There are brands that manufacture watches and others who tell stories. And only a few will literally express themselves with true poetry. Jaquet Droz is a true UFO in the Swiss Watchmaking landscape. Born with a unique heritage of Automaton, the Swiss brand deploys outstanding ingenuity to create masterpieces of technology and beauty.
Jaquet Droz is one of the only watchmakers in the world that crafts automatons. Quick on the heels of the onyx and meteorite models, today it unveils the latest version of its Loving Butterfly Automaton. This newest chapter in the company’s 300- year exploration of natural fibers showcases its watchmaking mastery and artistry in a series strictly limited to 28 timepieces.
Jaquet Droz Loving Butterfly Automaton: Poetry In a Case.
Great ideas always start with a drawing. Jaquet Droz took inspiration from one of Henri-Louis Jaquet-Droz drawings called “Butterfly Conducted by Love”. It was sketched in 1774 by The Draughtsman, an automaton created by Henri- Louis Jaquet-Droz. With Jaquet-Droz today’s know-how, the drawing was transformed in 3D in order to be alive thanks to automaton techniques connected with beautiful watchmaking.
The Dial of this watch has our full attention. Around the Jaquet Droz signature watch black dial, we can see a rich and detailed decoration of a golden forest and a gold butterfly in 3D. The piece features a dial made from wood petrified 140-180 million years ago called Chichilla Red (named after the far-eastern locale in Australia where it was found).
This mineral has a remarkable history. When dinosaurs ruled the Earth 150 million years ago and birds began to hatch, the first flower bloomed. That is also when Chinchilla Red came to be. It was formed by fir trees covered in volcanic ash that was swept away by lava. The product is an exceedingly rare and dense mineral. It takes countless hours of manual work just to make the surface smooth.
Here are the technical specifications of the watch:
Chinchilla red petrified wood and black onyx dial with hand-engraved 18-karat red gold appliques.
18-karat red gold case.
Hand-wound mechanical automaton movement with push-button triggering mechanism moving the butterfly’s wings and wheel of the chariot.
Self-winding mechanical hours and minutes movement.
Power reserve of 68 hours.
Diameter 43 mm.
Numerus Clausus of 28.
Off-centered hours and minutes at 12 o’clock
57 jewels
68 hours power reserve
Frequency of 28,800 v.p.h.
18-karat red gold case 43mm
To 3 bar (30 meters) water resistant
Rolled-edge hand-made black alligator strap with a 18-karat red gold folding clasp
The watch is powered by the Jaquet Droz 2653 AT1, self-winding mechanical movement with a silicon balance spring and pallet horns. The movement has a double barrel, flat bridges, and a 22-karat red gold oscillating weight. It is a hand-wound automaton with a crown-push button triggering mechanism to move the animated chariot wheel and wings, triple barrel.
Jaquet Droz And the Art Of Automaton – The Draughtsman
Made between 1772 and 1774, mainly by Henri-Louis Jaquet-Droz and Jean-Frédéric Leschot, The Draughtsman is an automaton capable of producing four different drawings: a portrait of Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, a dog and a Cupid driving a chariot drawn by a butterfly. The Draughtsman works by using a system of cams to that allow the hands to move in the three dimensions required to make a drawing. Thanks to a small air pump concealed in the head of the automaton, he periodically blows on his drawing to remove shards of lead pencil.
Deeply affected by global deforestation and in particular by the fires that have devastated Australia in recent months, Jaquet Droz has announced that part of the sales from the Loving Butterfly Chinchilla Red automaton will be donated to associations dedicated to reforestation and the preservation of endemic species such as “Plant a Tree for Me” or “One Tree Planted”. The timepiece presented today was made possible thanks to Australian wood petrified 150 million years ago. Jaquet Droz therefore affirms its commitment to give back what the nature is offering us, carried out within an eco-responsible, ethical and sharing framework, as represented by the Loving Butterfly Automaton Chinchilla Red’s, a true ode to love.
Arsene Wargas Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.
Exports going down, Brands being sold, or worst going bankrupt, Coronavirus…. it seems Swiss watch brands are having a hard time right now. Is there hope? Should we be optmistic for the future? Of course! There are several good reasons to see the future on the bright side. The Swiss watch industry has strong competitive differences that will allow the perpetuation of the business. For the rest, they represent either structural or conjectural status that can only be short term.
Swiss Watch Industry Secret Weapon: The Swiss Made.
Many companies around the world try to compete against Swiss Watch Brands. Competition comes from Asia, Germany, USA and even France. They try to level up their game and offer high quality watches in order to match what Swiss brands are doing. The harder they try, the clearer is that they will always miss one important point: what does it means being Swiss Made.
All around the world, the Swiss Made label means exactly the same definition. From watches but also to other products like machines, chocolate, cheese or even banks, the Swiss Made is probably the highest standard in these domains. In Watchmaking we could define Swiss made as:
Outstanding Know-how
High quality
Perfect aesthetics
Technical innovation
The only watch label guaranteeing a certain level of quality
That is why all Swiss brands should protect this label and being proud of it. It is more than a simple label, it is a heritage and a promise. Being the only quality label in watchmaking means that you need to lead the way, not only in product development but also in educating the consumer. Swiss made is also something very important because it guarantees the client satisfaction. You cannot be wrong on buying a Swiss watch.
The Swiss-made naming not only depends on a certain value created in Switzerland but the law also determines specific criteria that apply to all watches produced. The law was even reinforced integrating the idea of Swissness. One of the important criteria is that at least 60% of the product value should be produced in Switzerland. The first time Swissness became an important word, it was in 2009. Facing the economic crisis, the Swiss watch industry started defending themselves with a higher level of strict conditions and rules. These conditions helped to preserve jobs and making sure the value produced remained in Switzerland. The Swissness rule helped to preserve around 50’000 jobs and at least 1’000 apprenticeship in the country.
