Monthly Archives: July 2013

The world’s smallest luxury camper van

MINI Clubvan Camper

Mini has revealed three new vehicles that it claims are ideal getaway cars. Tapping into what it says is a growing trend for spontaneous camping, Mini has created the MINI Clubvan Camper.

Packed with practical solutions which the company claims make it the world’s smallest luxury camper van, it boasts a single sleeping berth, a kitchenette with propane stove and a fridge, a sat-nav system optimized for finding remote locations, a handheld shower, TV unit and heavy-duty heater for staying warm whatever the conditions.

However, potential owners will hope that the skies are always clear and the weather warm as one of the vehicle’s best features is a sliding glass roof panel perfect for star gazing.

To complement the Clubvan Camper, Mini has also created two other ‘getaway’ vehicles which are meant to reflect different aspects of the rise in popularity of camping and festivals, creating a choice of premium home-from-home options.

MINI Countryman ALL4 Camp

The MINI Cowley is an ‘overnight’ two-berth compact caravan complete with kitchen, a built-in solar battery charger, a shower unit plus TV and DVD, all in a shell small enough to glide behind a Mini — it’s only 12cm wider than a Mini Clubman.

The MINI Countryman ALL4 Camp is for those with a more adventurous streak and takes the safari as its design inspiration. As such it has a roof-mounted tent and fixtures and fittings for mountain bikes so that there’s no need to break camp in order to go exploring the next morning.

And, as the Countryman has permanent four-wheel drive, the list of potential camping spots for the ALL4 Camp is only limited by the driver’s imagination.

MINI Cowley

Spalathronisia

Greek island can be yours for $13 million

Spalathronisia

An uninhabited private island off the coast of Greece will go on auction at a starting price of 10 million euros ($13.2 million) in September, the company organising the sale announced Wednesday.

The sale of the island, part of the Spalathronisia archipelago that sits 500 metres from the Halkidiki peninsula, is just the latest from the country’s crisis-hit landowners.

The auction of the 10.4-hectare Aegean island looks set to outstrip the sale in March of six Ionian private islands to the Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, who paid 8.5 million euros for them.

Greece’s privately owned islands have been sold off in greater numbers due to a recent increase in property taxes by the government as it attempts to refill its coffers after four years of economic crisis.

Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev’s daughter bought the Greek resort island of Skorpios in April, where shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis married Jackie Kennedy in the 1960s. The sale price was not specified, but Greek media reports placed the value of Skorpios at more than 100 million euros.

edinburgh castle

Top 5 most expensive destinations in the UK

edinburgh castle

Think London is the most expensive city in the UK this summer? Guess again. Because according to a new survey that looked at the price of hotel rooms across the UK, it is Edinburgh that takes that title.

Though Edinburgh is known as a student-oriented city also popular among backpackers, this summer travelers to the Scottish capital will have to dig deep for their accommodation, as the average hotel room will set them back £97 ($150), reveals the CheapRooms.co.uk report.

Edinburgh and Bath both beat out London as being the priciest cities to stay in. The English capital ranked third, averaging £92 ($141) for a hotel room.

Travelers looking for budget-friendly destinations this summer may want to consider cities like Ayr, Cardiff and Blackpool, which emerged as the most affordable cities in the UK and Wales.

Here are the top 5 most expensive destinations in the UK:

1. Edinburgh £97
2. Bath £93
3. London £92
4. St. Ives £89
5. Oxford £88

Here are the top 5 most affordable destinations in the UK this summer:

1. Blackpool £33
2. Cardiff £42
3. Ayr £45
4. Sheffield £46
5. Liverpool £46

Prices reflect the average daily rate for the cheapest available double room with a minimum three-star rating between July 24 and September 1.

Shangri La Hotel Qufu

Shangri-La opens at Confucius’ birthplace

Shangri La Hotel Qufu

This summer luxury hotel brand Shangri-La will open the doors to its latest property, erected in the birthplace of Chinese philosopher Confucius.

Designed with Confucian principles in mind, the hotel in Qufu is located two hours from Beijing, within walking distance of the Temple of Confucius, the Mansion of Confucius and the Cemetery of Confucius, and expresses the three key principles of Confucian philosophy — order, harmony and hierarchy.

