition car is priced at about $500,000 (30.6 million rupees). Lamborghini is offering only six India edition Gallardos and one has already been sold, so hurry, if you want one!

Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 India Edition

Warhol Perrier

Perrier releases Andy Warhol-inspired bottles

Perrier Warhol

As part of its 150th anniversary this year, Perrier is releasing limited-edition bottles inspired by pop artist Andy Warhol, who produced a series of works featuring the sparkling water brand in the 1980s.

Perrier bottles are emblazoned with four different label designs based on screen prints Warhol created in 1983 as part of the Pop Art movement and his fascination with everyday consumer products.

Fans can also choose from bottles bearing some of his famous quotes including “Art is what you can get away with,” and “In the future everyone will be world famous for 15 minute.”

Perrier is also offering consumers a chance to win an original Andy Warhol screen print art piece, ‘Space Fruit: Lemons’, in its ‘Take Home a Warhol’ sweepstakes.

After debuting across France earlier this year, the Andy Warhol Perrier bottles hit US shelves June 24.

Perrier has also collaborated with burlesque pin-up Dita Von Teese and clothing brand Paul & Joe.

Perrier Andy Warhol bottles

Blancpain flagship store Shanghai

Blancpain opens its largest ever boutique in Shanghai

Blancpain Shanghai

Luxury Swiss watchmaker Blancpain – owned by Swatch Group – has opened its largest boutique in the world, in the Xintiandi district of Shanghai, China. The store is the brand’s eighth in China.

Xintiandi is one of Shanghai’s most popular districts, a place where people love to stroll along the open streets lined with boutiques as well as cafés and restaurants with terraces.

Blancpain flagship store Shanghai

The 600 square-metre Xintiandi flagship, spread over two floors, presents the brand’s finest creations and for the first time offers a range of additional services.

Blancpain store Shanghai

The new boutique offers an integrated customer service centre as well as a lounge bar where traditionnal Swiss-made foods can be enjoyed on the terrace overlooking the Xintiandi district.

Blancpain store Shanghai lounge bar

Sky Collection Luxury Apartments

Emaar to launch sales of top-end Dubai homes

Sky Collection Luxury Apartments

Emaar Properties, leading Dubai developer, has revealed details of a new series of luxury apartments called Sky Collection, which occupies the upper storeys of a new development in Downtown Dubai.

The homes will be on the topmost levels of the 60-storey towers that constitute its ‘The Address Residence Fountain Views Project’, overlooking the Burj Khalifa and much of Downtown.

Customers can choose from three and four-bedroom apartments, three and four-bedroom duplex apartments and four-bedroom penthouses that range in area from over 2,000 sq ft to more than 17,000 sq ft, including suite and balcony areas.

Potential investors can apply by filling out an online application at www.emaar.com. Selected customers will be invited for a private preview and sale, with Emaar contacting them directly.

Source: PropgoLuxury

Sky Collection Luxury Apartments Downtown Dubai

Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars to wear Dolce & Gabbana onstage

Bruno Mars

Dolce & Gabbana have announced that they have created the costumes for Bruno Mars’s ‘Moonshine Jungle’ tour which kicks off in Washington DC on June 22.

“Bruno’s style and music are so eclectic that oftentimes we have taken inspiration directly from his work to create looks that were at the same time in line with his very personal taste, as well as with the DNA of Dolce & Gabbana,” announced the brand in a statement.

The looks are reported to consist of exclusive black tuxedos with white shirts created especially for the star, and a red suit worn with an ocelot print shirt.

“With time, we have managed to establish with him a relationship of absolute faith in each other and mutual trust, that allows us to create and work together in an atmosphere of complete harmony.”

Dolce & Gabbana have previously designed stage wear for some of pop’s biggest names including Madonna, Mary J Blige and Kylie Minogue.

Palazzo Versace Dubai

The Palazzo Versace Hotel in Dubai

Palazzo Versace Dubai

A sprawling, palatial hotel and residence signed by luxury label Versace is set to open its doors next summer in the heart of Dubai.

Specs for the Palazzo Versace Dubai are impressive. Hotel guests and residents will be offered a range of luxury amenities that include a lagoon, sandy beach, waterfront pedestrian promenade, male and female day spa and salon, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and, of course, a Versace boutique.

The property will house 169 condominiums and 214 opulently decorated hotel rooms swathed in rich fabrics and silk, hand-cut marble, bespoke mosaics and hand-drawn, gold-etched vaulted ceilings, all of which have been chosen to evoke European and Italian grandeur.

More than 100 specialists, including top stonemasons and mosaic artists from around the world have been recruited to work on the hotel, 90% of whom are artisans based out of the United Arab Emirates.

