Why Golf is Such a Luxury Sport

LuxuryActivist
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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Golf-Luxury-lifestyle

Of the many sports on offer around the world, golf is often seen as a luxury sport.  It can also be seen as a ‘rich man’s sport’ but is this really the case now?

Why it is a luxury sport

Yes, it is true that golf is a luxury sport.  You can spend a lot of money buying golfing clothes, shoes, clubs and other accessories.  You can be up to date with the latest trends and change your golfing wardrobe on a seasonal or yearly basis.  All of this makes it a luxury sport because not everyone can afford these items.

Yet at the same time, it can be one that is easy to access.  There are golf courses around the country and many offer deals where you can try the game without having to sign up for a membership.  You can ‘pay as you play’ to try out some of the features and see if golf is the one for you. So while it may be a luxury, it is also a sport that is increasingly accessible for anyone.

Golf-premium-apparel

Enjoyable exercise

One of the reasons that golf is seen as a rich man’s game is that people in high powered jobs tend to be seen playing this.  Sure, part of it is the prestige – it sounds great saying you are going out for a round with the head of this company or the president of this multi-national.  But it is also having practical benefits that are especially relevant for people in high-power, high-pressure jobs.

For starters, it is an enjoyable exercise.  Unless you are at the highest level, golf is one of the least physically demanding sports.  You don’t need to be super fit to enjoy it, there’s no running around or jumping about. This makes it an ideal sport for less physically fit people who still want to get some exercise – and those high powered executives are just the perfect example of this.

Improve and be competitive

Golf also allows you to improve if you work at it, even if you aren’t super fit.  Few sports can see people who aren’t peak physical specimens master the game in the way that golf can.  And that improvement helps to bring a bit of competition to your play, a healthy sense of wanting to beat your partners.

Golf is a game to master – you need to learn all the technicalities of the game, the fine points of how to hit that little ball to get it where you want it.  Yes, there is some skill involved but it is a skill that most players learn over time. And while you can enjoy some friendly competition with your friends, you are essentially playing against yourself.  Your ability, your skill and your mastery of the course. Great for a bit of self-development!

Golf-lifestyle

Luxury but not exclusive

It is true that golf is a luxury game, especially if you want to go for high-quality equipment and clothing.  But it is no longer an exclusive game that is only played by the rich. Just look at the backgrounds of some of the world’s top players (and get the look here) – they are from very diverse backgrounds, different parts of the world and different educational paths.  They all share a love of the game that we can all join in with, a luxury we can all share.

Carol

Info sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only. 

4 Tips For Setting Up A Luxury Corporate Events Company

LuxuryActivist
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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Luxury-Staycation-trends

If organising exclusive events in luxe locations for corporate high-flyers sounds fantastic, a career in events planning might be your calling. Add a can-do attitude and lashings of charm and you’ve got a firm foundation for success. But excelling in the events industry is also extremely hard work — so here are four tips for setting up a luxury corporate events company.

1. Find your niche

Since you aspire to work with high-end clients, you’ve already selected a specialism. But you can narrow down your niche even further by focusing on trade shows, corporate dining or collaborative charity fundraising events. And you might also forge links with partners for seasonal events — for instance, working with sailing experts like Charter One Yachts means you can charter vessels for exclusive parties during the Yachting Festival de Cannes. A broad knowledge of corporate events provides a foothold in the sector — but filling a gap in the market might be more lucrative.

Mediterranean-yacht-charter-Y.CO-service-on-board

2. Hiring talent

The vision for your business might be entirely your own, and you’ll probably have considerable reserves of drive and determination — but if you take too much weight on your shoulders, you might collapse before it’s even launched. So finding a trusted advisor who already moves in the right circles is advisable — they’ll offer advice on shortcuts as well as potential pitfalls. And you can hire frontline service staff from a reputable agency, then recruit permanent workers once your business expands in order to train them to your exacting standards. Having the right people around you is a vital ingredient in the recipe for success.

3. Payroll

Once you scale up your business, you might have employees and offices in several salubrious locations. But they’ll naturally expect to be paid accurately and punctually — otherwise you might lose them to the competition. This is normally the remit of expensive HR staff, but an outsourced global payroll service like SD Worx takes care of these vital but time-consuming admin tasks and ensures that you’re compliant with the relevant tax regimes. Getting the basics right by staying onside with regulators means you can operate with complete confidence.

Luxury-corporate-events

4. Networking

Meeting with prospective clients face to face will be beneficial — if you expect them to splash out on your services, establishing a trusting relationship beforehand is crucial. If you’re a member of a service organisation like Lions Clubs International or Rotary, you’ll have the opportunity to mix with potential customers in a range of international locations. But getting your hands on sought-after VIP tickets for social and sporting events allows you to bump into people casually and spread the word about your exciting new venture. By the time you’ve hosted a few successful parties or promotions, word of mouth works wonders in growing your business.

Follow these four tips for setting up a luxury corporate events company and you’ll soon be cashing in while rubbing shoulders with the world’s movers and shakers.

Carol

Info sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only. 

Best Tips To Become A Fashion Model

José Amorim
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Reading Time: 8 minutes

Modeling is an on going trend since the 60’s. With the rise of top models until their pinacle in the 80’s, millions of young ladies and young boys dream one day to have their faces in the cover of magazines and their feet in prestigious fashion catwalks. Not an easy thing to do, so here are some good advice that can help you turn into the next fashion top model.

Advice Number One: Forget About It!