Sleek, symmetrical Chinese patterns repeated in ceiling reliefs and marble floors, for instance, are meant to convey hierarchy and harmony, while guests are greeted with two full-grown trees planted in the middle of the lobby and lush, green garden pavilions.

Outside, the hotel is supported by eight large pillars and conveys Chinese tradition with pavilion-style porte-cochères covered in red lacquer panels.

The hotel restaurant Shang Palace will serve authentic Cantonese regional cuisines and re-invent recipes from the Kong family, descendants of Confucius.

The 211 guest rooms will open August 1 and feature complimentary WiFi access.

Michelle Williams For Louis Vuitton

Michelle Williams For Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton has tapped actress Michelle Williams to appear in a campaign spotlighting two new handbags, the W and the Capucines.

Perhaps best known for her role in the 2005 hit “Brokeback Mountain,” the 32-year-old has never previously appeared in a major fashion campaign despite her strong red-carpet pedigree.

Photographed by Peter Lindbergh, the actress leans on vintage Louis Vuitton travel trunks and shows off the new ‘W’ and ‘Capucines’ bags.

We love her messy crop by Sam McKnight, and the strong red lip and dark eyebrow makeup created by Stéphane Marais.  Williams also sports pieces from the Fall-Winter ready-to-wear 2013 collection designed by creative director Marc Jacobs.

Debuting on August 2 in Marie Claire France, the two adverts are set to appear across the September and October issues of fashion magazines.

Michelle Williams Louis Vuitton

Chefs compete to join Delta’s culinary team

Meal by Michael Chiarello

Delta Air Lines is launching its own version of “Top Chef” with a competitive culinary show that will be aired in-flight and award the winner the chance to help create the carrier’s menu.

In partnership with Food & Wine magazine, the US carrier has announced plans to produce an original video series called “The Cabin Pressure Cook Off: The Search for the Next Delta Chef,” which will pit four award-winning chefs against each other.

The collaboration is meant to help mark the 25th anniversary of the publication’s Best New Chefs awards. All four contenders — Hugh Acheson, Linton Hopkins, Kelly English, and George Mendes — are past recipients of the award.

Acheson helms Empire State South in Atlanta; Hopkins comes from Restaurant Eugene also in Atlanta; English helms Restaurant Iris in St. Louis and Mendes is chef of Aldea in New York.

The new chef will work alongside Delta’s culinary team to develop the new in-flight menu. The original series will be modeled after cooking show competitions, presenting chefs with culinary challenges which will be judged by the carrier’s cooking team —  celebrity chef Michael Chiarello, Michelle Bernstein and sommelier Andrea Robinson —  in addition to Food and Wine publisher Christina Grdovic.

The series will launch in October, airing on the carrier’s in-flight entertainment system, as well as on delta.com and foodandwine.com.

Gucci Fall/Winter 2013 Campaign

Gucci Fall Winter 2013

Australian super model Abbey Lee Kershaw has returned in the latest Gucci advertising campaign in a new set of images shot by Turkish-British photo duo, Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

She became one of fashion’s biggest names after signing with Next Model Management back in 2007. The former face of Chanel’s ready-to-wear, she also starred in adverts for the Gucci Flora scent, Tom Ford and Versace, and appeared in runway shows before deciding to take a break from fashion.

She walked her last shows over a year ago, appearing on the catwalk for Anna Sui and Alexander Wang in New York City back in early 2012.

Since then, Kershaw has spent most of her time on set for the latest film in the ‘Mad Max’ series, “Mad Max: Fury Road,” starring alongside Tom Hardy and fellow fashionista Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Kershaw has also found time to drum in rock band Our Mountain over the past few years.

The previous Gucci campaign (for Spring/Summer 2013) starred Polish supermodel Anja Rubik and Estonian rising star Karmen Pedaru.

Abbey Lee Kershaw for Gucci

Mercedes-Benz Vision Golf Cart

Mercedes unveils luxury concept golf cart

Mercedes-Benz Vision Golf Cart

For golf fans craving a bit more luxury on the links, Mercedes has unveiled a new “Vision Golf Cart,” a concept golf cart of the future.

