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Victorinox Classic Limited Edition 2016 – Design rules.

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25 July 2016

Victorinox Classic Limited Edition 2016 – Design rules.

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The Swiss Army Knife is one of Switzerland’s most iconic and famous products. Most people are familiar with the classic red design and the unmistakable Victorinox cross and shield. The annual limited edition of the Classic pocket knife is a popular collector’s item and gift all around the world. The fresh and new designs should also increase the impulse buys and strengthen the Victorinox brand and its reputation of being creative, functional and appealing. It is already an annual appointment made with the very best graphic artists out there. Each year Victorinox challenges the most creative minds in order to create astonishing designs for the iconic Classic pocket knife. The Swiss company utilizes the crowdsourcing platform Jovoto and year after year we get our mind blown away with very interesting and creative ideas. Victorinox narrowed down the pool of ideas from 1,022 to 40 and then let Victorinox fans around the world choose their favorite. And they chose well. The top ten selections were produced, and each one offers a lifetime of enjoyment because functionality and creativity never go out of style.

This year there was a number one winner that created an amazing design called Wild Life – “Goodbye Safari”. The artist is Maria Galvez and she did all by herself on Adobe Illustrator. This is the story of a safari guide who neglected his vehicle and some animals took the opportunity to flee of the scene. Maria Galvez loves nature and wild life and her design is inspired by them. The obvious connection between Victorinox and this design is the fact that Victorinox is the ultimate brand for a outdoor adventure. Of course, it might be, hopefully, a less adventurous journey!

The Classic Limited Edition has fans all around the world in an extremely broad target group between 20 and 50 years old. The buying decision of the average customer is based on impulse, so your design plays a crucial role in this decision process. Since the Classic Limited Edition is sold worldwide, the cultural background of each potential consumer plays a big role. Here are some other shots from some of the winning designs.

Since 2010, Victorinox has been producing an annual limited edition of the small 58 mm Classic pocket knife. Back in 2012 the first design challenge was held on jovoto. This contest is now being held for the fifth consecutive time. The Classic Limited Edition 2015 is meanwhile available to purchase in stores worldwide and so Victorinox is now inviting you to submit your design proposal for the new Classic Limited Edition in 2016.

jovoto enables large brands and NGOs to brainstorm at scale and solve design and innovation challenges with more than 80 000 creative professionals globally. The scale of projects range from working with a few hundred curated talents under NDA to foster innovation by large scale creative conversations involving broad public audiences while turning the creative challenge itself into a media event. To date jovoto has worked with more than 100 000 creative talents and successfully organized more than 380 challenges. jovoto was founded in Berlin at the University of Arts in 2007.

In 1884, with the active support of his mother Victoria, Carl Elsener opened his first cutlery workshop in Ibach-Schwyz, Switzerland. In 1891 he delivered his first major order of soldier’s knives to the Swiss Army. Following the death of his mother in 1909, Carl Elsener chose her first name Victoria as the name of the company. When the stainless steel (also known as ‘inox’) was invented in 1921, he changed the company name to “Victorinox” by combining Victoria with inox. Victorinox is now run as an independent company by the fourth generation of the Elsener family in Ibach-Schwyz, Switzerland. The company has been synonymous with quality, functionality, innovation and iconic design, and has done for more than 130 years now. Today, it is a global company with six product categories: Swiss Army Knives, Household and Professional Knives, Watches, Travel Gear, Apparel and Fragrances.

You can read more about Victorinox and its amazing products by visiting the brand official website here:
https://www.victorinox.com

This is an amazing project that proves that customers can really be very savvy. The designs are wonderful and fresh. You want to collect them all!

José Amorim

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

4 Ways to Care for Your Beard

Beauty

LuxuryActivist

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24 July 2016

0

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Beauty-tips-beard

Due to the fact that the hair that is on your face is much different from the hair on your head, it comes with its very own set of instructions. Beards are trendy at the moment, but only when they’re well cared for. No one likes to look at a scraggly, scruffy beard with food stuck in it after all! If you are considering, growing a beard for the first time, here are four tips that will help you keep your bead in the best shape possible.

Color with Care

If you find that the hair in your beard is graying, or you have a beard that is a vastly different color to the hair on your head, you may want to consider coloring it. If either of these apply to you, it’s vital that you take the time to find a specialized dye for the job. When you have found one, you need to follow the instructions very carefully so that you get a great even coverage. And, remember to never use a beard dye right after taking a shower (the essential oils that prevent your face from being stained by the dye are temporarily stripped when you shower).