If you think you just need a pretty face on a beautiful body, you are miles away from it. The job of model is tougher than you think. You will spend half of your time on planes, trains, cars, buses, taxis, empty hotel rooms…. and no matter what happen, how sick you feel, you need to be at your max to smile, to look pretty and to strike the pose. There are more than 112’000 registered models working around the world. These are the ones who have signed off into an agency and travel the world regularly for work. Obviously if we count also all the occasional people accepting local castings for one-shot photo shooting and website iconography, we might be reaching the million. Fashion models are not rare and this profession  is not a job with great unfulfilled positions. Among all these people, only a couple of them will become really famous and earn million of dollars. Here are the latest top 10 most well paid models in the world (source: CNN Money):

  1. Kendall Jenner, $22 million
  2. Gisele Bundchen, $17.5 million
  3. Chrissy Teigen, $13.5 million
  4. Adriana Lima, $10.5 million
  5. Gigi Hadid, $9.5 million
  6. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, $9.5 million
  7. Karlie Kloss, $9 million
  8. Liu Wen, $6.5 million
  9. Bella Hadid, $6 million
  10. Ashley Graham, $5.5 million

kendall-jenner

What is interesting to see in this new ranking is that Social Media became a huge powerful tool to leverage reputation and to provide the status of star. Kendall Jenner, despite of being part of a very famous family (Kardashian-Jenner), she is also a social media beast. With almost 90 million followers on Instagram, she definitely raised the bar quite high by even reaching the number one spot in the best well paid female models.
Another important point is the shape of your body. Obviously you need to be beautiful (not sure what that really means) and what we can see from an analysis of the top models BMI, is that most of them are below the normal frame (according to the world health organisation), meaning they are mostly feed poorly. This means a lot of privation and a very tight diet. Nevertheless, if you think you have what is needed to embrace this job, you better read the following advice that will help you avoid some traps and build a healthy career in modeling.

Advice Number Two: Start Young as It Will Not Last Long

Models are a bit like soccer players: at one point, being in your 30’s is almost too late. Generally you embrace the career of model until 32/35 years old. After that, you probably try to settle a more stable live, have a family and as you might be traveling every single week for the past 20 years… well, you might have enough of this life anyway. So you should probably start young. Is there a minimum age to start? Not really. Some models have started their career at the age of 6. A lot of them will start around 14/15 years old. Generally at this age, they have developed physical characteristics that would allow photo shooting as well as cat walking for fashion brands. In general, at these young ages you better have strong parents always looking after you. You are still very young and we never know into what kind of trap you might end to. If you wish to start so young, your parents should negotiate that if the job requires travel, that one of them can accompany you.

Gaby-Machado

Advice Number Three: You Are Who You Are, Do Not Try To Change It

There has been a lot in the press about successful top models and celebrities. Many young girls think that getting as close as possible to those people’s physical appearance would provide mandatory success. Fifteen years ago, there was a whole new generation of models who wanted to look like Claudia Schiffer or Cindy Crawford. Now everybody wants to be like Gisele Bündchen. The press is also playing a lot with this and always want to flag the “next Gisele Bündchen“.

Cindy-Crawford-Claudia-Schiffer

Gisele-bundchen-raw-model

In modelling, brands are not looking to “copy-paste”. They want uniqueness, sassiness, personality and something original. Many models worked very well and still were not in the “standards”. Either is in your skin color, your hair, your tattoos, your measures… there is always room for originality and creativity. Some models become even the muse of certain brands thanks to the uniqueness of their look. Take for example Laetitia Casta. She was a super model and still is a true inspiration for many women. She was only 169cm high for 58kg. Most of top models are 180cm for 52kg. This did not block her to have an amazing international career and become the muse of Yves Saint Laurent. After her career as a model, she embraced a quite successful career as an actress.

Laetitia-Casta

In conclusion, you should not try to erase your difference, at the contrary, you should cultivate them and use it as a visit card.

Advice Number Four: Get A Proper Model Agency, Or Even Better, Get Two Agencies.

Most of the success of a long-term career as a model remains on the professionalism of your model agency. You need to work with the best. Generally any model career starts local. So you should have a local model agency that would help you start getting good jobs. They will provide good advice and structure your presentation, starting with your look book. Something that is important to say: generally no model pays for the look book. It is an agency investment to your future. So if you get into weird deals in which you should pay for your book, just run away. It is not serious matter. The thing is that after working regularly at a local level, you might want to evolve to more international waters. Here is why is important to have a second agency or a partner agency from your first local agency. More and more local agencies get international partners because they know they will not be able to fulfill a global scope of work for their models. This is the best deal as you can then make sure all your business is taken care. In case the local agency does not have any international partners, either you would like to find one that has such partners, or eventually negotiate your rights separately (local vs global).

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Some models were “discovered” immediately by global agencies and quickly started working at international level. We all remember the story of Claudia Schiffer who was discovered by the international agency while dancing in a nightclub back in Germany. Modern fairy tales do exist but they are not common. If you start with a local model agency your dream might start sooner than expected. Probably this is easier to admit if you live in the US, Brazil, France or Italy rather than New Zealand or Zimbabwe. Nevertheless, it is a great way to start this profession and see if you would like to do this all the time before getting greater commitments. Here is a short list of top models agencies that you might want to check.

  • IMG Models (eg: Gigi Hadid)
  • Next Model Management (eg: Lineisy Montego)
  • Elite Models (eg: Kendall Jenner)
  • The Society (eg: Amilna Estevåo)
  • Ford Models (eg: Ashley Graham)
  • Storm Model Management (eg: Liu Wen)
  • Marilyn Agency (eg: Adriana Lima)

Recently the one and only Kate Moss launched her own agency called simply Kate Moss Agency. Of course all Kate Moss jobs are done via her own agency but she is also taking care of new talent like Gwendoline Christie or Jamie Bechert.