Sketches for the new state-of-the-art fantasy cart were shown at the 2013 Open Championship in Scotland this past weekend. It was created by Mercedes-Benz’s head of design Gorden Wagener, who relied on the help of golfers who submitted their ideas to the company.

“I was very inspired by the idea of designing a golf cart, giving it a new shape and new sorts of meaning,” Wagener said in a statement. “Why not treat a golf cart like a car, and make it a ‘Golf Car?'”

Drivers can control the cart via a central joystick, which lets you sit on either side of the cart to control its direction. Also it features a revolving iPhone/iPad docking station, heating/cooling cup holders and a cooler/warmer refrigerator.

It features an “air scarf” heater, as well as a solar panel roof. A “fore button” notifies other players of a misplaced shot. In addition, the cart features touch screen monitors and a USB interface.

For nighttime play, the Vision features floodlight functionality on the LED headlamps and an illuminated vanity mirror for primping.

Also, riders can send emails, view weather forecasts, order meals from a country club restaurant, share their scores and photos via social media, or make calls over the loudspeaker system.

Sonia by Sonia Rykiel logo

Sonia by Sonia Rykiel Unveils New Logo

Sonia by Sonia Rykiel

French fashion brand Sonia Rykiel has unveiled the new look branding for the second line, alongside an interactive web experience.

Created by French design and studio and music label Maison Nue, the sleekly feminine new logo for the Sonia by Sonia Rykiel line was revealed as the new Fall-Winter pieces hit stores.

And the fun doesn’t stop with the fresh new logo, Sonia Rykiel is also debuting a second new idea: an interactive ‘pop-up’ website for the contemporary line.

Sountracked by Whitey’s “Stay on the outside,” the mini-site mixes a rolling video lookbook of the latest Fall-Winter collection, worn by a bevy of pale beauties, with the option to pause the film and take a closer look at the pieces.

The Soniaby.com experience launched Monday, and the brand expects the site to follow the seasons, changing concept as each new Sonia by Sonia Rykiel collection hits the stores.

Alexander McQueen’s Fall 2013 Campaign

Alexander McQueen AW13

Fresh after bagging the Lanvin campaign, British model Edie Campbell has been unveiled in the latest images for Alexander McQueen Fall-Winter 2013.

Alexander McQueen AW13 campaign

Photographed by top fashion photographer David Sims, the rising fashion star appears in a series of black and white images, showing off the Elizabethan-style outfits with their luxurious pearl detailing, hoop skirts and plenty of silk and metal embroidery.

Alexander McQueen Fall 2013

Watch the video from the dramatic show, which took place back in March this year:

instagram socialmatic camera

Polaroid, the next generation

Polaroid Socialmatic

A new Polaroid camera will be released next year that allows users to both instantly print photos and share them on Facebook and Twitter.

It supports wi-fi and Bluetooth and will be built around the Android operating system when it launches in early 2014, but, unlike a number of other Android cameras already out there, the Socialmatic has another trick up its sleeve. It can share photos just as easily in the real as well as the virtual world.

Thanks to a built-in Zink Printer, it can instantly print out a physical copy of anything it snaps — just like the Polaroid cameras of old.

The camera will cost $299 (€225) when it ships, but for that, you’ll get a 14-megapixel front facing lens and a 2-megapixel rear facing camera for the now-obligatory ‘selfie’ while inside it offers 4GB of storage plus further expansion via SD card.

The surprisingly slimline device also has a 4.3-inch color touch screen, integrated speakers (for video playback) and a number of standard photo filters that will be familiar to anyone who uses Instagram (the camera was originally conceived as the Instagram camera until Socialmatic went into partnership with Polaroid). What’s more, it will be able to physically print photos sent from other cameras.

Topping it all off is a small LCD panel on the camera’s front side which displays emoticons as a means of translating photography conditions into moods.

Socialmatic Instant Camera

Bentley green-lights SUV for production

Bentley SUV Conceptual sketch

Bentley Motors today confirms that it will proceed with the development of the Bentley SUV, the company’s fourth model line. The SUV will be made in Crewe and will go on sale in 2016.

