According to auction giant Sotheby’s, pieces by Francis Bacon & Andy Warhol have been auctioned off for the staggering figure $190 million.
Due to the large amount of cash the modern art pieces brought in, Sotheby’s is claiming a new world record for a European art auction.
The pieces that were sold included: Francis Bacon’s ‘Study of Nude With Figure In A Mirror’, which brought in $40 million & three of Andy Warhol’s self-portraits sold for $23 million.
De Grisogono, the jewellry and watch maker, is delving deeper into the world of other accessories by launching a line of new handbags.
Completely handmade by Florentine artisans the bags are a combination of the brand’s knowledge and cutting edge technology.
Designer Fawaz Gruosi has created a lot of contrast in the bags, be it in color or materials or both. The collection includes something for all moods and personality types, from bold brights to calm pastels.
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A man on ebay who is responsible for the worlds massive music collection wants to sell his life long achievement. The music that shaped and defined five generations.
3 million records and 300,000 CDs containing more than 6 million song titles. It’s the undisputed largest collection of recorded music in the world.
About half of the recordings are new and never played, and every genre of 20th century music is represented.
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iPod integration has become more and more prevalent in the automotive industry, as automakers offer the compatibility on models ranging from subcompacts up to exotic supercars. But this is taking it a step further: a Lamborghini iPhone.
Reports indicate that Asus will unveil a Lamborghini-branded PDA phone to rival Apple’s iPhone at the CeBit tech show next month in Germany.
It is expected to run either the Pro or 6.1 edition of the Windows Mobile operating system and pack WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G connectivity, a touch screen and a 520 MHz Qualcomm CPU.
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The Meridian 808.2 Signature Reference CD player is here to please those who seek the ultimate in world of digital music.
Featuring a novel digital speaker connector, you can hook it up to any of Median’s compatible DSP speaker range. Powering the audio side of things is Median’s Resolution Enhancement System, which upsamples regular 16-bit 44.1kHz CD quality sound to 176.4kHz in 24-bit clarity.
With all these high-tech figures and more geeky terms, I’m sure it will be a luxurious acoustic treat to hungry ears. For $16,000, the new Meridian 808.2 Signature Reference CD player is truly exceptional.
According to the designer Amosu, “Each phone is handcrafted to perfection using skilled craftsmanship, all diamonds are recyclable, which means they can be removed from one handset and then recast onto another, meaning the customer’s investment continues to shine!”
Priced to be daring at $40,000… As part of an added benefit of this diamond iPhone, Amosu is offering a complimentary one-year membership to the International Concierge Service which provides its members access to the inaccessible, such as front row fashion show seats & the like.
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Imagine a candlelight dinner with your loved one under the stars in the middle of the ocean. With only the ticklish feel of silky soft sand on your toes, and the melodies of gentle ocean waves caressing the shore, the universe seems for an instant a private Edenic playground for just the two of you.
Welcome to the Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru in the Maldives. The jewel of the North Malé Atoll, the Banyan Tree Maldives Vabbinfaru is only 25 minutes by speedboat from Maldives’s international airport at Malé.
The resort’s 48 luxuriously appointed villas have their own private outdoor jet pool, sundeck and pavilion, with the ocean just a few steps away. Wake up each day to the warm embrace of the sun’s golden rays. Listen to the balmy sea breezes whisper secrets of seafaring tales from afar. If you’re feeling adventurous, head out to explore the numerous dive sites that dot the 26 atolls in the Maldives.
Kittymania has been raging over this globe since more then three decades, but to bear out her supremacy, folks at Sanrio have created the world’s biggest statue of Hello Kitty.
Unveiled in Tokyo, this Hello Kitty stands tall at 2.5 meter and is 1.7 meter wide. Covered with tiles, she certainly looks much larger then her usual petite structure.
The Gargantua set of table and bench is just right for it. Designed by Dirk Wynants, the functionality that characterizes the Gargantua can be found in the adjustable benches that can be changed in height depending on social or family circumstance.
Ideally it can sit 8 folks, but if you have more people joining in then there can be place for 4 more. Gathering attention in the world of garden furniture design, it is made of teak and steel combination.
For $6,000, sitting and eating together gets a new makeover.
The rich and famous of Mumbai have discovered a new hobby, and the success of the second International Boat Show goes to show that this port city’s marina front will soon be undergoing a transformation.
The three-day event was held in a closed hall as well as the marina front where many international players showed off their exclusive range.
Important names in the Exhibitor list included Ferretti, Gulfcraft, Azimut, Princess Yachts and Bayliner. Brokers, charters, marina planners, water inflatable and kayaks were all there.
