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Hedi Slimane named Artistic, Creative and Image Director of Céline

Fashion

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21 January 2018

Reading Time: 4 minutes

It is confirmed. The rumors were true: Hedi Slimane becomes the new Artistic Director of Celine. As always with Hedi Slimane: this is big news! Two years after leaving Yves Saint Laurent, Hedi Slimane arrives at the head of creation of the luxury brand Celine. His mission will be to launch the masculine fashion and fragrances. He will officially arrive in February and we can imagine that there will be a lot of changes. He is 49 years old and last time he worked for LVMH, he revolutionized masculine fashion at Dior Homme (2000 to 2007). His last job was Artistic Director for Yves Saint Laurent from 2012 and 2016.

Hedi Slimane, The Ultimate Creative Director

Hedi Slimane was never such a rebel that he would dare going to a more alternative parcours. He always dreamed to work for well known-brands and his versatility as an artist, fashion designer and photographer makes him consider different angles in terms of products and activities.
Hedi Slimane started his career already in this perspective. At the age of 24 he assisted Jacques Picart on his project around the Louis Vuitton monogram 100th anniversary (1994). Almost just after that Pierre Berger asked him to take care of the Men’s Collections Direction of Yves Saint Laurent and in 1996 he becomes Artistic Director for the luxury French house. In Autumn-winter 2000 to 2001, Hedi Slimane launched the Black Tie collection and it was his initial skinny silhouette signature. After that, he was offered to become the Artistic Director of Jil Sander but he had bigger plans as he wanted to have a more global and multi-facetted beautiful luxury house. That is why he decided to accept the offer from LVMH and become the Artistic Director of Christian Dior Men’s collection. For the first time he had the feeling to get a platform that would allow him to deploy all his art. He reshape Dior Homme in such ways that the franchise would go from a dying business to the mot hot brand of the decade.

Celine, A Hidden Jewel within LVMH

It was in 1945, when Céline Vipiana and her husband, Richard, created one of the first luxury brands in the industry, Céline, a made-to-measure children’s shoe business, and opened a first boutique at 52 rue Malte in Paris. The brand was recognised by its logo, the red elephant created by Raymont Peynet. In 1960, the brand decided to change its positioning by focusing its business on a ready-to-wear fashion brand for women with a sportswear approach. Henceforth, the brand offered a range of leather goods such as bags, loafers, gloves and clothes. Céline Vipiana remained the designer from 1945-1997. In 1987, Bernard Arnault decided to buy into Céline’s capital. However, it was only in 1996 that the brand was integrated into the LVMH group for US$540 million. LVMH propelled the brand to fame with the opening of a boutique at 36 avenue Montaigne in Paris.
The first Creative director of the brand in this new era was Michael Kors. He brought a modern femininity to the brand and established a solid business on accessories. He stayed 7 years before leaving the brand in order to focus on his own business. Other Creative Directors followed but the one who deserves a special highlight is Phoebe Philo. When Bernard Arnault announced in 2008 that Phoebe Philo becomes the new Creative Director, it was the start of an iconic lift of the brand. Phoebe Philo brought a new touch to the brand creating functional clothes with a focus on materials and tailoring. In 2009, Vogue Magazine defined her style as the “cool minimal trend”. Celine became the IT brand that any fashionista should wear (or dye trying).

Slimane at Celine, a new era will start… for sure

What can we expect to see in this new chapter for Celine? For sure there will be a lot of changes. Hedi Slimane does not arrive in a luxury house and leave things as they are. His mission sounds clear. To invent Celine’s masculinity and bring his magic touch into a new men’s ready-to-wear and fragrance collections. It will be interesting to see how far will he go. Did Bernard Arnaud provide a carte blanche to Hedi Slimane, as he did for Dior Homme? So far we can see that he gets the Artistic, the Creative and the image Direction. Basically, he has full power. The potential is huge and we can only wish good luck to such a talent.

José Amorim

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

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SIHH 2018: The Renaissance of the Parmigiani Kalpa Line

Watches

Arsene Wargas

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17 January 2018

0

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The SIHH is also the moment in the year that Geneva sees what we could call successful comebacks. This year, it is with great pleasure we see the return of the Parmigiani Fleurier Kalpa line. Launched in 1998 by Michel Parmigini himself, the Kalpa line remains a very contemporary watch. Celebrating the 20th anniversary, Parmigiani brings back the Kalpa line with a very interesting model and variations.