Kate-moss-agency

As you can see, if there is a will there is a way. If you think you are meant to become a model and you think you have the courage for this job, you need to start planning carefully and avoid all the traps that you definitely do not to fall into.

Strike the pose!

José Amorim

Info sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com in Forbes, Time, Vogue, Marie-Claire and all model agencies websites. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only. 

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How To Save In Time For Your Luxury Vacation

LuxuryActivist
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Reading Time: 3 minutes

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If you are saving for the vacation of a lifetime, then it can be daunting and overwhelming at times, in particular, if your bank balance is not in the healthiest of states currently, or when you go in to book your trip. However, no matter your budget we all deserve a little luxury while you are away from home, so it is up to you to get organized and ensure that you have enough money or savings so that you can swim with dolphins, skydive or even dive with sharks – as these moments are priceless and life-changing, no matter the initial cost.

Plan your trip

If you are not planning to stay in a resort during your entire trip, then it is up to you to plan and prepare your trip so that you can stick to your budget, while also ensuring that you are having the adventure of a lifetime, no matter if you are going for two weeks or a month. Remain realistic in terms of how much of a country that you are able to visit – there is no reason to come home even more exhausted than before you even went away! Once you have planned your trip you can begin to investigate the variety of excursions and opportunities that you can enjoy while you are out and about, it will be better to gain an idea of price and arrange these once you have arrived, as booking online or through your hotel could cost even more. Get planning and not only will you save yourself a few dollars, but you can also rest assured that you have peace of mind knowing that your itinerary and accommodation is sorted.

Book your hotels in advance

Most credit cards or sites such as booking.com will enable you to accrue miles or points over time, meaning that you can exchange these for room upgrades, or even gain access to special rates or flash sales – making luxury affordable. It also pays to shop around, so that you can book the same room for up to fifty dollars or less. So, try not to act in haste and take your time when booking your hotels, as you may even save yourself a small fortune.

Be savvy with funds

When you are beginning to save for your next trip, then you are going to need to cut back and make a few sacrifices so that you have a bigger budget while you are away. You may want to also think of savvy ways that you could potentially make money. You could also consider using sites such as https://www.unibet.eu/blog/football/world-cup to make a few dollars towards your trip. This is also a good way to spend your time if you have a few hours to kill during your trip and you need to unwind.

If you are looking to save for your next luxury vacation, then be sure to plan your trip before you even leave your own home. Consider shopping around and using points or your credit card to book your hotel. Finally, cut back and get resourceful so that you can up your vacation spending money.

Carol

Info sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only. 

The Future Of Retail, Technology At Your Service

José Amorim
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Reading Time: 10 minutes

AI-affects-your-choices

The more internet technologies allow retailers to review their model, the more important changes will be put in place across the user experience. Here are 4 major changes that will certainly happen in the next 10 years.

1- Big Data Will Do The Shopping For You

Big-data-in-retailTwenty years ago, you would probably choose that store rather than that other one because of the person managing the place. By always going to the same store, the people working there would know your habits and how you would like things. It is the same principle as restaurants, bars, hair dresser… With modern technology we call this Data collection. Since we got connected to the web in our daily lives there is a huge amount of data that is collected about us. What we eat, drink, purchase and even where we go, what is the next holiday destination, etc. Years of data gathering is helping vendors to create the perfect portrait of their customers. We have generated more data in the past 10 years than in the entire human history. The estimated amount of “data in the digital universe” this year – 1.2 zettabytes (1.3 trillion gigabytes) – is equal to 75m fully-loaded 16GB iPads, which is 339 miles into the sky (The Guardian). We are in the era of Big Data but this concept is not new. According to the Oxford English dictionnaire, Big Data entered the dictionary in 1941 under the idea of “Information Explosion”. In 1971 Arthur Miller writes in The Assault on Privacy in which you can read that “Too many information handlers seem to measure a man by the number of bits of storage capacity his dossier will occupy.”

Arthur-Miller-The-Privacy-Assault

Thanks to all these data, retailers will be able to know for sure what kind of products they need to offer to their customers, seasonality and even what kind of Pizza they should sell on Thursday evenings. With the amount of data connected to a customer, we will be able to connect our fridges and our kitchen cupboards to the web. So you could imagine getting to a store on a friday end of day and your groceries would be ready to pick up as the data will know what you need for the incoming weekend. Is this already possible? Not yet. We are currently in a pace of collecting all possible data about individuals. From their credit cards, Facebook accounts, smartphones, smartwatches, Alexas and other Siris. Now the true challenge is  about maximizing computer power and algorithm accuracy in order to analyse the information and create patterns that will allow you to map your customer portfolio. Many experts say that today the data is not clean. It is not 100% accurate, so you might end up with a pizza you do not like (not those anchovies again!). In the near future, meaning within the next 10 years, quantum computers will accelerate time of calculation and AI will learn from data and be able to create unique patterns by individuals and by situations or even emotional contexts. One interesting aspect in terms of data collection is the usage of voice control. Why companies like Apple, Google or Amazon are dramatically developing devices and functionalities controlled by the voice of the user? It is only to accommodate people? Not really. We estimate that you can collect 50% more data when you use your voice rather than a text order. With a voice control, we can analyse emotions and understand the mindset of a person when ordering a pizza (this pizza again). Let’s take the example of Search engines.

