Monthly Archives: March 2010
Hotel Zaandam – luxury reshaped
An architectural mashup of traditional houses, the 160-room Inntel Zaandam in the Netherlands looks as though it comes straight out of a fairytale.
The iconic green wooden houses of the Zaan region were the fount of inspiration for the hotel’s designer, Wilfried van Winden (WAM architecten, Delft).
The structure is a lively stacking of various examples of these traditional houses, ranging from a notary’s residence to a worker’s cottage.
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Ballantine’s Championship Blend 2010 – Luxury pack
The Core has created the exclusive limited edition pack for Ballantine’s Championship Blend 2010: a priceless Scotch whisky blended specially for the 50th anniversary of the first Ballantine’s golf tournament.
Only 20 of the ultra-luxe packs – which feature 24-Carat gold, real leather and solid mahogany – exist. The packs are currently on display around the world.
One was given to the tournament’s first Champion; another will be presented to the winner of this year’s Championship, which takes place in Korea this April.
Inspired by an antique leather golf caddy, the presentation box is handmade from solid mahogany with an embossed leather frontispiece.
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Chanel Celebrating the 2010 Shanghai World Expo
To celebrate the Universal Exhibition in Shanghai, Chanel is launching the Chanel Shanghai accessories collection inspired by the delights of China.
This limited-edition collection, which includes bracelets, necklaces, handbags and earrings, will debut at Chanel’s five mainland boutiques this May.
Schindler’s List goes on sale for $2.2million
The only privately owned list drawn up by Oskar Schindler of Jews he helped save from Nazi Germany is now for sale at $2.2 million.
The 13-page list of 801 names is dated April 18, 1945, and was made popular by Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning movie “Schindler’s List.”
Zimet described it as “a true treasure, and one of the most important World War II manuscripts that has ever been for sale.â€
Zimet is selling the list on a “first come, first served” basis through his Web site MomentsInTime.com.
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Vanessa Paradis – Rouge Coco Chanel
You have had a sneak peek at Vanessa Paradis’ new ad campaign for Rouge Coco Chanel lipstick, now take a look at the commercial.
The television clip was directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, and it features Paradis applying lipstick in front of a mirror while she whistles the song “Daydream†by ’60s band “The Lovin’ Spoonfulâ€.
Rouge Coco will be released in 30 shades, each being named after a defining detail in Coco Chanel’s existence (Camelia, Mademoiselle, Paris).
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Google Testing Hotel Prices in Google Maps
Google has been testing a feature on their Google Maps site that may one day help you find a hotel at the right price without having to head to sites.
If permanently implemented, this feature could turn Google into one of the biggest online travel planning destinations on the planet.
“With this feature, when you search for hotels on Google Maps you’ll be able to enter the dates you plan to stay and see real prices on selected listings.
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India launches ultra-luxury Maharaja train service
India has launched its most luxurious and expensive train service yet, seeking to attract well-heeled foreign rail enthusiasts prepared to pay the minimum 800-dollars-a-night price tag.
For most visitors, rail travel in India is an indispensable part of any holiday, although an ability to overlook the often filthy toilets and deal with basic comfort and crowded carriages is required.
The backers of the new service, which began its maiden journey from Kolkata to New Delhi on Saturday, have made every effort to ensure passengers get to see the country glide past the window with a minimum of inconvenience.
The specially built new train accommodates just 84 passengers, has suites with private bathrooms and plasma televisions, two restaurants serving Indian and Western food, a bar, card tables and an observation lounge.
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Fernando Alonso’s Maserati GranCabrio
Because he can’t drive the Ferrari F10 every day, Bahrain GP winner Fernando Alonso has selected a fine Maserati GranCabrio for himself.
The F1 driver didn’t opt for a red one, but for a darker shade for the exterior in combination with two-tone upholstery for the interior.
The color of the car’s body is called Grigio Granito, while the interior benefits from a combination of Pearl Beige and Bordeaux leather, matching a soft top of the same shade.
The GranCabrio, which is the convertible version of the Maserati GranTurismo, was launched at the Frankfurt Auto Show.
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Tag Heuer 150th Aniversary Gift Box
To celebrate its first 150 years at the leading-edge of Swiss design, TAG Heuer has launched an ultra-exclusive gift box.
The chest contains a limited-edition Tag Heuer watch, the Grand Carrera Calibre 17 RS2 Chronograph and the company’s first branded phone, the Meridiist.
Designed by French master craftsman Fred Pinel, this celebratory gift box will be unveiled at the Baselworld 2010 in Switzerland.
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Personalize your own Gresso phone for $2,200
Gresso, the Russian manufactured of luxury candybar phones, has announced that it now allows customers to personalize their phones.
The company says there are “almost 40 combinations available†– customers can choose the case model, keyboard design, and the type of leather decoration.
Moreover, a personalized text can be engraved on your phone. Creating your own Gresso handset will cost you 2,200.
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McLaren launches MP4-12C supercar
McLaren has launched a supercar, part of a drive by the firm to shift up a gear in its battle to capture the high-performance commercial sports car market.
