Pierce Brosnan

Sunday Real Estate Round-Up, 12/12/10

From the Real Estalker:
--Bernie Ecclestone has spent around £60 million on Sloane House a mansion in the Chelsea area of London for his daughter Petra.
--Nicole Richie and Joel Madden are set to marry this weekend at Lionel Richie's mansion that overlooks the Los Angeles Country Club in Beverly Hills
--Pierce Brosnan and his wife Keely Shaye Smith have dropped the price on their Malibu, California home from $3.9 million to $3.5 million. The listing is here.
--George Lucas has picked up a home in Carpinteria, California for a rumored $19.5 million.

From the LA Times:
--Former major league pitcher Bret Saberhagen has sold his gated Calabasas home for $2.4 million. We first checked out this home in 2009 when it was listed at $3.25 million.

Gallery: Bret Saberhagen in Calabasas

From Homes and Property UK:
--X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke spent an estimated £300,000 on a two-bedroom property in Barnet.
--Dave Myers, the shaggier half of The Hairy Bikers, BBC2's culinary double act, bought a nine-bedroom detached house close to his Barrow-in-Furness birthplace for almost £500,000.
--Magician, Drummond Money-Coutts, has bought his first home, a four-bedroom Victorian terrace house in Fulham, with a garden and roof terrace for £1.1 million.

From the NY Post:
--Will Smith is renting the fourth floor of 25 Bond St. The five-bedroom condo had been listed for sale at $19.5 million for nearly two years.
--LeBron James bought a new $9 million bayfront mansion on Crystal View Court in Miami. The 12,178-square-foot, six-bedroom home was built this year and a has a concrete dock big enough to hold two 60-foot yachts.
--Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen are still looking for a new apartment in Manhattan. This season they are renting a country cabin on a mountain in upstate Accord.
-- Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have been apartment-hunting. This week they visited a $25,000-a-month, three-bedroom rental at the new 55 Thompson building. --Billionaire Charles Bronfman has signed the contract to buy a two-bedroom co-op at 810 Fifth Ave., listed at $23.5 million.
--Bob and Cortney Novogratz are renovating one of Julia Roberts' Manhattan apartments.

From Newsday:
--Millard Drexler, J. Crew chief executive officer, bought Montauk's Deep Hollow Ranch for $11.4 million. The 17.8-acre property is the oldest working cattle ranch in the country.
"Jersey Shore" stars Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and Jenni "JWOWW" Farley are planning to buy a house together on Long Island.

Tags: Bret Saberhagen, celebrity real estate, ivanka trump, lebron james, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, millard drexler, pierce brosnan, snooki, Tim Lincecum, Will Smith

Continue reading “Sunday Real Estate Round-Up, 12/12/10”

Sunday Real Estate Round-Up, 07/04/10

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

From the LA Times Hot Properties:
--A gated Mediterranean owned by actor Pierce Brosnan has come on the market in Malibu at $3.9 million. The listing is here.
--NBA free agent Carlos Boozer and his wife, Cece, have sold their Coconut Grove, Florida estate for $5.5 million.
--Actor Craig Sheffer has listed his home on Malibou Lake in the Agoura Hills area at $1.699 million. The home was formerly owned by actress Elizabeth Montgomery and has a Moroccan-style conversational area that centers on a fireplace (shown above).
--The former Santa Monica beach house of silent film star Douglas Fairbanks Sr. has sold for $6,862,000.
--Legendary Los Angeles Kings goalie Rogie Vachon has listed his Venice-area home for $1.488 million. The listing is with his daughter-in-law, Renee Vachon of Nourmand & Associates.

From the NY Post:
--"Sopranos" star Michael Imperioli has put his four-story TriBeCa townhouse on the market for $6.995 million. The listing for the striking red and gold home is with Raphael DeNiro.
--Designer Elie Tahari and his wife, Rory, have separated and found an unnamed buyer for their 141 Prince St. triplex. The sale closed at $27.5 million, more than the unofficial $22 million asking price.
--Alec Baldwin is still apartment hunting ad was most recently spotted at 225 Lafayette St. in Nolita.
--DJ and record producer Danny Tenaglia has a signed contract to sell his condo at the Arris Lofts building in Long Island City for $1.24 million.