Despite the fact that the Geneva International Motorshow was canceled because of Coronavirus, the car industry pursuits its journey into building new icons of elegance and performance. On these points we need to say it: Italians (often) do it better. Alfa Romeo launches two new models this year under the Alfa Romeo Giulia line: the GTA and the GTAm. Here is how the Italian Automotive constructor is releasing the beast within.
The New Alfa Romeo GTA & GTAm, Feel Your Heart Race
Alfa Romeo is celebrating its 110th anniversary. The best way to have a great birthday gift is to dig deep onto the brand’s heritage and revive a true icon that crossed decades of success. Here, the Italian car brand offers two amazing models:
Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA
Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm
To be clear, no room for baby seats in this car. The sports heritage of Alfa Romeo is everywhere in this two-seated car. The sports seats has 6 point Sabelt safety belts and shells made from carbon fiber. The rear seats were replaced by a sleek Alcantara-trimmed structure with space moldings for helmets and a fire extinguisher.
The two models received a special treatment by Alfa Romeo. They got special light-weight side skirts, spoilers and an active front splitter. The wheels are also different from the original Giulia. They are 50mm wider than usual. The suspension was also optimized further with new springs and shock absorbers. The full package gets the cars under 3.8s on the 0-60mph.
The inspiration: The 1965 Gran Turismo Alleggerita
Every great project has a start. For the two amazing 2020 models, we need to go back to 1965 and a light-weight version of the original Giulia whose main focus is racing. The car was called the Gran Turismo Alleggerita. The purpose of this car was to get rid of all extra weight that would not be necessary for the race. Alfa Romeo racing department at that time, had to transform the original Giulia in different ways. First, they added a tuned version of its Twin-cam engine (1.7L) delivering raw power from 84kW to 126kW. Second, the engineers have replaced the regular steel body of the car with a full aluminium body which saved at least 200kg. This car became very hard to beat on track. Several victories covered Alfa Romeo with honors.
European Touring Car Championship in 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970 and 1971
Spa 24-hours
Trans-Am
The interest to remind us of the initial Gran Turismo project is the connection with the approach that Alfa Romeo developed with the new Giulia GTA and GTAm, especially on the extreme choices to optimize the relation power and weight. Alfa Romeo has a great heritage into car racing that is renewed today for this amazing 110th anniversary.
Alfa Romeo and Car Racing: a whole century of high level performance
The first racing car was made by Alfa Romeo in 1913. The brand competed with great success under different race categories: Grand prix motor racing, Formula one, sportscar racing, touring car racing and even rallies. Alfa Romeo conquered its image of sporty and high-performance car brand thanks to the combination of his heritage in motorsport and the cars they brought to market. Here is a quicl flashback on a century of car racing:
1923 Alfa Romeo RL (Targa Florio racing version)Louis Chiron after winning the 1934 French Grand Prix with Alfa Romeo P3Engine of Jano’s Alfa Romeo P3 Type BAlfa Romeo 8C 2900B MM 1938 winner Mille Miglia. Driver: Clemente BiondettiAlfa Romeo GTA at the 1966 Trans-Am ChampionshipAlfa Romeo 182 Formula One car from 1982Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT at the 1975 Rallye San Martino di CastrozzaAlfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti at the 2010 Goodwood Festival of SpeedAlfa Romeo 156 at the 2007 WTCC round in Curitiba.
On 29 November 2017, Sauber announced that they had signed a multi-year technical and commercial partnership contract with Alfa Romeo, therefore the team was renamed to Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team for the 2018 season onwards.
Charles Leclerc driving the Alfa Romeo Sauber C37
The Story continues between Alfa Romeo and car racing. With the launch of these two models under the Giulia line, the Italian automaker is faithful to its heritage and build a bright future for its brand. Fans of Alfa Romeo will be pleased and we look forward to seeing these two beasts on the roads around the world.
José Amorim Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. All images are for illustration purposes only.
Every time I asked a fashion journalist what (s)he thought about Kanye West fashion show with his brand Yeezy, they literally run away from answering. The few I could still manage to catch by the arm told me it was without any interest. Then I wonder why magazines like Vogue do not try to be a bit more critic about certain things? Or at least not talk about it rather than just reporting the news in a pretty neutral way. At LuxuryActivist, we thought we would talk about it, and not in a pretty neutral way.
Trying To Be Part Of The Paris Fashion Week… But Not.
The first thing you could wonder is why the Fashion federation accepted Yeezy to be part of the Paris Fashion Week? The answer is simple: they did not. Kanye West collaboration with Adidas – YEEZY – was not part of the official Paris Week calendar (see here the official calendar). So Kanye West decided on his own, to parasite the official fashion week as if his private show was part of it. The show itself took place at the Communist Party HQ. For someone who supports Donald Trump, we might wonder if he knows to whom he gave the money for the place rental. Do not take me wrong. The Communist party HQ is an amazing architectural building. Designed by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer in the ’80s, it has been rented several times already. Fashion brands like Prada, Louis Vuitton or Christian Dior have presented their collections there since the years 2000. The connection between Kanye West’s political views and the place made a lot of people smile.
Yeezy Fall-Winter 2020-21: No Interest
For what Kanye West calls “Season 8”, Yeezy presented a short collection of new pieces in front of Communist party building. The sound track of the show was basically cars honking all the way down the end.
The idea was to provide a reinterpreted taste of the West family Wyoming home town. The fashion show invitations came with a pouch containing around 12 fake ratsnakes eggs and a small bouquet of Sage.
What did we see? Matted fur pants and jackets in white, hoodies that nearly masked the entire face, and a booted remix of the Yeezy 700 v3 made their way down the runway.
