Conductor Alondra de la Parra along with Young Patrons of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas hosted a live preview of Mi Alma Mexicana (My Mexican Soul). The evening took place on Tuesday at Casa Mezcal on the Lower East Side and featured a cocktail reception.

Members of the orchestra thrilled the audience with the exclusive glimpse into the performance that will take place May 11 at the Lincoln Ceter’s Alice Tully Hall.

Young Patrons of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas was founded in 2004 by the then 23 years old, Alondra de la Parra. The orchestra has evolved into an international symphony orchestra serving as a platform for young composers and performers. Most of its members are under the age of 35 and originate from over 20 different nations.

Check the Haute Living events page for more scenes for this evening.

Taking its design concepts sky-high, BMW Group DesignworksUSA, a subsidiary of Munich-based BMW Group, has collaborated with Embraer, the third largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, to outfit the latest generation of executive jets, the Phenom 100 and the Phenom 300.

Integrating BMW’s knowledge of its luxury market in the automobile industry with Embraer’s reputable performance in the field of aviation sets the Phenom models at the top of their class. In a BMW gilded Embraer, Phenom passengers can takeoff light and fast from hot, high and restrictive conditions, such as Lugano and Aspen, with style and ease. Keeping traditional opulence at heart, while soaring past passé conventions, the new Phenoms are tinged in seven new colors and outfitted in lush materials. Extravagance is just the starting point.

“We set our sights very high,” Colin Steven, Vice President of Emraer, says. Embraer’s four-to-eight-passenger VLJs are singled out for their floor options, spacious passenger legroom and shoulder height, pilot comfort, integrated armrests, and wrapping panoramic windshields. Innovative designs, efficient use of space in the cockpit, passenger, and baggage areas, and compliance with strict safety regulations seamlessly combine to meet the expectations and demands of global first-class customers.

Thanks to the high-flown success of Embraer’s premier group of BMW designed aircrafts, BMW DesignworksUSA is in the works of revolutionizing the Legacy 450 and Legacy 500 medium-haul jets. Going back to its roots, BMW began as an aviation company building high-performance plane engines, hence BMW’s logo of a plane propeller in motion. With 100 Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 jets already taking off and 600 aircraft orders on the runway to production, a blend of Bavarian and Brazilian dynamics is defining the new standards of ever-changing high living luxury.

Eva Longoria invited Desperate Housewives co-stars Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman as well as an intimate group of close friends including Ken Paves, Adrian Grenier, and Mario Lopez to her restaurant Beso in Hollywood.

The event was in honor of the actress’s latest business venture, her fragrance Eva. Mrs. Longoria looked absolutely stunning in her strapless black dress as she posed for pictures on the red carpet and showed off her haute perfume.

In appreciation for supporting the launch, Eva Longoria hosted the evening at her renowned restaurant, where celebrated Chef Todd English thrilled guests with an incredible dinner.

Check the Haute Living events page for more scenes for this evening.

If you could be in Sedona for breakfast, San Diego for lunch, and Miami for dinner, would you consider yourself lucky?  Well, to the people that own, charter, and purchase planes from SunCountry Flight Services here in Arizona, you would just consider yourself normal.

SunCountry Flight Services is a full-service plane, piloting, and flight-school company and they are taking care of the toys and transportation of the very mobile crowd that thinks of travel in much faster terms than most.

SunCountry offers everything flight-related that one can dream up. You’re looking to buy a plane? Call them. You’re looking to house your plane? Call them. You’re looking to have a pilot for your plane at all times, whenever you need it? Call them. You’re looking to learn to fly a plane all on your own? (You know the answer, right?) With a staff of experienced pilots based in Arizona and California, Cirrus charter flight service, top-of-the-line new models, and every other thing could possibly need for air travel, SunCountry has got it covered.

Offering charter flights for those who wish to ditch the security lines, baggage handlers, and screaming babies on flights, a school to learn to become a pilot, a plane brokerage sales department, and a full-piloting service for your own private plane, this is the place to stop for air travel needs.  After the ability to be in California in an hour, or Sedona in thirty minutes, one starts to think of automobiles as a very inconvenient and outdated form of travel. As owner Jeff Baber wisely puts it, “I don’t drive anywhere.” And, really, why would you?