From the Wall Street Journal's Private Properties:
--Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen has bought an oceanfront home in Malibu for more than $25 million. The home was listed for $29.5 million
--Victoria Reggie Kennedy, the widow of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, has formally put their Washington home on the market for just under $8 million. It was our estate of the day back in January.

Gallery: Victoria Kennedy in Washington D.C.

--A bayfront mansion in Newport Beach, California listed at $38 million has sold for $27 million.

From Newsday's Real LI:
--William J. Bratton, who has headed the police forces of New York City, Boston and Los Angeles, has purchased a home in Hampton Bays. He and his wife, cable TV newscaster Rikki Jo Klieman, recently left Los Angeles. They paid $880,000 for the house in early June.
--A six-bedroom waterfront home in the Hamptons is being offered with a cherry red 1966 Ford Cobra replica said to be worth $50,000 to $60,000. The home is listed for $5.499 million with Enzo Morabito.

Tags: alec baldwin, anthony bamford, carlos boozer, craig sheffer, danny tenaglia, elie tahari, johnny hallyday, michael imperioli, paul allen, pierce brosnan, rogie vachon

Continue reading “Sunday Real Estate Round-Up, 07/04/10”

The Classicist: The $100,000 Panama Hat

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

Click above for a high-res image gallery.

Brent Black, renowned authority and preeminent purveyor of handwoven straw hats, is now offering the world's finest Montecristi Panama for $100,000. Known simply as "The Hat", Black calls the exquisite creation the most finely woven Montecristi Panama the world has ever known. Authentic Montecristi Panamas, the world's greatest, are made from extremely fine toquilla straw and woven only in Ecuador; a handful of master weavers produce the best of the best, which sell for tens of thousands of dollars apiece. The Hat was commissioned by Black from the king of the master weavers - Black calls him the best weaver in history - Simón Espinal, who lives in the village of Píle in Montecristi Canton. It took him five full months to complete.

After Espinal completed the weaving, five other artisans spent several more weeks preparing and finishing The Hat. An incredible amount of handwork goes into Montecristis; hence the price. You can see some of it in the gallery and a more detailed exposition here. The Hat has not been blocked into a style or sized yet, and is awaiting the purchaser's final instructions. Black offers dozens of different styles and bespoke finishes, some based on vintage patterns such as the dashing Optimo design, above. The Hat is so incredibly fine it weighs less than one ounce. "It is as thin as my stationery," Black tells The Classicist. "When I handle The Hat, I do not worry that it might fall to the floor if I drop it; I worry that it might float away."

While Espinal could theoretically create another one equal to The Hat's fineness, it's not a given that he could replicate the feat. "I have been obsessed with the very finest hats for more than 20 years," Black notes. "I have researched the finest hats woven during the 20th century. There is simply no hat that is comparable to this one." At first Black says he did not want to part with The Hat. However, "if someone were serious enough to pay $100,000 I think I'd have to give it up," he concedes. "I represent the interests of the artist as a gallery does. Simón would be pleased for me to sell it." If that's out of your range, don't worry - Black's best hats, other than this unique work of art, sell for $5,000 to $30,000. You can work your way up.

Gallery: Brent Black Panama Hats

Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, ArnoldSchwarzenegger, bespoke, Brent Black, BrentBlack, custom, Ecuador, Harrison Ford, HarrisonFord, hats, Hawaii, Panama hat, PanamaHat, Pierce Brosnan, PierceBrosnan, weaving

Continue reading “The Classicist: The $100,000 Panama Hat”

James Bond's Brioni Suits & More at Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping, Men's Style

Several items of clothing worn by Pierce Brosnan in the James Bond films including his Brioni suits are on offer at Bonhams' Entertainment Memorabilia sale in London on June 16. Highlights include a razor sharp three-piece navy wool Brioni suit with a ticket pocket, estimated at £2,500 - £3,000, and a cream herringbone linen Brioni suit, estimated at £3,000 - 4,000, both from 1995's Goldeneye. The suits have Brosnan's name embroidered on the lining and are accompanied by film stills showing him wearing the items. Other Brosnan / Bond items include a pair of leather jackets, a selection of Turnbull & Asser shirts and ties, and even Kevlar body armor. There are a few articles of clothing worn by Roger Moore as 007 featured in the sale as well.

