LVMH, the world’s leading luxury group, announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire the Hublot group, a top of the range watchmaker enjoying very strong growth.

LVMH will acquire Hublot from Mr Carlo Crocco, who founded the group in 1980, and a company controlled by Mr Jean-Claude Biver, who has managed Hublot since 2004.

Faced with surging demand, France’s champagne producers have decided on a very simple way to boost production by widening the vineyard.

A decision made by a French agricultural body on Thursday will allow producers to extend the area in which they are allowed to make the world’s most famous sparkling wine, until now restricted by a law dating back to 1927.

Sparkling white or rose wines are made in many parts of the world but only producers in a designated region of eastern France have the right to call their product champagne, under laws that establish it as a “controlled term of origin”, known under its French acronym AOC.

Following on from the highly successful Clos du Mesnil champagne Krug (LVMH) have released the Clos d’Ambonnay champagne from the 1995 vintage.

Like the Clos du Mesnil the grapes used in the Clos d’Ambonnay come from a single vineyard.

The vineyard used for Clos d’Ambonnay is located in Ambonnay in the Champagne area and will only produce 250 cases of the Champagne making it the most limited Krug available.

Dior’s new “Golden Skincare” line (L’Or de Vie translates to gold of life) was launched earlier this year. The reaction was immediate: stores on both sides of the Atlantic could barely keep the product in stock. With L’Or de Vie, Dior has taken anti-aging skin care to royal standards. The line is a partnership with Château d’Yquem (creators of the most mythical wine in the world) to create a wine-inspired line of pure luxury.

Dubbed “a skin care miracle”, the secret behind this wonder skin care line resides in Dior’s well-guarded formula. L’Or de Vie is the result of the extraction and transformation of vital ingredients found in certain types of vines that have the power to regenerate and improve year after year. Dior has captured these regenerative properties and has packaged them into skin care technology.

L’Or de Vie rejuvenates, re-stimulates, re-hydrates the skin and protects skin against external free-radicals. You’ll feel the difference from the first application of the skin care duo.

L’Or de Vie can be part of your regime as early as in your 30s as a prevention and rejuvenation treatment. More mature skin types will see the benefits of L’Or de Vie for its ability to re-stimulate the cells.
L’Or de Vie is a two-part treatment – L’Extrait Serum is followed by La Crème (intensive cream). L’Extrait is a pure antioxidant concentrate that acts like a veil on the skin, providing it with radiance, suppleness and elasticity. La Crème is an intensive formula that combines the antioxidant power of L’Or de Vie with Dior’s age-defying know-how. Although La Crème is very intensive, it can also be used by combination skin types.

L’Extrait sells for $420 for the 15-ml/0.5 oz. bottle and La Crème retails for $380 for the 50-ml jar. You’ll find this golden line at Holt Renfrew stores across Canada.