The MP4-12C, modeled on technology used by McLaren’s Formula One team, will go into production next year with 1,000 of the cars expected to roll off the production line in 2011, the firm said at a launch Thursday.
It will have a price tag of 150,000 pounds (230,000 dollars, 170,000 euros) and its production will create 300 new jobs, said McLaren.
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Lacoste Spring Summer 2010
Legendary fashion photographer Ellen von Unwerth and it-model Taylor Fuchs created a timeless campaign for Lacoste’s spring / summer 2010 collection.
It’s retro elegance with references to a revamped masculine sportswear elegance. The brand’s classic berets bring character to retro looks featuring canale necks and gabardine trousers.
Dartz unveils Porsche covered in whale skin vinyl
At the 2010 Top Marques Show in Monaco, Dartz unveiled their latest creation, a Porsche covered in something they call whale skin vinyl.
Said to be artificial, the unique whale skin vinyl is said to be an authentic copy of the whale penis skin surface…
Bottega Veneta opens a new boutique in Taipei
To commemorate Bottega Veneta’s opening of a new boutique in Taipei, the luxury designer will come out with a limited edition knot handbag.
Named the Taipei Knot, this handbag will available exclusively through the new store; only 50 will be produced.
Sporting shades of york, cigar, and truffle the patchwork of the handbag comprises 25 separate pieces of leather.
The bags are inscribed with the words “Taipei 2010†on a sterling plate inside the clutch, and will be on sale exclusively at the Bellavita store.
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Bentley opens first South American showroom
Luxury car marque Bentley has opened its first showroom in South America, in a bid to gain a foothold in the area’s rapidly developing market.
The firm opened its Sao Paulo showroom on March 18, describing the Brazilian capital as “a major center of commerce, luxury and culture in South America”.
Unsurprisingly, Bentley Sao Paulo is located in the borough of Pinheiros, Sao Paulo’s wealthiest area.
The Sao Paulo location will increase Bentley’s showroom count to 48 in the Americas — despite that fact that the region’s 2009 sales total was small by most standards at “more than 1,450”.
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Tesla Roadster and Tag Heuer go on world tour
Luxury watch brand TAG Heuer has unveiled a new concept watch for its specially designed Tesla Roadster March 18 – and announced plans for a world tour.
To celebrate its 150th anniversary, Tag Heuer will send the Tesla Roadster around the world, leading a travelling exhibition of the brands timepieces.
At the centerpiece of the car’s console will be the Grand Carrera Pendulum, a 2010 concept watch specially designed to fit in the Roadster that was also launched at the event.
The all-electric Roadster, unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, will travel some 37,000 miles — the first round-the-world tour by a zero emission GT car.
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Hamilton Time Player
Hamilton aims to merge nostalgia for its American roots with the latest Swiss technology in the new Time Player watch.
Described as “latitude and longitude with attitude”, this hi-tech model is inspired by the geographic co-ordinates system based on lines of latitude and longitude.
The concept unites finger-operated timekeeping in four up-to-the-minute time zones with zany design belonging to the future, the company said.
Hamilton took inspiration from a design the company originally created for a clock in the Stanley Kubrick movie, ‘2001: Space Odyssey’
A totally flat 48mm by 42mm titanium case is split into nine squares, eight filled with movable counters and one left empty like a sliding puzzle.
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The BMW M Bike
The motorsport division of BMW doesn’t limit itself to producing cars and has developed a new speed bicycle for more serious cycling enthusiasts.
The BMW M Bike features disc brakes and an elegant matt anthracite frame with the M logo, combined perfectly with the leather saddle, stunning rims and handles, and shiny red seat inlay.
The BMW M Bike’s fi’zi:k saddle is made from the highest quality leather with a red inlay. This ensures extra riding comfort and superior grip.
Other features include a built-in Shimano SLX gear system and a Manitou Match suspension fork on the front wheel.
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Record estimate for disputed Picasso painting
A Picasso painting owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Art Foundation, which was at the centre of a dispute about its Nazi-era history, is to go under the hammer.
Lloyd Webber — composer of musicals like “Cats” — originally announced his intention to sell “Portrait of Angel Fernandez de Soto” for charity in 2006.
It was later withdrawn from auction after a claim that a previous owner, German-Jewish banker Paul von Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, had sold it under duress from the Nazi regime in Germany in the 1930s.
But von Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s descendants reached an out-of-court settlement in the US in January with the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, which is selling the picture, allowing it to retain ownership.
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BMW plans to launch small, high-end car
Luxury car maker, BMW, said Wednesday it planned to launch its own small car that might be based on its Mini model to serve a sector that is developing rapidly.
“We expect by 2020 growth of between four to six percent” in the market for small, high-end automobiles, BMW boss Norbert Reithofer told a press conference in Munich, southern Germany.
“We want to be more present, not just with Mini but also with BMW,” he said.
“On the frame of future Mini generations, we could imagine building a BMW,” development director Klaus Draeger added, without giving any launch date.
German rival Audi rolled out this year its A1 model to tap into growing demand for high-end autos that consume less fuel.
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