This watch is, as any watch manufactured by Parmigiani, a true wonder in terms of watchmaking. Every single detail is taken good care and the more you look to this watch, the more you think it is a great watch. The first striking element is the watch case and its distinctive tonneau shape. It became a true classic in watchmaking. With the Kalpa line, Parmigiani has shaped the movement in ways that fit the watch case perfectly. A very interesting detail of design is the integrated teardrop-shaped lugs that takes its inspiration from nature and the golden number. Inspired by nature, the Fleurier brand even used it in the watch’s name. Kalpa refers to cosmic order, ritual and art, in a perpetual search for harmony and universal energy.
During the 2018 SIHH, Parmigiani presents 3 new models within the Kalpa line, with the following movements, all COSC-certified:

Calibre PF362 (automatic with chronograph)
Calibre PF365 (in solid gold, automatic with chronograph)
Calibre PF110 (hand-wound, eight-day power reserve)

Parmigiani Fleurier did not only relaunched the line but they have also reworked a few details that is worth mentioning. The idea is to improve a few elements that puts this watch in the timeless right track for the future. The watch case was slightly reworked, especially by better integrating the lugs into the watch design overall. We can see as well by comparing with previous models that the winding crown was enlarged for a better grip. The dials are amazing, a true state of the art with several levels of surfaces and finishes: guilloché, snailing or opaline work are enlightened with hand-applied faceted indices. The hands have been resized as well and given luminescent coating. Last but not least, you cannot miss the position of the date now. It has been moved to the top part of the dial. This allows a easier visibility to a very important functionality.
Having become an icon of the Parmigiani Fleurier brand by virtue of its unique aesthetics, ergonomic design and comfort, the Kalpa now presses onward along its path adorned with new features. First of all, it is now fitted with shaped movements that integrate precisely with the carefully crafted outlines of its tonneau case. This was both a technical and aesthetic choice, and highlights the brand’s broad expertise and manufacturing capabilities.
To showcase the new generation of Kalpa watches, Parmigiani Fleurier is making an impression with the Kalpa Chronor, which features the world’s first solid-gold, self-winding, integrated chronograph movement. This tonneau watch is water-resistant to 30 metres and made of hand- polished 18 ct rose gold.

Parmigiani Fleurier takes the name of its founder, Michel Parmigiani. The fine watchmaking brand was founded in 1996 in Fleurier, in the Swiss valley of Val-de-Travers. With its own watchmaking centre ensuring its independence, the brand has both full control over the production process and unique creative freedom. For twenty years, the Parmigiani Fleurier signature has been ingrained in respected timepieces inspired by established watchmaking tradition. They are the labour of a lifetime – that of Michel Parmigiani, the talented individuals who assist him, and the special relationship between the Manufacture and the masterpieces of the past, enabling it to invent a bold future. See more about the outstanding world of Parmigiani Fleurier by connecting to the official brand website:
https://www.parmigiani.com

Arsène Wargas

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

SIHH 2018: Inside The New Hermès Exhibition Booth

Watches

Arsene Wargas

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15 January 2018

0

Reading Time: 2 minutes

One of the novelties this year at the SIHH is the arrival of Hermès as new exhibitor in the luxury tradeshow. LuxuryActivist took the time to give you a snapshot of how the new Hermès Booth looks like. Get into this insider experience and discover the world of La Montre Hermès, now in Geneva.

The principle at the SIHH is that every stand is similar in the outside, which provides a contemporary and modern ambiance. What brands can do is to create its own universe inside each stand. Hermès mandated Denis Montel, from the RDAI interior architecture agency, to design a warm, sophisticated, contemporary setting. The furniture offers a unique journey on which sound, colour and light promotes serenity. Everything is done to welcome visitors in a great hospitality. There is a vast atrium with maplewood screens as well as steles serving as showcases. For Hermès, each detail is important and when it comes to present the watches, it is never enough. Each watch is presented in a glass cube. There are also private spaces enabling personalised discussions introducing the various models composing the collection. An enclosed theatre, in which the tiers are covered in Hermès fabric, is used for press conferences and presentations.

In order to provide an unique experience to its visitors, Hermès has at the heart of its space an installation done by Dutch artist Levi Van Veluw. This luxury ans aesthetics totem offers an exclusive experience. Inside its heart there is in total nine interactive animations. You can activate little mechanisms which, via a set of pistons and gears, bring to life a spectacular monolith in the centre of the atrium. A building machine offering everyone a timeless experience.

