Video

Ralph Lauren Films at Astor Courts

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Oct 20th 2010 at 8:01AM

It seems Ralph Lauren recently took over Astor Courts in Rhinebeck, New York, designed by Stanford White in 1904 for John Jacob Astor IV, to film videos for his new fall collections. We recognized the beautiful Beaux-Arts treasure, inspired by Louis XIV's Grand Trianon at Versailles, which was originally part of the Astor family's Ferncliff estate; Astor Courts (also known as the "Astor Casino" or "Ferncliff Casino") was designed as a guest lodge and sporting pavilion. Over the summer Astor Courts was in the news as the setting for Chelsea Clinton's wedding, and is currently up for auction having previously been listed for sale at $12 million. The structure's stunning details including grand fireplaces, elaborate moldings, an indoor clay tennis court framed by Gothic arches and a white marble swimming pool surrounded by Corinthian columns make a perfect backdrop for Lauren's luxurious designs in cashmere, wool, leather and silk. A couple of scenes were also shot at The Elms in Newport. The video for his Fall 2010 Purple Label collection (above) shows a stylish fellow driving off from the Astor estate in a vintage Aston Martin DB6 for a rendezvous with a beautiful woman. We think Stanford White would have approved.

Tags: Aston Martin, Astor Courts, Beaux-Arts, cashmere, estates, Hudson River, Hudson River Valley, Hudson Valley, mens style, New York, Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Rhinebeck, Stanford White

Winner Announced in Olympus PEN E-PL1 Contest

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Oct 10th 2010 at 10:02AM

Amongst fierce competition, roller blading enthusiast Kevin Dowling went on to win Olympus' "PEN your story challenge" contest which we wrote about back in May. Dowling won the prize of Olympus' great new compact PEN E-PL1 digital camera (above) and $5,000 to make his documentary video Blading, in addition to an all-expense-paid trip for two to New York City to attend the Olympus-sponsored US Open National Tennis Championships where a sample of his video was displayed on the giant board in the famed Arthur Ashe Stadium before an audience of thousands. Selecting a winner from the finalists wasn't easy – Olympus received hundreds of proposal submissions which were eventually narrowed down to 20 semi-finalists and then six finalists. Dowling's selection was based on a combination of popular vote and the panel of Olympus judges, and his video showcased the professional-grade digital single lens reflex (DSLR) image quality, point-and-shoot simplicity and high-definition (HD) video capabilities of the amazingly compact camera. You can see all of the finalists' submissions in the "PEN your story challenge" playlist at http://www.youtube.com/getolympus and view Kevin's Grand Prize Winning submission on the main page video player.

Tags: camera, contest, digital camera, New York City, Olympus, PEN E-PL1, US Open, video

VIDEO: Arab Playboys Race Their Supercars Around London

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Sep 29th 2010 at 8:01AM

It seems that Bloomberg News finally caught up with our report last month on the cabal of mega-rich Arab playboys who made London the world's supercar capital this summer, shipping an estimated $80 million worth of eye-popping vehicles to the city while waiting out the heat in the UAE. As we noted at the time, Bugatti Veyrons have been seen cruising in Knightsbridge and making Mayfair seem more like Le Mans, while both the Bugatti a Pagani Zonda Cinque, one of only five in the world, are often parked at the Dorchester Hotel where some of the super-rich studs are staying. Rolls-Royces, custom Mercedes-McLaren SLRs, Lamborghinis, Koenigseggs, Ferraris and more are commonplace in certain posh neighborhoods, where protest groups have been formed to combat the problem. Of course, all those powerful machines in a densely populated area sometimes leads to trouble. Check out some of the video footage assembled by Bloomberg on the subject.

Tags: Bugatti, London, Pagani, Rolls-Royce, supercar, UAE, UK, wealth

One Hundred Legendary Louis Vuitton Trunks [video]

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Sep 17th 2010 at 7:01AM

In November Abrams Books will publish an incredible volume showcasing 100 legendary trunks made by the famed French luxury goods house Louis Vuitton since the firm was founded in 1854. The luxe luggage includes bespoke trunks made for movie stars from Douglas Fairbanks to Sharon Stone and couturiers from Jeanne Lanvin to Karl Lagerfeld, as well as cases designed for Ernest Hemingway, Leopold Stokowski, and Damien Hirst. The trunks have been designed to hold everything from beds to bicycles, desks and iPods. Illustrated with 600 images taken from the Louis Vuitton archives in France and new photographs made especially for this book, Louis Vuitton: 100 Legendary Trunks is designed to be the "definitive history of personalized objects of both practicality and luxury." The book is currently available for pre-order on Amazon, meanwhile you can check out this incredible video preview.

