10 Luxuries

Coffinier Ku Design Delights Visitors to the 2010 Kips Bay Decorator Show House

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) — Oct 26th 2010 at 10:31AM

Etienne Coffinier and Ed Ku of Coffinier Ku Design used a bubble theme in two of the rooms for the 2010 Kips Bay Decorator Show House in New York.

There are numerous delights to be found inside the townhouse showcasing the 2010 Kips Bay Decorator Show House on the upper east side of Manhattan. One of the most uplifting, however, is the bubble theme used in two of the rooms designed by Etienne Coffinier and Ed Ku of Coffinier Ku Design.

The acclaimed designers, who are based in New York, started with a single photograph by Melvin Sokolsky. Ku had found the image, which had been used in a fashion shoot for Harper's Bazaar in 1963, and was mesmerized by the beauty of a woman who was seemingly floating on the surface of the Seine in front of the Pont Neuf in Paris. The model was photographed while standing inside a large plexiglass bubble in a scene that would seem to be precarious yet it exudes calm and serenity.

The designers decided to use the overscale 50" by 50" archival print they found at the Staley-Wise Gallery and contrast it with a modern piece of art by Norman Mooney. Entitled "Smoke Panel 02", it was made through a process of blowing smoke onto a metal panel, which evokes another world.

Gallery: Coffinier Ku Design at Kips Bay

Tags: Coffinier Ku Design, Decorators, Design, Ed Ku, Etienne Coffinier, Kips Bay, Kips Bay 2010 Decorator Showhouse, kips bay showhouse, Lucite, Luxist-Awards, Melvin Sokolsky, Norman Mooney, Staley-Wise Gallery, Stark Carpet, Suzan Etkin

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EXCLUSIVE: Posh Publisher Prosper Assouline's Ten Essential Luxuries, Part II

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Jun 23rd 2010 at 9:01AM

On Tuesday we brought you Part I of posh publisher Prosper Assouline's ten essential luxuries. Luxist readers will be familiar with the beautiful and stylish books published by his luxe imprint Assouline; perhaps less so with the man who founded and runs the company. A master of savoir faire, Prosper Assouline is known for merging the modern and the classical in publishing and creative design. Picking up where we left off the other day regarding the evolution of Assouline into luxury brand whose medium is culture, the company established retail positions first in Bergdorf Goodman, and then at ten Saks Fifth Avenue stores, as well as Celux (Tokyo), A Editores (Mexico City), Lane Crawford (Hong Kong), Harvey Nichols (Dubai), Holt Renfrew (Toronto), Librissime (Montreal), Sotheby's (New York), Teatro Verde (Toronto), and Zai (Qatar). The desire to showcase the concept of 'books as gifts' has led to the creation of a full retail program of strategic partnerships to open Assouline branded corners around the world.

As part of Assouline's positioning as a luxury brand, the first standalone Assouline boutique opened in Paris on Place Saint Germain des Prés in 2005. Conceived as a contemporary library, the boutique features the complete collection of books and luxury products. Assouline created the other items around the books, such as Book scented candles, a leather Coach designed library, and a variety of slipcased products and limited edition volumes. Also featured is the Goyard trunk, designed by Prosper Assouline with Goyard as a means to capture the nostalgia of traveling with books. Another one of Prosper's designs is the Assouline Library, a handcrafted bookcase featuring 150 books on style released in 2004 that has was an immediate sensation. Click through to the gallery to see Part II of Prosper's 10 essential luxuries, from hats and yachts to bars and cars, and find out what makes them a must.

