Boucheron , the well known place Vendome Jeweler, is organizing a literary contest called “Quatre” . The contest invites one to write about precious moments of lives. Unforgettable moments or memories or simply dreams.
Here is the concept of the contest in a few words : – Write a text where you reveal a moment of intimacy that you consider to be precious – Any form is accepted (song, poem; dialogue, short story, simple prose, haiku…) – Your text is limited to 2 500 characters (spaces included) – You can write in French, English or Japanese – Duration of the contest : from may the 15th to the30th of June 2008
The most beautiful texts will be published on the website www.boucheron.com/preciousmoments as well as interviews of well known French luxury celebrities such as Inès de la Fressange, Aïssa Maïga, Isild Le Besco… The jury will select the most beautiful testimony (one for each language)of precious moment and the winners will receive the precious ring from the Quatre ors collection.
Source : Sophie Briquet / French on-line advertising agency heaven
Acker Merrall & Condit conducted its first wine auction in Hong Kong on May 31, which realized $8.2 million and established new record.
The total was the highest for any wine auction held in Hong Kong to date (the sales was held in the wake of new Hong Kong legislation that abolished all taxes and duties on wine).
Bidding was fiercely competitive for a case of 6 magnums of Château Mouton Rothschild 1945 which fetched HK$1,306,000 (US$167,436) and a case of 12 bottles of Château Mouton Rothschild 1945 sold for HK$1,210,000 (US$155,128). Continue reading →
Think the price of your airline tickets is growing while the leg room is shrinking? Well, it isn’t for everybody. Elitetravellers are accustomed to significantly better accomodations.
Newsweek is singling out what it says are the eight most luxurious airlines in the world right now, and by the looks of some of these pictures, some of the seflying experiences might have you thinking hard about actually caring whether you reach your destination !
The eight most luxurious airlines in the world enlisted by Newsweek in order are:
A Gundam painting by Japanese artist Tenmyouya Hisashi lately fetched HK$4.8 million (approx. US$600,000) at Hong Kong based Christie’s auction house. The painting “RX-78-2 Kabuki-mono 2005 Version†reflects a perfect blend of traditionalism with modernism. Tenmyouya Hisashi has this to say about his artwork :
“In Japan there are many “Gundam-Otaku’s,” and their adoration of Gundam is intense. Therefore, I did not want to change their image of Gundam. By changing Gundam’s “mobile suit” to tattoos, I altered his body, and made him even more customized. I emphasized the very concept of the “mobile suit,” and by setting Gundam against a background of gold leaf from traditional Japanese painting, I emphasized Gundam’s samurai origins. In my mind, the distinctions between combat video games, manga, and ukiyo-e have become blurred. This is a painting that combines on a single screen the features of moving images, manga frames, and single prints.”
Kenny Scharf’s pop-surrealist paintings will be shown on a different kind of canvas this summer. The artist has collaborated with designer Elie Tahari on a limited-edition collection that went on sale last saturday. The collection features a surfboard that at $15,000 is unlikely to ever hit salt water !
The items come in two juicy color combinations, sunshine yellow with fuchsia patterns and a sea-foam green with purple swirls and graphics. True to Scharf’s science-minded spin, the print incorporates floating palm trees, orbs with tentacle-like stems and vivid starbursts for a Jetsons-go-to-the-beach kind of feel.
The Kenny Scharf collection is available now exclusively in Elie Tahari’s boutiques in Soho and East Hampton New York.
The Montblanc Skeleton 333 is a tribute, true to the last detail, to this first-ever skeletonised fountain pen made by Montblanc almost 10 years ago. To celebrate the 75th birthday of the “Meisterstückâ€, or “Masterpieceâ€, in 1999, Montblanc’s master craftsmen created the first fountain pen in history to use this delicate technique: the Montblanc Meisterstück 149, which caused a sensation all around the world.
The highly sophisticated art of skeletonising, a precise craft by which parts of the barrel of a writing instrument are exposed, transforms it into a transparent work of art.