A Good Trimmer is a Must

An excellent quality beard trimmer is one of the key items you need if you want to ensure your beard remains looking great. With an adjustable trimmer, you will be able to trim your beard without fear of problems. Stay completely away from scissors as there is no way that you will get an even cut with them. Getting a wide trimmer will assist you in making the overall trimming simpler, while a smaller trimmer will help you get the clean lines that you are after.

Make Use of a Mirror

Always use a mirror when you are trimming or caring for your beard. If you are able to, you should invest in a mirror that has a telescoping arm. This is so you will be able to trim and care for your beard without having to lean across the sink. That way you can get a close up view without putting yourself in an uncomfortable position.

Get Professional Help

If you really need some assistance with managing and caring for your beard, then you should seek out the help of a professional. They will be able to assist you in developing a proper routine, and will also be able to cut your beard to get you started. It’s a good idea to get recommendations from your friends or family members as to which barber they visit so you know exactly who you should seek out for help.

You want to do all that you can in order to get the best beard possible. Avoid skimping on your grooming products, and ensure you speak to a professional if you’re growing a beard for the first time. If you follow these tips, you won’t go far wrong.

Daniel Clark

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

Longchamp opens the perspectives at MaMo in Marseille.

Art
Luxury

LuxuryActivist

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21 July 2016

0

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Longchamp-Felice-Varini-MaMo

Involved in the artistic circles, the Longchamp House has been establishing partnerships with designers and artists since its origins. In 2016, after working with Ryan McGiness while renovating its historical flagship on Parisian rue Saint-Honoré, Longchamp sponsors Felice Varini’s exhibition “A ciel ouvert” (“Open Air”) in Ora Ito’s MaMo of French Riviera’s city, Marseille.

MAMO-A-Ciel-Ouvert-Felice-Varini

Longchamp’s identity has always been voiced through innovation desire. When the founder of Longchamp came up with the idea of coating pipes with leather, nobody had ever thought of it. It’s truly something the brand bear in the DNA of the House. In that same philosophy, the MaMo is an open-air artistic discovery lab. The link seems obvious. Located on the top of La Cité Radieuse built between 1945 and 1952, MAMO is an art centre created by Ora Ito in 2013. Le Corbusier’s masterpiece has therefore become a setting and springboard for contemporary creation. MAMO short for Marseille Modulor, and MAMO short for Marseille Main Ouverte, the infamous open hand designed by sculptor Le Corbusier, produced after his death and located in Chandigarh in India blessing MAMO. It welcomes, grasps and helps creativity and artists, also taking all audiences by the hand. Ora Ito is an all-rounder and brilliant creator. He is an altruistic born agitator with a passion for shapes, addressing substantive concerns: how do we make living together easier? How do we foster enjoyment, sharing and culture? Ora Ito has lived between Paris and Marseille for 15 years and with MAMO, he wishes to build bridges to enable enjoyment and encounters.

Felice Varini was born in 1952 in Locarno, Switzerland. He now lives in Paris. He operates in situ in a different place each time and as a result his work evolves inrelation to it.

I generally scour the venue taking in its architecture, materials, history and function. Based on its varying spatial data, I define a viewpoint around which my initiative takes shape. For me a viewpoint is a point in the space that I choose carefully: it is usually situated at my eye level and preferably located in a key passageway, for example where one room leads to another, a landing, etc.

Longchamp-Felice-Varini-MaMo-installation

Longchamp-Felice-Varini-MaMo-perspective

Felice Varini will span the whole terrace with three pieces (red and yellow) offering three different viewpoints. This is a logical choice made by Ora Ito for whom Felice Varini is one of few great contemporary artists.

The viewpoint will function like a point of interpretation, that is, like a potential starting point to approach the painting and the space. The painted form makes sense when the spectator is in this spot. When the spectator leaves the viewpoint, the work encounters the space generating an infinite number of views of the shape. In order to celebrate this artistic encounter, Longchamp has produced an outstanding handbag, the Pliage, joining one of the icons of Longchamp with one of the avantgarde Swiss artist.