EARLIER: Posh Publisher Prosper Assouline's Ten Essential Luxuries, Part I

Gallery: Posh Publisher Prosper Assouline's 10 Luxuries, Part II

Gallery: Posh Publisher Prosper Assouline's 10 Luxuries, Part I

Tags: Bergdorf Goodman, books, Goyard, Jaguar, library, Magnum Yachts, Paris, Saks Fifth Avenue, Tag Heuer

EXCLUSIVE: Posh Publisher Prosper Assouline's Ten Essential Luxuries, Part I

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Jun 22nd 2010 at 9:02AM

Luxist readers will be familiar with the beautiful and stylish books published by French imprint Assouline; perhaps less so with the man who founded and runs the company. A master of savoir faire, Prosper Assouline is known for merging the modern and the classical in publishing and creative design. The former artistic director of several French fashion magazines, Prosper's resumé includes creating and launching his own magazine, and the founding of a creative agency specializing in branding and advertising in the late 1980s. With a vision of true luxury in print, he founded Assouline Publishing with his wife, Martine Assouline, in Paris in 1995, creating a world of exclusivity in books and brand identity. Under the direction of Prosper, Assouline has invented a visual language that is internationally recognized for its excellence.

After establishing the imprint as the world's most renowned publisher of high-quality illustrated volumes on fashion and style, Prosper opened an office in New York in 2001, which became the brand's international headquarters. In the past 15 years, Assou has published over 750 titles across international markets ranging on subjects including art, architecture, design, fashion, gastronomy, photography, travel and viticulture. The first collection of monographs on the history of fashion, art, and design, Assouline's Memoire series, includes over 250 titles on such legendary names as Azzedine Aläia, Chanel, Charles James, Dolce & Gabbana, and Marc Jacobs. Assouline creates products that stand alone as objets d'art; they have a beauty and a point of view that make them desirable to own and incorporate into the most discerning collections. Click through to the gallery to see Part 1 of Prosper's 10 essential luxuries, from hats and yachts to bars and cars, and find out what makes them a must.

Gallery: Posh Publisher Prosper Assouline's 10 Luxuries, Part I

Tags: architecture, art, Assouline, books, Chanel, coffee table books, design, fashion, France, Paris, photography, style, yacht

EXCLUSIVE: Aspen Fashion Week Founder Lisa Johnson's Ten Essential Luxuries

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — May 31st 2010 at 9:03AM

Click above to see Lisa Johnson's 10 Luxuries

The innovator behind Aspen Fashion Week, Lisa Johnson had a hunch that a fashion event combining the chic of skiing, winter and resort with the high energy appeal of Aspen would be a huge hit. As the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Aspen Chamber Resort Association, managing the destination marketing funds on behalf of the City of Aspen, Lisa worked with major events and productions like ESPN Winter X Games, HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and Luxury Spa Finder's Aspen Spa Day. Also as part of her six year tenure with the Aspen Chamber Resort Association, Lisa managed the media relations efforts and served as a de facto film commissioner assisting on film, television and commercial productions of all sizes.

"Aspen is the most recognizable mountain town and the undeniable center of the winter lifestyle," Johnson, pictured above, center, with Lauren Bush and Ellen Gustafson from FEED, tells Luxist. "Most of the major fashion and luxury brands have boutiques here because it caters to a very high-end consumer and has some of the most influential buyers in winter and ski. I strongly felt that Aspen could support a fashion event in which designers and outerwear / ski brands could show collections in a fun, relaxed, high energy format to a consumer with the ability to walk into the stores to buy. And having Aspen Mountain as a backdrop is never a bad setting!" In the gallery are images of Johnson's essential luxuries, from skis to wine to books and bags, along with quotes about what makes them a must.

Gallery: Aspen Fashion Week Founder Lisa Johnson's 10 Luxuries

Tags: Aspen, Aspen Fashion Week, Colorado, fashion, fashion show, FEED bags, Lisa Johnson, resort, skiing, winter sports

EXCLUSIVE: St. Regis Hotels & Resorts Head Paul James' Ten Essential Luxuries

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Apr 21st 2010 at 9:05AM

Paul James is the Global Brand Leader for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts and The Luxury Collection, Starwood's two world-renowned, luxury hospitality brands. Under this role James is responsible for providing the overall strategic and creative direction for St. Regis, the legendary hotel brand committed to excellence and bespoke service at the best addresses in the world, and The Luxury Collection, a glittering ensemble of one-of-a-kind destinations and indigenous experiences designed for the global explorer. Over the last year, James has been instrumental in creating a long term strategy of meaningful growth for both St. Regis and The Luxury Collection brands in the world's most enviable destinations. Since taking on his current role, St. Regis and The Luxury Collection have successfully debuted properties in new markets including Atlanta, Indonesia, Mexico, Moscow, Peru, and Scotland. Over the next five years, James will oversee their continued expansion with the opening of properties in Abu Dhabi, Bermuda, Buenos Aires, Cairo, China, Japan, Jordan, Peru, and more.

