Saturday, September 20, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Sevilla
El Buli
For culinary enthusiasts who consider Molecular Gastronomy a religion, Chef Feran Adria is the Messiah. Adria is credited with putting foam (and the small town of Roses, Spain) on the map. And although it might sound like a case of The Emperor’s New Clothes, people make pilgrimages from far and wide to taste dishes garnished with ‘Cordoba air’. The menu changes constantly based on what the mad scientist is destabilizing in the laboratory.
To reserve: Visit the ‘Reservations’ department on the restaurant’s site and you’ll read that, “The restaurant is fully booked for our season 2007… but we will be at your disposal to revise if cancellations are produced…” Meaning: Keep your Learjet at the ready during ‘the season’ (April to September) and call or e-mail each day to check for cancellations. To secure a slot in 2008, launch a heavy contact campaign the second week in October.
For culinary enthusiasts who consider Molecular Gastronomy a religion, Chef Feran Adria is the Messiah. Adria is credited with putting foam (and the small town of Roses, Spain) on the map. And although it might sound like a case of The Emperor’s New Clothes, people make pilgrimages from far and wide to taste dishes garnished with ‘Cordoba air’. The menu changes constantly based on what the mad scientist is destabilizing in the laboratory.
To reserve: Visit the ‘Reservations’ department on the restaurant’s site and you’ll read that, “The restaurant is fully booked for our season 2007… but we will be at your disposal to revise if cancellations are produced…” Meaning: Keep your Learjet at the ready during ‘the season’ (April to September) and call or e-mail each day to check for cancellations. To secure a slot in 2008, launch a heavy contact campaign the second week in October.
Shangai
M Suites at Pier One, Shanghai
The facts
M Suites is one part of the supper club-lounge-boutique hotel Pier One complex. The 24 rooms in this boutique lodge were decorated by eight international minimalist designers with the über-chic in mind. The suites feature expected amenities for a boutique hotel such as flat-screen TVs and iPod stereo, plus other fashionable inclusions like a private yacht at the guests’ disposal.
The scoop
Located in the warehouse-trendy Suzhou Creek area, Pier One, a former Chinese beer factory, now resembles the Art Deco buildings one could expect to find in Miami’s South Beach. The edifice is in short distance of numerous concept shops, trendy office lofts and Moganshan Lu, the art gallery district of the city. Apart from the petite hotel, the meticulously chic complex also serves as home to Mimosa Supperclub – a white-themed restaurant specializing in 3, 5 and 7 course meals served on indulgent bed/tables – and Monsoon – a modern Asian decorated bar and lounge complete with a roof terrace and a Jacuzzi overlooking the creek. A younger, hedonistic crowd is seen here on a regular basis, attending mostly private functions hosted by luxury brands.
The vibe
Expect an active, champagne-influenced environment on weekends with a more relaxed, yet just as chic, atmosphere throughout the week. M Suites is a haven for those who crave a young, hip and artsy environment with their glass of Cristal.
The facts
M Suites is one part of the supper club-lounge-boutique hotel Pier One complex. The 24 rooms in this boutique lodge were decorated by eight international minimalist designers with the über-chic in mind. The suites feature expected amenities for a boutique hotel such as flat-screen TVs and iPod stereo, plus other fashionable inclusions like a private yacht at the guests’ disposal.
The scoop
Located in the warehouse-trendy Suzhou Creek area, Pier One, a former Chinese beer factory, now resembles the Art Deco buildings one could expect to find in Miami’s South Beach. The edifice is in short distance of numerous concept shops, trendy office lofts and Moganshan Lu, the art gallery district of the city. Apart from the petite hotel, the meticulously chic complex also serves as home to Mimosa Supperclub – a white-themed restaurant specializing in 3, 5 and 7 course meals served on indulgent bed/tables – and Monsoon – a modern Asian decorated bar and lounge complete with a roof terrace and a Jacuzzi overlooking the creek. A younger, hedonistic crowd is seen here on a regular basis, attending mostly private functions hosted by luxury brands.
The vibe
Expect an active, champagne-influenced environment on weekends with a more relaxed, yet just as chic, atmosphere throughout the week. M Suites is a haven for those who crave a young, hip and artsy environment with their glass of Cristal.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Porto
The Sheraton Porto - A more or less of a good hotel...
I'm not a fan of Porto - not at all! But if you find you have to go to Porto, this hotel will serve you well. The hotel is large and modern. The furnishings are a nauseating red and brown - made me feel like I'd travelled back in time into the '70s...
The big plus is the spa. Amazing actually!
I'm not a fan of Porto - not at all! But if you find you have to go to Porto, this hotel will serve you well. The hotel is large and modern. The furnishings are a nauseating red and brown - made me feel like I'd travelled back in time into the '70s...
The big plus is the spa. Amazing actually!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Os cães ladram e a caravana passa
O VALOR DO SILÊNCIO
No decorrer de nossa vida, muitas vezes sofremos ataques injustos, ofensas, e até mesmo somos vítimas de calúnias, fatos provocados por momentos de raiva de algumas pessoas, que, com motivo ou não, se acham no direito de nos atacar. Quem não já passou por momentos assim? Sempre existem pessoas que se comprazem em agredir alguém.
O nosso primeiro impulso é revidar, devolvendo as violências e as ofensas à altura, dando assim início a um círculo vicioso sem fim, pois sempre atos violentos, geram uma resposta de igual ou maior violência.
Se tais ataques representarem iminente perigo para nossa integridade física, claro que deveremos armar um esquema de defesa. Contudo, se forem ataques meramente verbais, cuja resposta poderá originar uma discussão que poderá ir num crescendo, podendo levar a conseqüências tristes, penso que a melhor política é a do silêncio.
Simplesmente ignorar os ataques, dando tempo para a pessoa refletir e possivelmente cair em si, e chegar à conclusão de que tais atitudes não levam a nada. E as reveja.
Uma citação do Dalai Lama:
"Descobri que o mais alto grau de paz interior decorre da prática do amor e da compaixão. Quanto mais nos importamos com a felicidade de nossos semelhantes, maior o nosso próprio bem-estar. Ao cultivarmos um sentimento profundo e carinhoso pelos outros, passamos automaticamente para um estado de serenidade. Esta é a principal fonte da felicidade".
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Delhi
The Imperial Hotel - Delhi
This gracious establishment (built in 1931) is the best hotel in Delhi -- certainly for anyone wanting something a little more atmospheric than any chain, no matter how luxurious, can hope to offer. Only at The Imperial can you recover from your jet lag in luxury while experiencing something of the elegance of colonial-era Delhi -- without even setting foot out of the lobby. It's also incredibly convenient (only a short stroll to Connaught Place) yet tranquil. It's comfortable as well, having undergone a major renovation that left the Raj-era atmosphere untouched but loaded with every amenity you'd expect from a five-star hotel. Spacious guest rooms (no need for a suite; opt for an Imperial or Heritage Room) with wonderfully high ceilings are furnished in colonial-era elegance. However, it is the public areas, like the double-volume colonnaded veranda and grand 1911 bar, that are a sheer delight -- huge, elegant, and everywhere a showcase of Delhi's imperial past. A huge collection of original art adorns every corridor. Silver-service breakfasts are among the best in the world. This quiet, dignified hotel is not only the perfect place to acclimatize, but we believe it ranks among the top city destinations in the world.
Inevitably, prices have risen, but it's worth every penny!
This gracious establishment (built in 1931) is the best hotel in Delhi -- certainly for anyone wanting something a little more atmospheric than any chain, no matter how luxurious, can hope to offer. Only at The Imperial can you recover from your jet lag in luxury while experiencing something of the elegance of colonial-era Delhi -- without even setting foot out of the lobby. It's also incredibly convenient (only a short stroll to Connaught Place) yet tranquil. It's comfortable as well, having undergone a major renovation that left the Raj-era atmosphere untouched but loaded with every amenity you'd expect from a five-star hotel. Spacious guest rooms (no need for a suite; opt for an Imperial or Heritage Room) with wonderfully high ceilings are furnished in colonial-era elegance. However, it is the public areas, like the double-volume colonnaded veranda and grand 1911 bar, that are a sheer delight -- huge, elegant, and everywhere a showcase of Delhi's imperial past. A huge collection of original art adorns every corridor. Silver-service breakfasts are among the best in the world. This quiet, dignified hotel is not only the perfect place to acclimatize, but we believe it ranks among the top city destinations in the world.
Inevitably, prices have risen, but it's worth every penny!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Goa
The Club at the Leela Hotel
There is nothing less positive to say about this hotel.
The service, interiors, restaurants, swimming pool, spa and beaches, they all truly deserve five stars!
There is nothing less positive to say about this hotel.
The service, interiors, restaurants, swimming pool, spa and beaches, they all truly deserve five stars!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Mumbai
The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower
The Reality...
After four visits to the Indian Embassy in London (to get my visa) and four other shots in both my arms, seven malaria pills and a ten-hour flight, I finally got to India.
I always heard this place would be an extreme between rich and poor, I also knew it probably wouldn’t be my cup of tea. But I made it anyway and I think I can now say that I know the world, much better.
I got to Mumbai around 2:00pm and from the moment I stepped out of the airport, into the taxi, I was in constant disbelief!
So far I have been in India for five nights and the only thing I can think of to describe this city is - MESS! One good example of it – When I asked the taxi driver if these beggars, who I was seeing them everywhere, where really hungry or just trying to get some cash out of the tourists, he told me that these people are actually in a organized group.
The grown up’s are actually not hungry but the children are. Many couples have one baby after the other just to make life easier by carrying them around and touch peoples hearts and wallets.
It is shocking to know that here you can find some of the richest families in the world and yet, at the same time, the poorest. It is impossible to go anywhere without having a beggar asking you for help. The moment you step out of a hotel (even a five star one) you are woken up with a dramatic reality check.
Being positive and looking at the flipside to this all, is that Mumbai has a great nightlife, amazing hotels and even better nearby beaches. It is also a fact that India, together with Brazil, Russia and China is the fastest growing economy in the world. Hard to believe!
The Reality...
After four visits to the Indian Embassy in London (to get my visa) and four other shots in both my arms, seven malaria pills and a ten-hour flight, I finally got to India.
I always heard this place would be an extreme between rich and poor, I also knew it probably wouldn’t be my cup of tea. But I made it anyway and I think I can now say that I know the world, much better.
I got to Mumbai around 2:00pm and from the moment I stepped out of the airport, into the taxi, I was in constant disbelief!
So far I have been in India for five nights and the only thing I can think of to describe this city is - MESS! One good example of it – When I asked the taxi driver if these beggars, who I was seeing them everywhere, where really hungry or just trying to get some cash out of the tourists, he told me that these people are actually in a organized group.
The grown up’s are actually not hungry but the children are. Many couples have one baby after the other just to make life easier by carrying them around and touch peoples hearts and wallets.
It is shocking to know that here you can find some of the richest families in the world and yet, at the same time, the poorest. It is impossible to go anywhere without having a beggar asking you for help. The moment you step out of a hotel (even a five star one) you are woken up with a dramatic reality check.
Being positive and looking at the flipside to this all, is that Mumbai has a great nightlife, amazing hotels and even better nearby beaches. It is also a fact that India, together with Brazil, Russia and China is the fastest growing economy in the world. Hard to believe!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Virgin Atlantic - The Lounge
Virgin Atlantic's vision is to create an airline that people love to fly, and they add to that that they want to have some fun doing it. The business class lounge at London Heathrow is a perfect example of just how they are bringing this vision to life.
The airline was created by Richard Branson, and now part owned by Singapore Airlines. It s based out of the UK, and seems to be adding more and more routes every year.
I have never been in an airport lounge quite like it.
I used to think that their old lounge was something pretty amazing, but this one leaves you literally breathless. The lounge opened a few months back and is open to people flying Upper Class or who have a Frequent Flyer Gold card.
Upper Class is what they call their premium cabin as they do not have a First Class but offer a kind of hybrid First/ Business. I say hybrid as they price it the same as business class fares of their competition but throw so much more in.
The sort of extras that they throw in for the fare includes: a limo that collects you and takes you to the airport (which in the UK checks you in and had a drive through check-in so you never have to queue), the amazing Clubhouse at Heathrow, seats on the plane that are lie flat and are the largest in the business, a sit down bar and also free massages en route!
But the feature of this posting is the lounge at Heathrow. Posted below are a pile of photos of the place to show how stunning it is. It takes your breath away when you walk in for three reasons: (1) as it is so huge, (2) it looks incredible, like a 1970s inspired fantasy of an airport and (3) the glittering array of free services and features.
The services and features include (and remember you pay nothing extra for any of them):
Cowshed spa with massages, wet shave etc
Bumble & Bumble hair salon
Shoe shine service
Brassiere restaurant
Deli
Menu and drinks service at all seating areas (I had delicious organic scrambled eggs and Scottish salmon)
Cocktail bar
Pool table
Monster multi screen cinema
Internet café and library, although there are laptops with free internet access dotted all over the place for you to use
Play area with games
Business Center
Outside viewing area, to watch the planes taking off
Saturday, April 26, 2008
The Ritz - Lisbon
What are people saying about the Ritz...
aSmallworld.net readers:
Perfect Pilates studio with an outstanding teacher, great Spa, friendly staff.
Olga
Great service. Varanda restaurant definitely worth dining at.
Pedro
Amazing hotel and restaurant... very luxurious rooms and friendly staff
Turan
GRAND. One of the best 10 hotels in the world.