Hermes creates objects and even time itself is a sort of object for the luxury brand. The philosophy of Hermès takes inspiration in the heritage of the brand and in its creativeness. Several new models will be presented this year like the new Arceau Chrono Titane.

LuxuryActivist team wishes all the best for Hermès in this new adventure and looking forward discovering all the novelties.

Arsène Wargas

Info sourced in Hermès official communication release. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

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SIHH 2018: Cartier Is A Master Of Mystery

Watches

LuxuryActivist

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14 January 2018

0

Reading Time: 3 minutes

With the opening of SIHH this year, Cartier is revealing 2 great timepieces: the Rotonde de Cartier Skeleton Mysterious Double Tourbillon and the Rotonde de Cartier Mysterious Day & Night. These two watches represent a deep understanding of watchmaking with a over-the-top sense of aesthetics. For sure these are quite exceptional watches.

The Rotonde de Cartier Skeleton Mysterious Double Tourbillon

This watch is built on the base of the one presented back in 2013. Here we have a very striking watch made in a 45mm platinum watch case and a good 12.4mm thick. We have the traditional blue hands and the blue sapphire in the winding crown. Cartier became a true expert in hiding secrets of manufacturing. Here is the video from the one back in 2013:

The principle remains intact. At six o’clock we can see a double axis tourbillon rotating in an aperture without any visible support. All the magic comes from a clever sapphire disc introduced in a way that is hidden within the ring of the dial. The tourbillon cage itself makes one revolution per minute while the sapphire disc, on which the cage is mounted, rotates once every five minutes – hence the double axes. The movement is of course a in-house caliber with 52 hours of power reserve and has a total of 286 components. The watch is a very limited edition of 30 units. There is also two different versions, one with bezel set with baguette-diamonds and there is also a full-pavé version (case and movement!).

The Rotonde de Cartier Mysterious Day & Night

We can see that the Rotonde de Cartier is a very strong watch theme as the re-interpretations are endless. Here with the Rotonde de Cartier Mysterious Day & Night it is a very strong concept that is displayed. The immediate striking detail is the dial that is split in two. The upper part has two main functionalities: the magnificent day/night indicator with a sun and the moon as well as the hour. The sun and the moon slowly slide on a six to six time scale providing the hour. The lower part of the dial displays a single blued hand that shows the minutes with a retrograde functionality. This watch comes in two distinctive 40mm variants: Pink Gold or White Gold. Both cases have the traditional blue sapphire cabochon in the winding crown.
There is one important detail in the dial that deserves to be mentioned. The central part is amazingly decorated with a true radiating guilloché, which contrasts with the sunburst finish of the outer background. This reminds 1920’s Cartier’s Comet clocks. See here below a few examples:

In terms of technical specs, here are the main ones:

The movement is the Caliber 9982 MC
174 components, with 26 jewels
28’800 vph
48h of power reserve

As you can see, 2018 will be a great year for Cartier watchmaking. You can visit the brand website for more information: http://www.cartier.com. The above watches are true wonders and we look forward seeing more from Cartier in the incoming days.

Arsène Wargas

Info sourced in Cartier’s official pre-SIHH communication release. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

Made In Pigalle Reveals the Paris of Parisians – Fragrance Review.

Beauty

José Amorim

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14 January 2018

0

Reading Time: 6 minutes

While many fragrance brands are playing safe and keeping its footsteps into the conservative path of safe choices, some people try to dare something different, something with a soul. Meet MADE IN PIGALLE, a new Fragrance brand freshly launched with the aim of revealing the Paris of Parisians. It is our Fragrance brand of the month.

MADE IN PIGALLE, Simple Ideas Are Often The Best.

The founding soul of MADE IN PIGALLE is Paul Petit. A Parisian of course but above all, a passionate professional from the Fragrance and luxury industry. Paul is Parisian but he is also a citizen of the world. He lived in New York, Tokyo, London and Barcelona. He embraced the intensity and richness of living in great capitals and after so many years, Paris was calling him back. As we often say, when you learn how to market a product or a brand for others, you can easily do it for yourself. After being a high-level professional in the fragrance and luxury industry, Paul decided the time was now to embrace a new adventure, more personal. And that is how MADE IN PIGALLE was born. On Paul’s own words MADE IN PIGALLE is a dream and a passion which became reality. A dream made of flavors, scents and olfactory emotions. Emotions which Paul felt during his childhood summers in the South of France, surrounded by aromatic gardens. Thyme, rosemary, mimosa, lavender, bougainvillea, morning roses are his oxygen, his olfactory alphabet. Hundreds of memories which form the sources of inspiration.