So far:

  1. You decide to search for something
  2. You type on a (virtual)keyboard the text for your query
  3. The Algorithm selects the best results based on different relevant criteria
  4. You look to the SERP and pick up the best choice according to you.

Tomorrow:

  1. You decide to search for something using the voice control
  2. The AI will analyse your query and the emotional data related to it
  3. Based on your habits and the mood, the AI will choose a specific list of possible choices
  4.  You will choose the best choice you think appropriate
  5. AI will learn from this and improve relevancy for next time.

In ten years time:

  1. AI will undertand, based on your consumption and emotional patterns, that you will
    need a nice big and fat pizza tonight (having a hard day hein?)
  2. It is Thursday evening, so AI knows that generally you ask for a restaurant around 19:30
  3. At that precise time, you will get a notification from AI asking if you need a restaurant for tonight?
  4. The user will use his voice to say “YES PLEASE”.
  5. Based on the emotional information collection in this order, AI will realize that the user had a tuff day, so AI will propose to book a table at your preferred pizzeria
  6. AI will contact the restaurant to book a table. This can happen via phone call or by email.

In Fifteen year time:

  1. Same situation as above, but AI will decide.
  2. No need to ask or to provide an order
  3. No need to pick up the final choice as AI will know best.

Sounds science-fiction? Not really. Google has already tested several intelligent algorithms that can call real people to make an appointment with great success even in tricky situations. Marketers working on SEM or SEO will need to find the right balance on who will they be targeting with their search campaigns? The AI or the user? In any case, by analyzing the data for so many years and by developing and improving technology, any physical store will know from the moment you cross their doors what you will buy that day.

2- Virtual Reality Will Show You Stock Availability

virtual-reality-ecommerce

Talking about technology, there is one huge democratization happing right now: Virtual reality (VR). Remember last Christmas? VR helmets and devices were top of the sales. Today anyone can have a VR experience at home. Top retailers believe VR will help customers to browse product catalogs. This will help trial but also expanding your choices. Why retailers are so interested in virtual reality? There are several points that forces the business in this sense:

  • Space and time: you can offer a much wider choice of products in a limited space. You can also decide about seasonality or context.
  • User experience: with VR you can decide about interior design even if this would challenge the laws of physics!

Hold on a minute! We are talking here about Virtual Reality (VR), but what about Augmented Reality (AR)? And what is the difference? To make it simple, Augmented Reality is just reality with some enhancements. This will probably be more used by professionals like doctors, engineers, designers or drivers. Virtual Reality is about immersion. Let’s take the example of Lexus. This year the automotive brand offered to its customers a driving experience thanks to Oculus Rift. Lexus believed that offering a test drive on all their models with VR was far more “immersive” than using a traditional driving simulator. Of course nothing replaces a road drive but sometimes you cannot offer it, especially with incoming models.

3- Home Delivery By Drone Or Automated Truck

No matter if you buy online or if you call or even if you go to a store and ask for home delivery, you might get used to Drone-Delivery. Currently tested by Amazon, Drone delivery would solve many problems related to the last part of a purchase journey: the delivery. By reaching specific points, the drone will be able to deliver your package safely to your home. This might apply to rural areas in which space is not a problem. Probably drone-delivery will be a challenge in the city center of HongKong. Drone delivery can also be used for returns. Imagine that you do not need anymore to go back to the post office to send back something you do not want anymore.

4- No Physical Check-outs Anymore

Digital-check-out

After one hour of shopping at the grocery store, the most annoying moment is the check-out. You need to queue at the cash-register, take all your products from the basket, put in on the counter, then back again and finally pay with cash or credit card. You can also extrapolate this to a restaurant, post office, cleaning service, anything requiring a payment checkout. What if in the future you can physically skip the check-out process. What if by entering a store, they know who you are and when you leave, we know exactly what you bought? This means you can receive a payment confirmation by email and the invoice was automatically paid via digital. Would this work via your mobile phone or via another device? Currently mobile phones become the common denominator within all people. Apple is already implementing Apple Pay by default in all new devices and Amazon is successfully experimenting Amazon Go. Today, Apple Pay counts around 87 million active users around the world. They are far behind market leaders like WeChat pay with its 600 million Chinese users or even PayPal with 210 million. Here below the number of users by mobile payment platforms (source: Statista).

number of mobile payments in the world

We can see that Asia based companies are leading the way but from a geographical repartition point of view, things seem more balanced than what we would think. Here below the geographical split by mobile constructors payment platforms.

Mobile-payments-by-phone-providers

Despite the fact that the total number of available markets is small, there is an interesting split around the world. So we can see that the next battle will be: “who owns the credit card information“? With the mobile device, that is personal, unique, secured, you can imagine a worldwide system that allows users to make payments and check-outs without noticing it in the physical world. By the moment you enter a store and take things from a shelf, technology would be able to track and record it. So by leaving the store you can get a notification saying “here is your payment recap”. This technology will be more and more employed as sometimes it would be easier and safer than local bank systems.

Artificial-Intelligence-CRM

Last but not least, we can wonder what will be the impact of technology to CRM? Will be Artificial Intelligence managing customers relationships? Will be a digital assisted guidance? Currently it is very hard to differentiate AI from a real person at the phone. Google made some tests and we can see that the decision making process done by AI is 1000 times more efficient than a real person. Then, the most important question is about all the small “irregularities” in the human relationship that makes that brand better than other. Often, what makes you connected to a brand is not their capability to solve problems, it is their way of solving them. In Luc Besson’s film The Fifth Element, the hero character played by Bruce Willis, request for client support. The system asks him if he wishes to speak with a machine or a real human being. What a metaphysic choice! Let’s hope we will not get into such extreme situation. After all, may be, all of this is just for a pizza.