All photography by kb for kimberlyjarman.com

On Tuesday evening, Sharon Kim, Wen Zhou, Alan J. Fuerstman, Natalie Kaplan, and Lydia Fenet hosted a women’s luncheon at Christie’s 20 Rockefeller. The Picasso inspired evening included an exclusive preview of Picasso paintings from the upcoming sale of Mrs. Sidney F. Brody and from The Collection of Michael Crichton.

Guests were also treated to the Picasso influenced 3.1 Phillip Lim Spring Collection titled Collage Dresses. Those in attendance included Lisa Marie Falcone, Francine Wright, Esteban Gomez, Brooke Lampley, and Olivia Chantecaille.

Check the Haute Living events page for more scenes for this evening.

On a trip to Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia in January 2000, lifelong ballet connoisseur Anne Bass came across a 16-year-old boy named Sokvannara Sar, whose performance as a folk dancer moved her immensely.

“I’ve seen so many dancers over the years, and there are dancers who are really fine dancers that you enjoy watching,” Anne tells us, “but there are very few that just hit you in a certain way.”

So when she returned to her home in the U.S., she felt compelled to give the boy the opportunity to leave his home and follow a dream that he could not yet have fully imagined.

The extraordinary journey that young Sokvannara Sar embarked upon, taking him from the Cambodian countryside to New York City, where he didn’t speak a word of English, is the subject of Anne Bass’s first foray into film, a documentary called Dancing Across Borders. It has received rave reviews both in the dance world and among general audiences.

“I really didn’t intend to make a documentary,” Anne recently told us, as she prepared for a multi-city tour of the film. It was only after some friends had seen a sort of “home-movie” that she had made of Sar’s progress a few years ago, and were riveted by it, that she got the idea.

“I understood that the story and the footage I had provided a real opportunity to see inside the world of ballet in a way they hadn’t been aware of before. So I asked some ballet friends and they said ‘Oh yes, I think this is a great story and you should try it.’”

The result is a captivating look at the struggles that Sar encountered in his transition from a young Cambodian folk dancer to an accomplished adult danseur. It’s a truly fascinating story that shows how the artistry of dance can be both enriched and hindered by cultural differences.

“I hope it will make viewers more interested in other cultures from which we can learn so much,” says Ms. Bass.

But she also hopes it will inspire viewers to pay more attention to ballet, “and make ballet more accessible to people that maybe thought it is an elite art form, and encourage them to take another look.”

Dancing Across Borders will be screened in San Francisco from April 30 to May 6, 2010. For more information, or to see when it’s coming to a town near you, visit dancingacrossborders.net/screenings.php.

Stella McCartney has already changed the way we dress at the gym with her ongoing collaboration with Adidas. Now, Giorgio Armani wants a piece of the action. Emporio Armani, the high-end luxury line designed by the acclaimed designer has announced a partnership with Reebok on a line of men’s and women’s activewear. The new capsule collection is called EA7/Reebok, and will reflect Emporio’s clean aesthetic in a variety of pieces.

Expect harem and slim-fit pants with coordinating hoodies, tanks, and a bunch of footwear for the ladies. For the men? Fitted tanks, fleece jackets, technical tops, sneakers, and running shorts. “Sportswear and activewear have become really important parts of our wardrobes,” says Armani, who designed 15 shoe and 40 apparel styles for both the men’s and women’s lines.

The footwear range bears fun names like Pump Mega, Mega Chic, and Chic Vintage. Speaking of chic, we hear the styles are so cool you won’t only be sporting them for a run on the treadmill. EA7/Reebok hits the streets this July, and prices run the gamut from $65 for a tee to $190 for the waterproof athletic jackets, and $150 for the footwear. That’s no small price to pay for athleticwear, but for a piece of original Emporio Armani duds we bet this collection will take over gyms across the country. Armani says, “I wanted to offer my customers the possibility of wearing sports clothes that were stylish and comfortable.”

Look out for the designer sportswear this summer at Emporio Armani and Reebok stores, as well as select high-end department stores.