Tags: 007, Bonhams, Brioni, James Bond, JamesBond, Pierce Brosnan, PierceBrosnan, Roger Moore, RogerMoore, suit, Turnbull Asser, TurnbullAsser

Brioni to Sell a 25% Stake

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

Classic luxury Italian fashion brand Brioni, best known for outfitting Pierce Brosnan during his tenure as James Bond (right), is looking to sell a 25% stake in the business. "This is a family company. We need to think about the future and ways to develop the brand," Brioni CEO Antonella De Simone tells WWD.

The company, founded in Rome in 1945 and named after a resort on the Adriatic Sea, makes ready-to-wear and bespoke men's suits costing from $6,000 - $36,000, and has a women's line as well. Some of its luster may have been lost when James Bond switched to Tom Ford, but the brand is undeniably valuable.

Tags: 007, Brioni, Italian fashion, ItalianFashion, James Bond, JamesBond, Pierce Brosnan, PierceBrosnan, Suits

Models & Moguls Flock to Montauk Seaplane

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Yachts & Sailing, Wings

This summer, luxury charter service V1 Jets opened up its seaplane service from Manhattan to the Hamptons (formerly reserved for members) to anyone with the price of a ticket, and it's proved to be very popular with the gliteratti. The 40 minute trip on an 8-passenger Cessna, which costs $495 one-way, has been taken by the likes of models Adriana Lima and Petra Nemcova, actors Pierce Brosnan and Jeremy Piven, and mogul Barry Diller. V1 Jets was founded in 2003 by hedge fund manager Andrew Zarrow who envisioned a way to utilize the excessive amount of "dead legs" created by private aircraft returning empty after delivering clients to their destinations, saving money and resources in the process.

Tags: Adriana Lima, AdrianaLima, Cessna, Hamptons, Manhattan, Montauk, Pierce Brosnan, PierceBrosnan, Private jets, PrivateJets, Seaplane, V1 Jets, V1Jets

Gisele Stars in Aquascutum's New Ad Campaign

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Aquascutum, the London luxury brand founded in 1851, has brought back Brazilian bombshell Gisele Bundchen to star in its new Fall ad campaign. The pictures, co-starring model Jamie Doran, were shot at London's historic St. Paul's Cathedral, Vogue UK reports.

Meanwhile, the company which invented and patented several waterproof materials and pioneered the trench coat, is introducing its first ever line of bags for both men and women. The traditional brand began its foray into high fashion a couple years back when it hired Pierce Brosnan to star in a series of James Bond-style ads.

Over the years Aquascutum coats have sheathed the likes of the Queen Mother, Winston Churchill, Sophia Loren, Greta Garbo, Sean Connery, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart and Sir Edmund Hillary.

Gallery: Aquascutum of London

Tags: Ad campaigns, AdCampaigns, Aquascutum, British style, BritishStyle, Cary Grant, CaryGrant, gisele bundchen, GiseleBundchen, London, Pierce Brosnan, PierceBrosnan, Trench coats, TrenchCoats

The Classicist: A Bastion of British Style in the Burlington Arcade

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Shoes, Men's Style, The Classicist

Photo by Andrew Dunn

Classic English shoe brand Church's was founded in 1873, but its roots date back to the late 1600s when a Northampton cobbler named Church first set up shop. The traditional shoemaker is known for its elegant footwear, which has been the choice of well-dressed British gentlemen for over 130 years. In 1999 Church's was acquired by the Prada group, and while some traditionalists bemoaned the end of an era, little of the company's core values have changed. Its high-end models, which have names like the Consul, the Diplomat, the Chetwynd and the Gunthorpe, are still handmade in Northampton and cost in the neighborhood of £300 pounds, or about $600.

Prada has certainly set about modernizing the brand however, which is known for durable style. The company recently redesigned Church's historic shop in London's Burlington Arcade, Britain's first shopping arcade, which was built by Lord George Cavendish in 1819 and houses some of the world's finest boutiques. The revamped shop incorporates some modern design elements while retaining the important historical fixtures. In addition to shoes, the store also stocks neckties, gentlemen's accessories and leathergoods. Part of Prada's plan to boost the brand's presence internationally, new Church's shops were also recently opened in Venice and Bologna.

Gallery: Church's & the Burlington Arcade