Bentley claims that response from existing Bentley customers has been overwhelmingly positive since the company revealed a 4×4 concept at the Geneva Motor Show some 16 months ago.

The company not only confirmed that a Bentley off-roader is heading for production but also that it will be built and hand-finished in the UK rather than under contract at a plant much further afield.

Bentley didn’t reveal any details about the car, which will no doubt compete head to head with the current off-road luxury king, the Range Rover, other than to say that it would be true to the company’s DNA and would therefore be the most luxurious and powerful SUV on the market.

Bentley aficionados will be hoping that the finished vehicle bears little resemblance to the Bentley EXP 9F concept that it unveiled at Geneva, which won a number of ugliest in show awards. Aware of this, Bentley has wisely only provided a pencil sketch of the upcoming car as a teaser of its final design.

XP 9F concept

550 Aston Martins

Aston Martin’s birthday celebrations in pictures

Aston Martin Kensington Gardens

The British luxury car manufacturer marks its centenary in inimitable style and with the biggest gathering of Aston Martins in history — some 550 vehicles past, present and future with a combined value of some £1 billion (US$1.5 billion).

Kensington Gardens Aston Martin

Kensington Gardens

As befits a car company associated with British (fictional) secret service agents, aristocracy and nobility, Aston Martin chose the sumptuous surroundings of London’s Kensington Gardens for the week-long UK leg of its global centenary celebrations.

550 Aston Martins

550 Aston Martins

In total a record-breaking 550 Aston Martins were on display with a total insurance value of over £1 billion.

The Bond factor

The Bond factor

The event attracted over 50,000 visitors and featured a number of individual themed exhibitions and features, including a heavy focus on the brand’s association with James Bond.

Aston Martin A3

The A3

Every significant Aston Martin road car ever produced was represented from ‘A3′, the oldest surviving car…

Vanquish Volante Kensington Gardens

Vanquish Volante

…to the Vanquish Volante, Vanquish Centenary Edition and V12 Vantage S.

CC100 Kensington Gardens

CC100

The CC100 Speedster Concept, which made its debut at this May’s 24 Hours of Nürburgring race was also on show alongside a number of Aston Martin’s most historic race cars.

DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial

The DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial and the DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial

One huge surprise was the inclusion of two special Zagato-designed cars – the DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial and the DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial, which until this event had only appeared as artist’s renderings and rumors.

Kensington Gardens AstonMartin

Picnic Like a VIP

picnic

For many of us, dining al fresco can be as simple as pulling out a sandwich, maybe a nice salad  and parking it on a patch of green real estate. For others, however, picnics are simply outdoor extensions of fine dining restaurants, with real china, crystal glasses and decorative candelabras.

Perhaps nowhere is the trend for fancy, outdoor picnics more popular than in the UK, where restaurants and luxury retailers offer a plethora of gourmet picnic hampers and catered lunches.

Boutique, lifestyle concierge service My London Planner, for instance, will cater fine dining picnics around the city, laying everything out before guests arrive and clearing everything away once they’re finished. Nary is there a plastic plate or cup in sight, as crystal goblets are filled with champagne and silverware used to spear gourmet treats.

London department store Harvey Nichols also stocks the Gourmet Trotter, a luxurious, mobile version of the picnic basket that looks like a golf bag and is compartmentalized into three detachable sections.

The bag comes fully equipped with English china, glassware, cutlery, stainless steel storage containers, cheese and cutting boards, salt and pepper mills, linen napkins and a corkscrew.

The price tag for the Gourmet Trotter is between £395 and £495 (about US$600-750).

Until September 30, the Ampersand Hotel is also offering luxury picnic packages that include an afternoon tea picnic hamper with champagne for £40 (about US$60) a person. For the quintessential British experience, horse riding lessons can also be added for £75 (about US$115) a person.

And for an ultimate picnic experience in the Italian mountains, the tourism board for Alta Badia has concocted a travel package called Peaks of Gastronomy, in which guests are rewarded for their mountain climb with picnic baskets prepared by Michelin-starred chefs at different mountain resorts.

luxury Picnic

jw marriott marquis miami

JW Marriott debuts new turndown program

jw marriott marquis miami

The JW Marriott hotel chain has revamped the traditional turndown service with a program that includes an organic snack bar, essential oils, and luxury chocolates to replace the classic mint on the pillow.