José Amorim

Info sourced by the author for luxury activist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only. 

Mediterranean Yacht Charter: Experience the Med Like Never Before

LuxuryActivist
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Reading Time: 5 minutes

Mediterranean-yacht-charter-Y.CO-service-on-board

There’s a reason why the Mediterranean has long been the favourite playground of yachties. It’s not just that it is home to many beautiful areas perfectly suited to exploration by yacht charter, such as the French Riviera, Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast, and the dreamy archipelagos of Greece. Those in the know realise that to do the Med right, it simply has to be by yacht. For though the sunny landscape offers countless villas, beach houses and manors, anything they can do a yacht can do better. Here’s why Mediterranean yacht charters beat all other holiday accommodation, every time.

Never Lift a Finger

Mediterranean-Yacht-Charter-French-Riviera

When chartering yachts in the French Riviera and beyond, you can expect best-of-class service. In order to work on a yacht, stewards and stewardesses must already be qualified to the highest level, with the luxury nature of a superyacht meaning that service is available 24/7 and no demand is too high. Dedicated engineers are always on the yacht, ensuring that all technology is always working to the highest standard, and your highly-experienced Captain is your point of contact to sure everything runs smoothly and navigate to your next dream destination.

And then there is the onboard culinary team, always ready to create whatever gourmet delight takes your fancy. Whether you want 3am pancakes after a glamorous soiree hosted onboard, or an 8-course Michelin-Star tasting menu for your and 20 friends, it’s all possible. Though in some cases villas may have their own staff, it is unlikely you will ever get this much amazing service off-yacht.

Make a Splash

Mediterranean-yacht-charter-water-toys

For those who thrive on adrenaline or love trying out new activities, chartering a yacht in the Mediterranean provides almost limitless options. Think of the yacht as your personal water sports centre, with every toy imaginable onboard. Race a quad ski against a jet-propelled kayak one day, take your family longboarding the next and if based on a motor yacht, make sure a blow-up sailing boat is on hand and try your hand at running the rigging. No need to worry about inflating anything as the crew will set everything up for you, and when you are done simply float back to luxury. Particularly when chartering a superyacht in the Italian Riviera, there are a number of incredible destinations for water-based fun. Why not try out the new kitesurfing craze on the Adriatic coast? The historic town of Ravenna in North Italy has been found to be a particularly incredible place for kiteboarding, with spectacular beaches for launching, consistent winds and water that’s warm for much of the year. And with no fewer than eight UNESCO World Heritage sites, Ravenna also offers plenty of opportunity to take in culture for those less keen on watersports.

Or, take in Italy’s beautiful azure seas from above. The Flight of the Angel is an 80mph zipwire ride that stretches for just under a mile between two remote villages in the “Dolomiti Lucane”, a stunning mountain area in the deep south. An utterly exhilarating way to take in incredible views of the region, without needing to break a sweat. Of course, you could participate in these sports whilst staying on land, but Mediterranean yacht charters come fully equipped with everything you could possibly need to enjoy these activities to the maximum. It’s your holiday – why would you want it to be any less than perfect?

 Set Yourself Free

Mediterranean-yacht-charter-Y.CO-Dalmatian-Coast-Croatia

If you feel the pull of the path less travelled, you may instead find yourself drawn to check out the East Med. From the incredible cascading emerald waterfalls and pools at Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes to the Venetian palaces of Corfu’s Old Town in Greece, it is filled with hidden treasures that have to be seen to be believed. Yet visiting these attractions from land-based accommodation can be a hassle. Firstly, you need to prepare for the trip by packing the many essentials needed for a long, hot day excursion. Depending on the location, a hire car, boat or even a rental helicopter may be needed to get you there. These journeys can be exhausting in themselves, especially if travelling young children, and once you have spent the day at your chosen destination you have to travel all that way back, putting something of a damper on the day. Groups of islands such as those on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast are particularly difficult to travel between without multiple changes on crowded public shuttle-boats. Why suffer? East Mediterranean yacht charters are becoming more and more popular, with many must-visit spots dotted throughout its less-explored terrain. On a Mediterranean superyacht charter simply float worry-free around the spectacular Dalmatian Islands, fully enjoying this paradise of turquoise coves, medieval villages, and deep pine forest.

Yachts provide both a mode of transport and a luxurious home, so as you float towards your chosen destination you only need to relax with a chilled glass of champagne or partake in any other of the many onboard activities, never once hearing the dreaded ‘I’m bored’ from any young guests. You’ll arrive feeling refreshed and ready for your next adventure. Worked up an appetite but not dressed for dinner? No need to stress; either dine out at anchor on a delicious gourmet meal prepared by onboard chef of the make a quick trip back to the yacht to change before heading out again to enjoy the local nightlife. Then, whenever you’re ready, move onto your next attraction. It really can be that easy when you charter a yacht in the Mediterranean.

Colette Flowerdew-Kincaid

Info sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only. 

Top 10 Handbags For This Summer, The Instagrammers choice!

José Amorim
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0
Reading Time: 6 minutes

Spring is done and we are finally but surely entering the summer season, so now the big question is what should we wear this season? Here below you will find a sharp choice inspired by what top instagrammers would choose.

