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RSVIP: Count Down to Oscars, Day One, The Costume Designers Guild Awards And More

Filed under: Events

Oscar Week, day one: Deja vu. It had only been a matter of weeks since RSVIP, based in Manhattan, traveled to Los Angeles for the SAG Awards. And while snow had canceled my initial flight to the SAG Awards, yet again, at 4:00 a.m on February 21, the streets of Manhattan were freshly blanketed with the slippery white stuff.

Nonetheless, a brave cab driver agreed to head for JFK, and American Airlines was still flying. In fact, the flight landed at LAX in plenty of time for RSVIP to drive a rented Chevy HHR directly to the airport in Santa Monica to catch the Cartoon Network's Hall of Game Awards, taking place that afternoon at Barker Hanger.

Bleachers facing the Astroturf arrivals carpet were filled with shrieking tweens, and on the tail end of the NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, the Hall of Game Awards, hosted by skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, included numerous famous athletes and child stars.

A low-key Drew Brees, left above, wearing dark blue jeans, mentioned to Luxist that he has two sons at home, "a 2-year-old and a 4-month-old." Greg Jennings of the Green Bay Packers wore a black ring, edged with diamonds, with Roman numerals on it. We asked if it was his prize from the Super Bowl. "This is my wedding ring," answered Jennings. "I don't even know if that ring is designed yet."

Tags: ashton kutcher, billy bob thornton, costume designers guild awards, demi moore, halle berry, rsvip, venus williams

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Donna Karan On Hand As Nomad Two Worlds Exhibit Opens In Los Angeles

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Art

In our modern, high-speed culture, we lose track sometimes of what came before. How do we bridge the gap between how we live now and the ways that indigenous people have lived on this planet for millennia? A new exhibit in Santa Monica, California showcases art as a form of communication. Nomad: Two Worlds opened last night at Pier 59 Studios West in Santa Monica with a presentation that combined art with strong messages about what we lose when we forget our collective past.

Tags: aboriginal art, donna karan, nomad two worlds, Russell James, urban zen, Urban Zen Foundation

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Artist Sues Kevin Costner To Force Sculpture Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

An artist who creates Western-themed bronze sculptures is taking on Kevin Costner over his delayed plans for a Deadwood-area luxury reosrt. South Dakota-based sculptor Peggy Detmers has said she spent more than six years on a monumental sculpture of 14 bison and three American Indian hunters for a commission by Costner. The piece was supposed to be part of a resort that Costner wanted to open in South Dakota's Black Hills. Detmers is suing in order to force Costner to sell the sculpture which she calls "Lakota Bison Jump." Her website features details on the making of the piece which Costner commissioned in the 1990s.

After filming much of his Academy Award-winning movie "Dances with Wolves" in South Dakota, Costner bought land and a casino and announced plans for a resort called The Dunbar on the edge of Deadwood. Those plans never fully came to fruition and for a time the sculpture had no home. According to the Rapid City Journal, Costner eventually spent $6 million to create a display site for the sculpture and build a visitors center: Tatanka: Story of the Bison. Detmers says she wasn't really included in the project.

Tags: Kevin Costner, Peggy Detmers, south dakota

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Aston Martin Introduces the Virage

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Aston Martin's VH platform has spawned more vehicles than you can shake a stick at. Not only does it underpin the V8 and V12 Vantage models (and all their derivatives), but as the platform on which the DB9 is based, it's also the basis for the DBS and Rapide models as well. But now Aston Martin has launched a new model called the Virage.

Reinstating a model name from the company's history, the new Virage – available in both coupe and Volante convertible body-styles – slots in between the DB9 and DBS models. Its curvaceous aluminum, magnesium and composite body hides the 490-hprsepower 6-liter V12 engine with six-speed automatic Touchtronic 2 transmission, while all-around double-wishbone suspension with adaptive damping is mounted to 20-inch wheels with carbon-ceramic disc brakes and Pirelli P Zero tires.

