Luxury Goods

New Fendi store opens in Paris

Coming in June 2013 is the new flagship Fendi store in Paris. The new store will be at 51, Avenue Montaigne, next to the Chanel store. The new space, 3230 square feet, will have leather goods, apparel and accessories for sale. www.fendi.com

Tag Heuer launches luxury smart phone

Luxury timepiece designer TAG Heuer recently released its own smartphone — the Racer. The Racer is built with some of the most high-tech materials available: carbon fiber lined with titanium grade 2, 316L stainless steel, a special grade rubber and black Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD), which is an exclusive black coating treatment composed of titanium carbide, making it scratch, temperature and corrosion resistant.  These unique components make The Racer shockproof but lightweight. These are the same materials used in professional motor sports and aeronautics.

There are three versions available: the Sport Classic in dark grey F1 rubber and 316L stainless steel; the Precious Gold version in 18K rose gold; and the Full Carbon Orange version. The Full Carbon Orange, shown at right, is the core model. It features a front face in full carbon fiber and black F1-grade rubber, with a black PVD-coated stainless steel frame highlighted with an orange racing stripe. The rear cover is carbon plate with polished black PVD sides and orange sidebars.

The phone doesn’t skimp on smartphone technology, either. It has a 1GHz processor, 16 million colors screen resolution, large 3.5″ display, high-definition 5 mega-pixel auto-focus camera, a 640×480 pixel VGA video front camera and 11 hours of music play time. The Racer is powered by the Android “Gingerbread” operating system, providing access to over 400,000 applications. It comes fully loaded with TAG Heuer add-ons, including animations, wallpapers, icons, ring tones, customized screen designs and widgets to personalize the home screen. It also features dedicated animated TAG Heuer widget clocks based on the TAG Heuer watches collection models.

The Racer offers the first customizable 3D user interface, allowing activation of any panel in a single gesture. The phone is 4.65″ high x 2.5″ wide and .63″ deep and weighs 6 ounces with the battery. It has a talk time of 6.5 hours and a standby time of about 14 days.

Phone statistics:

Messaging:

Video call/SMS/MMS/Email with Predictive Text
Image formats supported are JPEG/GIF/BMP
Sound formats supported are MP3/AAC/AAC+/RA/WMA

Connectivity & Network:

Edge & HSUPA (3G+)
4 Band GSM/TriBand WCDMA
AGPS, Wifi, WAPI
Stereo Bluetooth®
Compatible with any SIM card

Multimedia:

Internal memory: 256 MB
SD Memory card: 8GB (expandable to 16GB)
Music play time: 11 hours

Photo & Video:

Screen resolution: 16 millions of colors
Rear camera: 5 Mega Pixel Camera Auto Focus
Front camera: VGA – 640×480 (video call)
Video player and recorder

Applications:

Android Market with up to 400,000 applications, including Adobe Flash Player, Google Search, Google Maps, GMail, YouTube
2 exclusive applications: SoApps and TAG Heuer Mobile Security

TAG Heuer’s Racer is available in TAG Heuer shops and some specialty luxury mobile, watch and jewelry shops. Prices start at $3,700. http://us.tagheuer.com/en/home

Samsung Galaxy S3 with a little bling

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is now available in an Amosu Couture Swarovski Edition. Amosu Couture is known for customizing a variety of electronic gadgets with the Swarovski crystals for the ultimate bling factor. The Amosu Couture version of the Samsung Galaxy has approximately 500 Swarovski diamonds inlaid in the bezel and 16 Swarovski crystals in the home key. The company can also customize the phone with the customer’s initials, name or other designs. Each phone comes in a protective Amosu Couture calf leather case, valued at $325.

The phone is sold in London or online, but is available to customers world-wide — the model comes unlocked for international use. The basic Swarovski model, without further customization, sells for $3375. If you already own a Samsung Galaxy S3, you can contact Amosu Couture about customizing your phone for just $2250. http://www.amosucouture.com/index.php

 

Do you need a $36,000 mattress?

