Haute Secrets Los Angeles

Name: Barbara Guggenheim

The stats: Born outside of Philadelphia, lived in Los Angeles for 20 years, practically a native. She currently lives in Malibu.

Why she loves Los Angeles: Walking across the city and seeing what a melting pot we are.

From writing on The Huffington Post to advising clients on the purchase of priceless artworks, Barbara Guggenheim has done it all. This doctor in African art from Columbia University has taught at Rutgers University, been head lecturer at the Whitney Museum, and has obtained practical experiences at Sotheby’s and Christie’s. In 1980 she founded Guggenheim, Asher Associates, an art advisory service that unlike typical art dealers under great pressure to sell, works on behalf of the clients best interests. Because of this, Coca-Cola, Sony, Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg have sought her services when the goal is not just buying art, but buying the right art at the right price. As a writer, Guggenheim has written several humor articles for W and Elle magazines. She has also written three books, Decorating on eBay: Fast & Stylish on a Budget, Handkerchiefs: A Collector’s Guide, and her latest, The Ultimate Organizer, co-authored with Nadine Schiff. This ultimate book helps women control the chaos and bring back order into their lives: “The Ultimate Organizer is the resource that allows you to store every phone number, checklist and piece of information in one place. So much more than a daily planner, The Ultimate Organizer includes a workbook and CD filled with checklists for every area of your life: cars, pets, kids, finances, beauty, you name it. This sassy and practical tool will leave you running your life instead of your life running you.”

Check out Barbara Guggenheim’s favorite haute spots in Los Angeles at Haute Secrets.

More than 100 guests attended a celebratory dinner at Presidio Café to honor the 25-year tenure of Raphael House’s Executive Director David Lowell and his wife Elaine. Raphael House is San Francisco’s first homeless shelter. Established in 1971, the charity has a dedicated staff and Board of Directors from the local community, along with a small core of live-in staff. During the years of operation, more than 17,000 children and their parents have been given shelter. Raphael House is grateful to have had the assistance of more than 12,000 individuals who have invested financial and volunteer support their mission. Interim Executive Director Bruce Jack will manage the transition as future candidates for the permanent role are considered.

For more photos from this event, visit Haute Living’s Events Gallery.

The six-foot blonde and in charge drag queen of South Beach, Elaine Lancaster, has recently been chosen to perform and co-emcee at a fashion show as part of the 18th Annual Life Ball in Vienna this year. Life Ball is one of the largest HIV/AIDS charity events in the world, consisting of a red carpet, opening ceremony, and fashion show, aside from the actual ball itself, all of which will be held on July 17.

Lancaster was personally chosen by Life Ball founder Gery Keszler to be a part of the celebration because of Lancaster’s lifetime commitment to HIV/AIDS—she has been hostessing White Party Week, the largest HIV/AIDS charity event in South Florida, for 10 years now.

“To my knowledge, no one from Florida has ever been an official participant of Life Ball… this is a huge honor for me to have been asked to be a part of such an incredible event,” the entertainer says.

Whoopi Goldberg, the official 2010 spokesperson for amFAR, will be hosting Life Ball, which benefits amFAR’s HIV/AIDS research and prevention programs. Also attending are President Bill Clinton, Federal President Dr. Fisher, and a select group of entertainers, A-list celebrities, government officials and athletes.

It used to be that watch brands like Breitling didn’t offer highly diamond decorated watches direct out of the manufacture. Something about professional aviator watches studded with 4 carats of diamonds that didn’t seem to be marketable. It wasn’t until Swiss watch makers noticed a booming aftermarket watch ‘enhancement’ industry that they decided to offer jewelry pieces direct to watch buyers themselves.

Calling watches such as this Diamondworks version of the Breitling Chronomat 01 watch a jewelry piece isn’t quite accurate in my opinion. Jewelry watches are typically designed to be aesthetic timepieces meant to showcase (hopefully) elegant designs and emphasize precious materials and stones. Alternatively, the Diamondworks is a more luxurious, gold-cased model decorated with diamonds of what is essentially, a professional, or sports type watch. The practice of decorating such watches so decadently is an interesting phenomenon in the watch world, as many timepiece lovers are interested both in the sporty motif of such wrist watches, as well as displaying an envy-worthy jewelry piece.

Understanding this desire, Breitling has fitted the Chronomat 01 watch with either an 18-karat white or rose gold 43.5mm wide case. Complete with two levels of diamond decoration for this new Diamondworks collection — the difference being whether you prefer diamonds additionally on the lugs or not.