As Robin Givhan, from the Washington Post, underlined talking about Yeezy fashion show: Fashion design is hard. Only talented creators make it look easy to do. Here, unfortunately it is just hard.
To be honest, Yeezy should only focus on sneakers and Tshirts eventually. Fashion design is another game. There is nothing here that we did not see already in the past at Lacoste, Diesel or even Comme des Garçons. Probably the only outstanding point was the appearance of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s daughter, North, at the end of the show. She performed a rap/slam song, placing her as the incoming generation of performers. Good promo although we are still wondering what happened. She is an adorable child but I am not sure it was the right place and moment to do that. They were not really in their living room.
YZY + Adidas = YEEZY
While Kanye West struggled to continue his collaborations with Vuitton and Nike, Adidas offered him a nice deal to start a collaboration in a specific sneakers line. Almost 10 years later, Yeezy also launched clothes is trying to become a global brand. The challenge is Kanye West perimeter. Being friend with Justin Bieber, The Kardashians or Rihanna, helped Kanye West to develop a marketing buzz around the sneakers line. We could see some of his celebrities friends wearing Yeezy sneakers on their personal and professional lives. But there is a limit about that. Paying more than USD 200.00 for a pair of sneakers requires a lot more than just a celebrity leverage. It requires a strong brand and a deep sense of style. The only thing we could give Yeezy some glory is the comfort. They are truly comfortable sneakers. Unfortunately there are cheaters nice options or equivalent in terms of price.
In conclusion, Yeezy will live as long as Adidas and Kanye West will put their money in the brand. I would not be surprised to see Adidas focusing on the sneakers only and drop the ball on the clothes. We had here a great example about the difference between fashion and style. One is limited in time and the other is timeless. CQFD.
José Amorim Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.
Chanel announced that Marion Cotillard will be the new face of the brand iconic fragrance: Chanel N°5. Every time CHANEL revealed a new Égérie for the legendary fragrance it hit big news around the world. For Marion Cotillard it is a great opportunity to be associated with one of the most outstanding luxury success stories of all time. Such an emotional decision generated a lot of debate and at LuxuryActivist, we decided to explain why it is the perfect choice for CHANEL.
Marion Cotillard: Talented, Bankable, French, Beautiful And With A Cause.
When asking to CHANEL why did they choose Marion Cotillard, the answer was simple and pretty obvious. CHANEL always wanted to associate its iconic fragrance to special women. Women who are symbols of freedom, modernity, glamour but with a cause. Coco Chanel helped a whole generation of women to liberate themselves from patriarchal standards and the French luxury house remain faithful to this heritage and contribute to helping the women condition in a very inspiring way.
On this note, we can say that the choice for Marion Cotillard was a perfect one. It is also a way to reconnect to the French soul of the brand. Choosing a French actress is for sure a great choice. Marion Cotillard represents a modern version of femininity. She is intelligent, naturally beautiful, internationally successful and she is by far the most bankable French actress today. She has the record for the most rewarded actress of all times for her role in the Mome, film in which she played the character of Edith Piaf. For this role she got the Golden Globes, the Oscars, the BAFTA and the Cannes Palme d’or for Best actress in a leading role.
But Marion Cotillard is not only an actress, but she is also more than that. The Oscar-winning actress has journeyed to the Antarctic as part of a Greenpeace expedition to highlight the “alarming rate” at which the continent is changing. …
“Our planet is a blue planet: the ocean covers more of it than every continent combined. We all have a responsibility to protect it.” – Marion Cotillard
The perfect incarnation of French natural beauty, Marion Cotillard has an irresistible “je ne sais quoi” that’s all her own. She is bringing her elegance to the image of the iconic N°5 fragrance. The new campaign will be unveiled later on this year.
CHANEL N°5 Original DNA Is About French Heritage.
While CHANEL became over the years an amazing multinational business, it remained loyal to its French roots and heritage. Coco CHANEL was and still is a great inspiration for all generations of women. Her personality and her values are more than ever relevant to today’s world where sometimes women struggle to be free and to accept who they are without any clichés.
Gabrielle Chanel – 1920
When in 1909, Gabrielle Chanel decided to launch her brand and opened a store at 160 Boulevard Malesherbes in Paris, she had already in mind a bigger plan at the level of her ambition. The next episode is when she decides to moves to the 21 Rue Cambon in Paris. In 1912, she opens a store in Deauville and Biarritz in 1915. These couture shops of Coco Chanel offered for sale prêt-à-porter sports clothes for women, the practical designs of which allowed the wearer to play sport. In 1918 she moves to the 31 Rue Cambon that will become the iconic address for the luxury house. And from there, she conquered the world and became a leading ambassador for the emancipation of women.
Chanel – 1916
1921 was the year when Coco Chanel decided to extend her creative universe to Fragrances. She commissioned Master Perfumer Ernest Beaux to create a perfume for La Maison Chanel. History tells that when submitting several types of fragrances to Mademoiselle Chanel, she preferred the fifth sample. Being labeled as N°5, she decided then to call her fragrance CHANEL N°5. Ernest Beaux created an overdose of a powerful, sparkling and modern note of C12 Aldehydes. This brought a dazzling and bright start of the fragrance, creating one of the firsts modern floral bouquets. It reinvented female traditional fragrances and still, beautiful flowers like the Grasse Jasmine were present to sublime the moment.
The interesting point of the early start of this fragrance is that you could not buy it. Coco Chanel would only offer her fragrance to her best female customers. This would create a strong emotional link with her clients and bring a differentiation point to each woman wearing CHANEL N°5 in her daily lives. Due to amazing success, CHANEL N°5 was commercialized from 1924 and spread around the world like the fragrance of elegant women with an attitude.
