Long beloved by residents of the Windy City, The James Hotel brings its unique blend of residential cool to SoHo with the opening of its first New York City property. Anchoring the southwest corner of Soho at Grand and Thompson Streets, The James is currently accepting reservations at its 114 guestrooms and suites.

"The stylish and culturally rich neighborhood of Soho is the ideal home for The James New York," said Brooke Barrett, co-CEO of Denihan Hospitality Group, owners and operators of The James brand.

In homage to the creative neighborhood it calls home, The James New York will feature a mix of local and international artists, both prominent and up-and-coming. In an effort to be both child and pet-friendly, the hotel will offer both pajama sets and Paul Frank coloring sheets. Dog beds and doggy bowls will be provided by Soho-based pet retail shop Doggystyle, along with a specially-created amenity treat bag.

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The Lanvin Ouloulou Satin Pouchette makes us say "Ooh la la!"

There's nothing like peach satin to give an outfit vintage appeal. This pretty pouchette has a hammered satin flap front, a delicate chain-link strap and a grosgrain pompom detail. The button covers a magnetic closure and adds shape to this lovely, peaches-and-cream purse.

Though it's a little pinker in person, this Italian-made bag exudes charm and innocence. The pouchette itself is 6" x 9.5" x 2" and lined in satin, ensuring only the very best treatment for the goodies you put inside it. While this would be difficult to pull off with a contrasting color, we'd love to see this with a little black dress, a little white dress or maybe, maybe a black-and-white pattern.

One extra thing to love about this purse: shiny satin transitions perfectly into the holiday season, and you'll definitely be able to carry this from now until the company holiday party.

The Lanvin Ouloulou Satin Pouchette is available from Barneys for $990.

Luxe British lingerie designer Agent Provocateur has unveiled its "lavish and luxurious" collections for fall, designed to inspire desire. Some pieces like the "Maddy" model above are interlaced with eye-catching fuchsia silk while others are finished in a leopard print. Several designs are inspired by the 1950s while others evoke the glamor of 1930s Hollywood. The promotional campaign for the collections has a voyeuristic theme and features several steamy "homemade" stag film-type video clips. In fact, they were shot by music video director Johan Renck, the man behind Kylie's "Love At First Sight" and Beyoncé's "Me, Myself And I", British GQ reports. Nightdresses, slips, corsets, kimonos, garter belts and even a barely-there "playsuit" comprise the rest of the eye-popping offerings. Check out one of the racy video clips after the jump.

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Cunard's new Queen Elizabeth luxury liner (above), successor of the QE2, will have a branch of London's famed food emporium Fortnum & Mason, holder of a Royal Warrant, onboard when it sets sail in October. The move marks the first time ever in Fortnum & Mason's 300-year history that its luxurious products have been available to purchase at sea. The shipboard Fortnum's will join a host of other British brands setting up shop on the Queen Elizabeth, including men's style mecca Hackett of London, Scotland's famed Harris Tweed, fashion designer Anya Hindmarch and famed fragrance merchant Penhaligons. Several brands have also announced special items produced exclusively for the ship which will only be available onboard. The Queen Elizabeth can accommodate over 2,000 passengers in its luxe Art Deco-style interior.

Make no mistake. The tidy little space where aesthetician Madeleine Friedrich does manicures, pedicures, facials, and waxing is something of a time warp. Her studio is on the second floor of an old building and looks as if nothing has been changed for at least 25 years. So why do high profilers who could easily book their bikini waxes at Bliss or Lucy Peters return month after month to this simple place. Friedrich, who has a PhD from her native Romania, is a perfectionist. She also knows more about waxing that probably anyone in Manhattan. Her secret: "take the root out," she says showing a client the difference between waxes which break the hair and her special honey was treatment which evicts the hair roots from your skin."Many clients have troubles with in-grown hair which has to be treated with special care," she says

Working alone or with an assistant using only natural products, Friedrich specializes in Brazilian waxing but as one client says, "You get waxing and an hour's psychotherapy all in one visit. Although she is a well-guarded secret among women and some men (clients' boy friends or relatives only), she does facials and everything else the old-fashioned way. Many facial treatments today consist of multiple massages, creams, and masks. Not chez Friedrich. "I have a medical background so I do extractions with sterilized needles," she explains adding that no one is going to leave her tiny studio with so much as a blackhead, an errant eyebrow, or less than perfect pedicure. Madeleine Europe Spa is at 1095 Second Avenue between 57th and 58th Street: by appointment only 212-593-5297.