Longchamp-Felice-Varini-MaMo-handbag

Longchamp-Felice-Varini-MaMo-collaboration-handbag

French luxury House Longchamp was founded in Paris in 1948 by Jean Cassegrain, and is still owned and run by the Cassegrain family today. Longchamp’s handbags, luggage and accessories have a worldwide reputation for craftsmanship and quality, which now extends to shoes and ready-to-wear collections. Longchamp is an international brand that has maintained momentum and energy across the decades. It epitomizes French flair, fresh and inspiring creativity, as well as sharing the lives of women and men across the world who enjoy a touch of luxury every day. Refreshing advertising campaigns and exciting collaborations with artists underline the contemporary and sometimes playful spirit of Longchamp, which owns more than 300 exclusive boutiques worldwide. You can learn more about the luxury French house by visiting the official website here:
https://www.longchamp.com

José Amorim

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

Minimalist Makeup: Cosmetic Tips to Make You Look Makeup-less

Beauty

LuxuryActivist

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20 July 2016

0

Reading Time: 4 minutes

As a child you probably watched your mother put on makeup. The process looked elegant, sophisticated and grown up. You longed to brush and shade your face in the same manner, but when you bravely decided to give it a shot yourself, the result was not the flawless, beautiful look your mother got. It was more of a heavy-handed, circus clown nightmare. The lesson learned here? Less is more. Modern stylists and makeup artists know that the key to gorgeous makeup is making it look like you are not wearing any. To do this, there are three rules: moderation, tone matching and accentuation.

Luxury-news-beauty-tips

Moderation

When choosing the right foundation, keep moderation in mind. Find one that is light and effective with only one application. Multiple layers clump and spread unevenly, making your makeup obvious. BB or CC creams are excellent tools to add to your cosmetics bag as they serve as both moisturizer and foundation. Products like the Artisty Ideal Radiance Illuminating CC Cream offer a brightening effect as well as color-correcting elements to make your skin look even, natural and luminous.

Tone Matching

A light foundation or cream is not enough on its own. It has to be the right color. Matching a foundation to the shade of your natural skin can be frustrating when it seems like none of the colors seem to coincide with your skin tone. The problem is that the skin tone of your face is complex. When choosing a foundation color, you have to also consider your skin’s undertones. The trick to determining your undertones is all in the wrist.

If the veins in your wrist are blue, you have a cool undertone and you should choose a shade that has a rosy or blue base. A natural cream or buff shade of foundation would be right for you in this case. If the veins in your wrist appear green, you have warm undertones and foundations with yellow or gold bases will match. The last possibility is the lucky lady with neutral undertones. This means you see both blue and green veins and can pull off any color foundation. Your skin adapts to the shade you’re wearing.

If you choose the right shade, your makeup looks like your natural skin color, only better. It also helps you avoid the “pancake” effect where the color of your jawline is nowhere near the color of the skin on your neck.

Accentuation

Just like you need to match your foundation with your skin tone, accentuating your eyes in a natural-looking way requires you to select eye shadows and liners that complement the color of your eyes.

Brown eyes are versatile. The color navy enhances the brown iris without being too bold or unnatural. For an earthier look, a rich green-gold shadow can pick up on the flecks of your eyes and make them stand out.

Since blue eyes already present a bright color, they look most natural with warm shades surrounding them. Oranges and pinks meld with your skin tone, drawing more attention to your eyes. If you want something a little more striking, a shadow with a metallic undertone works well with the steely color blue.

Green and hazel eyes are lovely by default, but a little touch of color can make them more striking. Shades of taupe, gray and a rich but muted purple are a perfect accent to green and hazel eyes.

It’s likely you have developed more skill in makeup application since the days of clunking around the house in your mother’s high heels. But pulling off a natural look requires a different approach. If you remember moderation, tone matching and accentuation, though, your clowning days will be over.

Carol

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

Reasons to change from Business Class to Private Jet Travel

LuxuryActivist

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13 July 2016

0

Reading Time: 4 minutes

If your bank balance allowed you to, would you even think twice about getting your own private jet? While flying on business and first class offers more comfort, private jets are the crème de la crème of the aviation industry. They are the epitome of luxury. Besides the extra comfort and luxury a private jet provides, here are some more reasons why you may want to consider chartering a private jet for your next flight.

Best-Private-jet-companies

1. Save time

A private jet saves you the worry of running a little late or missing your flight. You can board your jet for departure in your own time – your crew and pilot are ready for take-off as soon as you are. You don’t have to rush through terminals or stand in any lines. Travel experts say a private jet requires a maximum of only 15 minutes to get the flight underway. Another advantage is that there are more airports that private jets can use, compared to commercial planes, which means you can fly directly to your destination or land closer to it.

Adding to this, there’s no processing through standard terminals, as the case when flying business class. All this means that you save time which you can use on more productive things like planning for your meeting on-board the plane.

2. Personalized services

Unlike with commercial flights, when you fly on a private jet you have a personal attendant to cater to all your needs from the minute you board the plane. Your attendant makes sure that you are comfortable and well fed. You have the luxury of ordering any number of personalized meals according to your preference, which are arranged ahead of time.
Private-Jets-Luxury-Travel-booking

3. Entertainment

One of the luxuries in private jets are their inbuilt entertainment systems – most of them are also equipped with personal viewing screens, so you are sure to be entertained for the duration of your flight. This is particularly great if you are travelling with kids – you can keep them entertained with your own DVD’s or select from the one’s provided for you on board.