Manuel
Great breakfast buffet. The rooms are old and the entire building is crumbling
Cristina
Best service, best views and amazing refurbished rooms... Definitely the top hotel in Lisbon!
Pedro
The Spa is fantastic and so was the service!! Loved it!
Daniel
Best breakfast, incredible spa... superb organiztion and the most confortable bed... my rate is a 10!
Jose Manuel
Great for lunch
Marta
Best hotel for business in Europe. Best Hotel buffet I ever tried (both breakfast and lunch). No comparison to Hotel da Lapa, the Ritz is much much better.
Pedro
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Harvey Nichols
Spring/Summer 08 Key Trends
Put away your reservations and your boring old grey suits, because this season is all about bright colour, and lots of it. Red, green, blue, you name it, it's en-vogue. If sport's more your thing, then Olympic-inspired styles from Dries Van Noten's judo tops to DSquared2's racing driver jumpsuits, are also going to be key players. For a smarter tailored feel, choose one of the Summer's reworked and very modern blazers. Here's the full details...
Monday, April 14, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Four Seasons - The Ship
The Four Seasons will launch a residential ocean liner from London with spa and concierge service, among others. Residences starting at $3.8 million. Sales began recently, and the ship is scheduled to begin service in 2010.CONTACT (877) 507-3393 or www.oceanresidences.com.
The Four Seasons — a 719-foot, 13-deck ship operated by the hotel company that will be filled entirely with residences — will begin construction next spring in Helsinki, Finland. Its 112 residences are described as nothing like standard cruise ship cabins. The one- to four-bedroom units, sold in whole ownership, will range from 800 to more than 7,000 square feet and will have full-length windows, walk-in closets, terraces and full-size kitchens. Each residence will be credited $12,000 a year for food, drinks and spa services. Amenities, other than the spa, will include a fitness center, a pool, a shopping promenade, four restaurants, a specialty food market, a wine cellar, a business center, putting greens and a driving range. Sailboats and motorized water scooters will be launched from the ship’s marina area, which will also be used for diving trips and shuttles to shore. Round-the-clock concierge service will be available to help arrange on-shore activities, and in-room dining will be offered. Plans call for the ship initially to follow a two-year fixed itinerary that will take it to Antarctica, the Amazon and the 2012 Olympics in London. During that time, it is expected that the ship will spend an average of 250 days a year in port.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Philippe Starck
Philippe Starck Wants You to be More Sexy
Internationally renowned lifestyle designer Philippe Starck has a dream to "make a place where people are more awesome, are more sexy, are more smart, more sparkling... " and he announced today a global partnership for a new ultra-luxury hotel brand, Starck Hotels, that he says will make people fall in love all over again.
Philippe Starck is the world's leading lifestyle designer with a self described 'tribe' of millions who covet his every concept, whether it is for a computer mouse, chair or hotel. It was Starck who redefined what a hotel could be nearly two decades ago and who now, in partnering with Geneva based F6, can finally realize his life long dream to infuse a luxury hotel with what he calls the "beauty of intelligence."
Starck said he is granting F6 an exclusive Master License Agreement (MLA) to develop, market and operate the brand with Starck providing all design and conceptual support. Starck Hotels will be a subsidiary of F6; formed to launch the brand, work with Starck to develop a new template for an ultra-luxury hotel and identify prime locations to work with partners towards the development of up to 35 hotels in prime locations around the world in the next five years.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Geneva
Have a lunch in Old town (La Demi Lune for snacks, tapas or main plate or Le Mortimer for nice bistro) and then have a walk. Begin around old town and finish along the lake.
La perle du Lac is more for business lunch and a bit out of the center and L'Entrecôte is well know for its unique plate "entrecôte" but you have to queue if you arrive after 12:00 as there are no reservations!
Going back to The Hotel Richemond after fifteen years was a disappointment!
Recently renovated, they transformed what was a beautiful, elegant and chic hotel, into a bad taste and pretentious one. Shame! The Four Seasons is a much better option for hotel fans!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Verbier
Restaurants:
Au vieux verbier
Toro Negro
Hôtel & Restaurant Le Chalet d'Adrien
Alpage
Hotels:
Hotel Nevai
Hotel Montpelier
Le Chalet d'Adrien
Nightclubs:
The Farm Club
CocoClub
Ivanka Trump
The Ace of Diamonds
"The first fashion show I attended was Valentino in Paris when I was six or seven," says the exceptionally poised Ivanka Trump, who sits across from me in her spacious Trump Tower corner office with a mega view, wearing Prada culottes, Asprey loafers, and a casual knit top. Her office walls are adorned with articles about herself and her family. "As long as I can remember I've always appreciated the finer things—whether they be jewelry or architecture." It is evident that if anyone has a keen eye for aesthetics it should be Ivanka, who undoubtedly learned about fashion and jewelry from her mother Ivana Trump. She says, "from a young age, I was exposed to a really amazing collection of fine jewelry, and I took my love of that from her."
Now 26 and very much a confident woman in her own right, Ivanka has just launched a diamond jewelry line that bears her name and is housed in a feminine, boudoir-inspired shop on Madison Avenue in New York. The line, which seeks to reinvent older Hollywood glamour by offering modern day interpretations of collections from the 1920s to the 1960s, includes engagement rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets. A delicate diamond oval, accented with coral detail, is the signifying emblem of the collection and is discreetly designed into each style. Her favourite piece from the collection is a pair of diamond briolette tassel earrings.
Already bullish about the success of her line, the Wharton grad has high hopes for the future, with plans to open shops in Las Vegas and Japan. All the while, she continues her rapid ascension in her father Donald Trump's empire: She was recently named director of the Trump Gaming Company, serves as the vice president of development and acquisitions for the Trump Organization, and is a boardroom advisor on The Apprentice.
Ivanka is not just beautiful; she is decidedly sexy—and not shy about it. Case in point, her recent story in Harper's Bazaar in which she appears on a construction site as a "Drill Sergeant" in Dior by Galliano heels, and a low cut Eres bathing suit. What's more—in the photo, she's pumping a drill. "I think you walk a thin line," says Ivanka. "The Harper's Bazaar [piece] was certainly the furthest I've ever crossed it in terms of what I would consider appropriate but I have to think about the fact that I'm 26 years old. There is a time and a place to do that type of stuff and have a little fun and laugh about the duality of the young girl/business individual. I'm much more self confident in my abilities and skills now so I don't think that stuff undermines me."
To me, Ivanka demonstrates the qualities a post-feminist icon—feminine and powerful while visibly dominating a man's world. Not scared by the F word, she takes my observation as a compliment and remembers how hard it was for her mother's generation to break into "the club." She also laments how "80s powersuits with big shoulder pads" made women appear masculine. Today, Ivanka tells me that she would have no qualms about showing up to the office in a pink suit.
When she's not busy being a Trump, I see glimmers of the softer, private Ivanka. In recalling a time when she felt true embarrassment, she shares an amusing story of her first day at boarding school when her wrap skirt fell off. "I walked half way across campus before realizing my skirt was half a mile back – that was awkward." Describing herself as "pretty mellow," she enjoys spending time with school pals she's known her whole life, watching cheesy 80s movies and eating mozzarella sticks. Of her personal convictions she's passionate, and speaks freely of her disdain for the Iraq war. "A great social injustice is that we are in Iraq – I spend a lot of my time thinking about that."
When asked what Ivanka would change about herself, she confesses, "I'd probably take more time to reflect—it's easy to get consumed with everything that's going on." And then, without missing a beat, she was off to a board meeting.
I can't help but wonder how she does it all, and what her average day entails. "There is no typical day. I don't think I'd be as excited about what I do in life if there were." She does, however, admit that she doesn't sleep much and works long hours, often with periods of lengthy travel. On weekends, she comes into the office to attend to "non time-sensitive initiatives."
It's clear that Ivanka is a hard worker. About those who have judged for her being spoiled, she says, "I think that I used the prejudgment or condescension of others to motivate me to push myself harder to do more. It made me more defiantly ambitious, if you will. I expect a lot from myself but there is something extremely motivating about knowing that people are underestimating you."
On the flip side, being born a Trump does have its privileges. "I never really wanted for much growing up. I didn't have to worry if I could afford to attend the college I was accepted to, or if I had a roof over my head. These are things we should not take lightly."
"The first fashion show I attended was Valentino in Paris when I was six or seven," says the exceptionally poised Ivanka Trump, who sits across from me in her spacious Trump Tower corner office with a mega view, wearing Prada culottes, Asprey loafers, and a casual knit top. Her office walls are adorned with articles about herself and her family. "As long as I can remember I've always appreciated the finer things—whether they be jewelry or architecture." It is evident that if anyone has a keen eye for aesthetics it should be Ivanka, who undoubtedly learned about fashion and jewelry from her mother Ivana Trump. She says, "from a young age, I was exposed to a really amazing collection of fine jewelry, and I took my love of that from her."
Now 26 and very much a confident woman in her own right, Ivanka has just launched a diamond jewelry line that bears her name and is housed in a feminine, boudoir-inspired shop on Madison Avenue in New York. The line, which seeks to reinvent older Hollywood glamour by offering modern day interpretations of collections from the 1920s to the 1960s, includes engagement rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets. A delicate diamond oval, accented with coral detail, is the signifying emblem of the collection and is discreetly designed into each style. Her favourite piece from the collection is a pair of diamond briolette tassel earrings.
Already bullish about the success of her line, the Wharton grad has high hopes for the future, with plans to open shops in Las Vegas and Japan. All the while, she continues her rapid ascension in her father Donald Trump's empire: She was recently named director of the Trump Gaming Company, serves as the vice president of development and acquisitions for the Trump Organization, and is a boardroom advisor on The Apprentice.
Ivanka is not just beautiful; she is decidedly sexy—and not shy about it. Case in point, her recent story in Harper's Bazaar in which she appears on a construction site as a "Drill Sergeant" in Dior by Galliano heels, and a low cut Eres bathing suit. What's more—in the photo, she's pumping a drill. "I think you walk a thin line," says Ivanka. "The Harper's Bazaar [piece] was certainly the furthest I've ever crossed it in terms of what I would consider appropriate but I have to think about the fact that I'm 26 years old. There is a time and a place to do that type of stuff and have a little fun and laugh about the duality of the young girl/business individual. I'm much more self confident in my abilities and skills now so I don't think that stuff undermines me."
To me, Ivanka demonstrates the qualities a post-feminist icon—feminine and powerful while visibly dominating a man's world. Not scared by the F word, she takes my observation as a compliment and remembers how hard it was for her mother's generation to break into "the club." She also laments how "80s powersuits with big shoulder pads" made women appear masculine. Today, Ivanka tells me that she would have no qualms about showing up to the office in a pink suit.
When she's not busy being a Trump, I see glimmers of the softer, private Ivanka. In recalling a time when she felt true embarrassment, she shares an amusing story of her first day at boarding school when her wrap skirt fell off. "I walked half way across campus before realizing my skirt was half a mile back – that was awkward." Describing herself as "pretty mellow," she enjoys spending time with school pals she's known her whole life, watching cheesy 80s movies and eating mozzarella sticks. Of her personal convictions she's passionate, and speaks freely of her disdain for the Iraq war. "A great social injustice is that we are in Iraq – I spend a lot of my time thinking about that."
When asked what Ivanka would change about herself, she confesses, "I'd probably take more time to reflect—it's easy to get consumed with everything that's going on." And then, without missing a beat, she was off to a board meeting.
I can't help but wonder how she does it all, and what her average day entails. "There is no typical day. I don't think I'd be as excited about what I do in life if there were." She does, however, admit that she doesn't sleep much and works long hours, often with periods of lengthy travel. On weekends, she comes into the office to attend to "non time-sensitive initiatives."
It's clear that Ivanka is a hard worker. About those who have judged for her being spoiled, she says, "I think that I used the prejudgment or condescension of others to motivate me to push myself harder to do more. It made me more defiantly ambitious, if you will. I expect a lot from myself but there is something extremely motivating about knowing that people are underestimating you."
On the flip side, being born a Trump does have its privileges. "I never really wanted for much growing up. I didn't have to worry if I could afford to attend the college I was accepted to, or if I had a roof over my head. These are things we should not take lightly."
Friday, March 28, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Virgin Atlantic
Inflight massage station
Virgin Atlantic's new Upper Class Suite is set to challenge the traditional first class market and become the natural choice for soon-to-be homeless Concorde flyers. Priced at a business class fare, but targeted at both business and first class markets, the Upper Class Suite is supported by a groundbreaking integrated launch campaign, created by Start.
The challenge; To create a revolutionary strategy, which would be Virgin Atlantic's first ever global below-the-line product launch and branding campaign solely from the UK.
Initially, Start branded the new Upper Class Suite following extensive strategy and naming discussions with Virgin Atlantic's Brand Team and advertising agency Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R. The name 'Suite' signifies a quantum leap in quality and comfort offered by the new concept - a radical, patented new design providing passengers with an extra-wide seat that flips over into a customised, extra-long bed - in relation to rivals' standard business and first class seats. This required a novel approach for launch communications.
The solution: a global campaign featuring integrated, on and offline direct marketing pieces tailored to key audiences. The high-value showcase brochure was styled after a 12" limited edition album and will be sent to 2 400 top corporates and premier flying club members across the UK. A 7" version of the brochure was also sent to over 90,000 flying club members, travel agents and flyingco. companies across the UK. In the US, a total of 120 000 brochures are being sent out to top corporates, flying club members and travel agents. Over 56 000 will be sent out in South Africa, and 4 000 in Japan.