James has more than 20 years experience in hospitality, serving most recently as Starwood's Regional Director of Sales & Marketing, NW Europe. In that role, he was in charge of the sales and marketing teams of 35 hotels in nine countries across seven brands, with revenues in excess of $1 billion. This fall, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts will continue its extraordinary global expansion by opening four world-class properties in Puerto Rico, Osaka, Bangkok and Lhasa, solidifying its position and the leader in luxury hospitality and doubling its footprint in just two years. This global growth will expand the brand's footprint to include the Caribbean with The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort in Puerto Rico, and continuing its growth in Asia with The St. Regis Osaka, The St. Regis Lhasa Resort and The St. Regis Bangkok. Offering the St. Regis' iconic bespoke services and amenities, unrivalled luxury and refined elegance, the spectacular new properties join the brand's distinguished portfolio of quintessential addresses around the world. In the gallery are images of James' essential luxuries; continued below you'll find his explanations about what makes them a must.

Gallery: Paul James' 10 Essential Luxuries

Tags: Bahia Beach, bespoke, Butler, Cole Haan, Dunhill, hotel, Maserati, polo, resorts, Savile Row, Smythson, St. Regis, St. Regis Bahia Beach, Starwood, stationery, The Luxury Collection

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McLaren Automotive Officially Launches Itself into the Automotive Stratosphere [w/Video]

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) — Mar 18th 2010 at 6:01PM

McLaren MP4-12C – Click above for high-res image gallery

This morning McLaren Automotive held a press conference at its technology center outside London England to officially unveil itself and its first new product to the world. An off-shoot of the McLaren Formula One team, the new automaker picks up where the previous efforts that produced the F1 of the mid-1990s and the more recent Mercedes-McLaren SLR left off.

Chairman Ron Dennis discussed the philosophy of passion behind the new enterprise while Managing Director Anthony Sherriff went over the MP4-12C in some detail. The over-arching design goal was performance through efficiency. By keeping size and weight down, the car is able to achieve extraordinary levels of performance. McLaren has developed an all-new bespoke powertrain consisting of a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 with 600 horsepower and a lightning fast dual clutch transmission.

Sherriff promises a compliant ride for everyday driving with handling that will top anything in the world. McLaren is currently in the process of appointing 35 dealers in 19 countries to sell its cars when they start production in 2011. First year production is pegged at 1,000 cars with that number rising to 4,000 annually by 2015 as at least two additional models are added. Pricing and final performance figures will be announced later this year. Check out Autoblog for more technical details on the McLaren MP4-12C. There is a video of McLaren formula one drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton testing the 12C after the jump.

[Source: McLaren]

Tags: mclaren, mclaren automotive, McLaren MP4-12C, mclaren-mercedes

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EXCLUSIVE: Fine English Company Founder Benedict Wormald's Ten Essential Luxuries

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Mar 10th 2010 at 9:01AM

Click above to see Benedict Wormald's 10 Essential Luxuries

The Fine English Company is a recently launched line of luxurious furniture, luggage and lifestyle accessories reminiscent of Britain's colonial past with a contemporary flair, founded by former financial consultant Benedict Wormald. The company was born out of a desire to trade in his City lifestyle in London and turn a lifelong passion for classic British design and antiquities into a business. The Fine English Company's products combine traditional craftsmanship with detailing of exotic animal skins, rare and native woods and veneers to create a range of collectible and desirable objects betokening the best of bespoke British luxury. "I am a great devotee of simplicity and pared down restraint in luxuries," Wormald tells Luxist, "simple items that are executed very well. Luxury to me is not necessarily about adornment or precious materials for vastly inflated prices. I demand a very tactile and aesthetic element from the things I deem to be 'above par'. There is a very definite trend for this that we are seeing in bespoke commissions where people are making much more considered purchases and investing in the construction and execution of the item and not just materials."

