Beach

Fashion historian Caroline Rennolds Milbank examines the history of warm weather wear in a beautifully illustrated new book called Resort Fashion from Rizzoli. From the first "beach pajamas" designed by Coco Chanel and Lilly Pulitzer and Pucci prints, to sailor stripes and the Kennedys' laid back yachtsman style, to Michael Kors and Tory Burch's beach-inspired designs and of course the evolution of the swimsuit, Milbank crosses continents and generations. The seven chapters break the looks down by category: At Sea, Stripes, Prints, White, Playclothes, Summer Dress and Bathing Suits, with photos from destinations like Palm Beach, Montego Bay and St. Tropez by legends like Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Norman Parkinson, Helmut Newton, and Scavullo.

Another tiny dent soon will been made in the repayment of the funds owed to those duped by Bernie Madoff. His 3,000-square-foot Montauk, N.Y., beach house sold this week in an all-cash deal for more than the $8.75 million asking price. Neither the buyer's name nor the exact amount of the sale has been released. The four-bedroom, three-bath home is located on 182 feet of prime beach property.

The house was only on the market a few weeks. See more about the house, and more photos, in this story my colleague Deidre did on September 1, and check out this New York Times slideshow.

Famed French chef Alain Ducasse will open his first restaurant in the Caribbean at the new W Retreat & Spa: Vieques Island this November, called "miX on the beach." At the eatery (above) Ducasse will offer a sophisticated menu, exploring "colorful Latino Caribbean flavors with an artful French twist and refreshing dishes that highlight only the finest ingredients from land and sea, expertly prepared and creatively presented." Both indoor and outdoor dining will be available with impressive ocean views on all sides. The first W Retreat & Spa in the Caribbean, the resort is located just off the Southeast coast of Puerto Rico on the peaceful 55-acre island of Vieques. In addition to miX on the beach, Ducasse's team will also manage the entire food and beverage program for the resort.

One of Waikiki's most recognizable hotels will no longer be open for guests. The Y-shaped Ilikai hotel on Waikiki Beach (shown above, hotel not pictured) opened in 1964 but came to national attention in the 1970s when it used in the opening sequence of the "Hawaii Five-0" television show. But now the hotel has closed because its new owners were losing several hundred thousand dollars a month.

In its nearly five decades the 30-story Ilikai has hosted U.S. Presidents and celebrities, especially during its 1960s and 1970s heyday when stars like Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder and Lucillle Ball visited. But the hotel has fallen on hard times recently. New York-based iStar Financial Inc. bought the hotel for $51 million at a foreclosure auction in May and has decided it was too expensive to keep the hotel open. The move puts around 75 employees out of business. There were 203 hotel rooms in the 1,000-unit hotel-condo-timeshare property and guests staying at the hotel at the time of closure were relocated elsewhere. Operations related to the condo units are not affected. The hotel was an 800-room hotel operation just a few years ago before it was sold off into time share chunks.

Employees have said their tearful goodbyes but are holding out hope that the new owner will reopen the Ilikai with the same union crew. On the day before the closure workers rallied to save their jobs. Hawaii has seen many of its tourism jobs affected as hotel occupancy rates have plummeted. Recently the Hawaii Tourism Authority unveiled a new initiative aimed at boosting short-term travel to Hawaii by focusing on courting visitors from Japan.

UPDATE: The AP is reporting that the four dozen employees of the Ilikai hotel got their jobs back on Friday when their labor union and the property's new owner struck a new deal. Those employees that won't be rehired will receive severance packages.

The new $175 million Verdura Golf & Spa Resort on the southern coast of Sicily from the Rocco Forte Collection opening August 1 will be the only luxury resort in the Mediterranean offering a five-star experience across golf, hotel, dining and spa facilities. The Collection's 13th property features 203 ocean view rooms and suites, each with a private terrace overlooking 1.2 miles of private coastline, two championship golf courses, six tennis courts, a 43,000-sq.-ft. spa, fitness and yoga center, four restaurants, 55 private villas, a conference center, ballroom, open-air amphitheater and helipad.