The key brochure pieces invite the audience to the microsite, the hub of the campaign. The site enables the visitor to explore the Suite concept and simulate the new Upper Class cabin experience. HTML emails were sent to over 230 000 flying club members across the UK, and over 118 000 members in the US, to drive them to the microsite where they can experience and explore the Upper Class Suite for themselves. Start also developed a moving image video that translates the ground-breaking Suite concept into a corporate sales environment.
Start also created a 'Suite Selection' chocolate box, sent to nearly 2 500 agencies and intended as a 'sharer' mailer for agencies to distribute and enjoy. The 'Suite Selection' raises awareness and drives excitement about the new product. It includes the 7" brochure and encourages agents to visit the microsite trade section for offers, incentives and to experience the Upper Class Suite.
With the Upper Class Suite campaign, Start has made a revolutionary change to the look and feel of airline photography and imagery. By layering interiors photography with moving-image fashion-style photography inspired by style and fashion magazine art direction, the brochures, video and microsite have real energy and synergy.
Breda Bubear, Head of Advertising and Promotions, Virgin Atlantic says: "The day has finally arrived and didn't you do us proud! The site is working perfectly and we're getting great reaction to it...Thanks again for being as passionate as us about this project - we couldn't have done it without you!"
Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin, says: "Our Upper Class Suite demonstrates our firm commitment to continue to invest in product innovation. Quite simply, our Upper Class Suite gives you everything and more than you get in others' first class - except the bill!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Terminal 5 Heathrow
Facts and Figures
Terminal 5 will be able to handle 30million passengers per year, taking Heathrow's total number of passengers to around 90 million. This will make Heathrow the world's busiest airport.
The new terminal building will be big enough to fit around fifty football pitches across its five floors.
The terminal's control tower will be the highest in the UK.
Around 18km of conveyor belt will be used to transport luggage around the terminal when it opens.
It is the UK's largest ever single site archaeological project, with over 100 hectares of land requiring investigation.
So far there has been over 80,000 artefacts found throughout the project, including pottery, worked flint, a hand axe dating back to 3000BC, a wooden bowl and a wooden bucket dating back to 1500BC - 1100BC.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Off to Saint Paul de Vence
I am finally off to Saint Paul de Vence, a small medieval village fifteen minutes from Nice, twenty from Cannes and hour from Monaco and Eze. Originally made famous as a favourite of Picasso and Matisse and today is the chic, secret enclave where stars have their second home – Rod Stewart and Roger Moore.
Anyone who is anyone at the Cannes film festival heads to the terrace of La Colombe d’Or which hasn’t changed for fifty years. The walls are adorned with original paintings by Picasso, Chagall, Miro, Van Gogh and there is even a Giacometti sculpture by the hotel pool.
La Colombe d’Or
Why I like going there so much? Because its understated, chic, close to the sea and all the French riviera parties, yet it seems like a world away.
M's House
Anyone who is anyone at the Cannes film festival heads to the terrace of La Colombe d’Or which hasn’t changed for fifty years. The walls are adorned with original paintings by Picasso, Chagall, Miro, Van Gogh and there is even a Giacometti sculpture by the hotel pool.
La Colombe d’Or
Why I like going there so much? Because its understated, chic, close to the sea and all the French riviera parties, yet it seems like a world away.
M's House
Ramses - Madrid
Ramses - a bar, a restaurant and a club - is the most recent creation of a designer-hooligan - Philippe Starck. Expanding on three floors and opened just in December 2007, it outshines any of Starck's latest designs, including Bon restaurant in Moscow or a hotel Fasano in Rio de Janeiro.
Though, a bar occupies a large space in the centre of the first floor, do not rush to associate it with a lounge. Old guy Starck has found again an opportunity to play around with his favorite interior object - a chair. Scalps are split off not to garden gnomes at this time (as at St.Martins Lane hotel, London), but Oscar statuettes - at least gold-color faces seem to have exactly the same features as the famous Hollywood movie award. Someplace else guests may plop down on small rocking-chairs, with seats bearing cheeky posteriors' imprints! Despite this minor recklessness, Starck reveals his presence just in few more details there - leaving the overall ambience of the bar light and tastefully minimalistic.
The dance club, too, located in the basement floor, does not present much surprise to Starck's style connoisseurs - a small bar, dim lighting and an excellent nightclub atmosphere. The true Starck's extravaganzas start at the second floor restaurant, lavishly garnished with flaunting decadent elements. Pompous candelabra, eclectic sofas and an absolute mixture of styles in chair design - some being upholstered with black and white fur even. Also a bar design stirs a peculiar sensation, as you savor a drink sitting on a bar stool with broken off arm supports and a word "DEAD", as if with a designer's own thumb, daubed on its back...
Along with the main restaurant area there are two smaller dining-rooms - the biggest of which may seat no more than twenty guests. It's almost impossible not to put your nose in the air there, as an impressive El Greco copy stretches all over the ceiling. Another, the smallest one, meant for just ten people, features an autonomous kitchen, with a chef cooking according to particular wishes of the guests only.
And, yes, a visit of a restroom! As in most of Starck's restaurants, it is an experience in itself. A marble washbasin bears an amazing resemblance to a table used in forensic medicine, while a graceful swan neck stretches out instead of a water tap - much like the ones of the hotel Faena in Buenos Aires (priding in Starck's interior, too).
Cuisine, although seemingly disregarded (quite often being the case at Starck's restaurants), is outstanding, too. It features a creative approach in vast variety of international dishes, including Middle East hummus and beef tails.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Plaza Athénée pedals ahead of the pack
The bicycle has arrived in Paris! Starting with Vélib, the new city-wide bicycle renting
program, travelling on two wheels is the hottest way to explore the City of Lights. Hôtel
Plaza Athénée is now offering guests a piece of the action with “the Plaza touch”: a chic
and comfortable geranium-red bicycle with all the trimmings.
Based on a Dutch model, the bicycle combines luxury and practicality. Cheery red
paniers are attached to either side of the rack, permitting cyclists to tote that day’s
shopping back to the hotel. An elegant golden bike lock comes with a matching key
that can be worn around the neck, and a Plaza-red helmet ensures safety without
sacrificing style.
Just imagine! The freedom of taking a leisurely ride along the Seine, sun shining
overhead, with a gourmet picnic tucked snugly behind....
The bicycles are available to hotel guests through the concierge team at Plaza
Athénée. Upon special request, they are also available for purchase – a very special
souvenir from the quintessential Parisian Palace.
www.indagare.com - A great idea!
Indagare arose out of my frustration. As the founding editor of an award-winning travel magazine, I planned trips often and felt that there must be a better way to do so. Thanks to the Web, I can do everything from shop for groceries to manage my music online, so why was researching travel so excruciating? I was tired of collecting torn-out pages, digging through notes and tracking down people who really do know a place and what’s happening there now.
I wanted a well-curated archive of sophisticated cheat sheets, but I also had to be able to customize them. And more than that, I craved the ability to tap into a community of worldly friends and trusted experts—people who understand my tastes and share my passion for authentic experiences—with whom I could exchange advice and addresses. After all, today luxury travel goes beyond staying at a five-star resort, and the recommendations that so often make a trip memorable cannot easily be found online or in books.
Whether it’s hosting a concert for your friends in a palazzo in Venice or touring the ruins of Angkor Wat with an archaeologist who protected them from looters, these are life’s unforgettable moments. When you join Indagare, the keys to experiencing them will be at your fingertips. Like you, I trust a tip from a friend more than one from any other source. Indagare’s reports are written by me and by journalists who are my friends, whose opinions I value and who understand my high standards.
Become an Indagare member and gain access to the ultimate directory, one that will steer you to the people and places that will make your journeys remarkable. Join a club for passionate, like-minded travelers so you can trade opinions and share discoveries.
Indagare is the premier resource for the world’s most discerning travelers. We hope you’ll join us so your journeys can be enhanced by ours—and so ours will be inspired by yours.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Madrid
Why am I investing in Madrid apart from being Spanish? Here is why:
1.Madrid is an economic, political and administrative hub with a solid and diversely structured economy, and a truly dynamic city. In 2005, Madrid's growth has reached 4.0 percent, the highest amongst all Spanish regions and 6 tenths over the national growth.
2.Diversity and differences co-exist with social harmony and institutional stability. Madrid is renowned for its generosity and hospitality. The political framework is peaceful and offers guaranteed growth and stability.
3.Situated in the heart of the Iberian Peninsula, Madrid has a privileged geo-strategic position and is the natural link between Europe, Latin America and North Africa. Naturally, the top foreign companies setting up in Spain have chosen Madrid as the base for their head offices.
4.The hospitable administrative, fiscal and political environment encourages investors and the availability, price and quality of land and offices are amongst the most competitive in Europe.
5.At the forefront of scientific and technological innovation, Madrid has one of the most advanced regional networks of science and technology in Spain, and indeed Europe.
6.Madrid offers a highly qualified work force yet considerably lower labour costs than cities such as London, Paris or Amsterdam. It is an ideal space for creativity as its young, vibrant and intellectually inclined population is coupled with an extremely dynamic and consolidated business culture.
7.It has modern, high-quality infrastructure where innovation is the common denominator.
8.Its cultural heritage is among the most important in the world in terms of art, culture and monuments.
9.It is a cosmopolitan city embracing new cultures, where visitors quickly feel at home and where more than six million people from 172 different nationalities live side by side harmoniously.
10.Madrid is not only the gateway to the South American, North African or European markets, but also the largest local market in Spain.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Amanjiwo
REVISITED: AMANJIWO
Practically every upscale travel magazine from Peking to Paris has written about Amanjiwo over the past decade. Editors have gushed about its unique and romantic location amidst the padi fields with direct views of Borobudur, the world’s largest Buddhist monument. But ten years on, does Amanjiwo still make the grade?
You can feel your shoulders physically drop as you arrive at Amanjiwo. Everything about the place is calming, from its design that carefully mirrors Borobudur to the mute tones, exotic smells and gentle tinkle from the Javanese gamelan orchestra who play under the central dome. Indeed even the word Amanjiwo means peaceful soul.
The site is located in a natural amphitheatre with the Menoreh Hills rising directly behind, the Kedu Plain in front and four volcanoes Sumbing, Sundoro, Merbabu and Merapi in the horizon. The main limestone building is framed by just 36 suites so the whole place feels quiet and very personal. My suite had a high domed ceiling, separate his and hers open bathrooms, sliding glass doors onto a private garden with an outdoor bath and cushioned lounging area overlooking padi fields. The views are so inspiring rooms are stocked with a water colour set in case you’re overcome with artistic inspiration. There is a high-fi but with just one local CD and no TV, which definitely adds to the away-from-it-all feeling, although some may like the option of a post dinner movie in bed especially given how little there is to do. This hotel really is remote, so definitely not the place to have an argument with a loved one and don’t expect any local restaurants. Luckily the hotel kitchen serves up consistently good Indonesian and Western cuisine in a stylish silver-ceilinged open air dining room. Try the Makan Malam a 7-course tasting menu and if you have a special request, the charming Portuguese food and beverage manager Felipe Lencastre bends over backwards to oblige. Service is often an issue in very high end hotels that rely on local staff who inhabit a very different world. It must seem odd for a waiter who’s family earns a $1 a day in the rice fields, to serve $650 a night guests expensive western food and flutes of champagne. But although service is definately slow, it is always discreet, seemingly genuine and with a smile.
One of the main reasons people go to Amanjiwo is the 4am trip to Borobudur. The hotel has negotiated special early access to the site that allows guests to climb to the very top of the monument and watch the sunrise. It’s a privilege to see this great monument without the hordes of tourists who trample it by day, often stopping just for a photo opportunity and not taking the time to truly understand or appreciate what they are looking at. Standing almost alone adjacent to Borobudur’s great 8th century stupa at daybreak is mystical, moving and touches your very core. From here, through the morning mist you can see the several kampungs (small villages) that are within walking distance from the hotel and you can even opt to ride through them by elephant.
There are certainly things to do if you want to fill your time – jungle treks, cooking classes, cycling, lectures in the hotel library, charcoal sketching with a local artist, day trips to local markets and Yogyakarta – but for me Amanjiwo is about escape, stillness and tranquillity. You can spend days without seeing more than just a few guests. Whilst there is no spa which is a negative, good masseurs come to the room and there is a beautiful infinity swimming pool, overlooked by banyan trees and set into the rice paddies.
A decade on, does it still measure up against new contenders and stalwarts like the Four Seasons? Absolutely, but bear in mind that the management style is decidely more relaxed. By day two, Sean the laid-back aussie General Manager was calling me “mate” and joining us at the dinner table for drinks. His friendly British wife was shouting hello over the garden wall whilst walking her dogs. Now, for better or worse, that wouldn’t happen at the Four Seasons.
Mandala Airways Magazine
Four Seasons Island Spa
Welcome to Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa. Covering an entire private coral island, fringed with white sand and crystal clear, perpetually warm water is our most secluded tropical resort, Maldives at Kuda Huraa. Here, palm-thatched water bungalows dip their feet into a sea of turquoise, and sunrise, sunshine and sunset paint the endless sky
This one could come in use after a very drunk week in Lisbon...
This one could come in use after a very drunk week in Lisbon...
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Paris
T Minus 3, 2, 1...