Wormald is very passionate about exquisitely made goods and those that are true to the term bespoke, which is increasingly taken in vain. "If you choose to go bespoke from an early age, the lifetime cost is more than borne out in comparison to a larger number of machine made and mass produced brand led products," he notes. "I only wish someone had told me that aged 18! I have Savile Row suits that are as good now at 15 years old as they were new and a good pair of bespoke shoes, a made-to-measure shirt and a bespoke suit will feel more comfortable than any other choice all day and every day - suits only irritate if they don't fit properly and a good suit and shoes will help your posture and the way you comport yourself." Wormald points out that "bespoke need not necessarily be expensive. The power is coming back to the customer to demand something different, something unique to treasure for generations." In the gallery are images of his essential luxuries; continued below you'll find his fulsome explanations about what makes them a must.

Gallery: Fine English Company Founder Benedict Wormald's 10 Luxuries

Tags: Aston Martin, Benedict Wormald, bespoke, Fine English Company, Holland Holland, JaegerLeCoultre, Kilgour, London, Savile Row, Turnbull Asser, UK, Vertu

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EXCLUSIVE: JamesList Founder & CEO Noam Perski's Ten Essential Luxuries

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Feb 3rd 2010 at 9:01AM

Click above to see Noam Perski's 10 Essential Luxuries

Noam Perski is the visionary founder and CEO of JamesList, now the world's largest online luxury marketplace, launched in 2008 in Stockholm, Sweden. After leading pioneering Internet startups in Scandinavia, Perski spent five years working full time on HIV and other global health issues in Geneva, Switzerland, before launching JamesList, which has since expanded to open offices in Marbella, Spain with representation in London, Frankfurt, Singapore and Miami. "Given the recent roller-coaster of currency and market fluctuations, we saw an opportunity to give serious buyers the tools they need to find premium goods at the best possible price, regardless of where they are in the world," Perski says.

The brilliantly-designed site works with a network of more than 400 professional dealers around the world, from Dallas to Dubai, to list more than 35,000 jets, yachts, luxury cars, motorcycles, helicopters and timepieces - including five prized watches priced at $1 million or more - for sale. Where else can you find a dozen $30 million-plus superyachts, 30 Bugatti Veyrons, 80 Ducatis, 700 Ferraris and 900 Patek Philippes all in one place? There's even a special section listing over 600 customized models, like the $2 million Spanish "supercar art", from across the luxury spectrum. In the gallery, Perski reveals his 10 essential luxuries, from classic cars to custom Rolexes and his pick for the best hotel in Europe, and explains what makes them a must.

Gallery: JamesList Founder & CEO Noam Perski's 10 Luxuries

Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG with Brabus Optics

Tags: Internet, JamesList, Scandinavia, Stockholm, Sweden

EXCLUSIVE: Dashing Designer Duncan Quinn's Ten Essential Luxuries

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Jan 12th 2010 at 9:01AM

Click above to see Duncan Quinn's 10 Essential Luxuries

Dashing designer Duncan Quinn has always loved finely tailored English suits and grew up wearing some of the pieces his father had had made on Savile Row in the 1960's. Following several years practicing law both in the City in London and in Manhattan buying and selling companies he became obsessed with bringing to New York his own vision of a Savile Row tailoring establishment for gentlemen and rogues alike. The first Duncan Quinn store opened in NoLIta in 2003 and was an immediate hit. GQ praised his "Savile Row meets Rock 'n Roll" sensibility and things grew exponentially from there. In 2006 he was honored with the Fashion Group International Rising Star award for Menswear and opened a second establishment in Hollywood, followed by another in Dallas in 2008 and most recently a limited edition pop-up shop in Miami.