Above is by far one of my preferred ads from 1937 that could be launched today. It says: “Madame Gabrielle Chanel is above all an artist in living. Her dresses, her perfumes, are created with a faultless instinct for drama. Her Perfume N°5 is like the soft music that underlies the playing of a love scene. It kindles the imagination; indelibly fixes the scene in the memories of the players.”.
The myth was created and since then, several generations of women have dreamt of their lives in CHANEL.
CHANEL N°5 As The Epitomy of Femininity and Allure.
We are in April 1952, Marilyn Monroe is 26 years old and Life Magazine has her for the first time in the cover of the magazine. She is the new star in Hollywood. She just signed with the 20th Century Fox and already played in different movies. That year will be releasing 4 new movies and raised Marilyn Monroe to the rank of Super Star. In the Life Magazine interview, Marilyn declared that she wears only Chanel N°5 for sleeping. Basically, it was a clever way to say she used to sleep nude. But the legend of Chanel N°5 and the ultimate femininity was founded.
Two years later, in 1953, American magazine Modern Screen had Marilyn Monroe in the cover and made a series of photos. The photo shooting was inspired by the famous sentence she said, meaning wearing nothing but Chanel N°5 to sleep. So the magazine shot Marilyn naked in bed and we could see a flacon of Chanel N°5 in all pictures just by the table bed.
In 1960, Marilyn Monroe accepts an interview for the french magazine Marie-Claire. The interview is done by Georges Belmont and the pictures are done by John Bryson during the making of the movie “Let’s Make Love”. As this movie also had french actor Yves Montand, France got particularly interested in Marilyn Monroe. The interview was audio-recorded and translated into text afterward.
After years of archive researches, in October 2012, Chanel heritage and patrimony teams got the hand on the audio recording of that interview. What they discovered was amazing. An original recording of Marilyn Monroe’s voice explaining her sentence about Chanel N°5. Magical. This part of the interview was never published as she talked about it in a very spontaneous way.
” … they ask you questions, just an example, what do you wear in bed? You wear a pajama top or the bottom of the pajama, or a Nightgown? … So I said Chanel N°5… because it is the truth! I don’t want to say nude you know. But it is the truth. …”
CHANEL N°5: A Success Story Built On the Shoulders Of Glamourous Icons
Marilyn Monroe opened the way. She was a free woman, her personality and attitude would allow her to live her life the way she wanted and she did not count on destiny to build her future. She created her own destiny. She will be remembered as the ultimate icon of glamour and femininity and helped generations of actresses to be free from standards. CHANEL continued building on this story by associating its iconic fragrance with amazing faces, all talented women with a nice dosage of sassiness. French actresses were always a very preferred choice for CHANEL. Marion Cotillard follows a great track record of talented French Actresses that inspired the world not only with their films but also with their personalities and with what they represented for the women’s cause.
All these women represented France in the world as global ambassadors for modern women. CHANEL remains faithful to Coco Chanel heritage being a leader and inspiration for women all around the world. And for this, Marion Cotillard is a perfect choice.
We wish best of luck to Ms Cotillard and we cannot wait to see what CHANEL will build creatively around such an outstanding actress. More to come!
José Amorim Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only,
Last week was the Mugler Paris Woman FW 20-21 fashion show. Casey Cadwallader delivered an interesting canvas made of anatomic explorations of the body, sharp architectural inspirations for a powerful result. Truthful to the luxury house heritage, the Mugler Fall-Winter collection pictured a powerful woman who still is provocatively elegant and glamorous.
Artistic Director of the French Luxury house, Casey Cadwallader maintains the sulfurous reputation of Mugler fashion, by giving to women a over-powerful look, between the badass girl and the ultimate luxurious goddess.
CaseyCadwallader has an architecture studies background and we can see it on his fashion for Mugler. The precision of the lines, the sharpness of the cuts and unbelievable balance between materials and volumes. Women appear strapped in leather suits but they are also revealed through transparent or semi-transparent bodysuits. We are in the presence of a true celebration of the body.
Diversity of morphologies, gender disorders, Casey Cadwallader sends models with clear profiles to a podium. A position in tune with the times that responds to the emancipation of new generations.
Materials like leather allow the freedom of creation and to explore the woman’s anatomy. Apparel and body seem to match perfectly and effortless. The runway took place at Palais de Tokyo in Paris, which is a place about essentiality and post-modernism. It is the perfect framework for such a show.
Casey Cadwallader delivered very sensual show. Movements were voluptuous without any exaggeration. Sensuality was at its best, no cheating and no “chi-chi”…
From all the runways saw during this Paris fashion week, Mugler is by far the one celebrating femininity at is essentiality.
Oversized tops along with anatomic dresses create tension in the silhouette bringing a modern vision of women. Let’s also underline the presence of Bella Hadid who becomes season after season a key model in Casey Cadwallader’s inspiration pattern.
José Amorim Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.
The Galapagos Islands are the home to incredible wildlife, tropical beaches, green highlands, and tons of attractions. It does not come as a surprise that these UNESCO World Heritage Site destinations have continued to welcome innumerable tourists, scientists, birdwatchers and wildlife lovers every day of the year.
If you are planning to explore these awe-inspiring islands, here is the ultimate guide that will make you enjoy every moment of your stay in the Galapagos Islands.
The best time to explore the Galapagos Islands
Generally, the Galapagos Islands are always open to everyone every time of the year, but some periods are more enjoyable than others. If you would like to avoid exposure to the extremely hot or cold weather of these islands, the best months to visit are November, December, January and February. These periods are also conducive for most Galapagos animals, so you will enjoy seeing lots of them during these months. May, June and July are good times too, although you may miss the opportunity to see some wildlife.
However, you should understand that these are the peak seasons in Galapagos; hence, visiting during these months will cost you more than any other time of the year. Booking a few months before your journey to the islands may save you some dollars.