DESPITE the imported Oscar buzz, Paris Fashion Week unofficially kicked off last night with the T Magazine party at the Mini Palais inside the Grand Palais (No, not at the Petit Palais!). There was no shortage of champagne and most likely the highest concentration of international beau monde this side of the Atlantic – Angela Lindvall with her sweater casually thrown over her shoulder; Karl Lagerfeld with his signature sunglasses-at-night look; Lou Doillon with her eyes tucked under her signature hat; Gareth Pugh swaddled in fur; Liya Kebede standing tall (and arriving very late); oh, and just about every single person that has ever worked at a magazine.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Vienna
After twelve years I got back to Vienna. One thing I can say – Places I thought of being boring as hell like Geneva, Brussels, Luxemburg, Gant, Frankfurt or Taipei are WILD next to Vienna!
How can such a grand city, with so many unique buildings, squares, hotels, opera houses and money be so boring?!
It just has a really, really heavy and negative energy. Most people are rude and look like their about to punch you in the face and its not very usual to see someone talk or laugh!
If you have or want to check out Empress Sisi’s city anyway…Don’t miss Madame Butterfly in the Vienna Opera House – I did go and was amazed by it all!
After that treat yourself for a flute de champagne in the Hotel Imperial bar and a real royal dinner in their restaurant.
Their “café’ is also a great option for dinner. There you will find a mix of very rich business men with their lovers and la crème de la crème of the 1800-1900’s society. Ladies, covered in jewels and smoking like there is no tomorrow. Really worth seeing it!
The Hotel Bristol was my option to stay and I have to say it was also a great alternative. Not as grand as the Imperial but still a very old fashioned, chic and central hotel. The rooms are big, with marble bathrooms, walls covered in silk and some even have a balcony facing the Opera House!
Please do not miss a walk around town and especially don’t miss Demel Chocolate House – WOW!!
How can such a grand city, with so many unique buildings, squares, hotels, opera houses and money be so boring?!
It just has a really, really heavy and negative energy. Most people are rude and look like their about to punch you in the face and its not very usual to see someone talk or laugh!
If you have or want to check out Empress Sisi’s city anyway…Don’t miss Madame Butterfly in the Vienna Opera House – I did go and was amazed by it all!
After that treat yourself for a flute de champagne in the Hotel Imperial bar and a real royal dinner in their restaurant.
Their “café’ is also a great option for dinner. There you will find a mix of very rich business men with their lovers and la crème de la crème of the 1800-1900’s society. Ladies, covered in jewels and smoking like there is no tomorrow. Really worth seeing it!
The Hotel Bristol was my option to stay and I have to say it was also a great alternative. Not as grand as the Imperial but still a very old fashioned, chic and central hotel. The rooms are big, with marble bathrooms, walls covered in silk and some even have a balcony facing the Opera House!
Please do not miss a walk around town and especially don’t miss Demel Chocolate House – WOW!!
Venice
Venice was a true surprise! I always had the idea that Venice, was just like Rome. But surrounded by water canals, more and too many romantic couples, groups of tourists armed with photo machines – taking snap shots of every fountain and corner and a terrible smell of shit!
I couldn’t be more wrong! Venice is charming, romantic and chic. True – It has also its share of tourists walking around and renting black gondolas and cheap shops selling the most horrendous carnival masks. But all the negative side is forgotten once you enter in the right places.
Forget all restaurants mentioned in guides! The good food is where you least expect. And that is also where you will find the most sophisticated Italian crowed, covered in mink coats, vintage Hermes bags and heavy make-up.
Its pretty easy to feel at home after 24 hours and even more to know all streets corners.
Not to miss:
Hotel Danieli – Dead, dead ,dead but worth the visit for its amazing entrance, marble floors and worked ceilings.
Gretti Palace Hotel – The place to stay. Especially if you are loaded and never bother looking to the right side of the menu!
Like the Danieli, it has amazing antique pieces, marble floors, and worked ceilings. The difference is that here you get a real five star service, a terrace by the Gran Canal and one of the most beautiful bars I have ever seen!
Hotel Baglioni – Maria Callas always stayed there. Think that says it all!
Tratoria de La Madonna – In a dead end street (at least it looked like it!) with horrible tables and white ugly light but with the best seafood one can have. The atmosphere is also the best.
I couldn’t be more wrong! Venice is charming, romantic and chic. True – It has also its share of tourists walking around and renting black gondolas and cheap shops selling the most horrendous carnival masks. But all the negative side is forgotten once you enter in the right places.
Forget all restaurants mentioned in guides! The good food is where you least expect. And that is also where you will find the most sophisticated Italian crowed, covered in mink coats, vintage Hermes bags and heavy make-up.
Its pretty easy to feel at home after 24 hours and even more to know all streets corners.
Not to miss:
Hotel Danieli – Dead, dead ,dead but worth the visit for its amazing entrance, marble floors and worked ceilings.
Gretti Palace Hotel – The place to stay. Especially if you are loaded and never bother looking to the right side of the menu!
Like the Danieli, it has amazing antique pieces, marble floors, and worked ceilings. The difference is that here you get a real five star service, a terrace by the Gran Canal and one of the most beautiful bars I have ever seen!
Hotel Baglioni – Maria Callas always stayed there. Think that says it all!
Tratoria de La Madonna – In a dead end street (at least it looked like it!) with horrible tables and white ugly light but with the best seafood one can have. The atmosphere is also the best.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Vivienne Westwood
Westwood was born Vivienne Isabel Swire in the village of Tintwistle in Glossop, Derbyshire on April 8 1941, daughter of Dora (Ball) and Gordon Swire, a storekeeper.[2] She studied at the Harrow School of Art (later to become the University of Westminster) for one term. Vivienne went on to attend Trent Park College(later to become the Middlesex University) and later taught at a primary school in North London. She loved teaching.
Vivienne's first husband was Derek Westwood, with whom she had one child named Ben. Their marriage lasted three years before she met Malcolm McLaren, later known for being the manager for punk band The Sex Pistols. The two had a son named Joseph, and Westwood continued to teach until 1971, when Malcolm decided to open a shop, Let It Rock (also known as Sex, Too Fast To Live Too Young To Die, Seditionaries) where Westwood began to sell her outrageous designs. During this period, Westwood, McLaren, and artist Jamie Reid were influenced by the Situationists. She still owns the shop, which is at 430 King's Road, and sells her Anglomania label from there. The shop is now known as World's End.
The punk style began to gain notoriety when the Sex Pistols wore clothes from Westwood and McLaren's shop at their first gig. The "punk style" included BDSM fashion, bondage gear, safety pins, razor blades, bicycle or lavatory chains on clothing and spiked dog collars that were used as jewelery, as well as outrageous make-up and hair. Westwood invented the slashed A symbol for Anarchy at this time.
The inclusion of more traditional elements of British design, such as tartan fabric, amongst the more unusual elements of her style only served to make the overall effect of her designs more shocking.
Together, Westwood and McLaren revolutionised fashion, and the impact is still felt today. She has only a few exclusive shops including three in London, two in Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Leeds. A ninth will open in Nottingham in 2008. Westwood worked historical factors into her collection by using historical 17th-18th century original cutting principles and modernising them. This collection was about 'gold and treasure, adventure and exploration'. Other influences in Westwood's work have included ethnic Peruvian influence, feminine figure, velvet and knitwear. A historical influence has always shown in her work.
In December 2003, she and the Wedgwood pottery company launched a series of tea sets featuring her designs.
Her first major retrospective of her work was shown in 2004-2005 at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and the National Gallery of Australia. The exhibition is made up of around 145 complete outfits, grouped into the themes which have dominated her work from the early 1970s to the present day and were drawn from her own personal archive and the V&A's extensive collection. They range from early Punk garments to glamorous 'historical' evening gowns. The retrospective is touring the world and is set to continue until 2008.
In September 2005, Westwood joined forces with the British civil rights group Liberty and launched exclusive limited design T-shirts and baby wear bearing the slogan I AM NOT A TERRORIST, please don't arrest me. Westwood said she was supporting the campaign and defending habeas corpus. "When I was a schoolgirl my history teacher, Mr. Scott, began to take classes in civic affairs. The first thing he explained to us was the fundamental rule of law embodied in habeas corpus. He spoke with pride of civilisation and democracy. The hatred of arbitrary arrest by the lettres de cachet of the French monarchy caused the storming of the Bastille. We can only take democracy for granted if we insist on our liberty", she said.[3] The sale of the £50 T-shirts raised funds for the organisation. Dame Vivienne has recently stated on television that she has transferred her long standing support for the Labour Party to the Conservative Party, over the issues of civil liberties and human rights.
Her Autumn/Winter 2005/06 Propaganda Collection drew inspiration from her archive, reinterpreting designs using Wolford’s exclusive knitting technology, who she has worked in close collaboration with since 2003. In 2006, collaborated with Nine West. These shoes are not designed directly by Westwood, however, the Nine West brand name shares its label with Westwood.
Westwood accepted a DBE in the 2006 New Year's Honours List "for services to fashion", and has thrice earned the award for British Designer of the Year.
In May 2006, Westwood wrote a poem and provided personal photographs eulogising Swallows Wood, a Nature Reserve near Tintwistle where she was born and grew up. The Reserve is threatened with destruction by the construction of the Longdendale Bypass.
Vivienne Westwood has spent much of 2007 designing new graduation gowns for King's College London, which will be conferring its own degrees for the first time in summer 2008.
Throughout her career, Westwood has been influential in launching the careers of other designers into the British fashion industry. Most notably, she employed the services of Patrick Cox to design shoes for her "Clint Eastwood" collection in 1984. The result was a prototype of the nine inch heeled shoes in which supermodel Naomi Campbell famously fell during a Westwood fashion show in Paris in 1994.
It is a SmallWorld!
From a Hong Kong reader...
Pedro,
I don't usually read blogs but I came across yours when I was looking for something on the net. What caught my eye was your lovely house...Then the fact that you seem to travel about as much as I do....and then the fact that you have listed some of my restaurants on your blog (www.LKFE.com), thank you for that...I hope that Google picks up on them!
Perhaps see you in HK when you are next passing through.
Marisa
February 18, 2008 7:23 PM
Monday, February 18, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Daylesford Organic
As you walk in you see gorgeous fruit and veg, lounging in tasteful baskets. A display of white flowers jostles for attention. And when you turn the corner, the food counters offer up the most tantalising treats we've ever seen - pungent cheeses, artisan breads, tempting pastries and cakes, organic meats - each section more appealing than the last. Cheeses are hand-made next door at the Creamery using traditional methods - the farm's Organic Cheddar won Best English Cheese in the British Cheese Awards 2002. Book a time on Mondays or Thursdays to watch the cheesemaking in progress.
Once you've done your shopping, grab a table on the ground floor by the gifts section (loaded with edible goodies and wonderful pottery) or in the upstairs seating section and enjoy a cup of tea, a freshly squeezed juice, light meal or pudding. Even pooches are pampered here, with their own dog parking area and organic biscuits. But while the experience at Daylesford is up-market, the farm doesn't lose sight of its roots - focusing on organic products and sustainability.
Daylesford has now opened the Hay Barn, an airy eco-spa made with recycled materials and offering holistic treatments such as Indian head massage, shiatsu and yoga.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Trump - aSmallworld.net magazine
"I tried on a 300,000-dollar necklace; it felt wonderful" managed to belt out Quest Magazine's Elizabeth Meigher as her car drove away from the Madison Avenue boutique on the night of February 5th. In this occasion, Ivanka Trump opened the doors of her recently inaugurated boutique, featuring her own jewellery collection, to ASW Members in celebration of Valentine's Day. The pieces, which sport an exquisitely tasteful signature oval shape, were the centre of attention of the evening and merged seamlessly in an Ivanka Trump-signature coral-tinted sea of New York ASW Members.
Ivanka Trump, Steve and Heather Mnuchin, ASW's Joe Robinson
As she walked through the flagship boutique, an effortlessly stunning Trump would come up to greet guests personally. "How are you? It's nice to see you. Thank you for coming," the New York Real Estate heiress would say. As for her favourite piece of jewellery in the room, Trump responded, " Too hard to tell. I like them all."
Eric and Kimberly Villency, Donald Jr. and Vanessa Trump
The guests—mostly gentlemen—were greeted by an assortment of Johnnie Walker Gold cocktails and were invited to peruse the collection in search of, as Trump herself put it, "the perfect Valentine's Day gift." Guests like Fabian Basabe, who made an appearance with pal Chudney Ross, also found it hard to choose a favourite: "They're all beautiful," Basabe said.
Some of the most notable guests in attendance included ASW's Joe Robinson, Holly Doran, and Sabine Heller along with Donald Trump Jr., Vanessa Trump, Dimitri de Yougoslavie, Vogue's Genevieve Bahrenberg, Addison O'Dea, Tara Subkoff, Nicola Blatsiotis, Alex Sapir, Steve and Heather Mnuchin, Joseph Varet, Pheobe Gubelmann and Eric Villency, who arrived accompanied by wife Kimberly. When asked about the jewellery, the furniture designer replied: "The collection is fantastic. She [Ivanka] did a great job."
Alonso Dominguez
Ivanka Trump, Steve and Heather Mnuchin, ASW's Joe Robinson
As she walked through the flagship boutique, an effortlessly stunning Trump would come up to greet guests personally. "How are you? It's nice to see you. Thank you for coming," the New York Real Estate heiress would say. As for her favourite piece of jewellery in the room, Trump responded, " Too hard to tell. I like them all."
