New York had 667,200 millionaires in 2009, a whopping 18.7% increase from the year before, according to a study released by the consulting firm Capgemini.
The French consulting firm, calculated the number of individuals with a net worth of over $1 million, excluding real estate, in the 10 largest metropolitan areas in the United States.
The results provide further indication that the nation’s wealthy have recovered more swiftly than the nation’s less-well-off.
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A decision to suspend key BlackBerry smartphone services that were deemed noncompliant with the laws of the United Arab Emirates is “final”.
“The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority’s (TRA) decision to suspend certain Blackberry services from October 11th is final,” WAM quoted a statement by TRA director-general Mohammed al-Ghanem as saying.
“We remain open to discussions in order that an acceptable, regulatory-compliant solution might be developed and applied,” WAM quoted him as saying.
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Lady Gaga, France’s First Lady Carla Bruni and Spanish actor Javier Bardem were chosen by Vanity Fair magazine as among the world’s best dressed people.
In its September edition released Tuesday, the monthly also mentioned actresses Diane Kruger, Carey Mulligan, Princess Maria of Denmark and US First Lady Michelle Obama in its list of 45 persons.
Samantha Cameron, wife of the British prime minister, also made the cut along with Martin Scorcese, NBC news anchor Brian Williams and the Duchess of Alba.
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Michelle Obama and daughter Sasha have just arrived in Spain for a vacation at the luxurious Hotel Villa Padierna, a five-star Ritz-Carlton resort in Marbella.
The Obama ladies won’t be lost for luxury at the resort — it features indoor and outdoor swimming pools, an on-site hair salon, a a 21,000-square-foot spa with eight themed baths, two saunas, three golf courses and two tennis courts.
For travelers that want to replicate the Obama’s vacation, Marbella offers a host of luxury options.
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Bell & Ross unveils yet another limited edition timepiece – the BR 01-92 Compass – designed to re-imagine an aircraft’s cockpit, similar to its other watches.
The dial features two concentric discs, which have 12 minute and 60 minute graduations, and a vertical white line to tell the time.
The bezel has two windows divided by a bar, to mimic that of a horizontal plane. The watch is limited to 500 pieces and will be released in October 2010.
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Check out the gorgeous Raquel Zimmermann for the Fall Winter 2010 Ad Campaign of Chloe.
The clothing revolves around one trend, which is the color camel. The campaign has been shot by Inez & Vinoodh.
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Austrian Airlines has topped a list of the best business class in-flight wines from US-based Global Traveler magazine.
It beat Qatar Airways by only 0.28 of a point to take the award, which the magazine said “was not dependent on one or two high-scoring blockbusters pulling the rest of its wines into the winner’s corner.”
Instead, the wines selected by Austrian’s 55 sommeliers scored consistantly highly across all categories, with its Champagne, both its white wines and one red wine all placed in the top ten lists for their respective categories.
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The Four Seasons Hotel Chicago unveiled its new suites this week, soaring high above the Magnificent Mile.
Among the Presidential Suite, the Royal Suite and the Author’s Suite however, was tucked another addition — the Hypoallergenic Suite.
Hypoallergenic rooms are standard at many hotels now, but the full-on suite from the Four Seasons is a first, complete with hardwood floor, special bedding and toiletries and shades instead of curtains.
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World class Italian luxury goods firm Bottega Veneta has come out with an elegant set of alligator luggage for the private jet set.
Made of alligator with brass hardware, the Nero Soft Alligator Suitcase (pictured above) is designed to handle heavy travel with durabality and strength.
Marked by brass details and a lock-and-key buckle for added safety, the suitcase also includes an internal elastic pocket and a garment bag for further functionality
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A rare residential site on Hong Kong’s prestigious Victoria Peak fetched 1.33 billion US dollars at auction Wednesday, boosting one of the world’s most dizzying luxury property markets.
The plot of land at 103 Mount Nicholson Road, which offers a panoramic view of Hong Kong’s world-famous Victoria Harbour, was snapped up by Nan Fung Group after attracting nearly 50 bids at this year’s fourth government land sale.
The 10.4 billion Hong Kong dollar price was 30% higher than the opening bid and at the higher end of the 8.1-11.5 billion dollars forecast by a market-watchers.
