We’ve all run into the predicament of having a collection of prized possessions and nothing to store them in at one time or another. Answering to the need for a keeper of all things Lagerfeld, the famous designer and German luxury safe maker Döttling have created a limited edition safe. Claimed by the company to be the “world’s most expensive,” the storage unit is priced at 250,000 euros or $339,000 at current exchange rates. Only 30 models will be made, reports WWDFASHION.
Named “Narcissus,” the high-gloss chrome-plated aluminum safe is just under six-feet tall and less than a foot deep with a steel body and interior cabinets containing watch winders and jewelry drawers.
South Beach is home to some of the most exclusive real estate properties anywhere in the world. Hundreds of haute investors flock to this tiny Island community every year seeking luxury condominiums. And while a good number of luxury properties are currently available, there are very few that can compare to the available units inside the Apogee (one of South Beach’s most exclusive properties).
The Apogee sits on the Southern most tip of South Beach. Here, luxury condo seekers can find a gorgeous 7,300-square-foot apartment for sale that sports a 3,400-square–foot wrap around terrace, seven bedrooms, six full bathrooms, and two half baths. The asking price…$17.5 million. And though the unit may be every condo owners South Beach Fantasy, the asking price is more in tune with fantasyland than the land of reality.
Let’s be honest, anyone who is willing to spend that kind of money on a condominium is going to want to customize the unit. With that in mind, it could easily cost an addition million or two on top of the original asking price.
Experts expect that the luxury unit could take at least one or two years to move, and that’s with couple of price reductions tossed in the middle. However, South Beach is the type of Island that oozes sex appeal, and all you need is one investor to fall in love with that sex appeal and bam…unit sold. Happy hunting everyone.
Kudos to the Judith Leiber Spring 2010 Collection for incorporating this crystal bird closure detail into her Black Stardust bag. A perfect nighttime accessory, the luxurious embroidered handbag with a baguette crystal chain is priced at $2,195 and pays tribute to our winged friends. Each piece comes beautifully boxed with protective signature bag.
Looking to switch up your sake? San Francisco’s popular Ame restaurant in the St. Regis Hotel is now serving hirezake, a traditional Japanese drink of piping hot sake steeped with tiger fugu (infamously poisonous blowfish) fin.
Running at about $15 and heavily accented with rich, early and nutty tones, a hot cup of this most daring concoction pairs well with any fish dish off Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani’s globally esteemed New American menu. Don’t worry, unlike the liver of the blowfish, the fin is totally safe, reports Bits + Bites.
689 Mission St., San Francisco; (415) 284-4040; www.amerestaurant.com
Gucci cologne frontman, James Franco, has just sold his Sunset-Strip home for $3.3 million, reports The LA Times. He first purchased the 4000 sq. foot Spanish Style villa in 2006 for $2.325 million.
Built in 1923 and boasting gorgeous views of the city, vaulted and beamed ceilings, a swimming pool, guesthouse, and custom marble bathtub, we really can’t imagine why this smoldering actor would rid himself of the ultimate bachelor pad. Check out the entire listing here with pictures below.
On Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010, the Costume Designers Guild of America threw a celebration of all things beautifully made for both the big and small screen with their annual award gala. Unlike the Oscars, there are only seven categories, which makes for a rather pleasant—and not particularly long and drawn out—evening.
The party is always the perfect blend of revered names in fashion, art, and Hollywood; it is a real cross section of individuals. These included:
Nadja Swarovski (whose company was also the presenting sponsor) Nicole Kidman, Parker Posey (Mistress of Ceremonies for the night), Cameron Silver, Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick, Alan Cumming, Emily Blunt, Max Ryan (from the upcoming Sex and the City 2), Anna Paquin, Eddie Izzard, Minka Kelly, Nancy Sinatra, and director Rob Marshall (Chicago, Nine).