The building exterior, meanwhile, evokes Greco-Roman art with a Medusa porte-cochere, elegant pillars and a landscape of water fountains, reflection pools and lagoons.

The Dubai outpost will be the label’s second luxury property in the world after the Palazzo Versace Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, which opened in 2000.

royal ascot hats

Royal Ascot 2013: dramatic hats

royal ascot hats

Europe’s best-attended horse-racing meeting, Royal Ascot draws around 300,000 visitors every year, who flock to the Berkshire racecourse for the five-day festival which is famous for its stylish ladies and dramatic hats.

Anneka Tanaka-Svenska

Anneka Tanaka-Svenska

TV presenter and conservationist Anneka Tanaka-Svenska wore a hat designed by Louis Mariette.

Racegoers

Racegoers

Racegoers approach the Royal enclosure where top hats and tails remain compulsory for the gentlemen.

The Tootsie Rolls

The Tootsie Rolls

Members of The Tootsie Rolls, a retro girl band, pose for pictures in their hats on the festival’s second day.

Larisa Katz

Larisa Katz

Designer Larisa Katz, wore an outfit and an enormous hat made from chocolate packaging.

baby-themed hat

A baby-themed hat

Hat designs can range from minimalist fascinators to all-out accessorized extravaganzas like this maternity-themed hat.

Bird-brained

Bird-brained

Some of the visitors go cuckoo with all the hat choices.

Racegoers ascot

Racegoers

A woman wears an art-deco style hat with a pair of mirrored shades.

Queen Elizabeth II hat

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (L) and The Duchess of Cornwall (R)

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and The Duchess of Cornwall attending the first day of the festival.

Royal Ascot 2013

Arshad Mahmood

HK$1 million suit sold in Hong Kong

Arshad Mahmood

British Pakistani Master Tailor Arshad Mahmood has produced a suit that he claims to be one of the world’s most expensive tailor-made suits priced at $129,000.

Arshad Mahmood, who has offices in London and Hong Kong, originates from Mirpur in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, and learnt the art of tailoring originally in the city of Karachi in early 80s.

With 22-carat gold stitching, a gold waistcoat and diamond-encrusted gold buttons, the one-off was sold in Hong Kong on May 29 for HK$1 million. According to the South China Morning Post, It took Apsley Tailors 200 hours to make the suit from the finest wool, with gold woven into the fabric.

The world’s most expensive suit is believed to have been made by Stuart Hughes and Richard Jewels of Manchester, England. The R. Jewels Diamond Edition is made from a blend of cashmere wool and silk, contains more than 480 diamonds and costs $890,000.

Apsley’s suit beats what was apparently the world’s second-most expensive suit, luxury designer Alexander Amosu’s $103,000 creation with nine diamond buttons set in 18-carat gold.

Kora Organics by Miranda Kerr on Net-à-Porter

kora organics

Organic beauty fans will be pleased to hear that the Australian supermodel’s range of skincare is now available via the Net-à-Porter online shop.

Organic beauty brand Kora Organics has released an exclusive Revitalizing Body Pack (€190) containing Enriched Body Lotion (jojoba, noni extract and cocoa butter), Energising Citrus Mist (bergamot, orange and aloe vera), Exfoliating Cream (oat flour and bamboo) and Luxurious Rosehip Body Oil.

The products are also available individually via Net-à-Porter ranging from €37 for the Citrus Mist to €55 for the Exfoliating Cream.

Launched in 2009 in Australia as an exclusive at department store David Jones, the brand is now slowly expanding out around the world, as part of global growth in organic skincare.

Organic personal care is the fastest growing part of the personal care market segment, with some estimates indicating that the industry is estimated to top $11 billion by 2016.

Miranda Kerr is currently one of the world’s biggest fashion stars. The 30-year-old Australian is currently the face of Spanish high-street label Mango and is also one of the famous Victoria’s Secret Angels.

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante

Aston Martin reveals new Vanquish Volante

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante

Aston Martin unveiled, this week, their upcoming 2014 Vanquish Volante convertible model, which it touts as the “pinnacle” of their sports car line-up.

The $300,000 convertible version of the flagship Vanquish can go from 0-62mph (100km/h) in 4.1 seconds and on a top speed of 183mph (295km/h) and, thanks to its 6.0-litre V12 engine, power is always on tap at any speed and acceleration is prompt at any point from idle to redline.

2014 aston martin vanquish volante

A super GT car rather than an out-and-out supercar, the Volante is designed for long, entertaining and exciting continental roadtrips rather than for setting new lap records at the local circuit.