The Palais Royale mattress by Kluft is available only at Bloomingdale’s and considered one of the most comfortable beds in the world. Retail price is $36,000, but on sale now for $19,800. What makes this mattress so special? Here is the listing and the unique attributes, according to Bloomingdale’s:

Finely tailored by bedding artisans committed to excellence, the Kluft Beyond Luxury collection combines superb craftsmanship with the finest materials. Premium English springs encased in calico cotton provide extraordinary support while minimizing motion transfer. Abundant layers of cashmere, mohair, wool, cotton and Talalay latex nurture your body and eliminate pressure points, supporting and comforting your every curve. Hand tufted and hand side-stitched, each mattress is made to the exacting standards required by the 20-year warranty.

The “Palais Royal Plush” is a plush mattress that gives you the deep sumptuous feeling of lying in the bed. As an alternative, the “Palais Royal Firm” offers a supple smooth feeling of lying on the bed. Whichever one you choose, rest assured that an excellent night’s sleep awaits. On our We know that shopping for a mattress can be an overwhelming experience, so let us help.

• Belgian damask woven from pima cotton jacquards
• Calico-encased spring unit – hand-nested and hand-sewn
• Mattress height: 15.5″ one-sided no-flip mattress
• Natural upholstery layers of Joma wool, Talalay latex and staple cotton.
• High resiliency side rails for superior edge support
• Outer-tufted pocketed spring divan
• Meets all fire-retardant safety laws
• 20-year manufacturer’s warranty

http://www1.bloomingdales.com/shop/product/kluft-beyond-luxury-palais-royal-plush-mattresses?ID=131496

Luxury on board the Orient Express

The Orient Express began operating in 1883 and defined luxury travel. Today, there are several different trips you can take on the Orient Express, including a wine tasting through France or an exotic ride from Bangkok to Singapore. The most popular trip, however, is the Venice-Simplon Orient Express, which runs the classic Venice to London route. The journey costs $8000 for two people and is a nostalgic ride in luxury.

The 17 original cars from the 1920s and 1930s went through a $16 million renovation to return them to their former splendor. Each sleeping car has a different theme and features inlaid mahogany, crystal chandeliers, artwork and antiques. There are no showers or air conditioning on board, so after a night on board the train, passengers spend the next night in a luxury hotel – such as the Hotel Cipriani in Venice – alternating nights throughout the journey. Guests feast on gourmet French cuisine paired with French and Italian wines. www.orient-express.com

Louis Vuitton meets Harrods

London’s premier retailer, Harrods, just opened a new Louis Vuitton store in The Central Hall on the Ground Floor. The new store will offer luggage, scarves, handbags and accessories. There is also an area dedicated to exotic skins.

Harrods, in Knightsbridge is at 87-135 Brompton Road. The store is open seven days, but hours vary depending on season. See the website at http://www.harrods.com for current hours.

Porsche baby stroller for ultimate baby ride

Swedish designer Dawid Dawod created a sleek, high quality stroller for Porsche, designed to pair nicely with any compact Porsche sports car. It’s ideal for the parent who carries the baby in the sports car. The Porsche Design P’4911 is made of carbon fiber, aluminum and leather and has ball-bearing wheels, giving it a noticeably masculine look.

Dot fragrance by Marc Jacobs in a ladybug bottle

The new fragrance by fashion icon Marc Jacobs, Dot, was recently unveiled and it sports a fun and unique bottle. The fragrance is in a flashy bottle with the colors and shape of a ladybug, with butterflies on top. The light, fun scent has the fragrance of redberries, dragon fruit, honeysuckle, heart of jasmine, coconut water, orange blossom, vanilla, driftwood and musk. The eaux de parfum starts at $48 for a 1 ounce bottle. There is a body lotion for $45 and a shower gel for $40. http://www.marcjacobs.com