Currency
The official currency of the Galapagos is the US dollar. Most of the things you may want to pay for in the islands require cash payment. Therefore, make sure that you have a lot of cash with you. Even a few places that allow card payment may come with heavy surcharges, so you are better off with your cash.
Duration on the islands
There is no thumb rule for how long you should stay here; hence, your budget should be the main determinant. The majority of the individuals that visit the Galapagos Islands stay about 5 to 10 days as this will allow them to travel through the islands and revel in their astonishing offerings. If you are volunteering for a cause, you may want to stay longer to accomplish your goals.
Important items to bring to Galapagos
The time of your visit, duration and the activities you want to participate in are the main determinants of the items you should bring to Galapagos. Typically, you may need:
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Sun hats
Snorkel set
Bikini or swimsuit
Aqua shoes
Waterproof bag
Quick-dry towel
Underwater camera
The must-visit Islands
The Galapagos Islands consist of a total of 18 islands that have various species of birds, animals and plants, attractions, and so on. Although each island is worth visiting, here are the top ones that you must not miss.
San Cristobal
Since the San Cristobal airport is one of main entrances to the islands, your trip will probably involve San Cristobal. Filled with several red-footed boobies, blue-footed boobies, giant tortoises, dolphins, marine iguana, sea lions, pelicans, and frigate birds, San Cristobal is the right place to start your journey through the Galapagos Islands. Go over to the Interpretation Centre to see various exhibits that tell you more about the nature and history of these islands. A trip to Kicker Rock and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is also worth considering.
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is one of the largest and most popular islands around this destination. Take the time to check out Puerto Ayora which is a city that has several luxury hotels, restaurants, and shops. While still on this island, don’t forget to see its major attractions such as Charles Darwin Research Station and Los Gemelos. You should look forward to seeing wildlife like the famous sea lions, land iguanas, and giant tortoises.
Floreana
Known as the first inhabited island among the Galapagos Islands, Floreana is a popular tourist destination for people from all around the world. With only 100 people residing on this island, you rest assured that the wildlife here is still in its purest form. As you bask in the awesomeness of this beautiful island, go see penguins, sea lions, turtles, blue-footed boobies, and flamingos.
Santa Fe
To watch more land and marine iguanas, Santa Fe rice rats, and pear cactus in their natural habitat, Santa Fe is the right place to be. This small island has tons of attractions that you can also explore during your stay on the islands.
South Plaza Island
If you are enthusiastic about astonishing flora with changing colors, you should make sure you visit South Plaza Island. It is a relatively small island that features swallow-tailed gulls, tropicbirds, and land iguanas.
Other islands you may want to visit on the Galapagos Islands include Isabela, Santiago, Espanola, Isla Genovesa, Bartolome, Baltra, Fernandina, North Seymour, and Chinese Hat.
What to do on the Galapagos Islands
Sightseeing
There are tons of places, artistic exhibits, birds, animals, and plants that you can relax and observe on the Galapagos Islands. Therefore, you should be fully prepared to enjoy more beauty of nature during your sightseeing.
Boat or yacht cruises
Top of the list of things to do is cruising around the islands with boats. You can join the Galapagos luxury yacht tour to venture to different areas of the islands and also catch the sight of some of the unforgettable attractions available. Cruises are definitely going to give you a breathtaking experience of the Galapagos Islands.
Hiking
Wander from one end of the islands to another with other tourists. Take a short trip to Isla Genovesa and hike at Prince Philip’s Steps. Your option is not limited to this site as there are other routes for hiking on the islands.
Scuba diving and snorkeling
Do you like scuba diving and snorkeling? If yes, immortalize your Galapagos experience by exploring the tons of stupendous diving spots available on the Galapagos Islands. As you take delight in snorkeling and scuba diving, watch out for king angelfish, whale shark, hammerhead shark, white-tipped reef shark, octopi, parrotfish, eagle ray, manta ray, stingray, humpback whale, green turtle, and moray eel.
Mountain biking at the volcanic rocks found on Isabela is another great activity you can do while you are on the Galapagos Islands. You can also immerse yourself in kayaking.
Where and what to drink and eat
The Galapagos Islands offer different food and drinks that suit everyone’s budget. If you want to try out the Western and Italian dishes, you should visit one of the luxury restaurants. These restaurants are for those with big budgets. However, there are many other cheap restaurants that offer affordable baked pastries, pancakes, seafood, and many Ecuadorian cuisines that you may like.
With this ultimate guide to exploring the Galapagos Islands, you should be able to navigate the islands and have a great time.
Hana Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.
Exit Yves, Christian, Karl, Raf, Albert… Welcome to Cristiano, Robyn or Gwyneth. The fashion world has dramatically changed. The old gods were replaced by new ones. New idols replace previous icons. Fashionistas replace Couturiers and Fashion labels erase Fashion houses. That is the way the world goes and it seems this change is here to stay.
The Old Gods Of Fashion Gone Bad
Alexander McQueen
Every chain reaction has a starting point. In our case here it all started back in 2007 when Hedi Slimane resigned from his position at Dior Homme. At that time everybody was shocked. When Hedi Slimane took over the artistic direction of Dior homme in 2000, he reshaped the fashion brand and satellized the Dior name into the stars of fashion desire. The Slimane look was born, very black tie, slim and rock. He became the same time a fashion icon and probably he was and still is one of the most influential people in the world of fashion and photography. So at the top of his work in Dior Homme, Hedi Slimane decided to leave the fashion house in 2007 because he did not have the right conditions to create and develop his artistic work. Never before an artistic director resigned of his own will. At this time we could already feel that the fashion industry was little by little killing the fashion art. Today, almost 10 years later, fashion bleeding continues:
Raf Simons
Albert Elbaz
Christophe Decarnin
John Galliano
Alexander McQueen
Brendan Mullane
Alexandro Sartori
Stefano Pilati
Hedi Slimane (again)
Alexander McQueen was gone at the top of his art, John Galliano just got crazy while driving the media machine that was Dior Couture and Prêt-à-porter at that time. Stefano Pilati had already left Yves Saint Laurent to join the Ermenegildo Zegna group and then left his position again.