Hence a six-speed automatic, rather than manual transmission – but that doesn’t mean that the car can’t hold its own against its competition!

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante blue

As with many flagship Astons, however, the emphasis of the Vanquish Volante is as much on comfort as it is on out-and-out performance, and cabin space is such that rear-seat passengers will be able to avoid discomfort on longer journeys.

Luggage space is also rather generous for a car of this nature making it great for long weekends away or even for everyday use. This has been achieved by separating the roof’s storage compartment from the trunk space.

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante interior

A number of convertibles, particularly those with metal rather than cloth retracting roofs, tend to lie flat in the trunk when retracted, taking up space that could have otherwise been used for suitcases and other loads.

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante start button

Inside it’s business as usual: cut-glass buttons with haptic feedback that vibrate to touch, a swooping center console and large-screen touch-sensitive infotainment display.

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante photo

Aston Martin has also introduced new trim designs for the Volante but with its Q branch bespoke arm up and running, the sky’s the limit as to what clients can specify in terms of wood veneers, leather and other internal and external features.

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante back

Q branch and the options book notwithstanding, the standard car will cost £199,995 in the UK, €264,995 in continental Europe, $297,995 in the US and $323,974 in Dubai.

The order book is open now and the first deliveries are expected towards the end of 2013.

jeveuxleslunettesdekarl

Karl Lagerfeld, the Video Game

jeveuxleslunettesdekarl

Designer Karl Lagerfeld has released a new video and interactive game challenging viewers to snatch his famous glasses.

Titled “Je veux les lunettes de Karl” or ‘I want Karl’s glasses’, the video sees a cartoon Karl successfully evading capture by an enthusiastic young fan who’s trying to swipe his specs (he did ask for it).

French glasses chain Optic 2000 and the Karl Lagerfeld brand are behind the fun and games, which include an interactive online game that can be played on smartphones and computers.

Winners will get a pair of free Karl Lagerfeld sunglasses, and there are also ten Lagerfeld figurines by Tokidoki up for grabs. Play the game at http://jeveuxleslunettesdekarl.com.

Cathay Pacific Airways best cabin crew

The best flight attendants are from Asia

Cathay Pacific Airways best cabin crew

The friendliest, most helpful and efficient flight attendants in the world are predominantly found on Asian airlines. That’s according to flyers across 160 countries who completed 18 million customer satisfaction surveys which asked respondents to rate their favorite airline cabin crew.

Topping Skytrax World Airline Awards category of best cabin staff: Hong Kong’s flagship carrier Cathay Pacific, which took the No.1 spot from flight attendants of Malaysia Airlines who won the title last year.

Meanwhile, of the top 10 airlines boasting the best cabin crew, eight are from Asia.

Winners were announced at the Paris Air Show this week.

1. Cathay Pacific Airways
2. Asiana Airlines
3. Malaysia Airlines
4. EVA Air
5. Singapore Airlines
6. ANA All Nippon Airways
7. Garuda Indonesia
8. Qatar Airways
9. Hainan Airlines
10. Thai Airways

stefano gabbana and domenico dolce

Dolce and Gabbana sentenced to jail for tax evasion

stefano gabbana and domenico dolce

An Italian court Wednesday sentenced fashion house duo Dolce and Gabbana to one year and eight months in prison for tax evasion of around one billion euros ($1.33 billion), according to media reports.

Lawyers for Dolce and Gabbana, whose celebrity clients include Beyonce and Madonna, immediately said they will be appealing, and under Italian law the sentence will be suspended in the meantime.

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were accused of having transferred control of their brands to a shell company in Luxembourg in 2004 and 2005 to avoid paying Italian taxes.

Prosecutors had argued that setting up the Luxembourg company Gado — an acronym of the surnames of the two designers — while the company was operating out of Italy was a bid to defraud the state.

In her closing speech, prosecutor Laura Pedio said there was “rock-solid proof” that the duo had committed “sophisticated tax fraud”.

She said Gado was “a sort of cloud with the consistency of gas,” while fellow prosecutor Gaetano Ruta said it was “an artificial construction the aim of which was to get a tax advantage”.

Investigators completed a probe into the designers, as well as five other people, in 2010 and the case was dismissed in April 2011 but reopened in November last year and went to trial.

Founded in 1985, Dolce and Gabbana employs more than 3,000 people and has 250 shops in 40 countries around the world.

Emirates A380

Top 20 airlines in the world

Emirates A380

Middle Eastern and Asian carriers have emerged the big winners in a list of the world’s top 20 airlines as decided by flyers from 160 countries.

