Monthly Archives: February 2009

Armani’s 5th Avenue Store Grand Opening Celebration

Last night was the opening of the new Armani megastore on New York’s Fifth Avenue.

Designed by Italian architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, the 4,000-square-metre with the sinuous and futuristic spiral staircase in cream-coloured cement, had already been called by the Mayor Bloomberg as “Guggenheim Two”.

”This is not just a great architectural masterpiece but is also a vote of confidence in the future of New York as a fashion capital,” Bloomberg added at the opening.

This new Armani store held an exclusive party to celebrate the opening of Armani’s latest piece of Manhattan real estate.

A host of celebrities were present at the event included Leonardo DiCaprio, Alicia Keys, John Mayer, Josh Hartnett, Milla Jovovich, Molly Sims, Ricky Martin, celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe, Victoria Beckham, and a pregnant Mira Sorvino.

Armani created a “capsule collection” that will be available only in the Fifth Avenue, and some lucky celebs already wore it last night.

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Kohler Karbon Kitchen Faucet

This astonishing kitchen fixture has a sculptural and artistic edge: the Kohler Karbon Articulating Kitchen Faucet.

The angular, linear aspect of the Karbon is sure to be as appreciated for its futuristic good looks as for its fantastic functionality.

Intelligently engineered to hold any pose for hands-free operation, the Karbon faucet extends fully to fill large pots, lowers into the sink for food preparation and cleanup, folds compactly out of the way when not in use and can be positioned anywhere in between.


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La Leopolda Villa Sale – Will Prokhorov get his Deposit Back?

The ongoing saga of the sale of the most expensive villa in the world continues.

Back in August we reported that Prokhorov, the Russian billionaire, was the mysterious purchaser of the Villa Leopolda – on the French Cote D’Azur – at the price of 365 million Euros ($545 million) – which was a staggering price to pay for a single property.

Now the London Times reports that Prokhorov paid a $55 million deposit, but wants to back out of the deal (Prokhorov reportedly lost $7 billion in the economic crisis).


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Athem Diamond Vertu Constellation

Swiss luxury designer and jeweler Knalihs Athem, who earlier gave us the Apple iPhone 3G festooned with 475 brilliant cut diamonds, is now back with yet another stunning creation – the Diamond Vertu Constellation Gold.

Each phone is done in 18K gold and covered with more than 1500 brilliant cut diamonds. The handset can be personalized with initials, lucky number, logo or anything else you have in mind.

The Diamond-encrusted Vertu Constellation Gold is available in many design versions such as the Core Range, Precious Range, Monogram Range and the Rococo Range.

Prices, including the Vertu handset, start at $25,000.

Rolls-Royce Updates the Phantom Saloon for 2009

The Rolls-Royce has released their 2009 model Phantom with a few interesting features.

On the outside, the revised Phantom gets a new bumper with a shallower stainless steel grille like those on its two-door compatriots.

Rolls has also added such luxury touches as LED lights in the door handles and three new sets of aluminum wheels for customers to choose from.

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50 million years of history in your home with Antolini

Antolini, Italian company leader in natural stone and famous worldwide for the high standard of the stone craftworks, has presented at Sega di Cavaion, its headquarters, a new exclusive material as a key piece to accentuate a unique home.

Fabulous and original, Antolini have created a stone panel that is as innovative as it is amazing: Fossil Pisces Panels mean 50 million years of history in your home.

The luxury panel in fact contained fossils of inestimable value, represented Knightia Eocaena, ancient fishes which are now extinct.

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Champagne Ruinart “My Sweeter Half” Gift Set

Established in the year 1729, Champagne Ruinart, is acclaimed throughout the world as one of the oldest champagne houses. At the same time, it also shares a place among the most esteemed champagne houses of the world.

In celebration of Valentine’s Day (a century ago, I know !), Ruinart, offer an indulgent and frolicsome special edition duo gift box set called “My Sweeter Half” designed to encourage romantic rendezvous.

Presented in a stylish parcel, the duo gift box features two half bottles of Champagne Ruinart’s premium cuvès: Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, made in the pure and noble Ruinart tradition exclusively from the Chardonnay grape; and Ruinart Rosè with its fresh, distinctive, rose petal pink color.
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Halston Fall 2009 Video Presentation

In the spirit of saving money, Halston presented its fall 2009 collection in a music video instead of on the runway.

The video stars Dree Hemingway, a ballerina and granddaughter of the writer Ernest Hemingway, running through a city, wearing a yellow Halston dress and heels, and passing by other Halston-wearing women.