Eric and Kimberly Villency, Donald Jr. and Vanessa Trump
The guests—mostly gentlemen—were greeted by an assortment of Johnnie Walker Gold cocktails and were invited to peruse the collection in search of, as Trump herself put it, "the perfect Valentine's Day gift." Guests like Fabian Basabe, who made an appearance with pal Chudney Ross, also found it hard to choose a favourite: "They're all beautiful," Basabe said.
Some of the most notable guests in attendance included ASW's Joe Robinson, Holly Doran, and Sabine Heller along with Donald Trump Jr., Vanessa Trump, Dimitri de Yougoslavie, Vogue's Genevieve Bahrenberg, Addison O'Dea, Tara Subkoff, Nicola Blatsiotis, Alex Sapir, Steve and Heather Mnuchin, Joseph Varet, Pheobe Gubelmann and Eric Villency, who arrived accompanied by wife Kimberly. When asked about the jewellery, the furniture designer replied: "The collection is fantastic. She [Ivanka] did a great job."
Alonso Dominguez
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Michael Moore - A hero
Michael Moore
born: 23-04-1954
birth place: Flint, Michigan
An unlikely political figure, bumbling along in glasses, cap and baggy jeans, Michael Moore is America’s most fearless and populist political commentator. A passive aggressive, Moore’s style is to hurl himself into major issues with wit and humour, and hope his energy captures public opinion. He believes fervently in the common man’s stand against the State.
Moore’s politics is home grown. Born in Flint, a town then dominated by General Motors car plants, he saw his Irish father and grandfather earn their livelihood at the factories, and then watched as a town of men like them were sacked, as GM relocated to cheaper labour pools in Mexico. The town was left destitute as GM and its shareholders' profits fattened.
Moore’s lust to reveal cooperate injustice and misdemeanour began when he was an Eagle Scout and made a slide show exposing all the businesses that polluted Flint. At 18, Moore won a seat on the Flint school board, making him one of the youngest people in the US to hold public office.
Preferring activism to study, Moore became a journalist on the 'Flint Voice' and, in time he became editor, and the paper expanded into the 'Michigan Voice'. The outspoken writer graduated to editor of 'Mother Jones', the leftist political journal in 1986, though frequent arguments with the publishers made the partnership a short one.
Moore used his 'Mother Jones' settlement money as the seed for 'Roger & Me' - a documentary film describing GM’s part in the economic collapse of Flint. Determined to get the story on the air, Moore had to sell his house and host bingo evenings to finish the film. It was one of the most financially successful documentaries ever.
Moore then dabbled in TV, but could not get his ratings up, so in 1996 he wrote 'Downsize This' - a political commentary. It was a best seller. Since then, Moore has continued to write and make successful documentaries - 'Bowling For Columbine' (2002) won a Jury Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
Moore is a fierce and very public critic of George W Bush, his administratiion and the US invasion of Iraq. His hard hitting documentary, 'Fahrenheit 9/11', an attack on Bush's ability to run the US, has become a worldwide blockbuster, becoming the highest grossing documentary of all time.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Art Basel - aSmallworld.net magazine...
Another art fair?
Art Basel Miami Beach is no ordinary art fair. It’s the pulsating tropical souk of the frenzied contemporary art market. And it’s a mega massive deal. It’s almost impossible to estimate how much art is sold since Basel is not the only art fair in town in early December, but in 2006 estimates suggest that the number was around $500 million.
Who goes?
Virtually everyone in the art world gets down to Miami for the week. Throw in some rockers and rappers, fashion types, nightlife impresarios, socials and you have a fête like no other. Last year, the guest list looked something like this: Larry Gagosian, John Currin, Kanye West, Nadja Swarovski and Zaha Hadid. Expect a similarly high-voltage atmosphere this year.
So I can pick up something for the mantle piece?
The options for browsing and buying of all manner of art are phenomenal. Over 200 galleries representing the biggest names in contemporary art will set up shop at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The main fair also includes enough talks and satellite exhibitions to keep the keenest art buff busy. The Art Positions section, which features 20 art projects housed in shipping containers on the beach at Collins Park, is a perennial favorite. Check out the various lounges such as the Cartier Art Guest Lounge, designed by architect Jean Nouvel and the Visionaire SOUND lounge at the Raleigh hotel, where you can hear audio works from the likes of David Byrne, Robert Wilson, Cat Power and Cindy Sherman.
See official Art Basel website for full list of programs: www.artbaselmiamibeach.com
Is that it?
No, the art fest extends beyond the Convention Center. Explore the many alternative art fairs spread around the Miami area.
Design junkies should head to Design Miami, which takes place from Dec. 7-9 (www.designmiami.com). This year, former Issey Miyake collaborator, Tokujin Yoshioka is being honored as the designer of the year. His name might not be as familiar as say previous honorees – Zaha Hadid and Marc Newson – but we’re guessing that it will be soon.
For the next-generation of Gagasosians and John Currins, go to the NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance) fair, which runs from Dec. 5-9. Exhibitors include hip young galleries, such as New York’s Rivington Arms. This year, the fair will host the benefit for the spanking New Museum on New York’s Bowery. The night will include a performance by San Francisco rockers Deerhoof and artist Ken Kagami. For tickets, see www.newartdealers.org
SCOPE Miami (Dec. 6-9; www.scope-art.com) celebrates the as-yet-uncelebrated artists. The fair has discounted exhibition space for new galleries in its ‘Breeders’ section. You can count on some provocative performances during the fair. In his Self-Portrait Fight, Shaun El. C Leonardo will reenact a boxing match after training for eight months for the part. Miami artist Jason Hedges’ Vertical Triple Chamber Smoker sculpture will meditate on our existential sustenance: food. He’ll also grill up a storm for visitors on Sunday afternoon.
In its new SoHo Studios location, the three-year old Pulse Miami fair (Dec. 5-9; www.pulse-art.com) will include the U.S. debut of Takashi Murakami’s Japan-based GEISAI show, which will highlight works by artists without current commercial representation.
Having previously used the rooms, walls and courtyard of the Aqua Hotel as gallery space, Aqua Art Miami (Dec. 5-9; www.aquaartmiami.com) is also expanding this year to include a second space in the Wynwood Art District. Go for the West Coast-centric selection of galleries and artists.
Photo enthusiasts and their dogs will be welcomed at Photo Miami (Dec. 5-9; http://artfairsinc.com/photomiami/2007/index.html) for Maarten Wetsema's Dog Shoot installation, which is devoted to dog portraiture. The artist has invited the four-legged loves of Oprah, Madonna and Paris Hilton to sit for him. No word yet on the status of their RSVPs. At least one other animal will turn up since Janet Biggs’ Enemy of the Good performance, an exploration of man’s pursuit of perfection, features a horse – a real one.
Another must-see is the Swarovski Crystal Palace (http://www.swarovskisparkles.com/crystalpalace/crystalpalaceexhibitions.html), which runs Dec. 7-9. This year New York architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro have re-imagined the chandelier as the Light Sock. The result? Oversized mesh bags filled with Swarovski crystals. Like much else at Art Basel, you can buy them to hang at home.
For a different art viewing experience, head to the Miami Beach Marina for the ARTMB, the fair that takes place aboard the SeaFair, a multi-level 228-foot mega-yacht art exhibition space, where you can check out works from artists such as Jeff Koons, Jasper Johns and others. The ship will be docked at the Marina until Dec. 9.
What about the stuff that money can’t buy?
You’ll find that at Miami’s various museums. The Rubell Family Collection (www.rubellfamilycollection.com) is hosting two solo exhibits – Hernan Bas and John Stezaker – as well as a group view of the family’s European art collection, Euro-Centric, Part 1: New European Art from the Rubell Family Collection during the Art Basel week.
Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami (www.mocanomi.org) will host a mid-career retrospective of the work of Cuban-born, L.A.-based artist Jorge Pardo from Dec. 4.
The paintings of Cuban-born Enrique Martínez Celaya and audio installations of Canadian duo Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller are on show at the Miami Art Museum (MAM) (www.miamiartmuseum.org). Also check out the exhibit that looks at the Museum’s new building to be designed by Herzog and de Meuron. MAM will also host its Party on the Plaza on Dec.6 and its annual ball, a highlight of the Miami social calendar on Dec. 8.
Curated by Julie Sylvester from St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum, RUSSIA MIAMI (www.russia-art-miami.org) will showcase contemporary Russian art from Dec.3-10.
All art and no play then?
Absolutely not! Miami during Art Basel is as much about the parties – perhaps more so in the opinion of art purists – as the art. The Raleigh hotel is party central. We can’t tell you about the impromptu room parties but there are plenty of dos to which you might want to wrangle invites. For starters, Paper Magazine is hosting a party on Dec. 4 at the Raleigh Oasis. Deitch Projects will open the fair with a concert-soiree featuring Coco Rosie at the same venue on Dec. 5. The same evening D.J. Spooky will be amongst the performers at the Rubell Family Collection dinner to kick off the SCOPE fair film and lecture series. And the Marlborough Gallery is throwing a party in honor of Spanish artist Manolo Valdes at the Setai.
On Dec. 6, Sotheby’s and Mandarin Oriental will celebrate their joint contemporary Asian Art exhibit with a dinner to be attended by Vivienne Tam and honoree, artist Zeng Fanzhi. Also on Dec. 6 is the book launch party for Bob Colacello's OUT at the Raleigh. The next day Tamara Mellon will host a dinner at the Raleigh Ballroom to toast the limited edition handbags designed by Jimmy Choo and artist Richard Phillips.
Also on Dec. 7, Janna Bullock and Thomas Krens, director of the Guggenheim Foundation, will host the Russian Party at the Raleigh Oasis. That same evening, Visionaire will host a preview of Visionaire 53 Sound at the Florida Room at the Delano, hosted by Linda Evangelist. Meanwhile, guests at the Art Nexus Gala will raise their glasses in honor of Haluk Akakçe. On Saturday, the Adidas Y-3 store opening promises to be another must-go on the party schedule.
If you get there earlier, the NADA Gala in aid of the New Museum takes place on Dec. 4. We expect a starry art crowd since the likes of Beth Rudin deWoody, Yvonne Force Villareal and Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy sit on the benefit’s committee. More museum soirees taking place include: The Whitney’s do with David Yurman at the Sagamore on Dec.5 and the MOMA Junior Associates with Vanity Fair and Banana Republic party at the Shore Club on Dec. 7.
And from Dec. 5-7, look up to the sky as “Krug is in the air” or at least it will be in the form of a new luxury hot air balloon designed by Domeau & Peres and Marc Bretillot. The balloon is modeled on the Krug Rooms in London’s Dorchester and Singapore’s Lausanne. Do your best to hitch a free ride. Additionally, make sure to check out Russell Simmons and Allison Weiss Brady's party at Intermix—the soirée will benefit Simmons' charity Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation on Dec. 8.
Finally, don't miss the Cartier Dôme,which features the brand's high jewelry collection and time pieces. Sip champagne and salivate over the gems from Wednesday to Sunday from 2-8pm and Thursday, 2-4pm.
The details
The fair runs from Dec.6-9. For full schedule and programs see www.artbaselmiamibeach.com
—Jessica Ramakrishnan
Art Basel Miami Beach is no ordinary art fair. It’s the pulsating tropical souk of the frenzied contemporary art market. And it’s a mega massive deal. It’s almost impossible to estimate how much art is sold since Basel is not the only art fair in town in early December, but in 2006 estimates suggest that the number was around $500 million.
Who goes?
Virtually everyone in the art world gets down to Miami for the week. Throw in some rockers and rappers, fashion types, nightlife impresarios, socials and you have a fête like no other. Last year, the guest list looked something like this: Larry Gagosian, John Currin, Kanye West, Nadja Swarovski and Zaha Hadid. Expect a similarly high-voltage atmosphere this year.
So I can pick up something for the mantle piece?
The options for browsing and buying of all manner of art are phenomenal. Over 200 galleries representing the biggest names in contemporary art will set up shop at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The main fair also includes enough talks and satellite exhibitions to keep the keenest art buff busy. The Art Positions section, which features 20 art projects housed in shipping containers on the beach at Collins Park, is a perennial favorite. Check out the various lounges such as the Cartier Art Guest Lounge, designed by architect Jean Nouvel and the Visionaire SOUND lounge at the Raleigh hotel, where you can hear audio works from the likes of David Byrne, Robert Wilson, Cat Power and Cindy Sherman.
See official Art Basel website for full list of programs: www.artbaselmiamibeach.com
Is that it?
No, the art fest extends beyond the Convention Center. Explore the many alternative art fairs spread around the Miami area.
Design junkies should head to Design Miami, which takes place from Dec. 7-9 (www.designmiami.com). This year, former Issey Miyake collaborator, Tokujin Yoshioka is being honored as the designer of the year. His name might not be as familiar as say previous honorees – Zaha Hadid and Marc Newson – but we’re guessing that it will be soon.
For the next-generation of Gagasosians and John Currins, go to the NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance) fair, which runs from Dec. 5-9. Exhibitors include hip young galleries, such as New York’s Rivington Arms. This year, the fair will host the benefit for the spanking New Museum on New York’s Bowery. The night will include a performance by San Francisco rockers Deerhoof and artist Ken Kagami. For tickets, see www.newartdealers.org
SCOPE Miami (Dec. 6-9; www.scope-art.com) celebrates the as-yet-uncelebrated artists. The fair has discounted exhibition space for new galleries in its ‘Breeders’ section. You can count on some provocative performances during the fair. In his Self-Portrait Fight, Shaun El. C Leonardo will reenact a boxing match after training for eight months for the part. Miami artist Jason Hedges’ Vertical Triple Chamber Smoker sculpture will meditate on our existential sustenance: food. He’ll also grill up a storm for visitors on Sunday afternoon.