4. Pets

You may not be able to travel with your pet when you take a commercial flight, but you can when you charter a private jet. Most private plane charters will allow your pet to enjoy the same comfort and luxury without being required to stay confined to one place throughout the flight.

5. Comfortable seating

Chartering a private plane gives you the freedom to move around much more during the course of your flight. Private jets have luxury furnishings and space – you are free to move from seat to seat and get different views. You don’t have to fit into a thin seat between other passengers. Some private jet seats can even be turned into a comfortable bed – which your attendant will do – great for a cosy nap during long flights.

6. Privacy

This is one of the main benefits of chartering a private plane. The only passengers on board the jet will be those invited by you. Everything that takes place is confidential. You have the freedom to hold business meetings if you need to, without the possibility of anyone else overhearing your discussions.

7. High profile

We cannot deny the fact that we live in a society where everything we do projects an image of fashion and status around us. Using private jet services for travel portrays an image of success. If you’re finding ways to build your personal brand, it will show you as an individual or company that is well-organized, capable and successful.

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

#1 – SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari

Yuval Noah Harari has some questions. Among the biggest: How did Homo sapiens (or Homo sapiens sapiens , if you’re feeling especially wise today) evolve from an unexceptional savannah-dwelling primate to become the dominant force on the planet, emerging as the lone survivor out of six distinct, competing hominid species? He also has some answers, and they’re not what you’d expect. Tackling evolutionary concepts from a historian’s perspective, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, describes human development through a framework of three not-necessarily-orthodox “Revolutions”: the Cognitive, the Agricultural, and the Scientific.
This is what Bill Gates says about this book: “Harari takes on a daunting challenge: to tell the entire history of the human race in just 400 pages. He also writes about our species today and how artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and other technologies will change us in the future. Although I found things to disagree with—especially Harari’s claim that humans were better off before we started farming—I would recommend Sapiens to anyone who’s interested in the history and future of our species.”

#2 – RICH AND PRETTY: A NOVEL by Rumaan Alam

Rich-and-Pretty-Rumaan-Alam

Rumaan Alam’s portrait of two childhood best friends transitioning into their adult lives is vividly rendered, set against a tantalizing background of moneyed New York City that is impossible to resist. With impeccable style, biting humor, and a keen sense of detail, this irresistible debut deftly explores how the attachments we form in childhood shift as we adapt to our adult lives—and how the bonds of friendship endure, even when our paths diverge. Rumaan Alam provides a sharp, insightful look into how the relationship between two best friends changes when they are no longer coming of age but learning how to live adult lives.

#3 – THE GIRL WITH THE LOWER BACK TATOO by Amy Schumer

Amy-Schumer-biography

Despite the fact we are all big fans of Amy Schumer at LuxuryActivist, this biography is quite interesting. The Emmy Award-winning comedian, actress, writer, and star of Inside Amy Schumer and the acclaimed film Trainwreck has taken the entertainment world by storm with her winning blend of smart, satirical humor. Now, Amy Schumer has written a refreshingly candid and uproariously funny collection of (extremely) personal and observational essays. In The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy mines her past for stories about her teenage years, her family, relationships, and sex and shares the experiences that have shaped who she is—a woman with the courage to bare her soul to stand up for what she believes in, all while making us laugh. Ranging from the raucous to the romantic, the heartfelt to the harrowing, this highly entertaining and universally appealing collection is the literary equivalent of a night out with your best friend—an unforgettable and fun adventure that you wish could last forever. Whether she’s experiencing lust-at-first-sight while in the airport security line, sharing her own views on love and marriage, admitting to being an introvert, or discovering her cross-fit instructor’s secret bad habit, Amy Schumer proves to be a bighearted, brave, and thoughtful storyteller that will leave you nodding your head in recognition, laughing out loud, and sobbing uncontrollably—but only because it’s over. A must have for this summer if you are by the pool or the beach.

#4 – MODERN ROMANCE by Aziz Ansari

At some point, every one of us embarks on a journey to find love. We meet people, date, get into and out of relationships, all with the hope of finding someone with whom we share a deep connection. This seems standard now, but it’s wildly different from what people did even just decades ago. Single people today have more romantic options than at any point in human history. With technology, our abilities to connect with and sort through these options are staggering. So why are so many people frustrated right? For years, Aziz Ansari has been aiming his comic insight at modern romance, but for Modern Romance, the book, he decided he needed to take things to another level. He teamed up with NYU sociologist Eric Klinenberg and designed a massive research project, including hundreds of interviews and focus groups conducted everywhere from Tokyo to Buenos Aires to Wichita. They analyzed behavioral data and surveys and created their own online research forum on Reddit, which drew thousands of messages. In Modern Romance, Ansari combines his irreverent humor with cutting-edge social science to give us an unforgettable tour of our new romantic world.