Source

Tags: 2011 geneva motor show, aston martin, aston martin db9, aston martin virage, geneva, geneva 2011, geneva motor show

Jaguar to Launch Fastest Production Model Ever in Geneva

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Events

Jaguar to Launch Fastest Production Model Ever in Geneva

On March 1, Jaguar will launch the new Jaguar XKR-S in conjunction with the legendary E-Type's 50th anniversary at the Geneva Motor Show. With a higher output supercharged V8 engine, revised suspension, and a new aerodynamically-driven design, the Jaguar XKR-S is designed to be a true luxury GT with eye-popping performance – the fastest production Jag ever built. "The XKR-S is a bold and exciting new model for Jaguar," says Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar's new Global Brand Director. "We expect to attract both loyal and new Jaguar driving enthusiasts who still want the comfort, opulence and class only a Jaguar can offer, combined with inspirational performance."

The Jaguar XKR-S produces 550 hp with 502 lb/ft of torque, offers a top speed of 186 mph (300km/h), and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds. In addition to the debut, Jaguar will be marking the 50th anniversary of the E-Type with the first in a series of celebrations. The famed British marque will host an E-Type fête at the Restaurant Hotel du Parc des Eaux-Vives in Geneva, where the original car was introduced by Jaguar's founder Sir William Lyons half a century ago. "It is impossible to overstate the impact the E-Type had," notes Ian Callum, Jaguar Design Director.

Tags: car design, Geneva, Geneva Motor Show, Geneva Motor Show 2011, Jaguar, Jaguar E-Type, luxury cars

Willem Dafoe Stars in Ad For Jim Beam

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Premium Bourbon Jim Beam has tapped actor Willem Dafoe for an unusual TV ad campaign.

Directed by Dante Ariola and created by New York ad agency StrawberryFrog, the ad uses Dafoe to talk about the choices we make in life and how they define who we are. "Life boils down to a series of choices," says Dafoe in the voiceover. "All choices lead you somewhere; bold choices lead you where you are supposed to be."

In between the statements, the commercial surprises and amuses the viewer with images of Dafoe as chess player, circus clean-up man, fashion designer, plant manager, sumo wrestler and trapeze artist. The commercial's last image is of a bottle of Jim Beam, suggesting this is the bold choice bourbon drinkers must make.

Tags: alcohol, bourbon, Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, spirits, StrawberryFrog, whisky, willem dafoe

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Prince William and Kate's Royal Wedding Invitation Revealed

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Wealth

William and Kate's Royal Wedding Invitation Revealed

1,900 people just received their invitations (above) to the Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29. The heavy card bearing the engraved gold insignia of the Queen of England was delivered to various VIPs from kings to charity leaders, close family and university friends, old schoolmates and prime ministers around the world, People reports. The edges of the card, which is about 10 in. by 6 in., are beveled and then gilded. The simple wording reads that the Lord Chamberlain has been "commanded by the Queen" to invite the holder to the ceremony. Guests are asked to wear military uniform, a morning coat or a "lounge" (business) suit. 600 of the 1,900 invitees have also been invited by the Queen to a reception immediately following the ceremony, and 300 of those are also invited to a dinner hosted by William's father, Prince Charles, later that evening at Buckingham Palace.

Tags: British royalty, Buckingham Palace, Kate Middleton, London, Prince Charles, Prince William, Queen of England, royal family, Royal Wedding, royalty, UK, wedding

Abramovich Moves Down on Russia's Rich List

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

Oligarch Roman Abramovich has taken a major tumble on this year's list of Russia's richest men and now languishes in fifth place. Russia's Finans magazine puts Abramovich's wealth at $17.1 billion, up only $100 million from a year ago despite a strong recovery for the Russian economy that saw rival tycoons cash in big time. Steel magnate Vladimir Lisin captured the top spot once again with a $28.3 billion fortune, up from $18.8 billion last year. Mikhail Prokhorov, owner of the New Jersey Nets, makes the list at number two with $22.7 billion, while Alisher Usmanov, part-owner of Arsenal Football Club, clocks in at number three with $19.9 billion. In fourth place, edging out Abramovich, is another steel tycoon, Oleg Deripaska, with $19 billion. Meanwhile there are 37 newly-minted billionaires in Russia this year, bringing the total to 114 up from 77 in 2010.