Seen here is the most diamond populated version in 18-karat rose gold matched to a brown reptile strap. The statuesque good looks of the Chronomat 01 case and dial are gilded with valuable materials, but retain the modern Breitling DNA that defines the core model collection. The watch dials are mother-of-pearl, while most of the hour markers are set with double diamonds. Hands for the time and chronograph are in gold, while the gold case and bezel of the watch are thoroughly blanketed in diamonds. The two Diamodworks models aren’t the first diamond studded version of the Chronomat 01 watch, but they do include the highest priced version.

Breitling’s Chonomat 01 collection is still rather new and represents a serious step for the brand. The automatic chronograph COSC Chronometer certified calibre 01 movement inside the watch is the first of its kind – being wholly developed and produced by Breitling in-house. This achievement is always a major step for watch brands, helping to assert their credibility among dedicated mechanical watch enthusiasts. The Chronomat 01 is one of Breitling’s easiest to read chronograph models (thanks to the clear, uncluttered layout of the dials and hands), and is the flagship chronograph model in Breitling’s current collection. It starts with a retail price of about $6,500 in steel (which is a good value for the watch), but is elevated here to $29,580 in white gold and diamonds, and $57,880 in rose gold with even more diamonds.

For more information, visit www.breitling.com.

1. 43.5mm wide 18k white or rose gold case
2. Contains in-house made Breitling calibre 01 automatic chronograph movement
3. Mother-of-pearl textured dial
4. Diamonds applied to hour markers
5. Diamond studded case, lugs, and bezel in two styles

Ariel Adams is the Haute Living Watch Editor and also publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Eyebrows raised several years ago when Mochi Craft entered the lobsterboat market with its Dolphin series. After all, what did an Italian builder known for high-gloss wood have in common with yachts known for decidedly conservative, Downeast style? People changed their minds once they saw how the yachts, from 44 to 74 feet, blended the open-air enjoyment of a lobsterboat with the stylish livability of a cruising boat.

Mochi Craft continues the tradition with its latest offering, the Dolphin 74 Cruiser. The model is an evolution of the Dolphin 74, a four-stateroom yacht introduced about six years ago, and offers four new design elements.

First, the flying bridge extends farther aft, to shade the entire cockpit. It also has more alfresco spaces. Perhaps the best of these spaces is the fully forward seating/dining area. Most yacht builders place the helm station here. Mochi Craft tucked it in at the base of the mast instead, just aft and centered on deck.

The second new design element is on the main deck, where the saloon is separate from the dining area. Consider that most yachts in this size range—previous Dolphin 74s included—have one large space shared by the two. The saloon’s handful of furnishings create intimate conversation and relaxation areas. The dining area, meanwhile, can seat up to eight people.

The last two changes that Mochi Craft made affect the crew. The galley, opposite the dining area, features a sliding door. American buyers will appreciate this, since they tend to have a more relaxed relationship with crewmembers and like to chat with the chef throughout the day. It benefits the crew because it makes it easier to serve meals (some European builders place the galley below decks), yet the door yields privacy to both them and the guests when needed. Equally important, there’s a staircase leading to the crew’s quarters below deck, and a side door opens onto the side deck, for quick service to the cockpit or flying bridge.

Speaking of the crew’s quarters, their area, aft of the engine room, has been redesigned to make work and relaxation simpler. Occupying the full beam of the 74, it now includes a utility room fully aft for stowing diving and mooring gear. Much like a lazarette, it is accessed either via an exterior hatch off the swim platform or from the engine room. There are also dedicated areas for dining and laundry besides a two-person stateroom and the captain’s stateroom.

The Dolphin 74 Cruiser should perform as well as she looks. Preliminary sea trials reveal that the twin 1,550-hp MAN diesel engines permit a 28-knot cruise speed and a 31½-knot top speed. Equally noteworthy, the yacht is optionally offered with the proprietary Mitsubishi ARG Anti Rolling Gyro System gyroscopic stabilizers, which damp 50 percent of the roll motion caused by waves at sea and at anchor.

The Dolphin lineup is renowned for allowing owners to choose from among six different hull colors, and the 74 Cruiser is no different. The first 74 bears a blue hull, in deference to its classic nautical heritage. But you can expect to see aquamarine, salmon, and other unusual tones offered in the future.