In its new SoHo Studios location, the three-year old Pulse Miami fair (Dec. 5-9; www.pulse-art.com) will include the U.S. debut of Takashi Murakami’s Japan-based GEISAI show, which will highlight works by artists without current commercial representation.
Having previously used the rooms, walls and courtyard of the Aqua Hotel as gallery space, Aqua Art Miami (Dec. 5-9; www.aquaartmiami.com) is also expanding this year to include a second space in the Wynwood Art District. Go for the West Coast-centric selection of galleries and artists.
Photo enthusiasts and their dogs will be welcomed at Photo Miami (Dec. 5-9; http://artfairsinc.com/photomiami/2007/index.html) for Maarten Wetsema's Dog Shoot installation, which is devoted to dog portraiture. The artist has invited the four-legged loves of Oprah, Madonna and Paris Hilton to sit for him. No word yet on the status of their RSVPs. At least one other animal will turn up since Janet Biggs’ Enemy of the Good performance, an exploration of man’s pursuit of perfection, features a horse – a real one.
Another must-see is the Swarovski Crystal Palace (http://www.swarovskisparkles.com/crystalpalace/crystalpalaceexhibitions.html), which runs Dec. 7-9. This year New York architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro have re-imagined the chandelier as the Light Sock. The result? Oversized mesh bags filled with Swarovski crystals. Like much else at Art Basel, you can buy them to hang at home.
For a different art viewing experience, head to the Miami Beach Marina for the ARTMB, the fair that takes place aboard the SeaFair, a multi-level 228-foot mega-yacht art exhibition space, where you can check out works from artists such as Jeff Koons, Jasper Johns and others. The ship will be docked at the Marina until Dec. 9.
What about the stuff that money can’t buy?
You’ll find that at Miami’s various museums. The Rubell Family Collection (www.rubellfamilycollection.com) is hosting two solo exhibits – Hernan Bas and John Stezaker – as well as a group view of the family’s European art collection, Euro-Centric, Part 1: New European Art from the Rubell Family Collection during the Art Basel week.
Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami (www.mocanomi.org) will host a mid-career retrospective of the work of Cuban-born, L.A.-based artist Jorge Pardo from Dec. 4.
The paintings of Cuban-born Enrique Martínez Celaya and audio installations of Canadian duo Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller are on show at the Miami Art Museum (MAM) (www.miamiartmuseum.org). Also check out the exhibit that looks at the Museum’s new building to be designed by Herzog and de Meuron. MAM will also host its Party on the Plaza on Dec.6 and its annual ball, a highlight of the Miami social calendar on Dec. 8.
Curated by Julie Sylvester from St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum, RUSSIA MIAMI (www.russia-art-miami.org) will showcase contemporary Russian art from Dec.3-10.
All art and no play then?
Absolutely not! Miami during Art Basel is as much about the parties – perhaps more so in the opinion of art purists – as the art. The Raleigh hotel is party central. We can’t tell you about the impromptu room parties but there are plenty of dos to which you might want to wrangle invites. For starters, Paper Magazine is hosting a party on Dec. 4 at the Raleigh Oasis. Deitch Projects will open the fair with a concert-soiree featuring Coco Rosie at the same venue on Dec. 5. The same evening D.J. Spooky will be amongst the performers at the Rubell Family Collection dinner to kick off the SCOPE fair film and lecture series. And the Marlborough Gallery is throwing a party in honor of Spanish artist Manolo Valdes at the Setai.
On Dec. 6, Sotheby’s and Mandarin Oriental will celebrate their joint contemporary Asian Art exhibit with a dinner to be attended by Vivienne Tam and honoree, artist Zeng Fanzhi. Also on Dec. 6 is the book launch party for Bob Colacello's OUT at the Raleigh. The next day Tamara Mellon will host a dinner at the Raleigh Ballroom to toast the limited edition handbags designed by Jimmy Choo and artist Richard Phillips.
Also on Dec. 7, Janna Bullock and Thomas Krens, director of the Guggenheim Foundation, will host the Russian Party at the Raleigh Oasis. That same evening, Visionaire will host a preview of Visionaire 53 Sound at the Florida Room at the Delano, hosted by Linda Evangelist. Meanwhile, guests at the Art Nexus Gala will raise their glasses in honor of Haluk Akakçe. On Saturday, the Adidas Y-3 store opening promises to be another must-go on the party schedule.
If you get there earlier, the NADA Gala in aid of the New Museum takes place on Dec. 4. We expect a starry art crowd since the likes of Beth Rudin deWoody, Yvonne Force Villareal and Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy sit on the benefit’s committee. More museum soirees taking place include: The Whitney’s do with David Yurman at the Sagamore on Dec.5 and the MOMA Junior Associates with Vanity Fair and Banana Republic party at the Shore Club on Dec. 7.
And from Dec. 5-7, look up to the sky as “Krug is in the air” or at least it will be in the form of a new luxury hot air balloon designed by Domeau & Peres and Marc Bretillot. The balloon is modeled on the Krug Rooms in London’s Dorchester and Singapore’s Lausanne. Do your best to hitch a free ride. Additionally, make sure to check out Russell Simmons and Allison Weiss Brady's party at Intermix—the soirée will benefit Simmons' charity Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation on Dec. 8.
Finally, don't miss the Cartier Dôme,which features the brand's high jewelry collection and time pieces. Sip champagne and salivate over the gems from Wednesday to Sunday from 2-8pm and Thursday, 2-4pm.
The details
The fair runs from Dec.6-9. For full schedule and programs see www.artbaselmiamibeach.com
—Jessica Ramakrishnan
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Help - The real world
The EDL Foundation is a non profit, non governmental organization dedicated to helping provide basic necessities and infrastructure for children living in orphanages in developing countries. The foundation’s mission is to acquire funds to directly provide comprehensive support and educational possibilities to vulnerable and under-privileged orphans.
The first project of the EDL Foundation is supporting the Miftahurrohmah Orphanage in Java, Indonesia, an area severely damaged by a strong earthquake on May 27, 2006.
How it started
The founder of the EDL Foundation arrived in Java the day of the earthquake. She was shocked beyond words to see the devastation of this beautiful island and the despair of the victims who were left with nothing but their suffering. Her decision to create this foundation came after seeing the conditions in which the children at the Miftahurrohmah orphanage live in. Their need for a safer structure, a proper plumbing system, and basic necessities such as food and a mattress to sleep on, made her realize that she had to do something to make life more liveable for these orphans.
After returning several times to Java to follow up on the structural repairs being done and personally bring items and funds to continue the ongoing project, the founder wanted for the rest of the world to know the devastation and desperate need for help that is necessary for these orphans and victims of a natural disaster.
Some of the children at the Miftahurrohmah orphanage write about themselves: * My name is Sumarlan. I was born in 1989. My hobbies are reading and sports. My dream is to be a ship's captain. I live at the orphanage with my friends which are all 38 kids. The important thing for me now is to study hard so that I can reach my dream. * My name is Samsulhadi. I was born in 1989. I want to be in the army, but I don't have money to continue my study. I really hope that someday I will be able to continue my study to higher education. * My name is Sofi Sholeh. I was born in 1988. I have a dream to become a successful entrepeneur. I want to continue my study, as this orphanage helps children like us. * My name is Kholis. I am 12 years old. My hobbies are singing, studying, and doing sports. I hope I can get a job after I graduate from school. * My name is Neli Faradila. I was born in 1991. I wish I could study as high as I can, but it's impossible because of our economic condition, don't even to pay my study to make our life proper. I like reading. God...I hope in my future I meet with someone or an angel who can help me, to make my dreams come true. * I am Dwi Anita. I was born in 1990. I really want to get a better life.My hobbies are cooking and reading. Become a teacher is my dream.
Banque SCS Alliance SA,
6B route de Chancy
CP 64 - 1211 Geneva 8
SWITZERLAND
SWIFT: BSSACHGG
FFC: EDL Foundation account 0013217
IBAN:
CH80 0876 2000 1321 7000 2
www.edlfoundation.org/
The first project of the EDL Foundation is supporting the Miftahurrohmah Orphanage in Java, Indonesia, an area severely damaged by a strong earthquake on May 27, 2006.
How it started
The founder of the EDL Foundation arrived in Java the day of the earthquake. She was shocked beyond words to see the devastation of this beautiful island and the despair of the victims who were left with nothing but their suffering. Her decision to create this foundation came after seeing the conditions in which the children at the Miftahurrohmah orphanage live in. Their need for a safer structure, a proper plumbing system, and basic necessities such as food and a mattress to sleep on, made her realize that she had to do something to make life more liveable for these orphans.
After returning several times to Java to follow up on the structural repairs being done and personally bring items and funds to continue the ongoing project, the founder wanted for the rest of the world to know the devastation and desperate need for help that is necessary for these orphans and victims of a natural disaster.
Some of the children at the Miftahurrohmah orphanage write about themselves: * My name is Sumarlan. I was born in 1989. My hobbies are reading and sports. My dream is to be a ship's captain. I live at the orphanage with my friends which are all 38 kids. The important thing for me now is to study hard so that I can reach my dream. * My name is Samsulhadi. I was born in 1989. I want to be in the army, but I don't have money to continue my study. I really hope that someday I will be able to continue my study to higher education. * My name is Sofi Sholeh. I was born in 1988. I have a dream to become a successful entrepeneur. I want to continue my study, as this orphanage helps children like us. * My name is Kholis. I am 12 years old. My hobbies are singing, studying, and doing sports. I hope I can get a job after I graduate from school. * My name is Neli Faradila. I was born in 1991. I wish I could study as high as I can, but it's impossible because of our economic condition, don't even to pay my study to make our life proper. I like reading. God...I hope in my future I meet with someone or an angel who can help me, to make my dreams come true. * I am Dwi Anita. I was born in 1990. I really want to get a better life.My hobbies are cooking and reading. Become a teacher is my dream.
Banque SCS Alliance SA,
6B route de Chancy
CP 64 - 1211 Geneva 8
SWITZERLAND
SWIFT: BSSACHGG
FFC: EDL Foundation account 0013217
IBAN:
CH80 0876 2000 1321 7000 2
www.edlfoundation.org/
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
My sweet aSmallworld.net
Online Networking Goes Small!
When jet-setters began flocking to an exclusive social-networking Web site reserved for the rich, they got the
attention of an online community’s most valuable ally: advertisers.
The invitation-only site, ASmallWorld.net, has 300,000 select members who have become a magnet for compa-
nies that make luxury goods and are trying to reach people who can afford them. The site’s biggest advertisers
include Burberry, Cartier and Land Rover. Cognac maker Remy Martin last month threw a tasting party for the
site’s elite members, at which its top-shelf, $1,800-a-bottle liquor flowed freely.
Following the success of MySpace and Facebook, thousands of social-networking sites have popped up to cater
to specific interests, backgrounds, professions and age groups. Nightclub frequenters can converge at Dont-
StayIn.com. Wine connoisseurs have formed Snooth.com, and people going through divorce can commiserate at
Divorce360.com. While such sites have fewer members than MySpace and Facebook, they form intimate com-
munities of like-minded people.
Part of what is driving the development of these sites is advertising. Marketing on social networks is a fast-
growing part of the booming online advertising business, and within that, niche interest sites’ share is small.
These sites typically allow members to establish a personalized page, then communicate and share photos,
songs and updates among their friends. Based on that information, companies can target their ads.
Overall, ad spending on social-networking sites is expected to grow 75 percent next year, to $2.1 billion, ac-
cording to eMarketer, a research firm that tracks online advertising. With more than 110 million active profiles
on MySpace and 59 million on Facebook, those sites still attract the lion’s share of attention and money, win-
ning more than 70 percent of all U.S. social-network ad spending in 2007, according to eMarketer.
But smaller sites’ share of that money is growing. Of the $920 million spent this year to advertise on social
networks, 8.2 percent went to niche sites, up from 7 percent in 2006, according to eMarketer. Next year, niche
sites’ share of ad revenue is expected to grow to 10 percent, according to an eMarketer report released this
month.
Large companies are already testing ads on smaller sites.
AT&T, for example, recently promoted one of its global cellphones on WAYN.com (short for “Where are
you now?”), a social network for international travelers. While AT&T also advertises on the bigger sites
like MySpace to reach a large audience quickly, the wireless carrier is also turning to niche networks, “where
your ads are more meaningful -- those are the real gems,” said Carrie Frolich, who manages ad placements in
social media sites for at MediaEdgeCIA, which is owned by marketing giant WPP.
Frolich said her clients, including Campbell’s soup, Colgate-Palmolive, Paramount and Citibank, are willing to
take a chance on smaller sites that could be more relevant to their products.
“Even if they’re just dipping their toes in the water, this is their strategy going forward,” she said.
MySpace and Facebook also allow companies to target advertising based on their members’ interests and habits,
but their efforts have drawn criticism from users concerned about those companies’ use of private information.
Facebook recently altered its Beacon system after drawing criticism from members objecting to the monitoring
of users’ online behavior. When Beacon was launched, users who bought items from another site had their pur-
chases broadcast to their network of friends. It was Facebook’s attempt to create an automated “viral” marketing
campaign, but it caused a backlash.
MySpace used another data-mining technology, HyperTargeting, that sifts through its users’ friends, comments
and photos to fine-tune ad placement. That, too, has met with complaints from privacy advocates.