Gallery: Russia's Richest Men

#4 - Oleg Deripaska (with Putin at left)

Source

Tags: abramovich, billionaire, Mikhail Prokhorov, Oleg Deripaska, oligarch, richest, Roman Abramovich, Russia, Russian billionaires, Vladimir Lisin, wealth

Will Rolls Royce Buyers Go For An Electric Flying Lady?

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

When the Rolls Royce 102EX is unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show next month, the fling lady hood ornament will have a decidedly different glow. In fact, it will be glowing.

That's because the 102EX is electric. Yes. Instead of gassing up, Rolls Royce owners may one day soon be plugging in.

To be sure, Rolls, owned and managed by German automaker BMW AG, is not ready to start selling high-voltage Rollers. It is a "one-off," fully electric powered Rolls Royce Phantom. The car will tour during 2011, serving as a test bed to gather a bank of research data that will inform future decisions on alternative drive-trains for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

Tags: GenevaMotorShow, rolls royce 102ex, rolls royce electric, Rolls Royce Phantom, tesla motors, tesla roadster

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Bacardi Launches Eristoff Vodka

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Bacardi Global Brands certainly has the rum and super-premium vodka categories covered with Bacardi and Grey Goose. Now, it is extending its Eristoff premium vodka brand to the U.S.

Eristoff hails from the former Soviet state of Georgia, which Eristoff's marketing has long capitalized on as "The Land of the Wolf" (the grey wolf actually). A very popular ad for Eristoff shows a man walking through the streets and into the woods beyond. He comes to be chased by a pack of wolves. The payoff of the ad is that the man is running inside a snowglobe, eventually running into the outer glass wall of the globe. Eristoff's logo is a wolf howling at a crescent moon.

Eristoff is made from 100% grain, tripled distilled and charcoal filtered. The recipe is said to be the original from 1806 created by Prince Eristoff of present day Georgia. It comes in three varieties: Original (80-proof); Red (40-proof), which comes in a red color and is flavored with sloe berries; Black (40-proof), which comes in a dark color and is flavored with wild berries. There are two other flavors abroad that are not part of the U.S. launch--Limskaya (lime flavor) and Gold (caramel flavor).

Tags: bacardi, eristoff black, eristoff red, eristoff vodka, grey goose, land of the wolf, premium vodka, Volvo

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Five Luxe Car Brands Cited By J.D. Power as Service "Champions."

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Five luxury automobile brands were in the top 40 brands ranked by J.D. Power and Associates in its annual Customer Service Champions report.

Jaguar, Lexus, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, Lincoln all made the list. They were joined by two other luxury brands: hoteliers Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton.

Non luxe brands included in the top 40 were Zappos.com, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and retailer Cabelas.

Brands that receive the J.D. Power Customer Service Champions designation are among the top 5 percent of more than 800 evaluated brands, based on their performance in five key areas identified as the J.D. Power 5 Ps: People, Presentation, Price, Product and Process.

Tags: cadillac, four seasons, j.d. power, jaguar, lincoln, mercedes-benz, ritz-carlton, zappos

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Fractional Life Award Winners, Presented At The Fractional Summit in London

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Fractional Life Award Winners, Presented At The Fractional Summit in London

Castello di Casole residence with infinity pool

It was a good day for Italy and a great day for Timbers Resorts as the 2011 Fractional Life Awards were presented on the final day of London's annual Fractional Summit Conference, on Friday, February 18th, 2011.