Past and present DQ devotees include alt rockers Green Day, LeBron James, Sean Combs, Christian Louboutin, Adrian Grenier and other notables and celebrities. Quinn continues to be driven by a delight in making unique collections of pieces with a viewpoint that are made to the highest standards possible with the finest materials known to man. His clothes are constructed to "celebrate days of glory and nights of excess." In addition he just completed filming and shooting for Bombay Sapphire's global advertising campaign for 2010 and will feature in advertisements running in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Quinn's love for the finer things in life and beautiful machines in particular - motorcycles, cars and sailboats - is well documented. In the gallery, he reveals his 10 essential luxuries and explains what makes them a must.

Gallery: Dashing Designer Duncan Quinn's 10 Luxuries

My vintage 1960s Breitling '808' Chronomat

Tags: Bombay Sapphire, BombaySapphire, designer, Duncan Quinn, DuncanQuinn, Savile Row, SavileRow, suits

EXCLUSIVE: Cognac King Maurice Hennessy's Ten Essential Luxuries

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Dec 2nd 2009 at 9:00AM

Click above to see Maurice Hennessy's 10 Luxuries

Maurice-Richard Hennessy spent his childhood years in France's famed Cognac region. A direct descendant of the founder of the Hennessy company, he belongs to the eighth generation of the prestigious family that came to France from Ireland in 1765. The cognac gene is firmly established in his DNA, along with his love for the Charente countryside, vine-growing and fine gastronomy. He joined the family firm, now a cornerstone of the LVMH luxury goods empire, in 1975 and was given an in-depth training in all the Hennessy professions, from distillation to bottling, as well as commercial and marketing activities.

He began by traveling for Hennessy and then in 1979 settled in London for five years to work on the promotion of the brand in England and Ireland. At that time he also travelled regularly to the United States and Canada. So it is natural that Monsieur Hennessy, with his famous name, became the incarnation of the brand and its global ambassador. As familiar with the history of the company as he is with cognac, he owns vineyards himself, distilling and selling his eaux-de-vie to the Hennessy firm, and is an expert on all facets of cognac production. In the gallery, Hennessy reveals his 10 essential luxuries and explains what makes them a must.

Gallery: Cognac King Maurice Hennessy's 10 Luxuries

A seat at Bayreuth Festspielhaus for the Wagner Festival

Proper ice cubes made of non-chlorinated water

Tags: Christian Dior, ChristianDior, Cognac, France, Hennessy, LVMH, Ruinart

EXCLUSIVE: Blue Star Jets President Todd Rome's Ten Essential Luxuries

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Nov 3rd 2009 at 9:02AM

Click above to see Todd Rome's 10 Luxuries

Todd Rome co-founded Blue Star Jets in 2001 (with CEO Ricky Sitomer) in response to the inefficiencies in the private jet marketplace. It is now one of the world's largest private aircraft charter brokers, offering an unparalleled level of personalized service; their motto is "Any Jet, Any Time, Any Place." Blue Star Jets grants clients freedom from the financial constraints of fractional jet ownership; the savings of paying only for trips taken; and the flexibility to choose the best aircraft according to a trip's specific budget requirement. With its ShareAJet Exchange, Blue Star Jets has lowered the barrier of entry for the private aviation industry for commercial fliers.

By creating a network of charter companies, Blue Star Jets now has access to over 4,000 aircraft worldwide, ranging from helicopters to Boeing business jets. Prior to Blue Star Jets, Mr. Rome ran a successful broker-dealer firm on Wall Street. He is also Co-Chair of the Diabetes Research Institute, and has made numerous appearances on CNN, CNBC and FOX, among others. When not traveling or working at his office in New York, Mr. Rome enjoys spending time with his family at home in the Hamptons, where Blue Star Jets was one of the key sponsors of the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge. In the gallery, Rome reveals his 10 essential luxuries and explains what makes them a must.