MADE IN PIGALLE aims to translate into an olfactory experience, the Parisian lifestyle around different characters, archetypes of a modern Paris.

Simone in Saint German
Victor in Voltaire
Elsa in Alésia
Martin in Montorgueil
Marie in Le Marais
Joâo in Jaurès
Abel in Abesses

Seven Parisian styles, areas and characters for an interesting olfactory palette. As the poet Robert Browning said: “Less is more”. With MADE IN PIGALLE, there is no marketing, no celebrities and no “chichi“. The hero is the know-how and the passion for great little things. The Parisian brand makes the choice to work exclusively with French craftsmen. An unique know-how developed for centuries at the service of beauty. The fragrances were created in Grasse, the spiritual and historical home of French perfumery and the flacons were created by a glassmaker, 3rd generation family-owned business. Each MADE IN PIGALLE fragrance is assembled by hand and checked individually to obtain the highest standards of quality. The importance of such details makes MADE IN PIGALLE an unique brand and a special fragrance proposal.

MADE IN PIGALLE, From Paris With Love.

Paris is the city of lights and also a great inspiration for fragrance lovers. Paris has this “je ne sais quoi” that changes everything. With the creation of MADE IN PIGALLE, the idea is to translate a contemporary Paris into the fragrance world. It is a true challenge as there is not one Paris but multiple Paris in one. Intense, soft between large boulevards and very narrow streets, trendy and boldly. A chaotic, playful, slightly naughty mix of creativity, style, elegance and irreverence. The different fragrances share the same soul, therefore the same flacon and outer-packaging.

Obviously each fragrance is unique and you will for sure fall in love with at least one of them. With Simone in Saint German, the fashionista, the story takes us to a journey made of Centifolia rose and violet leaf from Grasse, as well as the sensual delight of Indian sandalwood and the spiciness of Cardamom from Guatemala. A strong femininity wrapped in a sensual atmosphere. With Victor in Voltaire the story is about power and energy thanks to juniper berry and Italian pink pepper that are magnified by the strength of iris and the cedar wood from Morocco. With Elsa in Alésia, it is all about the soft juicy sensuality of watermelon from the Provencal countryside, reinforced by ambergris. Martin in Montorgueil showcases the bitterness of fig leaf from Greece, mixed with the subtle warmth of cedar wood and the strength of sandalwood. It is rich, striking and generous. Marie in Le Marais, plays with a hyper sensual cocktail of femininity and elegance of blackcurrant bud, mixed with petals of centifolia rose from Grasse, and precious iris wood. Joao in Jaurès, by far my preferred, displays an astonishing accord of sage and Madagascan clove. Then, it melts into woody vetiver from Java and profound white wood. Last but not least, Abel in Abbesses translates into a true mesmerizing elixir of leather and Cuban tobacco leaves, exalted by sacred Indian Oud and Atlas cedar. To close in style, a warm and resinous note of cistus labdanum.

From a raw material point of view, all fragrances provides a sense of quality. It is a real pleasure to smell a true Rose, a orris root or a simple and high-qualitative sage. Most of ingredients are not crazy or invented. They are true beautiful classics of Perfumery played in a contemporary context. On skin, we have a true development with an introduction, a middle chapter and a comfortable and long-lasting conclusion. These are qualitative fragrances with a possible entry door to everyone. The price positioning is good and reflects the quality placed into the product. So if you fall in love with one of these fragrances, you will for sure become an addicted customer. The olfactory structure does plays with contrasts but not in a conflictual way. It all melts in a harmonious story. The fresh and sparkling top notes and the bright modernity of the bases, allows a immediate projection into the proposed olfactory journey. I would not consider them as “niche fragrances” but more as an interesting, possible alternative to the mainstream brands.

You can find more about MADE IN PIGALLE by connecting to the official website here: https://made-in-pigalle.com.

Paris tells the story of its Parisians through the olfactory lens of MADE IN PIGALLE. So far there are seven fragrances related to seven areas in Paris. As we know Paris contains 20 areas or “Arrondissements”. So there is still a lot of creativity ahead. This new fragrance brand will conquer your heart the same way Paris would conquer it: passionately without compromises.