Castello di Casole in Tuscany – a Timbers Resorts development won both the Best Fractional Development category and the Readers' Choice Award. The latter is voted for by readers of FractionalLife.com, and Castello di Casole secured an impressive 36% of the vote, winning over the other shortlisted projects – Firstlight The K Club in Ireland, Four Seasons Residence Club Vail and Auberge Residences at Esperanza in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

On a personal note, I have seen the Castello di Casole. While traveling in Florence, I was driven out into the Tuscan hills near Siena. The Castello di Casole, is a large parcel of land, replete with olive groves, fig trees and vineyards, as well as 19 restored farmhouses called Casonas -- some are fractionalized some are wholly owned, with 17th century stone facades, glass tiled infinity pools, wood burning ovens all with totally unimpeded views of the hills of Tuscany. It was an exceptional project, combining a sense of peace, sanctuary, and history, as this land had been cultivated since the times of the Etruscans, a people whose language and culture have yet to be completely understood.

And also for Tuscany, restoration architect Fulvio di Rosa, whose Borgo de Vagli defines authentic restoration, won the Fractional Life Services To The Industry Award. Di Rosa is renowned for his passion for authentic architecture and his belief in the strength of fractional ownership concept.

Tags: fractional life awards, fractional ownership, fractional real estate

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Trump Bids on Patricia Kluge's Virginia Estate

by Carrie N. Culpepper (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Auctions, Real Estate Developments, Wealth

trump bids on patricia kluge estate The latest wrinkle in Patricia Kluge's dispursal of fortune involves another famed billionaire: Donald Trump. This Wednesday, Trump had two lawyers representing him at the auction of Albemarle House, Kluge's luxe estate on 300 acres in tony Albemarle County, Va.

Shortly before the auction began, Steve Blaine and Les Goldman announced to the crowd of approximately 60 gathered in front of the Albemarle County Courthouse that they represented Donald Trump. What others might not have realized is that Trump had already purchased the adjacent 200 acres which, because of conditions outlined when Kluge gained the property in her divorce, would grant him right of first refusal on Albemare House.

"I think Mr. Trump wanted others to be aware that he was a bidder and he controlled the front yard of the house," said Baine, a Charlottesville, Va. lawyer. "He's a savvy business person but I think any other person with a serious interest in the house would have tried to figure out how to secure those 200 acres first."

Gallery: Patricia Kluge's Albemarle House

Tags: albemarle county, albemarle house, Charlottesville, Donald Trump, Luxury Real Estate, Patricia Kluge, Patricia Kluge Broke, virginia real estate

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France's Faconnable Launches Jeans Collection

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

France's Faconnable Launches Jeans Collection

French fashion label Façonnable, born from a tailor's atelier in Nice in the 1950s, has always been one of our favorite men's style staples. Now the company, which is committed to innovation, quality fabrics, impeccable cuts and singular details, is launching a new line called Façonnable Jeans, adding a contemporary spin to its portfolio. Inspired by the relaxed lifestyle of the Côte d'Azur, Façonnable Jeans offers the best of the world of denim while adhering to the principles of fine tailoring the brand is known for.

Refined stitching; the finest materials such as Japanese chambray; and contemporary fits distinguish the new collection, while prewashing and hand finishing guarantee a soft feel and unique patina. The new collection encompasses more than just jeans to round out the wardrobe, including khakis, washed cotton polos and T-shirts, and various styles of jackets, along with stylish accessories such as pocket squares and handmade ties, shoes, bags, belts, scarves, caps and boxer shorts.

Gallery: Faconnable Jeans Collection

Tags: Apparel, Denim, Façonnable, Faconnable, Fashion, France, Jeans, Mens Clothing, Mens Style, Nice, Shoes, Tailoring, Ties

Ferrari 458 Italia "Car of the Year" at Robb Report

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Praised as a "shocking demonstration of just how much improvement can be brought to an already near-perfect sports car," the Ferrari 458 Italia has been selected by the Robb Report editors and a panel of guest judges as the luxury lifestyle authority's 2011 Car of the Year.

Revealed in Robb Report's March issue, which hits newsstands on February 22, the award is presented to an automobile, formally introduced in the previous year, whose technical designs, styling, and performance position it as the world's preeminent sports or luxury vehicle.

Tags: aston martin v12 vantage, audi a8L, audi r8 v10, cadillac cts v coupe, Ferrari 458 Italia, MaseratiGranturismo, Porsche 911 Turbo S, robb report, rolls royce ghost

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