Gallery: Blue Star Jets President Todd Rome's 10 Luxuries

Tags: aircraft, Blue Star Jets, BlueStarJets, Hamptons, helicopter, polo, private jet, PrivateJet, ShareAJet, Todd Rome, ToddRome

EXCLUSIVE: Polo Star Nacho Figueras' Ten Essential Luxuries

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Sep 25th 2009 at 9:01AM

Click above to see Nacho Figueras' 10 Luxuries

Welcome to the second installment of our new feature, "10 Luxuries", wherein a notable figure in the world of luxury, tastemaker or stylish personality tells about the 10 necessary luxuries they simply cannot do without. Related quotes and images of each item can be found in the gallery.

World-class professional polo champion Ignacio "Nacho" Figueras is the face of The World of Polo. Already the face of Polo Black, Nacho was recently chosen to represent all of Ralph Lauren's Polo fragrances, including Polo Modern Reserve and Polo Blue, in print and advertising campaigns because he embodies the many facets of today's modern Polo man. Born in Argentina in 1977, Nacho developed a love for horses and the game of polo by the age of nine. By the time he was 17, Figueras began his professional polo career. Nacho's name has become so synonymous with the sport of polo that the American Museum of Natural History looked to Figueras to donate his polo equipment to their 2008-2009 exhibit, "The Horse", and he has been matched against England's Prince William and Prince Harry in the UK's Sandhurst Tournament.

Figueras, who divides his time between the United States and Argentina, is currently playing for Neil Hirsch's Black Watch Polo team in Bridgehampton, New York in the summer and in Palm Beach, Florida during the winter season. He returns to his ranch in Argentina for the spring and fall. Off the field, Nacho's natural charisma made him the face of Ralph Lauren Black Label clothing and the Polo Black fragrance in 2005. In 2007, Polo Ralph Lauren began sponsoring his Black Watch team and debuted a line of Black Watch clothing. "Nacho personifies The World of Polo by living the lifestyle represented by each of the fragrances," says Guillaume de Lesquen, President, Worldwide, Ralph Lauren Fragrances. "When he isn't playing polo in the world's most prestigious tournaments and promoting its heritage as an ambassador, he is sailing with his young family off the coast of Punta del Este, Uruguay and breeding horses on his ranch outside of Buenos Aires."

Previously: Vertu President Perry Oosting's Ten Essential Luxuries
Related: The Classicist: Exploring the Wide World of Polo

Gallery: Polo Star Nacho Figueras' 10 Luxuries

Art Collection, featuring works by Steven Klein (pictured)

Tags: ad campaign, AdCampaign, Argentina, equestrian, fragrance, Hamptons, horses, model, Nacho Figueras, NachoFigueras, polo, Prince William, PrinceWilliam, Ralph Lauren, RalphLauren, sporting, UK

EXCLUSIVE: Vertu President Perry Oosting's Ten Essential Luxuries

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Aug 12th 2009 at 10:02AM

Click above to see Perry Oosting's 10 Luxuries

Welcome to our new feature, "10 Luxuries." For each installment a notable figure in the world of luxury, tastemaker or stylish personality will tell us about the 10 necessary luxuries they simply cannot do without. Related quotes and images of each item can be found in the gallery.

Perry Oosting became president of Vertu, the world's leading luxury mobile phone manufacturer, earlier this year. He joined the company with extensive experience in the luxury industry via senior roles held at several blue chip brands including Bulgari, Prada, Gucci and Escada.Vertu uses the finest materials from the world of watchmaking, automotive design, aeronautics, and jewelry to create truly unique mobile phones of unparalleled craftsmanship and exclusivity, such as the new Ascent Ti Carbon Fiber. Vertu is also the only phone in the world to ever receive a hallmark from the Swiss Assay Office, the organization that guarantees the quality of the world's finest watches. In the gallery, Oosting reveals his 10 essential luxuries, from his favorite hotel, watch and car to shoes, wine, writing instrument and more, and tells us what makes them a must.

Gallery: Vertu President Perry Oosting's 10 Luxuries