Tags: Abrams Books, Damien Hirst, Ernest Hemingway, France, Karl Lagerfeld, Louis Vuitton, luggage, luxury goods, Sharon Stone, travel, trunks

Porsche Ferries Models Around at NY Fashion Week [video]

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Sep 14th 2010 at 6:01PM

Some of the stunning models stalking the runways at New York Fashion Week are getting a free ride – literally – thanks to Porsche Cars North America. The famed German marque provided a fleet of chic 2011 Porsche Panameras and Porsche Cayennes to whisk the beauties from the tents at Lincoln Center to and from the Smartwater Model Lounge at the new Gansevoort Park Avenue South hotel. The Model Lounge is an exclusive retreat for female models at from top agencies where the girls can hang out in between castings, shoots, fittings and fashion shows and enjoy a number of stylish perks, plus the hotel's luxe amenities like its rooftop swimming pool and gym. As we reported last month, Gansevoort Hotels now have their own Panamera fleet. Check out the video for more.

Tags: fashion, fashion shows, fashion week, Gansevoort Hotel, Gansevoort Park Avenue South, Model Lounge, models, New York, New York Fashion Week, Porsche, Porsche Cayenne, Porsche Panamera

Scenes from NY Fashion Week: DVF and DKNY (video)

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Sep 13th 2010 at 3:00PM

Diane von Furstenberg and Donna Karan are the grand dames of New York Fashion Week. As befitting her legendary status, Diane von Furstenberg's line was titled "Goddess" and was inspired by Isadora Duncan. The line was also influenced by the colors of Greece, bright indigo, mustard yellow and plenty of prints. At a show attended by Sarah Jessica Parker and Anderson Cooper among others, von Furstenberg and her new creative director Yvan Mispelaere showcased casual luxe combining flowing halter tops paired with shorts, draped dresses with deep cleavage and of course, colorful new takes on von Furstenberg's iconic wrap dresses.

Tags: diane von furstenberg, dkny, Donna Karan, New York Fashion Week

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Video: Cadillac Takes the CTS-V Back to the Nurburgring for New Commercial

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) — Sep 7th 2010 at 7:02AM

Cadillac CTS-V Nurburgring commercial – Click above to view video

Cadillac's new advertising agency has apparently decided that the CTS-V will be the focus of its initial marketing efforts for General Motors' premium brand and started off by going back to the Nurburgring to kick things off. Prior to the launching the second generation CTS-V two years ago, Cadillac engineers set the fastest time ever for a production sedan, lapping the legendary, 13-mile long German track in seven minutes 59 seconds.

Race driver and photographer Jeff Zwart directed the new spot which ends with Cadillac's new/old tag-line, "The New Standard of the World." A century ago after founder Henry Leland debut a number of engineering innovations, Cadillac became known as the standard of the world, a line that eventually faded into obscurity as Cadillac was overtaken by competitors from Germany and then Japan. Expect to see more Cadillac marketing and promotional events featuring the CTS-V in sedan, coupe and wagon in the coming months until the brand is ready to debut the new smaller ATS and flagship XTS sometime next year. The ad and a behind the scenes video can be seen after the jump.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Cadillac CTS-V

Tags: cadillac, cadillac advertising, Cadillac CTS, Cadillac CTS-V, cadillac cts-v ad, cadillac cts-v commercial, cadillac cts-v video, cadillac video

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Agent Provocateur Unveils Feisty Fall Collection [video]

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Sep 2nd 2010 at 4:01PM

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.