Today's home is one of the most intriguing that I've seen. It's got quite a back story. This retreat in Lake Elsinore, California was built in 1929 by architect Edwin Dickman for the renowned evangelist and founder of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, Aimee Semple McPherson. Sister Aimee was an evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s. A televangelist before there was such a thing, she traveled the country preaching in revivals and also had a radio show that drew many listeners. In 1926 she disappeared and later re-appeared claiming she'd been kidnapped, a charge which was never proven. This home was a retreat and conference center. It cost $286,000 to build in 1929.

The castle perched high above the lake is a combination of Moorish Revival architecture with a touch of Art Deco. The home was in disrepair for some years but has undergone extensive repairs and now shines again with white plaster walls, minaret style spires and a cerulean blue tiled dome topping a prayer tower. The renovation preserved the original interiors with Moorish arches and intricate wall and ceiling decorations. The five-bedroom home has a large pool and terrace, atrium, an oversized living room, a stunning blue domed dining room, kitchen, servants quarters, gym, and a 2-car garage with direct access through a hidden tunnel. The home is listed at $1.245 million.

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Coming in two large sizes of 48mm and 55mm wide, Kyboe, a Netherlands based watch brand offers very large sized fashion watches that comes in a ludicrous array of color combinations. Just visit their site to find the many, many color combos available of the "Giant watch." Although it comes in two sizes and many colors, the watch itself is basically the same design. A mixture of elements from various dive watches, the dial feels very Rolex Explorer in theme. The case is in steel, and inside the watch is a Japanese Miyota quartz movement. Strap is rubber, and the main allure is the fashionable fun associated with the large size and wild colors. Not sure how much the watches are available in the US yet, though they are in many parts of Europe and Asia. Probably coming to the US more as their size, cost, and image would likely work here. Price looks to be about $200. Look for them soon.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Italian fashion design duo Dolce & Gabbana are celebrating the 25th anniversary of Naomi Campbell's career with a limited edition t-shirt collection and launch event. The collection comprises 14 different designs displaying iconic images of the supermodel taken by the world's most famous fashion photographers, including Patrick Demarchelier, Steven Klein, David LaChapelle, Mario Testino, Ellen von Unwerth, Bruce Weber, Steven Meisel, Herb Ritts and Peter Lindbergh. The collection of 14 shirts will go on sale exclusively at Dolce & Gabbana boutiques in New York on September 10th, followed by London, Milan Paris, Moscow, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai throughout the fall.

Proceeds from the sale of the shirts will benefit Fashion for Relief, a charity founded by Campbell to raise funds in the fashion world in times and places of need. D&G will hold an exclusive launch party for the anniversary initiative in NYC on Sept. 10th. The designers describe Campbell as "An icon rather than a model," noting "Her peculiar way of walking down the runway marked an era of fashion history and has become a point of reference for many many girls. We have been lucky enough to have the chance to know the person behind the image and for this reason we are even happier to celebrate this anniversary with her."

The luxurious 2,500-acre Estancia El Venado, one of the most historic and beautiful guest ranches in Argentina, is offering an exclusive polo excursion for high-end equestrians who want to brush up on the sport of kings. The luxurious Estancia, founded in the mid-1800s and located about 100 miles south of Buenos Aires, is owned by professional polo player Federico Cendoya, whose family has owned El Vendado for four generations. Cendoya has been training and coaching international polo players ranging beginners to experienced players for over 30 years. Available from mid-April through October, El Venado's polo excursion is an excellent introduction for new players to the sport or an opportunity for experienced players to gain expertise. The package includes stick and ball sessions in the morning and practice chukkers in the evening. During the morning sessions guests will work on horsemanship and swing mechanics, while the practice chukkers focus on rules, game strategy, field positioning – and fun. Surprisingly affordable, rates begin at just $300 per person per night.

[via JustLuxe]

I can see the lines snaking around the block now! H&M confirmed it: Men and women will be able to get themselves some Lanvin at about 200 H&M stores on Nov. 23, according to Women's Wear Daily.

Word broke yesterday that the sizzling hot Paris label may be collaborating with cheap chic retailer H&M. Fashion industry bible WWD reported that the Swedish retailer was expected to announce plans with Lanvin and its creative director Alber Elbaz within the coming week.

Upon hearing the news yesterday, the fashion blogs went nuts, writing things like "Yes, Please!" and "Cross your fingers." Even a few well-heeled ladies I talked to vowed they would pick up a piece or ten from the capsule collection.

To wet our appetites, H&M has been posting 23-second highly stylized black and white videos on Facebook and Youtube. Quotes from a mystery designer comes through the mouths of male and female actors captured in flashing images that show everything but an actual face. Initially, the rumor mill focused on Tomas Maier of Bottega Venetta and Carolina Herrera as possible originators of the quotes. Then, WWD wrote yesterday: "While the camera never lingers on the faces long enough for recognition in the clips, the voice-over of designer musings, while electronically altered, are unmistakable Elbaz-isms."

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