To celebrate its much-anticipated opening of the 570-acre beachfront resort, Verdura is offering guests visiting between August 1 and December 31 complimentary benefits including green fees for unlimited golf play on its three world-class courses, dinner every evening at any of its four superb restaurants and thalassotherapy spa treatments as well as a 50% discount on a second family room. Starting rates for a three-night stay range from $1,399 for a December visit to $2,967 for a visit in August.

A Hamptons beach house designed by Philip Johnson three years before the architect built his famous Glass House in New Canann, Conn. has come on the market for $35 million. Built in 1946 and based on plans drawn up by Mies van der Rohe, the modernist Farney House (above) is nestled in the dunes of Sagaponack supported on raised log piers. The house, which was expanded and updated by local architect Mark Matthews in 1989 - perhaps spoiling the purity of Johnson's work in the eyes of some - features a stunning glass-enclosed living room with spectacular ocean views. The 5,000-sq-.ft., 8-bed, 7-bath wooden residence sits on 3.6 oceanfront acres with 363 ft. of pristine Hamptons shoreline, and is accessed by a private road situated a substantial distance from any public beach access. The property includes a free-form swimming pool, tennis court, play area, putting green and basketball court incorporated into a beautiful landscape design, as well as a long boardwalk running from the house to the beach.

[via JustLuxe]

Last winter we wrote about the teak, titanium and carbon fiber skis made by timeless men's London luxury outfitters Alfred Dunhill. For summer the storied British brand has come out with a limited edition surfboard (above), decorated with a modern take on Dunhill's iconic Bulldog motif. Designed for Dunhill by the acclaimed European surfboard company Pukas in conjunction with surfing legend Jed Noll, the 9 ft. board is constructed from lightweight but high-density polyurethane foam with a superior resin-soaked fiberglass hard outer surface, minimizing drag on the waves. Only 10 of the exclusive boards will be offered for sale at the Alfred Dunhill flagships in London, Tokyo and Shanghai for about $3,000.

[via JustLuxe]

Despite the burgeoning recession Hermès is opening a new store in East Hampton this summer, but the French luxury goods firm is hedging its bets and the shop will shut its doors come September 20. "We have 22 of our own boutiques in the U.S. - East Hampton will be 22 and a half," Hermès President and CEO Robert Chavez tells the East Hampton Star. He said the company had been eyeing a Hamptons location for a while but that a permanent location just doesn't make sense these days.

"We just weren't ready to commit to a long-term lease," he notes, "knowing that obviously the key selling period is in the summer months when most people are there." Most Hamptons retailers are doing the same this season. The Hermès pop up boutique has a more casual feel, is painted a crisp white and features displays of scarves, handbags, neckties, housewares, bathing suits and beach towels. There's also an equestrian section featuring a one-of-a-kind white leather saddle, "price available upon request."

Luxe British lingerie brand Agent Provocateur, known for their ultra-sexy ad campaigns, has just come out with a new swimwear collection featuring a wide range of eye-catching styles. Described as "the perfect beach wear for all seductive sirens," the collection is heavy on cleavage and cutaway sides, naturally. Looks include classic polka dots, a Daisy Duke-style red-and-white gingham and denim bikini, a trio of 60's-inspired one-piece swimsuits (above) with oversized silver buttons, and some decidedly more '80s-inspired pieces in black wet-look fabric with fishnet panels.