Coach creates products for Year of the Dragon

To celebrate the upcoming Chinese Year of the Dragon, and to appeal to the growing Chinese luxury market, Coach has announced its Year of the Dragon collection. Chinese artist Zhang Lan created golden dragons for Coach’s mahogany color schemed products. The Coach-Zhang Lan line will include a passport case, travel wallet, travel organizer, and tote. http://www.coach.com

Mr. & Mrs. Smith Hotel App is a little risqué

The new Mr. and Mrs. Smith app, named after the movie starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, is a classic last-minute hotel booking application — with a twist. The app also features tips for sexy interludes, cocktails, even customizable emails you can use to explain your absence to your employer the day after. The app developers have spent a decade screening and selecting the top boutique hotels and vacation rentals around the world and include insider tips to make your trip memorable. They simply take the tips one step further by including some “saucy games” and ideas for your stay. Visit online at http://www.mrandmrssmith.com

Digital Device Holders from Cartier

Cartier has a new line of iPad covers, available in 3 colors: fuchsia, black, and camel. The elegant goatskin finish has the Cartier signature embossed on the front and a microfiber lining. The “Digital Device Holders,” in the les must collection, are priced at $420. http://www.cartier.us.

Hermes releases luxurious Apple iPad2 cases

Hermes has just announced the release of two luxurious cases for the new Apple iPad2. The Hermes Swift is a slipcase made from calf-skin leather. The slipcase, which sells for $820, comes in 10 colors.

The Hermes Station is a book-style cover also made of calf-skin leather. It doubles as an iPad stand. The Hermes Station is available in 4 colors and sells for $1400.

You will be able to order your case at http://www.hermes.com.

Swarovski brings bling to that must have flat iron

Linea Pro Appliances has blinged out a flat iron, making a beauty appliance ever so glamorous. The Linea Pro Swarovski Crystal C2 iron is covered with more than 2500 Swarovski crystals, hand-applied with a heat-proof glue. The flat-iron features extra long titanium plates, tourmaline-infused ceramic, the world’s first digital cord temperature control with auto shut-off, and exclusive nanosilver that kills 99.9% of bacteria. The design lets you work with larger sections of hair at a time.

Linea, a British company, is the only company in the world allowed to use Swarovski on a flat iron. Each iron is individually numbered and made to order. The cost is $850.

Check out the flat iron here: Linea Pro Swarovski Crystal C2 Iron

Maier faucets pairs with Swarovski crystals to bring bling to the bathroom

If you want to add luxury bling to your home, Spanish luxury faucet company Maier has paired with Swarovski crystals to offer something unusual. Meier has launched a line of faucets encrusted with 1,720 Swarovski crystals in floral patterns. The faucets are available in chrome, gold, or satin gold. Meier crystal faucets range in price from approximately $2,500 to $3,700.

Long-awaited Noble M600 sports car is ready for the luxury market

 

British sports car designer Lee Noble and Noble Automotive has announced that the long-awaited Noble M600 sports car is ready for the market. The M600 has a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that produces up to 650 horsepower. The car supposedly has a 0 to 60 of less than 3 seconds and a top speed of 225 mph. The cost for this luxury is £200,000 or about $320,00.

J.A. Henckels knives released exclusively at Williams-Sonoma

World-renowned knife maker J.A. Henckels released a line of Damascus steel knives under its Zwilling brand that will be available only at Williams-Sonoma. The four Zwilling Damascus knives in the collection — a bread knife,chef’s knife, paring knife, and santoku knife — were designed by architect Matteo Thun and hand-forged by a German blacksmith. The Zwilling Damascus steel is 160 layers of steel that are hand-forged then bathed in acid to reveal the distinct patterns of the layers. The handles are untreated, oiled grenadill wood. The blade is rated at 61 on the Rockwell scale, ensuring that it is hard and maintains an edge. They are the only German-made Damascus steel kitchen knives on the market. The chef’s knife retails for $1,400.