José Amorim

Info sourced at the brand official communication and product testing. You can follow MADE IN PIGALLE in social media here: Facebook and Instagram. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

SIHH 2018: Audemars Piguet Celebrates The 25th Anniversary Of The Royal Oak Offshore

Watches

Arsene Wargas

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14 January 2018

0

Reading Time: 5 minutes

This year, Audemars Piguet has a strong inspiration to be revealed during the Geneva SIHH. It is the 25th anniversary of the Royal Oak Offshore. The Royal Oak became one of the icons of modern watchmaking. Distinctive and highly qualitative, it signs with golden letters the reputation and the style of the brand.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak range, timeless and iconic

For over a century, Audemars Piguet has devised endlessly inventive horological masterpieces. Throughout the years, Audemars Piguet watchmakers have surpassed technical and theoretical boundaries to craft ever more demanding mechanisms. Audemars Piguet is the oldest fine watchmaking manufacturer still in the hands of its founding families (Audemars and Piguet). Since 1875, the company has written some of the finest chapters in the history of Haute Horlogerie, including a number of world firsts. In the Vallée de Joux, at the heart of the Swiss Jura, numerous masterpieces are created in limited series embodying a remarkable degree of horological perfection, including daring sporty models, classic and traditional timepieces, splendid ladies’ jewellery-watches, as well as one-of-a-kind creations. The famous 1972 octagonal Royal Oak, the first luxury watch to be made of stainless steel, is widely recognized as one of the most important innovations in watchmaking.Back in 1972, Audemars Piguet collaborated with genius watchmaker and designer Gerald Charles Genta to develop one of the most iconic watches of all: The Royal Oak. It was introduced into the market and presented as the first luxury sports watch. It brought a certain casualness to the luxury watch market that would either present very elegant and chic watches or professional oriented ones (divers, pilots…). With the Royal Oak, there was a new spirit of dynamism, casualness yet with a great lifestyle.

The watch was designed by Gérald Charles Genta. He was born in Geneva in 1931 and after finishing his education as a jewelry designer in 1951, he dedicated his life to watchmaking. He will be responsible for several great achievements and the Royal Oak is by far one of his greatest. Story says that Audemars Piguet wanted to create a steel sports watch and the Royal Oak was Gerald Charles Genta solution. The watch was named after a famous sailing ship of the British fleet, the HMS Royal Oak. What is interesting to note is that the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak set a major trend in watchmaking, meaning the display of technical elements of the watch manufacture. By making visible the screws that fix the bezel, it procures a more ruff, high-tech “mechanics” that goes well with the sportiveness of the watch. Many sports watches would follow this trend in the following decades.
Twenty years after the launch of the Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet wanted to celebrate the 20th anniversary with a bolder concept. Pushing even further the limits of design, Audemars Piguet launches in 1993, the first Royal Oak Offshore. It opened the trend of big sports watches. The watch was designed this time by Emmanuel Gueit who was hired by Audemars Piguet to accomplish the challenge. The Offshore had a much larger case (42mm compared to the original 39mm) and was thought to be tougher than the original. The new watch proved to be just as successful as the original model.

To celebrate the Royal Oak Offshore 25th anniversary, Audemars Piguet is issuing a re-edition inspired by the 1993 model. This is accompanied by two new limited series of the Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph: one in stainless steel and one in 18-carat pink gold.

2018 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore, the very best!

The Royal Oak Offshore collection strides into the future with two limited series that reimagine the Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph. The 45 mm case – a first for the Royal Oak Offshore – gives these pieces a very robust feel. It houses a brand-new technical movement design that embodies Audemars Piguet’s expertise and bold approach. The Swiss watchmaker is also re-editing the 1993 42mm version with its self winding movement.

These two models are inspired by the previous Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph (26388PO & 26288OR), with an entirely redesigned movement, developed exclusively to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Royal Oak Offshore collection. Featuring the combination of materials that is often presented on Royal Oak Offshore models, the crown and pushpieces are now crafted in ceramic instead of metal and rubber.

Here are the technical specs for the two new limited editions:

MOVEMENT

Hand-wound: Calibre 2947
Total diameter: 39.78 mm (17 ½ lignes)
Total thickness: 11.60 mm
Number of jewels: 30
Number of parts: 353
Minimal guaranteed power reserve 173h
Frequency of balance wheel (Hz): 3 Hz (=21,600 vibrations /h)

CASE

45 mm stainless steel case (18 Carat Pink Gold for the other model), glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback, stainless steel bezel (Pink Gold bezel for the other model), black ceramic screw-locked crown and pushpieces, sandblasted titanium push piece guards (sandblasted pink gold push piece guards for the other model), water-resistant to 100m

DIAL

Black dial, white gold hour-markers (pink gold hour-markers for the other model) with luminescent coating