#5 – INFERNO by Dan Brown

Inferno-Dan-Brown

In preparation to the cinema blockbuster coming in soon, you might want to lay down and pick up the adventures of Robert Langdon again. Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon awakens in an Italian hospital, disoriented and with no recollection of the past thirty-six hours, including the origin of the macabre object hidden in his belongings. With a relentless female assassin trailing them through Florence, he and his resourceful doctor, Sienna Brooks, are forced to flee. Embarking on a harrowing journey, they must unravel a series of codes, which are the work of a brilliant scientist whose obsession with the end of the world is matched only by his passion for one of the most influential masterpieces ever written, Dante Alighieri’s The Inferno. Dan Brown has raised the bar yet again, combining classical Italian art, history, and literature with cutting-edge science in this sumptuously entertaining thriller.

So now you have a pretty tight list of books you can read this summer. For the time of a summer break, let’s chill-out and spend some good time with good and nie reading.

José Amorim

Summer-books

Info sourced at several online book stores: Barneys, Amazon, Fnac, BookDepository.com‎ and wikipedia. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

LaFerrari Open-Top, special series. One in a kind.

Luxury

José Amorim

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5 July 2016

1

Reading Time: 4 minutes

There are people who refuse to compromise on the joy of al fresco driving even when at the wheel of a supercar. This is why LaFerrari Open-Top is all about. The sassiness of a Ferrari supercar and the stylish freedom of a convertible. The name and technical characteristics of the new car will be announced at the Paris International Motor Show, as will the number of examples Ferrari will build. However, all available examples have already been sold after a special preview to clients and the order book is closed.

LaFerrari-open-top-limited-edition-paris-motorshow

LaFerrari-open-top-limited-edition-interior

The new limited-edition special series will be available with a removable carbon-fibre hard top and a removable soft top. It has the same running gear and performance figures as the original LaFerrari, sporting a 800 cv V12 (with a specific power output of 128 cv/l) coupled with a 120 kW electric motor (163 cv), unleashing 963 cv in total. Significant and extensive modifications have been made to the chassis with the aim of retaining the same torsional rigidity and beam stiffness as the coupé version. The car’s aerodynamics have also been further honed to guarantee the same drag coefficient when driving in the open configuration.

If we remember, the launch of LaFerrari was a blast. LaFerrari was created in the true spirit of the Italian supercar manufacturer. It allies the line that only a Ferrari can have, modernity and an amazing sense of performance. You can truly feel your heart race.

Ferrari NV is aiming to plump up its balance sheet with a new limited-edition, open-top version of the 1 million-euro ($1.1 million) hybrid LaFerrari sports car. Sold out to collectors before being publicly announced on Tuesday, the LaFerrari spider draws its 963 horsepower from both electric and V12 engines and offers buyers a choice between a soft top or hard top made of carbon fiber. While it obviously looks like the regular LaFerrari, Ferrari’s engineers apparently had to do a fair amount to make sure it would drive the same way. That included “significant and extensive modifications” to the chassis, so as to make sure the torsional rigidity – i.e. the tendency of the chassis to twist – and the beam stiffness are the same, despite losing the roof.

LaFerrari-open-top-limited-edition

LaFerrari-open-top-limited-edition-top-view

The LaFerrari represents Ferrari’s most ambitious project yet to push the boundaries of technology on a road car, drawing together the finest expression of the marque’s technical capabilities in both GT and Formula 1 engineering. It boasts the most extreme performance ever achieved by a Ferrari production car and features the most advanced and innovative technical solutions which will, in the future, filter down to the rest of the Ferrari range. The LaFerrari is Ferrari’s first ever production car to be equipped with the F1-derived hybrid solution – the HY-KERS system – which combines an electric motor producing over 150 CV with the most powerful incarnation yet of Ferrari’s classic V12, with 800 CV at 9000 rpm. The engineers’ aim was to deliver the highest degree of aerodynamic efficiency ever achieved with any road car, with a coefficient of nearly 3, thanks to technical solutions honed with CFD analysis and fine-tuned in the F1 Wind Tunnel. Working closely with the aerodynamics department, Ferrari’s Styling Centre incorporated these advanced solutions into the car’s design and the result is the perfect balance of form and function, making the most efficient use of the air flows around and through the car’s body.