Via StyleCaster

Despite the global recession, some luxury brands are retaining their value. Millward Brown Optimor’s annual list of the World’s Most Powerful Brands was just released and Director Pierre Dupreelle explained that while the luxury category was down overall by three percent, it’s still an exciting place to be. Brands like Burberry and Prada made strides in digital marketing, increasing their global visibility (though they were still left off of the Top 10 list), while brands like Louis Vuitton and Hermes did even better than last year.

Here are Millward Brown’s top ten most powerful luxury brands in the world:

1. Louis Vuitton
Last year’s ranking: 1
Overall Brand Value: up 2% to $19.78 billion

2. Hermès
Last year’s ranking: 2
Overall Brand Value: up 8% to $8.46 billion

3. Gucci
Last year’s ranking: 3
Overall Brand Value: up 2% to $7.59 billion

4. Chanel
Last year’s ranking: 4
Overall Brand Value: down 11% to $5.55 billion

5. Hennessy
Last year’s ranking: 6
Overall Brand Value: down 1% to $5.37 billion

6. Rolex
Last year’s ranking: 5
Overall Brand Value: down 14% to $4.74 billion

7. Moët & Chandon
Last year’s ranking: 8

8. Cartier
Last year’s ranking: 7
Overall Brand Value: down 19% to $3.96 billion

9. Fendi
Last year’s ranking: 9
Overall Brand Value: down 8% to $3.20 billion

10. Tiffany & Co.
Last year’s ranking: unranked
Overall Brand Value: up 6% to $2.38 billion

For more of Carrie Mitchell’s style insights, visit StyleGroove.com

Black & White Ball Co-Chairs, Lydia Beebe and Pattie Dunn welcomed guests to the beautiful home of Pamela and Ted Deikel on April 22. The 2010 Black & White Ball Patrons’ Dinner Celebration Event attracted VIP’s from all over San Francisco including Chairman Patricia Sprincin; members of the Patrons’ Dinner committee and the Black & White Ball Honorary Committee. They enjoyed a spectacular evening filled with delicious dinner and drinks.

Check the Haute Living events page for more scenes for this evening.

A large, state of the art production studio complex on a secure 2.5 acre campus just 10 minutes west of Miami International is offered for sale. Its site in Greater Miami allows immediate access to sophisticated, trained, and relatively low cost labor along with all of the excitement of life in tropical South Florida.

Created in 1998 to the exacting specifications of a Star with 12 Grammies and 100 million viewers across the Latin world, this 50,000 square foot production complex is the dream facility for those desiring access to the rapidly growing global market for Latin-themed media.

At the heart of the building is a box within a box containing three studios. A clever placement of walls allows the removal of the interior spines to create future, larger combinations of the existing studios. Combinations of 2100, 4000, and 7200 square feet exist within the box. Studio A, largest of the three studios, was the driving force for the construction technology which is present within the complex today. As Studio A was envisioned as a modular set with several themed areas on a stage designed to allow the participation of a live audience of more than 200 persons, it requires abundant lighting and a huge amount of air conditioning with the water cooled chillers to be in continual use during production. Sound attenuation of the mechanical systems was paramount in the construction and has resulted in earning a rating of NC 25 even with the 400 tons of air conditioning running at full capacity. The interior and exterior sound proofing of the box combines with an elaborate and huge steel skeleton system to independently support the heavy loads of lighting and production requirements. Two additional smaller studios are arrayed along the spine of Studio A on the ground floor of the complex.

The complex has been thoughtfully planned to allow a large number of independently hosted and assisted guests in multiple green rooms which are accessed through up to five entrances to ensure the element of surprise when desired and security when needed. Separate audience screening and holding areas have their own entrances with on site parking for more than 100 vehicles plus ample space for several production vehicles, control facilities, satellite uplink trucks and back-up power generation. Office space, star dressing and reception facilities, conference and production rooms, and an employee cafeteria are located on two floors forward of the studios. Fiber optic lines serve the street adjacent the complex.

For a chart comparing the 3 studios, digital dimmer system ETC, and the equipment which is offered with the asking price, please click here. For a direct link to the home page of Blue Dolphin Studios, please click here.

Offered @ $18,500,000

Contact Rex Hamilton @ 305.776.8686 or rexhamilton@rexhamilton.com. Or visit www.rexhamilton.com.