The transparent, platinum-plated barrel artistically reveals the delicate workings of this much sought-after collectors’ item down to the last detail. The cap is decorated by a Montblanc star in shimmering mother-of-pearl, and the rhodium-plated 18-karat gold nib captures the eye with its delicate hand engravings.
“Michelangelo: La Dotta Mano” (“The Wise Hand”), is an over-the-top volume of photographs of this Renaissance master’s sculptures and. It is probably “the most beautiful book in the world†and also one of the most expensive, with its retail price of 100,000 euros, (around $155,000).
Using the high standards of the privately published books in the 19th as a starting point, the book’s publisher, Gruppo FMR, sought expert artisans from various fields to create something described as “a work of art in itself.â€
Aurelio Amendola’s black-and-white photographs were printed on paper made exclusively for the project. There are detachable reproductions of Michelangelo drawings on handmade folios created according to centuries-old traditions.
And then there’s the cover: a scale reproduction in marble of the “Madonna della Scalaâ€, a bas-relief of the Virgin and Child sculptured by Michelangelo when he was still in his teens. Six marble sculptors are working on the first 33 limited edition copies. The marble cover was the trickiest aspect of production. “It was difficult to find the right depth, we broke a lot of slabs along the way†said Mr Tamar, the project’s production manager.
Delivered in a sleek black box, the book’s cover is a scale reproduction in marble of the “Madonna della Scala” (“Madonna of the Steps”). It also comes with it’s own stand and a 500-year guarantee.
This isn’t the most expensive book ever made. There are books incorporating precious metals or gemstones that increase the price, like “Dancing With the Bear,†which comes in a diamond-encrusted “special oligarch†edition that ranges in price from $1 million to $6 million.
Luxury publishing in general seems to be on the upswing. “From my experience, it’s growing. There are a certain amount of people who are testing how far the market can be pushed,†said Ovais Naqvi, chief executive of Gloria, a new luxury publisher.
Because production of the Michelangelo book is so labor-intensive, aspiring buyers can expect a six-month wait, the same as for a Ferrari, said FMR’s commercial director.
Founded in 1843, the house of Krug has been providing the world with fine champagnes for six generations now and the legendary winemakers have now collaborated with equally celebrated trunk-maker Pinel & Pinel to create a limited edition Krug Escape Artist champagne trunk collection.
It consists of three different trunk designs, each of which is covered and lined in fine leather. Each also contains, in addition to two bottles of Krug, its owner’s ‘preferred means of escape’ – through gambling, cigar-smoking or music.
The Krug Escape Artist Trunk also contains four Baccarat crystal glasses, a Krug stopper and a Krug champagne cooler, created exclusively for the collection by leading designer François Bauchet. Lastly, a secret drawer holds four Pinel & Pinel nickel-plated brass coasters with leather base.
Moët Hennessy Asia Pacific has made one trunk each of this design available at the DFS Wine Shop in Singapore Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 and Sky Connection in Hong Kong International Airport where it is retailing at HK$188,000 ($24,000 usd).
Louis Vuitton collaborated with Richard Prince for a spring line of handbags and they are now offering a limited-edition style to celebrate the artist’s first major UK solo exhibition from June 26 to September 7, entitled “Continuation,” at the Serpentine Gallery.
Only 50 of the ostrich and canvas Jamais bags are available, each numbered and signed by the artist. They will be sold exclusively at Vuitton’s Sloane Street store in London during Prince’s solo show and will be priced at about $17,800.
Many mobile companies collaborate with various other companies to come up with a brand new luxury product. Here is yet another one.
After the Motorola RAZR V9 Ferrari Luxury Edition, we have Sony Ericsson collaborating with Ducati, the Italian company that makes awesome bikes that make girls drool : ) .
It is the same old Sony Ericsson Z770 but with Ducati branded covers, themes, screensavers, videos and its own HBH DS-220 based Ducati Bluetooth headset. Continue reading →
A reference in modern architecture and originality, Unique’s spacey, green copper façade alone makes this hotel unlike any other. The imposing hotel, shaped like a modern Noah’s Arkbalances on two thin concrete walls, which anchor the semi-circular monolith to the ground.