With this new limited series, Ferrari renew with the supercars exercise. We can sense a true feeling of nostalgia, a retro design attitude. Between a modern Batmobile and a powerful sports car, LaFerrari Open-Top will definitely be one of the sensations of the Paris Motor show this fall. Ferrari believes LaFerrari Open-Top will generate around USD 500 million sales, which will give a good kick into Ferrari company. And this is big Luxury news for the automobile fans.

José Amorim

Info sourced at Ferrari official communication release and website, wikipedia and Bloomberg. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

Bernard Hinault, the legend – now in a Book of Art – Exclusive!

Books

José Amorim

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4 July 2016

1

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Pour la version française, cliquez ici.

The history of Cycling has encountered names that became legends of the sport. One of them is Bernard Hinault. He is one of only six cyclists to have won all three Grand Tours, and one of two cyclists to have won each more than once (the other being Alberto Contador). He won the Tour de France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985. He came second in 1984 and 1986 and won 28 stages, of which 13 were individual time trials. The other three to have achieved five Tour de France victories are Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain; of these, Hinault is the only one to have finished either first or second in each Tour de France he finished. He remains the last French winner of the Tour de France.

But what makes Bernard Hinault a legend is his dedication to the sport, the spirit of sacrifice and willingness to always exceed the limits for the beauty of sport. He was the inspiration for a whole generation and one of his biggest fans, makes him homage by publishing an art book: Bernard Hinault, La Légende Dessinée.

Hinault was nicknamed Le Blaireau (the shaving brush), as he would often don a hairband, thus resembling a shaving brush. In an interview in the French magazine Vélo, however, Hinault said the nickname had nothing to do with the animal. He said it was a local cyclists’ way of saying “mate” or “buddy” in his youth – “How’s it going, badger?” – and that it came to refer to him personally. According to Maurice Le Guilloux, a long-time team-mate of Hinault, he and Georges Talbourdet first used the nickname when the three riders trained together in their native Brittany in the early years of Hinault’s professional career.

This project was born of a passion, from the heart of a fan, and a fan only could manage such a project. Greg Podevin alias “Greg” is a Freelance artistic director, graphic designer, illustrator and digital artist. Born in 1971 in Boulogne-Billancourt, he graduated from the Charpentier Academy and started in advertising in 1991 as a story-boarder. In 2014, he founded Art Stadium, digital gallery to market his works on the Internet. In May 2016, following his meeting with his childhood idol Bernard Hinault, he embarked on the project of his life: a collection of illustrations with the biggest theme champions in the history of the sport. “La Légende Dessinée Bernard Hinault” is the first edition with a planned launch this fall.

The Bernard Hinault project is the first ART BOOK tracing the career of the greatest French champion cyclist of all time. THE BIGGEST WINS of the “shaving brush”is over 120 PAGES full color through over fifty drawings, and illustrations.

The Book is split in 3 main chapters:

1 – 1975-1977 L’AUBE D’UN REIGNE
First Victories
– Circuit de la Sarthe 75
– Gand-Wevelgem 77
– Liège-Bastogne-Liège 77
– Dauphiné Libéré 77

2 – 1978-1983 LE TEMPS DES CHEFS-D’OEUVRE
The adventure with Renault-Gitane.
– Championnat de France 78
– Vuelta 78
– Tour de France 78
– Flèche Wallonne 79
– Tour de France 79
– Tour de Lombardie 79
– Liège-Bastogne-Liège 80
– Tour d’Italie 80
– Championnat du Monde 80
– Amstel Gold Race 81
– Paris-Roubaix 81
– Tour de France 81
– Tour d’Italie 82
– Tour de France 82
– Flèche Wallonne 83
– Vuelta 83

3 – 1984-1986 DANS LA LÉGENDE ET AU DELÀ
The bet of “La Vie Claire”.
– Tour d’Italie 85
– Tour de France 85
– L’Alpe-d’Huez 86
– Coors Classic 86

4 main chronicles will enrich the book:

– BLAIRAULT : Focus on his personality and his force of character.

– CHRONAULT : Understanding of his dominance of the Chrono

– RIVAULT : Highlight of his biggest competitors (LeMond, Fignon, Zoetemelk, Moser)

– MAILLAULT : Retrospective in “vintage cards” of all team shirts and also distinctive shirts Bernard Hinault wore during his career.

FORMAT : 24 x 30 cm –
INTERIOR : 124 PAGES
Price : 39€ TTC
(Special offer: PRE-ORDER FROM 2 TO 30 JULY 2016 : 33€ )
OFFICIAL LAUNCH : 15 OCTOBER 2016 !