Raf Simons and Albert Albaz both declared that basically, they felt like being lemons that you press the juice to the very last drop. The pressure of 4 to 6 collections per year, the PR pressure and the growing challenges of industry seeking rentability are pathetic. How can you create an original and innovative fashion item without the correct amount of time. Most of the time you have basically weeks to create and build the next big thing.
Alessandro Sartori
Alessandro Sartori is considered as one of the most gifted and creative tailor-man in all Italy. Since 2011, he was asked by Bernard Arnaud, to reinvent Berluti. He launched amazing collections that definitely hit the spotlights, bringing the Italian Bottier to the forefront of avant-garde. According to LVMH, Sartori’s collections did not find the expected traditional Berluti customer. He was asked to make some changes in order to be more consensuous. An agreement was basically impossible as we can imagine that such a creative talent do not wish to level down things by taking the lowest common denominator.
Raf Simons
When Raf Simons arrived at Dior Femme, after a disastrous end with Galliano, all the press was 100% positive about this new collaboration. Everybody would say that Raf Simons had the talent, the perfectionism and the modern cut that Dior deserved. He was expected to calm down the game and get back to a brand construction. After amazing success with his own brand Raf by Raf Simons, the Belgian creator was the best choice for Dior. On the 9th of April 2012 joins the House of Dior as Artistic Director, 15 month after the departure of Galliano. He had under his responsibility Couture, Pret-à-porter and fashion accessories. He was the perfect translation of what Dior’s newlook would be in the years 2000. He was nominated at the Crystal globes as per best fashion designer in the world. Despite of getting such a positive feeling, he decided to resign from Dior on October 22nd 2015. The pressure and the lack of time to produce his art was not helping the emancipation of a creative mind. So the Belgian gifted fashion creator decided that it was better to leave than doing compromises. Raf Simons is considered as one of the most important fashion creators of the past 10 years.
Stefano Pilati
Stefano Pilati was born in Milan in 1965. He is one of the most talented creators of his generation. After collaborating with Tom Ford, he took over Yves Saint Laurent in 2004. A first collection was considered disappointing by the critics but very fast, Stefano Pilati found the right path and places Yves Saint Laurent on track for success. Again, the amazing work that Pilati did with Saint Laurent did not convince the board and after some heavy discussions, the collaboration ended up in 2012.
Hedi Slimane
Last but not least, the one and only Hedi Slimane! When back in July 2007 he decided to quit Dior Homme, it was a blast in this industry. LVMH even proposed to finance Slimane own brandbut the French creator refused. The message started being very clear: a creative mind has less and less room to express his talent. The rhythm of collections, the PR expectations and the business behind it do not allow it. 5 years later, Hedi Slimane joins Yves Saint Laurent (2012) after Stefano Pilati’s departure.
On his own words, he becomes the “Directeur de la Création pour la Couture”. He decides to change the brand name to Saint Laurent Paris and delocalize the creative studio to Los Angeles. The Kering Group, the owner of the brand, saw Hedi Slimane as a very positive addition to the Yves Saint Laurent universe. Hedi Slimane has already worked for the luxury fashion house from 1996 and 2000, and the idea was to get back to a more Saint Laurent style with a hint of modernity. 3 years later, Hedi Slimane decides to quit the brand as there are “differences of opinion” between him and the group. Lately, he joined CELINE as Creative and Artistic Director.
The New Gods of Fashion Shine bright like Diamonds.
By exiting the old Gods, the fashion industry needs new idols. Fashion will always move forward, no matter the price to pay. By exiting the real fashion artists, fashion became a real PR machine and to maintain the communication machinery working, a new generation of brands appeared featuring new stars like Rihanna, Gwyneth Paltrow or Soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo. The world has changed. Fashion luxury houses become more like labels and the creative driving forces are mostly PR ambassadors.
FENTY, Luxury house by Rihanna x LVMH
This month LVMH announced the creation of the luxury house: FENTY in partnership with Rihanna. The deal makes the singer, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, the first black female to head up a fashion house at the company, which owns a sprawling portfolio of top brands, ranging from fashion labels Givenchy, Dior and Celine to the Dom Pérignon and Moët & Chandon champagnes and Hublot and TAG Heuer watches.
The new venture will take Rihanna’s surname Fenty, mirroring her already established Fenty Beauty line, which is also controlled by LVMH. The new fashion label will debut within weeks, selling ready-to-wear clothes, shoes and accessories and will be based in Paris, prompting speculation that it will become a feature of the official Paris fashion week schedule.
Robyn Rihanna Fenty declared: “Designing a line like this with LVMH is an incredibly special moment for us. Mr. Arnault has given me a unique opportunity to develop a fashion house in the luxury sector, with no artistic limits. I couldn’t imagine a better partner both creatively and business-wise, and I’m ready for the world to see what we have built together.”
Bernard Arnault, Chairman and CEO of LVMH, added: “Everybody knows Rihanna as a wonderful singer, but through our partnership at Fenty Beauty, I discovered a true entrepreneur, a real CEO and a terrific leader. She naturally finds her full place within LVMH. To support Rihanna to start up the Fenty Maison, we have built a talented and multicultural team supported by the Group resources. I am proud that LVMH is leading this venture and wish it will be a great success.”
