An astonishing golden outfit made from the silk of spiders has gone on display at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.

It took more than four years to make the four-metre-long hand-woven textile from the silk of 1.2million female golden orb spiders, native to Madagascar.

It was made by Englishman Simon Peers and American Nicholas Godley, both of whom have lived and worked in Madagascar for many years.

British-born automotive brand Mini has unveiled two London-themed special edition models to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The MINI Baker Street and MINI Bayswater will hit showrooms around the world in spring this year, with distinctive designs which play on London areas for a brand still renowned for its historically British styling.

Both feature exclusive interior and exterior design, with the Mini Baker Street boasting V-shaped hood stripes and a gray roof and the Bayswater finished in bright blue metallic paint work.

Luxury hotel chain Fairmont has partnered with Abbey Road Studios, the iconic recording studio made famous by the Beatles.

Guests at the hotel chain will be offered exclusive experiences at Abbey Road, which famously featured on the front of the 1969 Beatles album of the same name.

They will be able to enjoy ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experiences ranging from behind-the-scenes studio visits to recording their own songs at the studios.

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

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

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

Visitors to next month’s London Boat Show are set to step into a new world of luxury, with organizers opting to showcase products and services for big-money buyers alongside the boats, even as the global economy continues to shake.

The show will be complemented by a new Luxury Lifestyle & Supercar Showcase aimed at capitalizing on the event’s wealthy audience.

The ‘show within a show’ will feature 50 new brands, including names such as a diamond investment company Elite Gems, designer sunglasses maker Robert Roope, Wayne Pollock bespoke holidays and contemporary fine art by Gallery Rouge.

A London hotel has become the latest to roll out a suite of amenities for women, despite a ruling that declared a similar scheme in Copenhagen as illegal under discrimination laws.

The Dukes Hotel in London will assign some of its rooms ‘Duchess Rooms’, loading them with treats to tempt single female travelers or groups of women.

The Duchess rooms will be looked after by exclusively female room attendants, contain extra items such as a makeup mirror, hair dryer and styling accessories, and offer a selection of glossy magazines.