Costume Designer Sandy Powell was presented with the Lacoste Career Achievement in Film Award and then subsequently made her way to the stage again where she won for excellence in a period film for The Young Victoria. Powell’s previous costume endeavors include films like Interview with a Vampire, Velvet Goldmine, Wings of the Dove, Shakespeare in Love and The Aviator (the last two films she won Oscars for Best Costume). Janie Bryant, master of the bullet bra and the woman who poured Christina Hendricks into more than one va va voom dress, won for her accomplishments in period garb for Mad Men.
Rob Marshall was presented with an award recognizing his incredible directorial achievements from one of the stars of his latest film, Nine, Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman (who skipped the red carpet and snuck into the party), and Emily Blunt was honored with the Swarovski Award for her outstanding talent.
The highlight though? Surprise guest Eddie Izzard in his presentation of costume designer Sandy Powell, whom he worked with on The Velvet Goldmine. As always, hilarious.
On Thursday evening, not even the blustery snowstorm outside could overpower the strength of Olga Borodina’s performance at Carnegie Hall. The concert was nothing short of exquisite.
The program consisted of Russian-language songs from the late-nineteenth and early- to mid-twentieth centuries; nearly all of the pieces were written by composers who are unfamiliar to most Americans. In Russia, works by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, César Cui, and Alexander Borodin are at least better known than they are here. Presenting such selections has become something of a personal mission for Borodina, as the singer continues to introduce Western audiences to uniquely Russian music.
It’s not difficult to understand why Borodina loves these songs so much. In addition to the gentle melodies, the texts, penned by poets like Alexander Pushkin and Alexey K. Tolstoy, are equally beautiful. Set to music and then delivered by Borodina with both tenderness and intensity, the lyrics take on layers of richness, which deepen when expressed by a singer whose native language is Russian.
One could easily argue that Borodina is the best mezzo-soprano performing in opera today. Her voice glides through each register with evenness so natural-sounding that it seems deceptively effortless. Her absolute control over the dynamics of every phrase allows the listener to relax and simply enjoy being in the presence of a singer with masterful technique. As another mezzo in attendance, Mary Ann Stewart, commented, “She’s technically perfect. There is no flaw.”
The audience, recognizing with seemingly endless standing ovations the excellence of the performance, insisted upon three encores. For the third, pianist Dmitri Yefimov—whose accompaniment throughout the evening was outstanding in its own right—delicately began the opening chords of “Mon Coeur S’ouvre à Ta Voix,” from Samson et Dalila. The aria by Saint-Saëns is a sort of signature piece for Borodina, as she debuted as Dalila in 1992 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. It’s quite possible that no one sings that role better than Borodina; to hear her interpretation of the aria after an already superb concert was a treat that will likely linger in the ears of every audience member long after the snow outside has melted.
Early this morning, a deadly 8.8-magnitude earthquake rocked central Chile. So far it has been reported that more than 150 people are dead (this is and update from the video below), and this number is expected to rise significantly over the next 24 hours.
The massive earthquake also triggered a gargantuan tsunami that now threatens more than fifty countries. Hawaii has already begun implementing plans to evacuate the Island State.
The quake struck early in the morning hours, about 3:20 a.m., and it was unquestionably stronger them the 7.0-magnitude quake that shook Haiti last month.
The United States, along with numerous other countries, have prepared disaster response teams and are currently waiting for assistance requests from Chile before they’re to be deployed.
Authorities are trying to remain optimistic, but with much of the country lying under rubble, it is difficult to know how this tragedy is going to play out over the next few days.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Chilean people and their families. Anyone interested in making an immediate contribution toward the relief effort can visit the American Red Cross website.
Source information for this story was provided by the following:
Photograph provided by Sebastian Martinez, AP
Cameron Silver is known as one of the most influential fashion gurus around. He owns Decades, the exclusive vintage shop on Melrose and has dressed the likes of Renee Zellweger, Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Kidman, and Marisa Tomei. He has worked as a consultant for Azzarro, Pringle, and Boucheron, and has also been graced with the accolade of one of Time magazine’s “25 Most Influential Names and Faces in Fashion”. Let’s hear what he has to say about this year’s Oscars, due to hit the red carpet Sunday, March 7.