BRACELET

Black rubber strap with stainless steel pin buckle (18-carat pink gold pin buckle for the other model)

FUNCTIONS

Tourbillon, chronograph, 30-minute counter, seconds counter, hours and minutes

With this new 2 models based in the toubillon version, Audemars Piguet celebrates with class, the 25th anniversary of the Royal Oak Offshore. With this “bigger-than-life” watch, the Swiss watchmaker from LeBrassus has set a great lifestyle and an amazing challenge in terms of watch-manufacturing. It is a great way to start the year for Audemars Piguet. Passionate customers and watch aficionados will for sure crave for these 3 watches. Check the company’s official website for more information: www.audemarspiguet.com

Arsène Wargas

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

What Buyers Are Looking for in High End Luxury Real Estate

LuxuryActivist

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11 January 2018

0

Reading Time: 3 minutes

When it comes to high end luxury real estate, home buyers are precise as to what exactly they are looking for. According to the CEO and President of Better Homes and Gardens, Sherry Chris, prospective high-end luxury home buyers aren’t as concerned with size as one might imagine, but rather, they are looking for all those exotic amenities which are lacking in the average home. As a realtor or homeowner looking to sell your property, here is some of what prospective home buyers are looking for in a luxury property.

Top on the List – Outdoor Rooms

What the real estate section of bhg.com found when conducting a survey is that outdoor rooms are hot at the moment. These rooms are open to air typically on three sides and come complete with fireplaces, exotic plants and even stone pizza ovens. Luxury homes tend to do the most entertaining outdoors most months of the year, and so an exotic garden or exotic plants are of prime importance. No ordinary shrub or flowering annual will do.

A Guamuchil Tree by Any Other Name…

Here’s one you probably haven’t heard of but if you are looking for high-end property, no self-respecting lawn and garden would be without a Guamuchil tree. Believe it or not, these exotic trees are known by more than 30 different names, depending on the location where they are grown, for the most part. The only thing to be aware of, according to mygardeningnetwork.com, is that these trees do eventually reach a height of up to 50 feet even though they begin to flower and produce fruit after just two years. You wouldn’t want them too close to your home!

Green Living Is a Must for Today’s Luxury Activist

Perhaps one of the reasons why the Guamuchil tree is so trendy is because of the healthy benefits of the Pithecellobium Dulce (botanical name) and strong flavor of the legumes. These are often used in Indian and Mexican cuisines and are a great conversation piece when entertaining out-of-town guests not familiar with tropical exotics. Green living goes beyond a sustainable lifestyle in the traditional understanding of the word, and so all foods and edibles are usually harvested from organic local sources.

Saunas, Spas, Pools and Zen Gardens

Oddly, luxury homes of the 21^st Century focus more on outdoor living. Perhaps it’s not so strange after all since the luxury lifestyle focuses on green living. Saunas, spas, pools and Zen gardens are a big hit with the high-end buyer. Instead of adding extra living space if you are going to put your luxury home on the market, consider a whole new approach to landscaping and outdoor amenities.

The key takeaway from all this is that luxury real estate is really all about real estate and less about the structures on the property. If you want to fetch the highest selling price for a luxury home, focus on more than just curb appeal. Develop your landscaping with green outdoor entertaining in mind. If you can accomplish that, you’ll not be on the MLS for very long. Your real estate will be green in more ways than one!

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 break into luxury entrepreneurship

LuxuryActivist

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11 January 2018

0

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Carving yourself a career in the luxury goods and services sector is no mean feat — especially when you’re up against established brands with hard-earned reputations. But if you like the finer things in life, have excellent taste and the confidence to mix and mingle with anyone, life as a luxury businessperson probably fits you perfectly. So here are four ways to break into luxury entrepreneurship.

Leather

A number of young entrepreneurs have made their mark in the niche Indian leather market in recent years. Gautam Sinha identified a demand for finely crafted travelling cases and lifestyle products made from leather and similar materials. And his Nappa Dori boutique leather brand now has a loyal following and looks set for further success. The Indian leather industry was worth $17.85 billion in 2015-16 and rival firms The Sole Sisters and The Trunks Company are now competing to grab their share. If you can spot a gap in the market and make quality your unique selling proposition, you could follow the examples of these go-getters.

