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Fashion Roundup: RiRi Takes Over LFW and Marc Jacobs as Hunky Diet Coke Man

On the spot LuxuryActivist - 21 February 2013

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Each week FashionTV rounds-up the most fashionable highlights of the week from the web: The best cover shot of the week, sexy trends, and amazing videos!

Cover Shot of the Week:Sarah Jessica Parker covers the March issue of Harper’s Bazaar China, but the question on everyone’s mind is whether or not she’s been photoshopped? In fact the shot is so strange that the fashion guru (as she is described in the article) is being compared to an alien?! Too harsh? Well we think so too, but it will certainly be remembered as one of the year’s Photoshop fails. (Examiner)

Hot in the News:The biggest event in fashion this week was London Fashion Week, and the most talked about show from LFW is Rihanna’s debut collection for River Island. Unfortunately the reviews are not living up to the expectations, with RiRi slammed for being an hour late as well as criticism of collection that has been described as “a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen.” Nevertheless she helped stir huge buzz for the British brand -- even though she may have not actually designed the clothes! (Huffington Post)

Sexy Alert:If you have not yet seen Keira Knightley’s new Chanel commercial, then now is the time. The advert has been banned on children’s television networks by the ASA, as it is deemed “too sexy” for young viewers. Chanel defended the ad, saying it is “playful and sensual” rather than “overtly sexual.” Can Keira Knightley be too sexy? Judge for yourself… (Vogue UK)

Trend Spotter:This week on the trend spotter, we’ve seen a great collection of hot nails from London Fashion Week. From models wearing black nail polish at Moschino Cheap & Chic to the autumnal brown polish at Issa London. Take a look! (Bella Sugar)

Designer Special:Every fashion week, at least one brand will get a lot of attention for being technically innovative rather than for its fashion. This LFW it seems that Topshop got the most attention for announcing a partnership with Google+ for live streaming their Fall 2013 show on G+ Hangout. “What we need is infusion with technology,” says the brand. FashionTV has now been streaming live events from global fashion weeks for three seasons in a row! Is the future of fashion shows via the internet? (Bloginity)

Cool Video Spot:Marc Jacobs has been announced as the new creative director of Diet Coke for 2013. Jacobs has applied his skills to design the new line of Diet Coke cans and is starring in a new ad for the brand as the hunky “Diet Coke Man,” which is actually pretty adorable:

The Latest Hotels: St. Regis, Ritz Carlton & Aman Resorts

On the spot LuxuryActivist - 15 January 2013

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Four Seasons has completed its upgrade of its Tanzania property

Conrad by Hilton and Four Seasons debut in sub-Saharan Africa, as Aman launches in Greece, Shangri-La open on Hainan Island Ritz Carlton Reserve opens in Puerto Rico

Rapid expansion in the luxury hotel sector shows little sign of abating. A veritable onslaught of properties are set to open in 2013, not to mention the countless management and development deals that have been signed up until 2020.

Shangri La have announced plans to open properties in Mumbai, Bangalore, Istanbul, Qufu, London, West Shanghai, Doha, Lhasa and Ulaanbaatar in 2013 alone, with a Sri Lankan hotel expected to bow in 2014. Ritz-Carlton will open in Tianfu Square, Chengdu, located in the heart of the capital of Sichuan province.

Meanwhile Intercontinental Hotel Group has confirmed the redevelopment of the former Evason Phuket and Bon Island, in partnership with JTM (Thailand) Limited, which will launch as the InterContinental Phuket Rawai Beach Resort also in 2013.

Langham Hospitality Group announced the signing of an agreement with Huatang Grand Hotel Company Limited to manage a new, luxury hotel in Datong, Shanxi. The hotel will be branded Langham Place, Datong and is scheduled to open in 2014.

The Oetker Collection is gearing up to open L’Apogee Courchevel in Le Jardin Alpin in the French Alps in December 2013. As India’s premier snow and ski destination, Gulmarg, looks to the opening of The Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa by the close of 2012.

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Conrad Pezula Resort & Spa, Knysna

Hilton Worldwide has debuted its first Conrad-branded luxury property in sub-Saharan Africa, the Conrad Pezula Resort & Spa in Knysna, on the Garden Route of Western Cape. The 86-room Resort & Spa is set amid almost 2500 acres of indigenous grounds and offers sweeping views of the city’s famous lagoon and beyond to the Indian Ocean.

The Resort’s seven-room private castle, which is built into the cliff face and overlooks the secluded Noetzie Beach, offers guests the exclusive luxury of a private butler and chef.

Website: conrad.hilton.com/PezulaResort
Source: Hotelier Middle East

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Shangri-La Haikou, Hainan Island

The new Shangri-La Hotel, Haikou, on Hainan Island, is located adjacent to the Hainan International Exhibition Centre, with an internationally renowned golf course and scenic coastal park just steps away. Each of the 337 guestrooms and suites feature an ocean view with spacious balconies, alongside iPod Dock systems, a pillow menu, plush beds and deluxe bathrooms with luxury amenities.