Haute Living: What are going to be some of the signature looks for this year’s Oscars?
Cameron Silver: It’s always the same, but in a good way. Color, volume, strapless, sexy.
HL: What about fabrics—is there a signature fabric for this year?
CS: A lot of chiffon.
HL: Do you feel people are leaning more and more toward vintage these days?
CS: I think stars are leaning to whatever a designer will loan them for the night. Vintage is really only for those stars that understand the power of “owning” their wardrobe and are open to paying for their signature look on the big night.
HL: What would you really like to see more of on the red carpet?
CS: A super bold, high jewelry necklace that is a piece of art worn with a simple and sensual gown.
HL: Who are some of the more defiant celebs when it comes to fashion?
CS: I always love Chloe Sevigny (Big Love). She is never obvious, always strikes outside the norm in her choices, and is always intriguing.
HL: What celeb are you most looking forward to seeing on the red carpet this year, in terms of what she’s going to wear?
CS: I can’t wait to see the fantastic, beautiful and young Zoe Saldana (Avatar). On the flip side, I’m also thrilled to get a look at all the more mature actresses…I love women who look great as they age gracefully, but still know they can have fun with fashion.
The 2010 Whitney Biennial opened with a bang. Hundreds of people were gathered inside the museum and hundreds more were lined up outside—despite the rainy weather—like a scene outside of 1Oak or Avenue. An open bar, hot beats from DJ She-Rock, and blue and yellow mood lighting greeted those fortunate enough to make it inside.
DJ She-Rock
The 2010 Biennial brings together artworks in different mediums, representing the current status of contemporary American art. Although the exhibit is smaller this year than in the past, with 55 artists from around the country, the downsize created the perfect spotlight for the featured artists to shine.
Francesco Bonami, who was the first U.S. citizen to curate the Venice Biennial, and Gary Carrion-Murayari, who at 28, is already a senior curatorial assistant at the Whitney, curated this year’s show.
It was a night for artists to see and be seen. I was amused to find Isabelle Collin Dufresne, aka Ultra Violet, admiring fellow artist Pae White’s spectacular tapestry titled Smoke Knows. For those of you who don’t know, Ultra Violet was one of Andy Warhol’s superstars, named after her violet colored hair. NYC social fixture and artist Anh Duong was amongst the creative crowd, in her usual chic flair, pondering the paintings.
Pae White’s Smoke Knows tapestry
On the invitation, the suggested attire was “festive,” which unfortunately seemed to be ignored by most attendees, who appeared too cool for the dress code. Fortunately, the artwork provided a feast for the eyes and senses. This year marks the 75th edition of the Whitney’s signature exhibition, established in 1932 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. This year’s exhibition was a tribute to American art today, which is alive and well at the Whitney.
My personal favorites included:
Landscape with Houses (Dutchess County, NY) #2 by James Casebere, a Michigan artist based in New York. The photograph is surreal and looks like a painting, because Casebere constructs a scene by creating tabletop models with unassuming materials and carefully manipulates the lighting before photographing. Devoid of any human presence, and with the dominating hues of red, white, and blue, the piece is reflective of the current housing crisis in this country.
Patron by Marianne Vitale, a born and bred New Yorker, was a video piece featuring the artist against a hostile background, giving offensive orders to her audience. The performance satirizes authoritative manners in an avant-garde way, and was very gripping.
Master of the Universe: FlexMaster 3000 by Aurel Schmidt, a New York-based artist originally from British Columbia, depicts the Minotaur, a mythic creature representing creation and destruction. However in this illustration, he is composed of beer cans, flowers, money, a blackberry, condoms, cigarettes, and other paraphernalia. The complex drawing questions today’s societal conventions.
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Jan/Feb 2012