Tags: Agent Provocateur, British fashion, lingerie, sex, silk

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Become a Ferrari F1 Driver at the Ferrari Virtual Academy [w/Video]

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) — Sep 2nd 2010 at 7:01AM

Moreso than any other automaker, the Ferrari legend has been built on its success in motorsports, particularly in Formula One. No team has won more F1 races and more championships than Ferrari and what Ferrari fan hasn't dreamed of someday driving one of the scarlet race cars? Given that the number of new F1 cars the team builds every year is in the single digits, even if you have the financial resources to buy one of the used cars after the season, the opportunities to do so will be extremely limited.

To make things easier for the rest of us, next week the Italian sports car maker will release the Ferrari Virtual Academy. The Virtual Academy driving simulator will be available for download beginning September 9 with the current F10 racer along with the Fiorano, Mugello and Nurburgring circuits included in the package for €15. Ferrari hasn't listed any system requirements so this might be a Flash application that runs on every platform (except of course iPhones and iPads). Check out the video trailer after the jump.

[Source: Ferrari]

Tags: ferrari, Ferrari F1, ferrari f10, ferrari formula 1, ferrari video, ferrari video game, ferrari virtual academy

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Is Ferrari's New $265,000 Supercar an Accident-Prone Firetrap? [video]

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Sep 1st 2010 at 9:04AM

Is there a curse on Ferrari's new $265,000 supercar, the stunning 458 Italia? In the mere 90 days that have elapsed since the first models were delivered to well-heeled customers, 458s the world over have been the victim of an inordinate amount of crashes, fires and other mishaps, the sheer number of which seem to indicate a mechanical flaw rather than mere idiotic driving. Their frequency and severity – such as the spontaneous combustion of one example on a Paris street (above) – has prompted Ferrari reps to declare that "We are taking it very seriously and investigating each incident" but they have declined to comment further or admit to any production flaw. Rumors abound however that faulty gas overflow tubes and vapor systems are to blame. Designed by famed styling house Pininfarina, the 458 has a 4.5-litre V8 engine boosting it from 0–62 mph in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 202 mph. There have been 11 recorded wrecks in all, making for nearly $3 million in trashed exotics. Check out a timeline of the 458 Italia incidents and a video of the one that recently caught fire in China after the jump:

[via JamesList]

Tags: car crash, China, Ferrari, Ferrari 458 Italia, Paris, Pininfarina, supercar, Switzerland

Continue reading “Is Ferrari's New $265,000 Supercar an Accident-Prone Firetrap? [video]”

Martin Scorsese & The Rolling Stones Rock Chanel's New Men's Fragrance [video]

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Aug 26th 2010 at 7:01PM

Famed French fashion and luxury goods house Chanel has brought on legendary director Martin Scorsese to help promote its new men's fragrance, Bleu de Chanel. Scorcese has made a sexy new commercial for the scent starring actor Gaspard Ulliel with a soundtrack by the Rolling Stones, firmly positioning it as a cologne for the young, cool, rich and beautiful – or those who think all that can be found in a perfume bottle in any case. Marked by notes of citrus, vetiver, pink pepper, grapefruit, dry cedar, labdanum, frankincense, ginger and sandalwood, Chanel says Bleu "embodies that greatness of a man when he chooses to be free". To be specific, it smells "enigmatically seductive", reeking of "bold masculinity" and an "untameable, rebellious spirit." The collaboration follows other high-profile director–fashion label matchups, including David Lynch for Dior, Frank Miller for Gucci and Zoe Cassavetes for Louis Vuitton.

Tags: Bleu de Chanel, Chanel, cologne, commercials, directors, fragrance, French fashion, Gaspard Ulliel, Martin Scorsese, mens style, Rolling Stones

Johnny Knoxville Films Detroit Documentary

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Aug 20th 2010 at 4:01AM

Palladium, a heritage boot company that relaunched last year is hoping to aid another comeback, that of Detroit. The brand has created a bunch of "Exploration" campaigns, in which Palladium explores and documents hidden and abandoned urban places in search of unique stories. These Explorations are then turned into viral videos that live on their website and their latest features "Jackass" star Johnny Knoxville in Detroit.

In an exploration called 'Detroit Lives,' Knoxville puts on Palladium boots and checks out the city, which was once the fourth largest city in America but is now in the midst of a transformation from abandoned urban landscape back to a vibrant community. The trailer for the video above showcase the young people who are taking back the city and their community. The full video for 'Detroit Lives' premieres on August 30.