Website shangri-la.com/haikou
Source: Drinks Media Wire

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St. Regis, Mauritius

St. Regis has launched in Mauritius, situated on the southwestern tip of the island, with 172 guestrooms and suites, each with a large terrace and stunning views of the Indian Ocean. Designed by Stauch Vorster Architects with interiors by Trevor Julius, the resort’s aesthetic was inspired by a Victorian sugar-baron’s manor house set in a historical estate.

The pinnacle accommodation – the lavish beachfront St. Regis Villa – features a private entrance, four bedrooms with private pools and gardens, dining areas, an infinity pool, a bar and a private spa treatment room.

Website: stregismauritius.com
Source: Superyachts.com

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Amanzoe, Peloponnese

Amanzoe is Amanresorts’ third Mediterranean retreat, a 38-suite resort, Aman Spa and in the near future a number of Aman Villas. Situated on a hilltop close to the quaint town of Porto Heli on the east coast of the Peloponnese, the resort offers almost 360 panoramic sea views as well as a private Beach Club in a picturesque bay.

38 guest pavilions are arranged on different levels to maximise privacy and the breath-taking views over the
Aegean, each accessed through a stonewall courtyard that leads to spacious, high-ceilinged living and sleeping areas.

Website & Source: amanresorts.com/amanzoe

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Ritz Carlton Reserve, Puerto Rico

Situated on 1,400 acres of the former Laurance Rockefeller estate, Dorado Beach, Ritz-Carlton Reserve features 100 spacious guestrooms and 14 one-bedroom suites that sit directly onto the beach. Floor-to-ceiling sliding doors entirely disappear onto seamless ocean views, while outdoor shower gardens, indoor showers with deep soaking tubs, individual infinity-edge pools, rooftop pools, and cabanas create an incomparable luxury experience.

Website: ritzcarlton.com//DoradoBeach
Source: Hospitality Design

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Twelve at Hengshan, Shanghai

Starwood’s The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, has opened Twelve at Hengshan in Shanghai, situated on the renowned tree-lined Hengshan Road. The residential-style urban retreat comprises 171 rooms, designed by New York-based hospitality design duo Yabu Pushelberg, featuring Chinese and contemporary furnishings, hand-painted Oriental screens, silk lanterns and Oriental latticework.

Website: starwoodhotels.com/luxury
Source: Fin Channel

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Four Seasons, Tanzania

Following a rebrand and an extensive upgrade, Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, Tanzania has officially opened its doors. With a total of 77 guest rooms, including 12 suites with plunge pools and five freestanding villas with private swimming pools, the Lodge offers guests the ultimate in privacy. Each room has an elevated open-air sundeck, which provides views over the Serengeti and a truly intimate wildlife experience to its guests.

Website: fourseasons.com/serengeti
Source: Luxury Travel Magazine

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La Corde des Alpes, Verbier

New to the Swiss resort of Verbier this December is Hotel Corde des Alpes – a luxurious hotel with innovative interiors mixing the best of old-school ski and the latest in Swiss chic. Comprising 34 suites and guest rooms and 14 exclusive residences for ownership, Corde des Alpes marks the latest offering from local hotel and restaurant entrepreneur Marcus Bratter.

Website & Source: cdaverbier.ch

For more in the series of The Latest Hotels, please see our most recent editions as follows:

- The Latest Hotels: Westin, Banyan Tree & Shangri-La
- The Latest Hotels: Delano, Four Seasons & Kempinski
- The Latest Hotels: Jaipur, Casablanca & Vienna

Fashion: Lady Gaga’s creepy fragrance commercial, GQ’s Pirelli Calendar, and Rihanna’s Street Brand

On the spot LuxuryActivist - 16 December 2012

Rihanna’s ‘second career’ as a fashion icon has reached new heights. After already working on her own fashion show, she is now designing her very own collection for British high street brand River Island. The superstar said in a recent statement that River Island is the perfect partner for her to design a collection with, which is something that she wanted to do for a long time. (Styleite)

Is Wikipedia against fashion? Wikipedia co-founder, Jimmy Wales, explains why the site ruled out Kate Middleton’s bridal gown page for the second time, stating the content as “fluffy”. This has raised many eyebrows in the fashion industry, a move which can implicate that fashion subjects might not be as important as others. (New York Magazine)

In anticipation to the 2013 Pirelli Calendar, which is due to be released in December, GQ Germany decided to jumpstart and dedicate their August issue to the sexy calendar which will celebrate its 40th birthday this year. The cover was given to Rosie Huntington-Whiteley from the 2010 calendar. (Huffington Post)

More on gorgeous models in bikinis, here are great tips from Jessica Hart, Chrissy Teigen, Erin Heatherton and more on how to take flattering swimsuit pictures, also for the non-models. (Fashionista)

Is the relationship between Blake Lively and Chanel cooling down? Rumors say that her absence in Chanel’s Paris Couture show last month, plus the announcement of her being Gucci’s fragrance Premiere spokeswomen, might have been a bit too much for Chanel managers. (New York Post)

Closing our list of fashion highlights for this week, Lady Gaga goes ‘Kraftwerk’ in a new fragrance commercial for Lady Gaga Fame, the first ever black Eau De Parfum (as the ad says). Lady Gaga tweeted that “I won’t lie, I’m a bit nervous…But so proud of Steven! (Steven Klein), we really did not sleep”. Take a look:

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