Located in the well-heeled residential area of Jardins, and just meters from Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo’s largest green area, the building rises like a gracious ocean liner in dry-dock.
The funny thing is that when pharmaceutical heir Jonas Siaulys decided at the last minute to scrap a shopping mall project and build a boutique hotel instead, his architect Ruy Ohtake delivered new sketches within 48 hours. “I think he realized that the possibilities for a hotel were greater than for a mall,†says Siaulys. “And he knew that we’d give him creative freedom.â€
Shielding dark glass and a desert garden of mini, sand-toned cubes of rock, palms and agaves are the first impressionsthat the hotel offers. Dramatic high internal spaces such as the lobby are excentuated and illuminated with walls of beige marble, and sharp, geometric themes make the spectacle even grander.
In the rooms, the bathrooms borrow a page from the driver’s manual of a Ferrari convertible. Pop open the vertically sliding divider and guests can soak in the bathtub with a full view of the bedroom and television. Pop it closed for privacy.
And when the time comes to go for a swim, backstrokes can be done in a slender red pool on the top floor. The sun deck offers a privileged view of São Paulo’s imposing skyline.
Named after a Scottish demon, the Falen is the creation of Gleneagles-based design studio Dowdeswell and Hardie.
At least it will be, once the vehicle gets off the computer screen and onto the road. Lending credibility is the presence of that Judd engine, the GV 5.5L V10 that’s widely used in Le Mans Prototype class cars.
Serious specifications go along with the gravity of 800 horsepower. The ultra-exclusive Falen – only four will be built – will be constructed of carbon fiber and feature a hinged greenhouse like a jet fighter
Louis Vuitton is offering something highly unconventional and much more colorful and bold than the usual fare. Designed by Marc Jacobs and Richard Prince, its roots are clearly evident in the vibrant colors, unexpected decorative embellishments and overall design. It’s a roomy purse that shakes up Louis Vuitton’s classic monogram print with modern, edgy touches. Available for $5400.
The latest addition to luxe tech is the iDiamond Ear: diamond-studded earphone.
Designed by Thomas Heyerdahl of Heyerdahl jewelry, located in Oslo, Norway, these earphones are crafted from 18k white gold or 18k rose gold (total weight is 11.5 grams) and are set with 1.65 carats of handcrafted micropave diamonds (204 individual diamonds) and feature laser engraved details.
Heyerdahl is the same company which created the world’s most expensive iPod called the iDiamond, which was auctioned (March 2008) for a charitable cause in London. The iDiamond was created as one unique and single piece of jewelry. Continue reading →
Champagne house Veuve Clicquot launched Vertical Limit by Porsche Design Studio, a stainless steel cellar tower of superb design.
Measuring over six feet tall, it holds 12 magnums of Clicquot’s most prized vintages and only 15 were made worldwide.
Each Vertical Limit is fully handmade and each of the 12 vintages are housed in its own compartment with the temperature set at a constant 12 degrees celsius—ideal for tasting and the same climate as the Veuve Clicquot cellars in Reims, France. Continue reading →
The luxury yacht Azimut 68S were the most exclusive limousine yacht of the Croisette, chosen by Chopard to offer its VIP guests an unprecedented attention.
Chopard was the Main Sponsor of the “Palme d’Or†Festival besides being the maker of the coveted award.
On the occasion of the 61st Film Festival, the Azimut 68S becomes the most impressive stage on the sea in all of Cannes, welcoming onboard the stars of the Film Festival who are Chopard’s guests for “glitzy†photo shoots organised by the prestigious firm and offering short cruises between the Croisette, the famed beach of the Hotel Carlton and the Eden Roc of Cap d’Antibes, the exclusive venue for Chopard’s trendiest parties. Continue reading →
Boucheron , the well known place Vendome Jeweler, is organizing a literary contest called “Quatre” . The contest invites one to write about precious moments of lives. Unforgettable moments or memories or simply dreams.