Bastion of top-drawer British style Bamford Ltd., known for its beautiful customized Rolex watches, has opened an understatedly luxurious new beach boutique in Barbados. Bamford founder Carole Bamford was inspired by her "longstanding love affair" with the posh island resort in creating the airy, bright Barefoot on the Beach boutique from a traditional chattel house in St. James. The luxe boutique (above) is a treasure trove of Bamford's naturally luxurious women's and men's ready-to-wear and body collections, home wares and lifestyle products from the hands of skilled artisans. The shop offers elegant, hand-worked silk kaftans, organic khaki cotton accessories from India, ceramic rosary beads, quirky slogan beach baskets, straw hats and sandals, as well as the brand's beloved men's collection, Bamford & Sons, and the Bamford Body product line.

At $7,000 per night, the Premier Suites at the beachside Halekulani resort in Hawaii are among the world's priciest. However, the posh getaway has just added a luxurious new amenity that gets you a lot more bang for the buck. Called "Art in Motion," the program consists of a fleet of custom designed exotic autos, included at no additional charge as part of the Premier Suite guest experience. These include the Royal Suite, the Vera Wang Suite and the Orchid Suite.

The fleet features a Bentley Continental GTC convertible (above), Maserati Gran Turismo, Lotus Elise and Lotus Exige S. With the Bentley and Maserati guests have the option of being chauffeured around the glorious landscape in Waikiki, while the Lotus collection features GPS-guided thematic tours of the island, such as Culture, Adventure and Romance. Each car also comes with personalized leisure itineraries prepared by a Halekulani concierge.

The Boca Raton Resort & Club (above), designed by legendary architect Addison Mizner in 1926, has just unveiled a stunning $220 million dollar refurbishment. Upgrades include a revamp of the hotel's Palm Court and lobby by famed interior designer Thierry Despont, who has created a "return to casual life in an elegant environment drawing on Mizner's DNA"; the re-opening of the 212-room Beach Club designed by Fiona Thompson of Richmond International; the new Boca Bungalows, designed by Alexandra Champalimaud; the opening of Serendipity, known for its famous frozen hot chocolate, the first of its kind located outside of NYC; and the first Southeast outpost of Morimoto, from Masaharu Morimoto of Iron Chef fame, also designed by Thierry Despont.

The BRR&C's amenities include a half-mile stretch of private beach, the acclaimed Spa Palazzo, two 18-hole championship golf courses, 30 tennis courts and a full-service marina. The property, which is set to join the Waldorf=Astoria Collection in 2009, "embodies the modernity, elegance, and the sophistication of one of the most historically significant resorts in the United States, and is poised to redefine that guest experience for the 21st century." See the gallery for images.

The Hotel St. Barth Isle de France, the luxuriously appointed hotel, resort and spa in the French West Indies that was just named Best Hotel in the Caribbean by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler, has just opened a quartet of new state-of-the-art Beach Suites. Designed by Penny Morrison of Morrison Interiors in London, the Suites feature amazing views of the island's beautiful Flamands beach. Each one has a private infinity plunge pool (above), large terrace with beach loungers, 52″ plasma television, fully equipped kitchen, wireless internet, stone bathtub and outdoor shower. The hotel also recently introduced membership in the Isle de France Club, an investment opportunity consisting of a fractional ownership in one of five Club residences, complete with the finest furnishings and the highest level of guest services.

Get fit, be green, and travel in style on one of the new James Perse Cruisers. Available in 4 colors, the vintage 50s and 60s-style Beach Cruisers (meaning they have wide tires for handling the sand, low wide-set handlebars, and coaster brakes) are custom built and in limited edition. Features include a Hydroform steel frame, hand-aged leather seat and handle grips, wide 2" rims and tires, and a limited edition serial number and serial number tag. Only available at James Perse boutiques for approx $2200.

Via Acquire

The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to preserving the world's oceans, waves, and beaches, and works to further that mission through educational programs and the development of grassroots awareness. Their programs include everything from the expected like monitoring water quality and teaching kids to respect the beach to the slightly less expected, like information on how to create an "ocean friendly garden" that reduces runoff and harmful pollutants.

You can take part in their programs hands on if you live near any of the nations coasts (they have chapters pretty much everywhere) or join online and support them from anywhere.