Goop: Gwyneth Paltrow lifestyle
Goop (often stylized as goop) is a natural health company owned by actress Gwyneth Paltrow. It was launched as a “lifestyle brand” by Paltrow in September 2008, beginning as a weekly e-mail newsletter providing new age advice, such as “police your thoughts” and “eliminate white foods”, and the slogan “Nourish the Inner Aspect”. A lifestyle website was later added, and then Goop expanded into e-commerce, collaborating with fashion brands, launching pop-up shops, holding a “wellness summit”, launching a print magazine, a podcast, and a docuseries to be streamed on Netflix.
In June 2018, Goop opened its first international pop-up shop in London. In January 2019, the shop became a permanent Goop store. The company also hired its first chief marketing officer, Andres Sosa, to work on further expansion in the UK. In August 2018, Goop launched a furniture and home decor line with Crate and Barrel’s CB2 brand
CR7, Fashion brand of Cristiano Ronaldo
Do you know CR7? It is the fashion brand of Portuguese super-star Cristiano Ronaldo. In November 2013, Ronaldo partnered with JBS Textile Group, a Scandinavian manufacturer, as well as Richard Chai, a New York-based fashion designer, to co-design his range of underwear and sock line. He has repeatedly dropped his pants and posed in his own underwear line. In 2017, his second underwear collection was launched in 7 different cities across the world, including New York, and he was again seen in some hot ad campaigns for the same!
In July 2014, he also launched his line of premium shirts and shoes. His footwear collection was expanded in 2015, and Ronaldo was seen walking the ramp to showcase his collection. That same year, he also launched a collection of footwear for children, i.e. CR7 Junior, hand-crafted in bespoke colours to fit the young customers.
In 2015, he also announced the release of his fragrance collection, in partnership with Eden Perfumes. His most recent advancement has been in 2017, when Ronaldo went a step ahead with his denim and shirt collection of CR7, as he collaborated with South Africa-based Uniti Fashion for the manufacturing and distribution of his products. He has also partnered with Zalora, Zalando, Myntra and Namshi for their distribution.
Lindsey Vonn x Under Armour, Sports Designer
Lindsey Vonn, the world’s greatest female ski racer, has always been a sharp dresser off the slopes. But she has never had her own ski gear collection – until recently. Vonn and her long-time sponsor, US sportswear brand Under Armour, launched the skier’s own clothing line. The launch of the collection comes at an important time for Under Armour, which in 2017 posted its first sales decline as a public company. Vonn was one of the company’s first athlete signings and has been with the brand, which was founded by former college football player Kevin Plank in 1996 and is now competing with the likes of Nike and Adidas, for 11 years.
In Conclusion… André Malraux used to say that the past and the future, heritage and modernity are not antagonists. At the contrary, heritage and history can be strong sources of creativity and modernity. This is a state of mind and a strong philosophy that timeless brands know very well. So why the Fashion industry has decided to start from scratch a new model based on PR celebrities? Where are the new fashion artists from Central St. Martin School, FIT, Parsons, Antwerp or ESMOD? It seems big luxury groups would see a faster return on investment by giving the chance to non-fashion artists rather than promoting young creators into the international scene. Hopefully, talent will separate the good from the bad and history will perpetuate the amazing heritage of fashion.
José Amorim Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.
Hearing about a hot new content platform with awesome shows and movies is amazing – at least until you find out it’s not available in your area. Or, even worse, that you can’t watch it while you travel abroad, even if you can sign up for it where you live.
That was the case with Disney+ for me. I was very excited when I first heard about it. I was especially looking forward to The Mandalorian. But that excitement quickly disappeared when I found out the service wasn’t going to work in my region (Eastern Europe).
For now, you can only watch Disney+ in the US, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Sure, the platform is gonna come to Europe too, but only in Western countries. And it’s still gonna take a lot of months for the service to be widely available there too.
Safe to say it’s gonna take even longer for the service to hit my part of the world.And right now, if you try to watch content on Disney+ outside of the places where it’s available, you won’t be able to do it. Yep, even if you already have an account, and are vacationing abroad. Sure, you can watch shows you downloaded in advance, but that’s not very convenient.
But how exactly do Disney+ and other services restrict your access?One word – geo-restrictions. If you’re not familiar with that term, here’s all you need to know about it:
What Are Geo-Restrictions, Exactly?
Geo-restrictions (also known as geo-blocks) are a form of content control technology. Content platforms use them to dictate who gets access to their services and who doesn’t.
Basically, geo-restrictions work because a website can see your real IP address. And your IP address reveals personal info about you such as:
What country you live in.
What city you live in.
Who your ISP is.
What your ZIP code is.
All in all, it is enough info for a website to tell what your geo-location is. And if your geo-location is blacklisted by the website, one of three things will happen:
You’ll be denied access to the website.
You’ll be redirected to a landing page that says the service will become available in your area sometime in the future (it’s not usually specified when).
If the service works in your area, you might get redirected to your country’s library, so you won’t have access to all the content you want.
Why Do Disney+ and Other Platforms Use Geo-Restrictions?
One of the main reasons is that content providers have to respect copyright regulations. Sure, Disney+ owns a lot of the content it has on display, but it must stick to previous licensing agreements. Not to mention itss library will also contain series from other sources like Marvel, Pixar, National Geographic, and ABC Studios.
So, Disney+ has to respect any copyright agreements it has with those other studios. And if those agreements say Disney+ can’t make some content available outside the US or any other country, they have to respect them.
Besides that, you also need to keep licensing fees in mind. Basically, if Disney+ (or any other content platform) were to make all their content available worldwide, they’d have to buy licensing rights in every single country.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize just how expensive that can get. Financially, it makes more sense for Disney+ to stick to a few select markets which they know for sure will be profitable.