The challenging urban landscape also makes a nice backdrop for the boots. Palladium was founded in 1920 to make aircraft tires for the aviation industry. In 1947, after the end of WWII saw demand for tires dry up, Palladium turned to making rubber and canvas boots including the classic canvas Pampa boot. The sturdy boots for men and women sell for $50 to $275. The video is after the jump.

Tags: Detroit, johnny knoxville, palladium boots

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Arab Playboys Ship $80 Million Worth of Supercars to London for the Summer

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Aug 16th 2010 at 6:03PM

A cabal of mega-rich Arab playboys have made London the world's supercar capital this summer, shipping an estimated $80 million worth of eye-popping vehicles to the city while waiting out the heat in their homeland. The bored billionaires get their kicks by racing around London's crowded streets, the London Sun reports. Bugatti Veyrons have been seen cruising in Knightsbridge and Mayfair, and both the Bugatti a Pagani Zonda Cinque, one of only five in the world, are often parked at the Dorchester Hotel where some of the super-rich studs are staying. Rolls-Royces, custom Mercedes-McLaren SLRs, Lamborghinis, Koenigseggs, Ferraris and more are commonplace in certain posh neighborhoods.

"Forget Monaco or Monte Carlo - London is now the supercar capital," Matt Master of Top Gear tells the paper. "Most owners are in their 20s or early 30s and from amazingly rich families. The amount of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Bugattis with UAE plates is unbelievable." Most do 200 mph-plus but they have to drive them around in first gear, though some cut loose and take the consequences – check out a video of one man being pulled over in a pink Lamborghini amidst a number of other exotics after the jump. Others like the supercars belonging to Qatar's Royal Family get "clamped" by the cops. Given the fact that the cars had to be flown to London from the UAE, the sheer amount of money being wasted is simply stupendous:

Tags: Arab, Arabs, Bugatti, Ferrari, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, London, Mayfair, Pagani, Qatar, Rolls-Royce, supercars, UAE, wealth

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V Magazine's Fashionable Tribute to Pinup Girls [video]

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Jul 26th 2010 at 6:01PM

Hipper-than-thou high fashion rag V Magazine re-imagines classic 1950s pinup girls in its new issue devoted to alluring figures. The Sexy Body issue features 50 of the world's sexiest bodies, as seen by famed photographers like Mario Testino, Glen Luchford, Arny Freytag and more. The issue also features a limited-edition scratch off cover revealing more than usual of Brazilian bombshell Adriana Lima. For the Pinup Girls story, legendary pinup photographer Frank de Blase shot hot models Ana Beatriz Barros, South African Victoria's Secret stunner Candice Swanepoel, Bette Frank, Hilary Rhoda, Kim Cloutier and Tori Praver wearing scanty creations from various luxury labels. Also in the issue is a humorous and sexy take on Footballers Wives, an eye-popping photo essay on the hottest new Spanish models, an inside look at Jade Jagger's compound on Ibiza, and more.

Tags: Adriana Lima, fashion, fashion magazine, Jade Jagger, magazines, Mario Testino, photography, sex, supermodels, V magazine

Sexy Swimsuits Galore at Miami Fashion Week [video]

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Jul 21st 2010 at 7:01AM

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week just wrapped up in Miami, showcasing the hottest swimsuit looks for next summer. As New York Magazine notes, the annual spectacle "features more bronzer and boobage than every other fashion week combined", and this year's event was no exception, with designs from Kourtney, Khloe and Kim Kardashian's Beach Bunny Swimwear line among other looks both louche and luxe. Tattoo maven Ed Hardy showed a surprisingly wearable collection, while celeb attendance at the shows and parties was a bit sub-par – OK, seriously sub-par – with, in addition to the Kardashians, rapper/actor Bow Wow and Angela Simmons of MTV reality fame, N'Sync singer and Dancing with the Stars contestant Lance Bass, Peregrine from Bravo's Work of Art, Lipstick Jungle's Lindsay Price and the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. The real action was on the runway in any case – check out the video for footage of the Beach Bunny show.

Tags: Ed Hardy, fashion show, fashion week, Kim Kardashian, Mercedes-Benz, Miami, swimsuits

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