#1- The Ipanema Midi by RealTrue

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Happy to start with this one as it is Swiss-Brazilian, sustainable and ecological responsible. Who said that fashion and luxury cannot align with today’s responsibilities? REALTRUE stands for a business and its products where beauty and sustainability fuse and can ultimately be experienced with enthusiasm and a clear conscience. The Ipanema Midi is made of true Brazilian Pirarucu Fish leather, manufactured in Italy. Great style.
Thanks to Eileen for the tip – Instagram-Logo @eileenschuch

#2 – The Mini Roy Bucket Bag by Chloe

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Mini Roy bucket bag by Chloe is in smooth calfskin with “little horses” embroidery. Elegant yet relaxed, the Roy line’s mini bucket bag is a compact accessory crafted from smooth calfskin with a striking embroidered “little horses” motif. Piercing oversized rings in Chloé’s signature “O” shape adorn the sides, while the drawstring cotton canvas closure enhances the laid-back attitude. The bottom is contoured by gold-toned studs. A short tonal leather strap and removable long strap mean you can carry Roy any which way.
Thanks to Stefanie for the tip – Instagram-Logo@sofashionated_by_steffy

#3 – The Gabrielle Bag by Chanel

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Launched this year to mark a whole year of celebration about Gabrielle Chanel, the French luxury house launched a tremendous IT bag with Gabrielle. With such a distinctive look and still so faithful to the brand, this new bag tends to make your summer to be iconic! This bag was firstly presented at the Spring-Summer 2017 ready-to-wear show. The idea of this bag is to capitalize on the unique spirit of all Chanel’s bags. It is a story of aesthetic and practical spirit in the blend of strength and elegance.
Thanks to Morgane for the tip – Instagram-Logo @theblondiediary

#4 – The Thompson Street Sam by Kate Spade

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Kate Spade is a true American Iconic brand for Handbags. Most of fans would buy them all. Here we have a revisit of one of the classic handbags of the brand: the Thomson Street Sam in warm gold. Everything started back in 1993 with a boxy black handbag called Sam. This bag was supposed to be perfect with jeans as well as with a cocktail dress.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the Sam bag, Kate Spade brings it back with a great choice of new colors like the metallic gold leather.
Thanks to Brooke for the tip – Instagram-Logo @be_moline

#5 – The Metis Pochette By Louis Vuitton

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Elegance is personified in the petite shape of the Pochette Métis by Louis Vuitton. Made of supple Monogram empreinte leather, its compact dimensions open up to reveal many useful pockets and compartments. Several elements make this handbag a discreet and chic accessory for your look: the smooth supple cowhide trim, the gold-color metallic pieces, the removable adjustable strap or the secure S-lock closing system. The quality of the leather is simply amazing and again, this handbag is the perfect companion to multiple occasions.
Thanks to Romana for the tip – Instagram-Logo @fouraway

#6 -The Lilleth by Cult Gaia

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The Lilleth Bag by Cult Gaia is a handmade collapsible bamboo bag that you can fold completely flat to pack and travel with.  It is also a sculptural piece of art and we guarantee a lot of turning heads.  It is an outstanding handbag that will complete your perfect look this summer. The bamboo will yellow and patina over time and with sun exposure.
Thanks to Martina for the tip – Instagram-Logo @sequence_maeddi

#7- The Large Lady Dior by Dior

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Dior created a large supple Lady Dior bag in black luxury goatskin with Niki de Saint Phalle marquetry. This is how Katrien Verhassel from Your Style described the bag:

“Practical: Large enough to fit your laptop in. It goes with all outfits, easy to combine, timeless, unique, it has character and is edgy. It also reminds me of Maria Grazia Chiuri, the first woman designer for the Dior house, so I would be ultra proud to wear this as it’s nearly a statement piece with historical meaning as well. Plus it pays hommage to Niki de Saint Phalle as well! So it has so much meaning” – Katrien Verhassel, Founder of Your Style.

This handbag is a large supple Lady Dior bag in black luxury goatskin with Niki de Saint Phalle marquetry. The jewellery in aged gold-tone metal. The wide multi-coloured embroidered canvas strap with black smooth calfskin details plays with medallions in aged silver-tone metal. You can carried in the hand, on the shoulder or across the body.
Thanks to Katrien for the tip – Instagram-Logo @withkatatyourstyle

#8- The Wicker small bucket by Gucci

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Gucci brings here a surprising yet completely inline collection of handbags that will spice up your season. Imbued with a summer feel that is widely explored throughout the Pre-Fall 2018 collection, wicker bags reflect an artistic approach that is apparent in the waves of the weave. Crafted from an all-natural material, this bucket shoulder bag references the shape of vintage beach bags.
Thanks to Jenny for the tip – Instagram-Logo @scandinavianstyleblog

#9- The Mini Drew by Chloe

Slightly downsized in this compact version, the Chloe Drew shoulder bag is a day-to-evening accessory that combines feminine details with a modern allure. With its signature turn lock and chain detail, Drew exudes timeless 70s elegance that connects to the Maison’s heritage. Pale gold metal adds refined contrast to the sharp feminine shape.
Thanks to Martina for the tip – Instagram-Logo @sequence_maeddi

#10- The Hemp Fabric handbag by MiuMiu

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Summer is the moment to enjoy a certain lightness and to spend time with friends outside home. MiuMiu has this amazing series of hemp fabric handbags that will literally brighten up your summer. Either with the two leather handles or the detachable adjustable fabric and leather shoulder strap, this bag will be perfect to any summer occasion. This is our chief editor’s choice for this summer season as it honors the original fashion approach of MiuMiu. This beg is like a bonbon. By Instagram-Logo @luxury_activist 

As we mentioned earlier above, Spring is over and Summer is getting ready. So for this new season, you need to start getting things right. And it all start with the right handbag!