Luxury venues

A group of independent entrepreneurs in Nottingham, England have recently purchased a Victorian pumping station and aim to turn it into a luxury venue for high profile social events. The complex will include a plush bar, restaurant and banqueting suite as well as an al fresco dining area by the lakeside. So even if you don’t have the wherewithal to purchase a chain of hotels to rival the Hiltons, it’s possible to spot the potential of a promising property and use your imagination and commercial savvy to refurbish it in splendid style. If you have the knack for knowing how to entertain demanding guests and offer them an unforgettable experience, moving into this sector could be your calling.

Champagne delivery

There’s nothing more frustrating for customers with refined taste than running out of their favourite chilled champagne as they laze by the pool at a summer party. Dom Perignon teamed up with the Thirstie app last year to offer a one-hour delivery service to satisfy their fans in major US cities — meeting this pain point precisely. You might capitalise on a similar gap in the market by delivering fresh caviar, quails eggs, oysters or truffles. And this exclusive service could help you be the go-to firm for party planners that cater for wealthy clients but need key items promptly at the last minute.

Upskill

Whatever bright idea you’ve got to help you break into the luxury market, topping up your entrepreneurial skills with an online degree is definitely a wise move. For instance, studying flexibly for an MBA will endow you with the commercial smarts necessary to ensure your business plans come to fruition and for your luxury startup to achieve sustained success. No-one’s automatically equipped with bullet-proof business savvy and learning from mistakes the hard way could sink your business. So boosting your education can prevent your dreams being destroyed.

These four ways to break into luxury entrepreneurship will help you steer your way to success.

Carol

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

Top 6 UK Fashion Brands to watch for in 2018

Fashion

José Amorim

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9 January 2018

0

Reading Time: 5 minutes

The United Kingdom is a gold mine in terms of fashion talents. From the prestigious Saint Martin School to the street pop creativity, the UK reveals each year several new fashion talents, some of them will definitely shape the future of the fashion business. Here is our top 6 UK fashion brands to watch in 2018.

Martine Rose, from experimental to men’s elegance

Founded in 2007, Martine Rose background comes from Men’s shirts. Her artistic exploration drives us towards exploration of individualism and yet belonging to a cultural group (for the reference). Martine Rose will choose amazing icons from the past in order to provide them with a contemporary context. Obviously the work of the fashion artist is to take those icons and offer them a new context that might be a quite subversive approach, questioning the former functionality or past popularity of certain aesthetics through their re-appropriation today.

Have a look into the brand website and explore more about Martine Rose. You will be surprised:
https://martine-rose.com

Self-Portrait, in the heritage of an Alexander McQueen

Malaysian born Fashion Designer Hon Chang, is a former student at Central Saint Martins. After being in the fashion industry for over a decade, he founded Self-Portrait. We tend to consider this brand as an affordable red carpet style. The name Self-Portrait came from Hon Chang art studies as being one of the main pieces in art. Celebrities like Kristen Stewart or Reese Whitherspoon have brought the brand to the spotlights which helped its popularity. When you look to the style, Self-Portrait inherits from Alexander McQueen design. Hon Chang declared that the deceased British couturier is a strong inspiration for him.

You can visit the brand official website here and discover more about the collections and accessories. http://www.self-portrait-studio.com

RIXO London, the very best of the 70’s… in the years 2000.

Two people are behind RIXO London: Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McCloskey. They both share one common passion about vintage clothes. Their preferred period: The 70’s in the UK. With a lot of passion and talent they re-work all vintage designs with a modern edge. The entire collection present important details such as high-quality fabrics and even original hand-painted prints. RIXO offers refreshing and beautiful pieces that work independently and in combination, surpassing trends, in favour of creating current but timeless garments. RIXO clothing has that one off feel about it, with nothing mass-produced.

To see more from RIXO, please connect to the official website here:
https://www.rixo.co.uk

Justine Tabak, inspired and 200% British.

Justine Tabak has dress making in her blood. Her grand-father was already a East-End Tailor. After a solid start in Italy, it was a natural path for this talented designer to get back to home-land. By manufacturing everything in the UK, Justine Tabac get inspired by what is happening in the UK in everyday’s life. After sourcing the best UK fabrics, she produces in small local manufacturers with whom she develops long-term relationships. From Lancashire Mill Girls to Cockney Pearly Queens, she will be exploring the length and breadth of the British Isles for inspiration.

You can visit Justine Tabak website for more information:
https://www.justinetabak.co.uk

Temperley London, Notting Hill style.

