Istanbul

Byzantia: Jewelry by Stella Flame

While I was checking out Rock Hall, the new Connecticut B&B I told you about last week, I noticed that the proprietress, Stella Flame, had simply gorgeous jewelery: pieces that were big, bold and yet totally tasteful.

I asked her about it, and it turns out that she's a jewelry designer, represented by Sola Showroom in Manhattan. Her inspiration is Istanbul, a city that she loves, and she aims to bring a modern twist to the feel of ancient Mediterranean designs. (This is a common theme with her bed & breakfast, a Mediterranean style estate in the heart of Connecticut.) Stella designs the pieces, which are crafted in Istanbul, using jewels set into a signature combination of oxidized silver and 24 karat gold. On the day of my visit, Stella was just about to fly out to Istanbul to confer with her master jewelers.

These pieces retail in the neigborhood of $1,500 to about $3,000, depending on the stones that are used, contact Sola showroom for prices.

Gallery: Byzantia Jewelry by Stella Flame

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Tags: bedandbreakfast, istanbul, jeweler, jewelery

Istanbul Sapphire Is Europe's Tallest Tower

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Need more proof that Istanbul is becoming one of the most cosopolitan cities in Europe? Check out the Istanbul Sapphire, the 261-meter skyscraper that will be the tallest residential building in Europe once it is completed in late 2009. The skyscraper has been under construction for three years and recently reached full height. It will have 64 floors and offer 174 private residences. The total cost of the project is currently $200 million and around 40 percent of the whole project has been sold. The tower is also home to a shopping center, fitness center and spa, restaurants and includes vertical gardens and a viewing terrace.

[via Turkish Daily News]

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Tags: istanbul, istanbul sapphire, IstanbulSapphire, skyscraper

The Millionaire Fair Heads To Istanbul

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events

My colleague Jared Paul Stern has written before about the renaissance of Istanbul as a luxury destination. Even more than the opening of a W hotel or a Jimmy Choo boutique, the arrival of the Millionaire Fair in town symbolizes that Istanbul is on the radar of for luxury brands. The Millionaire Fair travels the world showcasing real estate developments, high-end jewelry and watches, luxury cars and other items to tempt the wealthy. This is the first time that Turkey is hosting the Millionaire Fair and an account in Today's Zaman says that several luxury hotels in ?stanbul were full due to visitors flying in to the city to attend the Millionaire Fair. Istanbul even beat out Dubai to hold the event this year. The fair features over 200 global brands as well as select Turkish brands such as Moonday Yachts, a jewelry collection from Topal Mücevherat and a three-wheeled Spyder motorcycle made by the Depar company.

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Tags: istanbul, millionaire fair, MillionaireFair, turkey

Take a Tour of the New W Istanbul

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Journeys

As my colleague Deidre Woollard noted the other day, Istanbul has become something of a hotspot for foriegn brands. In addition to the Christian Dior boutique she wrote about, Marc Jacobs, Chloé, Bottega Veneta and Jimmy Choo have all recently opened shops in the Besiktas district, aka the SoHo of Istanbul. The centerpiece of the neighborhood is undoubtedly Starwood's new W Istanbul (which she mentioned as well). This is the first European outpost for W, the fastest growing luxury hotel brand in the world with 22 properties and 18 more in development. Here's a tour of the hip new hotel which W constructed out of a row of beautiful 1870s townhouses. The W Istanbul features 134 luxurious guest rooms including 26 suites -- many with their own private gardens, terraces and cabanas -- a branch of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's New York hotspot Spice Market, a sexy Sip Lounge bar, and a signature spa. It also boasts spectacular views of the Bosphorus, the renowned waterway between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara.

[via UrbanDaddy]

Gallery: The W Istanbul

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Tags: Bottega Veneta, BottegaVeneta, Chloe, Istanbul, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Jean-georgesVongerichten, Jimmy Choo, JimmyChoo, Marc Jacobs, MarcJacobs, Spice Market, SpiceMarket, Starwood, Turkey, UrbanDaddy, W Hotel, W Hotels, WHotel, WHotels

Foreign Brands Investing in Istanbul

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Journeys

The beautiful and historic city of Istanbul seems to be suddenly becoming a hot spot for travel and shopping, not just for those looking for a historical experience but for those looking for the latest stores and hotels. The International Herald Tribune recently did a story on the rise of shopping malls in the Turkish town. Income is rising in Turkey and malls are attracting shoppers by offering newness and one-stop shopping, food and entertainment. Foreign retailers are starting to move in as well. WWD reports that the Christian Dior boutique at the Istinye Park shopping complex is thriving. Although the general economic environment is worsening, Turkish retail is very appealing to foreign investors.

One foreign brand making a move in Istanbul is W Hotels Worldwide which will mark its entry into Europe with the grand opening of W Istanbul. The W Istanbul is the centerpiece of the Ottoman Row Houses. W Istanbul features 134 guest rooms, including 26 suites, Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Spice Market restaurant, and a signature spa. The rooms include private gardens, terraces and cabanas and are designed in a blend of modern and Turkish design.The project complex in which W Istanbul is located includes luxury residences and retail shops which will offer global luxury brands.

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Tags: dior, istanbul, malls, turkey, w hotel

Luxe City Guides Offer Only the Best

by Sandy Maple (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Journeys

Luxe City Guides are not your ordinary travel books. In fact, they aren't books at all. They are are beautiful, sleek, accordion-style guides that are small enough to fit in your pocket. These travel and style guides point the discerning traveler to only the best of the best in Asian, European and Australian cities.

From Bali to Tokyo, the guides are packed with personally researched information from city-insiders who know their way around the fashion, food and entertainment scenes. Luxe takes things a step further by including information on services, shops and secrets that you might never find on your own. With Luxe, you are a visitor, not a tourist.

Whether you are looking for the best martini in Istanbul, want to design your own handbags in Hanoi or desire a quiet moment in a secret garden in the heart of Bangkok, Luxe will take you there in style.

The guides are written in an opinionated and irreverent style and are beautiful to look at. With no paid advertising, the Luxe City Guides are updated twice each year with regular online updates.

Buy the guides individually for $9 each, or get a customized boxed set of twelve for $108.

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Tags: asia travel, AsiaTravel, austrtalia travel, AustrtaliaTravel, bali, bangkok, city guide, CityGuide, entertainment, european travel, EuropeanTravel, hanoi, istanbul, luxe travel guide, LuxeTravelGuide, style, tokyo, travel, travel guide, travel secrets, TravelGuide, TravelSecrets

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#	Blogger	Posts	Cmts
1	Deidre Woollard	174	0
2	Jared Paul Stern	49	0
3	Noah Joseph	40	0
4	Carrie Coolidge	40	0
5	Ariel Adams	40	0
6	Annie Scott	38	1
7	Rigel Celeste	32	0
8	Tom Johansmeyer	31	0
9	Deb West	20	0
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11	Ariston Anderson	13	0
12	Jeremy Korzeniewski	11	0
13	Jonathon Ramsey	10	0
14	Alison Wellner	6	0
15	Brendan Cleary	5	0
16	Kristin Young	5	0
17	Ann Brenoff	3	0
18	Sam Abuelsamid	2	0
19	Carrie N. Culpepper	1	0