Faced with that sort of backlash, marketers are beginning to focus more on ads tailored to smaller, more specific
audiences, said Jeremiah Owyang, a social-networking analyst at Forrester Research.
“Companies are learning that these smaller communities may reach people that are more valuable to their
brands. It will someday feel more like information than marketing,” he said.
Because members of niche social networks share common interests and experiences, they tend to spend more
time on the site and contribute to the group by chatting and posting comments. Members tend to be less in-
volved on bigger sites and are therefore less appealing to advertisers, said Julie Wittes Schlack, vice president of
innovation and research at Communispace, an online consulting firm in Watertown, Mass.
“The bigger sites have become so cluttered and overrun with advertisers that members are used to tuning stuff
out, even personalized ads,” she said. But on networking sites that have a self-selecting demographic, people
tend to trust the content, including ads, she said.
Facebook user Liz Collins, 26, of the District, said she’s drawn to the smaller community aspect of social net-
working. She said she likes being able to join smaller groups within Facebook while still having access to all of
her other friends. She recently joined YogaMates.com at the suggestion of a friend.
“It feels less commercial, which I like,” she said of that site.
There’s at least one social network for just about every interest or hobby. Yub.com is for shopoholics; Fuzzster.
com is for pet lovers; OnLoq.com is for hip-hop fans and Jango.com lets music fans find others with similar tastes.
Some cater to the obscure. Passions Network, with 600,000 members, has 106 groups for specific interests,
including “Star Trek” fans, truckers, atheists and people who are shy. The most popular group is a dating site for
the overweight.
Diane Von Furstenberg
Well-regarded fashion designer and former Austro-Italian princess Diane von Fürstenberg became a powerful fashion icon in the 70s when she created the influential ‘wrap dress’, an example of which hangs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institute. Born Diane Halfin on December 31, 1945 in Brussels, Belgium, the famous socialite and entrepreneur was raised in a well-to-do Jewish family. Her Greek mother, Liliane Nahmias, was a Holocaust survivor.
Fürstenberg’s society life began while studying economics at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, where she met the Austro-Italian Prince Egon of Fürstenberg. The couple quickly fell in love and married, and had two children together after moving to New York City in 1969. An aspiring designer and businesswoman, the stunning Manhattan socialite quickly rose to fame when she introduced the ‘wrap dress’ in 1973. The popular design, which began a women’s fashion trend due to its revolutionary versatility, is notable for its dual status as comfortable business wear and elegant evening dress. Suitable for the changing roles of busy urban women in the 70s, the dress became a sensation and Fürstenberg sold over five million of them before market saturation and over-exposure killed its popularity while new trends took over the 80s.
Divorced from Prince Egon and losing control of her fashion empire, Fürstenberg fled bankruptcy by selling most of her licenses and moved to Europe in defeat, a temporary victim of the highly volatile women’s fashion industry. In Paris she began her comeback by starting the moderately successful French publishing house Salvy, and in the early 90s re-entered the American fashion scene with Silk Assets, an early home-shopping QVC clothing line. Fürstenberg has since described her work for QVC as follows: “It was tacky, but it gave me confidence”. The legendary designer has never lacked talent or ambition, and was soon back on top with the founding of the Diane Fürstenberg Studio, which aimed to provide more affordable items to high-end department stores. The popular line, which is featured at elite stores including Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman in addition to her website, has recently began turning profits and has returned Fürstenberg’s signature styles to the forefront of women’s fashion. In addition to her triumphant return to fashion, she published her autobiography in 1998, titled “DIANE: A Signature Life”.
Fürstenberg remarried for the first time in 2001 to Hollywood powerhouse Barry Diller, the former Paramount executive who helped usher in today’s crop of entertainment moguls. One of the most important designers of the 20th century, Fürstenberg remains a powerful entrepreneurial and creative voice in the fashion industry.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Back in Town - Ronnie Scotts
Farewell, then, the sticky carpet, stale air, and food of which the original owner used to say, only half-joking, "A thousand flies can't be wrong." On Monday, Ronnie Scott's club, that venerable Soho institution which proudly calls itself the home of British jazz, reopens after the first major re-fit in its 47-year existence.
And about time too. After Scott and his business partner Pete King moved it from Gerrard Street to the Frith Street premises it has occupied since 1965, Ronnie's spent the next three decades obstinately resisting the gradual tidying up of Soho.
For a while, this had a certain funky, atavistic logic, on a par with the way the club largely ignored the revolutions in popular music that threatened to push jazz into the margins.
But after Scott died in 1996, that famous joke of his in which he would refer to the club as "just like home - filthy and full of strangers" didn't seem quite so funny any more. His old business partner Pete King kept it going, but the only memorable shows I've seen there in the past 10 years have been record company showcases. And the food really was terrible.
Now £1 million has been spent by the club's new owner, theatre impresario Sally Greene. This makeover will be scrutinised with as much interest as the one she carried out at the Old Vic after acquiring the theatre in 1998, although on this occasion Greene has delegated a lot of the decision-making.
The person calling the shots round at Frith Street now is the club's manager and booker, Leo Green, son of bandleader Benny.
Green, who says he "never realised there were two nine o'clocks in the day" before he started working on the re-launch last summer, is a former musician who has played in touring bands with Van Morrison, Jerry Lee Lewis and Jeff Beck.
His contacts across the worlds of jazz and R&B landed him a job which entails keeping the musical menu pretty much as it was. "In terms of the music, Ronnie's wasn't broken and we haven't fixed it," he says. Alongside jazz classics such as Billy Cobham and Ramsey Lewis, Green's first month features the Brit soul diva Carleen Anderson and pin-up bassist Kyle "Son of Clint" Eastwood.
British jazz legend Ronnie Scott
For those anoraks who believe that jazz can only be truly appreciated in louche, poorly lit dives, the good news is that the club has retained its trademark brothel-red table lighting. For the rest of us, the opening gig on Monday with the Monty Alexander Trio should spring some pleasant surprises.
Getting in is much easier now that you won't have to fight through a crush of bodies queuing at the bar, which has been sensibly moved from the side next to the entrance to the middle at the back. The carpet upon which oceans of drinks have spilled down the years and on to which the great jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie once threw up has finally been replaced. Air con, comfy seats and a range of - hoorah! - edible snacks promise a hitherto unknown level of comfort.
The upstairs part of the venue, for years a semi-detached irrelevance, has been turned into a DJ bar - jazz only - where patrons can seek refuge from tiresome support acts, and also have a smoke. The entrance fee has, unsurprisingly, gone up: £25 is now as cheap as a night at Ronnie's will get, rising to £45 when superstars Wynton Marsalis and Chick Corea appear in August. But there's no club membership to pay, and we are promised that the price of drinks will remain "reasonable".
The new regime have been careful to preserve one thing: the club's excellent acoustics. This has meant not messing around with the low ceiling, not moving the stage or otherwise altering the layout of the main room. "What musicians love about Ronnie's isn't the tradition of the place, it's the intimacy and clarity of the sound," says Green.
If the relaunched Ronnie's works, then we have Kevin Spacey partly to thank. When Greene went to meet the octogenarian Pete King in 2003 to discuss the sale of the club, she took the artistic director of the Old Vic with her to convince the old man that jazz really was at the top of her agenda. The ploy worked. No other bidders for the club were considered.
Spacey is more than a fan: he harbours serious ambitions as a jazz singer. As well as starring in a movie about Bobby Darin, he got up at Ronnie's one night with the Woody Herman Big Band, after which King was heard to mutter, "He's a good boy, he can sing."
The Old Times...
What is a Kelly Bag? (Para a Amélia )
Em versão bolinho para a minha Amélia.
Senhora Dona Graça. Gracinha – Para as mais intimas.
The classic Hermes handbag, known as the "Kelly" since 1956, was joined in the early 1980s by the "Birkin."
"The Kelly is a touch more formal, a little more appropriate for an evening out, a business dinner, as a more refined look. The Birkin is more sporty, more casual. Often people use it as a briefcase, throw in a change of shoes," says Trina Sams-Manning, manager of the Hermes shop in Fairfax Square, which recently reopened after a major facelift.
Inga Guen, who sells gently used Kellys and Birkins at Inga's Once Is Not Enough, a high-end consignment shop in Northwest Washington, is even more emphatic about the difference. "A woman who is going to wear the Kelly is of very erect stature, she comes from money, very good background, is extraordinarily educated, and life to her is one where she will be very inconspicuous," says Guen, an avid Kelly carrier. She cuts a bit of slack for the Birkin femme, who "wears Manolo mules, a pair of jeans, a little Chanel jacket. She is the younger woman."
Both bags have made their marks on the cultural landscape. In "Le Divorce," a red crocodile Kelly was a sure sign that young Isabel was having having an affair with someone rich enough to buy her this five-figure confection.
The Birkin became an intense object of desire on "Sex and the City," when Kim Cattrall's Samantha told Hermes she needed one instantly for a client. Yes, it was a big fat lie, but morally defensible in social circles where owning a bag that can cost as much as a car is, like, truly, seriously important.
Conversely, a Birkin may have worked against Martha Stewart, who schlepped her well-worn Hermes to court during her 2004 insider trading trial, to the derision of critics who thought the super-expensive bag might not play well with a middle-class jury.
For the uninitiated, these bags, which start at about $7,000 and can top $25,000 depending on hide and hue, are named for a duo of beautiful actresses.
Philadelphia-born Grace Kelly -- so blonde, so patrician -- had been wed less than a year to Prince Rainier of Monaco when she deftly obscured her royal pregnancy with a structured, crocodile Hermes purse on a 1956 Life magazine cover. Created in 1892 as a large saddle carrier -- the French fashion house started out as a saddlemaker -- the bag was downsized for daywear in the 1930s. But after its moment in Life, it was dedicated to Her Serene Highness, and, as legends often do, lives on after her.
By contrast, it was during a 1981 airplane flight that the effluvia in British-born actress-singer Jane Birkin's overstuffed purse spilled in the vicinity of Jean-Louis Dumas-Hermes. Three years later, the venerable firm introduced a bag for Birkin's more bohemian lifestyle based on an 1892 design. In a splendid bit of irony, Birkin recently confessed she barely used hers because it had proved hazardous to her health.
"I told Hermes they were mad to make it. My one was always full, and it ended up giving me tendinitis," she told the Scotland on Sunday newspaper in March.
Like the Kelly, the Birkin is crafted entirely by hand by a single artisan from start to finish, and embellished with a petite padlock, keys and gleaming hardware made of white or yellow gold.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Jai Hong Kong
Designed by Philip Starke, the Jia hotel on first impressions is a good and trendy option for Hong Kong. Each suite/apartment is sizeable, most with a living room and kitchenette - and of course the design is fun Starke albeit circa 2005. But having stayed for two separate weeks you start noticing the cracks – no full room service, poor (but free) breakfast in the main lobby, faulty equipment, no heating and sporadic hot water etc… There are definite instances of design over function, so not a great business option but definitely a place to party with friends for a couple of nights.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
An upgrade idea...
The proposed master bedroom for the Dreamliner as designed by Lufthansa Technik
For the Super-Rich, It’s Time to Upgrade the Old Jumbo Jet
By JOE SHARKEY
The tremendously rich are different not only from you and me but also from the merely rich. For one thing, some of them have really nice airplanes.
This is not about the presumed titans of the private jet universe like the mighty Gulfstream G5’s or Global Expresses, whose occupants can leap continents and oceans at high speed and in plush comfort, without all the inconveniences of commercial airports, airline schedules and, well, strangers.
This is about big, long-haul airliners that are converted to private jets and can carry not only pampered passengers and their entourages, but also, in some cases, their Rolls Royces and racehorses. These are specially equipped, privately owned jumbo jets — the kind that normally carry as many 300 to 400 passengers — but reconfigured with interiors designed for the enjoyment of, at most, a couple of dozen.
And in a market in which many owners progressively upgrade — starting out, for example, with a Boeing 737 and eventually moving up — the next big thing is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which lists for about $150 million and up.
As a private jet, at least under a new “V.I.P.” design being introduced today by Lufthansa Technik at the National Business Aviation Association convention and trade show in Orlando, Fla., the 787 will have 35 seats — most of which can also be used as single lie-flat seats, queen-size beds or double beds, said Jennifer Urbaniak, a Lufthansa spokeswoman.
As a commercial airliner, the 787 will seat 210 to 330 passengers, depending on the airline that flies it.
“There are around 39 Boeing 747’s with interiors configured for V.I.P. use in the world, and many 757’s and 767’s, an MD-11, and two 777’s,” said Aaga Duenhaupt, a manager for Lufthansa Technik, based in Hamburg, a subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa that designs and builds the interiors for new and used (or “pre-owned,” as they like to say in both the luxury car and luxury jet markets) airliners for individual or corporate use.
Even though the first deliveries of the 787 are not expected until 2008, industry experts say that marketing interior design plans now makes sense because there is always great interest in the next big thing at the highest end of the luxury private jet market. Ordering now ensures getting into the front of the line for a private 787, fully loaded, they say.
PrivatAir, a Swiss company that markets charter and individual flights on privately configured big planes, is interested in buying a 787 from Boeing and in having it outfitted in true luxury, its chief executive, Greg Thomas, said.
“We’ve signed a letter of intent and are still in negotiations about the finer points of the contract,” he said. “We have put money down; at the moment it’s refundable. We are very interested in the airplane — the capabilities are superb and it’s a classy product.”