Temperley London is the fashion brand launched in 2000 by Alice Temperley and her companion Lars von Bennigsen. She studied fashion and art at Central Saint Martin as well as at Royal College of Art. She has a strong sense of quality and design. Celebrities like Emma Watson, Jessica Alba, The Duchess of Cambridge and her sister as well as Penelope Cruz and Eva Mendes, made the fashion brand famous. We tend to consider Temperley London as the British Ralph Lauren with nice and comfortable designs aligned with a certain tradition.

To discover more about Alice Temperley and Temperley London, please visit the official website here:
https://www.temperleylondon.com

Pringle of Scotland, 202 years of fashion style.

Pringle of Scotland is a fashion brand renowned for luxury cashmere knitwear and holds the royal warrant as manufacturers of knitted garments. It is one of the world’s oldest continually operating fashion companies. The company has its flagship stores in London’s Mount Street, Glasgow and Shanghai and is sold by retailers in 15 countries. Massimo Nicosia is the company’s Menswear Design Director since 2012 and Fran Stringer was announced as the Womenswear Director in 2016.

In order to dive into the world of Pringle of Scotland, do not hesitate to visit the official website.
https://pringlescotland.com

So as you can see, the UK is an amazing place for fashion. Between the Central Saint Martin School and the Royal College of Arts, there is a considerable number of new fashion designers who arrives into the market. Such a powerful creativity has been in place in London for decades and even beyond.

Jose Amorim

Info sourced in the official brand websites and press communications All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

The Most Futuristic Luxury Cars on the Road Today

LuxuryActivist

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23 December 2017

0

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Luxury cars of the future were once the stuff of science fiction and museum-worthy displays. And the history of futuristic cars stretches back for decades. According to the Smithsonian, the Tucker was acclaimed as the 1940s car of the future. The Tucker Torpedo was unveiled in 1946 as a sedan featuring swooping lines, third centered headlights that swiveled to light the corners and fenders that pivoted. There were also disc brakes and a pop-out windshield to eject during a crash and protect its passengers. But the business model lagged and the Great Depression created a lag in the industry.

But what the Tucker was missing was that element of high-end luxury. Today’s futuristic cars are transforming the concept of luxury and are already on the roads making a splash. If you’re ready to catch a glimpse of sci-fi worthy vehicles that are on the road today, here are three of the most futuristic luxury cars on the road today.

BMW i3

The BMW i3 is reminiscent of the Batmobile with scissor doors that open upwards that are crafted from aluminum, carbon and thermoplastic to make them lightweight and easy to manage. Joyriders can go from zero to 60 mph in just over four seconds. But instead of actually opening your doors yourself, you can use your sleek water-resistant iPhone X with OLED screen to unlock the doors or crank up the AC before you ever step inside.

Actors Anne Hathaway and Mark Ruffalo are both fans of the BMW i3 and probably don’t have too much trouble affording its $45,445 price tag. Hopefully, they don’t show up at the same event with the same colored car or that might be embarrassing.

Tesla Model X P100D

You can drive in bumper to bumper traffic in style with the Tesla Model X P100D on autopilot and still look amazing. Falcon-doors open upwards to envelop drivers in high-tech luxury. Drivers get through traffic jams smoothly where the car can see the lines on either side of your line and in front of it.

Of course, once you’re out of traffic it accelerates up to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds without interruption. It also has the ability to update its software remotely without a trip to the service center. The Tesla X retails for $138,800. But that’s just the base price. You might as well upgrade up to the $162,000 for more bells and whistles. We’ll see which celebrities decide to bring home the Tesla P100D for themselves, but actors like Ben Affleck, Cameron Diaz and Will Smith have been seen slipping into Tesla models.

Alfa Romeo 4C

For an ultra-aerodynamic look that conjures images of flying cars and alien spacecraft, the Alfa Romeo 4C accelerates from 0 to 60mph in 4.1 seconds. The 4C has two center-mounted tailpipes for a roaring acceleration effect, carbon fiber side vents for a sporty allure and a decked out sound system. Crystal clear sound is enhanced by two tweeters, two mid-woofers, an amplifier and subwoofer.

This car may be best suited for both the young and young at heart. Nineteen-year-old Australian singer and dancer Cody Simpson has been seen confidently jetting around in an Alfa Romeo 4C. You may have to be relatively wealthy for the $55,900 and up price tag, but that doesn’t mean you can’t embrace your youthful adventure and take a joy ride.

Futuristic shouldn’t mean tattered spacecraft and odd-ball inventions. It can also mean ultimate luxury with a twist. With these three luxury cars on the marketplace, you can find a place to combine your love for both.

Carol

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

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