Monthly Archives: October 2010

London’s Savoy re-opens this weekend

Luxury hotel chain Fairmont has released more details about what will be on offer at London’s The Savoy hotel when it reopens this weekend.

Fairmont says that the hotel will “reclaim its position as one of the world’s great hotels” when it opens its doors on October 10.

New highlights include nine “Personality Suites” which pay tribute to the well known figures that have stayed in the hotel such as Maria Callas, Charlie Chaplin, Frank Sinatra and Marlene Dietrich.

The suites contain artwork, literature, photographs and artifacts that evoke the time and spirit of the stars including the 12 pink roses in the Marlene Dietrich Suite that the actress always requested upon arrival.
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The most popular sites for shopping online

Consumers are spending less on discretionary items such as cinema tickets and more on clothing, and more of their expenditures take place online, with eBay and Amazon proving popular retail sites across the UK, America and Hong Kong. Best Selling is also climbing to the top of the list.

The MasterCard SpendingPulse report released on October 6 found that consumers in the USA recently spent more on clothes and electronic goods than luxury items.

The report also found that while sales at high street stores dropped, online retailers posted month-on-month gains of 7.8 per cent throughout September.

And analytical service Experian Hitwise measures which of the online retailers are the most popular across several regions.

According to its data, the most popular online retail sites for the week ending October 2 were electronics and entertainment retailer Amazon and auction site eBay.

In the US, Amazon.com took pole position and Walmart came second, whereas in the UK eBay.co.uk was the most visited site with Amazon.co.uk in second place.

Over the same period Amazon.com was also the most visited site in Hong Kong, however Chinese auction site Taobao, which recently joined forces with Yahoo! Japan, also proved popular and was the second most visited site.

EBay and Amazon’s dominance continued in Australia where eBay Australia, eBay.com and Amazon.com were, respectively, the three most visited sites.

Online shopping is continuing to increase in popularity as consumers emerging from the recession are shopping around for better deals on the web.

Michelin Guide New York City 2011

With 57 restaurants winning stars in this year’s Michelin guide, New York comes in only at fifth place in world rankings, but is the hands-down number one for culinary diversity.

The 2011 New York guide, which precedes all the other city surveys due this year, sees the Big Apple with 10 two-star restaurants, up four from last year, and an unchanged five with the maximum of three stars.

Three French eateries keep their places in the highest ratings: Jean Georges, Daniel, and Le Bernardin, as do the Japanese Masa, and California chef Thomas Keller’s Per Se.
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Hasselblad H4D Ferrari Edition

Hasselblad has unveiled a limited-edition Hasselblad H4D produced in cooperation with Ferrari.

This brand new model is dedicated to the new generation of photographers looking for the ultimate image quality, and will be produced in 499 units.

The Hasselblad H4D Ferrari Edition is finished in Ferrari’s unique color “rosso fuoco”, and bears the legendary Racing Shield.
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Adriana Lima to Don $3 Million Diamond Bra

The 29-year old supermodel Adriana Lima was chosen to model this year’s Victoria’s Secret Fantasy Bra valued at $3 million.

Decorated with a starburst design, the Bombshell bra features 2,000 diamonds and was unveiled ahead of the upcoming fashion show in New York.

Last year, Vicky’s Secret Angel Marisa Miller was the chosen one to wear the $3 million Harlequin Fantasy Bra.
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The Luxury Collection to publish travel guides

Luxury hotel chain The Luxury Collection has launched its own series of travel guides, becoming the latest brand to launch a guide for well-heeled travelers.

The Luxury Collection will publish six travel guides to cover Italy, Argentina, India, Spain, Greece and the United States in association with publisher Assouline.

The guides feature personal commentary from star chefs in each region (including Mario Batali for Italy, Francis Mallman for Argentina, José Andrés for Spain, and Charlie Palmer for the USA).

The luxury guides will also include photography from Andrea Fazzari, who has contributed to Vanity Fair and GQ magazines.
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Airline lounges – who has the best?

Last week, Hong Kong-flag carrier Cathay Pacific unveiled its new lounge at Hong Kong International airport, promising a “new level of comfort and convenience.”

“The Cabin” is spread across 1,339 square meters and designed by Foster and Partners to be “contemporary, refreshing and dynamic.”