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Another proof of India’s growing economic power is the success story of Cox & Kings. The British travel company was founded in 1758 for officers serving in India. The company will be conducting their IPO on the Bombay Stock Exchange next month. In order to make this stock offering possible the UK parent company of Cox & Kings had to be taken over by its Indian subsidiary. The company plans to raise $130 million in the IPO.
What’s even more interesting is that Cox & Kings has entered into a partnership with the state-owned Indian Railways to build a luxury Orient Express-style train. The train will travel from Mumbai and Rajasthan across to Varanasi and Kolkata. Right now India currently has only two luxury trains, and they only travel within single states.
In an article in the Telegraph, Peter Kerka, the chief executive of Cox & Kings said that while seven years ago the bulk of Cox & Kings’ UK business involved shipping passengers from Britain to India. Today more Indian families are taking vacations all over their country. The company plans to increase its travel franchises in India from 15 to 300 by the end of 2008.
Harrods’ luxury Krug Trunk is meant for true aficionados constantly on move. The champagne trunk is just perfect for carrying your bubbly with you!
The luxury trunk is corrosion-proof and features a classic red calfskin interior with three bottles of Krug Grande Cuvee champagne and an ice-bucket designed by Francois Bauchet. Besides storing your coveted champagne the trunk’s lid also serves as a table to come in handy on your outdoor trips.
The well-crafted champagne crate is available in limited edition of 30 pieces only with a price tag that’s as ornate as it is for $54,000.
The Gondola “Amore†Double Lounger combines two loungers facing each other and it also holds a 9 foot umbrella to protect you from the sun.
The loungers come with easy back adjusters for lying flat or sitting up.
The loungers are fitted with Sunbrella fabric seat and the cushions have “green eco log†inner fiber for fast drying and easier cleaning.
The Amore†Double Lounger W/ 9′ Umbrella sells for approx. $1,600. Via Bornrich
The Milner Motors AirCar will debut at the New York International Auto Show, March 21-30.
The Milner Motors AirCar is a four-seat advanced-composite car that is designed so that you can fly to your destination but then fold up the wings and drive it down the highway.
There is a foldable main wing in the rear of the vehicle and a lifting projection in the front.
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Peter Carl Faberge and his workshop made incredibly intricate Easter eggs for the Russian Imperial Court between 1885 and 1917.
These rare and unique creations had the cover of enameled gold and gem stones, which would open to reveal hidden wonders – sometimes golden yolk, sometimes a delicately sculpted figure, all nestled in many levels like a traditional Russian matryoshka doll.
As only fitting for Easter Eggs, each one contained a surprise!
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RotoRooter is giving away the ultimate ladies bathroom, tricked out with gaming gadgets, tech goodies and all sorts of pinkness.
The pink bathroom boasts a Nintendo Wii, a pink Sony Vaio laptop, a flat screen TV that functions as both a monitor and a heated towel rack, an iPod, a pink fridge, a salon-style hairdryer, a pedi kit, and subscriptions to your favorite magazines.
Visit RotoRooter’s website for a chance to win this awesomeness. Winners will be announced on National Plumbers Day, April 25th. Via trendhunter/RotoRooter
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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.
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After a two-year break, the Plaza in New York City is finally open for hotel stays once again after a $400 million.
The hotel opened yesterday and now has 282 guestrooms including 102 suites with seven different designs and layouts that have a Louis XV, French decor style.
Each bathroom has solid white marble vanities with 24-karat gold plated Sherle Wagner sinks and fixtures.
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Kiki Smith and Steuben Glass have come together in a collection of 5 beautiful glass creations for home. Inspired by her long-standing relationship with tattoos, Kiki Smith incorporated her own personal interpretation of classic tattoo symbols like snakes, butterflies, moths, stars, birds…
The collection includes this grand scale mouth-blown vase (shown, $60,000), plus 4 smaller sculptures that incorporate silver accents that double as jewelry — i.e. there’s a snake with three silver rings on its tail that can be removed and worn, and a cat playing with a silver flower that doubles as a brooch.
Via Luxist
Restaurants in Europe, the United States and Japan are testing technology to let diners order their food direct from a screen at their table instead of depending on a fellow human being to note their choice – sometimes grumpily or erroneously.
Besides cutting costs, companies that sell the “e-menu” argue the bytes-for-bites approach has a novelty value that can lure younger customers, and boost revenues as tantalizing photographs of succulent steaks and gooey desserts tempt diners to order more.
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This amphibious scooter could be used on land like a normal scooter, and as a propeller for swimming thanks to its two hub motors. Super fun for the kids.
The Skidscooter is designed by Yong Jieyu and has won a reddot design award.
Skidscooter functions in very different orientations in each environment and allows two very different user experiences on one product.
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