Emirates took the top spot at the 2013 edition of the Skytrax World Airline Awards held at the Paris Air Show this week, where the Dubai-based carrier succeeded in bumping rival Qatar from a place it’s occupied for the last two years.

The winners are based on more than 18 million customer surveys which measure passenger satisfaction in areas such as check-in, boarding, onboard seat comfort, cabin cleanliness, staff, in-flight dining and entertainment. The awards covered 200 carriers. Here’s how airlines stacked up:

1. Emirates
2. Qatar Airways
3. Singapore Airlines
4. ANA All Nippon Airways
5. Asiana Airlines
6. Cathay Pacific Airways
7. Etihad Airways
8. Garuda Indonesia
9. Turkish Airlines
10. Qantas Airways
11. Lufthansa
12. EVA Air
13.Virgin Australia
14. Malaysia Air
15. Thai Airways
16. Swiss Int’l Air Lines
17. Korean Air
18. Air New Zealand
19. Hainan Airlines
20. Air Canada

For the full ranking of top 100 airlines, visit http://bit.ly/1bRFXa9.

Chanel store 382 rue St Honore

Chanel opens pop-up beauty boutique in Paris

Chanel store 382 rue St Honore

Chanel has unveiled a new store on Rue St Honoré in the French capital dedicated to perfumes and cosmetics. Situated at number 382 of the Rue Saint Honoré in Paris, the store is located around the corner from Chanel’s original Paris store on Rue Cambon which is currently undergoing rennovations.

Chanel has recently announced it would be expanding its historic store (originally a hat store financed by Gabrielle Chanel’s lover Boy Capel, and called ‘Chanel Modes’) which is set to be finished in 2016.

According to the brand, the new Rue Saint Honoré store will stock makeup collections, exclusive colors and advance previews as well as offer a specialized perfume service.

Paddle Board

Shanghai Tang X MOOR’S SUP Board

Shanghai Tang Paddle Board

To celebrate the Spring Summer 2013 collection of Summer Bright, Shanghai Tang Menswear designer, Armele Barbier, has created a Limited Edition Luxe Stand-up Paddle Board (SUP Board) in collaboration with MOOR’S Surfboards.

A SUP Board is more flat and wider than regular surfboards which allows riders to be more stable and to perform easy moves that both experienced surfers or beginners can have fun with this summer.

Stand-up paddle surfing is usually performed in open ocean with the participant paddling and surfing unbroken swells to cross between island or journey from one coastal to another.

Shanghai Tang X MOOR’S collaboration is pairing the “know-how” of an emerging dynamic surf brand making top edge surfboards and surf accessories with elegance and sophistication of dark wood and Shanghai Tang’s iconic bright orange colour accent.

Paddle Board

The logos are discreetly facing water while the top deck features Shanghai Tang’s “福 Fu” stamp, meaning good fortune or happiness in Chinese.

The Shanghai Tang X MOOR’S SUP Board is made of bamboo epoxy and the Paddle is in carbon performance material, hand-shaped as a 10 feet longboard, perfect for riding the waves.

The luxury Board is available in Hong Kong and Singapore and is priced at HK$12,800 ($1,650).

Armele Barbier

Adidas by Stella McCartney Struthio Boost

Adidas by Stella McCartney’s Struthio Boost

Adidas by Stella McCartney Struthio Boost

After unveiling its latest running innovation, the Energy Boost running shoe, Adidas has launched a new version offering a bit more feminine style: the Struthio Boost from Adidas by Stella McCartney.

The limited-edition shoe features the new Boost cushioning technology, which the company claims provides the highest energy returns on the market.

The base of the shoe features thermoplastic beads fused together, resembling a wedge of Styrofoam and supposedly keeping a consistent bounce in your step – all for the price of €200.

Struthio features a chunky sole similar to Energy Boost but with more feminine lines and in a bright color scheme (pink, black & white) “to cheer you up during your races.”

Sui He mercedes S class

Watch: Carine Roitfeld x Mercedes-Benz

Sui He mercedes S class

Mercedes-Benz has teamed up with super-stylist Carine Roitfeld on a new car campaign, and has also worked with London menswear designers Spencer Hart on a new shooting brake model.

Mercedes has released a new film titled Vision in Motion shot by photographers Max von Gumppenberg and Patrick Bienert and styled by Carine Roitfeld alongside V-Magazine editor Stephen Gan.

Chinese supermodel Sui He was dressed in a billowing minimalist cape designed by Roitfeld herself to appear alongside the new Mercedes S-Class.

At the London Collections: Men, attendees at the Spencer Hart fashion show were also treated to the unveiling of the CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake, specially styled by Nick Hart, the brand’s creative director.