You can read more about this amazing offer by clicking here in the official website:
www.lalegendedessinee.com

Let’s celebrate this amazing champion that wrote history in golden letters.

José Amorim

Info sourced at La Légende Dessinée official communication release. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

The Jane Seymour Diamond Blue ring – Exceptional!

José Amorim

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2 July 2016

0

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Diamonds are girl’s best friends. It is a historical statement that is still true. Some exceptional women deserve exceptional diamonds. Here is a very interesting project by WORLD OF DIAMONDS who just launched the Jane Seymour Blue Diamond ring: a homage to the great woman, actress and philanthropist.

The-Jane-Seymour-diamond-ring-celebrity

To celebrate Seymour‟s accomplishments in the film industry, WORLD OF DIAMONDS Group crafted a 2.08 carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond ring in platinum, and plated with rose gold. The masterpiece, named The Jane Seymour, was created for the diamond behemoth‟s private collection. Based on recent records from auction powerhouses, Sotheby’s lists a 2.11 carat fancy intense blue diamond ring that fetched USD 1,899,322 in October 2015, and according to Christie’s, a 1.74 carat fancy intense blue diamond ring fetched USD 1,925,000 in December 2015. The industry recognizes fancy vivid blue diamonds as being rarer and therefore more valuable than their fancy intense counterparts. The Jane Seymour could easily fetch in excess of USD 2,000,000, however, the creation is priceless after accounting for its celebrity recognition. The Diamond has a Cushion cut that is supposed to reveal all the beauty of the precious stone. This unique shape has been popular for more than a century. Cushion-cut diamonds (also known as “pillow-cut” diamonds) have rounded corners and larger facets to increase their brilliance. These larger facets highlight the diamond’s clarity, so if you choose an SI clarity grade, be sure to review the clarity plot on the diamond certificate. Cushion-cut diamonds are available in shapes ranging from square to rectangular.

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Having starred as Bond girl in Live and Let Die, as Queen Marie-Antoinette in La Révolution française, and an appearance in Young Winston as Winston Churchill’s lover, to name a few, Seymour has clinched an Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. An impossibly rare diamond has been meticulously selected to illustrate the pride of eternity over matter, emotion and knowledge. The Jane Seymour blue diamond boasts a VS1 clarity grade, a highly desirable one in the world of diamonds, literally. Seymour was so fascinated by the honor herself that she couldn’t resist snapping ‘selfies’ when presented to wear The Jane Seymour. It comes as a pleasant surprise to all of Seymour‟s fans that during an interview with Singapore’s Channel NewsAsia, the celebrity acknowledged that The Jane Seymour was “matching and doing very well” with her Open Hearts bracelet. The Open Hearts jewelry collection signifying “love has no boundaries and flows unconditionally”, was designed by Seymour, and which The Jane Seymour celebrity blue diamond ring can ultimately complement. If you deserve to purchase this masterpiece however, WOD Group has an undisclosed selection criteria which the eventual owner of the ring has to fulfill. Apparently, money can’t buy everything.

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In the photo above we can see Jane Seymour with Karan Tilani, Director of World of Diamonds Group. Having launched and sold the world‟s most expensive perfume collection in Singapore in 2015, the WOD Group has always been behind some of the finest diamonds and jewelry pieces. Through joint ventures with maisons in Europe and the Americas, the Russian conglomerate is almost fully integrated in diamond mining, polishing, high jewelry creation and distribution to leading houses of the world. As one of the largest privately held diamond mining corporations, the WORLD OF DIAMONDS has directly catered to billionaires and members of royal descent.

“ The invitation to behold this creation would rather you not compare The Jane Seymour to anything else in the high jewelry world. It is a celebratory treat, more comparable to a mega-yacht or a ticket to the moon.” – Karan Tilani, Director, World Of Diamonds Group

Reflecting the power celebrity who has clinched an Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, dwell into the untamed desires of the mind and soul to expand all perceptions into an atmosphere of true significance. A deep blue exudes infinite fondness through a hypnotic magnetism, which The Jane Seymour embodies to the highest degree. In its rough state, The Jane Seymour was hardly symmetrical in structure, which meant that with one miscalculation, one slip, and its color would have disappeared entirely. Retaining techniques passed down from generations, among the world’s finest artisans spent almost a year deliberating, planning and painstakingly cutting the rough into a magnificent cushion-cut 2.08 carat diamond of perfect proportions.