Passengers can choose between 5 zones designed for different purposes, including The Reception, The IT Zone, The Deli, The Health Bar, and The Relaxing Zone.
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Watch Louis Vuitton live, 360°

This October 6, 2010, you’re invited to watch Louis Vuitton‘s Spring/Summer 2011 in a 360° ready-to-wear show on your Facebook, iPad or iPhone.

Models will be photographed right after the show simultaneously with 52 cameras, resulting in images which can be rotated and paused 360 degrees.

The collection will be shown at 2:30 pm ET and then the enhanced 360 version will be shown at 8.
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The JwlryMachine by MB&F and Boucheron

For the final exciting iteration of the Horological Machine No. 3, MB&F has partnered with world-renowned Boucheron to create the JwlryMachine.

Swiss MB&F who celebrates the art of the machine combines their technology with French Boucheron who celebrates the art of jewelry.

The result is an incredible work of three-dimensional art that will be made to order for those who want to add this stunning luxury to their collection.
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Maybach 57 S Coupe by Xenatec

Maybach unveils a stunning collaboration with German coachbuilder, Xenatec, who have constructed a sleek 2+2 coupe based on the Maybach 57 S.

Designed by Burch Fred Hardt, the same man who penned the Exelero concept, the coupe features conservative styling and a luxurious interior.

The exterior package includes new front and rear bumpers, a new air diffuser with integrated exhaust system and the B-Pillar moved 20 cm to the back of the car, offering more room for the passengers.
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TAG Heuer Monaco Vintage Chronograph Reissue

Luxury watch maker TAG Heuer has unveiled a special re-release of one of their vintage models, the Monaco Vintage Chronograph.

Originally released in 1973, the model comes on the heels of a 40th anniversary Monaco model.

According to Calibre11.com, the Monaco Vintage is basically a grey version of the 40th Anniversary Monaco released last year, with two important differences.

Firstly, the case of the Monaco Vintage is finished in a subtle charcoal stainless steel and secondly, the Monaco Vintage will sell for almost half the price.”
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Dunhill launches vacation packages

British men’s luxury brand Alfred Dunhill is to launch a series of vacations, it announced October 4.

Dunhill has teamed up with luxury travel firm Black Tomato to produce a series of “classic journeys” based around the concepts of exploration and adventure.

The tours are inspired by the 1930 overland journey of Clement Court, a manager of Dunhill’s Paris rue de la Paix store, which took him overland from Europe to Japan in service of the brand.

The luxury packages are priced from £2,825 and allow guests to explore some of the destinations that Court explored, such as Paris, Moscow, Mongolia and Japan.
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Aston Martin UK’s ‘coolest brand’

Aston Martin has been named the coolest brand in the UK, it has been revealed.

The carmaker has come top in the latest study by independent brand research firm Superbrands, which questioned more than 2,000 consumers.

However technology brands continue to lead the Superbrands Cool Brands survey with the rest of the top five spots taken by tech brands.

Apple’s iPhone takes second place, Blackberry is fourth and upmarket audio-visual brand Bang & Olufsen takes fifth place.
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London to get another landmark hotel

Spanish hotel group Sol Melia is to open a landmark hotel in London ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games, it announced this past week.

The ME London hotel will open in London’s Aldwych, close to Holborn, Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden, in a landmark building previously occupied by the BBC and Marconi Company.

The hotel is slated to open in 2012 with 172 rooms designed by British architect Norman Foster, the man behind Hong Kong International Airport, Beijing Capital’s International Terminal and London’s “Gherkin” building.
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Luxury caravan by A-Cero

The architecture studio A-cero is making projects beyond the traditional term of “house” and has created a habitable and comfortable space inside a truck.

Designed for long term living, this luxury caravan comes complete with a garage to park your car.

The furniture is built from Corian: a light and hard material that supports the usual vibrations and movements of driving.
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Heesen’s 65m Superyacht

Heesen Yachts announced the sale of a new, revolutionary 65-metre all-aluminium motor yacht based on the Fast Displacement Hull Form (FDHF).

Developed by Dutch naval architects Van Oossanen & Associates, the Heesen 6500 FDHF is an innovative concept that increases the overall performance of the yacht.

Tank tests have shown that in comparison with traditional hard chine and round bilge hulls, FDHF improves the efficiency of the vessel by around 30%.
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