Mercedes CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake

It’s the car company’s first ever collaboration with a UK fashion label, and the CLS will be available to order in a signature ‘Nick Hart Midnight Blue’ with an Italian leather trim in dark chocolate brown.

It’s a growing trend. Last year Italian car manufacturer Fiat worked with luxury brand Gucci on a new version of the famous Fiat 500 model.

Trump Hotel Collection in wellness focus

TRUMP HOTEL COLLECTION

Trump Hotel Collection is the latest hotel chain to join the health and wellness movement, launching services that offer low-calorie menus and fitness programs that allow guests to work out in their room.

Debuting on Monday, the “Trump Wellness” program rolled out across the brand’s luxury properties in the US, Canada and Panama in partnership with Technogym and sports apparel brand Under Armour, which will provide footwear and workout gear for guests. Pre-loaded iPod shuffles are also available.

Guests who prefer to work out from the comfort of their hotel room can also call upon the concierge to bring up yoga mats, stretch bands, and light weights, while those who want to hit the pavement are offered maps of local running paths mapped by each Trump Hotel Collection property.

The dietary component of the wellness program includes a range of gluten-free, vegan, and organic meals with nutritional information, as well as a Quick Bites menu that offers meals to go in 15 minutes or less. Minibars have also been made over to include healthier snacks.

Where possible, select properties will also be sourcing vegetables, herbs and other ingredients through local farmers and artisanal producers.

Trump Hotel Collection joins a string of other hotel chains that have caught on to the demand for healthy travel, particularly among the business set who are regularly on the road and want to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Westin Hotels and Resorts, for instance, will loan guests a pair of New Balance sneakers and workout clothes, and even a ‘running buddy’ who will accompany guests on their run in a foreign city.

The MGM Grand in Las Vegas also offers “Stay Well” rooms that include spa menus, wake-up light therapy, air purification and aromatherapy, vitamin C-infused showers and wellness videos from Deepak Chopra.

And Fairmont Hotels & Resorts offers a “Fairmont Fit” program that includes fitness gear, mp3 players, bikes on loan and running clubs.

Porsche Go Kart

Porsche launches children’s go-kart

Porsche Go Kart

A pedal-powered car built by German motoring icon Porsche is a steal at just $900.

The Porsche Driver’s Selection Go-Kart features composite alloy wheels complete with inflatable tires, a proper sports seat and a handbrake for evasive maneuvers that the driver can use in conjunction with the back-pedal coaster brake.

Weighing in at a mere 25kg, the kart should be nimble and quick off the mark, even if it is only being propelled forward by the driver’s own power; however, the lack of a serious six-cylinder race-tuned engine should make it more, rather than less appealing to safety-conscious parents.

Porsche claims that the kart is suitable for all young drivers aged five and over, weighing no more than 50kg and no more than 1.5 meters tall.

However, many parents will claim that the Go-Kart is a vaguely concealed attempt to strengthen the Porsche brand with the next generation of drivers, before they’re even old enough to travel in a car without some form of bolster cushion.

And while there is clearly an air of marketing about the Go-Kart, it does provide serious fun at a serious price of $900.

Charlie Trotter

US celebrity chef sued for counterfeit wine

Charlie Trotter

Celebrity Chicago chef Charlie Trotter was sued Thursday for allegedly selling two collectors a large bottle of wine that was supposedly highly valuable but in fact was a fake.

Bekim (Benn) and Ilir Frrokaj paid more than $46,200 in June of last year for what Trotter had claimed was a magnum of 1945 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti from the chef’s famed, now-shuttered restaurant Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago.

The pair said they only learned the bottle was counterfeit when they tried to have it insured and a consultant told them it had no value.

As part of his plans to close his restaurant last August, Trotter sold parts of his restaurant’s fine wine collection that had drawn the interest of collectors like the Frrokajs.

“During dinner, Charlie Trotter and the sommelier explained the rarity and value of the DRC magnum to Benn and Ilir,” the Frrokajs said in a court filing in US District Court in Chicago.

“Charlie Trotter and the sommelier also spoke about wines from the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti estate and how those wines are some of the rarest and most valuable in the world.”

The consultant hired by the wine aficionados, Maureen Downey, traveled to the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti and met with the estate’s co-owner, Aubert de Vellain, who confirmed the assessment.

De Vellain indicated that “the DRC magnum was counterfeit because Domaine de la Romanee-Conti only produced small yields in 1945 and as a result did not produce any large format magnum-size bottles in that vintage,” according to the lawsuit.

The wine collectors are seeking more than $75,000 in damages — to match the amount of their $46,227.40 loss plus an additional $30,000 in punitive damages against Trotter for violating state and federal consumer laws.