PrivatAir, which specializes in long-haul V.I.P. flights, manages a fleet of 50 aircraft, including a 757 that is chartered by governments worldwide for special purposes. The 757 is also used three or four times a year for so-called air-cruises — “around-the-world trips for 21 days, basically by retired Americans,” he said. Those trips can cost $50,000 to $70,000 a person.
Such planes are also used for special business purposes. “We’ve done movie launches,” Mr. Thomas said. “We did the launches of ‘Ocean’s 11’ and ‘Ocean’s 12’ and ‘King Kong,’ ” he said. “The studio will rent the plane for the actors to go and do premieres. One of the ‘Matrix’ movies we whistle-stopped in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore to open the movie in several cities one day after another.”
Mr. Thomas said PrivatAir had ordered a 767 aircraft and expected delivery late this year.
Jumbo jets are often favored by Arab sheiks and other fabulously wealthy people who tend not to advertise their opulent lifestyles. A notch or two down-market, the 777’s, 767’s and 757’s are often coveted by corporate titans, among them Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the co-founders of Google, who bought a used 767 last year and spent millions converting it into a private jet.
Airliner-size jets are also used by individual business people. Among them is Willie Gary, who grew up in a family of migrant workers in Florida but is now a prominent liability lawyer. Weary of wasting valuable time away from his family in commercial airports and eager to have the space to conduct business in the air, Mr. Gary bought a Boeing 737 several years ago and had it outfitted as a private jet. He also owns a 16-seat Gulfstream G2 that he refers to as his “second plane.”
Mr. Gary planned to invest in a bigger private 757, but now he says he is ready to kick the tires of the 787 Dreamliner, once the plane is on the market.
“On the 737, we can take depositions,” Mr. Gary said. “We have meetings and settlement conferences. It gives me the luxury of getting in and getting out and moving on. I’ve touched down in as many as five states in a day,” he said. “But I’m not going to keep the 737 forever. I’m a goal setter, and I’m always looking for something new.”
Anticipating strong growth in private demand for the long-haul, airliner-size planes, Lufthansa Technik says it is setting up a unit to design 787 interiors for clients.
The interiors have been developed in a partnership with Andrew Winch, who is best known for designing top-luxury interiors for big yachts.
Over the years, Lufthansa Technik has designed the interiors for 12 jumbo 747’s, said Mr. Duenhaupt. A 747 purchased “green,” that is, with basically a bare interior, costs about $180 million, he said. “And then, if you really want that 747 to be a full-blown V.I.P. aircraft, with all the V.I.P. luxuries, you can spend up to $50 million more on the interior.”
Some private 747’s are even equipped with medical emergency rooms, “including ones that can do open-heart surgery when people are flying into a certain environment,” Mr. Duenhaupt said. “But preferably the surgery is done on the ground when the plane has landed.”
Luthnansa Technik is now working on preliminary designs for the much-delayed Airbus A380, which will be the biggest plane in the sky once it is available.
In addition to its size, which will allow for even more luxury, the A380 has a feature that may appeal to the most status-conscious of owners, who may travel with underlings. That feature harks back to the days of ocean liners, where social classes were physically segregated.
“The A380 will offer a chance to separate the senior V.I.P.’s from the junior V.I.P.’s because you have two decks, and they can be kept apart,” Mr. Duenhaupt said.
For the Super-Rich, It’s Time to Upgrade the Old Jumbo Jet
By JOE SHARKEY
The tremendously rich are different not only from you and me but also from the merely rich. For one thing, some of them have really nice airplanes.
This is not about the presumed titans of the private jet universe like the mighty Gulfstream G5’s or Global Expresses, whose occupants can leap continents and oceans at high speed and in plush comfort, without all the inconveniences of commercial airports, airline schedules and, well, strangers.
This is about big, long-haul airliners that are converted to private jets and can carry not only pampered passengers and their entourages, but also, in some cases, their Rolls Royces and racehorses. These are specially equipped, privately owned jumbo jets — the kind that normally carry as many 300 to 400 passengers — but reconfigured with interiors designed for the enjoyment of, at most, a couple of dozen.
And in a market in which many owners progressively upgrade — starting out, for example, with a Boeing 737 and eventually moving up — the next big thing is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which lists for about $150 million and up.
As a private jet, at least under a new “V.I.P.” design being introduced today by Lufthansa Technik at the National Business Aviation Association convention and trade show in Orlando, Fla., the 787 will have 35 seats — most of which can also be used as single lie-flat seats, queen-size beds or double beds, said Jennifer Urbaniak, a Lufthansa spokeswoman.
As a commercial airliner, the 787 will seat 210 to 330 passengers, depending on the airline that flies it.
“There are around 39 Boeing 747’s with interiors configured for V.I.P. use in the world, and many 757’s and 767’s, an MD-11, and two 777’s,” said Aaga Duenhaupt, a manager for Lufthansa Technik, based in Hamburg, a subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa that designs and builds the interiors for new and used (or “pre-owned,” as they like to say in both the luxury car and luxury jet markets) airliners for individual or corporate use.
Even though the first deliveries of the 787 are not expected until 2008, industry experts say that marketing interior design plans now makes sense because there is always great interest in the next big thing at the highest end of the luxury private jet market. Ordering now ensures getting into the front of the line for a private 787, fully loaded, they say.
PrivatAir, a Swiss company that markets charter and individual flights on privately configured big planes, is interested in buying a 787 from Boeing and in having it outfitted in true luxury, its chief executive, Greg Thomas, said.
“We’ve signed a letter of intent and are still in negotiations about the finer points of the contract,” he said. “We have put money down; at the moment it’s refundable. We are very interested in the airplane — the capabilities are superb and it’s a classy product.”
PrivatAir, which specializes in long-haul V.I.P. flights, manages a fleet of 50 aircraft, including a 757 that is chartered by governments worldwide for special purposes. The 757 is also used three or four times a year for so-called air-cruises — “around-the-world trips for 21 days, basically by retired Americans,” he said. Those trips can cost $50,000 to $70,000 a person.
Such planes are also used for special business purposes. “We’ve done movie launches,” Mr. Thomas said. “We did the launches of ‘Ocean’s 11’ and ‘Ocean’s 12’ and ‘King Kong,’ ” he said. “The studio will rent the plane for the actors to go and do premieres. One of the ‘Matrix’ movies we whistle-stopped in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore to open the movie in several cities one day after another.”
Mr. Thomas said PrivatAir had ordered a 767 aircraft and expected delivery late this year.
Jumbo jets are often favored by Arab sheiks and other fabulously wealthy people who tend not to advertise their opulent lifestyles. A notch or two down-market, the 777’s, 767’s and 757’s are often coveted by corporate titans, among them Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the co-founders of Google, who bought a used 767 last year and spent millions converting it into a private jet.
Airliner-size jets are also used by individual business people. Among them is Willie Gary, who grew up in a family of migrant workers in Florida but is now a prominent liability lawyer. Weary of wasting valuable time away from his family in commercial airports and eager to have the space to conduct business in the air, Mr. Gary bought a Boeing 737 several years ago and had it outfitted as a private jet. He also owns a 16-seat Gulfstream G2 that he refers to as his “second plane.”
Mr. Gary planned to invest in a bigger private 757, but now he says he is ready to kick the tires of the 787 Dreamliner, once the plane is on the market.
“On the 737, we can take depositions,” Mr. Gary said. “We have meetings and settlement conferences. It gives me the luxury of getting in and getting out and moving on. I’ve touched down in as many as five states in a day,” he said. “But I’m not going to keep the 737 forever. I’m a goal setter, and I’m always looking for something new.”
Anticipating strong growth in private demand for the long-haul, airliner-size planes, Lufthansa Technik says it is setting up a unit to design 787 interiors for clients.
The interiors have been developed in a partnership with Andrew Winch, who is best known for designing top-luxury interiors for big yachts.
Over the years, Lufthansa Technik has designed the interiors for 12 jumbo 747’s, said Mr. Duenhaupt. A 747 purchased “green,” that is, with basically a bare interior, costs about $180 million, he said. “And then, if you really want that 747 to be a full-blown V.I.P. aircraft, with all the V.I.P. luxuries, you can spend up to $50 million more on the interior.”
Some private 747’s are even equipped with medical emergency rooms, “including ones that can do open-heart surgery when people are flying into a certain environment,” Mr. Duenhaupt said. “But preferably the surgery is done on the ground when the plane has landed.”
Luthnansa Technik is now working on preliminary designs for the much-delayed Airbus A380, which will be the biggest plane in the sky once it is available.
In addition to its size, which will allow for even more luxury, the A380 has a feature that may appeal to the most status-conscious of owners, who may travel with underlings. That feature harks back to the days of ocean liners, where social classes were physically segregated.
“The A380 will offer a chance to separate the senior V.I.P.’s from the junior V.I.P.’s because you have two decks, and they can be kept apart,” Mr. Duenhaupt said.
HELP!
At least 55,000 people threatened by floods in Mozambique have been evacuated – all, remarkably, in small boats.
The British Red Cross has opened an appeal to support the Mozambique Red Cross and National Societies across the southern Africa region, which is threatened by a flood catastrophe.
The Southern Africa Appeal will provide non-food relief items such as blankets, tarpaulins and kitchen sets for 100,000 people.
Mozambique is the worst affected country with 57,000 people affected, and 1,000 households and 37,000 hectares of land destroyed. The government has declared a red alert.
It is vital the international community continues to provide support as needs will increase with thousands displaced from their homes.
Lois Austin, British Red Cross
“We now have about 500 volunteers involved round-the-clock in rescue operations,” said Fernanda Teixeira, the secretary general of the Mozambique Red Cross. “They are also helping to welcome displaced people in shelters set up by the government.”
Five other countries are affected: Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland.
The Government of Zambia, where 800 people have been affected, has put 34 out of the country’s 72 districts on red alert. In Zimbabwe, heavy rains have continued since December, with the floods affecting 10,300 people.
The situation is especially precarious for populations across the region, which was hit by floods a year ago.
Lois Austin, British Red Cross relief operations manager, said: “To date, the emergency response has seen the success of disaster preparedness work, but it is vital the international community continues to provide support as needs will increase with thousands displaced from their homes.”
Frank Gehry in Abu Dhabi
The Guggenheim Foundation has embarked on its most ambitious outpost yet: a 300,000 sq ft modern art museum designed by Frank Gehry on an island off the coast of Abu Dhabi.
The extension of the Guggenheim brand from New York, Las Vegas, Venice, Berlin and Bilbao to Abu Dhabi was widely seen as a coup for the region, which has sought ways to capitalise on its emergence as a holiday destination for visitors from Asia and Europe.
The extension of the Guggenheim brand from New York, Las Vegas, Venice, Berlin and Bilbao to Abu Dhabi was widely seen as a coup for the region, which has sought ways to capitalise on its emergence as a holiday destination for visitors from Asia and Europe.
The Plaza - Back in town
The Plaza is scheduled to debut this winter. Due to limited availability, reservations are currently being accepted for stays of Mar 1, 2008 and beyond.
A century ago, The Plaza set the standard for luxury and that tradition continues when the iconic hotel makes its grand debut this winter, following a $400 million, two-year renovation. The passion and uncompromising service, which made the hotel a legend, will return with a new and contemporary spirit. The Plaza hotel will offer 282 distinctive guestrooms, including 152 pied-à-terres, which will boast the largest square footage of any luxury property in New York. From the sumptuous décor to the impeccable white glove service, the Plaza is an extraordinary hotel that will offer its guests every indulgence. Amenities include a world-class retail collection featuring exclusive boutiques and purveyors of fine food, as well as health and wellness facilities, including a Caudalie Spa, Fitness Center by Radu and Warren Tricomi Salon.
A century ago, The Plaza set the standard for luxury and that tradition continues when the iconic hotel makes its grand debut this winter, following a $400 million, two-year renovation. The passion and uncompromising service, which made the hotel a legend, will return with a new and contemporary spirit. The Plaza hotel will offer 282 distinctive guestrooms, including 152 pied-à-terres, which will boast the largest square footage of any luxury property in New York. From the sumptuous décor to the impeccable white glove service, the Plaza is an extraordinary hotel that will offer its guests every indulgence. Amenities include a world-class retail collection featuring exclusive boutiques and purveyors of fine food, as well as health and wellness facilities, including a Caudalie Spa, Fitness Center by Radu and Warren Tricomi Salon.
Friday, January 25, 2008
A Hotel Fan in Paris
Lets sleep...?
Le Bristol
Hotel Crillon
Plaza Athenee
Le Grand Intercontinental Hotel
Hotel Ritz
Hotel George V
Hotel Meurice
Le Costes
Le Bristol
Hotel Crillon
Plaza Athenee
Le Grand Intercontinental Hotel
Hotel Ritz
Hotel George V
Hotel Meurice
Le Costes
Dover street Market
Concept and Direction by Rei KAWAKUBO
"I want to create a kind of market where various creators from various fields gather together and encounter each other in an ongoing atmosphere of beautiful chaos: the mixing up and coming together of different kindred souls who all share a strong personal vision."
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Versace-Bad Taste in the Sky
Not content with fashion and a burgeoning hotel empire, Versace will now be designing interiors for private jets. The fashion company has announced a new collaboration with Tag Group SA to design interiors for the Boeing BBJ, Bombardier Global Express and other private jets. The interiors will be shown at a British Air Show this summer. The prototype is described as having a white and black scheme including white leather chairs and black carpeting.