Designed to help guests relax and rejuvenate while on the road, the Nightly Refresh Program will launch at participating hotels worldwide across the chain this summer.

For the many travelers who have a hard time dozing off in beds other than their own, the service will include an organic “Dream Bar” that could be described as breakfast at midnight.

Instead of chips and nuts, for instance, guests are offered organic oats which aid in the release of serotonin to promote relaxation and help them wind down.

Blueberries are also on the menu to offer a dose of antioxidants, fight off inflammation and replenish the skin during the night. Chia seeds, almonds and coconuts also provide vitamin B6 and fiber.

To recharge and detox, blends of essential oils such as pink grapefruit, rosemary and juniper berries are offered for baths and showers to help restore balance in tired bodies after a long flight.

Other amenities include wine samples and luxury bonbons from Astor.

Jennifer Garner for Max Mara: Video

Jennifer Garner is the star of a new campaign for Italian luxury brand Max Mara, with the label officially launching the campaign Thursday at a glamorous dinner in New York City and releasing a video.

The Hollywood actress was shot by famed fashion photographer Mario Sorrenti in the latest Max Mara accessories campaign, showing off the label’s new Jbag and sunglasses.

With print advertising set to hit the September issues of magazines under the slogan ‘Timeless is Now’, the debut celebrity face for Max Mara was revealed in a glamorous dinner at Bills 54 in the Big Apple on Thursday evening.

Garner wore a black satin cocktail dress (below) at the event, which also drew appearances from singer Solange Knowles, “Mad Men” actress Christina Hendricks and model Molly Sims.

Jennifer Garner MaxMara event

Literary-themed hotels in Paris

r kipling hotel

Belles lettres-inspired hotels are catching on in Paris, and Les Plumes and Le Marcel, which opened in late June, are the latest newcomers to the club. Proust, Kipling, George Sand et al.: the spirit of the great writers permeates these charming establishments in the heart of the capital. Here’s a selection:

Le Pavillon des Lettres hotel

Le Pavillon des Lettres

Opened in 2010 near the French president’s office at the Élysée, this 4-star hotel pays tribute to a pantheon of great literary figures. Each of the 26 rooms is inspired by a different famous author, with representative passages actually printed on the walls, ranging from Andersen to Zola, via Kafka and Shakespeare. Each room’s décor elegantly evokes the style and atmosphere of the author’s times.

Paris Les Plumes hotel

Les Plumes

The very address of this hotel in the 9th arrondissement — on the Rue Lamartine, named after French Romantic poet Alphonse de Lamartine — marks it out for its literary vocation.

A blend of posh 19th-century Romanticism and modernism, Les Plumes conjures up the amorous passions of Juliette Drouet and Victor Hugo, Paul Verlaine and Arthur Rimbaud, George Sand and Alfred de Musset. With cushions bearing the names of these famous lovers, and decor including printed portraits and quotes, these three suites are full of winks and allusions to their literary love affairs.

Le Marcel hotel paris

Le Marcel

This 4-star establishment in the busy Gare de l’Est neighborhood is steeped in remembrances of things past. Tranquility is writ large in the soft bright colors of its modern décor, designed by Claudia Del Bubba. The rooms, named after Proust’s dramatis personae Guermantes, Swann, Madeleine or Marcel, conjure up the French novelist’s world of languorous reminiscence.

r kipling hotel paris

R. Kipling Hôtel

Opened this March in “South Pigalle,” a trendifying neighborhood south of Montmartre and Pigalle, the R. Kipling immerses you in the world of this widely-travelled writer from Bombay in British India.

The lobby, replete with library, steamer trunks and leather Chesterfield sofas, has a cozy out-and-out British colonial atmosphere. The rooms evoke the novelist’s travels in Asia.

r kipling hotel bedroom

Stella McCartney Makes a Splash

Stella McCartney Fall Winter 2013

Stella McCartney has unveiled her latest, confusingly summery, fall-winter 2013 campaign. The photos were styled by the designer herself and shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Finnish model Suvi Koponen and Japanese star Chiharu Okunugi were photographed in the colorful and oversized silhouettes, which, as usual, come with a ‘conscious’ edge.