José Amorim

Info sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only. Many thanks to all instagrammers referenced in the article for their help and enlightenment. 

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Advice For Finding And Purchasing A Luxury Home

LuxuryActivist
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Reading Time: 7 minutes

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Buying a luxury home is an enormous purchase, but it is also a life-changing one, and hopefully, it will be somewhere that will make you very happy for many years to come. Many people dream of owning their very own palatial pad and raising a family, but this does not have to be a fantasy as it is possible to purchase a luxury home without spending millions. As such a large and important purchase, it is important that you take your time to make sure that it is right for you and this can make it quite a stressful situation. Read on for advice for finding the perfect palace and making the big move.

Work Out Your Finances

First, you need to work out how much money you can afford to spend on the property. There are a few ways that you can improve the resale value of your current home, and this could make a big difference to the amount that you can afford, plus there are also various other ways to raise money. It is also important to factor in that there might be maintenance costs and work to carry out on the property.

Decide What You Want Before Looking

Think about your wants and needs from the property and draw up a list. Doing so will make it much easier to narrow your search to your idea of perfection. Aspects to consider include property type (modern or old), the number of bedrooms, parking, garden, location, to name a few.

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Finding Affordable Properties

If money is tight, there are a few ways that you can find a mansion for more affordable prices. You could browse foreclosed properties or ones which are owned by the bank; sometimes a seller will be in a hurry to make the sale, often so they can push through their own purchase and will be willing to accept less. Additionally, factors like condition will impact price so if you are willing to buy somewhere that needs some work then you could make big savings. Additionally, property prices will change depending on the area of the country you are in so consider this if you are looking for more affordable prices.

Neighborhood

Just as important as the property itself, always think about the neighborhood and whether or not this is somewhere that you would like to live. Always take the time to stroll the surrounding streets and speak to the neighbors because doing so will give you a good idea as to whether or not this is the right place for you.

Use The Right Agent

Luxury properties are different to regular houses, and this means that you need to find an estate agent with lots of experience and expertise in the luxury property market. It means that they will know the ins and outs and know how to find a property that fits your needs. Additionally, a specialist may be aware of pocket listings; these are properties that are for sale but are not publicly advertised.

Use Your Bank

When you are financing the property, it is easiest to use your own bank for a loan as they will already have your financial portfolio and will be more likely to approve you. A pre-approval letter will come in handy and could speed the entire process up, so always obtain this from your bank early on in the process.

Don’t Judge Based On Photos

It is easy to look through photos and quickly dismiss ones that you do not like the look of, but this is not a great form of judgment for luxury homes which sometimes do not photographic particularly well. Always look at the accompanying information and arrange a viewing if it is somewhere that sounds like a good place to live.

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Documentation

It is always important to keep a paper trail, but especially when shopping in the high-end property market. Scrutiny is high so always keep track of all financial documents and be completely transparent because it will speed the process up and keep everything stress free. Often, you will need to provide financial information even to view a luxury property so be prepared to show a bank statement or a reference from your accountant.

Home Inspection

Always get a home inspection carried out by an external company before making any decisions. Find one who specializes in the latest and best home features so that they can provide their assessment of the appliances and technologies in addition to the condition of the property.

Security

Following on from this, it is important that the property has safety features and gadgets as criminals can target these high-value properties. It is another reason why it is important to ask about living in the neighborhood. Fortunately, there are all kinds of amazing gadgets and pieces of technology that can make a property safe and secure if it does not have adequate security, and this may allow you to negotiate a lower price.

Think About The Future

It is easy to get distracted by these amazing properties, but it is important that you take your time and think about the future. The home might be perfect for your current way of life, but you will be spending many years in this house so you should think about the future. This might include having a child (or having more children), pets, a different job, etc. In addition to this, always research any planned works in the local area as you don’t want to spend a fortune on the perfect home in a quiet area only to have a block of flats built next door shortly after moving in.

Multiple Visits

Never rush or get pushed into parting way with your money as it is important to take your time and make multiple visits. Try to see the property at different times of the day so that you can get an idea of atmosphere and noise. If possible, consider booking into a nearby hotel to see how it feels to stay in the area briefly.

Title Insurance

Title insurance is vital when looking in the high-end property market. This is a type of cover that will protect the home buyer and lender from the possibility that the seller doesn’t have clear ownership of the property and, therefore, can’t legally transfer ownership.

Negotiating

It is always worth negotiation the price and especially if money is a concern. It can be hard to determine a fair price when a mansion has unique features, but have your agent research comparable properties to see if you could negotiate a lower price for the property.

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Planning The Move

Planning the move well in advance will make things much easier and stress-free. It is particularly important if you are moving cross country, in which case you should always use a specialist cross country movers who can handle the entire process for you.

Buying a luxury home is an incredibly exciting process, and hopefully, it will be somewhere that you are very happy. As it is such a large purchase, it can also be one which causes a great deal of stress. The above advice should help you to navigate the market with confidence and to find what you are looking for, as well as ensure that the entire buying and moving process goes smoothly and successfully. Provided that you identify how much money you can afford, what your needs are and enlist the right people, it should not be too difficult to find what you are looking for and push the sale through.

Carol

Info sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only. 