On Thursday, June 3, the San Francisco Food Bank hosted its annual ‘One Big Table’ summer dinner and benefit auction at the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. Event Chair Marilyn Cabak and nearly 200 guests enjoyed an elegant night with an exciting live and silent auction. Proceeds from the event will provide groceries for low-income families in San Francisco and Marin. The San Francisco Food Bank delivers food to 400-plus community partners, including neighborhood pantries, soup kitchens, senior centers, youth programs and domestic violence and homeless shelters throughout the year reaching 23,500 households a week.

For more photos from this event, visit Haute Living’s Events Gallery.

Having a case of the Monday’s? Then fret no more; we think this little piece of luxury is enough splendor to tide you through to next Monday.

Designer Paco Rabanne has designed a limited edition fragrance for men called 1 Million 18 Carats. Inside, each 18 carat gold flacon is individually numbered and topped with a diamond crown. And outside is a beautiful calfskin case bound by a heavy gold padlock. At $56,818, this hefty slice of luxury is fit for a king, and perhaps requires his entire infantry of men to keep it safely hidden under lock and key. It’s products like this that truly deserve a special occasion to be worn.

For more information visit www.PocoRabanne.com.

Via FWD

Name: Kay Unger

The stats: Born in Chicago; lived in New York for more than 40 years, currently in SoHo.

Why she loves New York: It’s a 24-hour town.

As an American fashion designer and face of Phoebe Co. LLC, Kay Unger is known for her colorful dinner dresses, influenced by iconic women such as Jackie O and Audrey Hepburn. A member of both the Council of Fashion Designers of America and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Unger is passionate about her role in the luxurious fashion world but finds time to give back to community organizations, especially women’s causes. Labels such as Kay Unger New York and Phoebe Couture are favorites among celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Tyra Banks and Salma Hayek. As a specialist on all things from fashion to food, Unger shares her favorites of New York, the city she calls home in our latest Haute Secrets.

Hermès may have dropped Jean Paul Gaultier from their line (it was announced in May that Christophe Lemaire would take over as creative director of the storied luxury brand), but that left room for other luxury collabs. Today it was announced that Gaultier would pair with La Perla, the famously sultry—and pricey—lingerie company, on a line of intimates.

This is the first full range of lingerie designed by Gaultier; although he does boast a little experience in the world of bras, panties, and negligee: after all it was Gaultier who was the creative mastermind behind the infamous cone bra worn by none other than Madonna during her 1990 Blonde Ambition tour. Those of you eager to catch a glimpse of this collaboration can see two pieces at his upcoming couture show in Paris on July 7, but you will have to wait until November when the full collection hits stores.

We will certainly be refreshing Style.com next week, if only to get a sneak peek of the underpinnings.

Via FWD

You’re already familiar with the heat these pros bring to the basketball court, now join Alonzo Mourning, founder of Alonzo Mourning Charities, and Dwyane Wade, founder of Wade’s World Foundation, as they host the hottest summer event in South Florida. Zo and D. Wade bring their love for the court to five days of blazing events at the Seminole Hard Rock. The 14th annual Summer Groove will celebrate sharing, giving and grooving in summer fun in South Florida from July 14 to 18.

The five-day event will benefit both Alonzo Mourning Charities and Wade’s World Foundation because when it comes to the game, ranking a team name matters, but off the court there’s only one team, and one goal, and that is good turn. When it comes to philanthropy, Zo and D-Wade have their hands in organizations supporting community-based programs that help youth across South Florida further their educational development.

The Groove has something for everyone: golf, comedy, concert, benefit dinner, youth summit, youth sports conference and basketball clinic, a free block party, an all-star basketball game and numerous exclusive functions. Event schedule plays out as follows:

The Summer Groove Golf Classic

Wednesday, July 14, from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Doral Golf Resort and Spa

Registered teams/players only.

The Summer Groove Comedy Jam Hosted by Heineken

Friday, July 16, at 8 p.m. at Hard Rock Live

Ticketed event open to the public.

The Summer Groove Block Party

Sunday, July 18, at AmericanAirlines Arena from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Complimentary event open to the public.

Carnival Cruise Lines Summer Groove All-Star Basketball Game

Sunday, July 18, at AmericanAirlines Arena from 1 to 3 p.m.

Ticketed event open to the public.

The global game plan is simple. A child’s best defense in the game of life is an understanding of the advantages of a solid education. Rally your roster of friends and family and pick up your game this summer by supporting positive changes in our children’s futures.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster by phone at 1.800.745.3000, or www.TicketMaster.com, or visit www.TheSummerGroove.com for more information.