The change in format was not due to economic strain, Bonnie Takhar, CEO of Halston maintained — “It was something we were planning since September, before the world fell apart.”

But it has worked out with the economy in mind: “A lot of people’s budgets will be cut and many won’t be traveling to see the shows, and this is a way to be inclusive.”

Quality, comfort and luxury: new Mercedes E-Class Coupe

With the new E-Class, Mercedes-Benz is presenting the first car in the world whose headlamps adapt to the traffic situation and respond automatically to avoid dazzling other drivers.

It is also a very safe car, as well as being well-equipped, stylish and comfortable, with the option of night vision and radar-assisted brake mitigation.

Moreover, thanks to an innovative attention assist drowsiness detection system, the new E-Class can monitor its driver’s attention with highly sensitive sensors.

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Prada gets ‘Iconoclast’ makeover

Four of the world’s leading fashion editors are putting their signatures on the visual identity of Prada stores in New York, London, Milan, and Paris for the upcoming fashion season.

Following the order of the fashion week season, W Magazine’s Alex White will start the project with the New York Broadway store.

Love’s Katie Grand will then apply her vision to London’s Bond Street location.
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New Hawker Beechcraft Ad Defends BizAv

Hawker Beechcraft has launched its own advertising campaign to counter the negative publicity currently swirling around business aviation, referring directly to that terrible day on Capitol Hill.

Chairman and CEO Jim Schuster recently blamed the growing negative attention on the industry for helping to intensify the volatility in the marketplace.

“The media and some politicians have cast general aviation as a wasteful extravagance instead of a critical business tool and the source of millions of American jobs,” he said.
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Yves Saint Laurent’s Art Auction

The private collection amassed by the fashion designer and his partner Pierre Berge is considered one of the finest in the world.

Labeled the “sale of the century” by Christie’s, it will include over 700 lots with an estimated total value of €200 million to €300 million ($255 million to $380 million).

Berges and Saint Laurent met in 1958 and set themselves the goal of buying the best paintings and sculptures they could lay their hands on.


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Victorian Cozy Cottage Kennel Dog House

After showing you the luxury doghouse complete with spa and 52-inch plasma TV, we bring you another kennel that brings luxury to your beloved pooch.

Designed for uber-rich fashion-conscious pet owners, the Victorian Cozy Cottage Kennel Dog House is a safe haven for your best friend.

For the proper pup that appreciates the finer things, the house is designed with a gingerbread trim and gable that surrounds a 6 x 8-foot space for Fido to frolic in fair weather and a covered snooze nook to escape into when it is time to put paws to rest.
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Diamond is no longer nature’s hardest material

Diamond will always be a woman’s best friend but the gemstone is no longer the world’s hardest material, according to scientists.

Instead, a rare natural substance, called lonsdaleite, which is made from carbon atoms just like diamond, has emerged as 58 per cent harder than the gemstone, according to a report in the New Scientist.

Rare mineral lonsdaleite is sometimes formed when meteorites containing graphite hit Earth. Via ItvNews

Mattia Cielo’s luxury jewellery

Mattia Cielo, a young Italian designer, presents something completely revolutionary in the world of jewellery.

His industrial design-inspired pieces are dynamic, so they sparkle with light and movement.

“Movement is the alchemy which quickens the matter of these creatures.

A breath of life frees these rings, bracelets and necklaces from their immobility as magnificent objects to transform them into totems, into word and sign, into emotion and energy freed from the confines of three-dimensional space able at last to give voice and generate new emotions, new energy”, said Mattia Cielo.

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Steve Vigar Designs Chess Set

Steve Vigar has designed a unique chess set. The topic of this handmade chess set is connected with the designer’s life-long love of architecture and fascination with classic building design.

Three cities are beautifully represented: San Francisco, Chicago, and New York. The pieces feature skylines and residential architectural styles crafted from exotic woods which are laser cut and then put together by hand

Pieces can be made in either light or dark woods, and clients often choose to pit different cities against each other.


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Japanese Castle Love Hotel For Sale

A Japanese Castle, which was operated as a “love hotel,” in Matsuyama city, Ehime prefecture, Japan, has been placed up for sale on Yahoo Japan’s auction site.

Opening bid is 145 million yen (around $1.5 million), although it is expected to sell for considerably more.

Included in the auction are the 30-room castle, several other buildings and 15,000 square meters of land: beautiful green forest all around you and a hot spring nearby.


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