In our fast food nation, there’s still something to be said about taking up the British tradition of savoring an hour (or two) over a cup of tea served with delicate finger sandwiches and sweets. And if you’ve never experienced a true afternoon tea, you owe it to yourself to book one with a group of friends for a leisurely afternoon. Legend has it that one of Queen Victoria’s ladies in waiting Anna Marie Stanhope had that sinking feeling in the late afternoon after eating a minimal lunch. The Duchess of Bedford as she was known asked her servants to sneak a spot of tea and sandwiches to her room around 4 p.m. Then she decided to open up her tradition to friends, who came to Belvoir Castle to share small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, sweets and tea. The social hostesses of London quickly picked up on the practice of afternoon tea and a walk in the fields. Make like the duchess and invite a few friends. Here’s a look at the top five tea parlors in Las Vegas. You’ll thank the Brits.

The fastest man in the world and Hublot ambassador Usain Bolt, teamed up with the luxury Swiss watch brand and children from LA non-profit organization STAR Education in a race to raise money for the Usain Bolt Foundation on Tuesday, September 27th, 2011.

Dubbed the “Hublot Race Challenge,” the event took place at the grounds of the Greystone Mansion and was hosted by sports media personality Neil Everett. Every kid that finished the race before Bolt raised $10,000 for the foundation which strives to increase awareness about the importance of physical activity and healthy eating

“For Hublot, it is hugely symbolic for a watchmaker to see his watch worn by the fastest man in the world,” said Hublot Managing Director, Ricardo Guadalupe. “The concept of time is sacred, for him and for the brand. Hublot measures time, Usain Bolt always seems to outrun it!”

Ricardo Guadalupe, Usain Bolt

Following the race challenge, a special evening took place at the exclusive Mr. C’s, where Hublot aficionados and fans of the sprint star gathered to view the latest collection of Hublot watches and toasted to the new Beverly Hills boutique opening.  Bolt even took a spin in the DJ booth.

“Hublot’s constant efforts to share its success with the worldwide community have always inspired me”, said Bolt. “I am proud to join them in spreading that message of love and to celebrate their new boutique”.

The Eden Rock -St. Barths, an exclusive member of The Haute Hotel Network, is a perfect place for wine and food enthusiasts. The resort’s two signature restaurants, the Sand Bar and On The Rocks, are a foodie’s dream. No more bad resort food here; everything is prepared fresh by the hotel’s master Chef and local ingredients are used in all of the dishes. Make sure you get a glass of the good stuff to go with your meal – their wine list is exquisite.

Check out The Eden Rock-St. Barths on The Haute Hotel Network for more information and reservations.

While it might be months before you can sit outside to enjoy a hot mug of anything, a warm cup of tea in the afternoon is just right. Relax and enjoy at one of these chic tea spots.

Surely one of the hottest art events in New York City, the block-party launch of Peter Tunney’s new space on Franklin Street attracted over a thousand guests Wednesday September 21st.

The haute crowd included  New York “Housewife” Cindy Barshop, producer Charlie Corwin, “Miami Ink” star Ami James and many art collectors, fashion heads and other powerful New Yorkers. Party-goer went back and forth between his two galleries across the street from one another and rocked out to performances by LA band Hot as Sun and New York singer/songwriter Blake Ian.

Currently one of the hottest MC’s in the game, Lil Wayne celebrated his 29 birthday on September 27. Of course, in true Weezy tradition, there was nothing mundane about it—starting with the Divine Delicacies cake, it was a birthday fit for a king of rap.

A 7:00pm phone call got the rolling pins turning at Divine Delicacies, when word hit that Lil Wayne needed a four-tier treasure from which to blow out his candles in just under three hours. Not only did the request come in at the tail end of the day, but Weezy specifically requested the cake be a Divine Delicacies creation. Perhaps that’s because he knew these purveyors of edible art would deliver big.

And big they did.

Custom Swarovski crystal signage was created by Miami Cake Monogram and the verbiage read like an homage to the birthday boy: WEEZY F. BABY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY and YMCMB (an acronym for Young Money & Cash Money Billionaires), were neatly stacked on each tier.

The vanilla rum cake rolled in red fondant also donned four crystal ropes and a special sugar skateboard with Lil Wayne airbrushed on it as a tribute to his recent sidewalk hobby—sounds delicious.

For your own custom superstar cakes, visit www.ddcakes.com/

Alicia Keys stepped out to the premiere of the Lifetime original film Five – of which she was co-director – with her husband, music producer Swizz Beatz. The premiere took place Monday, Sept. 26 at the Skylight Theater in New York City and was attended by fellow co-directors Demi Moore and Jennifer Aniston, as well as stars like Gloria Estefan and Wyclef Jean.

Five follows the storylines of five women affected by breast cancer, with a different celebrity co-director in charge of each story. The premiere was scheduled to coincide with the start of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is approaching in October.

This is the first film directorial role for the twelve-time Grammy Award winner, who has been busy with a newborn child and her recent I Heart Radio concert performance, which was said to be one of the R&B sensation’s most memorable performances yet.

Five makes its network debut on Oct. 10 on the Lifetime network. Keys’ debut as co-producer of the Broadway play Stick Fly will take place on November 18 at the Lyceum Theatre.

Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets. To see the entire Haute 100 New York list, click here.

When Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg arranged a $38,500/couple fundraising dinner at her Silicon Valley home for President Barack Obama on Sept. 25, she probably didn’t guess that she would be host to one of entertainment’s biggest names – Lady Gaga – as well.

The pop megastar arrived at the intimate gathering of around 70 people, which was held under a tent in Sandberg’s yard. She was there to keep a promise she made to her fans in the wake of the suicide of 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer, who committed the tragic act due to bullying.

Gaga had said via Twitter, “I am meeting with our President. I will not stop fighting. This must end. Our generation has the power to end it.” Additionally, she said, “The past days I’ve spent reflecting, crying, and I have so much anger. It is hard to feel love when cruelty takes someone’s life.” She also insisted that bullying “must become illegal. It is a hate crime,” and vowed that she would confront the president regarding the issue.

Lady Gaga kept her promise as she spoke to the president during the fundraiser’s Q&A segment. She began first by thanking Obama before reading aloud a letter from a fan about another victim of bullying who took their own life. She then pleaded and urged the president to do all he could to raise awareness of matter.

Obama, in turn, thanked Gaga for her efforts and continued to speak in depth about his administration’s efforts on the cause.

Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets. To see the entire Haute 100 San Francisco list, click here.

Christian Louboutin and Jean-Francois Lesage celebrate the creation of six new menswear designs. Inspired by 19th century art, British street style and cultured tradition, each shoe boasts hand crafted design features including tassels, beads and fine embroidery.

The tailored Tasselissimo, the majestic Mikaraja, and the lofty Loubi represent the collaborative collections most imaginative and innovative designs.

Just in time for Fall, the collection will be sold exclusively at Christian Louboutin boutiques around the world, including flagship stores in London, New York and Louboutin Men’s newest home, Paris.

Source: Christian Louboutin

French watchmaker Bell & Ross has unveiled the newest edited version of ts 2011-2012 Novelties Catalog which includes the WW1 Vintage Collection, a homage to pilots and soldiers from the first half of the twentieth century who initiated the evolution from the pocket watch to the wrist watch.

It also comes with the Catalog of Collections gathering novelties from the Aviation and Marine Collection, introduced during the Basel Wine Watch-Making Fair.

View the entire Bell & Ross 2011-2012 Novelties Catalog HERE

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