With the floor area of the planned property projected at 324,862 square feet (30,181 square metres), the price works out at 32,014 US dollars a square foot.
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Maybach, the high-end car brand, is adding a new eyewear collection to its range of top-class accessories.
Created by German eyewear manufacturer IVKO, the various models which make up the new Maybach Eyewear are built with only the highest-quality materials.
The Maybach sunglasses are made from such materials as wood, leather, natural horn, titanium and 18-carat white, yellow and rose gold.
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Luxury brand Chanel has paid a record sum to secure Bond Street premises for a UK flagship store in a building opposite the new Louis Vuitton flagship store.
Chanel will pay more than £4m in cash to cover the cost of leaving to the present occupier, Nicole Farhi, and as a result of competition for the property.
Chanel, which is taking a 25-year lease on the building, will also pay a near record rent for a building of its size (£2.35m a year), the Financial Times reported.
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Here’s a look at a new iPad cover from Dunhill, made for the label’s Spring/Summer 2011 Collection.
Crafted out of premium leather, the cover features a letter print, addressed to “Alfred Dunhill†with an old school book strap motif.
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On September 28th Christie’s in London will offer an incredible collection of vintage Louis Vuitton luggage during its Interiors: Style & Spirit sale.
Over 20 original pieces from the famed French luxury goods house dating from the late 19th century to the 1940s will go on the block.
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French President Nicolas Sarkozy ‘s dream of having a presidential jet to rival Air Force One of the United States is about to come true.
“Air Sarko One,†a $241-million Airbus A330-200, has made its first test flight in Bordeaux, southwestern France.
Although not quite as big as the Boeing 747-200 that is Air Force One, the French A330-200 will be at least ten metres longer and two metres higher that the aircraft used by other European leaders.
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Porsche has confirmed that the Porsche Panamera S Hybrid will hit the roads in 2011, making it the fifth version of the Panamera on sale.
According to autocar, the Panamera hybrid will use the same powertrain as the Cayenne hybrid.
This means the vehicle will be powered by a 3.0 liter supercharged V6 engine developing 333hp and an electric motor with an additional 47 horsepower.
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At 289 ft., the amazing Maltese Falcon is the world’s largest, best designed, and most expensive sailing yacht – for now.
Its builder Perini Navi is now hard at work on a much larger sailing megayacht, a 335-ft. craft dubbed the C.2157, James Spotting reports.
Similar is styling to the Maltese, the 335-footer also has three enormous self- standing, rotating masts masts and will be equipped with an even more impressive version of Perini Navi’s revolutionary carbon fibre DynaRig sailing system.
Topping the Maltese’s 15 sails and 25,791 sq. ft. sail area, the 335 will be capable of a maximum speed of 19.5 knots despite its impressive size.
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Champagne corks are popping again in the luxury business as “It” bags and expensive watches this year sell like hotcakes from Beijing to New York, signalling the turning of a page after the global financial crisis.
As the owner of Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, French luxury goods giant PPR, on Friday joined a string of high-end brands reporting ballooning 2010 profits, firms and consultants predicted rosy days ahead for luxury goods.
“The recession’s starting to look like an old memory for the luxury industry,” said analyst Matthew Curtin, quoted by Dow Jones Newswires.
PPR chief executive Francois-Henri Pinault said of the group’s doubled first half net profits, “very good results … in an economic environment that remains hesitant.”
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Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana have teamed up with Bacardi’s vermouth brand Martini to launch their Martini Gold by Dolce&Gabbana.
The new drink comes to the shelves in a lavish gold bottle in a black case.
Swide.com reports that the Martini Gold vermouth is a refined blend of “bergamot from Calabria, lemons from Sicily as well as oranges, Spanish saffron, myrrh from Ethiopia, ginger from India, and cubebe pepper from Indonesia.”
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The devil may well wear Prada, but at a biennial exhibition of sacred art in Italy, a statue of the Virgin Mary is donning Louis Vuitton.
The veil traditionally covering the Virgin’s head bears the French luxury brand’s trademark “LV” logo in golden letters.
Francesco De Molfetta, 31, said he created the work to “denounce a society based on the cult of appearance through the use of a brand that represents the search for ephemeral happiness.”
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