Also, some content providers (not Disney+ in this case) have to use geo-restrictions to comply with the law. That’s usually the case with BBC content since it receives funding from taxpayer money. So it wouldn’t really be fair to them to make the content available worldwide.
Are Geo-Restrictions Even Legal to Begin With?
It really depends on the region of the world, but yeah – geo-restrictions are normally seen as legal. That’s especially true in the US, Australia, the UK, and Canada.
The EU has it a bit better since it requires content providers with paid services to offer a type of “roaming” within its borders. However, that kind of roaming still comes with some limitations, so it’s not 100% unrestricted.
How to Bypass Geo-Blocks and Enjoy Disney+ Today
Alright, so your IP address gives you away. Obviously, you need to hide it.It sounds difficult, I know, but it really isn’t. Luckily, I found a very simple solution that gave me instant access to Disney+ content – using a VPN.
If you’re not sure what it is, just think of it as an online service that hides your real IP address. Basically, when you connect to a VPN server, it automatically replaces your IP address with its own address.So, all you really need to do is just connect to a VPN server in a country where Disney+ (or the content platform you want to unblock) is available.
Yep, it’s as simple as that.
How Do You Pick the Right VPN, Though?
Unfortunately, this isn’t as simple as just using a VPN.After all, there are hundreds of VPN providers on the market right now, so picking a good one can be tough – especially since Disney+ is pretty good at blocking VPN services.
Don’t worry, though – you won’t need to do hours of research and testing to find a good VPN. Instead, just follow this link to see more about the best VPN services for Disney+. The guide has all the info you need, and it’s a very quick and informative read.
The Bottom Line
Most content platforms offer amazing entertainment nowadays – especially Disney+, the most recent streaming service.Sadly, you can’t enjoy all the shows and movies if you’re from a blacklisted part of the world. The website simply won’t let you access its content.
Fortunately, you can just use a VPN to bypass any geo-blocks you come across. Still, even if there’s a solution, I still want to know how you personally feel about geo-blocks. Are they necessary or just annoying? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Emily Walsh Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.
The Philippines consists of 7,641 islands. It is no wonder why a good majority of the best beaches in the world can be found in our country. For a solo traveler who yearns for adventures such as beach-hopping for the first time, it can be quite overwhelming especially for foreign tourists. Now, the question is—Where to go?
If you wish to go from beach-to-beach, or seek haven to lay back, unwind, and have a glimpse of paradise, here is a lonely traveler’s guide to find the best beach resorts in the Philippines.
Batangas
Batangas, one of the provinces in Luzon, is home to a number of the most sought-after beaches near Metro Manila, and the three major hotspots here are Calatagan, Brgy. Anilao in Mabini, and Nasugbu.
Calatagan
Calatagan is located between Balayan Bay and South China Sea. Cerulean waters waves back to its cream-colored sandbars that can be accessed via boat-for-rent from the resorts within the area.
The travel time from Metro Manila takes about 2 hours via Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway. Here are the must-see beach resorts in Calatagan:
Sunrise Cove, address: Brgy. Bagong Silang, Calatagan
Lago de Oro Hotel, address: Balibago, Calatagan
Spring Beach Front House, address: 209 Apacible Street, Calatagan
Anilao
Anilao can be found in the municipality of Mabini. The popularity of its beaches defines the place, especially that it is considered as one of the most visited coastal towns in Batangas. It takes about a 2-hour drive from Metro Manila to get there. Below are the best beach resorts in Anilao:
Vivere Azure Resort, address: Aguada San Teodoro, Anilao
La Chevrerie Resort and Spa, address: 0252 Ligaya, Anilao
Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort, address: Sitio Balanoy, San Teodoro, Anilao
Nasugbu
Third on the list is Nasugbu, one of the first developed municipalities in Batangas due to the increasing volume of tourists. Among all other beach spots in Batangas, it has the most number of choices in terms of established resorts in the province. It only takes about two and a half hours from Metro Manila via Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway to get there. Below are some of the best beach resorts in Nasugbu:
Pico Sands Hotel, address: Pico de Loro Cove, Hamilo Coast, Nasugbu
Canyon Cove Hotel & Spa, address: Far East Road, Piloto Wawa, Natipuan, Nasugbu
Club Punta Fuego, address: Balaytigue, Balaytigui, Nasugbu
Quezon Province
Another province in South Luzon that boasts of its long list of majestic beaches is Quezon Province. Here are some of the best beach resorts in Quezon:
Tamarind Tree Beach Resort, address: Punta, Padre Burgos
Real Coast and Surf, address: Malapad, Real
Palawan
Palawan is one of the best, if not THE best, islands in the Philippines. It is home to the most captivating spots and beaches that purely invigorates your body and soul.To witness this wonder, it only takes about 25-40 minutes via plane. Here are some of our recommendations for the best beach resorts in Palawan:
El Nido Resorts Pangulasian Island, address: El Nido, Palawan Island
Club Paradise, address: Dimakya Island, Mimaropa
Secret Paradise Resort and Turtle Sanctuary, address: Port Barton, San Vicente, Palawan Island
Aklan
The internationally renowned Boracay Island remains to be the top spot of every traveler’s list. This prestigious island is located at Aklan, which is home to the most favored beach resorts in the country.A short 60-minute plane ride gets you there. Here are some of the best beach resorts in Aklan:
The Lind, address: Station 1, Boracay
Coast Boracay, address: Station 2, Boracay
Asya Premier Suites, address: Station 3, Boracay
See something that you like? Ready your budget and plan out your trip. Go out there and get the best beach experience.
Angelo Castelda
Angelo Castelda is a freelance writer and digital nomad who loves to travel around Asia. He finds comfort in working around the beautiful islands and beaches of the Philippines, which is where he usually draws inspiration when writing.
Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.