Blue Diamonds, precious and rare

According to “The Fancy Color Diamond Book” by Eden Rachminov, less than one-tenth of a percent of all fancy colored diamonds are Type IIb blues. Moreover, the Natural Color Diamond Association reported that only one natural blue diamond can be found on the market for every 100 Picasso paintings up at auction. There is more to these gems than meets the eye, though. An unusual chemical makeup and rich role in history make blue diamonds some of the most fascinating stones in existence. While a diamond is forming, boron particlescan become trapped inside the crystal lattice. It is this substance that absorbs yellow light, thus reflecting a blue color. Like any other colored diamond, blue stones can exhibit a wide range of hues, from pale shades that mimic a clear sky, to steel blue, to an intense deep sea. It’s common to see blue diamonds listed with more specific names regarding their shade, such as baby, royal, navy or midnight.

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Due to the diminishing supply and increasing demand for blue diamonds, it goes without saying that they don’t come at a low cost. The NCDIA recently reported that prices for natural blue diamonds has been gradually and consistently rising between 12 and 17 percent every year over the past decade, regardless of the saturation level. A fact that we can easily suport based on personal experience. So while fancy vivid blue diamonds may be less commonly found and more highly sought-after, even fancy light blue diamonds are being sold for jaw-dropping prices.

Please do not hesitate to connect to the World of Diamonds website to learn more about the group activities:
https://worldofdiamonds.tv

José Amorim

The-Jane-Seymour-diamond-ring-celebrity

Info sourced at World of Diamonds Group official communication release, Forbes and Luxuo. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

Victorinox Climber Gold 2016 Limited Edition

José Amorim

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30 June 2016

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Victorinox Climber Gold 2016 Limited Edition

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Victorinox, the makers of the Swiss Army knife, always explore the endless universe of the small pocket tool. Every year the Swiss company based in Ibach Schwyz launches amazing limited editions, each one based on a clever, original and edgy idea. In 2016, Victorinox celebrates the Summer Olympic games and the athletes quest for a GOLD medal. To translate this homage into the product universe, Victorinox is launching a precious limited edition called Victorinox Climber Gold. Here is our Swiss Blog of the month celebrating Swiss ingenuity and the world-class event happening this summer in Rio de Janeiro. Here is our unboxing of the new Victorinox limited edition and down below more photographs and details.

The Victorinox Climber Gold 2016, the ultimate dream in pure gold.

The iconic Climber Pocket Knife has had a seasonal upgrade. To celebrate the Rio Olympics 2016, Victorinox has launched a perfectly formed collector’s exclusive. And it’s a real winner. Plated in sumptuous 24-carat gold, it’s a multitasking powerhouse that’s leagues ahead of the pack. This compact traveling companion is ready for any adventure thanks to its 14 built-in functions.

This Limited Edition is celebrating all the world-class athletes that will compete within 28 different sport disciplines with only one goal: to get a gold medal. The bright and precious metal will be on top of mind this summer. The two scales of the Climer Gold are coated with 24 carat gold, with a fineness of 99.9 percent purity. The scales are transparent and show off the precious metal beautifully. With the matching neck strap, the Climber Gold can either be worn around the neck or added to an existing collection. Whether investing in an asset or using as an everyday compagnion – with this limited edition you will be ready for any adventure that might come your way. The outer-packaging is elegant and practical. It is delivered with a special message from the brand. This new Climber is over 100gr whereas the regular Climber is only 82gr. In terms of construction, the new Climber has liners made of Nickel Silver, also usually called new Silver. These new liners are heavier than the usual aluminium counterparts. Nevertheless they are more refined so when you get a close-up you can enjoy the perfect details. You can read more about it here with great pictures as well: http://forum.multitool.org/index.php?topic=67064.0

A final note on the Victorinox Climber. This iconic pocket knife is a true welcome to the world of the Officer’s knife. Its 14 functions are as sharp, strong and intuitive as you need them to be. So no matter if you’re climbing up the corporate ladder or a class 5 crag, the Climber is with you all the way to the top.

The world of Victorinox dates right back to the year 1884, when Karl Elsener opened a cutler’s workshop in Ibach-Schwyz. His revolutionary idea of manufacturing a compact knife with an array of practical functions was a success: the Swiss Army Knife was born. As customer needs and technologies have changed over the years, the legendary Swiss Army Knife has also evolved and is now available in a range of variants worldwide. Quality, functionality, innovation and iconic design have the highest priority at Victorinox, and this also applies to their other product categories: Household and Professional Knives, Watches, Travel Gear, Apparel and Fragrances. You can visit the official brand website here: https://www.victorinox.com.

This Victorinox limited edition was produced at 20’000 units worldwide. So you better hurry to call your favorite store to order one. This summer the right color is gold.

José Amorim

Info sourced at Victorinox official communication and unboxing testing by LuxuryActivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

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