4 Ways To Make Your Small Home Luxurious

LuxuryActivist
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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Just because your living space is fairly small that doesn’t mean it can’t be a luxurious space too. In fact, it’s easy to make any space look more luxurious with just a few simple additions (or takeaways), and many of these useful tips cost very little money (if any). Take a look at these easy ways to make your small home luxurious and you’ll see what we mean.

Declutter

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No matter the size of your home, if you have a lot of furniture and general items in it, it’s going to seem smaller and more cramped up and that’s definitely not a sign of luxury. This is why decluttering is such a good idea. Once you have removed everything you don’t need (you can store it, take it to Goodwill, or arrange a garage sale if you prefer), you’ll be able to move your furniture around too and that can also open up a room for you. Sometimes larger items are placed in such a way that they almost cause an obstruction, but if there are fewer items about then you may be able to change the position and give yourself more room.

Add Plants

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Plants always add a touch of luxury to your home. That splash of lush green always feels and looks good, and it can make a real difference to how you feel about your living space, and how other people perceive it. Of course, you’ll need to care for these plants because dead or dying ones don’t look great at all. If you’re not someone who has an affinity with plants, then choose something that doesn’t take much looking after (you’ll still need to water it from time to time, and place it in the best spot for it to grow and thrive). As well as looking great, plants have been proven to have many health benefits and help to purify the air.

Make The Most Of Your Space

If you only have limited space then it’s important that you think carefully about how to use it. A small kitchen, for example, doesn’t have to be a problem at all if you have the right tools and equipment to help you. An electric skillet is ideal if your stove is small (or if the kitchen is so small that you can’t fit one in), for example. Take each room one by one and work out what you definitely need and what you would like to have. Once you have fitted in what you need, you can start working on the rest of the list assuming there is any space left. You may have to make some sacrifices, but it will keep your home looking great.

Light Is Important

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A dark home will never look as inviting or as luxurious as a light, bright, airy one. Therefore, you should look into ways of allowing as much natural light as possible into your house or apartment. You might want to install a skylight, for example, or exchange wooden doors for glass ones. Windows can be made brighter by painting the edges white rather than a darker color – they won’t let any more light in, but the light that does come in will be reflected rather than absorbed. Mirrors in strategic positions will also help here.

Carol

Info sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only. 

LEGO® TECHNIC BUGATTI CHIRON – The Beast released.

José Amorim
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Reading Time: 4 minutes

LEGO® is an amazing brand that made many of our childhood dreams come true. LEGO®’s popularity is demonstrated by its wide representation and usage in many forms of cultural works, including books, films and art work. It has even been used in the classroom as a teaching tool. This year, LEGO® TECHNIC is launching a new construction model based on the BUGATTI CHIRON. This is more than a toy, it is a real collaboration between the two iconic brands to bring to both brands fans a dream come true: to build a Bugatti with your own hands. Not sure this will be only for children, dads might also take advantage of this…

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The LEGO® Technic Bugatti Chiron combines the iconic design tradition of the French luxury car brand with LEGO® Technic elements. The result: an interpreted version of the latest super sports car from Molsheim. The LEGO® Technic Bugatti Chiron on a 1: 8 scale will be available in all LEGO® stores and on shop.LEGO.com from 1 June 2018 – as of 1 August 2018 also in the retail sector. The LEGO® model captures the fascination, power and elegance of Chiron, which premiered two years ago. The LEGO® Technic replica offers a unique, authentic construction experience that will thrills car lovers and LEGO® fans of all ages.

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“I’m really excited about this new model. Our LEGO® designers have beautifully reproduced the details of this iconic bugatti sports car. It is the best proof that you can really build anything imaginable with LEGO bricks. And with LEGO® Technic, it will be quite real. I can not wait to build this huge model myself. Engineering has always been my passion, and the detailed design of this model is absolutely mesmerizing.” – Niels B. Christiansen, CEO of the LEGO® Group

Thanks to their proven design snd technology expertise, the LEGO® Group and Bugatti are both synonymous of excellence, design, quality and edgy technology in their respective markets. According to Mr Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S., the LEGO® Technic model of the Bugatti Chiron is an expression of this perfect connection.

It is very impressive to see the precision and the sophistication of the supercar now translated into the LEGO® world. It is certain that LEGO® and Bugatti fans will love this product.

LEGO-Technic-Bugatti-Chiron-Inside

The model of the LEGO® Technic Bugatti Chiron in the scale 1: 8 is over 14 cm high, 56 cm long and 25cm wide. It consists of 3.599 parts and offers many elaborate, faithful details. These include the aerodynamic body with active rear wing, the low-profile tires on wire rims, a detailed cockpit with movable paddles and the legendary W16 engine with moving pistons. With the doors open, the detailed cockpit can be discovered. There are the LEGO® Technic 8-speed gearbox with movable paddles and the steering wheel with the typical Bugatti emblem.
Each model has its own serial number, which is located under the boot lid and provides access to additional content on LEGO.com/technic. Also included in the set is a speed key that lowers the active rear wing from the handling position to the top speed position. In the trunk is discreetly another authentic detail of the Bugatti Chiron stowed – the elegant Bugatti travel bag.
In keeping with Bugatti’s brand history, the two shades of blue reflect the unmistakable classic color scheme of the brand. Concise stickers to show more details make the model look even more authentic. For the final touch, the set is packed in an exclusive box, which comes with a collector’s brochure with detailed instructions. With nine podcasts by Bugatti and LEGO® experts, fans can also get more involved with the creation of the model.

We can say that once more, LEGO remains truthful to the company motto: “Only the best is good enough”.

José Amorim

Info sourced by the author in the brand official communication. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only. 

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