The girls wear the biodegradable lug sole shoes and carry eco faux-leather accessories which are coated with a natural vegetable oil, designed to be kinder to the environment.

Abstract imagery featuring graphic details from British road signs sit alongside the humorous juxtaposition of summer colors and settings with the two models wrapped up in the winter clothes.

The campaign is set to appear in the September issues of major fashion magazines around the world.

Stella McCartney Winter 2013

hong Kong Spring City Golf

China’s love of golf grows

hong Kong Spring City Golf

While the origins of golf may be deeply rooted in the West, China’s elite are crazy for the sport. Here’s the buzz on what is happening with golf in the country, and three top courses for a luxurious tee time.

The China Business Review reports a “boom” in golf courses in recent years, with estimates of the total number of courses at around 600, according to sports writer and blogger Dan Washburn.

Even though the construction of new courses in China is technically illegal, the ban is reportedly loosely enforced, as China is one of the few countries building new courses to meet demand.

The number of golf courses in China reached 500 in 2010 and is expected to double by 2020, according to a China Golf Industry Report from 2011.

Three decades ago, there were no golfers or golf courses in mainland China, the New York Times reports. “Today there are around 400,000 golfers, a number that could easily double by 2020.”

The PGA Tour is planning to open its first office in Beijing later this year, The China Business Review states, and the PGA Tour will hold the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai this year.

China may also see a boost in the sport now that golf is officially recognized as an Olympic sport for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

If you’re looking to play the links at some of China’s best championship-level courses, here are a few good places to start:

The Dunes at Shenzhou Peninsula, Hainan, China

Located in the resort region of Hainan, this is considered one of the country’s best new courses.

PGA legend and renowned course architect Tom Weiskopf designed three courses, featuring gorgeous views in a natural setting.

www.shenzhougolf.com

Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club, Hong Kong

With coastal views and a dramatic setting, Hong Kong’s Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club is often compared to California’s Pebble Beach. While the club is private, you can book tee times on weekday mornings.

www.cwbgolf.org

Spring City Golf & Lake Resort, Kungming, China

This prestigious course has earned top nods from Golf Digest and Golf Magazine. The resort features luxury villas and two championship golf courses — the Mountain Course designed by Jack Nicklaus and the Lake Course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.

www.springcityresort.com

GONG Li

Gong Li Becomes Piaget Ambassador

Gong Li For Piaget

Swiss luxury watchmaker and jeweler, Piaget, has named actress Gong Li as its new global brand ambassador, calling her an “icon of classic beauty, exceptional talent, and steadfast dedication.”

Li has received critical acclaim for her roles in Raise the Red Lantern and Farewell My Concubine and is the only Chinese actress to have ever won awards in the world’s three major International Film Festivals.

In a series of photographs captured by Chinese photographer Feng Hai, Gong Li is adorned with Piaget Couture Précieuse jewelry and haute couture gowns as if preparing for an appearance at an international film event.

Gong Li PiagetPIAGET GONG Li

Fendi Opens Children’s Store in Kuwait City

Fendi Kids Store Kuwait city

Luxury brand Fendi has unveiled its first kids’ store in Kuwait City. The Fendi Kids Store, located in the Avenues Shopping Mall, is “an adorable and cosy space carrying collections from the newborn to kids.”

Fendi opened its first freestanding children’s store in Hong Kong in September 2011, and the concept has exploded around the world with boutiques in Rome, Prague, Jeddah, Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong and Doha having opened up. There are additional locations within the Harrods department store in London, at Paris’s Galeries Lafayette, and at Milan’s La Rinascente.

Fendi Kids Store Kuwait

Children’s luxury is a growing sector. This September Canadian designers DSquared² are set to unveil their debut collection, while fellow Milanese label Roberto Cavalli already has a successful Junior line.

Gucci, Stella McCartney, Dolce & Gabbana and Burberry have also entered children’s wear as brands have recognized the value of dressing the next generation of luxury consumers as early as possible.

Fendi Kids Store